Full inclusion, as an educational practice that educating children with disabilities in classrooms with regular children, has been around a decade. Is it delivering what’s it has promised? Is full inclusion always good for LD students? I did some research on the topic for other class also and find the followings: Inclusive teaching has many advantages that benefits students with disability such as challenging the students to come out of their comfort zone to grow full potential. But not all parents of students with disabilities support the approach. In order to get most out of the inclusion, more work needs to be done.
Obviously, many children have benefited from being included in their public schools. According to Harchik (2004), inclusion gives children with special needs the opportunity to learn in natural, stimulating environments. It makes it possible for friendships to occur with non-handicapped peers, it provides positive role models, and may lead to greater acceptance in the community. The approach is in line with state and federal requirements for a child to be educated in the "least restrictive environment." But the place where a child is educated does not make instruction effective. Rather, it is the content and method of instruction that are most likely to result in improvement in the child's language, social skills, and other behaviors.
Even with consultation from specialists, a regular school setting cannot always provide the intensive, focused, constant instruction these children require throughout the entire school day. Although schools may have a mandate to include all children, it is not uncommon that some eventually re-create special classrooms because the children did not receive the appropriate education or their behavior problems could not be addressed within the regular classroom. Inclusion involves re-structure of the regular classroom. Inclusive classes may require more than one teacher. And teachers and students may need specific technology to help students with disabilities perform better. It involves extra planning training time for teachers to plan, meet, create, and evaluate the students together, reduced size based on the severity of the student needs, professional skill development in the areas of cooperative learning, peer tutoring, adaptive curriculum, varied learning styles, etc.
While few educators oppose inclusion completely, some express reservations about how full inclusion works in the classroom. Some are completely support it. Michael F. (2007) argues that even students with severe disabilities are best served within the “regular” education classroom along with their typically developing peers. Michael F ‘s work suggested to approaching inclusive education through hard working, collaboration, and creativity, through implementing either multilevel curriculum and instruction or curriculum overlapping model. Which result in an authentic inclusion of students who function substantially below grade level.
James M. (2004) and his coworkers argue that the goal of education for students with disabilities should be to increase their level of competence and independence. They conclude that full inclusion involves “excessive” accommodations that actually become barriers to achieving this goal. I agree with Albert S (1996), full inclusion isn't always the best way to meet student needs. Children with disabilities are individuals with differing needs; some benefit from inclusion and others do not. For example, children with severe behavioral disorders or medically fragile are more likely to be harmed than helped when placed in regular classrooms where teachers do not have the highly specialized training to deal with their needs.
Harchik (2004) believes that inclusion is not always the best choice for every special needs student. Not all parents of students with disabilities support the approach. Some parents fear losing special-education services they have fought for and believe their children will be "dumped" into regular classrooms without appropriate support. In order to make inclusion work, it requires support from school and state. It requires to overcome the cons of the inclusion that involved extra work and costs. The policymaker and school has to determine the balance between making the most benefit of the full inclusion and disadvantages that involved such as cost and the extra work for teacher and parents. I support the approach of full inclusion for some children with disabilities and for other children with disabilities a different approach such as the least restrictive environment which may be outside the full inclusion scoop.
1.Alan H. 2004 http://www.newsforparents.org/experts_inclusion_pros_cons.html
2.Albert S.1996 www.aft.org/pdfs/teachers/wwsstandassessaccnt0603.pdf
3.James K. 2004 www.kappanmagazine.org/content/85/8/
4. Michael F. 2007 www.uvm.edu/cdci/archives/mgiangre/EL0764(5)34-37.pdf
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Using books to teach science
I have been exploring the idea of how to use tradebooks to teach science, and I found a great book that is all about using trade books during science to guide inquiry. In fact, that is part of the title of the book-- Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using Children's Books to Guide Inquiry, 3-6 byKaren Rohrich Ansberry and Emily Morgan. The first chapter in this book is devoted to answering the question why read picture books in science class? The answer to this is fairly simple. If you think back to your favorite book as a child, more often than not your answer will be some sort of picture book. Children and adults alike are drawn to the storylines and characters and are able to connect them to their own lives. Because of this it is easier for students to remember the concepts being taught, rather than reading lists of facts from a textbook.
Another good point made is that many children have trouble reading textbooks because of the vocabulary. Also, it is a good idea to share both a fiction book about a certain topic followed by a non fiction book about the same topic so the students remain engaged while learning the content. The book also states that research has shown that using literature in science has led to gains in both science and literacy, including more positive attitudes toward science.
One more interesting point brought up is that many students have misconceptions about science, and using books can help correct these misconceptions. However, it is pointed out that some books also contain scientific misconceptions, but this can be used to aid learning by teaching students to question the accuracy of information in books. The students can also retell the story using correct information that they have learned.
All of the lesson in this book feature and are based off of different children's picture books. My partner and I used one of these lessons in our science unit on matter, but I had not read this particular chapter before we taught the lesson, and because I didn't know the importance of using the book suggested I was just going to read it if we had time at the end of the science inquiry activity. We didn't have time, so the students never got to hear the story Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle. The next time that I do this activity, I will be sure to read the book to the students because I'm sure they would have understood the lesson a little better if they had heard it.
Another good point made is that many children have trouble reading textbooks because of the vocabulary. Also, it is a good idea to share both a fiction book about a certain topic followed by a non fiction book about the same topic so the students remain engaged while learning the content. The book also states that research has shown that using literature in science has led to gains in both science and literacy, including more positive attitudes toward science.
One more interesting point brought up is that many students have misconceptions about science, and using books can help correct these misconceptions. However, it is pointed out that some books also contain scientific misconceptions, but this can be used to aid learning by teaching students to question the accuracy of information in books. The students can also retell the story using correct information that they have learned.
All of the lesson in this book feature and are based off of different children's picture books. My partner and I used one of these lessons in our science unit on matter, but I had not read this particular chapter before we taught the lesson, and because I didn't know the importance of using the book suggested I was just going to read it if we had time at the end of the science inquiry activity. We didn't have time, so the students never got to hear the story Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle. The next time that I do this activity, I will be sure to read the book to the students because I'm sure they would have understood the lesson a little better if they had heard it.
Why current events REALLY matter...
I have been looking at ways to make science fun for your students and I wanted to write a simple post about something that may seem obvious to some of us but is hardly used in some current science classes. I touched on this in one of my first blog posts, but after experiencing a week of teaching at my clinical placement, I thought I could explore this idea further.
Talking about and referencing current events is done often in social studies classes but if used in other classes (math, science, literacy) students will be able to take more away from your lessons. To truly make science fun and engaging, one thing you need to have your students do is look at current events. There are plenty of places that your students can go to to find interesting, relevant-to-their-lives information. Upper elementary and older students can use news websites like cnn.com to find new things while younger students can look through their Weekly Reader (or comparable mini-magazine) to find articles and then the teacher can find related articles at their reading levels.
As I learned from my cooperating teacher in my clinical placement, if students are able to make connections and hook new ideas to their own lives, they will better remember the content that was taught. Current events that are found and researched by the student allow them to take more ownership for their own learning and the overall result is much more positive than if they sat in a desk for 50 minutes listening to their teacher talk.
Talking about and referencing current events is done often in social studies classes but if used in other classes (math, science, literacy) students will be able to take more away from your lessons. To truly make science fun and engaging, one thing you need to have your students do is look at current events. There are plenty of places that your students can go to to find interesting, relevant-to-their-lives information. Upper elementary and older students can use news websites like cnn.com to find new things while younger students can look through their Weekly Reader (or comparable mini-magazine) to find articles and then the teacher can find related articles at their reading levels.
As I learned from my cooperating teacher in my clinical placement, if students are able to make connections and hook new ideas to their own lives, they will better remember the content that was taught. Current events that are found and researched by the student allow them to take more ownership for their own learning and the overall result is much more positive than if they sat in a desk for 50 minutes listening to their teacher talk.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Holidays in Science
Yesterday in science methods we discussed how a lot of Halloween-themed science activities can be fun but do not really fall under the science inquiry category. Since I’ve been focusing on finding ways to make classroom science more fun than the traditional way it has been taught, it got me thinking about ways to incorporate holidays into your science classroom.
