Professional Development and the Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education's website has resources for current teachers to work on their professional development. Some resources include teacher to teacher initiatives, this is where teachers give ideas and strategies to each other. There are teacher organizations where teachers can learn how to become a better teacher or improve their teaching strategies. As I was looking through the Education Resource Organizations Directory there were none near Iowa and that is disappointing. If teachers are serious about working on professional development it would be worth traveling to the location of the organization.

Professional Development in Schools

I have been gaining experience in the classroom for the past three years. During my time in the schools there was always a day of the week that the school was dismissed early. Most of the time it has been Wednesdays but I have been in one school where the early dismissal day was Monday. When the school is dismissed early the teachers are encouraged to participate in after school professional development opportunities. I attended some of the professional development opportunities. One was for the current teachers to get their ELL endorsement. It was a three year long program and classes were only held on Wednesday afternoons. It was lengthy but free for the current teachers. Another professional development opportunity was for teachers to earn their reading endorsement to provide better reading instruction to students. Sometimes the after school meetings were for the teams of teachers to develop units or plan upcoming lessons. During the meetings the reading or math specialists are visiting the teams to answer questions or share ideas. I thought it was a very worthy way to spend time after school for teachers to better themselves and their teaching.

Final Presentation - Inspiring Our Future Scientists

Here is a short presentation summing up my blog topic.

Enjoy!!

http://portal.sliderocket.com/AIXRP/Inspiring-Our-Future-Scientists

Final Blog--Glogster

Click here to view my final presentation in the form of a Glog.

Students with Disabilities Benefit from Inquiry-based Science

I wasn’t satisfied with the articles and research I had found on the effects of science-inquiry on students with disabilities, so I furthered my search. Luckily, I came across a very interesting study. The study investigated the effects of science inquiry on students with mild disabilities using differentiated hands-on activities versus direct teacher instruction in inclusive 8th-grade science classes. The full study can be found at the following link:

http://sed.sagepub.com/content/40/3/130.full.pdf+html

To sum up the study’s findings, they found that the students with disabilities that were provided with hands-on, inquiry driven investigations significantly improved their learning of the content material than students in the traditional classroom. Not only did these students retain more information, but the study found that these students performed considerably better later on in the year on standardized tests.

Negative Attitudes to Science-Inquiry from College Students

When furthering my research on the long-term effects of inquiry-based science instruction, I came across an interesting study. The study was done, not on elementary students, but on first year college students. To read the full study and analysis of data go to the following link:

http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v3n2/articles/PDFs/Article_Brickman.pdf

The study found after analyzing student’s pretest and post tests, personal interviews, etc. that students in their freshman year of college did not positively respond to the inquiry-based lab experiences. I was surprised since in every other research paper and study I have read thus far, there has been a significant increase in positive attitudes towards a more inquiry-based science curriculum. The researchers concluded that some of the students were not cognitively equipped to meet the challenges of an inquiry-based curriculum, as it was more challenging and time consuming.
I feel that since science inquiry is a relatively new teaching method that earlier generations are suffering from a lack of experience to critical thinking and problem-solving. They have grown accustomed to traditional direct-instruction teaching methods, and are unable to adapt to a more independent learning role and assume more responsibility for their learning.

Effects of Science-Inquiry on Students with Disabilities

While continuing my research, I decided to think about the effects of science on the achievement of students with disabilities. I wanted to know if science inquiry benefited students with disabilities in their overall understanding of science concepts. The following article found at http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/special_ed.phtml stresses that science is for everyone! If we don’t challenge our students, especially our special education students, then we are inhibiting them from making great progress and connections to problem-solving in everyday life. Of course, modifications and accommodations need to be made to help students with disabilities, but they need to be included in the activities. The following website is a great resource for new teachers and provides them with strategies to use with eight different types of disabilities (each strategy is case specific):

http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/sitemap.html

Effects of Science-Inquiry on Urban Students Standardized Test Scores

As I continued my research on the effects of inquiry-based science instruction on standardized tests, I came across a very interesting article called Standardized Test Outcomes for Students Engaged in Inquiry-based Science Curricula in the Context of Urban Reform by Geier, R., Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Fishman, B., Soloway, E. and Clay-Chambers, J. The abstract of the article can be found at the following link:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tea.20248/abstract

Note: (to obtain the full article, register for free at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/user-registration)

To summarize the article/research, researchers conducted a study in Detroit Public Schools with 7th and 8th graders living in urban areas. Using the rest of the District as the control group, researchers compared standardized test scores after the selected 7th and 8th grade students had received inquiry-based science curriculum that was also standard-based. Researchers found that the 7th and 8th grade urban students performed significantly higher on standardized achievement tests than the rest of the District and showed an increase in science content comprehension. Thus, science-inquiry has a positive correlation to higher standardized test scores and science content understanding.


Citation: Geier, R., Blumenfeld, P. C., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Fishman, B., Soloway, E. and Clay-Chambers, J. (2008), Standardized test outcomes for students engaged in inquiry-based science curricula in the context of urban reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45: 922–939. doi: 10.1002/tea.20248

Long Term Effects of Science-inquiry

While researching my question, I came across an interesting article/research paper that determined if inquiry-based instruction provided any noticeable changes in concept mastery, use of process skills, application of science concept and skills, student attitudes toward science, student creativity, and student perceptions regarding their science classrooms. The article can be found by going to the following link:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+advantages+of+an+inquiry+approach+for+science+instruction+in...-a0219578800

To summarize the article, twelve teachers split students into two sections. Half of the students were taught using traditional methods; the other half was taught using an inquiry-based approach. Data was collected in the form of pre and post assessments for both sections to decipher if more progress was made in one section over another. The pre-tests were given in the beginning of a unit and the post tests were given at the end.
After analyzing the data, researchers found that students who experienced their science as inquiry were as successful as those who experienced science as a direct mastery of concepts. One was not found to be better than the other when it came to concept mastery; however, in the case of creativity/critical thinking skills the students in the inquiry-based science classrooms grew significantly over students in the traditional classroom. Students in the inquiry-based science classrooms also showed a significant growth in positive attitudes towards science, as well as a better and more appropriate perception of the nature of science.
Overall, this study concluded that both approaches can teach students science concepts, but the inquiry-based approach engages students and builds on other skills such as critical thinking and creativity.

Long Term Effects from Inquiry-based Methods

I decided to focus my research on the question, “What are the long-term effects of science inquiry on high-stakes testing, as well as on students’ attitudes towards science?” I wanted to know if the shift in science instruction, from a more direct approach to a more inquisitive approach, has negatively or positively affected students’ test scores and attitudes.
Since inquiry-based curriculum is derived from students’ investigations and prior knowledge, no two classes are identical. Each class is going to bring their own questions, preconceptions, and experiences into the class, making the curriculum and science content individualized and class specific. Of course, state and national standards may help to direct the curriculum a bit; students are still going to be the deciding factors of what content is investigated and manipulated in a student-centered learning environment. Thus, how can standardize tests be created to assess students’ knowledge, when not every class may be learning the same thing or conducting the same investigation? Will certain classes have advantages over other classes that took longer to investigate one topic over another?
I also decided to take a closer look at the impact of inquiry-based teaching on students with disabilities and possible best practices for greatest academic success.

Heidi's Intro

Hello, my name is Heidi! I am currently a fifth year senior at UW-Oshkosh. I am an Elementary Education major (1-8) with a minor in Language Arts. I am currently in my Block B placement in a fourth grade classroom. It is there that I have been able to apply what I have learned these past four years at UW-Oshkosh and gain more experience working with students in the classroom environment. This spring I will be doing my Student Teaching, and I am looking forward to graduating this May.
I think that our team was named after William Kamkwamba because his video is inspirational and stresses the value and relevancy of education. William Kamkwamba’s dedication and determination to receive an education saved his life and the lives of his family. He took it upon himself to seek a solution to his problems and in the words of William Kamkwamba, “books put knowledge in my hands.” It was through knowledge that William was able to help himself, his family, and his community.

