Cosmic Cookies!
Hi All,
Lesson Plan 1 presentaions Feb 18, 23rd. Feb 16th) class ONLINE ONLY with an online lab and assignment from your syllabus: ONLINE Assignments: Discrepant events in science teaching here: http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_sc/gen/HSTPR060.PDF Pick one and write a paragraph to post to Blog for this week. Also, describe the Amazing Food Detective at this link: http://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/richmedia/feature/amazingFoodDetective/index.htm Don't forget to take the quiz in D2L over RSS Ch 3- 4 Open 2/16 and due by Midnight 2/18.
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: WEBINAR on teaching about light in the middle grades will be Wednesday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m. Central. Here's the link to the event details & registration info: http://msportal-2.ning.com/events/teaching-about-light-in-the
Dr. E
I think it means for teachers to show students what they are thinking. Teachers who do this show students exactly what they are thinking on a whiteboard, Smartboard, in a demonstration or any other way they can in a classroom. They will show students by drawings, by words or by actions. Students will learn better when teachers do this; it will allow them to see exactly what the teacher is thinking. It may be able to help students understand what the teacher is teaching better. Teachers can tell if students are understanding the lesson if they do well on the lessons and activities the teacher is teaching.
ReplyDeleteI think students can also make thinking visible. They will be able to show the same way teachers do: on a whiteboard, Smartboard, in a demonstration or any other way they can in a classroom. They will show students by drawings, by words or by actions. By students doing this they will be helping teachers know what they understand.
Tuesday:
The article, Motivate the Unmotivated with Scientific Discrepant Events gives teachers good ideas when teaching students science. The article begins talking about unmotivated students but I think the ideas in the article will work for all students. Getting students involved by using prior knowledge is a great way to get all students involved not just students who do not like science or ones who do not understand science.
The article says to use prior knowledge to get all students interested. I think this is a great idea. It helps students to realize they do know something about science and can contribute to the discussion. Using prior knowledge with questions such as, “Why does a shower curtain move toward you when you take a shower?”, also makes students curious about what the correct answer will be. They will want to give their suggestions or ideas. Students will also realize science is part of their everyday life and they do know important information that helps with science. By using discrepant events teachers use prior knowledge and discussions will form from this.
“Freeze to Believe” is a great way to get students involved in science. Every student will be able to give an answer based on prior knowledge. Students will be able to say hot water or cold water will freeze faster and give answers based on their previous knowledge. A chart is also a good way to show students what the class believes based on their prior knowledge. It helps students see if other students believe the same way as them. It also helps the class have a discussion on their theories and reasons for their theories. “Freeze to Believe” also shows students what both cold water and hot water does. This helps students see for themselves what really happens when the hot and cold water freezes.
Tuesday Cont:
ReplyDeleteThe Amazing Food Detective would be a fun activity for students to learn how important healthy eating and exercise are. The students will get important information eating healthy and be able to play fun games too. It would be great for younger elementary students. The game would be great to use while teaching students about exercising, heart rate, and about the heart. Students would really enjoy the activities. There are many different characters and this would allow the students to learn about healthy eating in different scenarios.
Thursday:
Today we began presenting our lesson plans to the class. I love these days because I love to see what creative ideas my classmates came up with. My classmates always come up with good ideas that I can use in my classroom. All the groups who presented today did a great job. The magnetic lesson was fun to do. It was a great way for students to be involved and learn what a magnet is. The plant lesson was fun too. I loved the book used and how it related to the lesson. The activity would also be fun for students. It is an activity that would allow students to be involved in the process from the beginning to the end. The activity would also help students write. They are able to practice their writing by journaling each day. My partner and I also went today. Overall, I think our presentation went well. I think our activity was fun for the students. It got the students involved in the activity. But, I do think that we could have added more student involvement during the other parts of the lesson such as during the Jersey Shore Attacks and when going through the facts about food chains.
Making thinking visible means that students are able to put their thoughts and ideas into means that other people can understand. Students can do this through talking, argument/ discussion, modeling, and representation. Effective lessons will include communication and collaboration. These lessons require students to be able to use spoken and written representation.
ReplyDeleteTuesday Online Class-
This article focuses on how to motivate students that are unmotivated to engage in science by using activities that are based on students’ prior knowledge. In the sugar fire example, students are asked whether they think a cube of sugar will ignite when a match is placed underneath it. They are given another scenario of whether a sugar cube with ashes on it will ignite. Students will make their predictions about these scenarios and then as a class activity they can be observed. This activity uses sugar, which students already know about and sparks curiosity by asking how it would react to a match in two different scenarios. By connecting things to students’ prior knowledge, students are already bringing knowledge to the experiment and are able to build on that knowledge in the experiment.