Around Halloween, you can discuss the science of matter and use those ideas when making candy. Here are two great websites that explain how to make rock candy and lollipops and the science behind making them: http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-rockcandy.html and http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-rockcandy.html .
Thanksgiving is well known for feasts so this would be a good time to discuss food safety/food borne illness.
If teaching older students, I think Valentine’s Day is a great time to talk about hormones (sexual or not). Other ideas to think about would be to talk about reproduction (not just the human kind) and DNA. Look at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/waldron/sex for human reproduction activity ideas and http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/waldron/dna for DNA ideas.
In March, around St. Patrick’s Day have your class discuss why we see green (and the rest of the colors) the way we do, how light works, or any of that type of physics ideas. Look at this website for three activites: http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/color/index.html .
Finally, in honor of May Day on May 1st, discuss what is happening around your town during the spring. Investigate how plants grow and reproduce. This website discusses starting a garden at school with your students: http://commserv.ucdavis.edu/CESanDiego/Schlgrdn/SchoolGardens.html .
Of course, as with almost anything you find to teach online, most of these activities will need tweaking to help structure the activities so that your students will get the most out of them!
Around Halloween, you can discuss the science of matter and use those ideas when making candy. Here are two great websites that explain how to make rock candy and lollipops and the science behind making them: http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-rockcandy.html and http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-rockcandy.html .
Thanksgiving is well known for feasts so this would be a good time to discuss food safety/food borne illness.
If teaching older students, I think Valentine’s Day is a great time to talk about hormones (sexual or not). Other ideas to think about would be to talk about reproduction (not just the human kind) and DNA. Look at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/waldron/sex for human reproduction activity ideas and http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/waldron/dna for DNA ideas.
In March, around St. Patrick’s Day have your class discuss why we see green (and the rest of the colors) the way we do, how light works, or any of that type of physics ideas. Look at this website for three activites: http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/color/index.html .
Finally, in honor of May Day on May 1st, discuss what is happening around your town during the spring. Investigate how plants grow and reproduce. This website discusses starting a garden at school with your students: http://commserv.ucdavis.edu/CESanDiego/Schlgrdn/SchoolGardens.html .
Of course, as with almost anything you find to teach online, most of these activities will need tweaking to help structure the activities so that your students will get the most out of them!
Friday, October 29, 2010
What does a research based classroom look like? blog 4
I am exploring the question of what a research based classroom look like. I have addressed using guided questioning, what an inquiry based classroom is, and how to turn your classroom in an inquiry based classroom. This post will address the question of If inquiry is so important in the science classroom, then why aren't more teachers doing it?
The article that I am using for this post is located here and was written by Alan Colburn, a professor in the Department of Science Education at California State University Long Beach. Coburn identified six primary reasons why inquiry is not used in the classroom. The reasons that he uncovered are: confusion on the meaning of inquiry, the belief inquiry only works with high-ability students, teachers feeling unprepared to use inquiry, belief that inquiry is difficult to manage, the tradition of teaching facts, and the purpose of their class is defined as preparing the students for the next level. I will break these reasons out and outline Colburn's thoughts and my thougths on each.
Confusion on the Meaning of Inquiry
The first reason is that it is difficult to use inquiry based teaching if you are not sure what it is. That is a pretty logical reason! Colburn goes and defines the inquiry based classroom as a classroom where the students are engaged with open-ended, hands-on activities. The activities can be structured inquiry (step-by-step procedure), guided inquiry (the teacher presents the problem) or open inquiry (the students formulate the problem). The learning cycle in an inquiry based classroom is that the students perform the activities and then the teacher discusses their findings. During the discussion the teacher can provide the vocabulary or key words associated with the lesson. This is dramatically different from a science room where you discuss vocabulary for the first day, then you might apply the vocabulary to a worksheet, and at the end you can work with the actual material. Inquiry based is where you work with the material first, then learn the vocabulary.
Inquiry is only for High-Achieving Students
False! That is a blanket statement and would only apply to activities that would be inappropriate for grade level and lower-achieving students. The concept that inquiry is too difficult for younger learners and average learners is founded on Piaget and two major thougths: inquiry requires hypothetical reasoning skills and most elementary and middle school students are concrete thinkers. Both of these thoughts are accurate however inquiry does not have to be abstract. Tie the activities to concrete representations and use developmentally appropriate activities and all of the students can be successful. Inquiry is like most skills as the ability to use inquiry is built by practicing it. Start the school year with familiar, observable problems and build towards the more challenging problems later in the year. As a teacher, you are working with the students so the activities need to be in the students Zone of Proximal Development.
Inadequately Prepared Teachers - What do I do and how do I manage the classroom
What does the teacher do in an inquiry based classroom? This is probably the most difficult to overcome. Teachers that are not familar or comfortable with inquiry based will find it uncomfortable. I have been trying to move towards inquiry based in my practicum classrooms and I find it very difficult to wait longer than a couple of seconds after I answer a question. The research shows that teachers need to: ask open ended quesitons, allow several students to answer without telling them if they are right or wrong, and have students explain their thinking. The culture of the classroom is established by the teacher and must be comfortable for students to take the risk of speaking and being able to then change their thoughts if necessary.
An Allegiance to Teaching Facts and Preparing for the Next Level
In an inquiry based classroom the teacher is still teaching facts, just in a different way. At the end of the lesson, the students will have met the objectives of the lesson, only it will be in a more authentic and meaningful way. Studies have shown higher student achievement in inquiry based classrooms that in traditional classrooms which would better prepare the students for the next level.
How Does a Teacher Get Started Converting Their Classroom to Inquiry Based
Slowly! The teacher and the students will need time to adjust to an inquiry based classroom so take the transition slowly. Start by turning the lesson plan upside down. If the lesson plan has traditionally called for vocad, then diagramming worksheets, and then by doing a step-by-step lab, start at the bottom. Remove the steps (provide proper guidelines for safety) and let the student work on it. If the lab contains any pre-filled data tables, throw them out and let the students create their own. Discuss the students' observations and then apply the vocabulary. Take a closer look at the worksheets and determine if they are valuable to learning or just busy work.
One last point, many of the students at Drake are experiencing an inquiry based classroom for the first time but this concept is not new. Colburn's article was published in March 2000.
The article that I am using for this post is located here and was written by Alan Colburn, a professor in the Department of Science Education at California State University Long Beach. Coburn identified six primary reasons why inquiry is not used in the classroom. The reasons that he uncovered are: confusion on the meaning of inquiry, the belief inquiry only works with high-ability students, teachers feeling unprepared to use inquiry, belief that inquiry is difficult to manage, the tradition of teaching facts, and the purpose of their class is defined as preparing the students for the next level. I will break these reasons out and outline Colburn's thoughts and my thougths on each.
Confusion on the Meaning of Inquiry
The first reason is that it is difficult to use inquiry based teaching if you are not sure what it is. That is a pretty logical reason! Colburn goes and defines the inquiry based classroom as a classroom where the students are engaged with open-ended, hands-on activities. The activities can be structured inquiry (step-by-step procedure), guided inquiry (the teacher presents the problem) or open inquiry (the students formulate the problem). The learning cycle in an inquiry based classroom is that the students perform the activities and then the teacher discusses their findings. During the discussion the teacher can provide the vocabulary or key words associated with the lesson. This is dramatically different from a science room where you discuss vocabulary for the first day, then you might apply the vocabulary to a worksheet, and at the end you can work with the actual material. Inquiry based is where you work with the material first, then learn the vocabulary.
Inquiry is only for High-Achieving Students
False! That is a blanket statement and would only apply to activities that would be inappropriate for grade level and lower-achieving students. The concept that inquiry is too difficult for younger learners and average learners is founded on Piaget and two major thougths: inquiry requires hypothetical reasoning skills and most elementary and middle school students are concrete thinkers. Both of these thoughts are accurate however inquiry does not have to be abstract. Tie the activities to concrete representations and use developmentally appropriate activities and all of the students can be successful. Inquiry is like most skills as the ability to use inquiry is built by practicing it. Start the school year with familiar, observable problems and build towards the more challenging problems later in the year. As a teacher, you are working with the students so the activities need to be in the students Zone of Proximal Development.
