School of STEM,<\/a> employs a model for teaching often referred to as \u201clearning by teaching.\u201d The\u202fmethod involves students first learning to gain a comprehensive understanding of a topic and then teaching that same topic to peers or others through a presentation or similar project that can deepen their learning even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTackling even hard topics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo first came across this teaching method while working as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Toronto. When she attended a teaching and learning symposium at York University, she heard about dance students going into middle schools in the area at the end of their class to instruct kids on the same moves they had just learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought it was a great idea, but several faculty members told me it would be an impossible endeavor in astronomy classes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Undeterred, she pursued the idea and, through the university\u2019s Centre for Community Partnerships, connected with program managers at\u202fafter-school programs in low-income areas around Toronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe rest is history,\u201d she said. \u201cI have been doing this since then and been involved with every service-learning and community-engagement center at every university I have been to. I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Practicing makes perfect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At the beginning of the quarter, Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo\u2019s students \u2014 most in their first year of college \u2014 learn about a wide range of astronomy basics. They are then invited to choose a topic previously talked about in class for their own presentations. They\u2019re also told to choose a second topic outside of class to research on their own and incorporate it into a supplementary presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt the beginning, they are shocked and doubtful that they will be able to teach astronomy after learning it for only one month,\u201d she said. \u201cBy the end, it builds up their confidence in public speaking and delivery of knowledge, as they themselves tell me in the post-action reflections we ask them to complete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before presenting to the community, the students have multiple opportunities to present in class and to others outside the class to help learn the material through oral repetition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCreating these projects and having to present them over and over really solidifies all the information,\u201d said student Liliana Flores \u201cOne of our professor\u2019s key tips is to go around explaining to everyone everything we learn. So, I\u2019ll walk around at home and tell my mom \u2018This is what I\u2019ve learned, let me tell you all about it.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn doing that, we\u2019ve really got this down pat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Engaging with the community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Students also have shared ownership in\u202fselecting and working with community partners to arrange educational events. This year\u2019s class presented at one of three venues: Skyview Middle School, Franklin High School and a library in the City of Bothell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The students who presented at the library gave a preview presentation to the staff there who provided feedback, including ways the students could adapt their presentation for younger library visitors. About 45 people, including young children and their parents, joined in the event on Saturday, June 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was nice to be able to offer an interactive STEM program for families on Saturday \u2014 and we were able to introduce the public library to the UW Bothell students. Many of them said they hadn\u2019t been here before and really liked the space,\u201d said Katie Boyes, librarian and information services manager. \u201cWe enjoyed the partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Skyview Middle School, the UW Bothell students attended two after-school programs. The school provided support by encouraging the middle school students to sign up for the presentations. In total, more than 25 signed up to learn about astronomy during their own time after school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo\u2019s students who graduated from Franklin High School arranged the presentation there, partnering with his former science teacher and connecting with students through the school\u2019s science club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo prepared her students to give their own presentations, she not only taught them about astronomy but also gave them important tips on how to teach and present to different audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaping young minds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe started out with the young kids in mind,\u201d said student Gregory Palmer, \u201cso that\u2019s what we shaped our presentation around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students noted that one of the more challenging topics to present was the Big Freeze, a theory on how the universe will die. \u201cIt\u2019s a little hard talking to them about how our universe will end. Their eyes will just get really big, and they\u2019re kind of shocked,\u201d said student Angela Duarte Valencia. \u201cBut it\u2019s so cute listening to them just ask questions and be interested in this stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UW Bothell Student Gowiria Yousif said that asking the younger students questions to encourage them to think about the information and try to find the answer is instrumental to teaching children. Many of the presentations incorporated interactive components and opportunities to earn small prizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI liked teaching to different people and different age groups,\u201d Flores said. \u201cAt Astronomy Day, we\u202ftaught college students \u2014 people our own age \u2014\u202fand at the Bothell Library we taught mostly younger kids. It\u2019s just very different but also a cool difference to see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The students from Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo\u2019s intro course also appreciated the collaborative nature of teaching as parents eagerly jumped in to help their children grasp what was being presented, said student Aidan Riffle. And oftentimes, younger space enthusiasts knew more about a certain topic than their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A transformative experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This kind of community-based learning is a passion for Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo and one of the reasons she moved from California to join the UW Bothell faculty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt involves a large amount of effort on many fronts,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it is completely transformative and removes the ivory tower concept that universities typically portray in our society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the many years she has used the model of learning through teaching, Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo said she\u2019s seen her students really benefit. In their interactions with younger audiences in the community, for example, her students are surprised to find themselves as role models for younger people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She recalls one student from her time in Toronto who shared an experience in her post-action reflection about teaching moon phases to a young girl. When the child asked if a woman had walked on the moon, the college student looked it up and told her that, no, there have not been any female astronauts on the moon. The young girl then declared that she would become the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy student wrote that the moment changed the way she saw the power of education \u2014 and the influence a student like her could have in her community,\u201d Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo said. \u201cYou never know the seeds you might be planting when you do these activities.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During Astronomy Day in the University of Washington Bothell\u2019s Commons Hall in May, students from Dr. Paola Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo\u2019s Intro to Astronomy course presented on topics ranging from black holes and the Big Bang Theory to moon phases and the solar system. Every year, Rodr\u00edguez Hidalgo\u2019s students organize the event as an opportunity to teach…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,8,7,4],"tags":[],"school":[],"class_list":["post-27737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community-partners","category-department-of-physical-sciences-psd","category-students","category-teaching"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"School of STEM","email":"uwbstem@uw.edu","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\n
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