Minneapolis: Oct. 27–29, 2016
Portland: Nov. 10–12, 2016
Columbus: Dec. 1–3, 2016
For more info, feel free to check out the NSTA website: www.nsta.org/conferences/.
This is not meant to be some existential question. Even if it was, the answer is obviously 42 :). The purpose of this pot is to talk about the idea of using research in education, specifically: How can research transform education? And how can research impact education on the different levels: local, state, regional, national, and international? So first off, How can research transform education? when there is a problem or issue in life, how do we usually fix it? We look into the problem, research ways to fix it, and then apply different solutions in order to fix the issue. Now we can apply this to education. Maybe there is an issue in a specific classroom or in education in general, or maybe there is just a question of "is there a better way to do X?" When research in used in education, it can transform the education world, small or large. Now, for the second question: And how can research impact education on the different levels: local, state, regional, national, and international? The best way I can think to explain how research can transform education at the different levels is by providing examples. LOCAL: In some parts of Ohio, mainly rural, schools suffer from a majority of their students missing one particular day of the school year, November 30th. After some research was done to see why so many students were missing, it was discovered that November 30th is opening day of deer hunting season in Ohio and many families go out together on opening day. So Many schools have decided to incorporate opening day s a school holiday in many rural parts of Ohio. STATE: Each state has their own Board of education and on that note they are the ones who need to layout what the different standardized tests for the grade levels. In Ohio, for many years, in order to graduate high school students ha to pass the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT). However, recently there has been changes in the works to get the OGT phased out as a test based on research, and rely more on the ACT. it could lead to one less test for students to worry about. REGIONAL: One of the examples that springs to mind is different conferences and conventions that tend to be held regionally. And these events are a plethora of information and research that has been recently conducted. For example, the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) has three upcoming conferences: Minneapolis: Oct. 27–29, 2016 Portland: Nov. 10–12, 2016 Columbus: Dec. 1–3, 2016 For more info, feel free to check out the NSTA website: www.nsta.org/conferences/. NATIONAL: Most of the current educational policies are based on the national level. The two biggest policies I can name would be the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Common Core Curriculum that has been adopted by most states. These policies then utilize current data to make decisions about the future of education in the United States. INTERNATIONAL: By studying students and educational systems in other countries, we gain a different insight into how education can be affected back home. For example, in many European countries sex education among students is not treated as taboo and students begin learning sex ed much earlier in life. Whereas in the united states, sex education is met with criticism mainly as to when to start teaching and in what way (sex education or abstinence education, but that is a rant for another time). And looking at the number of students who become pregnant as teenagers, the numbers are generally lower than in the united states. Now this isn't to say that sex education is the only factor, but it could be a large contributing factor, more research will need to be conducted.
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So, now that you know a little bit about me, you can probably guess what my topic is going to be for my action research project? YUP! It's about agriculture! The topic of my research, more specifically, is titled: "Can implementing agriculture into the curriculum positively impact student academic performance?" In my own classroom, I hope to instill in my students an appreciation for agriculture so they can become agriculturally literate. According to the program, Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC), "An agriculturally literate person is defined as "one who understands and can communicate the source and value of agriculture as it affects quality of life" (Spielmaker & Grow, n.d.). So, why is it important to teach agriculture, and why do students need to be exposed to it? Well, according to Jaclyn Ryan, 2015 Virginia Teacher of the Year, "The importance of our curricula spreads further than the classroom—we need agriculture to survive. If you eat, you need agriculture. If you wear clothes, you need agriculture. If you take medicine, live in a house or write with a pencil, you need agriculture" (Reserved, 2016). Agriculture, whether students realize it or not, is a part of their everyday lives. If students can be introduced to this topic in a way that makes it more applicable to their lives, students will then possibly be able to make sense of more difficult topics or subjects. Having a basic knowledge of agriculture and its processes can benefit any student, at any age. It gives students a hands on way to explore the world around them. The video below showcases one teacher, Lisa Liss, who teaches 5th grade at Woodlake Elementary School in Sacramento California, and what she thinks about using agriculture in her own classroom (LearnAboutAg, 2016). One last pertinent piece of information that lends to the importance of agriculture in general is this: by the year 2050, we will have around 9 billion people on the planet Earth. The question then becomes, how do we feed everyone? By studying agriculture, students not only learn about how agriculture affects them, but how it affects the world. Studying agriculture gives students a knowledge base and system of communication that makes them not just local citizens, but global citizens. Sources:
