Welcome to my book trailer!

On our last day Dr. Smirnova has us present our eFolios and book trailers. Unfortunately due to timing I was unable to present mine, but I really enjoyed watching my classmates present their book trailers. It was cool to see all the different technology tools that everyone used. Although I was unable to present my book trailer I had a lot of fun creating it because it was something that I have never done before. I would have never known how to create a book trailer if it weren’t for this class and I'm really glad that I did. For my book trailer I used VoiceThread and it was cool to be able to speak into the microphone and use my own voice. VoiceThread is a web based platform that enables teachers and students to upload images, videos, record audio and text comments. I also found it extremely useful because I was able to download the app on my phone which made it much easier for me to use. I would definitely recommend using VoiceThread in your future classroom with your students! I did my trailer on the book The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds : A Book About How Living Things Grown by Joanna Cole. To prepare for my book trailer I first had to read the book and then choose from different parts of the book. I decided to go with parts that I thought viewers would most enjoy. I thought that this assignment was so much fun, and I think that my future students would absolutely love creating a book trailer just as much as I did! If you'd like you can view my book trailer here and my trade book project here. I hope you enjoy it!

Fieldwork Experience

Today, I found myself reflecting back on my fieldwork experience in the beginning of this semester at Bishop Dunn Memorial School in a fourth grade classroom. This fieldwork experience was nothing like I've ever experienced before. In my past education courses I've either observed a class or I've worked one on one with a student but this time I was able to teach a whole class with the help of my group. I was extremely nervous because this was something that I have never done before. I wasn't sure how I felt about it because science isn't one of my strong points. All I could think about is how can I teach students science when that is a subject I've always struggled with but this experience was one of the best things that could have happened to me. It made that all turn around for me! This experience made me look at science with a whole new perspective. Science is now a subject that I have become interested in because of this experience and also because of all the different techniques and strategies that I have learned.

Through this experience I taught a direct instruction and inquiry lesson, which was also very new to me. I learned that direct instruction is important because it teaches students all of the information that they need to know. It is important for students to be given a note packet to take notes in where they will be able to reference back to. Unfortunately my group and I did not provide a note pack for the students so this is something that I've learned not to do in my future as a teacher. I will make sure that my students are given a note packet where they will be able to take notes to help them make sense of what they are being taught. Other thing that I realized is important especially in a classroom is time management. Time management is important in a classroom so that the teacher can cover all material necessary for each specific lesson. If the teacher feels rushed than the students will as well and that is not how a classroom should run. In my future classroom I will make sure that I prioritize my work and time so that my students are given enough time to complete each task.

I’ve also learned how important inquiry is in teaching science. Through inquiry the students were able to engage in evidence-based reasoning and creative problem solving. This lesson was completely different than direct instruction because the students aren’t looking for answers from the teacher they are creating their own observations, collecting their own data and drawing their own conclusions. This is a more hands on approach that I feel makes it a more memorable experience for students. It is engaging as well as educational and that is so important. I have truly learned a lot throughout this experience. I am beyond happy that I had the opportunity to teach a fourth grade class because it has helped me grow so much as a future teacher.

"Children's engagement in science inquiry gives them the opportunity to receive accurate feedback directly from the outcomes of their own inquiry."

Science in The News

Seed Germination

What is the science issue involved? 

The science issue discussed in the article is the fact that all seeds are not alike. Seeds come in different sizes, shapes and colors. Some seeds also have hard coats such as corn, beans, pees, okra and morning glories. Other seeds have softer coats than other seeds such as marigolds, tomatoes, zinnias, peppers and cucumbers. This means that all seeds germinate differently. Seeds with hard coats germinate slower than seeds with soft coats. Hard seed coats take longer to germinate because it takes longer for the seed to drink enough water to soften the seed coat enough so that the inside parts of the seed can break through. 

Why did you choose this article?

I choose this article because I was interested in learning more about the process of seed germination. I wasn't aware that seeds have different coats, so I found that interesting. I also found it interesting that seeds with hard coats take longer to germinate than seeds with soft coats. I think that the experiment the article provide on planting different seeds and watching them grow would be a fun experiment to use in my future classroom. 

