ABSTRACT
Elementary teachers must notice and respond to children’s ideas to support their sensemaking, yet doing so can be challenging for beginners. This chapter describes a study focused on two sets of data: PSTs’ rehearsal and classroom lesson reflections, and interviews with PSTs in which they describe the role of three tools in helping them to notice student ideas and support student sensemaking. The tools include a student alternative ideas tool, a science practice challenges tool, and lesson artifacts of student thinking. Findings indicate that in their rehearsal and classroom reflections, PSTs attended to students’ ideas in ways that supported sensemaking—that is, they responded by integrating students’ use of science practices and learning of disciplinary core ideas. The interview analyses suggest the tool-supported rehearsals offer PSTs opportunities to anticipate, manage, and reflect on the complexity of working with students’ ideas and use of science practices in science teaching and learning.