Inadequately Prepared Teachers - What do I do and how do I manage the classroom
What does the teacher do in an inquiry based classroom? This is probably the most difficult to overcome. Teachers that are not familar or comfortable with inquiry based will find it uncomfortable. I have been trying to move towards inquiry based in my practicum classrooms and I find it very difficult to wait longer than a couple of seconds after I answer a question. The research shows that teachers need to: ask open ended quesitons, allow several students to answer without telling them if they are right or wrong, and have students explain their thinking. The culture of the classroom is established by the teacher and must be comfortable for students to take the risk of speaking and being able to then change their thoughts if necessary.
An Allegiance to Teaching Facts and Preparing for the Next Level
In an inquiry based classroom the teacher is still teaching facts, just in a different way. At the end of the lesson, the students will have met the objectives of the lesson, only it will be in a more authentic and meaningful way. Studies have shown higher student achievement in inquiry based classrooms that in traditional classrooms which would better prepare the students for the next level.
How Does a Teacher Get Started Converting Their Classroom to Inquiry Based
Slowly! The teacher and the students will need time to adjust to an inquiry based classroom so take the transition slowly. Start by turning the lesson plan upside down. If the lesson plan has traditionally called for vocad, then diagramming worksheets, and then by doing a step-by-step lab, start at the bottom. Remove the steps (provide proper guidelines for safety) and let the student work on it. If the lab contains any pre-filled data tables, throw them out and let the students create their own. Discuss the students' observations and then apply the vocabulary. Take a closer look at the worksheets and determine if they are valuable to learning or just busy work.
One last point, many of the students at Drake are experiencing an inquiry based classroom for the first time but this concept is not new. Colburn's article was published in March 2000.
What is the best way to teach young children science?
Teaching science in elementary school is extremely important because it teaches children how to question how things work the way they do and shows them that everything plays an important part in the world.
According the website http://www.suite101.com/content/10-science-teaching-tips-for-elementary-school-a65420, it is important while teaching young children science to teach inquiry, critical thinking, questioning, play science games, and include technology as well as interactive science websites. By doing these you will keep students engaged as well as teach them important and useful facts that they will use throughout their life.
This website also included 10 teaching tips to help you teach young children science
1. Students Asking Questions
a. By allowing the students to ask the questions they will expand on their own curiosity and be more engaged in what they are learning. Also by allowing the student to ask questions they are learning how to form their own explanations for things rather than just being told the answer.
2. Teachers Asking Questions
a. When teachers ask questions they should be questions to help guide the children in the right direction for them to begin forming their own questions.
3. Collect Own Data
a. Instead of using data from a textbook or an article, have the students do experiments where they have to collect their own data, by doing this you are giving the students a deeper understanding on why people collect data.
4. Weekly Science Problems
a. Once a week start your day off with a science problem related to our current topic, on the board, to begin your day with.
5. Interactive Science Websites
a. Every now and then take your students to the computer lab and have them go on some interactive science websites. Students love being on the computer and they will be learning at the same time as well.
6. Science Webquests
a. Develop a webquest that students can visit at home to expand what they have been learning.
7. Use Science Trade books
a. Trade books help spread emphasis on the topic you are currently studying
8. Hands-On and Minds-On
a. Whenever you have a hands-on activity students become more engaged and in a way they turn their minds-on to learning. They being to actually see things rather than just hear about them. Therefore by doing hands-on activities you bring their learning to a whole new level.
9. Experimental Design
a. Using inquiry teaching and learning
10. Multimedia Presentation
a. Using multiple resources to get students learning and thinking on a whole new level. (Ex: Computer, Smart board, Camera, tape recorders, etc…)
All of these tips can help you better engage your young science learners. However, many of these tips can be used with older students as well. The moment you get your students engaged in what your teaching is when their learning really takes off.
Website used- http://www.suite101.com/content/10-science-teaching-tips-for-elementary-school-a65420
Thursday, October 28, 2010
How Do We Keep Students Engaged In Science if It's Not Their Favorite Subject?
In my previous blogs I have been talking about how we can get students to stay motivated in science class. The biggest part about keeping students motvivated in the classroom is being able to let the students explore hands on. Using the most concrete ideas will help students stay engaged and have fun with science.
My question now is what happens with the students who dislike science? Or how do we engage the students in science that like a different subject better. I got this idea from a peer in class. Using a cross-curricular approach can help those students who are better or who prefer other subjects over science to be more engaged in science class. If students aren't interested in science but are interested in other subjects like math and writing then you can implement some activities you did in those subjects into your science class. That way those students will be engaged more because they feel more comfortable and can talk about the subject more since they've been introduced to it in other subjects. By showing these students that science can be involved with other subjects, it will help them be engaged and motivated to do more science. I also think students will begin to like and get more out of science when they can apply what they've learned in other subjects into their science classroom.
There are lots of ideas out there that show you how you can use a cross-cirricular approach with science and other subjects. I found this website that shows teachers how to do a cross-cirricular approach with math and science. website The teachers seemed really engaged with the actvitites and wanted to try it out in their own classroom. The ideas they gave were geared more toward high school students but there are a lot of activites for cross-cirricular approach for elementary students also.
My question now is what happens with the students who dislike science? Or how do we engage the students in science that like a different subject better. I got this idea from a peer in class. Using a cross-curricular approach can help those students who are better or who prefer other subjects over science to be more engaged in science class. If students aren't interested in science but are interested in other subjects like math and writing then you can implement some activities you did in those subjects into your science class. That way those students will be engaged more because they feel more comfortable and can talk about the subject more since they've been introduced to it in other subjects. By showing these students that science can be involved with other subjects, it will help them be engaged and motivated to do more science. I also think students will begin to like and get more out of science when they can apply what they've learned in other subjects into their science classroom.
There are lots of ideas out there that show you how you can use a cross-cirricular approach with science and other subjects. I found this website that shows teachers how to do a cross-cirricular approach with math and science. website The teachers seemed really engaged with the actvitites and wanted to try it out in their own classroom. The ideas they gave were geared more toward high school students but there are a lot of activites for cross-cirricular approach for elementary students also.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Science and Standardized Testing- Blog 5
For this blog post, I wanted to research what students think of the SAT, which along with the ACT, is a standardized test for college admission. I found two articles (found here and here), that give some student opinions about the test. Surprisingly, they acknowledge that more subjects need to be included and that the test mainly quizzes students on their test taking skills and their ability to learn.
In the first article, one student noted that the SAT does not test subjects that students may go on to study in college. Music, art, business, marketing, etc. are not on the SAT. Should there be more specific subjects or have students test in a subject that they are planning on majoring in in college? Another student saw the tests unable to be standard. Districts and states have different curricula so it is impossible to streamline everything.
I found in the second article an interview with college students looking back on their experiences with the SAT in high school. One student said that it was simple to only prepare for the exam the night before. However he claimed that college tests are much more difficult and require a lot of study time, therefore it is not a good predictor or indicator of success in college. Students say that the SAT does resembles graduate school exams, but not their tests that they take in college.
From my research, these students and I share the same opinion. How can these standardized actually be standardized? Some topics might be covered in one school in third grade, and in another school at fourth grade. With such a variance in standards and curricula in classrooms across the country, how can students be expected to be at the same level? I also think that while it is difficult to create a test that covers every classroom subject, including any "specials" like music, art, physical education, etc., I do think that the subjects need to be expanded. The student had a good point to say that what a student is tested on in the ACT or the SAT is not necessarily what they will study in college, so the exam is then not a good indicator of their college performance. It would also be ideal for the SAT or ACT to mimic college tests. From what I remember from high school, the SAT did not have an essay portion and the ACT's essay section was optional. From my experience, the majority of my colleges classes have has short answer or essay tests, not multiple choice. While it is difficult to condense years of material into one standardized exam, while college tests cover weeks of material, they could be more similar through having similar formats.
