2 spots signal that tiny capillaries have burst causing blood to escape. Eventually, that blood is reabsorbed by the body and the bruise goes away. Another example of a preconceived notion is when someone explains why we get chilled walking in refrigerated areas of grocery stores. Is it because cold air hits our skin or that heat from our bodies moves to the cooler area? Good question, right? Heat always moves to a cooler area, but that is not what initially makes the most sense.
• Conceptual Misunderstandings: This type of misconception is potentially the most complex and time-consuming to address. Its best friend is preconceived notions, and together they work to reason out what seems like a logical explanation for why something
is or occurs. For example, the veins in our wrists look blue. Therefore, the blood in those veins lacks oxygen and needs to be run back through our lungs, right? No. Blood is always red. The way light penetrates our skin causes veins to look blue. This misconception type is not addressed in this book.
Knowing which type of misconception we are challenged with can help us figure out how t
o
address it. For example:
1. How long
has it been there? How de
ep-seated might it be?
2. What is the misconception based on? An incorrect fact or faulty complex reasoning that seems to make sense?
Answering these questions helps us gauge the amount of time and number of new e
xposures
to learning that a student may require to correct a misconception. So, let’s get started.
Detecting, Confronting, and Replacing Misconceptions
This book works through a series of three steps to address misconceptions.
1. The first step focuses on detecting, or uncovering, misconceptions.
2. The second step creates cognitive dissonance to provide students the opportunity to confront incorrect thinking or ideas.
3. The third step involves replacing the misconception with correct information or thinking.
Now w
e will dig deeper into each step of the process.
Detecting Misconceptions The first step is detecting a misconception. This involves anticipating, planning for, and uncovering
misconceptions. How do
we do that you ask? Through formative assessment, of course! Those
well-placed checks for understanding in a lesson cycle can provide a window in
to student thinking.
If we anticipate the potential existence of the misconception, we can detect it as soon as possible.
In this case, formative assessment would occur at the beginning of the lesson cycle. However,
• Conceptual Misunderstandings: This type of misconception is potentially the most complex and time-consuming to address. Its best friend is preconceived notions, and together they work to reason out what seems like a logical explanation for why something
is or occurs. For example, the veins in our wrists look blue. Therefore, the blood in those veins lacks oxygen and needs to be run back through our lungs, right? No. Blood is always red. The way light penetrates our skin causes veins to look blue. This misconception type is not addressed in this book.
Knowing which type of misconception we are challenged with can help us figure out how t
o
address it. For example:
1. How long
has it been there? How de
ep-seated might it be?
2. What is the misconception based on? An incorrect fact or faulty complex reasoning that seems to make sense?
Answering these questions helps us gauge the amount of time and number of new e
xposures
to learning that a student may require to correct a misconception. So, let’s get started.
Detecting, Confronting, and Replacing Misconceptions
This book works through a series of three steps to address misconceptions.
1. The first step focuses on detecting, or uncovering, misconceptions.
2. The second step creates cognitive dissonance to provide students the opportunity to confront incorrect thinking or ideas.
3. The third step involves replacing the misconception with correct information or thinking.
Now w
e will dig deeper into each step of the process.
Detecting Misconceptions The first step is detecting a misconception. This involves anticipating, planning for, and uncovering
misconceptions. How do
we do that you ask? Through formative assessment, of course! Those
well-placed checks for understanding in a lesson cycle can provide a window in
to student thinking.
If we anticipate the potential existence of the misconception, we can detect it as soon as possible.
In this case, formative assessment would occur at the beginning of the lesson cycle. However,
