Digital Media to Support Your Teaching of Light
Review this list of common conceptions about light that can inhibit student understanding. Reflect on whether you’ve seen these in your students. You may look back at what you wrote on the previous page and update it with any new insights.
- Light is only present if it can be seen.
- Color is a property of an object.
- Our ability to see objects depends on the absorption of light.
- Only materials with shiny surfaces, such as a mirror, reflect light.
- An object can absorb light or reflect light, not both.
- Different wavelengths of light travel at different speeds.
- The distance that light travels depends on the amount of energy that light has.
- Bright light travels farther than dim light.
- Light doesn’t exist between its source and the effect produced.
Digital media can be deployed to demonstrate and explain light in ways that helps your students learn concepts they sometimes struggle to grasp. Some of the best resources may feature:
- visualizations of phenomena—such as reflection and absorption—that are difficult to understand because they cannot be directly observed
- demonstrations that directly address or challenge common conceptions
- experiences that allow students to manipulate factors and strengthen their understanding of cause–and-effect relationships
Digital media that treats science concepts in novel and engaging ways can help students:
- ask better questions
- develop better models that can be put to use
- make better predictions
- identify evidence to support claims or arguments
Let’s examine some key ideas and applications related to light and see examples of how videos and interactives treat and explain them. Along the way, you’ll practice evaluating media for classroom use. Before moving ahead, take a few minutes to reflect on the prompt below.
Take Notes
- How, if at all, do you currently use digital media in your teaching to support students with science concepts and practices?
