Week 14

Week 14: Pulling It All Together. Teaching Math, Science and Technology
This week and final book chapter are to leave you with a sense of purpose and commitment about becoming scientific and sharing that scientific self with future students. The chapter suggests various helpful techniques, many of them based on personal reflection. You are urged to develop a personal science teaching philosophy, to keep a science blog, and to engage in ongoing professional development. This chapter also pulls the major themes of the text together, and it invites you to construct a new chapter in your science autobiography.
Write a blog entry science autobiographies. Start the entry off with some questions like these:

• What are the skills and strengths that you bring to the schoolscience experience?
• What are the areas in which you would like to improve as you set about doing science with students?
• How did your scientific self develop during this course?
• How do you define “science” now as you prepare to teach it?
• What is your favorite science web site?
• What contemporary science news event most interests you?
• What do you think is your greatest challenge in teaching science?
• How will technology help you stay current and teach science in an innovative way?

• This week and chapter really show how a teacher needs to pull everything together. It is important as a teacher to have a certain teaching philosophy and to engage the children in learning. It is also important for students to keep a journal and a science autobiography. It is important to have a purpose and commitment as a teacher. It is a good thing as a teacher to keep a journal of what you like and don't like about your lesson. You as a teacher should try to reflect on the good and bad parts of your lesson and what you would like to improve. You should also mention what you liked and disliked about your lesson. As a teacher you should bring your science experience and things like experiments that you like to do in science to the classroom to inspire all your students to like science. 

The following are the strengths that I bring to the school science experience. I bring the knowledge of the solar system and astronomy. I bring the knowledge of knowing about biology about the human body systems. I will bring my knowledge from this class Science Methods of knowing how to use the Smart Board and the balloon activity and the float and sink activity. I will also bring the of the kingdoms. I will also bring the knowledge and some activities that I did when I was school to the classroom. I will bring the experience of the using Science Circus in my classroom. I will also bing the strength of knowing about life, earth, and physical science to the classroom. I will also bring the experiment of the trail mix to the classroom. These are the strengths and things I bring to the classroom. 

The areas that I need to improve on as a teacher in order to teacher my students is as follows.I should probably improve on adding hands-on experiments to the class and throughout this course I have learned how to do that. I should also learn how to engage the students which I have learned through this class. This class has taught me to use a puzzle or an educational game to engage the students at the beginning of the lesson. These are the areas that I need to improve on and I have seen improvement over this course in these areas and have also learned how to improve in those areas through this course. 

My scientific self developed a lot throughout this course. I have learned how to use technology in my lesson. I leaned how to incorporate science and technology together. I learned how to do hands-o experiments. I learned about science experiments through reading the book called Science Stories by Jane Koch. I learned about life, earth, and physical science through this course. I learned that it is a good idea to use Science Circus in the classroom.I learned that demonstrations for science topics and concepts are a way for students to be engaged in the classroom. I learned that the balloon activity and the float, sink or?? activity  are good to use in the classroom. I learned how to engage students in a science lesson. I  leaned a little more about science through the different activities that I did not know about before. I learned a lot more about physical science through this class. I already know a lot about earth and life science. From this course Science Methods I learned a few new activities that I could incorporate into my classroom when I become a teacher like the Jigsaw project and  Science Circus. This is what I learned from this class and my scientific self. I know a lot about science before taking this class by reading articles and books and doing little experiments. My scientific self knows that I know about life and earth science and some physical science concepts because I learned about these sciences when I went to school and still remember the information. Scientific self is important to know what you do know and don't know about science and if I don;t know something about science I will do research and read articles to make sure I know about that topic or concept before I teach it to my students. 

Class 29 - April 1, 2011

Today's class started at Bishop Dunn school for fieldwork. The students took a test on chapter 11. We were able sit next to our fifth grade buddy during the test. The test was open-book. We were also able to assist the student if the student had a question about a question on the test. We were also able to explain parts of a question to the student. It was an interesting test about mixtures and solutions.

It was nice to see what a fifth grade test looks like. I think that it was a great idea for the students to have an open-book test. By having an open-book test it creates less pressure of anxiety that some kids get before tests because the student knows if they don't know the answer or are not sure of the answer the student can go look it up in their notebook and there is no panic. Open-book tests can help students feel more comfortable about a test and more ready for the test. Open-book tests are great for students to take and I am a fan of open-book tests. In the future when I am a teacher, I may try to use open-book tests in my class with my students.

Class 28 - March 30, 2011

Today's class started with discussing about things that need to be discussed. First on the list was fieldwork requirements. Second the list was the Inquiry LP design. We talked about how language arts and math are direct instruction lesson plans. Math lessons based on problem solving could be taught as an inquiry lesson. The three types of lesson instruction are direct, inquiry, and collaborate learning. Fieldwork was 8 hours. For those 8 hours we have to observe three times and write three reflections and one of the reflections has to be based on the lesson that you taught. The reflections have to be based on the MSMC format which mentions about what know, what did, and what you observed. Three reflections are going to be graded using the MSMC format. After we finished discussing about the requirements for fieldwork.  We went back to talking about inquiry 5 E lesson plan. We as a class went over Jessica Wood's 5 E lesson plan on the Smart Board with my classmates asking questions. This was a  great idea because it gave pointers, feedback, and guidance on how to write the different components of the 5 E lesson plan. I wrote notes as we were going over the 5 E lesson plan on each part of the 5 E lesson plan to help  and guide me when I  write my 5 E lesson plan. 