Works Cited:
http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20101014/TEEN/101019931/1062?p=3&tc=pg
http://www.saratogafalcon.org/content/college-students-reflect-back-sat
In the first article, one student noted that the SAT does not test subjects that students may go on to study in college. Music, art, business, marketing, etc. are not on the SAT. Should there be more specific subjects or have students test in a subject that they are planning on majoring in in college? Another student saw the tests unable to be standard. Districts and states have different curricula so it is impossible to streamline everything.
I found in the second article an interview with college students looking back on their experiences with the SAT in high school. One student said that it was simple to only prepare for the exam the night before. However he claimed that college tests are much more difficult and require a lot of study time, therefore it is not a good predictor or indicator of success in college. Students say that the SAT does resembles graduate school exams, but not their tests that they take in college.
From my research, these students and I share the same opinion. How can these standardized actually be standardized? Some topics might be covered in one school in third grade, and in another school at fourth grade. With such a variance in standards and curricula in classrooms across the country, how can students be expected to be at the same level? I also think that while it is difficult to create a test that covers every classroom subject, including any "specials" like music, art, physical education, etc., I do think that the subjects need to be expanded. The student had a good point to say that what a student is tested on in the ACT or the SAT is not necessarily what they will study in college, so the exam is then not a good indicator of their college performance. It would also be ideal for the SAT or ACT to mimic college tests. From what I remember from high school, the SAT did not have an essay portion and the ACT's essay section was optional. From my experience, the majority of my colleges classes have has short answer or essay tests, not multiple choice. While it is difficult to condense years of material into one standardized exam, while college tests cover weeks of material, they could be more similar through having similar formats.
Works Cited:
http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20101014/TEEN/101019931/1062?p=3&tc=pg
http://www.saratogafalcon.org/content/college-students-reflect-back-sat
Monday, October 25, 2010
Using Literature to teach Science
Last week I was in my 3rd grade placement and was able to teach a unit on matter with my partner. The students did not use the textbook that the teacher had available in the room, but she invited us to use the teacher's manual as a resource. Although we taught most of this lesson using hands-on activities including a science inquiry investigation, we were able to incorporate one trade-book into the curriculum. This book was Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss. We read this to the class and then had them predict if they thought the oobleck (green goo falling from the sky in the form of precipitation) was a solid, liquid, or gas. After they had listened to the book and made their predictions, they were able to make their own oobleck to experiment with and create more observations and evidence to either back up or change their original thought. Although this tradebook fit in quite nicely and was enjoyable to the students, I wish we would have incorporated more books. This might have been easier to do if there were more time alloted to us, but we only had less than an hour every day for one week.
I researched some books that would be good to use in a matter unit for the next time that I will be teaching this topic. On the website http://wow.osu.edu/experiments/statesofmatter/psm1/childrenslit.html
I found the following books list:
I researched some books that would be good to use in a matter unit for the next time that I will be teaching this topic. On the website http://wow.osu.edu/experiments/statesofmatter/psm1/childrenslit.html
I found the following books list:
- "The Magic School Bus Ups and Downs: A Book About Floating and Sinking." By Jane Mason, illustrated by Nancy Stevenson. Book adaptation of an episode of the animated TV series The Magic School Bus, based on the series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan. Scholastic, Inc.: New York, 1997. ISBN 0-590-92158-4.
- "Starting With Science: Solids, Liquids, and Gases." By The Ontario Science Centre, photographs by Ray Boudreau. Kids Can Press: Buffalo, 1995. ISBN 1-55074-195-0.
- "A Drop of Water." By Walter Wick. Scholastic Press: New York, 1997.
- "Liquid to Gas and Back." By J.M. Patten. The Rourke Book Co., Inc.: Vero Beach, 1995. ISBN 1-55916-129-9.
- "Matter Really Matters." By J.M. Patten. The Rourke Book Co., Inc.: Vero Beach, 1995. ISBN 1-55916-124-8.
- "The Usborne Illustrated Encyclopedia: Science and Technology." Usborne Publishing: London, 1996.
- "The Usborne Internet-Linked Library of Science: Materials." By Alastair Smith, Phillip Clarke, and Corrine Henderson. Usborne Publishing: London, 2001.
- "What is the World Made of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases." By Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, illustrated by Paul Meisel. HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 1998. ISBN 0-06-445163-1.
There is a summary available to be viewed with these books, and the website also gives a link to properties of states of matters experiments. If I was aware of this website before my unit, I would have tried to get my hands on as many as I could. If there was no time for reading these as a class during the unit, I would at least like to put them in the classroom library so the students could read them independently. I'm sure that lists like this would be available for any science topic that a teacher would need to teach.
Room for Technology in Professional Development
I have been researching professional development in science education. More specifically I have been trying to find out what types of professional development are effective. This week I found an article discussing hypermedia, or basically technology and how beneficial it can be to professional development.
One thing that continues to show up in everything that I find is how important experiencing different models of instruction is. This is one thing that teachers find particularly helpful and I can see why. Getting a chance to sit in on another teacher’s lesson can help teachers see what types of things are working or vice versa. The article I read discussed how technology can make it so easy to do this. Classes that are being offered online can be accessed at a time that is convenient for you and also in an environment that suits you.
Another thing that technology allows in professional development is increased opportunities for collaboration. According to the article, school provided in-service opportunities do not always allow for this. Getting the chance to talk with my peers always helps me understand better so I can see how getting the chance to talk with others through an online outlet could be beneficial. A few other reasons that teachers viewed hyper media as a positive tool in professional development was the freedom of accessibility and the large variety of materials that became available to them.
One thing that continues to show up in everything that I find is how important experiencing different models of instruction is. This is one thing that teachers find particularly helpful and I can see why. Getting a chance to sit in on another teacher’s lesson can help teachers see what types of things are working or vice versa. The article I read discussed how technology can make it so easy to do this. Classes that are being offered online can be accessed at a time that is convenient for you and also in an environment that suits you.
Another thing that technology allows in professional development is increased opportunities for collaboration. According to the article, school provided in-service opportunities do not always allow for this. Getting the chance to talk with my peers always helps me understand better so I can see how getting the chance to talk with others through an online outlet could be beneficial. A few other reasons that teachers viewed hyper media as a positive tool in professional development was the freedom of accessibility and the large variety of materials that became available to them.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
5 key ideas about professional developement
The past few weeks I have been researching different types of professional development. I have found a few sites and also information on what can be effective. This week I found a study discussing what types of things teachers should be keeping up with. The study was conducted by the San Diego Community School District. The district put together what they call "A Blue Print For Success" in 2000. The main goal of the blue print was for students to have higher success, which the district felt could be achieved through more effective teaching. The district believes that the most effect tool for improving student outcomes are better teachers. I couldn't agree more.
The article is a bit lengthy. But covers some really important information. It starts by defining professional development. It then discusses what San Diego did to improve their teacher’s skills and content knowledge. It also covers what types of professional development schools should require. The results were gathered after requiring teachers to take part in a three-step professional development model known as the Eisenhower model. The main areas included focusing on the content, active learning, and coherence (or connections). Information was compiled based on interviews with teachers as well as teacher’s own recordings. The article is long and at times a little boring, but if you click on the link above, I suggest skipping down to the last 3 or 4 pages. That is where it talks about the five key characteristics of professional development.
The five key characteristics of professional development include providing time for collaboration. Teachers felt that collaboration should not just be within grade levels but across all different grades. Another component listed was providing opportunities for modeling. Teachers need to see examples of good teaching. Many teachers felt sitting in other classrooms was extremely helpful. Another point to professional development is basing it off teachers needs. In other words, where are teachers struggling? Sitting in on a seminar about content knowledge is useless if you're having problems with application. Another characteristic of good professional development is providing a safe and trusting environment for teachers to learn, just like we should be providing for students. Lastly, professional development should be connected to broader school goals.
The big idea I took from this study was that professional development should stem from need. A teacher may know all there is to know about science but still have no clue how to teach it! Likewise, a teacher might have some great teaching strategies but no way to apply them without understanding the content. For this reason I think professional development should be individualized. Teachers should come up with plans that are specific to their own needs.