LearnAboutAg (2016, May 25). Why teach agriculture Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0irho1lhPG8 Reserved, A. A. R. (2016). The importance of agricultural education and the FFA. Retrieved June 21, 2016, from http://www.advanc-ed.org/source/importance-agricultural-education-and-ffa Spielmaker, D., & Grow, Y. M. About Agriculture in the Classroom. Retrieved June 21, 2016, from National Agriculture in the Classroom, http://www.agclassroom.org/get/about.htm The second chapter of Nancy Fitchman Dana and Diane Yendol-Hoppey's book, "The Reflective Educator's Guide to Research: Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn Through Practitioner Inquiry", they discuss ways for teachers to discover their "Wonderings". A wondering is when a twacher, or anyone really, makes the statement: I wonder ..., I think ..., or What if ... These questions open up the mind to a plethora of ideas and ways they could perform teacher inquiry and action research. The authors state that there are 8 passions that have arisen from previous research about this topic, mainly as a combination of Complexity of Teacher's Work in the Classroom and Felt Difficulties and Real World Dilemma's (depicted below). The 8 Passions are: Passion 1: Helping an Individual Child Passion 2: Desire to Improve or Enrich Curriculum Passion 3: Focus on Developing Content Knowledge Passion 4: Desire to Improve or Experiment With Teaching Strategies and Teaching Techniques Passion 5: Desire to Explore the Relationship Between Your Beliefs and Your Classroom Practice Passion 6: The Intersection of Your Personal and Professional Identities Passion 7: Advocating Social Justice Passion 8: Focus on Understanding the Teaching and Learning Context When looking into the different passion, my questioning seems to fall mostly into the second passion: Desire to Improve of Enrich Curriculum. Since what I want to be able to do as a teach is to infuse agricultural studies into the general science curriculum. There are already a few great sites that give ideas on how to do that such as: www.agclassroom.org/, oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/aitc/, and wisagclassroom.org/. Along with many other state specific resources. And I want to be able to do more than just having students create a school garden (even though this is very valuable). I want my students to be able to be able to view agriculture as a part of daily life, even though they may not see it or be a direct creator of it. I also want them to be able to skeptical of what they see/hear on the news, the internet, and from their friend and family so they can take in multiple outlets of information and make an informed decision about topics. Like seedlings need a solid foundation to grow big and strong, so too I hope to give my students a foundation they can rely on their whole life long. Now, when viewing this heading you might be thinking, "ooh, ways to incorporate inquiry based learning in my classroom for my students!" However, this topic is slightly different. (If you wish to look into the previous topic, might I suggest backtracking through some of my earlier posts, they are rife with ideas!) This topic pertains to how teachers themselves can influence their own classroom by their own use of inquiry, aka RESEARCH! If you just made this face, please bear with me! I know when the word research is spoken about an education setting many images and thought come to mind, like: long hours in a library or on a computer, performing hours of research, compiling and analyzing sets of data, literature reviews, and control vs experimental groups. However, teacher inquiry (aka teacher research), aims to dispel those fears and bring more teachers into performing inquiry in their own classrooms. In Nancy Fitchman Dana and Diane Yendol-Hoppey's book, "The Reflective Educator's Guide to Research: Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn Through Practitioner Inquiry", they state that teacher inquiry is defined as, "... a vehicle that can be used by teachers to untangle some of the complexities that occur in the profession, raise teachers’ voices in discussions of educational reform, and ultimately transform assumptions about the teaching profession itself" (Fitchman & Yendol-Hoppey, 2014, pg 5). Now this may sound a lot like research that comes from universities and other big research corporations for education, however teacher inquiry is different. Let us compare big company research to individual teacher inquiry through an agriculture example. "In agriculture the equation of invested input against gross yield is all: it does not matter if individual plants fail to thrive or die so long as the cost of saving them is greater than the cost of losing them.