I was amazed by the debate on how to teach Chemistry! I am glad that there has been a change because I think I would have enjoyed Chemistry a lot more in high school had it been organized in this new way where things are less abstract. A lot of times in science it seems teachers feel they have to "hide" the real way scientists think about a subject in order for students to understand. However, the reality is that students can handle the truth they just might not need it in as much depth. I hope this new way of teaching chemistry is brought to more subjects. I really like the idea of looking to other countries and how they teach science as a way to improve our science teaching and I will definitely look for the videos from other countries for inspiration. While I definitely believe that the culture of a nation and how they treat various subjects as important/not important can make a big difference in student interest in a topic (I witnessed this first hand during a semster abroad in highschool where students in Germany were VERY excited about chemistry class), I do think methods play a critical role as well. As a teacher I hope to be open to new ideas throughout my career.
What I thought I knew or believed about teaching and learning about science:
How I reconsider the importance of recognizing my background and beliefs:
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Week 5 Thoughts
What I recently experienced that was unfamiliar or puzzling or inspiring:
I really loved the Taylor Mali poem, Miracle Worker, that we read at the end of the class. I watched him recite this poem on YouTube after and he is always very inspiring. His notion of teaching children the "big picture" is something I hope to do in my own class.
What I thought I knew or believed about teaching and learning about science:
I really enjoyed the book I read for class, The Canon. This book inspired me to teach science as the content is practiced itself to help reach students. Too often science is taught as a list of facts and vocabulary and this only serves to turn students off.
How I reconsider the importance of recognizing my background and beliefs:
In completing the Nature of Science assignment, I will remember to teach these aspects of the content to my students. Understanding that the NOS elements are part of my background and not necessarily shared by my students, I want to share these facets of biology with them.
I really loved the Taylor Mali poem, Miracle Worker, that we read at the end of the class. I watched him recite this poem on YouTube after and he is always very inspiring. His notion of teaching children the "big picture" is something I hope to do in my own class.
What I thought I knew or believed about teaching and learning about science:
I really enjoyed the book I read for class, The Canon. This book inspired me to teach science as the content is practiced itself to help reach students. Too often science is taught as a list of facts and vocabulary and this only serves to turn students off.
How I reconsider the importance of recognizing my background and beliefs:
In completing the Nature of Science assignment, I will remember to teach these aspects of the content to my students. Understanding that the NOS elements are part of my background and not necessarily shared by my students, I want to share these facets of biology with them.
Monday, August 10, 2009
SCIENCE THOUGHTS
What I recently experienced that was unfamiliar or puzzling or inspiring:
I REALLY enjoyed the Spanish physics lesson we participated in this week. The prospect of working with a non English speaker presents a huge challenge for both students and the teacher. Having had some Spanish in middles school, I found myself surprised at what I could understand in the lesson. I was fascinated, however, by the fact that I really struggled recalling any terms to respond. When I went to speak I came up with German, the language I took during high school and part of college. Because I was so fascinated by this phenomenon going on in my head I was really into the activity and eager to learn about the experiences of my peers. However, I also wondered what I would have done without any prior exposure to Spanish. If this was the case, as it will surely be for some students I might have in my classroom, I would have been truly lost and likely would have tuned out after awhile. This activity reminded me of how I feel when I visit my boyfriend’s family’s house. His family often speak Bengali to each other and this is a language I have no prior background knowledge of. Although I try to listen and make out words I hear in the hopes of learning something, my efforts are futile. It is this experience that I will keep in my head when thinking about future students to try to empathize with them and ensure they don’t feel lost (or at least make this process easier) in my classroom. A challenging prospect to say the least!
What I thought I knew or believed about teaching and learning about science:
We have talked a lot about differentiation in previous classes. I had a hard time understanding how this would work in process. I really like the TESA explanation of how to work with students. This more closely aligns with my idea of how a classroom should be run. I like the idea of challenging all students and treating them as equal in the sense that they really do want to learn and I should expect great things from them when they are properly supported in my classroom.
How I reconsider the importance of recognizing my background and beliefs:
From the Spanish physics lesson I have learned that one’s science background doesn’t matter when the barrier of language is introduced. I will with my students to address language difficulties in the classroom now that I have had a glimpse into the world of an English language learner.
I REALLY enjoyed the Spanish physics lesson we participated in this week. The prospect of working with a non English speaker presents a huge challenge for both students and the teacher. Having had some Spanish in middles school, I found myself surprised at what I could understand in the lesson. I was fascinated, however, by the fact that I really struggled recalling any terms to respond. When I went to speak I came up with German, the language I took during high school and part of college. Because I was so fascinated by this phenomenon going on in my head I was really into the activity and eager to learn about the experiences of my peers. However, I also wondered what I would have done without any prior exposure to Spanish. If this was the case, as it will surely be for some students I might have in my classroom, I would have been truly lost and likely would have tuned out after awhile. This activity reminded me of how I feel when I visit my boyfriend’s family’s house. His family often speak Bengali to each other and this is a language I have no prior background knowledge of. Although I try to listen and make out words I hear in the hopes of learning something, my efforts are futile. It is this experience that I will keep in my head when thinking about future students to try to empathize with them and ensure they don’t feel lost (or at least make this process easier) in my classroom. A challenging prospect to say the least!
What I thought I knew or believed about teaching and learning about science:
We have talked a lot about differentiation in previous classes. I had a hard time understanding how this would work in process. I really like the TESA explanation of how to work with students. This more closely aligns with my idea of how a classroom should be run. I like the idea of challenging all students and treating them as equal in the sense that they really do want to learn and I should expect great things from them when they are properly supported in my classroom.
How I reconsider the importance of recognizing my background and beliefs:
From the Spanish physics lesson I have learned that one’s science background doesn’t matter when the barrier of language is introduced. I will with my students to address language difficulties in the classroom now that I have had a glimpse into the world of an English language learner.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Week Two Science Methods Thoughts
This week in science methods class we talked about the culture of science. We learned that scientists and science teachers have their own way of thinking and acting that seems like a foreign culture of sorts to students and other people we come in contact with. While I partly considered this concept in other classes, such as our course on content-area literacy, thinking about science as so conceptually different to students that they might see it as another culture, is important to realize. In understanding this concept I hope to make myself more actively aware of my interactions with students so that they can truly understand topics and ideas I take for granted.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Week One Science Methods Thoughts
This week in science methods class a new idea we discussed was the importance of inquiry in the science classroom. In observing science classrooms this summer, I have been frustrated with activities that seem to have no real purpose. While many of these activities offer a break from lecturing for the teacher and a chance to wake up students, they don’t help students grasp the material. While I have always thought of inquiry and teaching the scientific method as crucial to a science classroom, our discussion of inquiry and creating genuine learning experiences will be a huge help for me to ensure I meet these goals. Learning about these frameworks for enhancing learning in science has helped me reconsider my previous ideas of how to effectively teach science in the classroom. While I have always strongly believed that a good science classroom teaches much more than the memorization of facts, this week’s class has provided me with strategies to ensure this plays out in my classroom.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Classification Presentation
This link will bring you to the PowerPoint I will present during our introduction to taxonomy class. You may print out a copy for your convenience or use it as a tool to review for our next test.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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