NETVIBES.COM READING SESSION #1
I always seem to do everything backwards, but in reading the blogs to fulfill this assignment, I ended up reading a blog on Learners First – Team Pike. I hope this is legal. The Blog titled Varieties in Approaches to Learning touches on an interesting dilemma: How do you integrate and successfully teach students from other cultures (i.e. students that come from China China
Children in China United States China
The Chinese government recognizes the need for independent learning, but they fear that critical thinking will undermine their communist ideals. They want innovation without true critical thinking, an impossible task.
I wonder what the next 60 years will be like in Chinese education. When students begin to question, will communist rule finally end? Or will the Chinese government squelch innovation once they realize that innovation cannot occur without creative, free thought?
Sources:
Blog:
Podcast:
Creativity in Chinese Education,Resource for Grades 9-12,Teachers' Domain, Creativity in Chinese Education, published February 12, 2010, retrieved on October 24, 2010,
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/wds10.sci.engin.design.chedu/
Wiki and Kamen
I just realized that in my first blog post, I was supposed to post why I though the specific individual, Kamen, was chosen as the namesake for my team. Because there is no time like the present, I will fulfill this requirement now. I believe that my namesake is Dean L. Kamen. According to the non-official, non peer-reviewed source, Wikipedia, Dean Kamen is an inventor who is responsible for inventing such items as the Segway, water purification systems, compressed-powerd devices to launch humans, and the AutoSyringe (a mobile dialysis system).
Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The FIRST program was desinged to promote interest in science, technology, and engineering. FIRST holds a robotics competition across the world, and has many robotic programs (i.e. Lego Leagues, technology challenges and the robotics competition for high school students).
Kamen is most proud of his FIRST competition, which has included the involvement of approximaltey 1 million students, which he believes become inventors of “significant technological advances in years to come.”
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Kamen#cite_note-Economist-6#cite_note-Economist-6
Highlights of Finland's Teaching Methods
I planned for my next blog post to be about what country in the world scores highest on science achievement tests. I have the answer, but I am going to save it for another day. A week 7 discussion post response from a classmate, Amanda, provided me with a video that I wanted to share. Amanda watched the following video in an EDU 201 class taught by Dr. Tammy Ladwig, Coordinator for Alternative Careers in Teaching, University Wisconsin Fox Valley
The video provides insight into why students in Finland Finland
Ø The students are taught by the same teacher for many years. Accordingly, the teacher can follow progress of a student’s academic level for years, and can learn what works and doesn’t work for a particular child. The teacher really gets to know the child. In the video the teacher refers to herself as the child’s “school mother.”
Ø The students learn multiple languages at an early age (often 3 to 4 languages).
Ø The students learn via “team games.” The students to not compete against one another. The teaching methods include whole class activities where the students and teachers are standing and participating. They are encouraged to interact with the teacher in a group setting.
Ø Finnish students start their school day by taking off their shoes. They wear their socks throughout the day. They also call their teachers by their first name. This promotes a relaxed environment for learning.
Ø The classes consist of 3 teachers. There is always a teacher to help the students who need extra help.
Ø The teachers must all have a Masters degree.
Ø The teaching philosophy is based on trust. The teachers trust the students and the students trust the teachers. An example of trust in Finnish schools is provided in the video. A physical education exercise includes having students go out on a cross country ski excursion, entirely without adult supervision. They are “trusted” to come back at the proper time.
Ø The country’s culture for excellence in education begins at home. Parents have a large impact on their student’s academic achievement. In Finland
Two interesting facts included in the video are (1) children in Finland do not start school until the age of 7, and (2) Finnish children spend the least amount of hours in the classroom than any of their counterparts in the developed world. Less is more in Finland
In my writing of what I have learned in the past weeks I seem to keep coming back to the same idea. That the key to academic success in engagement. When a student is involved in the learning process, and truly interested and focused, he or she will succeed. By teaching via a “team game” method in a relaxed environment, the students stay focused and engaged, and achieve academic success.
Friday, October 22, 2010
If you keep your students engaged is there any need for homework?
My partner and I recently finished teaching a science unit in our placement and I'm almost positive that we learned more than our students! We included a variety of activities and teaching styles in each lesson and tried to reach every student by using different types of materials. The students were engaged for a majority of the class and were never assigned homework. Our cooperating teacher mentioned that he does not like to give homework on the weekends, but that their homework during the week consisted of either reading, spelling or math assignments. The assignments would never exceed more than 30 minutes and I felt that this was a great idea. One key object that has changed since I was in grade school is the amount of homework. I remember filling my agenda up as an elementary school student and spending hours on homework. Not only did the teachers load it on, but every worksheet and assignment counted as a grade. I felt pressure every night to get the exact answer and complete every task that was listed in my agenda. In our classroom today, our 5th graders are not graded on their homework but are still give expectations. Their reading assignments apply to their lit circle groups which gives them a feeling of responsibility, especially if they are working with others in a group environment.
So I began to think about the entire idea of homework and research what is important and what isn't when it comes to assignments. Yes I believe that students need a number of repetitions to learn something and I feel that homework can assist with this, but at times assignments can be too time consuming and unnecessary. But if student's take away more from the lesson and are fully engaged, is there an extra need for homework? I started researching this topic further and came across an article from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh actually about a study that was completed.http://www.maa.org/saum/maanotes49/91.html. The article stated that when the teacher informed the students that they would be graded on the assignment they payed more attention. Although, this was an interesting observation, the problems assigned were more challenging and not very exciting.
Another website brought up a few more interesting points. On another website (http://www.maryannsmialek.com/resources/articles/homework_tips.html) the point that many students don't have an environment at home that keeps them engaged was mentioned. This leads me to believe that homework is necessary in many situations, especially for repetitions on core topics, but if the students are engaged in a lesson that does not require extra practice, it might not always be the best option.
So I began to think about the entire idea of homework and research what is important and what isn't when it comes to assignments. Yes I believe that students need a number of repetitions to learn something and I feel that homework can assist with this, but at times assignments can be too time consuming and unnecessary. But if student's take away more from the lesson and are fully engaged, is there an extra need for homework? I started researching this topic further and came across an article from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh actually about a study that was completed.http://www.maa.org/saum/maanotes49/91.html. The article stated that when the teacher informed the students that they would be graded on the assignment they payed more attention. Although, this was an interesting observation, the problems assigned were more challenging and not very exciting.
Another website brought up a few more interesting points. On another website (http://www.maryannsmialek.com/resources/articles/homework_tips.html) the point that many students don't have an environment at home that keeps them engaged was mentioned. This leads me to believe that homework is necessary in many situations, especially for repetitions on core topics, but if the students are engaged in a lesson that does not require extra practice, it might not always be the best option.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Science and Standardized Testing- Blog 4
With the recent push in standardized testing, especially with NCLB, teachers are pressured to ensure that their students to well on these tests. According an article I found here, usually the tests only include the subjects of reading and math in kindergarten through eighth grade. Is science a forgotten subject? Even social studies is not tested. While I can understand that reading and math cross over into science and social studies, why are these subjects not tested? Without including science as a subject on these tests, is this sending a message that science is not as important as reading or math? If I remember correctly from the standardized tests I took in grade school, there were more reading sections of the test than the other sections. Shouldn't all of the subjects be tested equally?
In the article I read, the APS (American Physical Society) Council approved a statement saying that science should be included in assessments. I agree that science should be included because there are skills that are specific to science that can not be covered in a reading or math section. It would also send the message that science is it's own subject and is equally as important as reading and math. Also as the article states, including science on the tests would encourage more time to be spent on science in classrooms and teachers motivating their students in science.
Works Consulted:
http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200106/tests.cfm
In the article I read, the APS (American Physical Society) Council approved a statement saying that science should be included in assessments. I agree that science should be included because there are skills that are specific to science that can not be covered in a reading or math section. It would also send the message that science is it's own subject and is equally as important as reading and math. Also as the article states, including science on the tests would encourage more time to be spent on science in classrooms and teachers motivating their students in science.