Final Presentation: Technology in the Classroom

Click here to view my final presentation that I created with SlideRocket.

*It is an automatically advancing presentation and best viewed in fullscreen :)

Final Presentation: Strategies for Teaching Science to Students with Disabilities

Here is a link to my virtual presentation on Teaching Strategies for Students with Special Needs. Enjoy!

Wrap up on Teaching Strategies for Students with Special Needs

In wrapping up my research on the topic of specific strategies for teaching science to students with special needs, I want to tie things up in my final post by discussing some additional guidelines I have learned from experiences in my Special Education classes.

Using inquiry-based instruction in teaching science has multiple benefits for many students with disabilities, in comparison to the more traditional approach of text-based instruction. The Inquiry-based approach involves teaching students science concepts through concrete and hands-on experiences. This involves providing students with a variety of educational experiences to develop and demonstrate conceptual understanding, rather than simply relying on routine processes such as reading about information in a textbook, answering the end-of-the-chapter questions, and taking test at the end of a unit.

Inquiry-based instruction reduces the barrier of mainly accessing information through abstract presentations and promotes student participation through a larger selection of methods (not just reading and writing), which can be particularly useful for students with disabilities.

Additional suggestions for enhancing the learning of students with special needs (particularly students with mild-to-moderate disabilities):
• Use concrete materials and manipulatives to activate prior knowledge and demonstrate concepts
• Organize instruction around the “big ideas” of a topic taught
• Facilitate connections between topics studied and other content areas
• Focus on deepening knowledge of content ideas rather than covering a lot of material
• Make connections between the science and the students everyday life
• Take advantage of utilizing technology resources when appropriate
• Promote “minds on” thinking through asking thought-provoking questions
• Demonstrate enthusiasm about the content
• Evaluate student performance using a wide range of authentic assessment techniques

Reference:
Prater, Mary Anne. Teaching Strategies for Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2007. 402-04. Print.

Strategies for Teaching Science to Students with Intellectual Disabilities

In the search to identify more teaching strategies to help special education students learn science, I decided to focus my attention on intellectual disabilities. I reviewed another article found in the teacher resources section of the SESD (Science Education for Students with Disabilities) website. This website (http://www.sesd.info/idstrategies.htm) offers a few helpful strategies related to general teaching tips, but falls short in describing specific techniques to develop student understanding of content ideas.

Some of the strategies that I felt were helpful include:

• Create a learning environment that promotes acceptance of all students, especially those with disabilities.
• Help the student develop a science role model, who had the same or similar disability to that of the student. Point out how this individual was able to become successful through a combination of effort and receiving assistance when needed.
• Never solely base a students intellectual ability on their IQ score. IQ scores alone don’t reflect a students specific strengths, needs, and learning preferences in designing instruction. The expectations we project can influence student progress. Develop and maintain high, but reasonable expectations for students of all abilities.
• Facilitate experiments that provide multiple ways for students with impairments to access, explore, and gather information.
• Design assessments appropriate for the student's disorder (written, drawn, or oral.)

Although this site briefly mentions the strategy of using “concrete materials” it goes on to suggest that the teacher “proceed in small sequential steps and review each frequently.” Aside from this sentence, this article doesn’t really emphasize many of the techniques on how people learn. Using the cognitive learning theories to understand our students and inform our teaching is a crucial component in helping our students learn concepts effectively.

Also, carrying out instruction using “small sequential steps” reflects an inaccurate view of the nature of science. Doing so indirectly teaches students that science is a step-by-step process, yet I feel that in some cases this level of support in performing experiments may be necessary for students depending on their level of impairment. On the other hand, even students with severe levels of intellectual impairments can still participate in some form of non-linear exploration of a concept. And the teacher could perhaps just limit the level of depth of the concept development and application phases of learning about a particular subject matter.

Science Education for Students with Disabilities. Intellectual Disorders – Strategies. Retrieved from: http://www.sesd.info/idstrategies.htm

Resources and support for the technologically minded teacher

Throughout my blog posts I’ve presented a tid bit of information on implementing technology in the classroom. Since this is my last post on this research, you may begin to ask yourself the question of “where would I turn for more information in this topic?” Alas! That very concern is what I’ll be addressing today.

The web is full of resources when you do a quick search for implementing technology in a classroom. In fact, it can be a bit overwhelming when sorting through advertisement links, pages not found, and repeating content. As I solution, I am going to suggest going to Amazon.com and use the search dropdown to select books. Yes, books! Even though I’ve been pressing forward with new interactive engaging technologies, a book is a very helpful tool and I feel is best to resort to so we don’t have to be at a computer all day. A book can fit in a backpack, purse, or be placed at the side of the bed.

Here are three books that I think would be a good guide for the teacher that wants to really utilize technology in their science or regular classroom. All three books are less than $25 cost new, and can be purchased used!












Another mode of support to help you get a grasp on all the technological mayhem is to join the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Becoming a member allows you access to numerous articles, as well as a subscription to a magazine and/or email newsletter. I’ve been a member for a couple of months and have used some of their content in my prior technology blog posts. Edutopia is also a fantastic site that has great information to help you with understanding technology in the classroom.

The last thing I want to leave my readers with (before posting a conglomerate summary of my postings) is a video of the top ten tricks for using technology in the classroom. I think this is a great culmination of engaging students with the effective use of technology! Please take special note what the narrator says at the conclusion of the video (prior to the thanks for listening)

Teaching Strategies for Science to Students with AD/HD:

Generally, my previous blogs have mainly focused on teaching strategies and accommodations that could be applied to benefit all students with special needs. But in my last few posts I will focus on identifying strategies for accommodating specific disabilities in the science classroom. The SESD (Science Education for Students with Disabilities) website is a great reference tool for teachers. This website contains a resource tab outlining specific resources and strategies to help students with disabilities such as Attention Deficit disorder, Behavioral disorders, Communication disorders, Hearing impairments, Intellectual disorders, Learning disabilities, Motor/Orthopedic disabilities, and Visual impairments.

Some examples of strategies to assist students with ADHD include:
(see http://www.sesd.info/addstrategies.htm)

• Provide a visual model and verbal description of directions and be consistent with instructions of daily procedures.
• Make directions clear and concise (simplify complex instructions).
• Assign one task at a time and avoid using multiple commands.
• Check for understanding of instructions before directing the student to begin a task (provide extra assistance as needed, repeating instructions in a calm and positive manner).
• Use cues to alert students with AD/HD of transitions stages a few minutes before changing activities. This helps students prepare to refocus their attention when transitioning from one subject/activity to the next.
• Modify assignments as needed. Allow the AD/HD student to participate in alternative activities or exercises that require less complexity and have the same or similar learning objectives.
• Construct assessments that test knowledge and not attention span. Students with AD/HD are easily frustrated. Tests should be used to measure a students understanding of content, and thus teachers should adapt the tests to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge. Break the test into short segments for the AD/HD student to complete over a span a time, allowing them to take breaks to re-group attention in between completing the parts of the exam.
• Students with AD/HD may work slowly, and should be given extra time to complete certain examination tasks, especially those that involve performing math related operations.

Facilitation of support strategies such as these helps reduce the limited attention barriers of AD/HD, encouraging meaningful engagement of students with this disability in learning science concepts.

Science Education for Students with Disabilities. A.D.D. Strategies. Retrieved from: http://www.sesd.info/addstrategies.htm

Mnemonic Strategies & Teaching Science Content

“In teaching new content, good teachers not only tell their students what is important to remember, they give them ways to remember it.” After reading an article regarding mnemonic strategies, I discovered new techniques that are used to help students with mild-to-moderate disabilities learn concepts more efficiently. This strategy involves remembering content ideas by linking new information to prior knowledge in a student’s schema such as a familiar object, idea or experience. There are three types of mnemonic strategies, which include keyword, pegword, and letter. Each strategy can be used in order to teach a variety of content throughout many different grade levels.