On the Amazing Food Detective site, you are given the choice between multiple cases. The cases are on children with nutrition problems that need to be solved. The issue is pointed out to the student and then they are given a way of solving it. After the case has been solved kids are given the opportunity to play games related to the case. What I like about this site is that it is engaging for students. What I don’t like is that it doesn’t give much information on the cases. I would have liked for it to include more information on why the nutritional habits of the individual is an issue, and once the case was solved information on how the choices made were better ones. I would use this in a health unit, but would ask students to elaborate on the activity by establishing the problems, and creating solutions before closing the case. I would want to know that my students understand nutrition and not just a game.
Thursday class-
In class today we had three presentations. The three presentations were about magnets, plants, and the food chain. During the magnet presentation for 2nd graders, we made hypotheses and then completed an experiment and reported results. Based on our results we formulated a definition for what we understood a magnet to be. What I liked about this presentation was that we used our prior knowledge of magnets and the objects to form our hypotheses and then built on them with the results we recorded. In the plants presentation for 1st graders, we did an experiment that involved setting up for a 2 week observations that involved journaling and then graphing. What I liked about this presentation is that they related what we need to live to what plants need to live. The food chain presentation for 4th graders was very entertaining to say the least. What I liked was that they stuck with the same concept of sharks throughout the lesson. I really liked their incorporation of riddles to complete the food chain as a class. All three of these lessons are ones that I would use in my own classroom.
Scientific Discrepant Events
ReplyDelete-Mainly what I got out of this article is that we teachers need to make science relevant and engaging to students and challenge their thinking with discrepant events which are surprising occurrences. The one idea that I found neat in this article and would love to use with students is the idea of what water, hot or cold, freezes faster. Similar to the article, the teacher could have hot and cold water and allow the students to conduct an experiment and test what they believe to be true. With older students, I think the sugar cube experiment would be fun as long as the students wore proper attire and took the necessary safety precautions when working with matches. It would be an interesting and engaging way to teach students about catalysts in biochemical systems. Overall, this article taught me a lot as a future teacher on ways that I can get students engaged and motivated using topics they already have experience with.
Amazing Food Detective
-This website was really fascinating because of the music and mysteriousness of the website. When you enter the website you choose one of the children in the line-up and their case is unveiled. All of the children in the line-up had some sort of health issue, such as not getting enough calcium, being tired all the time, and so on. After reviewing the case, you get to investigate and help the student eat more calcium, exercise more, etc. Also, there are printable worksheets that go along with each case. Overall, this would be a fun activity for younger students to teach them about eating healthy and getting exercise. Additionally, this involves students in using technology which is engaging for many students.
Thursday’s class period
-Today in class my group presented our lesson on magnets along with two other groups presenting on plants and the food chain. It was really fun being able to present to the class and to hear ideas from my classmates. I felt that our lesson went smoothly. I thought that Ashley and Courtney’s lesson was really unique, and I enjoyed the book by Eric Carle. I believe that first grade students would have a lot of fun with a lesson on plants and seeing the seeds grow and change over time. I was really intrigued by Jessica and Joe’s lesson with the shark story and the music. It really added something extra and engaged the class. Additionally, I enjoyed the activity we did involving the food chain and feel that students would learn a lot from it. Overall, I got some great teaching ideas from my classmates’ lessons and enjoyed the presentations.
Discussion Question
What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?
-In my opinion, to make thinking visible, teachers or students explain their own ideas and path of thinking to explain what is going through his/her mind and some appropriate questions. For example, in math, teachers and students can explain their thoughts as they work through a problem and how they came to find the answer or where they went wrong. Overall, I feel that making thinking visible is a great way to get students involved in thinking about their own thinking and processes used to arrive at conclusions. Students can make their thinking visible through demonstrations, drawings, presentations, and many other ways. Also, this is a great technique that teachers can use to model his/her thinking for the students.
-A teacher knows if and how much a lesson is effective through the use of assessments, the number of questions students ask, whether or not students are engaged in the lesson, and through any assignments or homework that were given based off of the lesson. Additionally, the teacher could observe the students, ask for feedback, have students take a survey, or simply have a short quiz to see if the students got the main points out of the lesson. Overall, there are a number of ways to know whether or not a lesson is effective in the classroom.
Scientific Discrepant Events- This article was interesting because it said that teachers need to make science more relevant and engaging to students and challenge their thinking with discrepant events which are surprising occurrences. If students are suprised and engaged they will be much more attentative and want to learn about what is going to happen next. I also really liked the experiments the article used to engage students because i think they will be valuable to use as a future teacher and all seem very engaging and interesting. Overall i found this article to be very useful and interesting.
ReplyDeleteAmazing Food Detective Website- This website was very interesting and engaging as well. I was first confused by what the website was all about but once i turned the volume on it became clear. I liked how it let you explore with different options, i used the girl that was needing protein and it let you experiment mixing different foods together in the kitchen to add more protein. The other one i tried was with the boy that was not motivated, it allowed you to experiment different ways to get the boy motivated. Overall i think this website could really get students engaged and interested in their learning.