… This does not apply to the careful gardener whose labour is not costed, but a labour of love. He wants each of his plants to thrive, and he can treat each one individually. Indeed he can grow a hundred different plants in his garden and differentiate his treatment of each, pruning his roses, but not his sweet peas. Gardening rather than agriculture is the analogy for education" (Ruddock & Hopkins, 1985, p. 26, as cited in Fitchman & Yendol-Hoppey, 2014, pg 10). Now this isn't to say that the farmer's work or the gardener's work is neither better or worse than the other, it simple means they have different purposes for growing and have different specific outcomes at the end of the growing season. The same can be said for big education research and teacher inquiry. So, why would a teacher want to engage in teacher inquiry and how does it differ from the different strategies already in place in schools? Well the main reason for teachers to engage in teacher inquiry is to get a better insight into their own individual classes. For example through inquiry, a teacher can determine learning styles, different interests, and through these the teacher can make adaptations to their current instruction methods, giving every student the best chance to succeed. "But, we have so many other strategies in place like differentiated learning, Response to Intervention (RTI), Progress Monitoring, Data-Driven Decision Making, Lesson Study, Teacher Evaluation, and Common Core Standards. How is this any different?" I understand the push back, the thought process that this is just another strategy that you need to learn to keep everyone happy. Let me put it simply, Teach Inquiry is what you do BEFORE you do all these other strategies. In order to make a decision, you must observe things about your classroom and students that make them individuals and from there you can alter plans, assignments, and interventions accordingly. Now your last question may be, "But I already reflect on my teaching everyday, I reflect on my plans, my actions, and my students performance on what was taught in class, is this the same thing?" Well, yes and no. it is similar because you are making observations and then altering different structures. However, teacher inquiry is different based on two principles: it is intentional and it is visible. Teachers look to solve a specific problem or puzzle in their classroom when performing inquiry, rather than on the fly style reflection. Inquiry has planned reflection time, reflection can happen anywhere (on the way to the break room, at dinner, or even right before the next class). And secondly, teacher inquiry is visible. When teachers reflect, it is usually done quietly, or talked about a little with nearby teachers. However, teacher inquiry invites discussion, debate, and pertinent educational conversation. So bottom line, "Through the inquiry process, teachers can support with evidence the decisions they make as educators and, subsequently, advocate for particular children, changes in curriculum, and/ or changes in pedagogy. Inquiry ultimately emerges as action and results in change" (Fitchman & Yendol-Hoppey, 2014, pgs 26-27).
Source: * Dana, Nancy Fichtman; Yendol-Hoppey, Diane (2014-05-06). The Reflective Educator's Guide to Classroom Research: Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn Through Practitioner Inquiry. SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition. Okay, maybe I'm not a TRUE transformer, in the Hollywood sense, but I am a transformer because I can make a difference. For the next few blog posts, I am going to be covering some topics for the capstone course for my Masters program (YAY!). This first blog will cover mainly who I am (If you want more info about me though you can check out the about me page or my very first blog post), and some insight into the TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION I want to make in the education world. So first off, let's get to know a little bit about me. My name is Mary Beth and I am currently in my Master's program at Miami University. In a little less than a year (hopefully), I will have my Masters of Arts in Teaching for Secondary (7-12) Life Science and Chemistry Education. Before I made the decision to go into education, I obtained my Bachelors of Science in Animal Science from the Ohio State University. Now while working towards my undergrad degree, my main areas of focus were horses and goats, and if you didn't know me before now, you will now know me as the girl with all the goat stories, I LOVE GOATS! * And yes, I know it looks like this goat has no ears, this is a special breed called a LaMancha Goat, they were selectively bred to look like this. This kind of ear is called a Gopher ear, there the ear is less than 1 in (the males used for breeding can only have this type of ear). There is also an other kind called an elf ear, which is less than 2 in, like this! Goats are awesome, they can be used for meat, milk, or fiber. Goat meat is the most widely consumed meat worldwide, aka more people worldwide eat goat meat vs beef, pork, or even chicken. And to top that off, the nutritional facts for goat meat beat out any other red meat and even chicken! For example - a 3 oz portion of goat meat has 122 calories, 2.6 grams total fat, 0.8 grams saturated fat, 64 grams cholesterol, 3.2 milligrams of iron, and 23 grams of protein. Now lets compare this to a very common meat, typically used when someone wants a healthier lifestyle, chicken (again 3 oz) - 162 calories, 6.3 grams total fat, 1.7 grams saturated fat, 76 milligrams of cholesterol, 1.5 milligrams