Hi Everyone,
We will be approving your lesson 1 presentations. Get approval by Feb 4th for topic, group, trade level and standards. You will be blogging about the science standards for your topic/grade level, this week. Notes and activities around RSS Chapter 3. We will also talk more about your midterm projects. Don't forget to blog about this week's class activities, too. ALL POSTS NOW DUE BY SUNDAY NIGHT.
Have a great week.
Dr. E
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Technology
ReplyDeleteSome of the advantages of using technology in teaching science include completing online science experiments or tutorials. As a future teacher, I know that my school district will not have all of the necessary resources or materials to teach each concept. By using online activities, the students will still be able to explore and discuss the concepts while making predictions and conclusions. In addition, technology such as blogs, wiki spaces, or discussions can be used to post assignments, activities, or new information in science.
On the other hand, technology can be a hindrance in teaching science because teachers may rely on specific forms of technology every day for each lesson. As a future teacher, I will try to plan my lessons to incorporate technology in order to enhance each science lesson plan; I will pay special attention that each lesson is solely focused on the science standards rather than the technology portion. I believe that some teachers start to use technology and begin to focus more on the use of technology than teaching the content.
Lesson Plan & Standards
My group chose to complete our first lesson presentation on magnets. We will be addressing 2nd grade students using the following standard: 2.P.2.2. Students are able to predict the effects of magnets on other magnets and other objects. Our topic will address this standard by having students explore and investigate whether or not materials are magnetic. Students will be using given objects to sort into two groups – magnetic and nonmagnetic. Then, each group will form a prediction/hypothesis from their investigations. Students will have to test their predictions by finding at least two magnetic objects in the classroom and two nonmagnetic objects. Students will discuss and reflect about the process and how their prediction/hypothesis changed during the project.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, we discuss various questions about the first lesson plan and the midterm project. My group (Melissa & Brooke) decided that we are going to present a lesson on magnets to meet a 2nd grade standard. In addition, my group decided that we will be completing our midterm project on the science misconception: Wood floats and metal sinks. We will be using the following 1st grade standard to teach this misconception. 1.P.1.3. Students are able to predict how common materials interact with water. In addition, we discussed chapters 3 and 4 of the Ready, Set, Science. The chapters focused on helping students understand science by correcting misconceptions and organizing their ideas around the core concepts and four domains of knowledge. I will use these concepts in my future classroom by teaching my students a wide variety of concepts and misconceptions that they may have built around science content.
Thursday
On Thursday, the class completed a science experiment about motion. My group used several raw eggs, a meter stick, paper towels, two zip-lock bags, and tape for this experiment. When we completed this experiment, we learned that an object in motion will stay in motion until it hits another force. For example, when we put the egg in the car, the egg was moving as fast as the car until it hit the meter stick and flew off the car. I believe this activity would be a great activity to use in an elementary classroom to show students the importance of using seatbelts. I believe students would benefit from see a visual representation of Newton’s Law of motion and a reason to use seatbelts.
Technology can be good in a classroom and also a hinderance in a classroom. Technology can be good because it allows students to post their assignments from home and the night before instead of handing the assignment in during class. It will save time for teachers. Using blogs or Wikispaces allow students to post their assignments and let other students read the posts and comment on them. Students are able to share their ideas with their class, which helps all of the students. One issue that may be a problem is students responding to the blogs or wikispaces appropriately. Some students may have problems with students whos opinions differ. Some students and their families also may not have a computer or internet at home, which will make turning in assignments very difficult. Also computers labs are a great way for students to do research on or watch science simulations but some schools may not be able to afford computers for every child. Children may end up sharing computers and students will not be able to do as much as if they had their own computers. Power Point can be a great tool in the classroom if used right. For some students it is a distraction and does not help them learn and for others Power Points help students learn the information.
ReplyDeleteThe science standard, 4.L.3.1. Students are able to describe the flow of energy through food chains and webs. We are going to teach food chains by having the students complete riddles about what different animals eat. The riddle questions will be open ended and the groups of students will come up with different answers. The students will then complete a collage based on their answers. All of the collages will be different also.
