Home school chemistry laboratory. How can a parent who is not a chemist cope with lab work?
I have a degree in chemistry and years of chemistry lab teaching experience. I know how difficult it is to teach a chem lab. How is it possible for home schoolers to perform this without cheating their students (children)?
Let me get this straight. I am not putting down home schooling, but I do know that chemistry labs are very important in preparation for college level chemistry studies.
I have seen home school students who could take the college chemistry with no problems, but I also had students who were no where near prepared for the hands-on laboratory.
Chemistry, unlike some other subjects, cannot be taught correctly without the laboratory exercises. This would be like teaching auto mechanics without a shop experienced.
I do not want to hear about how poor your local public school might be. That is the fault of the voters in your locality. I want to know how home school teachers cope with teaching chemistry as a laboratory subject in preparation for jobs or higher education.
Is there a need for some home school specialists?
I am not against home schooling. I am trying to learn some details. I know from personal experience that my parents were not capable of teaching me chemistry at home.
I know that at the college level, many of my students who required the most help (especially in the laboratory) were home schooled. But most were capable of putting in the effort that was needed to catch up.
As to who other than chemists might need chemistry, many. Doctor and nurses and other health care professionals are one group (some of which have less than adequate chemistry education).
One cannot argue logically with a scientist and win if one does not know science.
A parent who has never taken a chemistry course would be brave or foolish to believe that lab lessons are not needed. Chemists know the importance of labs in teaching.
If you are not an artist, you might have a difficult time teaching a student to oil paint. Saying the labs are not needed is not coping, it is avoiding the issue.
heartintennessee --
Most have no problems with the theory. It is the physical use of the equipment and instruments where problems arise. Some were taught to pipet by mouth! Most did not know the proper use of a balance (even a digital one). Little things, like knowing to hold a coin shaped stopper between the fingers instead of laying it down. Many could not use a spatula or rubber policeman correctly. Most had no idea how to assemble pieces with ground glass connectors or how to properly adjust a burner flame.
Only a couple had ever seen or used a cylinder of compressed gas. Most could not read the liquid level (meniscus) in a graduated cylinder.
Other problems had to do with recording in ink and never scratching out any mistakes (a line should be drawn through the incorrect recording).
Many did not even know to tie their hair back and not wear sandals in the lab. Some all but refused to wear goggles.
There must be hundreds more, but these were the most common,