What I didFor my field experience, I created a speed dating game. The class was learning about ionic bonding. As I was looking up activities, I found an activity called "Ionic Speed Dating". I really liked the idea and thought I would work great for the 8th grade class. I started by creating 16 different element cards. For each element I labelled it bachelor/bachelorette #1, etc. I made up personalities, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and an about me section in to what I think those elements would have "said". An example of one of the cards is below: I handed out a card randomly to each student. We had each element (1-16) say their about me section to the class. The class LOVED this part, they were crying from laughing so hard. After that, they had to find their match based on the need to give or take X number of electrons. Since we wanted to stay away from polygamist relationships we told them they could only bond with one other element. Once they found their pair, they were given a certificate of bonding. This was a fun worksheet where they has to write their new name as a pair (naming ionic compounds), show their transfer of electrons with dot structures, talk about why they wanted to bond (transfer of electrons and talk about oxidation numbers), and name what type of bond they were (ionic). Once they finished their certificate they came to the front of the class, I checked their worksheets to make sure they were complete and accurate, stamped a "Hooray!" on their certificate, and they could announce to the class their name as a pair. This activity was so much fun! The kids couldn't stop laughing but they also had to think outside of the box. They had to make connections like the one between oxidation numbers and electrons. They were also asked things in a different format then they were used to so it was interesting to see how the students processed through the worksheet. Overall, I had a blast and I could tell the students did as well! They were still talking about the game after it was over which means it was memorable! As a side note, I realized this is a good way to randomize students into pairs. For the next couple days they are going to work in the pairs they made today. In high school, I think I would use it more as an introduction and have it be a way of randomizing pairs!
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Current Status of Women and Minorities in Stem When you ask someone to name an influential female scientist, they might have trouble coming up with a list. The same goes for scientists that fall under different ethnic backgrounds. You might ask yourself why? It is because of history. Women weren't given the opportunities that men were given in getting a strong scientific education. If they did, they weren't given the credit they deserved (example: Rosalind Franklin). Rosalind Franklin was one out of two women that got her doctoral degree at her university. While she was there she was constantly being seen as less of value than the men were. When she made a scientific discovery, men stole her discovery and published it so they got the credit and she didn't! What should we do about it? We need to WEAVE women into science curriculum. As a future educator it is so important to show my female students they can be successful scientists as well! In a study done in 2000, 66% of girls reported they had a strong interest in science. By 8th grade that percentage dropped to 47%. That is a 19% drop and at an age where they are especially influenced by the things around them. If students grow up without being able to visualize themselves in a particular setting how should they ever be able to have that as a dream or goal? The same goes for minorities. We don't equally represent them in the classroom. How do we do it? In an article from Science Scope called "Weaving Women into the Science Curriculum" it gives a plethora of ideas that teachers should use. These ideas included:
The bigger font is what I have seen done in my methods course. With my experience, it was very helpful to see how women were represented in the early to mid 1900s. I was Rosalind Franklin for my assignment. It was incredible how she got her studies stripped away from her. If that happened to a male, I could imagine the situation would've been a lot different. Reference for article Campbell, A. (2007, October 1). Weaving Women into the Science Curriculum. Science Scope, 54-58.
When I was reflecting on my favorite science classroom experiences, I remembered the experiments my teacher Mr. Kelly used to demonstrate. He has been an incredible example of what an exceptional science teacher should look like. This experiment comes from a demonstration he did in class. Bobbing Bertha What you Need: capillary tube, plastic water bottle with cap, food coloring, bunsen burner with gas source, match, water, and googles What will be covered: Water and Air Pressure You get to keep the cartesian diver and can trick people into think you are pulling the bubble down with a magic string! Let's Get Started!Start by ripping off the label on the water bottle and fill it with water so only a little bit of air is in it. Then, light your bunsen burner with the gas source and a match. Now you should put the "capped" end of the capillary tube in the bunsen burner fire for about 15 seconds. Put your mouth on the open end and give it a little puff. You should see a glass bubble form. Break the glass on open end so the capillary tube is a little shorter. Use food coloring to dye your water whatever color you want. Place the glass bubble in your water bottle. Put the cap on your water bottle tightly. Now you have a Bobbing Bertha When you squeeze the bottle Bertha should sink to the bottom (seen in picture). When you let go Bertha should come right back up? Why? Let's talk about it! Video that shows what it would look like How this relates to SteamScience: Water Pressure
Technology: Creating an instrument Engineering: Designing the instrument Arts: Creative colors and using artistic abilities for divers Math: Can later calculate the speed it moves, how far it moves, mass, force Can teachers use constructivism ideals for themselves?An article in The Science Teacher would say absolutely! "Professional learning helps teachers translate theory into practice." Teachers all have preexisting knowledge on how they are supposed to teach and what they want to bring to the classroom. Teachers often collaborate as a team to try to figure out how they can improve their teaching strategies. Constructive learning is hard to incorporate in the classroom which is why teachers need to collaborate even more to build strong science departments. It relates to constructivism because teachers all have different viewpoints and experiences. They can collaborate these new ideas with each other to build better classrooms. When teachers collaborate and practice constructivism learning in their staff development teams, they are able to do the following things: -have a set of conversations -learn from each others past experiences or knowledge -have planned assessments to find new ideas -helps streamline administrative tasks and focus of what is important (the students) -produce knowledge that is ever growing from new resources and opportunities -have department chairs be curriculum leaders not administration leaders -practice being taught differently than they were when they were growing up -have equal opportunity to speak about their thoughts and ideas As Bill Nye said, everyone knows things we don't so it is best if we learn off of each other. Teachers need to practice what they preach so they have a smarter science department and understand the experience children will go through. CITATIONCampbell, Todd. "Strengthening Science Departments." NSTA. The Science Teacher, 1 Sept. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
Article from North Carolina State University http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/CLChapter.pdf This article dives further into how you can apply cooperative learning in the classroom. It also explains the different types of cooperative learning and what cooperative learning consists of. It is a great reference. What is Cooperative Learning? An instruction strategy where students learn and discover new information within small groups Different Types Laboratories and projects Jigsaw Peer Editing Peer Lead Team Learning It looks something like this! How is it different than group learning?
