Virtual Lab

The “Virtual Lab” course, led by Zeinab Raad, is a 4-hour training designed for Math and Science teachers. It focuses on creating a student-centered classroom by encouraging student agency, inquiry, and participation. Teachers will learn how to build on students’ prior knowledge, adapt activities to different learning goals, and implement checks for understanding to assess and guide instruction. The course also emphasizes the importance of teachers’ experience in designing and improving learning activities and simulations, ensuring they address both student goals and common challenges.

Objectives:

Teachers will …

Create a student-centered classroom by …

○ Hearing and valuing student ideas

○ Promoting student agency – students actively driving their learning

○ Encouraging and guiding student inquiry

○ Being a co-participant in the inquiry process

○ Building on students’ prior knowledge

Foster a supportive, goal-oriented learning environment by …

○ Valuing and addressing multiple goals – content, process, habits of mind, interest, etc.

○ Being prepared to address common student ideas/thinking and confusions

○ Adapting activities to their environment and their students (e.g. for varying learning goals and education levels)

○ Implementing ‘checks for understanding’ in order to assess student learning and drive instructio.

○ Being responsive by flexibly adapting to emergent student ideas

Bring their experience, professionalism, and knowledge of their students to designing, implementing, and improving activities, implementation, and simulation design.