The following website includes examples of how to use each strategy in teaching students science content: http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/mnemonics_science.asp

I think that the keyword and letter strategies would be the easiest for students with disabilities to incorporate in learning science vocabulary. The keyword strategy involves recognizing a “key word” or similar sounding familiar word contained in a new vocabulary word or concept being taught. This embedded “key word” is then associated with and used to remember the definition of the concept taught. Whereas memorizing words using the letter strategy involves forming acronyms and acrostics or “sentence mnemonics” by creating a phrase or sentence based on the initial letters of a group of concept words.

Based on my own experiences with these techniques, typically the letter mnemonics allow for the most creativity in constructing frameworks to remember information. Generally speaking, the goal is to make mnemonics memorable. In constructing mnemonics, the funnier and more outrageous the mnemonic is, the easier it will be for the student to recall the information represented by the memorized association. Overall, these processing and memory strategies promote students with disabilities to break down complex concepts into smaller and more manageable parts, lightening their cognitive load in encoding and storing information in their long-term memory. Thus, when explicitly taught how to independently construct these memory devices, students with mild-to-moderate disabilities can learn and better process information to become more scientifically literate.

Reference:
The Access Center. USING MNEMONIC INSTRUCTION TO TEACH SCIENCE. http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/mnemonics_science.asp

Final Presentation

Here is the link to my final presentation on researching effective methods in science education.  I have learned a lot throughout this blog "experience" - especially about how my ideas have transformed over the last couple months.

Final Presentation on the Topic of Confidence

Here is a link to my presentation!

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AUw29cESI4xvZGNudjNocGpfMGN4OWo2NWRx&hl=en&authkey=CLG7xeQO

Accommodation Strategies for Teaching Science to Learners with Disabilities

In continuing with researching specific strategies teachers can use to help benefit students with special needs in learning science concepts, I came across an article on Suite 101 titled Teaching Science to Special Needs Students: Learning Science by Interactive Instruction and Focused Assessment. This article offers a variety of teaching strategies and suggestions that would be useful for teachers to keep in mind in tailoring science instruction to meet the needs specifically of students with Learning Disabilities.

Some examples of strategies and accommodations for teaching science to students with Learning Disabilities include:

• Use Direct and explicit instruction (e.g. clearly explain directions for tasks (this doesn’t mean you have to teach step- by step) and expectations for student learning and behavior)
• Encourage students to focus on the process of learning as opposed to the product (e.g. worksheet, or results)
• Teach science concepts through Hands-on activities (multi-sensory approach) and experiments (promotes active mental engagement among all students, not just those with disabilities)
• Use a variety of techniques for modeling and processing science vocabulary (e.g. teaching your students how to create flashcards that define vocabulary “in their words” or how to construct concept maps for learning definitions)
• Provide opportunities for extended time and extra practice
• Provide large-print materials (e.g. use size 14 font instead of size 12 font)
• Develop a Classroom Learning Center in which students with disabilities can review information (either independently or in groups) about science concepts taught to support their learning. Such centers should contain a variety of resources such as reading materials, hands-on materials, as well as other electronic materials (e.g. providing access to a topic specific online interactive science activity) to reinforce learning of science concepts.

Tips: In relation to Assessment of Students with Learning Disabilities

• Conduct Frequent Assessments – do not just rely on formative assessments such as unit tests or exams as the only means of measuring the LD students’ level of progress and understanding of scientific concepts.
• Provide tailored evaluation using a variety of assessment methods (e.g. quizzes, homework, notebook grades, class participation, projects, graphic organizers, group work, written assignments, and presentations).
• Provide Personalized Feedback – give consistent feedback about the students’ class work and individual progress in learning science concepts and overall achievement of course or assignment objectives. For example, conducting informal periodic one-on-one meetings can be a option for privately discussing these topics with the student.

Read more at Suite101: Teaching Science to Special Needs Students: Learning Science by Interactive Instruction and Focused Assessment http://www.suite101.com/content/teaching-science-to-special-needs-students-a164863#ixzz15l9CnZnw

Final: Prezi on Authentic Learning Research

By the time I was writing my last post on this blog, I have to admit, I was pretty sick of Authentic Learning. My final project however, helped me sum up how I feel about it. I also discovered that there is so much more out there about it to research. One thing I came across after-the-fact was that the British and Aussies call it "enterprising education." This term is highly contested in progressive education circles in the U.S. The term "enterprising" is too focussed on individual achievement and responsibility. The method gets confused with the "job training" courses that we offer low-income high schoolers that some would argue are a sign of oppression and keeping the little people in their place. (i.e. offering job training programs to inner-city kids to be hair technicians or data processors.) On the contrary, my understanding of authentic learning bases much of what happens in Vygotsky's Social Learning Theory, pointedly focusing on the advantages of group work and process. I wanted to be sure to clarify that my knowledge, conclusions, and support for authentic experiences in the classroom are different from these interpretations.

Here is the final product.

Presentation

Here is the link to my final presentation. I hope you will seek professional growth throughout your future career.

Strategies that benefit Special Education Students in the Science Classroom

In continuing my search for effective strategies to assist students with disabilities in becoming scientifically literate, I recently came across a great article resource for teachers. Special Education in the Science Classroom: Strategies for Success discusses multiple specific techniques that teachers can integrate in the science classroom to prevent disabilities from becoming barriers to student acquisition of scientific knowledge.

(To view article go to: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/special_ed.phtml)

According to the article, Special education students are “as diverse in needs, characteristics, and abilities as the myriad of science topics they study.” This diversity must not be overlooked in designing our science instruction or in planning other exploratory experiences and activities. When incorporating strategies to increase success for these students, instructors must also consider individual students needs and learning preferences. This article provides a wide range of helpful suggestions regarding dealing with issues related to information processing and communication, organization, social interaction, as well as time and making effective transitions.
Some of the general tips include strategies such as:
• Break large chunks of instruction (e.g. experimental procedures) into small parts.
• Have students repeat directions in their own words.
• Communicate information in multiple formats. Students may process information more effectively in different frameworks (e.g. oral, visual, or kinesthetic)
• Maintain consistent places in the lab for supplies and equipment and make sure these stations are clearly labeled.

But more specific strategies can be found at the link provided above.

One of the strategies that I found particularly interesting was the suggestion to “Build laboratory and cooperative learning groups carefully. Students with disabilities must be grouped with students who will allow them to participate and use their strengths, but who are also willing to cooperate with their areas of difficulty.” This is an important consideration to keep in mind, and further illustrates the important of knowing your students in order be aware of which students would and would not work well together. Overall, in order to effectively encourage active mental engagement and elicit student participation, the instructor must promote a comfortable classroom environment that is openly inviting to student questions, thoughts and expressions of ideas.

Reference retrieved from: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/special_ed.phtml

Helping students understand the concepts behind the vocabulary words

In researching my question of how to support learners with disabilities in learning science, I recently decided to open my search to include all students with special needs (not just those with mild disabilities). Learning new vocabulary in elementary science can often be an overwhelming and difficult task for many students, especially for students with disabilities. One of the techniques that a former special education resource room teacher recommended was asking the student to close their eyes and have them describe what they saw when she said a basic word like “tree.” If the student saw a picture of a tree, then she would focus on helping the student learn the concepts behind the vocabulary words through visual imagery and drawing pictures to represent the concepts. Whereas, if the student said they saw the letters “T-R-E-E,” then she would focus more on developing word associations and making organizational outlines for the vocabulary words.