Works Consulted:
http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200106/tests.cfm
I have observed students having fun in my science practicum today. My blog postings are based on how to make science fun for my students. Today was a perfect example of kids having fun. In my science practicum, 6th graders, the teacher had set up a utensil lab. The teacher gave instructions to the student but no step by step directions. There was no worksheet that told the students what to do, they were on their own to experiment and discover. The lab consisted of several different trays with cups of stuff, one cup had cooked noodles, another cup had a bit of play dough, there was also cups of rice and popcorn kernels. Also included on their trays were different sized marbles. Each tray had a utensill that the students had to use to pick up the contents in the different cups. The utensils were all different, one was a rubber glove, chopsticks, salad tongs, tweeers, and a paper plate cut into half and folded in half as a scooper. The students were organized in groups of four. The students had to use their science writing journals and record their observations.
What I saw was students working together to figure out how the utensil worked, trying to pick up as many popcorn kernels as possible, figuring out how to put the chopsticks together to pick up the marble. Once the student's recorded their information, the students moved to the next tray with a new utensil. I heard the student's saying, "This is so easy or I can not use these sticks to pick up a marble." But the students figured things out on their own. The teacher was there but she was mainly observing. I went to the different groups and worked on my questioning skills. I also used wait time one and two which is a lot harder to do because I had never really thought about wait time.
Before class period had ended the teacher brought the students together and the whole class discussed what they observed. The teacher asked, "What do you think the purpose was of this lab?" And many students were right on the mark with knowing that in science there are many utensils a scientists needs to use to do an experiment.
What I took away from this experience is that being organized and prepared is a must for a successful class. I also learned to let the student's go with the activity without having to give them st ep by step instruction. I learned that students are bright and funny and creative. I saw the teacher having fun with her students. I was having fun with the students. So today the teacher was the motivation to have fun and learn something about science along the way.
What I saw was students working together to figure out how the utensil worked, trying to pick up as many popcorn kernels as possible, figuring out how to put the chopsticks together to pick up the marble. Once the student's recorded their information, the students moved to the next tray with a new utensil. I heard the student's saying, "This is so easy or I can not use these sticks to pick up a marble." But the students figured things out on their own. The teacher was there but she was mainly observing. I went to the different groups and worked on my questioning skills. I also used wait time one and two which is a lot harder to do because I had never really thought about wait time.
Before class period had ended the teacher brought the students together and the whole class discussed what they observed. The teacher asked, "What do you think the purpose was of this lab?" And many students were right on the mark with knowing that in science there are many utensils a scientists needs to use to do an experiment.
What I took away from this experience is that being organized and prepared is a must for a successful class. I also learned to let the student's go with the activity without having to give them st ep by step instruction. I learned that students are bright and funny and creative. I saw the teacher having fun with her students. I was having fun with the students. So today the teacher was the motivation to have fun and learn something about science along the way.
Motivating Students In The Classroom
In my previous posts I have talked about how we as teachers can motivate students in the science classroom. Some key points to motivating students into liking and enjoying science is to use concrete examples, close to the "real thing" to help students explore their ideas. You also need to find student's schema in order to know where to start with your science content to make sure it's age appropriate. It is also important to understand that engagement and mental engagement are not the same thing. Students can be having fun doing an activity without learning anything, they could be engaged in the wrong way. It is important as a teacher to get your students to be mentally engaged while they explore, you can do this by asking extend-answer questions.
My next question is how do we get students motivated in the science classroom when we have administrators telling us to teach a certain way and teach to the content in a certain way. As a teacher this can be very difficult because you have to do what your administrators say but you also need to interest and motivate your studetns. By doing step by step experiments and reading out of a textbook, students will not be motivated becasue they aren't interested in the textbook, especially for younger studetns. They ned to be able to explore the topic and do hands on experiements. As a teacher you also need to respect the district and teach the content that your administrators tell you to. So how do you find a balance in between?
We talked in class about how some administrators can teach non effectively. Which is why sometimes they are administrators and not teachers, I am not saying this is for all administrators. As an administrator however, they may want you to teach noneffective things. One way to avoid this is to have them observe your classroom. Before they come to observe you, you can ask the administrator to look for something that you've been working on. That way you get the administrator to look for something that you've been working on with your students instead of the administrator looking for something that they wanted. This way you can still teach the content but in a way that motivates and engages you're students.
My next question is how do we get students motivated in the science classroom when we have administrators telling us to teach a certain way and teach to the content in a certain way. As a teacher this can be very difficult because you have to do what your administrators say but you also need to interest and motivate your studetns. By doing step by step experiments and reading out of a textbook, students will not be motivated becasue they aren't interested in the textbook, especially for younger studetns. They ned to be able to explore the topic and do hands on experiements. As a teacher you also need to respect the district and teach the content that your administrators tell you to. So how do you find a balance in between?
We talked in class about how some administrators can teach non effectively. Which is why sometimes they are administrators and not teachers, I am not saying this is for all administrators. As an administrator however, they may want you to teach noneffective things. One way to avoid this is to have them observe your classroom. Before they come to observe you, you can ask the administrator to look for something that you've been working on. That way you get the administrator to look for something that you've been working on with your students instead of the administrator looking for something that they wanted. This way you can still teach the content but in a way that motivates and engages you're students.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Types of knowledges
Last blog post, I discussed how the absence of learning theories can affect how students construct understanding in science. In a nutshell: Students can't understand the overall concept of a science idea, or apply these concepts, if the student doesn't assimilate/accommodate new information being given to them.
For this blog post, I'll be discussing how different types of knowledge are needed for science understandings to be integrated and meaningful.
After browsing the web, and skimming a couple of text books, the types of knowledge a student should possess aren't set in stone. I found a variation of these types, based on the content areas in which they were referring too. This chart, which I feel best illustrates these types of knowledge, gives a helpful insight of how they can be broken down. The two main categories are: declarative and procedural . "Declarative knowledge is defined as the factual information stored in memory and known to be static in nature and procedural knowledge is the knowledge of how to perform, or how to operate" (Uluogol, 2001).
Declarative knowledge actually describes how things/ideas/events/processes are (Uluogol, 2001). This could be a physical description, the relationship to other objects/idea, or details. Procedural knowledge refers to the process or operation of something (Uluogol, 2001). This type of knowledge helps to engage students and develop inquiries. Students use questions, experiments and background information to collect evidence and draw a valid conclusion for an inquiry (Berger, 2003).
Declarative knowledge is helpful in supporting procedural knowledge, by providing the details of which you base your procedural inquiries off of. Declarative knowledge helps you ask questions and design experiments aimed at certain idea. This concept, types of knowledge, fully supports learning theories that say the schema should be accessed and modified if learning should take place. The application of science ideas, or any ideas can not take place without the proper background knowledge. The more background knowledge that a student assimilates/accommodates, the more meaningful questions they can investigate during an experiment.
References:
Berger, C. F., & Czerniak, C. M., & Krajcik, J. K. (2003). Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms: A Project-Based Approach. New York, New York: Mc-Graw Hill.
Uluogol, B. (2001). Declarative / Procedural Knowledge. Retrieved from: http://www.designophy.com/designpedia/design-term-1000000001-declarative-.-procedural-knowledge.htm
For this blog post, I'll be discussing how different types of knowledge are needed for science understandings to be integrated and meaningful.
After browsing the web, and skimming a couple of text books, the types of knowledge a student should possess aren't set in stone. I found a variation of these types, based on the content areas in which they were referring too. This chart, which I feel best illustrates these types of knowledge, gives a helpful insight of how they can be broken down. The two main categories are: declarative and procedural . "Declarative knowledge is defined as the factual information stored in memory and known to be static in nature and procedural knowledge is the knowledge of how to perform, or how to operate" (Uluogol, 2001).
Declarative knowledge actually describes how things/ideas/events/processes are (Uluogol, 2001). This could be a physical description, the relationship to other objects/idea, or details. Procedural knowledge refers to the process or operation of something (Uluogol, 2001). This type of knowledge helps to engage students and develop inquiries. Students use questions, experiments and background information to collect evidence and draw a valid conclusion for an inquiry (Berger, 2003).
Declarative knowledge is helpful in supporting procedural knowledge, by providing the details of which you base your procedural inquiries off of. Declarative knowledge helps you ask questions and design experiments aimed at certain idea. This concept, types of knowledge, fully supports learning theories that say the schema should be accessed and modified if learning should take place. The application of science ideas, or any ideas can not take place without the proper background knowledge. The more background knowledge that a student assimilates/accommodates, the more meaningful questions they can investigate during an experiment.
