Mindtronics: Science, Social Studies, Inquiry Alive!

Description

The textbook for conscientious teachers aspiring to teach with inquiry and technology is now even better. This new edition, an eBook connected to the Internet, is indispensable for students and practitioners, and has received attention from such educational icons as SocialEducation and The National Council for the Social Studies. Based on over 30 years of teaching, William C. Bruce, a Professor of Education, at the University of Texas at Tyler, shows teachers how organized mindteasing tempts students to use critical thinking. When Professor Bruce wrote his first inquiry books, 1992, teachers could find few books on the subject. Bruce says, "Teachers, now, see the value of action by attraction, where new, old, or controversial issues can be explored safely through interactions starting with a mystery. Research, by Robert Provine, shows people are more likely to laugh in groups. Problem solving works best in groups." This social aspect, plus the inclusion of all ability levels, sets Bruce's books on a different scale from other inquiry texts using the Web. The book's major aim is to show by example, through its 100 modules. The instructive text is college level, but the discrepant events cover grades 1-adult. Although Professor Bruce stresses the quality of knowledge gained from the liaisons inquiry generates, the book never wallows in the analysis of it. Bruce says, "It's the anticipation or surprise. Solving ambiguities is an ancient, transgenerational practice for all ages, pulling people and data together." The design moves teachers quickly through overviews, inviting them to read more focused details in the companion eBook, Inquiry Alive Mindtronics provides an index, and 3000+active Internet Links. Each module presents the following pattern: a discrepant event, discipline list, key concepts, problem statements, probable solutions, possible student hypotheses, fact sheets, references, resources with external URL links, and suggested grade levels.