On Tuesday we discussed our midterm projects. Joe and I decided to do our project on how the earth revolves around the sun not how the sun revolves around the earth. We plan on making a model to show both. We will explain to students how the correct answer is the earth revolves around the sun. We have not picked a standard or a book for our lesson yet.
Today in class we had a lab about Newton’s First Law of Motion. Through the lab we learned just like Newton’s law states a body in motion will stay in motion unless an outside force acts upon it. The lab helped show us this because when we dropped the egg from the air it eventually hit the table and cracked. The table was the outside motion, which stopped the object. I would use this in my classroom even though it could get messy. I think it teaches Newton’s first law of motion well. The lab would help students understand the concept and would help them learn the concept in a fun way.
Jessica Wilson
ReplyDeleteDiscussion- The use of technology in the classroom should be used only when it is engaging for the students and enhances their learning experience. It is important to remember that technology is most effective when the students are using it, not just the teacher. Computers can be used for typing up lab reports, exploring the internet, and engaging in computer programs. LabQuests, blogs, wikis, D2L, simulations, all of these can be engaging activities that enhance a students learning experience. While many teachers incorporate the use of powerpoints into their lessons, they are often lecture based, which does not engage students learning. To change this, teachers can put their powerpoints onto a SmartBoard notebook and create activities on the presentation for students to come up and complete using the board.
Tuesday class-In class today we took notes for Chapters 3 & 4. We also worked in our groups to discussour lesson presentations. My group, consisting of Danielle, Steve, Melani, and myself, has decided to work on a 1st grade lesson plan with the topic of “Sink or Float?” This lesson is aligned with the South Dakota Standard 1.P.1.3 which states, “Students are able to predict how common materials interact with water.” The book that we will be using is Who Sank the Boat?
Thursday class- We signed up for our second embedded experience today. We also discussed what we felt made a great teacher, based on what we read in an article and our experiences in school. I feel that a great teacher is one that takes a genuine interest in their students and the subject they are teaching. Great teachers are also able to think on their toes and are flexible in their planning. The activity we did in class was Crash Bags/ Crash Test. This activity allows students to connect experiments with learning the importance of seat belt and air bag safety. What I learned from this experiment is that science can be messy and to have extra materials for the event of multiple trial and errors. If I was doing this activity in my classroom, I would hard-boil the eggs that students are using only if the classroom is carpeted. In this case I would demonstrate with an egg that is not hard-boiled.
We did some really fun activates this week. Tuesday was a fairly normal class period, take notes and gain new information. I enjoyed learning about the different science misconceptions that children have. It was really interesting to hear some of them. As we talked about all of the different misconceptions in class I thought about all the ones I had as a child and realized that some of them are pretty universal. When I was a child I believed a lot of those things to be true as well. It takes a good science teacher or parent to help you develop the new knowledge to replace some of those ideas.
ReplyDeleteThursday on the other hand was so much fun! I know that any student of any age would LOVE to do a project like that. We had so much fun trying out the different experiments on our eggs. However we tragically lost both of them. It’s a great way to teach students about safety but also about motion and the different kinds of force on an object. These are the science projects I lived for in elementary and high school so they are defiantly ones I will use in my future classroom.
Technology in the classroom is a very important role in helping students that will soon have jobs outside of the classroom. We have to realize that students will be using technology that isn’t even invented yet. So as a teacher we must make sure that student have every opportunity of success by incorporating technology where ever we can inside the classroom. I know it is a hard to thing to do and frustrating at times but when students are proficient in technology they will be successful outside of the classroom. I think the use of the internet, blogs, or anything that students can use a computer or smart board will further there understand of a certain concepts. I think I will use technology as much as I can to help students understand more concepts. With the advances of the internet we can stream video on specific subjects that are covered in class. I think any time you can add a video students comprehend the text a little more.
ReplyDeleteMy group chose volcanoes and earthquakes as our first lesson plan. We linked with the 5 grade standard which is 5.L.3.1. Students are able to describe how natural events and/or human influences may help or harm ecosystems. Our topic will discuss some important concepts about volcanoes and earthquakes. We will go in-depth talking about natural disasters. With the recent earthquake we will discover what happened at Haiti and why we have earthquakes and also how to measure earthquakes. For volcanoes we will discuss what makes a volcano how hot is lava why do volcanos erupt? I also want to do a little experiment with volcanoes. The experiment will involve vinegar, dish soap and baking soda.
