April

3. Know the concepts listed as the Study Guide on the Home Wiki Page AND be able to identify or explain them as they pertain to your Unit Plan on Tuesday.
=July 16:=

1. When creating/writing your science unit, what did you find to be the most challenging part for you?
Time constraints in a lesson; it's difficult to account for all the unknown factors. Also, determining the appropriate difficulty level for second graders.

2. Does your sample lesson and unit in general play on your own learning strengths?
Yes (hey this is my question!). Lots of hands-on activity in lieu of memorization. The chance to play with design and come up with creative solutions. It's pretty well suited to a learner like myself.

3. What is one thing you learned or observed from this class that you will definitely implement in your classroom as a future teacher?
"Why should the teacher do the heavy lifting?" and "He (or she) who does the work gets the learning."

4. What was the most useful Community Science Resource you came across, while doing research for this class and your lesson plans?
The Missouri Botanical gardens...many different habitats, school programs and field trip opportunities, etc.

5. How will you help students become independent learners?
Giving them some structured freedom with no right or wrong answers. Letting them choose the problems/topics they find most compelling. Letting students do the "heavy lifting" instead of the teacher spoon-feeding them information.

6. Does your unit plan incorporate your philosophy of teaching? Give an example of how your unit plan incorporates your philosophy of teaching.
It does - lots of group work where members construct meaning together, opportunities for students to work autonomously, and make academic choices.

7. Did you come across any good online science resources while working on your unit plan that you would like to share?
Good old Youtube. Lots of resources on Pinterest, links to other teachers' blogs.

8. Did you come up with any creative science activities or experiments that you would like to share aside from anything you presented?
A home water survey and/or school water use survey could have led to some interesting conclusions.

=July 9:=

1. 10 minute Inquiry: Sustainability: What is it? Does it belong in the Science curriculum?
I believe sustainability can be described as the practice of mindfulness. It can also be interpreted as reducing one's negative impact on the natural world and its available resources. I believe that it definitely has a place in Science curriculum. I think we can teach not the dogma of sustainability but the habit of mindfulness. Students can learn that they don't live in a vacuum.

It's common sense to consider your resources and impact on the world around you. It's good practice to think of your action as interconnected to other actions - when I do something, how does it affect other people, the world around me, etc.? I think it is also important to understand a supply chain and the impact of production - where do our materials come from and what is the real-world cost of these items in terms of human labor, raw materials, etc? I think students can also benefit from observing and interacting with a real habitat; it's less abstract when you are working in your own neighborhood or campus.

I believe very strongly that sustainability is about learning to see problems and taking action to solve them. I mean, real and immediate and tangible action. I want my students to someday become the type of people who do things when things need doing. I want them to rely on themselves and not wait for their institutions/government/authority figures to identify the problems for them. If they see a way to improve their world, I want them to be able to ask the critical questions and analyze the situation, and then I want them to be able to think of a plan of action for themselves. I like the definition of Sustainability: The capacity to endure: It doesn't seem to high minded or doom and gloom. Agency is embedded: Bob =2. Check out the NSTA website: [] Here is the link to student/preservice teacher application: []. I will sign your application, if you wish to join. The local NSTA affiliate is called STOM (Science Teachers of Missouri). More information can be found at [|http://www.stom.org].= = =

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= = ==3. We heard a lot about one particular publisher of textbook, and we all have had them in classes from an early age. What do you think? What role do textbooks have in the (science) classroom? Has / will / can /should technology replace textbooks?== The bottom line for me is, what works best? What gets the best results?

Textbooks are a jumping-off point and a potential structural guide for a teacher who needs one. I think a teacher should mostly just choose whatever materials best support their unit plans, instead of teaching around an arbitrary timeline. Textbooks could limit our flexibility unless used here and there for their most useful elements. To me, they are mostly reference materials to be consulted by students on an as-needed basis.

Technology is similar - a useful tool, worth taking a look at. If it overshadows the real teaching or replaces a critical face-to-face, tactile element, it might not be that helpful a tool. Both textbooks or technology can be powerful tools in the hands of a thoughtful teacher.