Simply memorizing the textbook definition of a word, does little to help these types of students actually learn or understand the concepts of scientific vocabulary. Assisting students in breaking down the definitions into key elements, and representing the concepts in a way meaningful to them, helps students better understand the definitions of complex science vocabulary in a more manageable manner. To do this, you really have to get to know your students, and help them understand what forms of information is easiest for them to encode into memory. This technique can be used for learning vocabulary across all content areas, not just for Science.

virtual presentation

Here is my virtual presentation. I chose to focus on effective field trip strategies.

http://emilykateerdmann.glogster.com/field-trip-strategies/

Glogster

I created a glogster to represent what I have learned throughout my research!

http://galicc29.glogster.com/

Virtual Presentation-GLOG

http://westpa58.glogster.com/be-an-effective-elementary-science-school-teacher-today/

Final Presentation

Click here to view my final presentation.  I have summarized my research regarding using supplementary materials to enhance teaching and learning of Science concepts. 

In Defense of Low-Tech Education

In my last blog, I talked about how education is in a revolutionary stage right now with a focus on becoming more customized to a diversity of learning. In this last blog, I would like to bring that topic together with my original question (how to create a meaningful science classroom on a low-budget).
As I was researching, I found a website that talks about science in the classroom and defends a low-tech education and talks about the benefits of such an education. This article is written by Dr. Daniel Barth, a science educator and former research scientist. (http://www.funderstanding.com/science-is-fun/science-in-the-classroomin-defense-of-low-tech-education) Dr. Barth talks about the benefits of both high- and low-tech learning. He states that both types of learning create a new culture of learning and learners in school and that students are able to experience new levels of achievement that they were previously unable to experience. I think this aligns with the focus on personalized and customized education, it's taking students to "places" they've never been before. Using low-tech materials allows students to build solutions to problems in ways that they personally understand. It is unlikely that two students would come up with the exact same solution to a scientific problem if they are working with low tech household materials that make sense to them. This type of learning allows each student to express their talents and what they have learned about the problem and also allows them to experience the learning of other students. Perhaps this is the way to reach everyone's needs in a classroom. By building models and solutions, students' understanding of principles and theories can only deepen. It high-tech learning beneficial? Yes, it is! In cases where money is not an option and technologies cannot be afforded it's nice to know the benefits of low-tech learning.

Bring on the Learning Revolution

I started my blog with hope to answer the question of how to create a meaningful science classroom with a low-budget. I was able to find some very interesting information and learned a lot of possibilities that I wasn't previously aware of. I did stray from my original topic quite a few times because I found other questions to explore that I was sincerely interested in. Among most of the research I did (for any question) I was constantly finding information on how to make learning and education more beneficial and meaningful for students. For this blog post, I decided to focus on that topic. I was able to find a TED talk that focused on education as a revolution, not as an evolution. This talk was given by Sir Ken Robinson in which he talks about making a shift from standardized education to personalized learning that allows students' natural talents to flourish.

http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html

In his speech, Robinson talks about how education should be nourishing a diversity of talents and not a single conception of ability. He compares our education system to a fast food chain in which everything is standardized and you get the same thing no matter where you go. He claims that education needs to be more customized to circumstances and individual needs. Robinson also asks his audience to think about the fact that if your doing something you love, an hour can feel like five minutes, but if your doing something that doesn't resonate with your spirit five minutes can feel like an hour. He states that so many people are opting out of education because it doesn't feed their spirit, passion, or energy.

This topic is something we've all had experience with or have learned about in our pre-service career. I found his talk really interesting and motivating, but I still have questions like: what's being done now to make this change, are there any changes that are actually going to take place, what would a classroom look like with this type of curriculum?

Virtual Earth

In my last blog, I talked about virtual field trips/tours that teachers could use in their classrooms at low to no cost to help enrich their classroom instruction. I wanted to know what else could be done, in education, with virtual tours. I searched TEDtv and found an interesting talk by Stephen Lawler, of Microsoft, who gives a tour of the Virtual Earth and talks about the benefits of such a program. Lawler talks about putting the learner in the drivers seat and allowing them to explore and discover information on their own. The Virtual Earth puts the learner in the "real world" that they interact with everyday and brings the learning, that they've been learning their entire life, to life.

An example of something spectacular that Lawler talked about was what Virtual Earth was able to do with Hurricane Katrina. Virtual Earth was actually able to help the search and rescue teams and often the first time anyone was able to see what had happened to their home was through Virtual Earth.

Virtual Earth is available freely on the web, and the best part is Lawler stated that "a child can navigate (Virtual Earth) with an X-Box controller or a game controller". This is a free program on the web, that is user/child friendly and has countless benefits for education!

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/stephen_lawler_tours_microsoft_virtual_earth.html

More Inexpensive Ways to Enrich the Science Classroom

In my last few blogs I strayed away from my original question (How to create a effective science classroom on a low budget?) because I was finding really interesting information that I really wanted to explore. In today's blog, I decided to get back to my original question by talking about virtual tours.

In class, we talked about the limitations of field trips: high cost, not enough time, not all children may have permission, etc. With virual tours/field trips every students can participate every time. Virtual tours/field trips also open up a wide range of possibilities for field trips that otherwise aren't available through the regular field trips. Students are able to "travel" virtually anywhere in the world and tour places and get that "acctually there" feeling.

I found one website, http://www.virtually-anywhere.com , which uses 360 degree photography and interactive user interface technologies to give the visitor the most power and effective way to "be there". This virtual tour company claims that you can go almost anywhere including: steel plants, yachts, hospitals etc., where the customer can walk the production line, stand on deck, observe the operating room and so much more. (Although this website is geared more toward companies.)

The best website I found for virtual tours/field trips was http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html . This website includes many field trips including The American Museum of Natural History, an Ancient Rome Villa, the National Gallery of Art, the Butterfly Conservatory, Holocaust Museum, Sistine Chapel, etc. Some of the tours are simply via photographs and videos, while others are via webcam. This website also offers tons of resources for teachers, such as other technologies and interactive sites. This website is somewhat limited in the number of virtual field trips it offers, but as you can see offers many that students may otherwise never get to visit.

Misconceptions in Science

For my virtual presentation, I decided to create a glog.
Click here or follow the link below to see it!!

http://nstern.glogster.com/misconceptions-in-science/

Fall Conference for Professional Development

I attended a conference on October 13, 2010 presented by the Iowa Council for Social Studies. The focus was to "Bring the Iowa Core to Your Classroom". The content was for social studies but I imagine a science conference would be similar to the one I attended. It was from 8:15-3:15 and was packed with a lot of fun and interesting ideas that could be used in the classroom. There were speakers, exhibits, and awards given to social studies teachers. Since I am a student I was able to attend the conference for free with my social studies methods professor. Regular teachers had to pay a $90 registration fee. This conference was a lot of fun and it had many ideas that could be applied to the classroom. I feel in the future I would attend more conferences to bring fun and creative ideas to the classroom.

Glog on Effective Elementary Science Teaching

My Glog: For my final product of my research I decided to create a glog. I am a very visual person and I enjoy creating posters so I felt this was the perfect option for me. I had a lot of fun using the glog and I would use it again.

Replacing old ideas with new...

I don’t know about the Wisconsin folks, but in the first weeks (well, months) of our science methods class here at Drake, several of us students were experiencing what Professor Kruse referred to as cognitive dissonance.  We were used to science education in general as what most of us had experienced in school; very procedural, individual, “black and white.”  Basically, going against much of what has been identified as the nature of science.  Several of us, including myself, were at first reluctant to part ways with our ideas of how science should be taught.  I guess for me, after a few class meetings I was ready to embrace what Professor Kruse was teaching us, mostly because I knew there was a better way…probably due to a lack of satisfaction from the majority of my own education, past career, etc.

In my last post, I talked about my frustrations with questioning during a math practicum.  Approaching education in a much different light than my own education has been difficult.  I guess what I have thought about were those 1^st-grade students that I was teaching, and the cognitive dissonance that they were experiencing during my lesson.  It’s a two-way street; acquiring and delivering information. I was only teaching those students for 30-minutes, so no wonder they thought I was “weird.”  They may have been uncomfortable for that short amount of time, but after the following recess, snapped back to their “old” ways just in time for the teacher to lecture about pilgrims and the steps to make a “hand turkey.”  Maybe this teacher isn’t privy to more inquiry-based teaching, or maybe she’s also just reluctant to accept teaching in research-based effective methods supported by learning theories.  Certainly, there is ease in complacency.