of Iron, and 25 grams of protein. So, goat meat might be an important protein to consider in any diet, the only consideration is that because it is so low in fat, it needs to be cooked low and slow to stay tender (Tardiff, 2015). ' This is not to even delve deeply into the milk and fiber businesses. Goat milk may have the same amount of fat as cows milk, but the fat globules are much smaller in goats milk. This means that goat's milk is easier to digest. It also is lower in milk sugars, or Lactose, which makes it a viable option for people who may be lactose intolerant. If you are wanting to try goats milk, obtaining chilled raw milk is best, because the homogenizing and pasteurizing process tends to alter the flavor profile of the milk. On top of that, you can use the milk to make other products including many different types of beauty products, yogurt, and cheese. Fiber goats, typically Angora goats, are used to produce mohair. and any goat can be used to produce cashmere. Now, why in the world did I make you read a long infomercial about how awesome goats and the products they produce are? Well, it ties directly into the transformative action I want to be involved in once I enter the education world, the Impact of Agriculture on Education. "Transformative Action is an alternative paradigm for social action that moves us beyond complaint, competition, and “us versus them” thinking" ("What is Transformative Action?", 2016). And this is achieved by using a 3-fold method - 1) it breaks the silence that surround injustice, 2) creating a what is best for us attitude and climate, and 3) creating a vision. With so many individuals today (children and adults) being removed up to 5 times from the farm, many do not truly understand the aspects of life associated with farms including forestry through to agricultural biotechnology. Teaching students today the importance of agriculture can also help them to grasp complex topics like math and science if it is presented in an easy, real life context. By bringing my love of agriculture and education together, I hope to be able to give my future students a better head start in life. Sources:
A large challenge facing any teacher today is that we want our students to be literate in the content we are teaching, yet they still need to be able to pass all the standardized testing the system heaps on them. It is a delicate balance of powerful/useful tools that students can employ for a lifetime versus "covering" all the information in time for the test. We have become a society that values more what a student can produce for a test, rather than if they truly know and can understand the information they are learning. So what does this topic have to do with Science Journalism? Well, Wendy Saul aims to get to the core of what it means to be scientifically literate, while working withing current curriculum parameters for testing. Saul has written a book titled Front Page Science: Engaging Teens in Science Literacy, which aims to have students gain the skills of being science journalists not only for school, but for 10, 15, 20 years into the future. Saul has also created the online and print publications http://scijourner.org/ and the SciJourner, respectively. these publications are a way for students who are participating in the SciJourn project to possibly get their work published. Saul states in her book, "Understanding how the latest science affects real people - patients, consumers, voters, and taxpayers - is the heart of science literacy" (Saul, pg1). This goes back to the point that what we are trying to teach students in school, is hopefully knowledge and skills they can rely on and use for the rest of their lives. For example, Saul has a chapter dedicated to learning how to properly interview a credible source of information. having this skill can help students in their adult life by being able to ask questions of their doctor if they have a certain illness and what are all the available treatments, instead of just blindly going on faith. (I trust very highly in the medical profession, but new treatments come about every day and it is crucial to be able to ask and question those charged with your health). Not to mention the impact it can have on their interviewing skills for a future job! Saul states that there are 5 major components of being a good reporter/ scientific journalist. The first being that students do not have to have an extensive scientific knowledge base, they just have to be willing and able to "get the story". Second, the students have to have a research topic/ question that is relevant and timely in society. Third, the research done by the student (including interviews) utilizes multiple credible resources. Fourth, students should take care to not show bias in their thinking and in their article. If they plan to do an article on why vegetarianism is a beneficial life style, they should take care to see the benefits of an omnivorous and carnivorous lifestyle and present that information as well. And fifth, students need to be able to summarize the information the have compiled into an easily digestible format for the readers. The last major point that Saul makes, is that the idea of a Read-Aloud/ Think-Aloud (RATA), can be beneficial for all students, and not just in science. The way a RATA works, is the teacher will project (or have students on laptops pull up) an article or piece of writing. The teacher will then read the article aloud and make annotations and comments while she is