Gravity Lesson

Group 2's lesson on gravity went very well. They were able to fulfill both of their direct and inquiry lessons. In their direct lesson they used a program called Mentimeter, which I thought was an absolutely brilliant idea. Mentimeter helped guide them through their lesson and kept the students engaged during it. As my colleagues were teaching and providing information to the students, Mentimeter prompted the students with questions for them to answer. The questions being prompted from Mentimeter had me confused and I was unsure if my colleagues were pre-assessing or if they were checking for understanding, but Alyssa had stated that they way they had their PowerPoint set-up, was for both lessons, so the confusion was cleared up. The only suggestion I have for them, was to incorporate transitions into their lesson, other than that they did an exceptional job!

 I loved how they set-up stations and utilized more than one room for their inquiry lesson. This idea of separation really helped with keeping the kids focused, engaged, and made for less distractions. Each teacher fulfilled the 5 E's perfectly and the students really enjoyed each experiment at each station. My colleagues had great classroom and time management skills, they were able to stay on task and control the students by regaining attention without any issues. I liked how they brought the students together at the end to go over what they accomplished at each station and I thought the extra packet of experiments was a nice touch for the students to leave with. Overall, I really enjoyed this lesson. 

Life Science Fieldwork Lesson

  Today my group (group 1) presented our lesson on the 5 Senses. We had such a great direct and inquiry lesson planned for the students, but unfortunately it didn't go as planned. The students came to us very late, which made us run out of time for our direct lesson and made us rush through our inquiry lesson.  We had a lot of information for the students to learn and go over in our direct instruction, which would prepare them for the inquiry instruction. For our direct instruction we did an overview of the 5 senses and then we were going to focus on the sense of taste. In our direct instruction we had planned for a quizlet, plickers, and a kahoot game to check for understanding and to keep the kids motivated. We also planned to show two videos to help keep the lesson fun and engaging. Check out our direct/inquiry lesson and videos below:

Lesson on the 5 Senses

Here is our first video (Engagement)

Our second video (Scientific Method)

The sense of taste was our main focus for our inquiry instruction.

We wanted students to become "Sense Detectives" and work through the scientific method in a fun way, so we decided to have the students try different flavored liquids and decide if sight and color influences the way things taste to us. We made science journals for the students to record their data and we set-up stations with 4 different flavored drinks for them to try. The students were able to rotate through the stations very quickly and try each drink. One of our drinks was water and it was dyed with orange food coloring. Ultimately we were able to conclude that sight and color doesn't  

 influence they way food and drinks taste.

At the end of our inquiry we lesson we wanted the students to make a Flipgrid to Mrs. Benfer and tell her what they learned in our lesson, but we were extremely short on time and we weren't able to fulfill this activity.

Take Away

• TIME MANAGEMENT (make sure you have enough planned, but not too much where you can't get through it all)
  
• Don't overload students with information in direct instruction, make it quick and simple, but teach what is necessary for inquiry
• Teach/Go over vocabulary
• Make lesson fun and engaging
• Don't say, "Good Job!" or the word "Guys", instead use "boys and girls" and "who agrees/disagrees?"
• ***** Remember: Teaching doesn't always go as planned and that is part of Learning*****

Most importantly, my group worked extremely hard and we put a lot of hours in trying to make our 5 Senses lesson the best it could be. Dr. Smirnova was with us the whole way and gave great feedback and helped us in every way possible to make sure our PowerPoint and Lesson was a success. 

Hopefully from your observations you enjoyed our lesson and got to learn a little bit more about the 5 Senses!

Technology and Diverse Learners

Technology serves education, and not vice versa. Using technology effectively for learning takes time and effort. 

View and Smile:

This Sesame Street video is not only cute, but so true! There is literally an app for everything and if there isn't an app you can Google or YouTube it, but why don't you create the app yourself and make a living off of it?---Now that's food for thought.

My Thoughts: I like the idea if digital learning in the classroom, especially the use of overdrive. This program allows  for students to become strong readers by exploring and engaging in the program. It also provides students easy access to books they like. The books are available right there on your computer, in front of you; especially if the library doesn't have the book you want in-stock. The only reason I would be against this program is that libraries wouldn't get much use by the younger generation and I feel that by going to the library and physically checking out a book gives them a break from all the technology.

