I began to dig further in to my topic and found some great tips for teachers. A wesbite that immeidately caught my attention was www.smartboybadgrades.com. It mentions that teachers focus too much on tiny behaviors that don't actually affect other students in the classroom instead of focusing more on learning. Another important point they brought up is to push students to re-do their homework assignments. I think this is an awesome idea because it pushes students to push themselves and truly figure out the answer. Not only will this alleviate some stress for the students feeling pressure to get a good grade on their homework, but it will allow them a better grade and an opportunity to truly learn.
Another tip that was mentioned was to allow students to "quiz out" on homework. If they can prove that they know how to do the assignment and can show all of their work, than they would be allowed to quiz out of having that assignment as homework. I am strong believer in not giving a large amount of homework and this would push a student to really learn what is going on but I see many negative aspects of this. Some students might become frustrated because they never test out and always have a homework assignment and some students might just not care and don't want to put in any effort. I believe that there are many negative and positive aspects of this idea.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
#scichat1
I had my participation to #scichat tonight. It was a vey good starting experience for me. It was relatively calm tonight as they say. Which helps a lots. Other tweeters ("experts") are very nice and helpful. still lots of information even with open discussion. I learn that there are so many tools out there that can be useful for class. Some interesting website. Digital white boad etc.
some video clip are funny. all in all , good meeting with no topic.
some video clip are funny. all in all , good meeting with no topic.
Resources for Teaching Science
Last week I found a great site that provided a list of conferences and workshops for science teachers to attend. The site had a lot to offer, but charged members a yearly fee to access its online resources. After some more searching I have come across another great source. This website has a lot to offer, and from what I have seen so far, there is no fee!
The website is called Learners.org. . The Anneberg Foundation, in hopes of encouraging more effective ways for teachers to both teach and share ideas, puts it together. When you first get to the site you will notice that it is not just for Science, there is a whole range of content areas including math, language, and social studies. Each subject is divided into grade levels, making it easy to find what material might be of interest to you. When you click into the area of interest you will be shown a list of videos relating to your content area. The videos are on demand, and like I said, appear to be free! The videos are all different lengths, and cover tons of ideas, methods, and strategies.
Another great thing about the site is that they offer a type of online conference. I could not find any thing saying this cost money either. This "online conference" provides teachers materials on how to teach certain subjects through printable documents, video's and online discussion with other teachers. I think it sounds like a more convenient way to connect with others and learn how to teach more effectively in any content area.
The website is called Learners.org. . The Anneberg Foundation, in hopes of encouraging more effective ways for teachers to both teach and share ideas, puts it together. When you first get to the site you will notice that it is not just for Science, there is a whole range of content areas including math, language, and social studies. Each subject is divided into grade levels, making it easy to find what material might be of interest to you. When you click into the area of interest you will be shown a list of videos relating to your content area. The videos are on demand, and like I said, appear to be free! The videos are all different lengths, and cover tons of ideas, methods, and strategies.
Another great thing about the site is that they offer a type of online conference. I could not find any thing saying this cost money either. This "online conference" provides teachers materials on how to teach certain subjects through printable documents, video's and online discussion with other teachers. I think it sounds like a more convenient way to connect with others and learn how to teach more effectively in any content area.
How Do We Get Students Motivated In Science Class?
Growing up I thought science was very boring and didn't see why I had to do it everyday. I know I am not the only one who thought science was boring. Some students in elementary, middle and high schools think science is boring and has a lot to do with research. I didn't want to do science because it wasn't the "cool" thing to do and only geeks and nerds did science. It is important to prove to students that science can be fun and enjoyable and anyone can do it! I wanted to research this question because I was one of the students who thought science wasn't fun and now my perspective has changed and I know a lot of other students would like science too if teachers new how to motivate them.
Professor Kruse told us in class that kids go to school thinking that it has to go a certain way. That they will come to school, get information and be tested over it. If this happens in school then of course students are going to be bored! Teachers that truely care about their studnets will want to change thier students' thinking. Teachers should want to challenge their student's thinking so that they can actually apply their knowledge and learn something. For students to be interested in science we have to be able to let them play with the wrong ideas and try new ones out. A lot of learning comes from exploring, a lot of science is exploring. If we let students in science class first explore the topic and actually do things concretely before any teaching goes on, the students will be more engaged and curious about the topic.