I recently read an article about constructivist teaching, which incorporates cognitive dissonance as part of its “criteria.” I should note that as a future teacher, constructivist learning theory is only one of the learning theories that are important to consider…However, I liked this information, in particular:

Constructivism is a theory of learning and not a theory of curriculum design

(Airasian & Walsh, 1997; Richardson, 2003). Therefore, when a lesson is said to

be constructivist, it does not necessarily follow a specific formula. Instead a

constructivist lesson is one that is designed and implemented in a way that creates

the greatest opportunities for students to learn, regardless of the techniques used.

Implementation of the theory is the crux of constructivism…If students are presented with new knowledge in a way that assumes they should acquire this knowledge independent of their

prior knowledge, the lesson is deterministic and cannot be considered constructivist…

As I conclude my blog posts on effective methods for teaching science, I am reminded that every teacher brings certain nuances to their method of teaching, but effective teaching is grounded in research; learning theories.  There is not a universal, best way to approach the delivery of content (a “style”), which is what I was determined to uncover at the beginning of this semester.  Rather, I should be mindful of that knowledge and determined in its implementation.  

Baviskar, S. (et. al.) (2009).  Essential criteria to characterize constructivist teaching: derived from a review of the literature and applied to five constructivist teaching method articles.  International Journal of Science Education: 541-550.

Bringing it all together

At first I found it difficult to narrow down my research to one of my 5 questions. I decided to begin my research with looking at how to teach Science to Elementary students effectively. I looked at many articles and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. It began to get quite frustrating. I finally found something that helped.

My first blog discussed and looked at 10 different tips I found on teaching science effectively. A few of these tips weren't a surprise to me because some of them came from science inquiry. Teachers should provide leading questions for students as well as encourage students to form questions. This will help students engage more and follow along searching for answers and becoming up with questions about what they would like to know. Hands on activities are also important to keep Science fun.

My second blog focused more on strategies directly towards specific aspects of science, not just science in general. I looked at importance of measuring data as one of them. This discussed what measuring data was and why teachers should teach this well. Being able to measure data accurately helps when observing your data. If you measure it inaccurately you may get the wrong idea on what is presented.

When researching strategies and tips in teaching Science effectively I came across the importance of using differentiation. This brought me to my next idea for a blog. When researching differentiation in the classroom a popular thing that came up was using technology in the classroom. The article I researched looked at the ways you can utilize technology well in your classroom.

After researching the ways you are able to use technology I wanted to look at the specific benefits using technology can develop. I was surprised to see that using technology could affect students motivation along with their self esteem. I didn't picture those as being benefits from technology until researching this.

During my research regarding benefits of technology I noticed that some teachers may have difficulties using technology in their classroom because of their lack of knowledge pertaining to technology. Teachers aren't going to use technology that their students know more about then they do. I found a website directed towards teachers to help them learn more about technology and to keep them up to date on the latest uses of technology. I also learned about the benefits of specific technology. I never knew that Twitter could be used for educational purposes and be useful.

I next took research on technology and decided to look at not only the benefits for students but specific interactive websites for ELL students. I found a great website that listed many websites for multiple subjects. I mentioned and highlighted on a few pertaining to science but there were many other great ones for reading and social studies. However I didn't see very many sites looking at mathematics for ELL students. I would like to look into that some more.

After looking at using technology for ELL students I wanted to look at just teaching strategies in general for science and ELL students. I found a four-step process for this. I would like to research more on these four steps and maybe find alternatives other than just these. While looking at what I wanted to blog about next I found myself not staying directly toward my original question but I bounced off the blog before. I found out many new things I didn't know before and also was able to find great resources while commenting on other peer's work.

Strategies for Teaching Science to ELL Studdents

Moving from my last blog I decided to look at strategies used to teach ELL students science. I was unsure if there were specific strategies when looking at science specifically or if there were just general strategies for ELL students pertaining to any subject. Hansen brings up a four-step process engagement 2) exploration 3) development, and 4) application.

• Phase 1- uses strategies such as Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE), language buddies, and pre-assessment.
  
• Phase 2- uses strategies by using cooperative groups and multiple ways of communication. This helps students explore science content through interactions and using hands on learning.
  
• Phase 3- this phase looks at key concepts and vocabulary along with Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD), Farmer in the Dell Chart, process grids, and technology. Students are able to develop science language and better develop science content.
  
• Phase 4- this phase is to help students connect what they have learned to their everyday lives and the real world.
  

By utilizing these 4 phases, teachers will be able to help better ELL in science. I believe that these phases can also be used in other subjects.

Website: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3614/is_200710/ai_n21100579/

Technology Use for ELL students

When looking at how teachers can better educate themselves on technology I was looking at technology in the classroom. I was thinking about finding good interactive websites for kids to use outside of science class. In our placement students get to use the computers every Friday. Having fun sites available using science or any subject for that matter would be a great way to utilize this computer time to your advantage. Students will still be excited to play games on the computer but will be working on science or other subjects outside of that class period. When searching for websites I came across a site that had links for interactive websites for English Language Learners. I looked for which websites were given directed toward science.

Grades 4-6 Students can use engage in games, activities, and science experiments from the TV show ZOOM.
http://pbskids.org/zoom/printables/activities/

grades 4-8 Students can mark this website to translate while they work if they need a quick help.
http://translate.reference.com/

Grade 4-8 Students are able to label pictures using science. vocabularyhttp://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/maggie_science.htm

This website isn't for science but I thought it was a good one in helping ELL students by using songs. This website has traditional songs and has the words come up as it is sung.
http://www.manythings.org/songs/\

Because we have looked at the importance of using technology in the classroom we know that it has great benefits. We need to look at these websites to help ELL students. Some interactive websites other students may use may be confusing or make learning more difficult for these students. As teachers we need to look at all students and this website has many websites ELL students can use for different subjects.
http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/elementary_sites_ells_71638.php

Staying Up To Date on Technology as a Teacher

In previous blogs I looked at the importance of using technology in today's classrooms. What if teachers aren't very good with technology themselves? How are they able to use technology on a project in their classroom when the students know more about it than they do? This website looks and discusses strategies for teachers in using technology. It has useful links for teachers to navigate to to learn more about specific technology of today.
http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-technology-integration-manual

This website discussed that the best way to become more educated on the technology your students may use it to use it yourself! It also gave a bunch of today's technology that students may be aware or or using. It gave descriptions of these and the benefits of specific types of technology.

Another thing presented to teachers which is one of the top ways to help teachers is by using Online Professional Development. There are a variety of links for teachers to go to to get updates on technology and become more knowledgeable about it. The website talks about these links and teachers able to move at their own pace when learning about these uses of technology. By having these sources teachers can incorporate technology more in their classroom because they are more up to date on technology.

Virtual Presentation of blogs

I have never used Prezi before, but after using it, I would use it again. It would be neat to use in a classroom with older elementary students or any students to help them organize their ideas before writing a paper, or afterwards to breakdown the main ideas.

Here is the link to My Prezi Blog presentation

http://prezi.com/2opmkpwen9du/edit/

Education Innovation in the Slums

In my previous blogs, I began talking about ways teachers could improve their classroom/instruction on a low budget. Then I moved into ways to incorporate technology at little or no cost. In this post I was curious to see how education was done when there is no budget. How can education be brought to students in places where it seems almost impossible for learing to take place. I found a video on TEDtv called Education Innovation in the Slums. In this video, Charles Leadbeater talks about radical new forms of education, especially those found in the slums around the world and compares them to the United States' education system.

One of the most interesting things he talks about in his video is that education should be a pull not a push. The United States' education system is definatly a push, as soon as students enter school everything is pushed at them: knowledge, exams, time tables, etc. He states that education should be a pull, it should pull students in by presenting learning through productive activity. Education should start from questions not from knowledge, from games not from lessons, and should be engaging before teaching takes place.

