Craig

Journal 5
Agency and Gambare are two words that may be new to you this summer. What do you think they have to do with teaching science? What other words or phrases would you add that sums up your experience in this class?

I like the agency concept as students being "agent" of science. I think that too often students think about school just long enough to get through what they have to. They never take any of the concepts taught in class OUTSIDE the classroom. As an agent of science I see students applying science (or any other discipline) to life outside the classroom. Gambare is a great lesson to all students in that you should stick with something and get an outcome. Even if the results are not the desired ones, you may have still taken away something from the lesson.

I would add THIRST to those words. I've got to keep my students thirsty for science! I want them to develop the intrinsic motivation that drives them to want to explore and discover more.

If you answered the question above, you are being reflective. How can reflection help you be a better (science) teacher?

I can definitely learn from where I have been and make corrections where I need to.

What have you noticed about the classroom where we meet each week? What aspects do you like and what would you change, add, or remove if it was your classroom?

Plentiful objects with which to teach science! I like the world map as a carpet and it is instant geography integration!

Journal 4
How does promoting logical and critical thinking fit into a science curriculum? Does this save time or waste time?

Logical and critical thinking is crucial to the science curriculum because it lets a student "play out" scenarios to come to conclusions..."If I do this, what happens to this?" A great example is the exercise we had at the beginning of class where we asked yes or no questions to deduce the riddle. Another great example of logical thinking is when students call on their previous knowledge, not necessarily science knowledge to solve a problem. Great example of this was the "dot" cards passed around the room. Based on experiences in REAL LIFE, students could deduce what Dot was doing or where he/she was at, etc.

Is a textbook needed all the time? When is it needed and when is it not needed?

A textbook is a great guide to cover topics in a (most of the time) logical manner. However there are times when a textbook just wont do justice. For example our bouyancy experiment explained things much better than any textbook ever could.

What would be the most interesting science topic to share with another subject? How would your students prove mastery?

I think physics would be the most interesting topic to tie with another subject: math. Students could prove mastery by measuring degrees of angles of a pulley system to find the most efficient way to lift a weight, etc.

Start a list of community science resources (institutions or agencies/ people, materials, or websites) that could be used to support the unit you are planning.

http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/reduce.html www.fueleconomy.gov

JULY 4 - Rube Goldbergs B-day. -Excellent Observation!

Journal 3:

What is Differentiated Instruction and what can it do for students and teachers?

Differentiated Instruction is just that: varying length, depth, difficulty etc of your teaching style.

This differentiation ensures that students off all abilities will stay engaged and challenged.

Shouldn’t all students have the same opportunity? Is it fair for some students to do less and others do more?

I absolutley believe that all students should be given the same opportunity, but I will not stand in the way of a student who wants to go further. I am there to aid students who struggle and guide others down the correct path, but I believe students can "run" with ideas and make them their own. These students will need some extra challenges provided them.

It is fair that some students do less and some do more. As long as the basic requirements are met, then I would be satisfied with a child doing the minimum if that is all they could accomplish. They need to get the concepts though! Of course I would challenge them to do more and I think they would out of their own free will and desire to accomplish something for themselves.

What is the difference: ‘What gets rewarded gets done’ vs. ‘What is rewarding gets done.’ Which is more true for you?

Doing the minimum required versus doing something because you are intrinsically motivated to do so.

Both are true for me. I hate doing dishes but must have clean silverware so I must do them. However I want to live a healthy life so am intrinsically motivated to run.

Journal 2: Did technology help you understand buoyancy? If it is still unclear, how could you find out now that we are not in class?

I think I had a pretty good grasp of buoyancy before we saw the videos on Brainpop. However the internet provides a great visual aid that helps students learn in a different manner than just lecture. Also using the computers involves them when they "click" on their own.

How could you do this without technology?

We could definitely use the fish tank to show examples of buoyancy. This was a GREAT EXERCISE that would keep the attention of all students I'm sure. Asking them to produce items they think would sink or float would generate great conversation. Having everyone keep tally in their notes would reinforce the concept to them while studying.

How can technology leverage learning?

