Bonus Blog #2

Discuss how Science, Math, and Technology relate in the real world and in the classroom.

Science, math, and technology are constantly around us in the real world. Engineers need math and science to ensure that buildings and homes are able to stand. Meteorologist use science, math, and technology to predict the weather and determine how, when, and why certain weather events happen. An article I recently read said more than 8 million jobs will require a degree in science, math, engineering, or technology by 2018. Not only do many jobs use science, math, and technology daily, but we use them in our homes without realizing it. Technology makes our lives so much easier. We're able to boil water and monitor the temperature of it to make spaghetti, we count change every time we use money, and make can phone calls from anywhere through a cell phone or computer! The relationship between the three outside of the classroom is very obvious to see and can help us answer a question we often hear in the classroom, "When am I ever going to use this outside of school?"

In the classroom, it can be a challenge to show the relationship between the three, but it is up to the teacher to be confident and willing to integrate the three areas. Integration is a way of fixing this problem. Math often times is just strictly memorizing an algorithm and about finding the correct answer as opposed to how you determined the answer, which I believe helps students learn better. Science often requires math to solve equations and determine answers to problems. Students also need to learn how important and beneficial technology can be to their learning process. Teachers should allow students to conduct research in all content areas, not just math and science, and develop questions and answers through multiple kinds of technology to spark their interests. Many times I see these three subject areas taught separately in the classroom, but they really go hand-in-hand and if we continue to integrate our lessons it will benefit our students the most and help them out in the real world.

Module 5 Blog

Standard: S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the dependence of organisms on their habitat.
a. Differentiate between habitats of Georgia (mountains, marsh/swamp, coast, Piedmont, Atlantic Ocean) and the organisms that live there.
b. Identify features of green plants that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia.
c. Identify features of animals that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia.
d. Explain what will happen to an organism if the habitat is changed. 
Problem: You are a travel agent that specializes in nature expeditions. You want to sell your clients on an exciting new package in one of the regions of Georgia. Your task is to create a travel brochure that would make someone want to visit that region. Be sure to include any plants and organisms that live in that region and include a detailed description of them. 

Authentic Assessment: Choose a region of Georgia. Research to find out more about its features, plants and animals in the region and what each needs to survive in that particular region. Create a travel brochure that includes a information about the plants and organisms in that region that may interest an outdoor explorer.  Include reasons why certain plants and organisms cannot survive in other regions in a separate paper.

Rubric: 
  Category                          3                                 2                              1                                   0

Habitat description	A brief description of habitat is given.	-------------	---------------	No description of the habitat is given.
Pictures of animals that live in the habitat	Has 3 pictures of animals that live in the habitat.	Has 2 pictures of animals that live in the habitat.	Has 1 picture of an animal that lives in the habitat.	No pictures of animals that live in that habitat.
Adaptations of animals that live in the habitat	Has adaptations for 3 animals that live in the habitat.	Has adaptations for 2 animals that live in the habitat.	Has adaptations for 1 animal that lives in the habitat.	No adaptations of animals that live in that habitat.
Pictures of plants that grow in the habitat	Has 3 pictures of plants that grow in the habitat.	Has 2 pictures of plants that grow in the habitat.	Has 1 picture of plant that grows in the habitat.	No pictures of plants that live in that habitat.
Adaptations of plants that grow in the habitat	Has adaptations for 3 plants that grow in the habitat.	Has adaptations for 2 plants that grow in the habitat.	Has adaptations for 1 plant that grow in the habitat.	No adaptations of plants that live in that habitat.
Mechanics and Appearance	The project is neat with no spelling and punctuation errors.	The project is somewhat neat with a few spelling and punctuation errors.	The project is messy or has many spelling and punctuation errors that interfere with the understanding.	-------------

Article #3:
STEM Education -- It's Elementary
By: Tony Murphy
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/08/29/stem-education--its-elementary

Summary: STEM is a vital and key issue in education. It's important in our current education system for the US to remain an economic power. A study conducted by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that nearly 8 million jobs will require a degree in STEM by the year 2018. In order to achieve this kind of success, we must begin by teaching our students early. Children are natural scientists. They begin learning and developing through observations at a very early age. Teachers and parents play a key role in helping students achieve success in these areas. STEM teachers in high school and middle school typically have a degree in their subject areas, but elementary teachers major in education and don't specialize in STEM areas and often lack a passion of teaching these content areas. We must ask ourselves, if we lack passion and confidence in teaching these subject areas, how can we instill this same passion in our students? St. Catherine's University has developed a program to help teachers overcome this issue. Working with elementary teachers to develop confidence is a necessary tool to ensure the success of our students at an early age.

Reflection: I loved this article. It showed just how important STEM is to students and made me consider why I hadn't already been implementing more integration in my own classroom. During student teaching I often times found myself rushing to get to science and social studies at the end of the day becasue of the strong focus on math, reading, and writing. By the time I was able to get to science my students were exhausted, ready to go home for the day, and usually uninterested in the content. STEM allows for the opportunity to eliminate this problem. Through integration I can have my students be excited about math and science. I couldn't believe the study that was conducted by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce that stated nearly 8 million jobs would require a degree in STEM by 2018. It's crucial to ensure our students long-term success that we start teaching and instilling the passion for math and science at a young age. I know personally I will be working on integrating more content areas in my future classroom.