It is important as a teacher to go over what is required in the class and also for the assignments like Dr. Smirnova did with this 5 E lesson plan. It is important for students to ask questions when they don't understand something. It is also very important that teachers answer questions that the students ask. It also is a good idea to go over the rubric with the students so there is not confusion about the assignment and the criteria for that assignment. It is a good idea to write down notes of what the teacher wants for an assignment because that can give you a better idea of what the teacher is looking for and can help you plan what your assignment should be about. This is what I learned from this class. 

Class 27 - March 28, 2011

Today's class took place in the fieldwork at Bishop Dunn. We learned about matter and buoyancy. Buoyancy means depends on how something floats and it depends on its mass and density. Mrs. Benfer told the students to read the directions, write up information on the worksheet, and design a boat. The students were suppose to write in their science worksheet chart the length, width, and height of the boat. The students were also suppose to predict how many pennies would fit in the boat before putting the water and then there is a column for how many the boat held after put in the water. My materials to make the two boats out of were clay and aluminium foil. Mrs. Benfer said that one penny equals 2.5 grams. I helped Matthew make both his boats. Matthew made the boat out of aluminum basically on his own I just gave him some help with the measurements. I made the clay boat and did the measurements. Matthew put both boats in the water and the pennies in the boat to see how much cargo or pennies the boat will hold. We did a second attempt with both material of clay and aluminum foil. Matthew and I made some changes to our boats. While we were making changes to the clay boat, the boat got a few small holes that we did not notice until we put the boat in the water. The clay boat held less pennies the second time we put this boat in the water. When Matthew put the aluminum boat in the water after making the changes the aluminum boat held a few more pennies then it did the first time. As we ran out of time in our session to finish all the questions, the next time Matthew told me about his answers to the questions about his boats.    Then we had to answer some questions.

I enjoyed this activity. It was fun to do this project with a student. I like this buoyancy activity. I think that it is a great idea to make two boats one out of aluminum foil and the other out of clay. I think that it is good to compare which material would hold the most cargo or pennies. I like the idea of the worksheet to have the students prediction of pennies and do the measurements in regard to the length, width, and height in mm. I think that it is also a good idea to include on the worksheet what students do next time with the boat or how to improve the boat.  The worksheet should also include what elements worked or did not work for the buoyancy on the boat. The worksheet should include what the student could do different next time for the boat. The worksheet should include a chart where the student can write down their measurements and prediction of pennies and what actually happened. This is important for students to do. Students will learn a lot from this activity about buoyancy. Buoyancy is important for students to know and it is great science experiment. I would use this activity in my classroom but I would have the students work in pairs so that the students can compare their answers and come up with answers together to the questions. Two students can can put their heads together and come up even more answers than one student working alone.      


I think that the experiment today that the students performed would be great to use in my own classroom.I like the idea of teaching the students about buoyancy through using two different materials. I liked the idea that Mrs. Benfer told the students how much a penny was in terms of grams. I like how Mrs. Benfer let the students be creative when making their boat and gave the students instructions. In my classroom I will give the students freedom to make their boat any dimensions that the students want the boat to be. I think that the project could have gone smoother if the students worked in groups of four or five. In my classroom I will also have a worksheet for the students and not have the students make up their own worksheet based off a textbook page.  It would have also run smoothly if there were more bowls to put the boats in. When I do the experiment in my classroom I will make sure to have enough bowls for the boats. In my classroom I may try to use a third material for the buoyancy project/ activity.  I had a fun time working with Matthew on this activity. I would definitely have the students work in groups. I would have the students try the same experiment with the clay boat, the aluminum boat and quarters or dollar coins and see what happens.  I really liked this experiment and will use it in my classroom.                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Class 26- March 25, 2011

Fieldwork at Bishop Dunn. Dr.Smirnova talked to us to contact Mrs. Benfer if we need materials or help with the lesson. Mrs. Benfer told us how we could contact  her through the Bishop Dunn website under fourth grade teacher. If we have any questions we can contact her through this website that lists her email. Dr. Smirnova explained that  the lesson needs to include an introduction, teaching, and closure. The lesson will be taught twice in Mrs. Benfer's room to groups A, B,and C and also in Miss O'Leary's room to groups D, E, and F. Mrs. Benfer talked about lemon juice and tarnished pennies and about technology changes as an overview of what is happening in chapter 12 the next chapter the students are going to be reading.  Matthew and I worked on his test prep from the textbook. I was helping Matthew come up with the answers to the questions on the worksheet. If we were not sure on an answer to one of the questions Matthew and I would look back in the textbook for the answer. If we were still not sure about the answer I would look at the answer sheet and guide Matthew to the answer. Matthew and I did not get to finish all of the test prep we got up to question number 14. We finished all the fill ins which were the definition questions which were questions 1 to 9. Then Matthew and I moved onto the explain concepts. For the explain concepts question 10 to 12 Matthew and I looked back in the book to find the answer  to these questions and discussed our answer before Matthew wrote down his answers. For question 13 Matthew and I discussed this question. Then we started to talk about question 14 but time ran out. See worksheet below for what the test prep looked like.