reading aloud. In doing so, the teacher is modeling (which we all know is a critical component of instruction) the way in which a scientifically literate individual would read and analyze a text. This is especially helpful for students who have not yet begun to think critically about what they read, or been given the tools to think as scientists do. The following is a short, simple example of what a RATA would look like, of course the teacher is reading and thinking aloud as they complete this so the students can see the though process (this RATA seems to mainly look at vocabulary, but RATA's a wide and varied in their uses). Many teachers would argue that the SciJourn project seems to provide an invaluable learning experience for their students, but they do not have the time to implement it into the school's curriculum. However, SciJourn has created their own set of standards which can be linked to the general science or literacy standards, just check out the website: http://coe.umsl.edu/w2/initiatives/SciJourn%20Web/standards.html. The SciJourn standards can easily be transitioned into the general curriculum of almost any school. By having students act like scientific journalists, we are giving them the tools to be scientifically literate teens and adults. These tools they can call upon at any time, from taking a standardized test, to deciding if organic or conventionally raised produce is right for them. it is our job as educators to give students the tools, ability, and confidence to succeed in real life outside of school, and the SciJourn project helps teachers and students do just that.
Source: Saul, Wendy. Front-page Science: Engaging Teens in Science Literacy. Arlington, VA: NSTA, 2012. Print. So the title is a little confusing I admit. However, let me explain. The weekend of March 31 - April 3, the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) held their annual conference in Nashville, TN. The NSTA "is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all". The NSTA comprises of an eclectic group of science professionals including "science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education". And their national convention brings many of these professionals together in one place to attend seminars, participate in hands on activities, gain new insights into how they can incorporate the ideas presented into their own fields, and on top of that, many booths hand out free materials and swag! :) If any of you science professionals out there want to meet other professionals, network with them, and learn some great new techniques or strategies, make sure you get to the next national conference! Oh and did I mention that the 2017 conference is going to be in Los Angeles, so you can add surf and sun to the mix too! For more information, check out the NSTA website, specifically about the next national conference: http://www.nsta.org/exhibitsadv/national.aspx So now onto the topic of parasites! While I had the pleasure of attending the national conference, I also had the extreme pleasure to be able to present during the High School - Hands On - Hodge Podge - Share - A - Thon. (I know, it's a really big mouthful!) This seminar was an opportunity for science professionals to showcase some of their favorite activities, lesson plans, or unit plans. What I presented was a unit/ lesson plan about parasites and how we can look at and disrupt their ecosystems using fecal data. 5 E’s Learning Cycle: Making Claims about Parasite Populations Using Fecal Data Subject (CONCEPT): Making Claims about Parasite Populations Using Fecal Data Links to NGSS: HS. Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: constructing explanations and designing solutions (HS LS2-7), Engaging in Argument from Evidence (HS LS2-6), Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (HS LS2-1,-2), Cause and Effect (HS LS2-8/ HS LS4-6). Anticipatory set (ENGAGE): Video showing how to perform a fecal float test to determine the amount of worm/ parasite eggs in the feces of a specific species. Video link is below. Instructional Strategies: video, case studies, data tables and graphs, discussion, team and individual components, making a claim and defending that claim based on data. Materials: laptop/ computer and screen to show video (for the teacher to show the video), data sheets, pens/pencils. Activities: (EXPLORE): Students will work in teams and examine case studies of individual animals. A brief explanation of animal external indicators of parasite levels will be provided in each case study, thus students will be gaining new information with each study. Each group will be allowed to select a different animal (four animals for this activity but you can create more case studies if wanted) to evaluate. Then each team will present their claim along with their evidence for that claim. Each group should provide some sort of visual to help explain their claims and the support they have for it. (EXPLAIN): After students have finished analyzing the case studies and made their predictions about the parasite load for each animal, the whole class will come together to formulate definitions that are critical to the lesson. Vocabulary will be constructed using Frayer Model sheets. Terms include: Parasite, ecosystem, anthelmintic/ de-wormer, fecal float test/ Fecal Egg Count, fecal float solution, parasitic relationship, parasite load. These terms will be presented in either the video for reference or in the packet with the case studies. (ELABORATE): Students will work on