Tuesday:
On Tuesday we talked about the first lesson we will be doing with our groups. In my group I will be working with Ali and Jacque for my first lesson we will be discussing volcanoes and earthquakes. We discussed what we could do for a lesson and also for an experiment. We also found a standard for our lesson which is 5.L.3.1. Students are able to describe how natural events and/or human influences may help or harm ecosystems. After we talked in our groups we talked about our midterm and got into our groups for the midterm. As a class we talked about the midterm and what misconceptions children have about science. I really think this will be a fun and exciting lesson to do I am looking forward to see what everyone will do for their misconception.
Thursday:
On Thursday we did a fun lab that involved eggs. The lab showed students the need to wear a seat belt. I could see where students of any age would like this lab. We had to drop an egg from 1 meter on the table with different types of safety devices. One was dropping an egg in-between two snack bags that we inflated. Which turn out to be a tragic death of an egg. On the second part of the experiment we had to put the egg between the inflated snack bags and then tape the two bags together. We found that after we did this experiment that our precious little baby egg survived the tragic and dramatic 1 meter fall. After our egg survived Jacque kissed the egg and took it home to make an egg salad sandwich.
Tony I hope she didn't take home that the three month old egg I named Mr. Dendrite!
ReplyDeleteTechnology:
I believe that technology is a great way to enhance all lessons being presented in your classroom; especially when you make ample use of it as awesome manipulatives in the science classroom. Technology comes in all shapes and sizes ranging from the scientific calculators used to make conversions or even a protractor to measure certain angles. You can take internet resources and create an elaborate web quest that will embark your students on a scientific journey. No doubt about it, funding is an important contributor towards having your school district supply you with state of the art tools; and not all teachers are going to be lucky so we’re going to be creative in finding information on cheaper forms of technology!
Technology must be able to compliment an individual’s way of providing instruction. It should not be the other way around. Countless times I have noticed that some professors have trouble using the Smart Board technology and this corrodes an important factor while teaching, time. As a result we are going to have to specialize or become experts on utilizing the technology that we have acquired. If receiving newer technology, do extensive research on that particular type of technology before it arrives and you shall be okay! After all, it is our duty as educators to always keep our edges sharp.
Lesson Plan Standards:
Jess and I chose to create a lesson plan using the South Dakota Standard 4.L.3.1. This standard states that, “Students are able to describe the flow of energy through food chains and webs.” While not wanting to reveal too much of the activities we planned, we have created an activity that is going to follow the four strands of science quite similar to the Clue like investigation we worked on last week in class. I feel that this is going to be a fun, informative, and engaging lesson that’s going to have the students understand the cycle of energy through a food chain. The students will be presented with a puzzle and given the task to work together to piece it all together. I am very excited…
Tuesday:
On Tuesday we were given the task to discover a science misconception for midterm examination! Jess and I did a little research and discovered that an awesome misconception to use would be the old belief that Earth was the center of the solar system. We have not found a standard to reinforce the midterm but I know it’s out there waiting to be discovered! We decided that we could create two elaborate models to display and perhaps research a little history on this misconception.
Thursday:
Yesterday we did a fun activity that exemplified Newton’s ‘First Law of Motion which states that an object in motion will continue to be in motion unless an outside force stops it. This activity did a great job at making connections to the real world by placing an emphasis on the crucial need to always wear a seatbelt in a vehicle! The activity was awesome, I gathered a bunch of three month old eggs that were sitting in a moldy community refrigerator; I just wanted to make sure everyone had eggcelent time! We started the activity by placing an egg in a toy car protected by a plastic cup. The car was pushed into a wall and the cup protected the egg from its gruesome death. Next we blew up some plastic bags and dropped an egg on it. The egg literally bounced off the plastic bag and cracked, revealing a foul smelling liquid and yolk. We panicked and ran away for a few minutes. After the scene was cleared we taped two plastic bags to the egg and dropped it from the top of a meter stick. The egg still cracked but not so bad. The moral of this experiment is that in order to prevent the egg from cracking you must apply restraint and padding on the ground to prevent severe trauma. I had a great time with this activity and I can see how younger students could find this engaging.