My response to lesson is as follows. I would help the students in my class anyway I could with in the legal right of being a teacher. I want all my students to succeed. Whether it be giving a student extra practice like worksheets. As a teacher I could use a different way to approach a topic. It is important for students to look back in the textbook to help the students remember the information and find the information while doing the test prep. It is important as teachers to give a lot of examples based on a topic so that the students understand the topic. As a teacher it is sometimes better to facilitate a lesson than to lead the lesson. It is better to have a discussion than to have a lecture from the teacher. It is a good idea to have a lecture note taking lesson before having a discussion lesson.  By having a discussion students can have more of an input into the lesson and teachers can see what students know. Students learn in different ways so it is the teachers job to figure out ways to teach students as individuals and to also have students learn and obtain the knowledge.

The experience of working with Matthew has taught me a lot. It has taught me that it is important to explain information to students and to give students a lot of examples so that each student in the class will remember one of the examples I said and be able to understand the concept or topic. By sitting next to Matthew, I learned that the lesson has to be to the whole class but it also has to be geared to each individual student. I was thinking that I teach a lesson and then have the students work on a worksheet and I would go around and see how the students are doing. If a student is not doing so well or not understanding I would go and explain the concept to the student or I could let that student work with another peer or classmate that understands the concept. I also learned and was thinking for my own classroom to have a science corner where to store my science supplies. I was also thinking that in my own classroom I would make sure to incorporate to the best of my ability all types of learning whether it be visual or audio, etc.I feel like every child should be able to understand the concept. In my classroom I was thinking of having students do more hands-on activities then worksheets. I would engage the students with questions or a puzzle or an educational game to get the lesson started so the students are motivated to learn.  When asking questions I will pick on a student to answer and then ask the students if they all agree with that being the correct answer and if not all the students agree I will either explain the concept to those students after I give the rest of the class to do the experiment or I will explain in front of the whole class. I think that if students ask questions about not understanding something or the students wants to know more about a topic or concept is important. As the teacher it is important to make sure that each student in the class understands the concepts you are teaching. 

		atom (p. 348) compound (p. 351) concentrated (p. 361) dilute (p. 361)  electron (p. 349)  element (p. 343)  neutron (p. 348)  proton (p. 348)  saturated (p. 361)
					10. Explain the difference between an atom and a molecule. 11. What is the difference between a mixture and a solution? 12. Explain how matter changes from a solid to a liquid and then to a gas.
		Use the term from the list above that best completes the sentence. 1. A(n) ______ is in the nucleus of an atom and has a positive charge. 2. A(n) ______ is in the nucleus of an atom and has no electrical charge. 3. A(n) ______ is part of an atom and has a negative electrical charge. 4. A solution is ______ if it has a large amount of solute in comparison with the amount of solvent. 5. A(n) ______ solution has little solute in comparison with the amount of solvent. 6. A solution is ______ if it contains all the solute that can be dissolved at the time. 7. There are more than 100 types of matter, each called a(n) ______. 8. The smallest particle of an element is a(n) ______. 9. Elements combine to form a(n) _____.
					13. Infer You mix oil and vinegar for a salad dressing. After a few minutes, the oil has separated and is floating. Infer which has the greater density—oil or vinegar. Explain. Use the following table for Question14.
					Types of Bonds Held Together by Sharing Electrons Held Together by Opposite Charges carbon dioxide sugar  potassium   iodide calcium   chloride
					14. Classify water and sodium chloride (table salt) by telling which column each belongs in.

Week 12 and Week 8

Week 8: was Spring Break. I got a lot of work done.
Week 12: was at fieldwork. Each group taught a lesson and the other two days your group was observing.

• Monday, Apr. 4 Visit # 6
  • Fieldwork observation/teaching/reflecting
  Grp. 4 Lesson 1 (Nicole P. & Kathryn C.) + Grp.1 (Bridget, Kathleen, Clarisa and Stephanie) Lesson 2 from Ch.12 Science Textbook
• Wednesday, Apr. 6 Visit # 7
  
  • Fieldwork observation/teaching/reflecting
   Grp. 5 Lesson 3 + Grp. 3 Lesson 4 from Ch. 12 Science Textbook
• Friday, Apr.8 Visit # 8
  
  • Fieldwork observation/teaching/reflection.
  Grp. 2 Inquiry Activity 1 Grp. 6 - Inquiry Activity 2 Math in Science

Objective Exercise

These were suppose to be done over Spring Break. These objective exercise helped me to know to write objectives for the future. This exercise also helped me to identify what goes into an objective. Condition, criteria, and behavior have to all be included in an objective. I also learned what words should not be used for goals or objectives because these words can not be measured. I learned that it is important to have the objectives be only one sentences. This activity was good practice for me and helped me understand how to write goals and objectives.