A New way of Teaching: Educationally Minded

We read this blog about a math teacher and how he decided to have his class learn a new math concept. He only gave them minimal information, such as the terms and the sites where they could find useful information to work out the math problem. He didn't really do much more than that, he wanted them to explore on their own and really engage in the activity. He was just there to guide them, and he did just that. He also mentioned that his students loved this activity and they hope he does more like it. Children get excited when they can explore on their own, it makes it so much fun. This teacher really wanted his children to engage in exploration while learning along the way. This was probably a really fun lesson for the students. The teacher hit 15 standards in one lesson!!!!! That is awesome! If all teachers taught with inquiry learning then our students' would learn so much more. Like this teacher said, it's more work for the teacher and more time for planning, but the pay off is so much more rewarding than if he just lectured and provided definitions on the board. This is the kind of teacher I hope to be, this is what I want my students to be doing with my assignments. Students retain more and learn more when working hands on and exploring!!!! His students were excited about learning, which makes it even more exciting to teach them, all while covering three times the standards in the curriculum as a traditional lesson would have done.    To read the blog yourself visit: Educationally Minded

Germinating Seeds....did yours change???

As part of one of our class experiments, we were told to take about 10 seeds of lettuce to germinate. We had to take a papertowel and wet it. Then we were told to place the seeds in them and keep them in a plastic baggie. The rules were to check it everyday, keep the papertowel moist, and take care of them. So that is what I am doing. I was going to separate them and keep one in light and one in dark, but I read in our text that it doesn't really matter. So it has been 5 days now, and the seeds finally are starting to do something!!! As I opened the papertowel, I noticed there is a bit of a yellow colored stain from some of the seeds. Also I noticed that some seeds appear to be spliting open. I cannot wait to see what's going to happen with them!!! I will post again in a couple more days  
                                                               

SMART practice makes perfect!

In class we practiced writing objectives again by completing a number of tasks on the SMART board. This was a great excercise because it was interactive and in a group setting where we all took part in answering the questions. This was very good practice, and helped me understand the mechanics of the CBC format. I am still unsure, but definitely more confident than before!!!!
                                                         

Which one is it???

I feel that technology could have a downfall here when it comes to distinguishing living and non living things. The thing about science is that you get to experience it. You can go on a nature walk, smell the smells, feel the textures, hear the sounds, etc. If you go on a virtual nature walk, some of those elements are missing. Sometimes technology takes away from the true learning experience in science. If you have to pictures on a computer one of a living and one of a non living plant(*fake) how could the student be sure which one is which?

                                                       

Science corner: I brought a branch with pine needles on it, I could bring in an acorn, a pine cone, some rocks, etc. I could ask students to identify the items, name what tree it is from if applicable, what type of rock, if it decomposes, if it is a food, texture, living or non living item, etc.

The lesson “When Is a Vegetable a Fruit?” is a lesson that is an example of both/and thinking because the teacher had the students categorizing them by fruits and vegetables. Students knew some ‘vegetables’ were in the ‘fruit’ pile and were asking questions. Then they learned they are in the fruit pile because of what part of the plant they are. What determines a vegetable and a fruit are what part of the plant they are. The students were familiar with the items in this experiment which made it more personal for the students. Students learned that certain characteristics can make something belong to more than one group.

                                                                                          

Sustained-inquiry explorations in lower grades leads to independent research by students in higher grades because they are already accustom to this procedure. If a student is used to inquiry learning and exploring, they will be more curious and asking more questions will be natural for them. They will be used to never settling and seeking out more information. These are the tools needed in life, and sustained inquiry explorations in lower grades are the foundation for them.

Science Corner

I am really enjoying the fact that we are creating a science corner in our classroom. This is very helpful for us as students studying to be teachers. Now we can help create what we will have our future students do  in our classrooms one day! It is nice to be able to experience what you will have your students do before they do!!!! I brought in a branch with long thin pine needles on it.

Getting Messy is a Blessing!!!

                                        
Students need to explore and be creative which means getting messy and noisy at times. As the teacher I would have them answer a set of questions that would make them observe, touch, mix, and create, etc to find the answers. Then I would have them teach a fellow student something they learned. This is going to make it more meaningful for the students and will excite them about learning. I will also be prepared to respond to any criticism from administrators, parents or colleagues. We retain 75% of what we are learning when it entails us “doing” and we retain 95% from teaching others! It is imperative for our students to experience science not just hear and read about it!

Lisa Schneier makes it a point that students need to be a part of science not just observers. Teachers need to allow students to do the “doing”. How can a student fully understand what he or she is learning about when they have not experienced it themselves? Will they retain this information? No! Teachers need to stop worrying about being neat and quiet and bring their classrooms alive for their students! Their futures depend on it!! Listening to lectures, and reading about experiments is like watching a preview for a movie. In order to really know what’s going on and be in on the plot, you need to go into the theater and experience the wide view, surround sound, and watch the movie from start to finish. If you only get the preview, you are an outsider just like these students.                                                                                                                                       

If a student asks me a question I do not hold the answer to, I will tell them, “that is a very good question, why don’t we find out together…or You know, that is an excellent question, I am not sure of the answer but lets try to find out together”. Teachers and students have a reciprocal relationship, teachers learn from students everyday as students learn from teachers everyday. I would point out that we are all explorers and there is always something new to learn.

                                                                                             

My objectives have been subjective.....

We are learning how to create objectives following the MSMC CBC format.  The problem that I am having is I don't know how to simplify what my objectives are!!! I use way too many words... You need to have the condition (C) the behavior (B) and the criterion (C). It sounds so simple yet it is so hard!!!!!
Dr. Smirnova created awesome activities for class this week to help us out with this complicated concept. I really enjoyed all of the SMART board activities that we all interacted with identifying and creating all parts of the CBC objectives.
                                                                      
I am definitely feeling more confident about creating and writing objectives, but the truth will be told when I go to do it again on my own, which I will be doing shortly to fix the ones I created last week...