It's Friday and time to kickback, dream, and relax.
Have a weekend!
Joey B
Technology:
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous ways technology can enhance learning in the classroom. There are many online simulations that go along perfectly with a lesson and allow students to leanrn in a less traditional way. Many students now use technology on a daily basis outside of the classroom; by integrating technology into any lesson the teacher will be able to make the lesson relatable to the students. As a future teacher, I intend on incorporating technology into my lessons whenever possible and appropriate.
Lesson Plan:
My partner and I chose to do our first lesson plan on weather cycles and patterns. This lesson will be directed towards the 2nd grade level using the standard: 2.E.1.1 Students are able to describe types and patters of weather during different seasons. We will be using the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs to introduce weather.
Tuesday's Class:
In Tuesday's class we addressed questions about the first lesson plan as well as the midterm project. Our group did not quite determine what science misconception we would like to address in our midterm project. We hope to look over the misconceptions and come to a decision soon. I found many of the misconceptions very interesting. I thought these misconceptions presented many great ideas to address when teaching science.
Thursday's Class:
In Thursday's class we conducted a science experiment about motion. The experiment involved using raw eggs and testing the motion of the egg.For the first test, we put an egg in a Styrofoam cup and placed the cup in a cart. We pushed the cart into a meter stick, which caused the egg to fly out of the cup. The egg did not crack during this test. The next test involved dropping the egg from a meter's stick height onto a plastic bag full of air. The egg slightly cracked during this test. The next involved taping the egg between two plastic bags full of air and dropping it. The egg was protected and did not crack during this test. I think this activity would be a great way to demonstrate the concept of motion to children.
Technology is very valuable in the classroom. I think both students and teachers can benefit from using technology in the classroom. Students can benefit by finding resources to back up their findings and by using virtual experiments when the materials are not available. Teachers can also benefit by using the resources to help guide their instruction, for both students and teachers technology helps make communication easier. Overall i think we would be lost without the internet and technology.
ReplyDeleteWhen Emily and I were looking for our standards, trade book, and grade level to write our lesson plan on we struggled. It did not seem like a difficult task but i have not written a lesson plan for science and that is why i think it caused some confusion. But after some digging we found a book and standard that will be very fun to teach. I think we will be able to come up with a great engaging activity that will make the lesson beneficial for the students.
Tuesdays class we looked for a science misconception to base our midterm project on, my group found one that explains why rain occurs...NOT because the clouds are sweating. I think this will be a fun misconception to focus our midterm on.
Thursdays class was very fun and engaging. I like hand on experiments because they are much more memorable for me personally and it allows me to make more connections with the new material. Obviously from this experiment we learned the importance of wearing seatbelts. One can not rely simiply on a airbag to save them, you must wear your seatbelt as well because the airbag does not supply enough support to keep you safe. overall i think this was a very fun and exciting experiment that i will definately use in my classroom.
Technology:
ReplyDeleteI believe that some of the advantages of using technology in teaching in the science classroom is that it gives the students a lot more experiences and hands-on learning. I think using technology will improve a student’s understanding and provide more in-depth experiences for the students. I also think that using blogs or online discussions can be helpful because the students are able to express their feelings and thoughts. Blogs would also help with reminding students about homework assignments as well. Technology can also hurt a students learning. I believe that sometimes technology can make assignments easier, and then students depend on technology instead of learning how to solve the problem with their own knowledge.
Tuesday:
In class on Tuesday we talked about science misconceptions and what ones are most common in elementary grade students. My group and I also talked about what we are going to do for our midterm project. We decided to use the misconception that wood floats and metal sinks. We started planning out our midterm project and what activity we will use for the lesson.
Thursday:
Thursday in class we completed an activity with a raw egg. The activity taught us about motion and impact. The egg was supposed to represent a person not wearing their seatbelt and what can happen on impact. We used a meter stick to stop the car for the impact and would the egg would then fly out of the cup. This activity would be good to use with elementary kids because it would remind and show them how important it is to wear a seatbelt.