an individual basis and go through process of stations placed around the classroom. The stations will include: 1) Three stations focusing on different populations of animals and their parasite loads. Each station will require students to create a graph or table of the information; 2) A station dedicated to the parasitic life cycle and their relationship to their hosts and their ecology; 3) A station that looks at the mathematical representation of using dewormers and their effect on parasite populations (Fecal Egg Count Reduction Tests or FECRT); 4) A station on identifying different types of parasites based on what their eggs look like under a microscope (can use preserved slides and microscopes or printed images on paper); 5) Reading and analysis of an article that examines the benefits of parasites (this article can be found on Newsela, the title can be found with the activity https://newsela.com/articles/worm-health/id/11542/) if you want to use the website instead of the sheet. The questions are the quiz questions, and the level is set to max. 6) Students will create a concept map based around the word PARASITE. Accommodations for special learners: The activities can be read to students who require directions read to them (visually impaired or those with learning disabilities), the lab can be printed in bigger font for students who need it. Pictures and images will be provided throughout the lesson to accommodate ADHD learners who may have trouble focusing on text only documents. Assessment (formal or informal) (EVALUATE): The students will create a poster, digital story, comic strip, newsletter, mobile, game, or other alternative assessment to demonstrate what they know and are able to do as a result of this learning cycle. The above lesson plan, I give anyone free use to use. If you want to full lesson plan however (handouts and all) just contact me!
With everything that teachers need to accomplish in a given year: standardized tests, regular tests, homework, quizzes, writing prompts and assignments, other teachers, principals and parents. Not to mention textbooks, papers, copier machine jams, short supplies thus buying their own, and making everything look like it is no effort at all. There is one factor that can tip the scale either into good or bad territory, and that is the student's behavior. Enter: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES! Today I will be providing 5 classroom management strategies that any teacher can implement, no matter the class they teach. So buckle up and get ready, cause here they come! 1) First Day of School When it comes to classroom management, it can all be boiled down to one basal point that can affect the classroom for the whole year, the first day. Many teachers allow students more freedom on the first day/ week of class because everybody is feeling each other out. They tend to let students talk more, maybe look at their phones more, etc. This is your most valuable tool, because you only have one chance to make a first impression. If you make it clear right from the get go that you are indeed the teacher and that you hold a position of power/ respect in the classroom, it will make the rest of the school year much easier. Another tip for this portion is to dress the part. You are in the class to be their teacher first, friend second. So dress professionally so the lines don't become blurred. 2. Rules When it comes to laying down the law in a classroom, especially if a student has acted out of turn, it is easier if you have a specific set of rules/ guidelines that everyone (you included), should follow diligently. Now, each classroom is different, so the way in which you decide to choose or formulate those rules is entirely up to you. You can have a simple set which encompasses many topics, or you can even run your room like a democracy where you and the students decide upon the rules (mainly expectations in this strategy) together (however, this strategy may be more useful after you have gotten to know the students so you have a better idea of what to focus on). A simple set of rules anyone can utilize are:
3. Preferred Learning Styles This is a strategy that is a little different because it involves a bit more work on the teachers part and very little on the students part. One way to be more relate able to your students is to find out what their preferred learning style is. Achieving this is simple, you can either handout a survey to the students in class, or you can have them perform an online survey either in class or as "homework". In performing this survey, you begin to see your class in a deeper light, one that means you can make your lesson plans more reachable to your students. If students are able to take in and learn what you are trying to teach them, they will be more willing to learn more and act out less. Here is a link to one such survey, in case you wanted to use one: http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml. 4. I like to move it, move it I love when King Julien sings this in Madagascar, and it holds true for teachers and students alike. For teachers, when you move around the classroom, instead of staying in one spot or just at the front, you are able to move closer to the more unruly students you can provide individual attention of discipline (NEVER humiliate a student, let alone in front of their peers). As for the students, movement gets the blood flowing to not just the limbs, but to the brain. Moving around help keep kids from being bored, helps them refocus, and exercise is always good. Even if it is for only a moment or two, it still has benefits. 5. Stick to the planHanding down punishment is no fun for anyone involved, kids don't like to be punished and you don't like punishing them. But the reason you have rules in the classroom is to help you deal with unruly behavior, and the students will be able to know before hand that certain actions have consequences. However, if you only give a constant stream of warnings, for example you tell a student 5 times to put away their phone), they begin to believe that you don't mean what you say. So you need to have a discipline plan set so you and the students know you mean business. Here is just one example:
Classroom management is one of the easiest components to incorporate, yet may have the most return on investment. If you and your students are willing to put in the time to properly manage your classroom, you wind up with a better learning environment for everyone. When it comes to teaching in the classroom, there are multiple ways of teaching/ instructional models and design. Some examples include direct instruction, the strategy instructional model, and differentiated instructional model. The one I will be covering today is the 5 E Model. The 5 E model consists of 5 different components of a learning cycle, each starting with the letter E. The one area I want to focus on today is the ENGAGE, because if you can't get the attention of your students early on, it is going to be that much harder to get and retain their attention for the rest of the class. Some events that can constitute as an ENGAGE portion include videos, music, film clips, games, demos, and even readings. The following five activities are just a few of my favorite ENGAGE options. 1) Motivational Mondays This was a tactic I observed in one of my field placements where the teacher would devote a few moments to show the kids either a motivational meme or video to get the kids excited for the week. It also works as a good transition from weekend mode to classroom mode without being too harsh in the transition. The students can also get involved the previous week by suggesting possible motivation prompts for the next Monday. Another good example of motivational Monday is the kid president videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs 2) The Amoeba Sisters Videos This series of videos is a youtube channel that showcase two cartoon sisters who happen to be amoebas. These sisters provide videos that can help explain concepts in science including mitosis, meiosis, and photosynthesis. This acts as a good engage because it can begin to help introduce a new concept or review a learned concept while being interesting and entertaining. These videos can also be used elsewhere in the learning cycle, but as an ENGAGE it gets kids thinking about the subject for the day. Here is the link to their mitosis video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwcwSZIfKlM 3) Meiosis Square Dance This is a short video that talks about meiosis, but in square dance form! this video is in a very old cartoon style and can seem to be repetitive at times but even if it is only used for the comedic quality, it will be well used in the classroom. Maybe later on in the lesson you could have the students actually do the meiosis square dance to help reinforce the learning that is taking place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCL6d0OwKt8 4) Flickclips Flickclips.com is a website that provides small clips from a huge list of movies that showcase science in some way. The automatic ones that come to mind may be Finding Nemo for ocean science of Osmosis Jones for anatomy or biology. However, many "typical" movies that seem to not involve science at all can have a few moments of science in them which can really help in the classroom. For example, Iron Man can be used to show the scientific method. It involves a format that is easily relateable to students in the classroom and topics in science that may be more difficult to understand. Link to the site: http://www.flickclip.com/ 5) Demo a Day Using demo's in the classroom is a good way to showcase real life examples of what the students are learning in the classroom. A demo is something you can use in your class within the first few minutes and the effect can be long lasting, especially in the minds of the students. Some examples of demo's include the edible candle (using a cheese stick, a slivered almond, and a flame), surface tension boat (using a paper boat, water, and soap), and even capillary action toothpicks (using water and toothpicks). The idea of demo a day was provided by Flinn Scientific and they have a whole set of books about different demos you can do every day for a year with your class for different science disciplines. https://www.flinnsci.com/teacher-resources/emails/video-landing-pages/a-demo-a-day%E2%84%A2-books/ While I have provided 5 ways in which to engage your students in learning in class, there is one other big way in which you can improve engagement in your classroom. That is to be engaged WITH your students. Ask them how their day is going, if they play a sport what position do they play, if they are in the school play ask them about their part. If we become interested in our students and what goes on in their lives, we can help them to want to be engaged in our classroom. They begin to see us as an ally and someone they can come to and rely on, which in turn relates to engagement in the classroom.