Chapter 8 Overview:

What Does Technology Really Mean?

• Instructional Technology (tools used to enhance learning)
• Assistive Technology (Designed to aid students with learning disabilities)

Why Use It?

• Assists science by providing tools that enhance inquiry
• Provides dynamic modeling through simulations
• Enables higher-order thinking
• Enhance evidence-based learning (WebQuests, Ask a Scientist, Probes, Digital Microscope, Virtual Imaging, Simulation, and Authentic science experiences)

Use Technology to Communicate Results:

• Interactive Whiteboards
• Provide bridge between static presentations and flow of the classroom
• Enables various modes of technology to be integrated into class lectures
• Games
• Can be valuable for reviews
• Does not inspire higher0order thinking
• Tutorials
• Provide children with self-paced learning

E-text Video:

The Potential of Technology in Teaching Science to Students

My Thoughts: We need to embrace technology because young lives are/and will be determined by technology.

Websites:

NASA-This website provides information all about space, astronauts, and missions. On the front of their webpage it displays events that are taken place monthly. This website has many tabs where you can connect with other sources of social media, picture galleries, and resources for students/educators.

US Geological Survey- This website provides information about natural hazards that threaten lives, and livelihoods; the water, energy, minerals, and other natural resources we rely on.

Worldwide Telescope- This website lets you look at the earth and all the planets up close and personal. It is an astronomers dream!

GLOBE- An international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of Earth's system and global environment.

NSTA Freebies for Science Teachers- This website provides an enormous amount of science books and resources for teachers. It also has lessons, videos, kits, and publications to choose from and use in your own classroom.

ViewPure-Educates you on how to keep YouTube videos without the adds, so they can be appropriate for your classrooms.

Share your experience on your blogs:

1. GenoChoice: Create Your Own Genetically Healthy Child Online  I said this was fake
2. Dog Island  I said this was fake
3. Exploratorium I said this was real
4. Save the Endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus I said this was fake
5. Science Kids  I said this was real

What do you think? Am I right or wrong?? Comment on my blog if agree with my answers or if you got something else.

Check Out My Poster: Guidelines for Appropriate Use of Technology in Science Education

Chapter 9 Overview:

• Creating a Science Learning Environment for Children from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds
• Reading Materials for Non-English Speakers
• Reinforce Reading and Language Arts Skills
• Organize Peer Tutoring
• Foster Parent/Classroom Science Connections
• Integrating Children with Special Needs in Science Education
• Inclusion Challenge
• Differentiated Instruction
• UDL
• Accommodations & Modifications
• Science Experiences for children with visual, hearing, physical impairments, emotional problems, and learning disabilities. 
• Addressing Needs of Children with Special Gifts and Talents
• Accelerative Approaches
• Enrichment Approaches
• Challenge Projects
• Individualized Instruction
• Fostering Collaboration with Colleagues
• Work with Special Education Team to Include Students with Disabilities
• Consult IEP's
• Speak with Students' Guardians
• Use All Resources to Optimize Learning For All Students

View the video  from our eText, p. 139. What is the main message of the video? 

My Thoughts: As a future educator, it is important when communicating with students from diverse backgrounds to be aware of how they learn and interact socially, so that you can create an atmosphere conducive to learning for all students in your classroom. 

Discuss how you can provide equal learning opportunities for diverse learners in your science classroom that will keep them active and engaged?

1. Use Manipulatives
2. Hands on Activities
3. Have  Science Materials for Non-English Speakers
4. Provide Enrichment Activities (advance material)
5. Challenge Projects (unique talents and abilities)

Breaking the Ice

Tonight  was our first night with the students! We got learn what they know about science and what they expect to learn from their time with us. We accomplished this by having them take a pre-test before we started our icebreaker activities. I was helping a 2nd grader with her test and I noticed that all of the groups questions were somewhat hard for that age group. Do you agree? Although, we have a lot of 4th and 5th graders in the class and we were trying to keep their interest with the questions, I believe all the students struggled; especially after reviewing the tests results. I think that the test needs to be shorter next time and the questions a lot easier, like on a first grade level or worded differently, because the students seemed to have a little bit of anxiety trying to answer them. The students seem to be excited to learn science, especially through experiments, activities, and in groups.