Technology is unlikely to replace textbooks. Many schools still can't afford basic technology. Many schools have outdated textbooks and limited supplies. My son's kindergarten class used few textbooks and fewer computers. They don't have much of a budget so materials are humble. The students wrote in simple composition notebooks for almost every subject, and did experiments and projects with materials from home. The teacher's lessons were strong enough to overcome the lack of tools. Strong Teachers deliver strong lessons. Minimal material is needed if the lesson is focused on a goal and the teacher is creative and can connect with students. I hope you shared your observations with your son's teacher.: Bob

4. Have you changed your opinion on something since the beginning of class? If so, explain one or more topics where your thinking was challenged.
= = Yes - I was intimidated by the idea of teaching Science curriculum. I am interested in lots and lots of things, but I have not really //studied// science (except when forced) and it was mostly rote memorization. My rote memory stinks. I was afraid that I would have to be an expert on each topic I teach to kids and that I wouldn't be able to remember it all. And how can I get them excited about something I don't really understand myself?

I took to heart what Prof. Shaw said about teachers not having to do the heavy lifting. The students do, in fact, need to be the ones doing the work of inquiry and exploration in order to get the learning. And inquiry is turning out to be a pretty exciting process. We have been given much more freedom than I expected and I have really enjoyed it.

Horray!

5. Have you solidified an opinion since the beginning of class? If so, explain one or more topics where you thinking was affirmed.
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= **July 2:** = === 1. When should Differentiated Instruction be used? Should all students have the same opportunity? ===
 * I believe differentiated instruction is appropriate in any situation where a student or students will learn best through alternate teaching methods or can best demonstrate evidence of learning in an alternate format. I think that a lot of time and energy could be wasted on insisting that students adhere to a particular format instead of accepting evidence of learning in other ways. I don't think that a teacher can create a totally customized stress-free experience for each student. I think a teacher can identify when a particular strategy is holding a student back and alter that strategy. **

=== 2. What is the difference: ‘What gets rewarded gets done’ vs. ‘What is rewarding gets done.’ Which is truer for you? === A ** little bit of both. I do a lot of things that I don't enjoy because it is required (by work, school, the government, etc) but I find that the tasks that are rewarding get the most intense interest. I put a lot more into something that is personally rewarding in some way, even if it is not the most important project on the syllabus or the most time-sensitive task at work. **

=== 3. How are the skills you used in solving LEGO Challenges considered Science/ STEM? Isn't is just playing with LEGOs? === === 4. Name two science standards at your target grade level that are not part of your unit. Describe how you would meet them with an engineering (design-build-test-redesign) lesson. ===
 * STEM education is the integration of science, technology, engineering & math and it is often used with real-world, problem-based learning. The LEGO Challenges required us to use engineering skills and a bit of math; it is also a hands on activity with a strong problem-solving component. We had to do a "real" thing that was tested in a real way. **


 * 2-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics **
 * Students who demonstrate understanding can: Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants **


 * I would have these student create a method to disperse seeds. They'd first research and analyze how certain wildlife disperses seeds (for instance, a bird carries fruit in its mouth and the seeds drop down from the sky onto the earth, or a maple tree seed has a little helicopter "propeller" on it. They could have to make something that can carry a seed on the wind. **


 * 2-ESS2-1 Earth's Systems **
 * Students who demonstrate understanding can: Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.*[Clarification Statement: Examples of solutions could include different designs of dikes and windbreaks to hold back wind and water, and different designs for using shrubs, grass, and trees to hold back the land.] **

This sounds fun and engaging: Bob
 * For this standard, I'd set up a small landscape in the classroom with a fan at one end. The landscape would have something that could get blown around a bit, like sand, and students could try out different ideas (structures, height, shapes, wind blocks, etc) to cut down on wind changes. **

=== 5. What advantage would there be to giving students choice about how to demonstrate what they have learned? Any disadvantages? ===

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 * Students are more likely to be engaged if they are allowed to demonstrate their learning in a format that appeals to them and gives them a solid chance of success. It allows the learning to take priority rather than possible struggles with the format. The only disadvantages I can think of are that: 1) some students may be less inclined to try new things and learn new skills (picking the same type of demonstration over and over), and 2) organizing the logistics of 25 different demonstrations in different formats could be a smidge chaotic. **=====

=== 6. The Solar Oven unit isn't really about Solar Ovens. What is its goal/purpose? ===
 * The purpose of the solar oven is to walk through the process of engineering, testing, re-engineering, etc. It's also about deciding what to measure and how to measure it. This is the type of hands on activity we'll be doing with students; we need to actually have done some of them ourselves before we expect students to. ** Perching two birds with on stick: Sustainability, energy, solar system, Engineering, geometry investigation, measurement, problem solving, teamwork, Gross motor skills, sun safety and more.: Bob