References:
Berger, C. F., & Czerniak, C. M., & Krajcik, J. K. (2003). Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms: A Project-Based Approach. New York, New York: Mc-Graw Hill.
Uluogol, B. (2001). Declarative / Procedural Knowledge. Retrieved from: http://www.designophy.com/designpedia/design-term-1000000001-declarative-.-procedural-knowledge.htm
What does a research based classroom look like? blog 3
I am exploring what a research based classroom looks like and have already discussed the topics of guided questioning and the process of interaction within the classroom. I have introduced the website by Wilfred Fanklin located here. Near the bottom of the website Franklin addresses how to put the inquiry based classroom into practice. The key is three important factors: risk, trust, and power (Hubbard 2001).
The teacher is taking a risk in moving to a guided inquiry classroom. The risk is tied closely to the power component as the teacher is no longer going to dictate the content through lecture. The teacher must be flexible enough to take the risk of turning the content over to the students. The teacher must trust the students to give meaningful answers to move the class forward. That being said, the teacher will still have control of the class by guiding the questions, but the teacher does not have the same authority over the content that they do in a lecture based classroom. The students may want to go in a different direction than the teacher planned and the teacher needs to be able to mold the new direction into the same classroom goal.
For example, if the content is understanding that the surface of the earth changes over time and the teacher starts by asking the question: how has the surface of the earth changed over time? The students may go the melting of the polar ice caps because they saw it on television while the lesson that the teacher planned had to do with soil erosion. The teacher can continue to ask open ended questions regarding the polar ice caps until the students reach an area that can apply to soil erosion as well. Then the teacher can ask: other than the polar ice caps, what other areas of the earth's surface has changed? The conversation that the students had regarding the polar ice caps is still beneficial as they are actively thinking about how the earth's surface changes. Going down this path does involve risk as there are only so many hours in the classroom each day. If the students get sidetracked or off topic, the teacher needs to make the students feel that their conversations are meaningful while the teacher guides the class back on task.
Risk, trust, and power are three of the reasons why teachers do not move towards an inquiry based classroom. Existing teachers know that if they lecture and practice skills, the class will move forward on time. The problem is that the students are not truly learning, rather they are recycling facts and basic skills without really understanding why they are important. Knowing that teachers will be taking a risk, turning the power over to the students, and trusting the students to have meaningful discussions are all aspects that need to be carefully considered before a teacher moves to the inquiry based classroom. By creating a detailed plan on how this change will take place and how the teacher will keep the class on task, the transition from a lecture based classroom to an inquiry based classroom can be successful.
Source: http://www.brynmawr.edu/biology/franklin/InquiryBasedScience.html
The teacher is taking a risk in moving to a guided inquiry classroom. The risk is tied closely to the power component as the teacher is no longer going to dictate the content through lecture. The teacher must be flexible enough to take the risk of turning the content over to the students. The teacher must trust the students to give meaningful answers to move the class forward. That being said, the teacher will still have control of the class by guiding the questions, but the teacher does not have the same authority over the content that they do in a lecture based classroom. The students may want to go in a different direction than the teacher planned and the teacher needs to be able to mold the new direction into the same classroom goal.
For example, if the content is understanding that the surface of the earth changes over time and the teacher starts by asking the question: how has the surface of the earth changed over time? The students may go the melting of the polar ice caps because they saw it on television while the lesson that the teacher planned had to do with soil erosion. The teacher can continue to ask open ended questions regarding the polar ice caps until the students reach an area that can apply to soil erosion as well. Then the teacher can ask: other than the polar ice caps, what other areas of the earth's surface has changed? The conversation that the students had regarding the polar ice caps is still beneficial as they are actively thinking about how the earth's surface changes. Going down this path does involve risk as there are only so many hours in the classroom each day. If the students get sidetracked or off topic, the teacher needs to make the students feel that their conversations are meaningful while the teacher guides the class back on task.
Risk, trust, and power are three of the reasons why teachers do not move towards an inquiry based classroom. Existing teachers know that if they lecture and practice skills, the class will move forward on time. The problem is that the students are not truly learning, rather they are recycling facts and basic skills without really understanding why they are important. Knowing that teachers will be taking a risk, turning the power over to the students, and trusting the students to have meaningful discussions are all aspects that need to be carefully considered before a teacher moves to the inquiry based classroom. By creating a detailed plan on how this change will take place and how the teacher will keep the class on task, the transition from a lecture based classroom to an inquiry based classroom can be successful.
Source: http://www.brynmawr.edu/biology/franklin/InquiryBasedScience.html
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
#SCICHAT NUMBER 3
My third #scichat… Tonight’s subject was “open brainstorm.” It was kind of a slow night, but the subject of revlearn was introduced. Revlearn is where the traditional lecture is sent home with the student (a video, podcast, etc.) to watch the night before. The next day, the teacher can reinforce the concepts via activities or assignments in class. It is “home” lecture and class “work”. Articles about this concept can be found at the following websites provided in tonight’s #scichat:
The concept of watching videos at home and doing the work in class seems to be a great idea to help motivate students. The only issue I would see is that sometimes it is good to struggle a bit in order to solve a problem or to get the right answer. (Something that is often done when trying to do work on assingments at home without teacher assistance.) The process teaches students how to troubleshoot and how to work through the problem on their own to get a solution. I imagine that in a classroom setting, where the class works on problems via collaboration, some students may just sit back and wait for the punch line rather than trying to figure things out on his or her own.
However, I do like the concept and feel that it could be a very effective way to teach.
Science Fairs?
As an elementary level student, there was never a mention of a science fair or another outlet for those students who excelled in science at my school. In fact, I never thought much of it until I saw this clip on YouTube (and after some investigation, I also found out how cool some of Steve Spangler’s Videos were too – look up videos by stevespanglerscience if you’re curious).
Simple things like using dish soap to repel food coloring in milk can inspire kids to investigate and learn why things happen. If kids need help coming up with ideas to investigate there is a great PBS website http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/scifair/index.html that is interactive and lets kids play around while looking for science fair ideas. Not only does the site come up with some pretty interesting ideas, (Is my dog smarter than your dog? What smells good to animals? How does the shape of a kite affect its ability to perform stunts?) but it gives a link to find more information your topic. There doesn’t have to be an official science fair: if your school doesn’t offer one make it a classroom event and invite your student’s families to come in one night and let your students show off what they’ve explored during their own science experiment.
Simple things like using dish soap to repel food coloring in milk can inspire kids to investigate and learn why things happen. If kids need help coming up with ideas to investigate there is a great PBS website http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/scifair/index.html that is interactive and lets kids play around while looking for science fair ideas. Not only does the site come up with some pretty interesting ideas, (Is my dog smarter than your dog? What smells good to animals? How does the shape of a kite affect its ability to perform stunts?) but it gives a link to find more information your topic. There doesn’t have to be an official science fair: if your school doesn’t offer one make it a classroom event and invite your student’s families to come in one night and let your students show off what they’ve explored during their own science experiment.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Literacy in Science
My science methods professor Eric Brunsell, told me about one of his blogs ( http://www.edutopia.org/blog/engaging-students-science-tradebooks ) that is a good resource for teachers who are trying to incorporate more trade books and literacy into their science units. In the blog he states that there are newly released standards that have literacy built right into the science standards. This is because later in college, students will be required to read "sophisticated nonfiction" so in primary and secondary school students should be learning the skill necessary to read these types of texts as well as gaining the confidence to tackle them.
He also outlines a great way to get students reading a variety of science tradebooks in class. His idea is to have a mock book prize election. This is based off of the criteria from the journal Science Books and Films. Doing this will get the children excited about reading different science tradebooks so they can pick a "winner" and then they can see if the book they picked is also picked by SB & F. More details about this can be found using the url above.
There are also links to the winning books from SB & F which gives examples of picture books as well as young adult books. It is really important to find tradebooks that are high quality and that also are targeted to the correct age group. There are many important lessons that can be taught through these books, and that is not limited to content, but also to the literacy mentioned above.