My group is going to teach about the 5 senses for our lesson plan, so we came up with two activities introducing the students to the 5 senses. For our first activity we chose to use the theme of the four seasons and using your senses to discover them. We labeled each of the 5 senses on an index card and had the student pick a card, according to the sense they chose, the student had to come up with something using that sense for the season of which we picked. For example, what do you smell in the fall? What do you see in fall? etc.. We loved this idea for an introduction, but we soon realized that we ran out of time and we weren't able to complete the next activity in its entirety. For our second activity, we decided to have it hands on, as that is more fun and engaging. The students were blindfolded for taste, hear, and smell. The students had to use their senses and guess what they were tasting, hearing, and smelling. The students tasted lemons and twizzlers, they heard tape ripping and coins in a jar, and they smelled vanilla and coffee. The students were pretty awesome with guessing, we had a hard time stumping them. For sight they had to cover one eye, while their partner moved a penny around over a cup, then they decided when their partner should drop the penny in the cup according to their sight, this proved to be a little bit of a challenge. For touch, the students felt a mystery bag and needed to guess what was inside, this activity stumped them for sure. For the most part, the students enjoyed our icebreaker activities. 

The other groups had some great icebreaker activities as well. One group did a ball toss with the students and they got to ask and answer different questions. Another group did two truths and a lie and the last group created a maze for the marble to end up on the bottom.

Overall, I thought it was a great first night and all of the students seemed to be having fun at each station. All of the students were engaged and all of my peers got a taste of teaching. Now, over the next month we all need to gear up and get ready to teach our first lesson...let the excitement, stress, and anxiety begin!

The 5 Kingdoms and Learning Styles

Kingdoms are a way that scientists have developed to divide all living things. These divisions are based on what living things have in common and how they differ. This system was developed over 2, 000 years ago and has changed drastically over the years. Currently there are five kingdoms in which all living things are divided: Monera Kingdom, Protist Kingdom, Fungi Kingdom, Plant Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom.

Keep in mind the following questions:

1. Given your personal learning style, how do you remember information that relates to classification, such as the Kingdoms?

Naturally I am a visual learner. Using a chart, graphic organizer, or a diagram to help me remember information works the best. As long as I am able to see the information in an organized manner, I can then read and study the material and become more familiar with it.

1. What science process skills are used to learn the information necessary to classify living things into the Kingdoms?  

                                      6 Process Skills:

Observing

Classifying

Measuring

Communicating

Inferring

Predicting

2. Considering your personal learning style, would it be easier for you to learn about nonliving or living things first, before moving on to learning about the other?

Since I am a visual learner, I think it would be easier for me to learn and classify what is living first, then move on to the non-living. There are things in the world that exist that you would think would be non-living, but they are actually living.

Elaborate your ideas on how you will teach the Life science concepts. Share examples of the lessons you liked the most from our e-TextBook or other resources.

I would teach life science concepts with hands-on activities. I believe if students are actively engaged it will help them learn and understand the content in a more productive way. All hands-on activities should be followed by follow-up work, whether the teacher assigns an essay/short answer or asks students to complete a group project. Assignment questions should ask students to analyze the results of the activity and explain why a certain set of events may have occurred. These assignments reinforce learning and help students better understand scientific principles.

Skype in the Classroom

Skype in the classroom is a really neat idea. I always thought of it as a way to connect with family members who may live in a different state or country, or for business interviews and conference calls. I would have never thought to use if for connecting to other teachers around the world. Using skype and interacting with other teachers and students provides for a unique way of teaching. Teachers and students can work collaboratively on lessons and activities together from all over the world. Skype produces opportunities for a huge amount of discussion, cooperative learning, and a ton of problem solving techniques that can be explored. After reviewing the Skype video that Dr. Smirnova  participated in and the Twitter conversations with Andrea Friend, it made me think of a Teacher I know from the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, who had the opportunity of teaching in New Zealand via technology. Check out the Links and Article below:

Balmville Teacher Mrs. Campbell-Defoe Shares New Zealand Trip Report

Photos and Videos of New Zealand/Newburgh Students and Teacher

Read the exciting article about the trip published by STUFF in New Zealand: 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/113016239/students-get-facetoface-and-take-a-bite-out-of-life-as-a-new-york-school-kid

Students need technology in the classroom!!!

