Kristen

Journal 5
To me, gambare describes how we should encourage our students to approach science. They need to know that learning about science is a process, that it can be tough and that they need to stick with it. Agency is how students put into practice what they have learned in science. If they have learned it well, they are able to talk about science outside of the classroom. They will be able to see scientific ideas in context, not just during class. Two other things I will take with me from this class are "the person who does the work, does the learning" and "hands-on." Before this class, I would have been inclined to do loads of work getting everything ready to spoonfeed science to the students in a way that was very logical and concise. Now, I understand that they need to do the work to understand and that a little struggle can help them learn better. Also, the more the students can see and do, the more likely they are to fully understand the concepts. It was also helpful for me to hear that students should be allowed to handle things in the classroom, such as technology, and that they will be careful with things. Before, I would have worried too much about stuff getting broken.
 * 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?**

Being reflective allows teachers to critique themselves in order to become better teachers. We can reflect on things that did work and things that didn't work, and how each of our lessons can be improved to better meet the needs of the students.
 * If you answered the question above, you are being reflective. How can reflection help you be a better (science) teacher?**

The thing I have most noticed about the class room is how full it is. I like that about it. There is always somethings to look at and I think it would excite students to think about getting to use all that fun stuff.
 * 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?**

Journal 4
I don't think promoting logical and critical thinking would even be a waste of time. Critical thinking is especially useful in science because research can be influenced by people with their own agenda. Students need the ability to judge whether the research is impartial.
 * How does promoting logical and critical thinking fit into a science curriculum? Does this save time or waste time?**

No, a textbook is not needed all the time. I think a textbook is best used as reference material. Students can use the information provided in the textbook as a resource while working on projects for the unit.
 * Is a textbook needed all the time? When is it needed and when is it not needed?**

The metric system and measurement has a very natural connection with math. The teacher could plan the lessons so that these concepts are addressed at the same time in math and science. The concept could be introduced and taught during math and put into practice during science. The teacher could evaluate the students' mastery of the ideas by how well they completed different measuring activities.
 * What would be the most interesting science topic to share with another subject? How would your students prove mastery?**

[|www.mos.org] (Museum of Science has information and game about machines and Leonardo da Vinci)
 * 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.**

Journal 3:

Differentiated instruction refers to adjustments made to the instruction to provide students with the assistance or modifications they need to successfully meet the learning goals for the lesson. It allows students of all ability levels to participate in the lesson activities and acquire the information the lesson is designed to cover. For teachers, the benefit of differentiated instruction is that students stay involved in the lesson because they are given the opportunity to be successful. This can help control discipline issues in the classroom because all students are more likely to stay on task.
 * What is Differentiated Instruction and what can it do for students and teachers?**

Students should have the same opportunity to meet the teacher's (or school's or district's) learning objectives. In order to meet those objectives, modifications or adjustments are necessary for some students. Fair doesn't mean equal treatment, so yes, it is fair that some students have less output while others have more or that some students receive more assistance than others. In order to be fair, we must make sure that students are given what they need to meet our high learning goals.
 * Shouldn’t all students have the same opportunity? Is it fair for some students to do less and others do more?**

The difference in the two statements above relates to students' internal motivation to do their work or study beyond what is required of them. The first statement refers to the idea that students will do their work only if they receive some sort of outside recognition for it (i.e., grade, praise, acknowledgement). The second statement refers to the idea that students will go beyond the minimum requirements when they are personally interested in the topic. At this point in my life, the second statement of "what is rewarding get done" is more applicable to how I approach learning new things. As an adult, I have more control over what I want to learn, so I choose to do things for myself instead of for outside recognition. However, when I was an elementary, middle and high school student, the first statement of "what gets rewarded gets done" was how I approached school. What I remember about most of my assignments was that they were bland and repetitive and the vast majority of the assisignments were straight out of the textbooks. I always did the assignment because I wanted a good grade, but after working, for example, 30 math problems out of the book I wasn't about to do anything more because by that point I was usually pretty annoyed.
 * What is the difference: ‘What gets rewarded gets done’ vs. ‘What is rewarding gets done.’ Which is more true for you?**

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?** Yes, the videos contributed to my understanding of buoyancy.

**How could you do this without technology?** The float/sink demonstration was very effective in demonstrating buoyancy. However, without the video, the teacher would need to lead a class discussion to make sense of what was witnessed in the demonstration to make sure students understand what they saw.

**How can technology leverage learning?** By using technology, students can better leverage other people's understanding of a topic. For example, by studying a textbook, a student is only presented with the author's understanding of the topic. By viewing videos and reading other explanations on the Internet, students are exposed to multiple explanations of a topic which may help them to make more sense of a topic. Students also have the opportunity to learn the material in the best way for them - either reading, hearing or seeing an explanation.

