MOSART Video Response

As I completed the four tutorials on the MOSART site, I found the video, "How Does the Heart Work," to be very interesting. Many students in the class had misconceptions on how the heart actually works. While many of the students had heard of veins, arteries, and how the heart beats or pounds, they did not have a firm understanding of those concepts. The student teacher, Sara Bayer, asked the second graders to explain their ideas to her. She asked students to explain why they drew the heart the way that they did and to elaborate on what they know about the heart. After students told her their understandings of the concepts, she asked them where they had heard those ideas and where those ideas came from. Many of the students mentioned that older siblings had told them about the heart and how it works, which actually promoted the students' misconceptions. By understanding where the misconceptions came from, Sara was able to create meaningful lessons that focused on changing the misconceptions and answering questions that students asked during the interviews.

As I watched the video, I began to consider what I know about the heart. While I still do not have a full understanding of how the heart works, I could answer many of the questions that the second graders could not. Did I have misconceptions that my teachers were able to change when I took a human biology course during freshman year? Probably! I think it is important to consider where students discover their misconceptions. By understanding where the misconceptions come from, teachers can plan lessons in ways that best help students to learn. Meaningful lessons can clear up misconceptions and help teachers and students move forward with the curriculum.