How does this current topic relate to the classroom discourse?

Seed germination relates to the classroom discourse because for fieldwork we had to conduct a direct instruction and inquiry lesson on Botany as a science and topics related to botany such as plant organelles, plant reproduction, plant classification and plant biomes. This article would be a great way to introduce the process of germination and the difference between seeds. 

How can you use the news article in teaching science?

The best way to use the news article in teaching science is during an inquiry lesson. News articles can be a helpful way for students to search for research through the steps of inquiry. Through these articles students can use the research that they find to prove their hypothesis. News articles will also help students get a better understanding of the topic that is being taught. 

Reference

Scienceforkidsclub.com. (n.d.). Seed Germination for Kids. Retrieved from 

http://www.scienceforkidsclub.com/seed-germination.html 

         

                 

Weather & Erosion HyperDoc Project

Click here to view the Weather & Erosion HyperDoc Project

Here are some notes that I took on Weathering & Erosion. Check out my KWHL chart for more! 

- Weathering is the process that takes place as rocks and other parts of the geosphere are broken down into smaller pieces.

- Weather can be caused by water, air, chemicals, plants and animals

- Two types of weather: Mechanical weathering and chemical weathering

- Mechanical weathering is the process of breaking big rocks into little ones (frost, ice, sunheat, plants roots and running water)

- Chemical weathering involves changes that some substances can cause in the surface of the rock that make it change shape or color (carbon dioxide, oxygen and acids)

- Erosion is the movement of weathered rocks by natural forces (wind, water or ice)

- Weathering breaks down the rocks and erosion is the process that carries rocks away

- Weathering helps make a mess and erosion helps clean it up

- Moving water is,a major cause of erosion and there’s a lot of moving water in the Atlantic Ocean

- Natural forces like major storms and rising sea levels move or erode these smaller pieces

- Natural forces have the power to change our landscape by weathering, erosion and deposition

- Geologists are known as earth detectives

My Reflection 

The HyperDoc project is one way students can learn the 5 steps of inquiry: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. I really enjoyed this project and I think that students would absolutely love it because it provides them with a fun and engaging technical experience. This project provided multiple resources for students to use such as videos, interactive sites, graphic organizers, KWHL chart, and lab experiments. These resources allow students to learn through a more visual approach, which I believe increases the participation of students. I myself am a visual learner and as a student myself I learn best when I am provided with visuals, so I think it is important as a future teacher to provide plenty of visual activities to students. I think that the HyperDoc is great way for students to learn. I liked how it's set up in a way where students aren't just given the answers. They have to research on their own to find the answers that they need to complete the project. Overall I loved this project, and I would definitely use it in my future classroom. 

Click the following links to look at my KWHL chart, graphic organizers, t-chart planner, and lab experiment report!

KWHL Chart 

Mechanical vs. Chemical Weathering Graphic Organizer 

Weathering vs. Erosion Graphic Organizer

Weathering & Erosion T-Chart Planner

Weathering & Erosion Lab

                                                          

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!

What's Bugging You? - Research Article Review

The research article that I chose was called, "What's Bugging You?" by Sherri Brown. I thought that this would be an interesting topic to read about because I haven’t learned much about bugs. This article is based on the 5 E's in the inquiry process: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. In this article, the author describes how she created an authentic and engaging approach for students to learn about bugs. Before introducing the inquiry process she created a pre-assessment to identify what students know about insects. After the pre-assessment the inquiry process was then introduced. Through the inquiry students were able to observe bugs and construct their knowledge from their drawings and classification sheet.

The author felt it was important to conduct this study so that students could observe and begin to differentiate the common word bug from the specific characteristics of an insect. Another reason she felt it was important was so that she could change the misconceptions that students have on bugs. To conduct this study the teacher allowed the students to go outside and collect bugs using a leaf-litter sifter. The students recorded all their data on a classification sheet where they were able to make connections between different organisms and their habitats. After they finished collecting their data students were then asked to draw pictures of their bugs. At the end of the inquiry students made models of their insects using their drawings and data. They also had to write an explanation as to why their insects use its designated features.