The obvious answer here I think is that technology can help students learn through different mediums. The more interesting answer to me is that technology can be used as an equalizer in the classroom. Using the document camera is a great way to show the entire class something. This item may be used to show text or small detail to the entire class that would be difficult for everyone to take in otherwise. Using a combination computer/smartboard is also another great way to involve the entire class using technology. Everyone can use the community computer and everyone can be included in seeing what is on the screen via the smartboard.

What exactly is technology? What is available? Do I need the Internet?

Technology is anything that can help complete a task. Examples of technology in the classroom include dvd players, computers, smartboards, document cameras, digital cameras, and photo copiers. More basic technology includes microscopes, balances, scales, rulers, graduated cylinders, etc.

Do I need a bunch of computers?

Really only one computer could suffice in a classroom when paired with a smartboard.

What role does technology play in schools? Is it used too much, too little?

Technology plays a great part in differentiation. Many students learn well visually and technology is perfect for this. I think technology is becoming a greater part of classrooms. It is nice to see smartboards in classrooms and these days there are plenty of computers to go around. However I do get worried occasionally that the idle bodies of students when using technology too much, miss out on life itself. Technology shouldn't be the only means of learning, but a supplemental tool used to teach.

Is it the teacher’s responsibility to teach the tech or expect a certain level of expertise on the part of students, or should tech be avoided?

The students must show an interest and a certain level of expertise with technology in the classroom. When this level of expertise is reached, delegation from the teacher can be achieved and time used more efficiently.

How does technology fit into pedagogy and curriculum?

Technology plays a great part in pedagogy and curriculum. If a person teaches in a school without much technology available then technically less tools are available to them. I saw this growing up for sure. Without computers in the classrooms or smartboards, class was reduced to lots of lecture on an overhead projector with the occasional movie being a welcomed reprive. Journal 1: __What was the best thing you took away tonight?__

I liked the discussion on how science can be tied to every other subject at school and how the students used science to make the food drive more efficient.

__This is how I would expand this idea…__

Get the involvement of other faculty members to integrate other subjects into their curriculum. Don't stop with faculty. Custodians, office folks, bus drivers and more have made significant contributions to the curriculum through time and expertise.

__What is Inquiry Learning and is it a valid way to teach?__

Inquiry learning to me means student involvement in the learning proces through questioning. As opposed to more common teaching methods where teachers lecture and students are required to regurgitate facts during assessment, inquiry learning lets a students' natural curiosity lead them to discovery and more inquiry. I liken the process to a waterfall effect where one inquisitive student may generate more questions and insightful thought from themselves or other students.

I think it is not only a valid way to teach, but a NATURAL one as well. I believe people are naturally inquisitive from birth and that is how we learn. A child sees a candle and is curious and reaches out for it. They may burn their hand, but they learn fire is hot and remember not to touch it next time. So why is our natural curiosity stiffled in most classroom settings and replaced with boring regimen and lecture learning? I think the owness is on us as teachers to vary our methods and show that learning through curiosity is an important part of the education process. Natural does not always mean easier, but the effects should last longer and be more meaningful.

__What is ‘Gambare’ and does it have a place in science education?__

I believe Gambare is a derivitive of the Japanese word Gambaru or Ganbaru which means always do your best and stick with it. Ganbaru is often thought of as a process oriented word where the effort put into a task may mean more than the outcome from it. I think this concept is difficult for the Western world to grasp as the high spirit of competition and the accolades of being first or MVP sometimes outwiegh the performance of the team. And I have never heard the phrase "it doesn't matter if you win or lose, but how you play the game" uttered as a CUBS/cards game.

Asian culture is different and the result of a task may not be the most important thing. If everyone who contributed to the task achieved or accomplished something then a greater victory would be had.

This can be applied to the classroom for sure as experiments that produce results which are technically wrong, could teach students about the process itself. The process of the experiment in this case and learning from the process would be more valuable and teach the students more that just getting to an outcome. Very True as many bench scientist spend their entire life and never find what they are looking for (a cure, a trigger for a disease, or a breakthrough of some sort), but their work may be picked up by someone and that person makes the discovery. If only there was a way to shift from commitment to total victory to the victory being total commitment in our society. Perhaps the only way to encourage this shift is to teach, model, and practice this philosophy in the safe environment of the classroom. Yet this is difficult, so we must adhere to the Gambare principle during the process of teaching others. A powerful mindset with more powerful outcomes. - Bob