Move from group to group.
You should visit every group, pair or student at least once if not two
or three times during the lab period.
Interact with the students
during lab. This is crucial if they are to have guidance through their
lab discovery process. Move around the room asking pointed questions
(see below for information on asking questions) that require the students
to take their thinking one step further. If the students have questions
of you, try to refrain from just feeding them the answer. Instead, try
to ask leading and focusing questions to guide to student to discovering
the answer on her own.
Check on the students often.
Keep asking questions that make the students connect the experiemnt
and the concepts.
Know the lab methods thoroughly
so you can help students with logistical and procedural questions.
Consider stopping lab in
the middle once or twice (if possible) to go over questions with the
whole class, look at a demonstration, or to discuss concepts and procedures.
Very often, many students have the same questions and problems during
lab. It can be very effective if you address these issues to all the
students at once, while also giving the class another opportunity for
discussion and interaction.
Make connections between
the experiment (or procedure) and concepts. Keep reminding the students,
and asking them to tell you, how the lab related back to its conceptual
basis, to help them connect theory with process.
Ask
good questions. This is harder than it sounds. We have all had the
experience of asking our students, "Any questions?" and having
a silent room with blank stares as a response. How can we ask questions
of our students that prompt discussion and thought, and help our students
make connections and evaluate their own learning?
Post-Lab
Stop lab a few minutes early
to summarize. (Often this is not possible since students all finish
lab at different times.)
E-mail a wrap-up summary
to students after the lab.
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