It is important to show studnets that science is fun and interesting, it is not all about a step by step process. Students should be able to explore new ideas and be able to think about things in different ways. I am excited to reasearch this topic and to find new ideas on how to motivate students in science class. Here is a link to and article that I found interesting.. Link
Professor Kruse told us in class that kids go to school thinking that it has to go a certain way. That they will come to school, get information and be tested over it. If this happens in school then of course students are going to be bored! Teachers that truely care about their studnets will want to change thier students' thinking. Teachers should want to challenge their student's thinking so that they can actually apply their knowledge and learn something. For students to be interested in science we have to be able to let them play with the wrong ideas and try new ones out. A lot of learning comes from exploring, a lot of science is exploring. If we let students in science class first explore the topic and actually do things concretely before any teaching goes on, the students will be more engaged and curious about the topic.
It is important to show studnets that science is fun and interesting, it is not all about a step by step process. Students should be able to explore new ideas and be able to think about things in different ways. I am excited to reasearch this topic and to find new ideas on how to motivate students in science class. Here is a link to and article that I found interesting.. Link
Monday, October 4, 2010
Virtual Field Trips
I decided to stay focused on my previous idea for this week's blog post. If you remember, last week I looked into ways to make science fun for all students in the classroom. This week I wanted to look at ideas for fun outside the classroom and how to bring otherwise-impossible field trips to your students without having them leave the school.
This is the first semester that I have really heard "virtual field trips" mentioned. At first I was confused about what that meant and how students were able to 1) participate and 2) get a lot of meaning out of them. However, after a quick Google search I was beyond impressed at what the options are for teachers when it comes to taking trips without leaving school.
Utah Education Network has a phenomenal site (http://www.uen.org/tours/fieldtrips2.shtml) with a lot of virtual field trips for classrooms. They have field trips in twelve areas including career, library, professional development, and foreign languages. I focused on the science area and found quite a few useful "trips" to take. They range from first grade cloud exploration to AP physics. They cover anything from rocks and dinosaurs to human hormones and virus basics. Plus, they are all pretty simple to navigate and can be done individually, in pairs, small groups, or even as a whole class.
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has kits that can be mailed to you for things that your students might do if they were to actually visit the museum. This is a great way for teachers to throw something into their science class that may not be feasible otherwise (for example, they offer a Live... From the Heart kit that contains material for an entire classroom including a DVD of an open heart surgery. Your students can witness open heart surgery without having to go anywhere!). Visit this site for more info on the open heart surgery kit: http://www.msichicago.org/education/field-trips/live-from-the-heart/ .
I know it's not science related, but this site (http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/white-house-101/) takes you on a virtual tour of the White House. Also, lonelyplanet.com has some awesome tours of every country you can imagine (here's an example: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand)!
This is only a small, small sampling of what's out there on the web for us to use in our classrooms. Virtual field trips are a great way to differentiate concepts for students and are so fun and engaging that the time flew by when I was looking through them! The best part is that if you can't find a field trip for your students to take that covers the content that you want it to, you can make one for your students in an evening :)
Virtual field trips: just another way to keep your science classroom fun and engaging for all students.
This is the first semester that I have really heard "virtual field trips" mentioned. At first I was confused about what that meant and how students were able to 1) participate and 2) get a lot of meaning out of them. However, after a quick Google search I was beyond impressed at what the options are for teachers when it comes to taking trips without leaving school.
Utah Education Network has a phenomenal site (http://www.uen.org/tours/fieldtrips2.shtml) with a lot of virtual field trips for classrooms. They have field trips in twelve areas including career, library, professional development, and foreign languages. I focused on the science area and found quite a few useful "trips" to take. They range from first grade cloud exploration to AP physics. They cover anything from rocks and dinosaurs to human hormones and virus basics. Plus, they are all pretty simple to navigate and can be done individually, in pairs, small groups, or even as a whole class.
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has kits that can be mailed to you for things that your students might do if they were to actually visit the museum. This is a great way for teachers to throw something into their science class that may not be feasible otherwise (for example, they offer a Live... From the Heart kit that contains material for an entire classroom including a DVD of an open heart surgery. Your students can witness open heart surgery without having to go anywhere!). Visit this site for more info on the open heart surgery kit: http://www.msichicago.org/education/field-trips/live-from-the-heart/ .