"We need a global wave of social entrepreneurship to create highly motivating, low cost ways to learn at scale in the developing world." Charles Leadbeater states that American education "fails to reach the people it most needs to serve" and that it often "hits the target but misses the point".

Another interesting thing Charles Leadbeater talks about in this video is Mapping Education Innovation: (see video for table of information)

http://www.tedtv/talks/charles_leadbeater_on_education.html

Unknown benefits of technology use in the classroom

During my research I found it difficult to stay on task with one particular topic. Each piece I researched kept leading me to another interesting topic. I decided to keep researching using technology in the classroom to see if their were specific types of technology use that wasn't beneficial and which types worked the best. I found a website that discussed 7 different benefits for using technology. Beforehand I knew there were many benefits but was surprised to see some of these. I was unaware that the range of benefits of the use of technology was so wide.
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

• Change in Student and Teacher Roles
  
• Increased Motivation and Self Esteem
  
• Technical Skills
  
• Accomplishment of More Complex Tasks
  
• More Collaboration with Peers
  
• Increased Use of Outside Resources
  
• Improved Design Skills/Attention to Audience
  

Looking at students and teachers change in roles discusses the importance of getting students to do these hands on activities. They are more in charge individually then just listening to the teacher lecture. By using technology to support student thoughts, students are able to identify their goals, and track their progress by looking at their individual work.

Motivation is a key benefit when integrating technology in the classroom. There are different motivations students get when using technology in the classroom. Students may find things out they never would have before technology and be able to show their peers their hard work. This gets others motivated to learn and find new things as well. I was surprised to see that using technology in the classroom can increase student self esteem! Students become more confident when using and competing their research or projects using technology. They feel like they have really accomplished something.

In today's society, technology is a key aspect. By utilizing it in the classroom, students are able to increase their technological skills needed for the future.

With all of these benefits I believe that technology will soon be a key aspect in an everyday lesson. As teachers we need to stay up to date so we can better our students with these benefits. How can we stay up to date on the latest technology uses?

Blog Wrap up

I started my original research learning about how to effectively teach science to younger elementary students. After researching how to do that, I realized that I had a lot more questions about teaching science to elementary students. I continued to research the rest of the topics that related to science in elementary classrooms.

Blog 1- I started out my research thinking about how to effectively teach science to younger elementary students. I was interested in this topic because I was placed in a 1st grade classroom this semester, and I was interested in how I could better my science lessons with them. After teaching my science lesson, I realize that the concrete experiences I learned about are very important for my students, and I would also assume so with my future students and classrooms. I also found a resource about the basic things that students should know at certain ages. It is important for a teacher to assess all students before beginning a unit to learn what the students already know, and therefore make your lesson more effective.

Blog 2-After doing my first blog, I thought it was important to know WHY we should be teaching science to young students. The classroom I am placed in right now rotates science with social studies and other subjects. After talking to other students also in placements, it seems like this is what many teachers around this area are doing. I believe that science is an important topic and it is critical to start teaching it early. After doing research on why we should teach young students science, I found many reasons why. I think all of the reasons I found would give a convincing argument for anyone opposed to teaching science in the elementary classroom every day.

Blog 3- My first two posts led me to the question: Are young elementary students ready to learn science? I thought this would be an interesting topic because a lot of people don’t think young students are ready to learn about science and science topics when in fact, they are more than ready to learn about them. Most importantly I learned that you as a teacher cannot be the judge of your students are ready to learn. You will never know unless you try. You cannot withhold information from your students just because you don’t think they are ready. You must teach the lessons at a level that your students can understand, and most likely, your students will end up surprising you by how much they do actually already know.

Blog 4-For this post I researched different ways to engage students in science. I found many different ideas for helping to get students engaged in the classroom. Many resources mentioned interactive websites. I think interactive websites are a great thing, but they must be used sparingly, and only as in addition to a great lesson, which leads me to the next thing I found. I found a resource for helping teachers write effective lesson plans that help engage students. The website also gave an example of an engaging lesson plan. I also would re-state the fact that “bad” students are not always bad, but actually most of the time are just not engaged, or not being challenged enough. It is important for teachers to learn many different ways to engage different students.

Blog 5-While researching how to get students engaged in science, I came across many websites that said to use website in the classroom to get students engaged. This led me to question “How can you effectively use technology in the classroom?” Many times I believe teachers set students up on websites as a lesson when really, that is not a good lesson. It is also important for the teachers to make sure they are prepared to teach even the basics to some students. Many of us now assume that everyone has a computer at home and know how to use one, but I have experienced firsthand in my placement that not every child does. Technology should be used as an extra to a traditional, well taught lesson, not a replacement.

Blog 6-While researching the topic of engagement and the proper way to use it, I came across many sites about science topics. This made me wonder if there were any resources about current events related to science for kids. I found a LOT of resources for this topic. I was pleasantly surprised because I thought they would me mostly social studies current events, but I actually did find a lot about science. Simple things such as science fairs at the white house, and other topics that are current, yet interesting for younger students were on my science news websites. I was also pleased to see that the majority of the websites I found were updated weekly or monthly. These can be a great source of information for both the teacher and students.

Blog 7 (- After researching all of the above topics, it led me to wonder “what resources are out there for teachers in teaching science?” I found so many good sites, but chose to mention only a few of the ones that I found most helpful. I found the NSTA website and trade books list an amazing resource for all teachers and grades. Not many people talk about ready trade books to older grades, but actually it can help to activate prior knowledge and get students listening and engaged. Many websites also had work and activity sheets, study ideas, and ideas for activities in the classroom. These resources can be great if you are planning a lesson and are stuck trying to think of something to do. You can look at these websites for ideas that you can modify to accommodate them for your own classroom.

Utilizing Technology in the Classroom

In a previous blog I looked at different tips in teaching science in elementary school. When researching I found that using differentiation will help keep students engaged rather than keeping your lessons similar each day. One way that constantly came up was using technology in the classroom. I found a website discussing specific benefits and reasons for integrating it in the classroom. http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

This website talks about using technology with other bits and pieces in your lesson. By integrating technology students are able to see and use the Internet for up to date information on what they are learning. For younger grades using the Internet for fun activities to introduce a lesson or conclude a lesson is a great idea. When looking at technology in the classroom I found some great activities on the Scholastic website.

In our k-1 classroom my partner and I taught weather for the week. I found a great activity for students to use called weather watch. During our lesson we discussed many types of tools for measuring weather. This activity weather watch has a variety of activities using different tools, observing and tracking clouds in the sky, forecasting the weather and looking at different climates. In this website you can choose a subject and grade for online activities for students to use. http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp

If we were able to use technology in our placement I think students would have really benefited from this weather activity. It provided key background knowledge in steps and activities students can complete by using this. Students in our class looked at measuring the wind, using a rain gage, and using thermometers. This part of the activity students can practice using these tools and others.

I found this video clip looking at a specific school and what they have used technology for.
http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction-video

By using technology students can add to their learning with hands on activities. Sometimes they can advance their learning with technology and not even know it by playing games related to specific units. They may think they are getting to play games when really they are learning more while doing it! The question I have is what if you are unable to utilize the benefits of technology because of budget and the lack of computers?

What are some teacher resources for teaching science?

Trade book resources: The NSTA posts “Outstanding Trade Books” for K-12 each year. There are hundreds of books total and for almost every science topic you can think of. I think most people think of trade books as books only for younger grades, and not for older students. I think it’s great that the NSTA posts books for all ages, because most students, no matter how old become engaged when listen to a story. It’s a great way to activate prior knowledge for any grade, not just elementary grades.

http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/

This PBS website offers some more great resources for teachers such as video clips, stories, and other science news that teachers can use in their classroom. Teachers can also comment on this page and give suggestions for things they have tried in their own classrooms to help other teachers who are looking for ideas.