Discussion Question- What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students? I think to make thinking visible you must provide hands on experiments so students can really see what is happening during the discussion. If you allow students to see what is going on when you are explaning the process they will be much more likely to remember that idea. I think by using the appropriate method of assessment teachers will know if they used the appropriate lesson to teach their topic. You will also be able to know if students are learning the topic by asking questions before, during, and after the lesson. If your students are simply not responding or giving incorrect responses you will know that the topic is still not clear and your lesson was not effective.
Tuesdays Class- All of the above information online activities.
Thursdays Class- On thursday we started presenting our lessons, which was very interesting. I was glad my group did not have to go first because i wanted to see how other groups presented their information. All of the groups that went did very well and had very engaging lessons. If i was engaged as a college student, imagine how engaged elementary students will be. Overall i think seeing other groups present their lessons it allows you to put meaning towards making all of these lesson plans.
Scientific Discrepant Events- This article was interesting because it said that teachers need to make science more relevant and engaging to students and challenge their thinking with discrepant events which are surprising occurrences. If students are suprised and engaged they will be much more attentative and want to learn about what is going to happen next. I also really liked the experiments the article used to engage students because i think they will be valuable to use as a future teacher and all seem very engaging and interesting. Overall i found this article to be very useful and interesting.
ReplyDeleteAmazing Food Detective Website- This website was very interesting and engaging as well. I was first confused by what the website was all about but once i turned the volume on it became clear. I liked how it let you explore with different options, i used the girl that was needing protein and it let you experiment mixing different foods together in the kitchen to add more protein. The other one i tried was with the boy that was not motivated, it allowed you to experiment different ways to get the boy motivated. Overall i think this website could really get students engaged and interested in their learning.
Discussion Question- What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students? I think to make thinking visible you must provide hands on experiments so students can really see what is happening during the discussion. If you allow students to see what is going on when you are explaning the process they will be much more likely to remember that idea. I think by using the appropriate method of assessment teachers will know if they used the appropriate lesson to teach their topic. You will also be able to know if students are learning the topic by asking questions before, during, and after the lesson. If your students are simply not responding or giving incorrect responses you will know that the topic is still not clear and your lesson was not effective.
Tuesdays Class- All of the above information online activities.
Thursdays Class- On thursday we started presenting our lessons, which was very interesting. I was glad my group did not have to go first because i wanted to see how other groups presented their information. All of the groups that went did very well and had very engaging lessons. If i was engaged as a college student, imagine how engaged elementary students will be. Overall i think seeing other groups present their lessons it allows you to put meaning towards making all of these lesson plans.
Science Discrepant Events- This article was very interesting it showed how as teachers we must help students become more involved even if they are disengaged from the lesson. I thought the way of asking everyday questions was a highly enlightening way to get students involved with the classroom. No matter how much a student isn’t involved a student may be if you can get them to ask themselves “That you are so wrong” when you ask them a question like whether a peanut is a nut. As a teacher we sometimes just need to show students how science applies to their everyday life.
ReplyDeleteAmazing food detective: This is a really fun website I can easily see where students would get highly involved and also see where unhealthy habits with eating may leave them down an unproductive road. Students can see where eating healthy can help them and they may also see some foods that they thought were healthy aren’t. Students love getting on a computer and the mini games after you are done with a case can be a great escape for the students. I think I would use this website for 3rd and 4th grade students. One disadvantage is that students would have to use the speakers but which would make the room very load, but if everyone had headphones it could easily be a fun way about eating healthy.
Discussion Question: What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students? I think when you want to make thinking visible you must have hands on activities for the students. If students can see how the problem is being solved in front of them they are easily making their seeing visible. A way as a teacher you can make sure your students are comprehending material you make assessments before, during, and after a lesson. You can have kwl charts or anything that will help students assess their progress and also so you can see their progress. I think another great way is having open discussion for students so they can have further comprehension thru fellow students and also with the teacher.
Thursday Class- Lesson plans were presented today or some of the lesson plans were I was blown away with how good the lesson plans were. I remember when we gave our first couple lesson plans with some of the students in this class. I can definitely see how much we have grown and improved from some of the first lesson plans. I think we are all going to become excellent teachers and role models for future generations. In all the lesson given I couldn’t believe how engaging the lessons where, students will definitely learn a lot from these lessons.
Online Class February 16—Amazing food detective
ReplyDeleteToday we had an online class where we had the chance to investigate on an online game for kids. I thought this website was so fun and I really liked how it was interactive. The game had cartoon images that were very detailed and the images talked to keep your attention, as did the pictures that you could move or click on. I also thought the audio part was beneficial because if students struggle with reading they would still be able to follow along and complete the games and tasks. I think this is a great web site because it promotes reading, exploring, investigating, nutrition, and healthy living. This web site is very inclusive because it provides for children who come from different ethnicities and also provides a variety of scenarios that kids can relate to.