The main purpose of this study was to teach students how to observe and classify and to encourage students to believe that insects are harmless. The author states that her preservice students scream whenever they see a bug or say things such as “Ooh those things give me the willies, and I am not going near them.” This shows the common misconceptions that students have on bugs because they believe that all insects are bad and could harm them. The key question the author is addressing is “What is an insect?” Students were able to answer this question by going outside and observing real life insects. This made the experiment a real life experience for students which is very important.

The most important information in this article is that this experiment has been proven to help students learn the concept of classification and continues to help them. “This activity has continuously provided successful measurable content outcomes in which students move toward a greater knowledge of scientific classification, specifically the classification characteristics for the phylum Arthropoda and class Insectae” (Brown, 2006). This quote expresses how effective this experiment has been when teaching students how to classify the characteristics of insects.

This article concludes two things one of them I stated before about how it increases students knowledge of scientific classification. The second thing is that this experience has helped students grow out of their fear of bugs and learn how to appreciate living things. “Students have shown an appreciation of bugs as they observe, draw, and classify these animals; some have stated that this experience has lessened their fear of bugs” (Brown, 2006). If people take the information in this article seriously, students will no longer struggle with the ability to classify and they will also learn how to appreciate all things in life both living and nonliving. This inquiry lesson on bugs is a fantastic way to teach students how to classify and appreciate things such as bugs, animals and plants.

Although I am not a fan of bugs I really enjoyed this article. Not only was I was able to learn about bugs, but I was also able to get a better understanding of how to conduct an inquiry lesson using the 5 E’s. This article also helped me learn how to teach classification which is extremely important in teaching science. Through this inquiry process I was also able to learn how to help students overcome any misconceptions that they might have prior to the lesson. It is crucial for teachers to acknowledge students misconceptions because if they are ignored it is possible that they will never go away. This article was very informative and was a great inquiry lesson that I would consider including in my future classroom.

Reference

Brown, S. (2006). Books & Resources. Retrieved from https://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=51814


                                              

Questioning Techniques

 

There are many different questioning techniques that teachers can use to keep students engaged in a classroom. Asking questions in a classroom is what keeps the topic alive. It is important to ask students good questions that are open-ended where the students are able to answer with more than a yes or no. Open-ended questions elicits more thought and more than one word response. Open ended questions are good for developing a conversation, finding out more detail and finding out the other person's opinions. There are many other effective questioning techniques that teachers can use in a classroom aside from asking open-ended questions. Six effective questioning techniques that I researched are: pair and share, teacher selection, hot seat, sequencing, mini socratic seminars, and white boards. Questions are used in many different ways in classroom. They can be used to engage students, check for understanding, seek opinions, review material and so on and so forth. It is important that teachers understand how to pose questions where students will want to answer and participate rather than sit there in silence. I will share the link of the article that I read about the six questioning techniques. I hope that it is helpful when thinking about ways to question your future students.

Click here:
Top Six Questioning Techniques in the Classroom

Misconceptions Presentations

Today in class we learned why is it important to identify students misconceptions and ways to help them deepen their understanding of the scientific concepts. Many students gain their misconceptions through movies, tv shows, cartoons and much more because they can't differentiate between fiction and reality. Our task in class was to create a powerpoint presentation where we had to compare our conceptions as a kid to NYS student misconceptions on topics such as space travel, rocks and minerals, dessert, green plants, mammals and so on and so forth. It was interesting to research the NYS student misconceptions because a lot of what was on the website I used to believe when I was in elementary school. It made me realize as a future teacher how important it is to help students get rid of any misconceptions that they might have prior to the lesson. After we finished with the misconceptions we then had to come up with learning objectives for the inquiry lesson. Through this activity we learned a lot about how to create objectives which I found extremely helpful because I realized that I have been writing objectives wrong this entire time. Overall I found this activity to be extremely informative! Everyone did a great job on their presentations! Below I will post a link to the misconception presentations that our class created.

Click here:
Misconception slides