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/

Teacher Vision has a TON of resources for using science in your classroom. They are split up by grade levels so it is a bit easy to find things related to your grade/subject you are teaching. You could also look at grades higher and lower and modify ideas to fit with your specific classroom. There are so many different science topics that are covered on this website; it is a great resource for teachers. It even offers links for additional resources!

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/science/teacher-resources/6662.html

Science teachers.com offers a lot of worksheets and they are divided up into earth science, space science, life science, and physical science. Although I don’t believe that worksheets should be used all the time, they are a good resource to use once in a while. There are also some flashcards and other study guide type things that teachers could print of for students.

http://www.science-teachers.com/life.htm

There are many resources out there for teachers, but you must be careful about choosing reliable resources and not just any resource you might find. Obviously some websites and resources will be more credible than others.

Strategies for Effective Teaching

In my last blog I discussed some tips I found to help teach effectively. When searching for sources on teaching Science effectively I began to look for strategies for specific parts of science. I came across a website that discussed the strategies for teaching multiple aspects of science and math. I looked at the strategies more directed toward science but there were some that incorporated both. This part of the website listed them. http://www.teachervision.fen.com/math/teaching-methods/48952.html?detoured=1

Example: Collecting Data
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/math/teaching-methods/48952.html
This is a link discussing What it is and why it is important for students to be able to do. Being able to collect data well is a special skill and help betters the student's knowledge when looking at specific activities and experiments. If the data they collect is inaccurate students may have a hard time grasping specific concepts.

I also found another part on this website that was useful. You are able to choose your subject and grade level you want to look at from Pre-K to 12th grade. When looking at science in first grade there were different science subjects to choose from. When looking at just Chemistry there was a document on chemistry activities for first graders. This website also gives other resources you can look at related to that specific topic. When looking at Chemistry there were other links to look at making a hypothesis and predicting patterns. There are lots of fun activities on this website and I will be using this website in the future when looking for specific activities. This website really breaks down science in every grade to very specific subject matter.

Are there resources for current events related to science for elementary students?

Are there resources for current events related to science for elementary students?
This website has the “weekly scoop” and “Science snapshots” It talks about things that have happened in the past week with science that would interest elementary students. It also gives examples of how to use Science News in the classroom.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/

This is another great website that gives lots of current events about science:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/interest/id/3/topic/Science_News_For_Kids
Although not all sites are just science related, there are many great sites that offer current events from every subject of which you could pick out the science topics to focus on. Here are some examples:

http://www.dogonews.com/

http://www.eurekalert.org/kidsnews/

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/

These are some great sites that have science issues that are relevant today and often have children involved in the story such as a boy finding a mammoth tooth on his way home from school. There are also some great stories, and stories are always a good way to get students interested and engaged in what will be taught. It is also a plus that the sites from what I have observed are updated either weekly or monthly.

How can you effectively use technology in the elementary classroom?

After doing my last post on engaging students in the classroom and seeing that most examples pointed teachers towards websites and technology, I think it is important to understand the right and wrong ways to use the technology in the classroom. Teachers must be aware that the use of technology does not replace a lesson taught in the classroom. Technology should be used to enhance lessons that students have already learned, or to get assess where your students are at before you begin a lesson. It should never be used as a lesson itself.

This website offers a few examples for how to use certain technology properly in the classroom:
http://www.suite101.com/content/technology-integration-a149815

This website offers a few examples for how to use certain technology properly in the classroom:
http://www.suite101.com/content/technology-integration-a149815
This site has some great examples of how new technology has effected today’s classroom. It gives examples such as:

• Change in Student and Teacher Roles
• Increased Motivation and Self Esteem
• Technical Skills
• Accomplishment of More Complex Tasks
• More Collaboration with Peers
• Increased Use of Outside Resources
• Improved Design Skills/Attention to Audience

http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

This last source I found, A video has neat ideas, I like the how he says to use music more. I do think that students do work better when music is being played, and not many people think about it as technology!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiisteObuhk

Overall, teachers must be careful how they use technology in the classroom, and also realize that not all students will have the same technology at home. They will have to consider that there may be some students who will not even know the basics of a computer, like how to use the mouse. In my current placement, we took the students to a computer lab, and some of the students had no idea how to even use a computer. Although most people think the majority of families now have computers at home, a teacher must assume the opposite and be willing to teach basic concepts.

How to engage elementary students in science

It is important to get younger elementary students engaged in science. I feel that when I was in school, science was always boring until I had a teacher who made it both fun and engaging. I learned so much more that year than I did in all my other elementary years combined. By making it more interesting and doing more hands on activities, my classmates and me couldn’t wait for science class. Here are some examples for how to start to get students engaged in your science classrooms:

Use engaging websites, here is a site that lists a few more than 20 websites that can be used in the classroom. Although some are better than others, it is a great start! Teacher must remember though that websites are not replacements for classroom teaching and activities. They should only be used to enhance a lesson already taught. http://www.ncsu.edu/imse/4/elementaryEd.htm

Write effective lesson plans, This site explains some ways to help you make your science lesson plans effective and engaging for students. It also gives an example of an effective lesson plan. http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-design-an-effective-science-lesson-a77769

This website gives a lot of different ways and examples to get students engaged. It is a great resource if you are ever having a hard time or are stuck and can’t think of how to get students engaged. It also talks about how students who act out are not always “bad” students, but that most of the time it’s because the activity you are doing in the class is not engaging, and they see no point to do it. You have to make all lessons important. I believe that if you as a teacher make the lesson important to you, the students will see that and also make it important to them.
http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/tips/curriculum_and_instruction/involve_engage_students.html

This article from The National Center on Teacher Learning from Michigan State University gives specific examples of how to get students engaged and even what to say if you are having a hard time. http://ncrtl.msu.edu/http/teachers.pdf

For some reason, my links will NOT highlight. I've tried everything! If you know how to get them to work, please let me know.
Thanks

How to get young elementary students engaged in science

It is important to get younger elementary students engaged in science. I feel that when I was in school, science was always boring until I had a teacher who made it both fun and engaging. I learned so much more that year than I did in all my other elementary years combined. By making it more interesting and doing more hands on activities, my classmates and me couldn’t wait for science class. Here are some examples for how to start to get students engaged in your science classrooms:

Use engaging websites, here is a site that lists a few more than 20 websites that can be used in the classroom. Although some are better than others, it is a great start! Teacher must remember though that websites are not replacements for classroom teaching and activities. They should only be used to enhance a lesson already taught. http://www.ncsu.edu/imse/4/elementaryEd.htm

Write effective lesson plans, This site explains some ways to help you make your science lesson plans effective and engaging for students. It also gives an example of an effective lesson plan. http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-design-an-effective-science-lesson-a77769

This website gives a lot of different ways and examples to get students engaged. It is a great resource if you are ever having a hard time or are stuck and can’t think of how to get students engaged. It also talks about how students who act out are not always “bad” students, but that most of the time it’s because the activity you are doing in the class is not engaging, and they see no point to do it. You have to make all lessons important. I believe that if you as a teacher make the lesson important to you, the students will see that and also make it important to them. http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/tips/curriculum_and_instruction/involve_engage_students.html

This article from The National Center on Teacher Learning from Michigan State University gives specific examples of how to get students engaged and even what to say if you are having a hard time. http://ncrtl.msu.edu/http/teachers.pdf

How Do I Teach Science Effectively to Elementary Students?

I was placed in a K-1 classroom with 43 little ones. When we first began we continuously worked on reading, writing, and classroom routines. We didn't see a science lesson for the first few weeks and I was thinking in my head, how are we going to teach science to these youngsters. How will we make sure they understand the science concepts?

While searching I looked for sources for any elementary science teaching. I came across a website that gave 10 science teaching tips for elementary students.
http://www.suite101.com/content/10-science-teaching-tips-for-elementary-school-a65420

These ten tips help students become engaged in critical thinking. Students will retain information and understand more science concepts when thinking critically. It is important to be able to get the most out of lesson plans. These tips will get the most out of each lesson by simply helping the teacher ask appropriate questions.