The content on the website was also great, the lessons or investigations that the student had to do were short and to the point. In just a small amount of time students could solve all the scenarios and learn about very important aspects on living a healthy life style. I liked how the web site had additional games for each case. This way if time was limited students could go back and play these games following the investigation for each character. The website also provided additional games to play off the computer which I thought was really great. All in all I thought this was a great website and also a great learning tool and way to bring technology into the classroom.
February 18—Presentations
In class today we had three lesson plan presentations. I presented with my partner on plant life/ what a seed needs to grow. The other presentations I thought were very creative and well planned. I enjoyed presenting this science lesson plan to the class and also really enjoyed the other two presentations. I could see myself using all of these lesson plans in my own classroom.
Scientific Discrepant Events
What I took from this article is that as teachers we need to make science relevant and engaging for students by challenge their thinking with discrepant events. This article taught me a lot as a future teacher on ways that I can get students engaged and motivated in learning by using topics they already have experience with. Also by giving students the chance to relate science to their everyday life will help them understand and apply it.
Discussion Question—What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?
I think that this means making lessons and activities effective for all students. When teachers provide material and assignments where students are able to put their thoughts and ideas into it there truly understand the content are therefore the teacher is making thinking visible. I feel that teachers can provide students with opportunities to make thinking visible by providing, group work, talking, discussion, modeling and representation. I feel that an effective lesson will always include communication and making thinking visible, because it is the teachers’ job to teach for a variety of learners.
What a neat website! It’s really colorful and interactive which is really great for kids of any age. The cartoon images where detailed and very attractive, they kept your attention which is important for children. The audio part of the website was really great as well. Having that audio aspect is great for younger children who can’t yet read or are struggling with reading. It was also a multicultural sensitive website. The children who needed our help where of different ethnicities, which I thought was really great.
ReplyDeleteI played around on the website for awhile and went on several different investigations. My biggest complaint was that there wasn’t much to the investigations. To close the case you basically just had to click on one thing. I think there needed to be a little more to the investigations. However, the content was great. The lessons they were teaching where relevant and meaningful. All of the health issues they addressed are things that children should know about. They provided really good information that was age appropriate for elementary aged students. I would defiantly use this in a first or second grade classroom.
I had played for twenty minutes or so and they website said “you’ve been doing this for a long time you should take a break and do something else” and it actually kicked me off of the website and wouldn’t let me play again for an hour. It’s really great to see a website for kids about healthy habits that promotes time away from the computer. The site also provided activities for children to do away from the computer on each topic which I thought was really great as well.
This is defiantly a website I could see myself using in my classroom. It would be a great free time activity for students to play with.
TUES: No Class
THURS: The lesson plans presented today were very good. I thought that each group that presented had age appropriate lessons that children would enjoy.
The magnet lesson was really cute. It was fun to fish for the magnetic objects, and children would really enjoy that.
The shark lesson was really interesting and the intro would really grab the children’s attention. I know it had mine.
Everyone did an awesome job!
The Amazing Food Detective:
ReplyDeleteProper nutrition for the kiddies is essential! In a world ruled by television and video games we the educators must know when to draw the line. And promote healthy lifestyle choices. Couch potato kids are at such a risk for developing obesity and the food corporations are just not helping; commercials brainwashing children with to buy into making their parents purchase their junk food. Terrible lifestyle decisions are becoming more pandemic as the years go by and it is up to be role models by endorsing healthy choices through proper nutrition and exercise. The food detective game is jam-packed full of activities designed to teach children about the consequences of making healthy lifestyle decisions! Some of these decisions, when taught at a young age, will help children pay more attention to what their bodies need. The topics this game covers are: nutritional snacks, avoiding carbohydrates of high glycemic proportions, doing cardio to combat fatigue, and obtaining the daily protein criteria from growth. There are eight characters that have made bad lifestyle choices and it is up to the child to problem solve the situation and determine a healthier choice! I like how once you accomplished the main task you unlock even more games: healthy activities (exercises, healthy food choices, etc) to do away from the computer and other mini-games.