Brooke Edman
Tuesday's Class - On Tuesday we went over some notes in class and talked about our midterm project where we will be creating a presentation that disproves a common misconception. My group didn't pick our misconception yet, but I am sure we will soon.
ReplyDeleteThursday's Class - Thursday was pretty exciting. We got to do the egg activity, I think that it really would drive the point home to kids about the importance of wearing a seatbelt. Our egg lasted through the entire experiment without breaking all the way. I was pretty proud of the little egg.
I am doing my lesson plan with Chelsea. Before we finally narrowed down our topic we had other ideas in mind but we couldn't get seem to get it all to work. Eventually we went with the standard 3.L.1.3. Students are able to describe life cycles, including growth and metamorphosis,
of familiar organisms - and we are going to do the lesson plan on the life cycle of a butterfly. I think that the lesson will be very fun!
Technology - I agree with some of my other classmates that technology can be both good and bad. It can only be as good as the teacher who makes the lesson. Sometimes I think that technology takes away from our jobs as teachers and other times I think it can enhance it. Either way technology is incorporated into all parts of our lives and our students, so we must give them the tools they need so that they can use the technology properly.
I think that I got off on the discussion weeks, so I will post week 3 and 4 in this post!
ReplyDeleteWeek 3 Discussion: Misconceptions
Teachers use what students bring to the classroom as a disucssion topic to learn and teach new concepts. What children learn when making sense out of the world is not always necessarily correct. Teachers use this as a "teachable" moment. I will foster misconceptions but creating hands on labs or activities for my students to participate in while using their senses and predicting, observing, and conclusing until a discovery or summary is made.
Week 4 Discussion: Technology-
Technology is a benefit to not only our world, but to classrooms, students, and teachers in specific. By using the internet, web quests, temperature probes, online, discussions, Lab Quests, Power Points, ect., students can get more of a hands on approach to science. Students can colaborate with others, see concepts in more depth and from different perspectives, and learn using a variety of methods (not only paper and pencil). However, technology is always changing. Sometimes it is hard for teachers to be able to keep up-to-date on all of the different features of technology. Also, it is hard for students who have no base-line for technology. Not all students are on the same level and may need extra attention in experimenting with technology. Sometimes technology fails, so we should not solely rely on it for all of our needs. Technology is an added bonus and should be used to maximize learning for students.
Lesson Plan:
I am doing my lesson plan with Tony and Jacque. Our topic as earthquakes and volcanoes for fifth graders. The standard we will cover is: 5.L.3.1... Students will be able to describe how natural events an/or human influences may help or harm ecosystems. We will be exploring each and also current events that help to support our information. We plan to carry out an activity so that students will see hands on what an actual volcanoe may look like.
Tuesday's Class:
Today we talked about the midterm and the first lesson plan that was due. We also reviewd the Misconception Power Point and brainstormed misconceptions that we could use in our project. Most groups came up with an idea to use. Ours is "Rain comes from holes in clouds."
Thursday's Class:
Today we conducted an activity called "Crash Bags" involving raw eggs. This experiment helped to describe Newton's Law of motion. The egg that sat in the cup which rode in the car stayed moving as long as the car moved. And when the car hit the meter stick, the egg flew out of the cup. We also experimented with air bags and saw the importance of wearing a seatbelt even if airbags are equipped in the car. how natural events an/or human influences may help or harm ecosystems.
February 2, 2010
ReplyDelete-While in class today, we discussed the upcoming misconceptions in science assignment and a little more about our lesson plans. Our class discussed many common misconceptions that students have about a number of topics related to science. Then, we moved on to discussing chapters 3 and 4 from the Ready, Set, Science book. We spent a lot of time talking about how children’s minds develop and meeting the needs of diverse learners in the classroom. We learned the four domains of knowledge along with additional information from chapters three and four. Our lesson plan group also met to decide on what lesson to do and spent some time looking through the standards. My group, which consists of me, Bridgette, and Brooke, decided to do our lesson on magnetism as part of a second grade standard. Overall, we covered a lot of information in the class period which will help us all be better teachers and meet the needs of all our students.