I know it's not science related, but this site (http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/white-house-101/) takes you on a virtual tour of the White House. Also, lonelyplanet.com has some awesome tours of every country you can imagine (here's an example: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand)!
This is only a small, small sampling of what's out there on the web for us to use in our classrooms. Virtual field trips are a great way to differentiate concepts for students and are so fun and engaging that the time flew by when I was looking through them! The best part is that if you can't find a field trip for your students to take that covers the content that you want it to, you can make one for your students in an evening :)
Virtual field trips: just another way to keep your science classroom fun and engaging for all students.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Science and Standardized Testing
With college entrances, NCLB, and more on the line, standardized testing has risen the stakes on student learning. Students begin taking standardized tests in grade school and continue throughout their shcool years. I decided to research this topic because of the rising importance of standardized testing and I wanted to see what part science played in these tests.
From what I remember, the science sections of standardized tests were based off of reading graphs and performing basic calculations- so it was basically a combined form of the reading and math sections. Some tips I found for the science section of standardized tests included tips that were general and related to other sections such as: the questions begin easier and move to be progressively more difficult, search for key words in reading passages, look beyond any extra language, and do the questions you automatically know first. The science section is testing more reasoning skills than science content or knowledge.
I was also able to find past standardized tests to study the format and questions. While some questions consisted of vocabulary and content information, others were based on passages and diagrams. There were even some short answer questions, so they were not all multiple choice format. Reading and math skills would be needed for the science section.
Works Consulted:
http://www.helium.com/items/652196-strategies-for-taking-the-act-science-reasoning-test
http://www.helium.com/items/1549751-how-to-do-well-on-the-act-science-reasoning-test
http://edinformatics.com/testing/science_tests.htm
From what I remember, the science sections of standardized tests were based off of reading graphs and performing basic calculations- so it was basically a combined form of the reading and math sections. Some tips I found for the science section of standardized tests included tips that were general and related to other sections such as: the questions begin easier and move to be progressively more difficult, search for key words in reading passages, look beyond any extra language, and do the questions you automatically know first. The science section is testing more reasoning skills than science content or knowledge.
I was also able to find past standardized tests to study the format and questions. While some questions consisted of vocabulary and content information, others were based on passages and diagrams. There were even some short answer questions, so they were not all multiple choice format. Reading and math skills would be needed for the science section.
Works Consulted:
http://www.helium.com/items/652196-strategies-for-taking-the-act-science-reasoning-test
http://www.helium.com/items/1549751-how-to-do-well-on-the-act-science-reasoning-test
http://edinformatics.com/testing/science_tests.htm
science tradebooks
What are some quality tradebooks that can be used in science?
I found an amzing website that answers this question perfectly. The National Science Teachers Association has been partnered with the Children's Book Council for 37 years, and they have compiled quite the list over those years. However, I could only find lists for the years 1996-2010. These lists are packed with useful information including annotated summaries that are placed into categories such as "Science as Inquiry," "Life Science," "Earth and Space Science" and much more. Included in the annotations are many useful items such as the price of the book, the targeted reading level, and the National Science Content Standards that are most relevant to the book.
Having this list of books available so easily is really an asset to the classroom because it cuts down on the time it takes to find certain tradebooks. Using this list will ensure that the students in the classroom will have access to quality literature that pertains directly to the content they are learning.
What I wonder is where I could find the lists for the years before 1996, and are there different lists available that are just as concise and reputable.
http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/default.aspx
I found an amzing website that answers this question perfectly. The National Science Teachers Association has been partnered with the Children's Book Council for 37 years, and they have compiled quite the list over those years. However, I could only find lists for the years 1996-2010. These lists are packed with useful information including annotated summaries that are placed into categories such as "Science as Inquiry," "Life Science," "Earth and Space Science" and much more. Included in the annotations are many useful items such as the price of the book, the targeted reading level, and the National Science Content Standards that are most relevant to the book.
Having this list of books available so easily is really an asset to the classroom because it cuts down on the time it takes to find certain tradebooks. Using this list will ensure that the students in the classroom will have access to quality literature that pertains directly to the content they are learning.
What I wonder is where I could find the lists for the years before 1996, and are there different lists available that are just as concise and reputable.
http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/default.aspx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)