Motivate the Unmotivated with Scientific Discrepant Events:
The purpose of this article is to describe the benefits of unlocking intrinsic motivation within our students by incorporating fun and engaging activities that will spark interest in even the less science savvy students! The first step is to activate the students’ prior knowledge… this is so important because the path towards intrinsic motivation requires realizing a connection between the real world and the learning environment. Once the student has determined relevance, the next step in a lesson requires the teacher to challenge the students’ prior beliefs by introducing a science topic in the form of discrepancy. The author believes that this will make even the most defiant of students interested in your science lesson as they should be willing to disprove what you have to say. The article states that discrepant events help with “setting the stage for scientific discovery.” The next step requires scientific exploration in the form of conducting experiments! At the end of the experiment you introduce the scientific concepts being taught and finally have the students make scientific applications. This article taught me to take careful consideration when planning for a lesson. Activate one’s prior knowledge by having them think about their past experiences! This is the hook and next I challenge what the students’ know by incorporating a discrepant event to throw off their knowledge and spark the intrinsic curiosity for scientific exploration. During the exploration phase, I incorporate surprising scientific concepts revolving around the activity of the day. The key ingredient for the students’ success in the science classroom is motivation of intrinsic proportions.
Making Thinking Visible:
ReplyDeleteMaking thinking visible is a metacognitive strategy that works both ways in the classroom. This strategy enhances thinking and reasoning in any scenario that requires problem solving. Students have “think alouds” in the classroom that requires them to make explanations about their answers. Students reveal their thinking processes in either a group discussion or a class discussion. This is beneficial to the students as it shows themselves and others the various trial and error paths they’ve partaken in their scientific exploration activity. “Making thinking visible” must be done during the entire lesson as students and the teacher may help facilitate guidance if any misconceptions occur along the way. The teacher must be the first initiate in this metacognitive strategy as we have to model ourselves; we can’t just tell our students to make their thinking heard.
Tuesday and Thursday Recap:
Tuesday we worked on an online assignment… Thursday was day one of the science lesson presentations! Three outstanding groups presented their materials covering magnets, growth, and food chains. The first group covered magnets. I liked this activity as it was exploration based… after making predictions and going fishing we were required to explore our environment and find other objects that may our magnets may or may not attract! The second group’s lesson was about growing plants. I liked this activity because it gave me a nostalgic feeling about the activities I did in elementary school. Growing stuff is hands on awesome, I also liked the supporting materials in this activity especially the seed video as I believe it would spark a “WHOA COOL!” delightful moment. Jess and I wrapped up class with our Food Chain presentation. I thought we did an awesome job especially with transitioning the shark story into the food chain lesson with required riddles to be solved. The only think I need to work on is how to tell a story as I don’t think I needed to read from a piece of paper to hook the kids but practice makes perfect and the mechanics behind our lessons’ taught shall never be static. Overall we all did an amazing job and I can’t wait to see what the rest of you creative ladies and gents present!
Joe
Weekly Discussion
ReplyDelete"What does it mean to 'make thinking visible?' How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?" - I think this statement means to make learning a hands-on experience. Give students a chance to physically see how the science behind something works. For instance, the lesson plans we have to do for class involve us creating an activity for the students to do to enhance the concept we are trying to teach. This is making "thinking visible." Students get to take what they learned and apply it to a situation, where they get to see what their thinking can do.
Amazing Food Detectives
This would be an activity that students could really get into. It is creative, interactive, and most importantly, at least in the teacher's frame of mind, it is educational. Students get to feel like detectives and try to solve the "mysteries." Amazing Food detectives is a game that can get the students thinking about healthy foods in a fun manner, and, hopefully, create good habits for them to follow. Therefore, it is a great website to use in the classroom for both students and teachers.
Class Activities
Tuesday (Online Lab) - We did not have class today, but instead had to read an online article. This article discusses that the best way to motivate students is to connect the learning to their background knowledge. Then, use a discrepant event to spark their curiosity. It is all about asking the students a question about something they are familiar with, such as does hot water freeze faster than cold water. Once they give their answer, then it is all a matter of testing it. The true answer to a discrepant event is usually not what the student thinks, therefore will spark their curiosity to find the true answer. I think that this is a good idea to use in the classroom, because when students are interested they become more active participants, and this idea would do that.
Thursday
In class, we had three groups present their lesson plans. These lesson plans focused on magnets, how seeds grow, and food chains. I felt that all of these presentations were really good, and the students would enjoy being able to do them.
Scientific Discrepant Events:
ReplyDeleteThis article discussed how to make science interesting and engaging for those students who may not find the subject appealing. The article discussed an activity that would be great to teach the concept of hot and cold water freezing. The activity involved the students conducting an experiment that allowed them to test their own thoughts and theories. I think this idea is a practical way to relate real world concepts and ideas to science, which would ultimately engage students.
Amazing Food Detective:
I thought this website was fun and interactive! I chose Catherine whose health “issue” was that her diet lacked protein. I was able to choose and match foods that would add more protein to her meal. I was able to learn about foods that contain protein in a fun way. I think this is a great way for children to learn. This website felt more like a game than learning, which would be ideal for students who may not find this topic particularly interesting.
Discussion Question:
What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?