**What exactly is technology? What is available? Do I need the Internet?** I think of technology as current tools that usually require electicity and have abilities beyond their predecessor. Computers, smartboards, digital cameras, document cameras, video cameras are all available to use in a classroom. A teacher wouldn't have to have the Internet in her classroom, but there are a lot more opportunities to better utilize the technology if the Internet is available. **True**

**Do I need a bunch of computers?** Not necessarily. Although access to computers for all students (such as a computer lab) will broaden the types of things students can do, a teacher can effectively use one computer and a smartboard to work as an entire class on the computer. **So, a variety of available technology is a good way to go.**

**What role does technology play in schools? Is it used too much, too little?** Technology is used in schools to give students multiple ways to learn as well as express what they have learned. In my view, technology can not be used too much in schools. Students today are adept at using technology in their own lives such as cell phones and computers and all the applications supported by these platforms. If teachers and schools don't keep up, we will lose our credibility with students as well as their interest. __Life inside the school walls must be relevant to life outside of school.__ **Exactly.**

**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?** Absolutely! We would be doing our students a great disservice by not incorporating technology in our classroom. Today's students need to be comfortable around technology and be able to use computers, smartboards, digital cameras, etc. Even more important than learning specific technology (because it will constantly change), we must communicate to students that they shouldn't be afraid of learning new technology, that it takes time and practice, and to embrace the constant changes. Students without these skills will undoubtably be left behind when they enter the workforce, no matter the field they choose.

**How does technology fit into pedagogy and curriculum?** <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Technology is another tool we can use to help us find the best way to teach each student. We can use it to present material in different ways (audio,visual, or student directed) that will reach a variety of learning styles. Plus, it can be used to break-up the monotony of teacher directed, whole class lecture. Journal 1: Since last week's class I've thought frequently about our discussion regarding the need for future scientists who are U.S. citizens to fill important roles in our government and military. This was an idea that I had never really thought about before. The realization that poor science education in our schools may turn kids off of careers in science is concerning, but I just always thought of it in terms of losing our advantage over foreign countries with regard to research and development of products, technology, pharmaceuticals, etc. I had never considerd the impact on national security. This really highlighted for me that quality science instruction is just as important as quality instruction in math and reading. Indeed. Perhaps this economic downturn and oil crisis in the Gulf will help young people realize that money is not the only reason to go into a profession. Satisfaction from contribution through science/medicine has very meaningful reward.
 * What was the best thing you took away tonight?**

The concern that our country may face a shortage of scientists in the future must be addessed with children as young as elementary school age. I think that if we expose elementary school children to the many exciting science-related career possiblities, they may begin to picture themselves working in that field as adults. Children's "dream professions" are limited to those which they are familiar with (i.e., doctor, veterinarian, fireman, police officer, teacher, etc.). If teachers can relate a profession to the child's scientific interests, they can "dream" about jobs in the science field as well. They may become more interested in science and be motivated to continue expanding their scientific knowledge outside of schoolwork. As teachers, when we discuss scientific topics or issues going on in the world, we should make a point to mention the type of scientist that would be involved in that field. And there are millions of science jobs as lab techs that support PhDs and field research. Not everyone wears a lab coat and needs to be a doctor to work in science, so several years of college is not needed to go to work for a science company. In fact, you can get your lab tech degree in 6 months and go to work for large (stable) companies right here in STL. Kids (and parents) need to know this.
 * This is how I would expand this idea…**

Inquiry learning is the type of learning where students gain their new scientific knowledge by observing, questioning, experimenting, or researching topics without direct instruction from the teacher. The teacher instead provides guidance while the students are working on their inquiry and helps the students make sense of the new information they have encountered. The inquiry method is a valid way to teach because it engages students in their learning and more firmly implants the new knowledge in the students' minds than simply listening to a teacher explain things to them from a textbook.
 * What is Inquiry Learning and is it a valid way to teach?**

Gambare is the Japanese word that is used to describe the attitude of not giving up and working hard to always do your best. The word is also used to encourage others to persevere through challenges. This quality will serve children well when they come to difficult topics in science. They can "stick with it" until they master concepts that were giving them difficulty and can encourage their peers to do the same. I think this attitude is particularly useful for learning science because many topics are not straightforward and have multiple nuances that require a great deal of intellectual effort. In addition, this subject is constantly being refined with more detailed information or different information as new discoveries are more frequently encountered than with other subjects which makes science challenging. Children who give up too early will not be able to reach our desired learning goals.
 * What is ‘Gambare’ and does it have a place in science education?**