A question that has plagued many a teacher in regards to their classroom. We want to give our students as much hands on experience as we possibly can in order to provide them with real world working knowledge about their content area or respective fields. For example, an anatomy class will want to do multiple dissections of different organs such as the brain, the heart, and even a whole organism so that students can have hands on experience with the body's systems. Another example would be in a general science classroom most students will be given a lecture about certain processes within a cell, maybe be shown a video or look at some slides but that's it for the hands on portion. However, with increasingly limited budgets and a classroom environment that may lend to a more kind nature (in some respects), many schools are leaning towards online simulations. The simulations provide the same outcome as having a true hands on experience, just presented in a different format. I am going to offer 3 simulations that you could incorporate into your own science classroom: 1) Froguts (a Bio-elearning Co.) (BIOLOGY/ ANATOMY)- This is a company that has created a plethora of different simulations including frog, fetal pig, squid, starfish, and even peas and flies for Mendelian genetics. They offer two different tracts, depending on grade level, they have the general Froguts dissections for 7-12 or they offer the Froguts Science Adventure Series for k-6. This company has multiple components to their simulations including narration, physical dissection using the mouse and key pad, as well as assessments after each section covered. This site does require a yearly membership in order to access it of $299, but that is for the year and allows for up to 300 logins per day and can be used by the whole school. This is a great option as an alternative assignment for students who do not want or do not feel comfortable with a real dissection in the classroom. http://www.froguts.com/store/school.html 2) Edheads Virtual Knee Replacement Surgery (ANATOMY)- This simulation is great for any student or adult interested in surgery. Edheads provides quite a few types of surgery including knee replacement, hip replacement, and even deep brain stimulation. This simulation includes narration and hands on (using the mouse) steps including swabbing, suturing, and even dislocation. This simulation does require some manual dexterity with the mouse due to having some level of precision during the different surgeries. It also offers a few diagnostics questions in the beginning about the patient and certain tools or tests. This simulation is free for anyone to access through the Edheads website. http://www.edheads.org/activities/knee/index.shtml 3) Becoming Human (EVOLUTION)- This simulation is a little different in the fact is is called an interactive documentary. It follows the evolution of human over 4 million years, with certain parts being annotated. students can download, or view on the site, the documentary and explore areas in more depth that they want to learn about. There are 4 main areas for exploration including evidence, anatomy, lineage, and culture. Each segment has a documentary portion and a segment at the bottom with related exhibit information. This simulation is free and is offered in English, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and Sinhala languages. This simulation does require broadband to be usable. http://www.becominghuman.org/node/interactive-documentary Adding a simulation to the classroom is a great way to incorporate a more student-centered, hands on approach if you are unable to or wish to provide a different type of learning assignment in your classroom.
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AuthorHey, my name's Mary Beth and I am starting this blog to document my journey in becoming a high school life science/ chemistry teacher. Archives
March 2016
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