To make thinking visible, the thought process needs to be visually represented. By presenting hands-on activities students will be able to see the process of learning and make connections. Having students record their process and thoughts of an experiment or activity can also be very effective for helping them learn and remember the information. By the use of proper assessment a teacher will be able to know if the lesson was effective for the students. The assessment can be something as simple as a discussion and asking questions to see where the students stand.
Tuesday’s Class:
Online activities
Thursday’s Class:
In class on Thursday groups began their presentations of their lesson plans. Some of the presentations included: an activity on what a food chain is, magnetism, and the growth of a seed. I thought all of the lessons were great ideas! I really enjoyed the lesson on magnets where each group had to “fish” for magnetic objects in the shoe box. I thought this was a really simple yet meaningful lesson. All of the groups did a great job. I look forward to presenting and seeing the other lessons!
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ReplyDeleteDiscussion Question:
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?
To me, making thinking visible means having students explain their train of thought on ideas, in detail, and forming related questions. This could be accomplished by allowing students to draw, model, demonstrate, present, and converse with their peers. To encourage this type of thinking process, teachers should model by making their own thinking visible to the class.
A teacher can know if and how much a lesson is effective for students by paying attention to how engaged the students are in the lesson, how many questions they ask, and their assignments related to the lesson. Another good way to find out is the use of assessments. If the students understand the lesson, it will show in their culminating activities. You could also ask your students for feedback or opinions on how to make the lesson more exciting and interesting to them.
Scientific Discrepancy Events:
As teachers, we need to use lessons in science that are relevant and engaging for students. The lessons we teach them need to challenge their thinking by using their prior knowledge to expand their understanding of a topic. In the example A Comet’s Tail, students are asked which direction a comet’s tail points. Students will more than likely say it points away from the direction it is traveling. To connect the answer (a comet’s tail always points away from the sun, no matter what direction it is traveling because of the pressure from solar radiation and solar winds) with their own knowledge of the question, the students will model this effect by putting streamers on a ball and putting it in front of a working fan. The discrepancy between what the students already know and find out from these experiments allow for newly found understanding on topics and a growth in motivation to learn.
Class:
Tuesday- Online Assignment:
I thought this website was an interesting way to learn about health issues in an interactive way. Students would choose a child in and help them solve a problem related to nutrition and health. When you finish the case investigation, the student can play related games, or the teacher can use the worksheets on the site as a culminating activity. I liked the engaging nature of the activity, the technology element, and the music. I would have liked the activity to have information on how to make better health choices related to the topics presented.
Thursday:
We had three lesson plan presentations today. The first lesson was for 2nd graders about magnets. At our tables we were given a box of objects and asked to hypothesize which were magnetic and which were not. We then tested the results and discussed our findings. We were then asked to create our own definition of what magnets are. I liked how we were given many objects to test and that there were some objects that we thought would be, but were not magnetic. This would give students a chance to better come up with their definition of a magnet. In the next lesson, a first grade activity on plants, we were given the pieces needed to make an experiment that would allow students to observe graph, and journal on plant growth over a two week period. I thought it was nice that this group when over what makes life possible for us as humans and how that relates to the life needs of plants. I took the bags home with me to try completing the growth process on my own. In the last lesson of the day, a presentation for fourth graders on the food chain, the group started with an interesting story (with sound effects) about shark attacks in fresh water. We were given riddles and asked to find the animal and how it relates to the food chain of a shark. This group used enthusiasm to their advantage. I could see using any of these lessons in my future classroom, and all three were fun lessons in which to participate.
Class Thursday -
ReplyDeleteFrom the notes I received from classmates, I was able to gather some essential facts from class on Thursday. The first presentation was by Brooke, Bridgette and Melissa which covered 2nd grade content. They provided a sheet to the class with various items listed: penny, nickel, dime, push pin, paper, aluminum foil, rubber band, safety pin, paper clip, bobby pin, nail, jacks and marbles. Students were to make a hypothesis on whether these items were magnetic. After creating hypotheses, students tested their theories by dangling the objects over a magnet. They also read a book entitled "What Makes a Magnet." The 2nd presentation was by Courtney and Ashley over planents that was appropriate for 1st grade. They read the book "Tiny Seeds" by Eric Carle and showed a video showing a plant growing. They conducted an experiment and showed the class the results of putting 2 seeds into each of four bags - 2 with dry paper towels and 2 with a wet paper towel and placed in different areas. The 3rd presentation was conducted by Jessica and Joe over the food chain for 4th graders. They read the book "The Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916" and used a riddle to help students figure out where a chosen animal would be placed on the food chain.