=== 7. If you were to share one key thing from the Preparing Creative and Critical Thinker article, what would it be? ===


 * I like this part: "Generating many possibilities is not enough by itself to help you solve a problem. Similarly, if you rely on focusing alone, you may have too few possibilities from which to choose. Effective problem solvers must think both creatively and critically, generating options and focusing their thinking." That fits with my personal experience. You need both forces; just utilizing one or the other causes you to stop short of really solving a problem. I also see them as complimentary and intertwined processes, not separate ways of thinking. **

=== 8. Which of the tools from the Creative Problem Solver's Toolbox would you use (or not use) in your classroom and why? ===
 * I like force-fitting as a springboard. Coming up with something from nothing can be daunting. Some types of thinkers may have trouble coming up with ideas in a vacuum and need a place to start. It also teaches a good habit of mind - to look for less-than-obvious connections. I think it teaches children that creativity sometimes is the result of combining unrelated elements. **


 * ALoU is also a good strategy for beginning the creative process. It helps you generate specific solutions to specific limitations. **


 * June 25: Journal 3: **

What is something you learned from the Pond Life book?
I was surprised to learn that there are are so many different classifications of ponds; I also did not know that a pond is identified by the presence of rooted plants growing throughout, fairly uniform temperature, a few waves. I also thought the different zones of a pond were interesting (emergent plant, floating leaf plant, etc.)

Explain Differentiated Instruction in your own words.
Differentiated instruction means providing all students with an equal opportunity to learn and to demonstrate their knowledge. Differentiated instruction can mean using different forms of teaching or transmitting information, making adjustments to accommodate students' physical or emotional needs, providing extra support when needed, letting students use different formats to submit their work or demonstrate learning, giving students more time on assignments, etc. I think it also means being inclusive and treating students who need accommodations with dignity and normalcy. I think it means giving each student the support they need to be equal players in the game.

What is the purpose of using a system like Responsive Classroom in a classroom/school?
From their website: ([])
 * The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.
 * How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand in hand.
 * The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.
 * To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills: cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
 * Knowing the children we teach—individually, culturally, and developmentally—is as important as knowing the content we teach.
 * Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to children’s education.
 * How the adults at school work together is as important as individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community.

Students interacting with one another can create powerful learning and prepare them to be active, lifelong learners. This system seems like it would deliberately teach students to treat one another with compassion. It also seems to take the approach that teachers must engage the students where they are (in terms of background knowledge, life experience, strengths, etc.). I think this would foster cooperation rather than competition among students.

Name a technology that would be useful in your unit and explain how it would enhance learning / assessment.
In my unit, I would love to have access to water collecting/creating technology. For example, a school with rain- collecting equipment already in use in a school garden, or a windmill that pumps water, etc. I would also like to have access to tablets so each group could quickly and easily access information and compile useful links and references.

What did you find out about Science Notebooks?
The North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership asserts that science notebooks can be used to help students develop, practice, and refine students' understanding of science, at the same time enhancing reading, writing, mathematics and communications. They allow teachers to assess students' understanding and provide the feedback students need for improving their performance. Also, science notebooks are a place where students formulate and record their questions, make predictions, record data, procedures, and results, compose reflections, and communicate findings. Notebooks also provide a place for students to record new concepts they have learned ([]).

However, according to one study presented at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching meeting, the power of student-generated graphics is not being harnessed at all stages of the inquiry cycle. Many teachers "miss opportunities to use science notebooks during preinvestigation to textually and graphically organize concepts related to the investigation, to construct graphic models representing the concept or phenomena to be investigated, and to make predictions based on their initial understanding of the concepts. ([])

It seems as though science notebooks can be a powerful tool for organizing thinking and making connections, but they need to be used strategically.

=**June 18: Journal 2:**=

Is Health a Science Topic? Elaborate:
Health is a science topic; it is also a psychology topic and probably a social studies topic as well. I don't think you can teach human growth and development without addressing mental and emotional health. I don't think you can teach health without discussing our culture's norms and values. With older students, I think you should address more global concerns such as health care, water rights, disease, etc. At the elementary level, Health probably would address the more basic topics like the systems of the body and how germs work...at that level, it is more of a traditional science topic.