February 4, 2010
-Today in class we did an experiment with eggs. I felt this would be a good experiment to show students how airbags and seatbelts act in an accident. Also, this would show students the laws of motion including inertia and how when an object hits another object the second object exerts an equal and opposite force. We demonstrated this concept by putting the egg into a cup on a four-wheeled car and pushed it towards a meter stick. When the car with the egg in it hit the meter stick, the egg went flying out of the cup, similar to what happens in a car accident, which is why it is important to wear a seatbelt. In addition, we did another experiment in which we filled Ziploc bags with air to cushion the egg. Then, we dropped the egg from one meter to see what would happen. The egg did not entirely break, but it did crack in several spots. Overall, this would be an interesting experiment to do with students to demonstrate the laws of motion and the importance of wearing seatbelts.
Lesson Plan
-As mentioned above, our group (Brooke, Bridgette, and myself) is doing our first lesson on magnetism to meet the following standard: 2.P.2.2. Students are able to predict the effects of magnets on other magnets and other objects. Our plan is to give students a variety of magnets and objects to find which objects are magnetic and which are not. Additionally, we are going to have the students go around the classroom and find some magnetic and non magnetic objects.
Technology Reflection
-There are many advantages of using technology in the teaching of science. First, technology can expose students to a wide array of resources that may not be available within the school. By using the internet, students can find information on science topics, scientists, blogs, do scientific web quests, take virtual tours of science museums, read science magazines, ask scientists questions, create wiki spaces, and other scientific activities. Additionally, technology, such as temperature probes, microscopes, and other devices, can help students perform experiments in the classroom and learn about the scientific process. However, there are disadvantages of technology in the classroom. Technology does not always function or work properly, so teachers always need to have a back-up plan in case of a malfunction. Also, technology may not always be available in the classroom or the district because some school districts do not have the funding for the latest technology. As a result, I will try to incorporate technology into my lesson when it is accessible and would enhance the lesson. I do not feel PowerPoints are an effective way of using technology because it does not enhance the lesson or engage students. However, if the students make the PowerPoints and have to research the information to present to the class, then they will be learning science. Overall, I will use technology in my classroom, but also make sure it is being used effectively to enhance the lesson.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology
ReplyDeleteThere are many advantages to using technology in the classroom, such as the internet. It allows students access to a vast amount of knowledge that they might not have had a chance to see with just there textbooks. It also allows students the opportunity to blog and share ideas with each other in a situation that might be more comfortable for them. In the classroom, tools such as Labquest or temperature probes can be an advantage because it give students a first hand experience of how scientists works, and it gives them a chance to be scientists themselves. Also, PowerPoints and spreadsheets are ways to help students organize their data and compare it altogether. However, there are some disadvantages to technology as well. The biggest, I think, being the internet. Though, there is all this information out there, but students have to be critical in there thinking about what is true and what is false. In textbooks, students can trust, for the most part, what is written about science is true. Though, anyone can put anything about anything on the internet. So, students have to be much more careful about the information that they are using. That will most likely be something I will do as a teacher to help my students out. I will make sure that my students are using reliable sources in class.
Standards
The standards we will be using in our lesson plan are: 6.E.1.2. - Students are able to examine the role of water on the Earth, and 6.E.1.3 - Students are able to explain processes involved in the formation of the Earth's surfaces. We will be focusing our lesson around the book "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Vernes to incorporate these standards into our lesson.
Class Activities/Discussions
Tuesday(02/02/10) - Tuesday we took some notes in class and discussed some misconceptions that students have about science. In our groups, we discussed some misconceptions that we could do our midterm project on.
Thursday(02/02/10) - Unfortunately, I was sick this day, so I was not able to come to class.
Tuesday: in class we discussed several of the misconceptions students carry with them about science topics. It was interesting to take notes, read about via PowerPoint, and carry on a class discussion over this topic because it is so 'real-life' in that some of these misconceptions we may have had as elementary aged children or still have (to some degree) even today. As a future educator it is important to understand and avoid these misconceptions, as we will be having to teach the same confusing topics in the future. We also briefly covered midterm projects and Dr. E told us that we would need to come up with another lesson plan to present.