Online Assignment -
I found the article to be very interesting especially with my interest in upper elementary grades. I believe that at this age, many students have already made up their minds as to whether they like science or not. This article provided many activities for teachers to use in stimulating the minds of students who, may already enjoy science or to draw back the interest of those who don't enjoy the content area. The chosen activities really make a student curious and can stimulate their minds in asking "why does this happen?" or "is this true?" It also gave some great 'food for thought' for those teachers who have never considered how to regain the interest of these students and instead simply follow the curriculum outline as instructed by standards, etc. For me as a teacher, I will take a step back and look more critically into the minds of my own students, and possibly use these ideas/activities to help stimulate their interest into the field of science. I also believe that a teacher can tell if a lesson is effective through the simple action of paying attention to each student and finding whether they are interested. Assessment can also help determine where students are in understanding the material and to what degree.
Amazing Food Detective Site -
This site was great and gave students MANY avenues to explore, discover the importance of healthy food choices, and to play an interactive game. The site was not only full of information but was also a great tool for teaching students an important lesson in a slightly different fashion. I could definitely see myself using a lesson like this in my own classroom some day! It is also great because it is appropriate for a wide variety of ages and allows students to make choices independently without having to vocalize their choices which may lower their self-esteem (especially if raised in a home where healthy food choices are not a priority).
I apologize - I don't know why it shows 'SS' in the post above, but its Danielle Bolin. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteOn Tuesday of this week we had class online and had to complete an online assignment. The website we looked at was about a food detective. I believe this activity would be fun for students because it would teach them how important it is to eat right and exercise. The website also has fun games that the children are able to play. I would use this website in lower elementary because it would be able to teach them healthy habits at a young age.
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday we begin presenting our lesson plans to the class. I learned a couple new activities that I am willing to try in my classroom. I enjoy these days because I think it is important to explore new ideas and see how someone else may teach a lesson that you also want to teach. It gives us a better idea and understanding on how to teach according to our grade level and how incorporate different subjects into a science lesson plan.
I believe that making thinking visible means that the students are able to put their ideas and thoughts into words. They are able to communicate their ideas in a way that other people can understand.
Scientific Discrepant Events article talked about how teachers need to make science relevant and engaging for their students to better understand. The article gave good ideas on how to better engage students throughout the science process. It provided activities and questions for the students to do.
-Brooke Edman
What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?
ReplyDeleteMaking thinking visible for teachers means to model a thinking process either verbally or written for students to view and understand how they should be learning, understanding, and comprehending the material. Students can use materials such as Power Points, overheads, notes, etc. to helping them think about what they are thinking and use correct processes to arrive at plausible conclusions and solutions.
Teachers can know if a lesson is effective by taking careful observations of students, making anecdotal notes or checklists, and checking their understanding by activities. Each students is different and learns on a separate level, so assessing each student individually is the most beneficial.
Tuesday's Online Class:
This website contains information on health statistics and facts and lifestyles. I played the protein game. I had to add more protein to my characters diet and learned why that was so important. I also learned about other important nutrition facts in meals. This website helps children lead healthy lifestyles and learn why that is so important! After the activity, there are continuing activities that students can print off to further extend the lesson and have a better understanding of the concept. This site is interactive, engaging, and fun for kids to get involved with!
I couldn't get the go.hrw.com website to work.
Thursday's Class:
Today we presented lesson plans in class!! I thought all the groups did a fantastic job! All of the lessons went in great depth and detail! I liked how most of the groups involved activities like the fishing activity and the mystery activity. I am excited to also see what the other groups have to present next week! The activities were developmentally appropriate, engaging, and very interesting!
Week 6- Making Science Visible
ReplyDeleteMaking thinking visible means using your knowledge and applying it. One can visibly show their thinking by applying it during an activity, an experiment, or even by writing down their thought process or ideas. A teacher can see if students are benefitting by lessons by providing opportunities for students to apply what they have learned. Teachers can provide activities, scenarios, experiments, and even writing opportunities where students can apply and challenge themselves with what they know and have learned. It’s not just important that the teacher know if the student is gaining knowledge from lessons, it is more important that the students realize what they are learning from lessons and understand how to apply it to real-life situations.
Tuesday: Online Assignment
What I understood from this article is that science teachers need to present scientific explanations that challenge what students would expect in an experiment. Students are more likely to become involved in something that challenges what they believe they already know. The experiment that caught my attention was the “Does it All Taste the Same?” This experiment challenges the question if all people can detect the same flavors. This reminded me of when I was younger and I was in girl scouts. We did a test where we were going to test our taste buds by wearing blindfolds as our leader dabbed q-tips on different places of our tongues which had been dipped with a particular taste. It was very interesting to me that you could only taste certain tastes of specific parts of your tongue. This experience helps me relate more to this article because I personally know what it is like as a child to learn something new that is both simple and fascinating.
Thursday:
Today we had the opportunity to listen to three of the lesson plans to be presented in class. I thought that all presentations were all done very well and it made me realize that I have never taught a science lesson before. I really liked the first group’s idea of the “fishing for magnets”. It was very creative and I personally liked doing the project. The second group presented a very interesting lesson and I liked the idea of teaching about the food chain. Joe’s enthusiasm during lessons also adds to the lesson as well! The third group’s lesson was probably my favorite. I know that that is a common lesson that is still done in early elementary; I remember my little brother bringing home projects such as that one when he was Kindergarten. I thought all of the activities were very organized and everyone did a great job that day.