He also outlines a great way to get students reading a variety of science tradebooks in class. His idea is to have a mock book prize election. This is based off of the criteria from the journal Science Books and Films. Doing this will get the children excited about reading different science tradebooks so they can pick a "winner" and then they can see if the book they picked is also picked by SB & F. More details about this can be found using the url above.
There are also links to the winning books from SB & F which gives examples of picture books as well as young adult books. It is really important to find tradebooks that are high quality and that also are targeted to the correct age group. There are many important lessons that can be taught through these books, and that is not limited to content, but also to the literacy mentioned above.
Science and Standardized Testing- Blog 3
In my past two blogs, I have been thinking and writing about the role of science on standardized tests. In my research, I have found that it is sometimes a struggle to teach successfully and to also have students do well on the tests. We want to still teach hands-on and inquiry based activities, but we also want the students to succeed on those multiple choice, vocabulary heavy tests. Where is the happy medium? I was lucky to come across an article here that followed a teacher who still led a hands-on science classroom and had students perform well on standardized tests. The two ideas do not have to be in conflict with each other.
Linda Whren, the teacher in the article, acknowledged that her students were not being tested on their thinking skills. Her students learn about observing, classifying, and predicting as well as cross-curricular lessons. Whren introduces her students to new vocabulary and has perform research on topics in order for students to further their knowledge from a hands-on activity done in class. Just as her students perform well on standardized tests in a hands-on classroom, similarly the article discusses research performed that showed that students from a hands-on classroom outperformed text-based classroom students on tests. The article also states that down the road, more performance or process based skill questions will be added to standardized tests.
It is a relief to know that students in hands-on classrooms are not at a disadvantage for standardized tests. Teachers are still able to teach their students without directly teaching to the tests in order for their students to succeed. This article and study gave many more positives and advantages for hands-on classrooms.
Work Consulted:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4321
Linda Whren, the teacher in the article, acknowledged that her students were not being tested on their thinking skills. Her students learn about observing, classifying, and predicting as well as cross-curricular lessons. Whren introduces her students to new vocabulary and has perform research on topics in order for students to further their knowledge from a hands-on activity done in class. Just as her students perform well on standardized tests in a hands-on classroom, similarly the article discusses research performed that showed that students from a hands-on classroom outperformed text-based classroom students on tests. The article also states that down the road, more performance or process based skill questions will be added to standardized tests.
It is a relief to know that students in hands-on classrooms are not at a disadvantage for standardized tests. Teachers are still able to teach their students without directly teaching to the tests in order for their students to succeed. This article and study gave many more positives and advantages for hands-on classrooms.
Work Consulted:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4321
Live Courses for Professional Development
I have been researching different sources to help keep teachers up to date in the science content area. This week I found a great case study discussing a new type of professional development offered by NASA. The office of education at NASA along with the NASA explorer school have put together live, short courses for NASA Explorer School. The project is being funded by a grant. The case study discusses whether they are effective or not. The courses are intended to be a tool for professional development in the field of science.
I found it interesting that this case study pointed out that the responsibility for professional development rest entirely on teacher’s shoulders. We will have to take it upon ourselves to find reliable sources, which is why this case study is worth reading. Science changes more than any other subject, so we have to know where to go to stay current. One thing that I noticed right away is that this study included teachers from all across the board, not just science. The classes are meant to be flexible and require little time. And lastly, the courses include real classroom applications.
Some important goals that the courses attempt to meet include:
1. Relate to relevant day to day practice
2. Provide opportunities for professional sharing and collaboration
3. Contribute to teacher professional growth
4. Have an accessible format for a wide range of teachers
The courses are based on the social constructivist theory. NASA feels that this is what makes what they have created different than anything else out there. Each class allows time for collaboration with other teachers. Guest speakers from a variety of fields speak during each session. The intent is for teachers not only to build their content knowledge but share with others about what works and doesn’t. I think these courses seem great. Personally collaborating helps me understand almost everything better than just reading it on a website. The results of the study show that many other people feel the same way. Most people who participated said they saw positive results from taking the courses.
Weather
I am currently enrolled in science and math methods. I am doing my math practicum in kindergarten and my science practicum in sixth grade. While in my kindergarten class, I asked the teacher how she makes science fun for her students. She told me anything hands on. I had already thought about this hands on idea because I love anything hands on for the students. Being able to actually take part in an activity or experiment using their hands enhances the student's comprehension and thus furthers their learning.
I started searching the internet for some hands on activities. Turns out, there are a lot of them! This particular web site I found very easy to follow and full of good hands on activities. Go to http://ee.user.edu/webweather/activities.html This web site has great ideas about our weather. I think that students in elementary grades would find these activities fun and they can relate the activity to their every day life.
One of the activities is making fog in a glass jar. How many times have you wondered how fog is made? I have! I like these activities because the students can relate to them. Every day our weather is different in Iowa. We have four seasons and each day our weather is different from the day before.
Yes, the students can learn about the weather they see out their window. In Iowa we may not fully understand what a hurricane is but because we have a background knowledge of tornadoes and thunderstorms, the students can make a connection and understand and learn a little more about hurricanes. This background knowledge will further their understanding of hurricanes and the next time they are watching the news and a reporter is reporting on a hurricane off the coast of Mexico, the students can make a real life, every day connection to that story.
Hands on is a great way to teach and make science fun for you and the students. Push your sleeves up and dig in to the science fun!
I started searching the internet for some hands on activities. Turns out, there are a lot of them! This particular web site I found very easy to follow and full of good hands on activities. Go to http://ee.user.edu/webweather/activities.html This web site has great ideas about our weather. I think that students in elementary grades would find these activities fun and they can relate the activity to their every day life.
One of the activities is making fog in a glass jar. How many times have you wondered how fog is made? I have! I like these activities because the students can relate to them. Every day our weather is different in Iowa. We have four seasons and each day our weather is different from the day before.
Yes, the students can learn about the weather they see out their window. In Iowa we may not fully understand what a hurricane is but because we have a background knowledge of tornadoes and thunderstorms, the students can make a connection and understand and learn a little more about hurricanes. This background knowledge will further their understanding of hurricanes and the next time they are watching the news and a reporter is reporting on a hurricane off the coast of Mexico, the students can make a real life, every day connection to that story.
Hands on is a great way to teach and make science fun for you and the students. Push your sleeves up and dig in to the science fun!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Teaching Science in Five Countries: Results from the TIMMS 1999 Analyses Report
The report, Teaching Science in Five Countries: Results from the TIMMS 1999 Analyses Report, (United States Department of Educations, Institute of Education Sciences NCES 2006-011) is comprised of 271 pages of tables, figures and text explaining the methods and limitations of the study, the content differences of eighth grade science lessons, how evidence was used in the lessons, methods for inquiry, collaboration, methods of engaging students, and the significance of students’ responsibility in learning science. A summary of the results of this paper was presented in my previous blog.
A limitation is included in the report that the achievement test results may not be related to teaching methods because a student’s background, both in and out of school, his or her parental influence and or cultural influences may also play a role in academic achievement. I find this a rather strange limitation considering that the 4 countries chosen for comparison to the United States
Table 1.2 - Average Science Scale Scores of Eighth Grade Students, by Country, 1995, 1999, and 2003, (below) provides a great insight to the relative achievement of students in the United States United States
The report looked at what the 4 countries that scored higher than the United States
“First, in each of the four higher-achieving countries, the core instructional approach appeared to hold students to high science content standards defined in various ways. Second, in each country, the means to achieve these content standards appeared to be a consistent, commonly shared strategy across teachers for organizing the content and engaging students in doing science work.”
So in order to improve the academic achievement of students in the United States
I love the following line that ended the section in the report called “Do the Higher-Achieving Countries Share Any Commonalities?”
“That being said, it must also be kept in mind that a different set of analyses or using different data collection methods may lead to alternative hypotheses or conclusions.”
I am not sure it that is a lack of confidence in the study, an effort to cover the proverbial butt or just a reiteration of scientific method, but it seems out of place in the report. Any comments on that line?
I will leave this paper for now. My next step will be to see which countries have the highest academic achievement in science of all countries, and why. I am not sure at this point where the four countries included in the study (Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Czech Republic and the United States) are in relation to the rest of the world.
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