What advantage is there to pretesting students? Are there any disadvantages? Why is this useful in the science classroom?
Pretesting is just information-gathering - I think it's a great way to save time or learn where students need support before you just barrel on ahead. Disadvantages? Maybe adhering slavishly to the results of the pretest. It is only one source of information, not THE source of information.

What are your thoughts on the the Classroom Performance System? Useful? Too complicated for a teacher to use? What good is the data it gathers?
I like the Classroom Performance System - it's a little like a game. It's also one way to get some real data while checking for understanding. I think it would be very useful for gathering honest opinions - some students really don't like to speak up, especially if they have an unpopular view. This kind of thing works very well with adults also - I use a google form from time to time to get honest feedback from an artists' group that I coorganize. They are less likely to share aloud information that might be confrontational in a group meeting. They also like to take the time to craft thoughtful responses. Would be nice if older students could use something like google forms that gives them the ability to provide more extensive answers.

What philosophy of education or pedagogical approach(es) do you identify with and why?
I identify most with POGIL, definitely. From their website - "POGIL is based on research indicating that a) teaching by telling does not work for most students, b) students who are part of an interactive community are more likely to be successful, and c) knowledge is personal; students enjoy themselves more and develop greater ownership over the material when they are given an opportunity to construct their own understanding ([])."

Think about a typical disinterested student - he probably wonders why he should learn this. Why should he care? What's the point? Will he actually use this some day? I think that the POGIL approach is your way in.

** What unit topic will you seek to develop? **
I am intrigued by the topic of water conservation; where water is, why we need it, how we collect it and use it. I think that I can tie together earth science, ecosystems, and engineering. I am still tweaking the outline.

Feel free to add any questions you have to the Parking Lot page.
=June 4: Journal 1:= ===What was the best idea/concept/procedure you took away tonight?=== The best concept I learned is the idea that a year-long science unit should flow naturally from one theme to the next. I am also glad that we talked about the practical and seasonal aspects of a science - like it might be difficult to observe plant life in December :).

I am also intrigued by the idea of letting students' interests guide the path of the unit. I am wondering if this is something that novice teachers can do successfully - I suspect it might be easier when one has really fleshed out and practiced the different types of science themes over the years. With the experience to know what works and what doesn't, you could make changes to your curriculum easily.

It has become more apparent to me with every course that I take that my early attempts as unit plans and lesson plans are unbelieveably structured - in my first-ever lesson plan, there was absolutely no room for questioning or exploring at all! We were learning how to build assessment into a unit and working backwards with the Understanding by Design model. I worry that Assessment will poison my lesson plans and make them too rigid and uninteresting. Weird to think that I am thoughtfully considering the role of spontaneity in science...I truly never thought it would be a major consideration. Bob: This depends on what you are assessing...trust your ability to ask good questions and support learning.

===This is how I would expand this idea…=== I am beginning to see how a teacher must put some thought into connections. I can see dozens of possible combinations and transitions and ways to combine topics and themes. A teacher might want to have some idea of their students' background knowledge before he or she begins - what did they study last year? Are they especially interested in certain topics? Is there something really interesting going on the world that you can piggyback off of (like a scientific discovery, a local exhibit, a trend, etc.) Bob: interesting expansion of this idea. what else?

===What question do you wish you asked in class (This could be about a topic, the class or the classroom)?=== What are some useful ways in which an elementary teacher might assess the students' learning? Projects? Journals? Drawings?

What did you find interesting about the methods and ideas shared in the video Changing Education Paradigms? What did you find upsetting or unsettling about the methods and ideas shared in the video? A small thing - I did not agree at all with the hint that ADHD is just boredom in disguise. While it is a very popular go-to diagnosis these days, real ADHD is a legitimate diagnosis and an often painful situation for the entire family. I do agree with Sir Ken that boredom sure doesn't help. Bob: I agree, but I also see that schools are not embracing all learners (especially boys) using current methods of 'sit and get.'

I love hearing from an academic the idea that intelligence has many facets. It is troubling that our educational system is essentially frozen in time with regards to structure and subject importance. The lack of attention given to the arts in public schools is disappointing. As an artist, I can't overstate the importance of the arts in the development of a child.