Food Detective:
I am always a fan of games and activities that students can play that can serve as educational. This is one of the most interesting games on health education that I have seen yet. I played as Athea who having troubles during the day staying awake because she was skipping breakfast. Not only do you get to do a short game to explain what she could eat for breakfast in the morning, you could also play mini-games and investigate other cases. This is definitely a website I would use if education students on healthy eating habits.
Scientific Discrepant Events:
ReplyDeleteThis article was interesting and really opened my eyes about making science more relevant in students’ lives’. As future teachers, we need to challenge their thinking with discrepant events which are surprising occurrences. If you surprise that students it will help to make that information stick in their mind, which overall will benefit the students. When I was reading the article there were experiments that I really liked, and would use in my future classroom. A experiment I liked was having the students discover which water freezes faster.
Amazing Food Detective
This website is very intriguing and beneficial for people to review. I was not exactly sure what to do at first until exploring the website further. This website is full of color and excitement which really gets students involved. Students like interactive games where they are able to solve things. Not only does this website get students involved, it teaches them about being healthy!
What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?
People will have their own way of answering this question, but here is mine… I think that “make thinking visible” is getting the students to explain and show what they’re thinking and how they think the experiment will turn out, why it will turn out and how it turned out. It’s a great way to get students to really think about how they feel about the experiment. (“make thinking visible can be used to any subject matter!)
Tuesday: Worked with my partner
Thursday: Thursday was a fun day! It’s fun to see you peers show you what they’ve been working on and it makes the time go by when working on fun and different experiments! On Thursday we learned about magnets, plants and the food cycle! All groups did a great job!
On Tuesday we did not have class, so I completed the online activities that were associated with our classroom topics. I visited and completed the activity on the Amazing Food Detective Website. I think this website would be very beneficial for younger elementary students to learn about nutrition, health, and the science process. Through this online activity, students can learn to make predictions, analyze a situation, investigate a problem, and carry out their plan. I believe that most students would enjoy this type of investigation activity because it allows them to use their imaginations to solve the mystery. Although, I believe students may learn more by completing this activity in the classroom with actual objects and students as the suspects. In my future classroom, I would set up an activity in which each student could be a suspect and an investigator. One at a time, the students would need to figure out the nutritional and health factors that should be changed or altered for the student’s ‘case.’
ReplyDeleteOn Thursday, my group presented our lesson plan. Our lesson plan focused on teaching 2nd grade students about magnets. In our lesson plan, we had students predict the effects of magnets on objects by using a ‘fishing’ method. I felt that our lesson plan went quite well and the students were very eager to participate. I believe it would be more helpful to actually complete this lesson plan with actual 2nd grade students to know whether the students would understand the basic concepts. In addition, we were able to participate in other classmate’s lesson plans. I found this to be quite helpful because I could see the science lesson plan in action. After presenting a group lesson and seeing other lessons implemented, I have become more confident in teaching various science concepts to elementary students.
Scientific Discrepant Events
ReplyDeleteThis article discussed how teachers can try to motivate students to learn science material by making lessons meaningful and relevant. The author stated that teachers should engage student’s curiosity by using discrepant events, surprising occurrences. I found that this article had a few useful ideas that I would like to implement into my future classroom or science lessons. One example of a scientific discrepancy included the sink or swim scenario. I believe that students love to learn more about animals and their habitats, so this would be a great one to start with. In my future classroom, I would read the statement to the students and allow each of the students to vote on whether or not they believe the fish will sink or float (at what times). Then, we would complete a lab in which the students would use models of fish and place them into a fish tank. Each student could have a chance using a straw to blow air into the ‘fish.’ This activity would give the students a visual representation on what happens when a bass takes in air!
What does it mean to "make thinking visible?" How can a teacher know if and how much a lesson is effective for students?
I believe that teachers and students can make thinking visible by explaining their thoughts to the class. This may be done through various ways. Students may be able to explain their thinking better by drawing a picture or creating a model. On the other hand, some students may feel more comfortable discussing their thinking and receiving feed back about their thoughts. I believe the teacher has a difficult job to understand what type of way students feel most comfortable expressing their thinking in order to allow every child to participate in the every classroom activity. It may be difficult for a teacher to know how effective a certain lesson because every student will react differently to the activity. Teachers need to keep detailed records on students by using observations, assessments, work samples, etc. to know if a particular lesson was beneficial to students. When students are actively engaged in an activity and show curiosity in the content, the teacher should know that the lesson has been effective. By using careful observation, a teacher should be able to detect whether a lesson is/was effective for every student.