ReplyDeleteThursday: we had to record our lesson plan ideas for the first lesson plan presentation. Our group has decided to focus on a 1st grade South Dakota Science standard that covers floating/sinking objects. I am excited for this presentation, as we have found some great ideas for to show the class. We also discussed our intentions for the Science Olympiad day - our group is participating in the trajectory station. Finally, we conducted an activity in which we dropped raw eggs surrounded by ziploc bags and compared the results to a car crash without the use of seatbelts.
Lesson Plan: as mentioned above, our group will be conducting our lesson presentation on the 1.P.1.3 standard - in which we cover why objects float and sink with 1st grade students. I will enjoy this project as it is very applicable for our futures.
Technology: with the development of the use of computers, technology has become such a driving force in the advancement of the classroom. Technology is beneficial in that it provides students with such depth in every subject area imaginable. Reports, projects, and even the process of learning are able to become so much affective and insightful compared to those of even 10 years ago. However, technology DOES have its drawbacks. With the easy access to "everything" students can become distracted, find sites that are inappropriate, and/or find false information from a non-credible source. In all, I would say technology helps more than it hurts.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis week in science methods we did some science activities; we also worked in groups to decide our grade level topics and standards for our lesson 1 project. Our lesson 1 project is 2nd grade life science/ plant life.
ReplyDeleteTuesday—
Tuesday in class we took notes on new information and I enjoyed learning about the different misconceptions that children have about science. Also we talked about the different misconceptions in class and I thought about all the ones I had as a student and realized that they really are misconceived. I also think it is very important as a teacher and parent to help children develop new conceptions and replace the old ideas.
Thursday—
On Thursday we conducted an activity called "Crash Bags" involving raw eggs. This experiment helped to describe Newton's Law of motion. The egg that sat in the cup which rode in the car stayed moving as long as the car moved. And when the car hit the meter stick, the egg flew out of the cup. I thought this activity that was so much fun. With this activity we worked within our learning groups and experiments with our eggs and kept data. Although our experiments which all ended up the same (the egg breaking) I think it was a great way to teach students about safety and also about how motion and different forces effect different objects. I would use this in my classroom because students would be so excited about it and learning from their own experiments.
Discussion of Technology:
ReplyDeleteThe role of technology in the classroom continues to grow. The gains in using technology in the classroom surpass the negatives, but it is important to be cautious of areas that may be of concern; such as web site content and distractions posed by social interactions online. The advantages of technology can be seen in the students’ projects, reports, and other classroom activities. Interactive technology is good for getting students involved in their learning. SmartBoards can be used to create interactive lesson plans that let the students engage in hands-on learning.
Class Discussion:
I was still sick on Tuesday.
On Thursday, we discussed our imbedded class experiences and signed up for our lesson plan topics. We also signed up for the areas we will be helping out on for the Science Olympiad. The activity we
Lesson Plan:
Our lesson plan will cover the SD State Standard 1.P.1.3 which states, “Students are able to predict how common materials interact with water.” This 1st grade lesson plan will cover whether objects sink or float. The book we are using for our lesson is called Who Sank the Boat? By Paula Allen.
- Integrating Technology with Science Education
ReplyDeleteI believe that the advantages of using technology in science education are that it allows teachers to enhance their lessons, and students are able to take their learning to the next level through more hands-on, interactive experiments. For example, computers allow teachers to more resources for science lessons as well as staying organized with lesson planning and progress reports. Wikis and blogs enhance the communication and interaction between students and their peers and with the teacher. An example of technology enhancing student activities, is the advancement of microscopes used during lessons. These microscopes allow students to see beyond and take a deeper look into their learning. However, there are disadvantages to technology. Technology can often times be distracting and take away from the learning during a lesson. The excitement of using technology can distract students and the students can forget their purpose and what the goal of the activity is. Another disadvantage would be when students are unable to use the given technology. Teachers are pressed for time and technology can be time-consuming and unreliable at times; teachers must also be prepared for the unexpected when using technology in the classroom.