Real Life Example In this video, the teacher had his students use weights to try and figure out how to balance them evenly. Each student has a specific role. One student was the only one who could touch the weights. Another student was the only one that could use a ruler. One student was the recorder. Another student was allowed to adjust the fulcrum. I would use this type of cooperative learning lesson if I taught a physics classroom. I would make sure each student had a set role and stuck to that role. One role I would add, is the communicator to be the only one who is allowed to ask the teacher questions. I would also assess how they worked together and if they stuck to their roles to make sure the lesson was successful in getting everyone to work and equally contribute. Watch the video to see it in action! (skip the first 25 seconds) Diving into "Drive" by Daniel Pink Can motivation and rewards go hand in hand? For a long time, we believed and some still believe humans respond to rewards. We can use rewards to encourage good behavior and discourage bad behavior. Pink describes this as "Motivation 2.0". In the classroom, this might be why some teachers offer extra credit. Some teachers offer free time or ending class early if the students behaved well. There can be many reasons why a teacher rewards his or her students but are they always beneficial? Experiments have shown us really interesting and quite shocking information! One study tested the extrinsic motivators to see the effect rewards have on performance. They started by having 87 participants and split them into 3 groups. One group was offered a small insignificant bonus. The second group was offered a significant bonus. The third group was offered a bonus that was super significant. They found that the small bonus group and significant bonus group had the same performance. The super significant bonus group had the worst performance. But why? The participants in the highest bonus group no longer had an internal motivation to complete the task. "Rewards, by their very nature, narrow our focus."(Drive) Sometimes it is best to have intrinsic rewards. Humans find joy in completing a challenge. That joy is a reward in itself. Humans want to be successful and want to do good things. As a teacher, I want my students to always have a goal. With personal goals, they will be motivated to fulfill that goal and will be rewarded by feeling good once they complete that goal. It sounds cheesy and cliché but I think if students see a purpose in what they are doing then that will motivate them to work harder. Watch this video (0:00-4:46) or the whole thing! |
When students are left to wonder, they get to work through problems on their own and because of that they can take ownership. The teacher and the students get to ask authentic questions that get both the teacher and the students' minds propelling. As a teacher, you can't ask questions that have an immediate right answer. If you ask them a question that needs a specific answer right away students can lose their involvement in the classroom. They won't want to raise their hand if they know there is a chance they might be wrong and told they are wrong in front of everyone. |
Teaching in the Margins vs. Teachable Moments
I know what you're thinking..... it is very similar to teachable moments EXCEPT teachable moments are when you move away from the lesson plan and talk about something you think the students could really benefit from. Teaching in the margins is planned so students can come up with the answer and not be preached upon during a lecture.
"Becoming an exemplary teacher is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of the choices we make; it is not something that simply comes with years of experience, it is something that must be purposefully achieved."
Robert John Meehan
Exemplary Teaching IS
Exemplary Teaching IS NOT
Exemplary teachers break the four walls of the classroom. They expand the students experiences to the outside world and make connections so the students can retain the information better. This concept stuck out to me most because the world has so much to offer and doing these types of exercises are more more memorable than your typical lectures or activities inside the classroom. You are also preparing your students for their everyday life because they won't be in a classroom their entire life.
Especially in science, exemplary teachers let their students guide their own learning. When teachers ask open ended questions, students can use their creativity and talents to solve and answer those questions. Like what Dr. Ann Mackenzie said, you can perform a test at the end of the unit and good test takers will do great. It would be better to do a project where students can use their talents to complete a project to show they understand the unit. They will retain the information better and they get to showcase their talents.
Robert John Meehan
Exemplary Teaching IS
- An ongoing thoughtful process
- Adjusting to the students needs
- Planning material to expand the students mindset
- "Matter of the choices we make" as a teacher
- Illuminates the student's very human beingness
Exemplary Teaching IS NOT
- A set rules of instruction
- Limiting
- "Matter of Chance"
- Something that takes little thought
Exemplary teachers break the four walls of the classroom. They expand the students experiences to the outside world and make connections so the students can retain the information better. This concept stuck out to me most because the world has so much to offer and doing these types of exercises are more more memorable than your typical lectures or activities inside the classroom. You are also preparing your students for their everyday life because they won't be in a classroom their entire life.
Especially in science, exemplary teachers let their students guide their own learning. When teachers ask open ended questions, students can use their creativity and talents to solve and answer those questions. Like what Dr. Ann Mackenzie said, you can perform a test at the end of the unit and good test takers will do great. It would be better to do a project where students can use their talents to complete a project to show they understand the unit. They will retain the information better and they get to showcase their talents.
I encourage you to think about how you can be an exemplary teacher. Once you start to purposefully apply the ideas of exemplary teaching, the growth of your classroom is limitless.
Author
Anna Kirkpatrick
Certified Science Educator and
Curriculum Developer
www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/kirkpatrickscience
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