One of the goals of SoSC is to bring together different perspectives on education including formal classroom teachers, informal educators, researchers, and professors. Each group has different and valuable perspectives and the interaction between them allows for not-often-available discussion about ways to improve the education system. The facilitation of this interaction is the reason for SoSC's Pedagogical discussions.
Participants in European SoS agreed that a significant benefit of this initiative was the discussions among colleagues surrounding how to improve the education of European youth in the areas of science and technology. “It is being recognized that the purpose of education is not just about the transfer of competences but also to develop the capacity to think and handle information in a rational and structured way. The establishment of a (cross disciplinary) dialogue between science teachers and researchers has undoubted contributed to the success of the “Science on Stage” festival.” [a quote from Janez Potocnik, Member of the European Commission, in the SoSD Programme].
We feel that Canadian educators could equally benefit from sharing perspectives. To begin the 2009 discussion, we brainstormed responses to the question, "What are the obstacles to effective science learning that we, as science educators, experience as we go about our daily work?" As the discussion developed we narrowed the topics and divided into small groups to generate ideas to overcome obstacles. These ideas were then presented to the larger group. You can see some of those presentations below.
It is our sincere desire that these discussions will continue in our classrooms, in our staff rooms, and around various coffee tables resulting in a strong network of dedicated individuals working diligently and supporting each other in effective learning.
Discussion Documents
Assessment
Government Versus the Private Sector in Education
How Can We Improve Teacher Training
Motivating Students to Study Science
The results of the 2009 brainstorming session. Click for a closer view.