When teaching our science lesson we kept students involved by having them think of questions they wanted to answer about clouds. After going outside and observing them we were able to answer some of the questions they had. Having them think of questions helped them think of what they wanted to look for when going outside and observing. When we got back inside we looked at the questions they had, and as teachers we asked other questions to get their brains thinking.

Another tip discussed using tradebooks during science. When introducing our topic of clouds we read the book "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" Students weren't aware of our topic until the end. This got students thinking about all the shapes of clouds before we even discussed this.

There was also a tip called hands on minds on. Students are more likely to retain information while working on hands on activities. When looking at the different types of clouds we had students place appropriate photographs of cirrus, cumulus, or stratus clouds by looking at their characteristics. Students were able to physically place the pictures in the appropriate spot during the lesson as a class. They were able to identify the different photos by working together with this hands on activity.

Bringing it all Together: What an Effective Science Teacher Looks Like

The research I have been doing over the course of my blogs has been related to what makes a science teacher effective with their teaching. For my final blog I wanted to tie it all together so you could see what an effective science teacher should do in the classroom.

For my first blog I focused on the different ways to be an effective science teacher in the classroom. I focused on a video that focused on an elementary school in California. The video stressed the importance of building on your students' prior knowledge to best teach science in the classroom. You need to survey where your students are at and what their interest levels are. I also focused on the importance of including inquiry into a science lesson. To view the video you can click on the link to the first blog and watch it. It was very educational and very informative!

My second blog focused on the use of incorporating technology into the teaching of science in the classroom. For this blog I found an article that showed the relationship between incorporating technology into the classroom and students excelling academically in school and their eagerness to learn more. I also focused on how SmartBoards can be used in science to engage all learners in the classroom with regards to learning about science.

My third blog focused what science inquiry was, what an inquiry classroom looks like, and how to implement science inquiry into the classroom. The article I found was very informative and made sense of inquiry, so I highly recommend reading it if you still don't understand what inquiry is and how to implement it into your classroom.

My fourth blog focused on hands on learning experiences for students in the classroom. For this blog I used an article that I found on the scholastic website to help make sense of hands on learning also known as "discovery learning". I mentioned how hands on learning activities can be very inexpensive, for example, a nature walk outside to see what evidence there is that shows life exists outside of the classroom.

My fifth blog focused on using interactive websites to get students actively involved in their learning; doesn't have to just be science. For this blog I went over the importance of using interactive websites because it gets the students attention because students like working with computers because they interest them. At the bottom of the blog I shared a website that has amazing K-8 interactive games and activities related to science and science inquiry.

My sixth blog was focused on incorporating field trips into science lessons. The one thing to keep in mind about field trips is the cost. Make sure that if you want to take your students on a field trip that it is meaningful for both you and your students. You need to have an objective in mind that you want your students to walk away with after going on the field trip. If you cant think of an objective for your students, chances are the field trip really isn't going to build off of what you were doing in the classroom and the students wont get the most out of it.

My seventh blog focused on the importance of integrating other subjects into the teaching of science. I made the connection to the week I taught science in the kindergarten classroom. I was able to see how important it really was for the students to make those real world connections within the science lessons we taught during the week. Always remember to try to integrate other subjects into anything you may be teaching in the classroom. You can teach so many skills and concepts without even really realizing that you are doing it!

Integrating Other Subjects into Science to Better Educate Students

An effective teacher not only uses technology and literature in their lessons, but they also integrate other content areas into those lessons. Students need to be able to make those connections that learning is a series of connections; everything is somehow all linked together in some way, shape, or form. There was an article from PBS Teachers that stated the importance of an integrated curriculum. Students are able to learn in a way that is more natural, where they are seeing the connections made from one content area to the next. In my clinical placement my partner and I taught a unit on magnets to kindergartners. While planning for the unit we thought of ways we could integrate other subjects into the science unit. We were able to tie in literacy through the use of a poem and children's books, along with math. It is important for students to be able to make and see those connections in the classroom, so that's where being creative really helps teachers.

If teachers integrate other subject areas into the teaching of science, it allows students to apply the knowledge they are learning to real life scenarios. They are able to see those connections and apply what they have learned outside of the classroom. It just makes the most sense to integrate subjects into a lesson whenever possible. The students benefit from it more and coming from a teacher standpoint you can cover multiple subject standards in one lesson.

The one benefit that stuck out most to me was that through the use of an integrated curriculum, the teacher is able to teach multiple skills and concepts all at once. I found this to be true during the week I taught science. At the center that my partner and I created we realized that we ended up teaching a mini lesson on counting and number recognition as part of our lesson to see how many paperclips different size magnets could pick up. So, next time you are planning a science lesson, think of the different ways you could integrate multiple subjects into that one lesson. It will benefit your students so much more if you can do that!

Effective Teachers Incorporate Field Trips into Their Lessons

http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/04/14/what-is-in-a-fieldtrip/

Field trips are a great way to elaborate on the curriculum being taught in the classroom. Effective teachers often plan meaningful field trips for their students so they can put into context what they were learning in the classroom.

I found an article about Creating Effective Field Trips. The article stated that field trips can help to:

• be an extension of content taught in the classroom
• a way for students to learn material in another manner (kinestheticaly)
• create a shared reference that can be used later for other class discussions related to other subject areas.
• allows students and teacher to bond in a different environment outside of the classroom

In order for the field trip to be effective and correlate with what was being taught in the classroom, the teacher needs to decide what the objective is for the field trip (what he/she wants the students to take away from the trip). Sometimes its nice to have a lesson that goes a long with the field trip; something that the students work on while on the trip so they have something concrete to bring back to the classroom.

Reflection on the field trip is always important to do when you get back to school or the next day. A teacher can include a follow up activity to do in class to discuss what the students learned on the field trip and how it related to what they were learning in class. They could create a graphic organizer to organize the information they got from both the field trip and the classroom. As long as the field trip is relevant to what the students are learning in the classroom with regards to science, it can really play a huge role in the students understanding of the content. So as a teacher, make sure you have do plan some field trips because if they are planned properly, the students really do learn a lot from it and retain the information.

Misconceptions

Throughout my posts, I have researched many aspects of misconceptions. Some of these include what a misconception is, why they are so prevalent, ways to discover/overcome them, and misconceptions found in textbooks. For my final post, I decided to wrap everything up by summarizing the main points.

• Misconceptions can be anything from preconceived notions to conceptual misunderstandings. In science, "these are cases in which something a person knows and believes does not match what is known to be scientifically correct."
• A few common misconceptions in science: stars and constellations appear in the same place in the sky every night, we experience seasons because of the earth's changing distance from the sun (closer in the summer, farther in the winter), things "use up" energy, only animate objects can exert a force (thus, if an object is at rest on a table, no forces are acting upon it), larger magnets are stronger than smaller magnets, objects float in water because they are lighter than water
• Misconceptions occur for a variety of reasons including personal experiences, vocabulary confusions, and developmental reasons.
• Teachers can discover misconceptions through assessments such as KWL charts, have students free write about a topic, understanding what misconceptions are out there, misconceptions they have, and knowing the difference between misconceptions and preconceptions.
• Strategies that teachers can use to help students (and themselves) overcome misconceptions include:
  o Anticipate the most common misconceptions about the material and be alert for others
  o Revisit common misconceptions as often as you can
  o Assess the validity of concepts
  o Use familiar analogies if appropriate
  o Apply ideas in situations that can be experienced or tested
  o Give ample amounts of evidence
  o Conduct thorough research on a topic/concept
• Many misconceptions can also be seen in textbooks. It is very important that teachers read texts carefully before having students read and examine them.

Being aware of and the ability to overcome misconceptions are some of the most important things you can do as a teacher to enhance student learning in science.