Final Blog!

       

     Coming into this course I was definitely very nervous. I knew very little about technology and how to use it in the classroom and science is not my favorite subject. The first couple of weeks I felt very overwhelmed and was terrified about teaching my first full class lesson. I had no idea how I was going to keep the attention of a whole class for an entire period. Overall, I was very scared and hesitant to begin my journey. 
        Although I felt lost my first couple of weeks, my group was amazing with keeping me on track. They guided me through the entire lesson making process and I can not thank them enough for that. This class' fieldwork helped more than any other class I have taken before. It was the first time that I experienced full class instruction. Although I was nervous I was able to see first hand what being a real teacher was going to be like. I really enjoyed getting up in front of the class and this experience really showed me that I am making the right decision in becoming a teacher. 
      This class also helped me to improve my skills in technology. Prior to this class, I knew very little about Google Docs or Google Drive. I remember not even knowing how to insert a link on the first day of classes. I have been exposed to so many amazing technological tools that I will definitely try and use in my future classroom. Tools such as Hyperdoc, Adobe Spark, Voki, and many more make classroom learning much more engaging. 
     Although I was very nervous about the class, in the end, I feel like I gained many life long skills. I have improved as a teacher candidate, and now am even more excited to be able to apply these skills in my own classroom!

Trade Book Project

Although we never did the Trade Book Project in my science class, I felt that it was still important to find a book applying to science. I chose the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. This book can be used to teach about the life of a seed and how it eventually becomes a flower. The book details the life span of a seed and what occurs during each season. I found this interesting because I always just thought that a seed was planted and that was it. Instead, this shows how a seed is blown in the wind and how animals interact with this. This book can be used to teach the younger grades and can be used in a unit plan regarding plant life. I think incorporating literacy into science is very important, and using books is a great way to do it! 

Science in the News

This is a picture from the article which shows one of the girls testing the robot that they built!

For my "Science in the News" article, I chose International Underwater Robotics Challange a Focus for Seattle Teens regarding the problem of engineering and technology. This article follows three teenage girls who are trying to create an underwater robot to save a 200-pound diver trapped at sea. That was the task that they needed to complete at the Black Sea International ROV Competition and Exhibition in Romania. The girls have a $500 budget to create the robot so they use donated items of PVC, plastic pipes, old printer feeder, a comb, LED strips, a bicycle inner tube, cooking racks, and pool noodles.
I chose this article because I felt that the robotics aspects related to our unit of simple machines. Like the girls in this article, the students in our fieldwork also tried to take parts to try and build a working machine. This machine may not be simple but in the end, it related back to the idea of building and creating. Our students and the girls in this article both followed their curiosity to see where it took them. The girls were not always successful and faced many challenges in getting the robot to operate but they did not give up, just like our students.
There are many different ways in which this article can apply to my unit plan. I can discuss how like the girls in the article, the students are using the tools that they have in order to solve a problem. No matter what the problem may be, as the girls, the students can take their resources and put them together to create something great. It can also be used to discuss the different parts of machinery, and how simple machines can be put together to create more complex machines.
It is important to use news articles when teaching science because science is current and applies to the world outside. You can use news articles to show students that science does not just occur in the classroom. It is current and constantly evolving in the outside world. It is important to make sure that students understand the importance of science and how it can affect their lives in the real world.

Research Article Review

      Infusing Reading Into Science

      To be scientifically literate means being able to both read and understand a multitude of science texts and form valid conclusions, while also being able to participate in meaningful conversations about science. Despite the importance of scientific literacy, students today are struggling with reading their textbooks and content-area materials. The focus is more on covering content rather than learning how to learn from the texts.  
      To test the importance of science literacy in the classroom, a group of University of Florida research students collaborated in 2004 to create lesson plans, book lists, and other tools to expose the students to more reading in science. Students in this study were explicitly instructed in science-related language skills and reading strategies. They also were provided with award-winning science trade books through a home reading program.
      According to Zmach et al, the results from the research study suggest that "the students who received reading strategy instruction and access to award-winning science books had higher achievement in sciences than did students who did not receive such interventions" (2006, p. 63). By learning how to read scientific literature, it was seen that the students could be exposed to more difficult texts which could expand their learning on science. And as stated before, the learning did not just end in the classroom. Students took home award-winning literature to read and discuss with their families. They also were provided the opportunity to discuss their literature with the class and show what they had learned. These discussions allowed students to talk more in-depth about a topic and created engagement and excitement about learning. 
      After the research project ended in 2005, the teachers at the school continued to use engaging reading materials in the classroom. Unfortunately, many students are unprepared to tackle such difficult texts. This difficulty severely limits the amount of scientific knowledge that the student can gain. Using scientific literature may be proven to be beneficial to students, but it is up to the classroom science teachers to assume responsibility and provide science literature that students can read and enjoy. The teachers also need to help students develop strategies to read more efficiently. Teaching reading skills nos not an extra part of classroom learning, but an essential one. 

Atmosphere Hypderdoc

Last week in class we began a hypderdoc to explore different aspects of Earth science. I have not learned about Earth science since 8th grade, so it is a topic that I do not feel that comfortable teaching about. 

We each were assigned an area of Earth science to explore. I was given the atmosphere. We first began by exploring, and to do that we watched 2 videos discussing the levels of the atmosphere. The videos explained Earth's early atmosphere and the current atmosphere. We then had to write about what we had learned. These videos were very interesting and informative and gave me a good foundation for the topic. 

We next had to explain what we had just learned. We had to compare how the early atmosphere compared to the current atmosphere and how it affects life on Earth. 

We then had to make a video using Adobe Spark to discuss one of the layers of the atmosphere. I had never used Adobe Spark, so this tool was a little difficult to use at first. Once I figured it out I realized that it was a great educational tool. I used it to create a video about the troposphere. My video can be seen here!

This was a great activity that helped me learn a lot!

Celebration of Learning!

Today was our Celebration of Learning!

I can not believe that today was our last day of fieldwork! I felt like our time went by so quickly, and I am sad to leave the students!

For our celebration of learning, we planned a Kahoot that reviewed all that we had learned. The students loved the Kahoot and were very interactive. We also gave each student a certificate to celebrate all that they have achieved. 

I was nervous about starting fieldwork because I was not sure how the students were going to be. These students taught me more about simple machines than I even learned myself. It has been a pleasure to learn from them and to see them grow throughout the semester. 

I am sad to end this semester, but I am very excited to return to Bishop Dunn next semester for Social Studies!

Group 4 Inquiry Lesson

Today was the final fieldwork group lesson!

Group 4 did their inquiry lesson today, and I felt like it went very well! They began by introducing the problem. Ms. Benfer needed the students to help to build tools for the sensory garden. They were to build a compound machine using the tools that they were provided and were given 30 minutes to do so. The students were assigned a tool to build and then had to present their findings to the class.

I think the teachers did a great job of organizing this lesson. It can be hard to control an inquiry lesson, but I think that they did a great job! I loved watching the students build complex machines, and I felt that the choice of manipulatives was a good one.

This group did amazing and I am excited about the celebration of learning!