CHEM 133 Week 12 Discussion

CHEM 133 Week 12 Discussion | American Public University System

Week 12 Forum / Topic: Teaching Chemistry for Understanding

Discussion Topic 3: Teaching Chemistry for Understanding 

People have known for a very long time that the best way to understand a concept is to explain it to someone else. So that's exactly what you will do in this discussion Topic. You will select a concept from the lesson material and re-explain it to the class as if you were teaching it to them in a way they can understand it. So, it needs to be your own delivery style and in your own words--don't just re-state what is already written in the text with the big words given there. As we learn, we all make different associations with the new material with previous knowledge we have, and we often form visual images or learning devices in our heads to help us understand concepts being presented. So, share those. Help us understand how YOU understand and came to understand the material, and maybe hearing the concept explained in a different way will help someone else understand it a little better. If not, it will most definitely make you think about the concept at a level of true understanding, so that you will not just have a cursory understanding of the material/concept, but rather an operational understanding on which you can build your future learning.

You will select a concept from the lesson material and re-explain it to the class as if you were teaching it to them in a way they can understand it. So, it needs to be your own delivery style and in your own words--don't just re-state what is already written in the text with the big words given there. As we learn, we all make different associations with the new material with previous knowledge we have, and we often form visual images or learning devices in our heads to help us understand concepts being presented. So, share those. Help us understand how YOU understand and came to understand the material, and maybe hearing the concept explained in a different way will help someone else understand it a little better. If not, it will most definitely make you think about the concept at a level of true understanding, so that you will not just have a cursory understanding of the material/concept, but rather an operational understanding on which you can build your future learning.

After you select the concept you would like to discuss, START A NEW CONVERSATION. You need not fill in the content—only begin a thread with a subject line that includes your name and the concept you will be discussing. When you are ready to fill in the details of the post, you can simply go back into your post and click “Edit” and put the information into your post. By starting your post, you are claiming your concept and no other student is allowed to choose the same concept. The first person to post a thread in the Topic with his/her concept in the subject line will be the only one to receive credit for the assignment should their be duplicate choices. Therefore, you should be sure no one has already chosen the concept you wish to discuss.

NOTE: You do not need to select too big of a concept that requires a ton of explanation or that covers several pages in the text. It can simply be a part of a concept--a concept within a concept, if you will. Remember, the minimum length of your explanation is 200 words, so you are not expected to write a book. Pick something smaller and easier to handle. Also, you must embed an image diagram and write out a problem using the f_x button on the Rich Text Editor.

Instructions: Your initial post over the material outlined above for the Topic should be at least 200 words (these must be words that are typed text within the textbox of the Rich Text Editor, thus words on any attached documents will not count towards the total). In addition, you are required to also reply to at least two classmates, and each reply must be at least 100 words. Your response should be a minimum of 100 words and include direct questions. Your replies can add additional insight to your classmates’ opinions, suggest other alternative approaches, or anything similar. Be sure to read the follow-up posts to your own posts and reply to any questions or requests for clarification.