Time to Wake Up! No Time to Ignore Science!

The Earth has warmed by an average of 1°C in the last century, and although that might not sound like much, it means big things for people and wildlife around the globe. Unfortunately, rising temperatures don’t just mean that we’ll get nicer weather, the changing climate will actually make our weather more extreme and unpredictable. As temperatures rise, some areas will get wetter and lots of animals and humans could find they’re not able to adapt to their changing climate. 

Suggested Videos by Dr. Smirnova:

Greta Thunberg-16 year old climate activist video

Youth Climate Strike Video

My Thoughts:

Watching Greta's video actually brought tears to my eyes. Maybe it was because she was so passionate about how she feels and what she believes in, but it was a real eye opener. Her message of "We Will Be Watching You!" and "How Dare You!" to the world leaders is extremely powerful. She is right, people are suffering, dying, and a mass extinction is on the verge of happening. It shouldn't fall on the younger generation to solve this crisis. I believe I am more aware of climate change now than I was at 16. I recycle, I try not to waste water when doing dishes or brushing teeth, etc. and I have solar panels on my house. If I were more like Greta at 16 or even If I paid more attention to the climate and the world around me back then, maybe our world would be in a bit of better place in terms of global warming.

The second video starts off with a young girl saying, "Striking from school wont solve the climate crisis." On September 20th, I actually remember watching the local news and they were covering this story about school strikes taken place around the area and my exacts thoughts were, "that's not going to solve the issue." The strike wasn't about solving the climate issue, it is trying to make people aware of the urgency of this matter. We all need to understand what is going on and it requires everyone to have a new way of thinking. We all should be thinking more about clean energy and why droughts, flooding, fires, and other extreme weathers are happening more often. We need to realize that the world is changing and what it will be like for us in the future. We ALL need to contribute and save the earth!

 

What do I Think?
We defiantly need to wake up and not ignore science! We need to be more proactive, embrace a new way of thinking, and do our part just  like the young people.

Check out:
35 Facts About Climate Change

Teaching without grades

Teaching without grades: A year of lessons from a no grades classroom



Before I even read the article, I just looked at the title (above) and thought, "Yeah right! How can you not provide grades?" Well after reading the article, I was able to answer my own question. Grading gives the students and parents satisfaction that an assignment was completed. What it doesn't provide is valuable feedback by the teacher. Yes, the teacher may make comments and let the student make those corrections to improve their grade, but overall the student is just trying to improve their grade, not their work. I like the idea of a no grades classroom, as it allows for a grading system based on observation, feedback, iteration, and student self-evaluation. Ultimately, students will begin completing all assignments, be more engaged, and allow for true learning to take place. With a no grades classroom, I can see why the number one struggle is getting assignments completed. I think if  deadlines are applied to the assignments, more students will complete in a timely manner and will want to receive teacher feedback, so they can monitor their improvement and achieve their learning goals. Moreover through, I want to read more about this idea and learn all the ins and outs, so I can try to implement this technique as a future educator. 

4 Steps for creating a no grades classroom (from Mark Barnes):

1. Be accountable first to students. We owe students the best chance to learn, regardless of any overarching mandates we receive about grading. 

2. Tell parents exactly why you want to eliminate grades. When you explain that you want to provide detailed feedback on all activities and give kids a chance for real mastery learning, how can parents argue? Address their concerns and be transparent about how this will help students.

3. Team up with school and community leaders. Approach the decisionmakers with details about your plan to eliminate number and letter grades. Remind them that you're not eliminating the evaluation of learning. Outline the benefits of making assessment an ongoing, meaningful conversation that leads to mastery learning.

4. Bring students into the report-card conversation. If your district mandates report cards, you might not be able to escape assigning a number altogether. Sit down with your students at the end of each marking period and discuss: What work did they complete, and what skills did they acquire over time? How did students handle your feedback? Then, simply ask them to grade themselves.

"Teaching without grades" Movement People to follow:

Mark Barnes

Starr Sackstein

Joy Kirr

Check out Starr Sackstein's Video on Throwing Out Grades: