1-A-2+CWS

According to a majority of my students in my 5 Environmental Science classes, most of their "Compelling Whys" are met in our lab discussions and activities. According to the students, most of them feel that the labs allow them to explore things on their own. Also, most have said that they would rather be in their groups performing hands-on activities. Is some of this because they enjoy having their freedom? Meaning in some cases they get to talk a little bit more, they get to move around more and they are not confined to their desk and desk chair. I would say the answer is probably yes, but this all aids, I feel, in their self-actualization, their belonging and according to the conclusion portion, their self-esteem (mainly when they find the expected result of a lab and discover this on their own).

At the same time, a student that is introverted or shy for some reason (like not being 100% fluent in the language) could struggle in this setting. I feel they would mainly struggle in their belonging, as they would probably be over-shadowed by the other students in the class and group. By extension, they would never realize the self-actualization and therefore, their self-esteem would suffer. We must be careful, in these cases, not to allow the lab to dominate these students, but also in a way that will not embarass them.