- 6th Grade Standards: Earth Sciences
The standards Brittany L. and I are going to use are the following: (6.E.1.2) Students are able to examine the role of water on the earth. (6.E.1.3) Students are able to example processes involved in the formation of the Earth’s structure. The text we will be incorporating with this learning is Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne. I think this will be a great story to incorporate and these two standards tie into the story in that the teacher will have the opportunity to use the story to create teachable moments in the classroom. This story provides events that the teacher can use to teach the different Earth structures and the different bodies of water and their purposes on Earth.
- Tuesday 02/02/2010
During this class we went over the next chapters which are discussing “Foundational Knowledge and Conceptual Change and Organizing Science Education around Core Concepts.” In addition to taking notes, we also discussed our Midterm Project and signed up for our embedded experiences. This class period we did not do any activities but we were instructed to bring a raw egg. From the notes, we discussed how we assess students’ prior knowledge and what steps to take to build on the prior knowledge. Some ideas that could be used to assess prior knowledge could be KWL charts, pre-assessments, or surveys.
- Thursday 02/04/2010
During class on Thursday we participated in the activity which involved sandwich bags, a meter stick, a plastic car, and a raw egg. The experiment was used to have the students determine the purpose of an air bag in a car. I thought this activity was very interesting! It really made you think of the usages of air bags and see why it is important to wear your seatbelt in a car. Courtney and I realized that every time we dropped the egg, even packed between the blown-up-sandwich bags, the egg still broke. We concluded that for the airbags to be effective, the passenger needs to be wearing a seatbelt to prevent serious injury. (The seatbelt keeps you from slamming into the airbag, which like in the experiment, the egg is like the passenger in a car.)
First and foremost, I did NOT kiss any eggs and I most certainly did NOT make any egg salad sandwiches-- contrary to what Big Ton-Ton posted in his blog...
ReplyDeleteTechnology is important at all age levels, especially while in the classroom. Building the foundation of knowledge is extremely important at a young age. Technologies keep branching out, it is important to stay up-to-date and familiar with it all.
My group is doing our mid term project on volcanoes and other natural disasters. Tony has big plans and won't let Ali and I help. Standard 5.L.3.1. Students are able to describe how natural events and/or human influences may help or harm ecosystems.
2/2/10
Today in class we took a vote to see if we wanted to show our midterm projects to people outside of our class. We collectively decided to show our projects in our class rather than in a showcase environment, but gave Dr. E permission to invite a few faculty members. Dr. E then walked us through the rubric and ideas for the midterm project.
We then went over some of the common misconceptions in science
By acknowledging these misconceptions now, we are taking note of topics that should be covered/discussed in our future classrooms. We also discussed the development of children’s minds and how to assess the level students are at in a nonchalant fashion.
2/4/10
Thursday we made sure we all had our topics written down. We read through a hand-out titled “What Makes a Great Teacher,” which discusses the three main values that make a memorable, productive teacher that are: interest in our students, passion for learning and community building. Dr. E went around the room asking us if we’re going to partake in Science Olympiad or if we were going to choose to teach a lesson. Then we did an experiment with eggs (oops I forgot to bring one—thanks Joe for donating one of your rotten eggs to me). Seatbelts are good to use.
Technology is what our world is now, everything that we do, for the most part, deal with technology. I think using technology in classrooms not only help the students learn about the subject matter, but also the students learn to use technology as a resource. I think that technology should be used in classroom as a teaching tool, and not to take over the teacher’s job.
ReplyDeleteMeghan and I chose to do our lesson plan over weather cycle and patterns. Second graders will be able to Students are able to describe types and patters of weather during different seasons (2.E.1.1)
Tuesday: Today was a day that we learn more details about our lesson plan that we will be working on in pairs. That really helped my group out because we were not sure what we wanted to teach our lesson over. I thought today was interesting because I like learning about science misconceptions because the misconceptions that we talked about are ones that I have heard in the past.
Thursday: Today was a fun day doing our experiment with the egg! We learned the safety of wearing seatbelts and the dangers that could happen when you do not wear one. I think this is great for students because it’s a hands on experiment that students can have fun with but also learn safety issues. This is something that I will remember for my future classroom.