Article #4:
STEM is the future: Top programs unlock kids’ exponential potential

By: Ben Chapman
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/stem/stem-future-article-1.1255407

Summary: STEM is the basis of a nationwide push to transform education. Elementary students are where the transformation begins It provides the students with the opportunity to become comfortable with science and math at an early age to become successful in the future. In order for students to be successful, it begins with their teachers. Recently, many elementary schools in New York City have been providing math and science training to teachers’ professional development programs. In New York City, many students have been given laptops as a mean to improve their confidence with technology. At one school in Manhattan, students receive weekly computer lessons and fourth-graders use digital notebooks on loan from Sony to take notes during class time. Not all students are as fortunate to use such technology in the classroom or at home, despite this STEM has made it to less-advantaged schools. At PS 15 in the Bronx, half of students don’t have access to computers or smartphones in their homes. PS 15 has intensive classes in both subjects for all students, a computer lab, math coaches and other resources that helped it outperform the city average on math and science tests. 

Several teachers use hands-on classroom experiments to teach science whenever possible and also use real-life examples to show scientific concepts.

Reflection: The students in Manhattan are so fortunate! I love how the students are able to receive a laptop to improve their confidence with technology. So many students don't receive that chance and can struggle later in life. Elementary education in where we provide the foundation for what they will build their knowledge upon as the continue their education and development. In order for us to ensure that they are confident, successful learners we need to provide the students with the chance to become comfortable with science and math at an early age. Even the students at PS 15 that had little to no technology access at home and sounded similar to the Title I school I student taught at, had made advances by using STEM and integration to help their students achieve better results on tests. Another thing I was so grateful to hear is that the schools are providing teachers with professional development in these programs to gain more confidence with teaching these subject areas. Learning begins with us and the expectations that we deliver to our students. If we are not comfortable or confident teaching the material, the students won't be either.

Module 4: Constructivism vs. Traditional

Constructivism in the classroom in my opinion is the most effective way of meeting the needs of our students while having them become subject matter experts. As stated in the reading, constructivism allows students to construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. I think one of the most exciting new way to implement constructivism is through a flipped classroom. Both a flipped classroom and constructivism allow the students to be at the center of the learning and thinking as opposed to traditional teaching, where a teacher will just teach at the students instead of including them in the thinking and learning process. One of my favorite things about constructivism is that the teacher guides the students with questions that encourages deeper, critical thinking and allows the student to be an active participant in the learning process. A quote that really stuck out to me from the reading was, "Constructivism is also often misconstrued as a learning theory that compels students to reinvent the wheel... Students do not reinvent the wheel but, rather, attempt to understand how it turns, how it functions." Reflecting on my previous lessons that I have taught I believe that I have primarily used constructivism in my teaching style, however, I could use it more often. Based on some research and discussions with my classmates I may try implementing a flipped classroom and have more student driven activities.

S3P2. Students will investigate magnets and how they affect other magnets and common objects. 

a. Investigate to find common objects that are attracted to magnets. 

b. Investigate how magnets attract and repel each other. 

Excite

• Provide students with different types of objects at each table and have them experiment with which object are attracted to the magnet.
• Create a KWL chart

Explore

• Watch a BrainPOP on magnets
• Give the students a magnet and go on a scavenger hunt to find magnetic objects around the classroom. 

Explain

• Write observations in science journal
• Participate in student discussion
• Think-Pair-Share

Expand

• Student will come up with an invention that uses magnet, draw the invention, and write a short description.

Extend

• Have the students hunt for everyday objects that use magnets in them and draw those objects in their science journal.
• Participate in a class discussion that include the questions: How do magnets help us everyday? How do we use them? 

Exchange

• Create Glogster, Prezi, or PowerPoint about magnets with group
• Students will experiment with magnets, a variety of sizes of magnetic objects, and write observations about strengths of different combinations of magnets.

Examine

• Complete KWL chart
• Complete WebQuest on magnets

Bonus Blog: Homework

Do you (or would you) give homework?

In my student teaching experience I always gave homework to my students, but I think as teachers, we have to find homework that is challenging and the proper amount. I never want students to feel overwhelmed at home or that they need a parent to complete it for them. That's not why I give homework. I want the students to be successful in the class and the homework I give is to reinforce the concepts that have been taught in the classroom. Throughout student teaching my students were always required to read at home with a family member, I usually also gave some type of math homework as well, unless we had just learned a new concept, then I typically waited a day after I knew the student(s) had a better understanding. Unfortunately, many of my students had parents that did not care about their success in the classroom and never had them read or complete the assignments, which lead to students having to complete the missing homework or reading during recess. I hated doing this since the students that had to miss recess were usually the students that needed to get their energy out the most. I'm still working on finding a positive reinforcement system where I can get students to complete their homework at home and on time and not miss out on recess, but not overwhelm them either.

ECE 7706: Module 2 Blog

Article 1
Summary:
Educational reforms began after Sputnik's launch into space. In this article, the author focuses on the reforms in 1950's and 60's. According to the article, "post-Sputnik concerns were curricular, focusing on what was being taught and how, rather than who was being taught." Part of reforms with science education and advancements in technology were to get ahead of the curve. Sputnik's launch also helped us gain the understanding of the growing importance of science and its applications in the schools. Rutherford created a list of Sputnik’s positive contributions to science education, which include:  teachers and scientists working together on developmental projects, scientists bringing fresh ideas and new leadership energy to the challenge, stimulus was given to the inclusion of science in elementary school education and to having it be activity oriented, and teachers will respond enthusiastically and seriously to opportunities to improve their subject-matter knowledge and teaching skills and to upgrade their teaching circumstances.

Reflection: The reforms in science education since Sputnik's launch into brought new ideas that challenge our students and focus activities being student driven. This is something I've always tried to do in my classroom. I feel as though if I can incorporate hands-on activities that are students led my students will gain a more in depth understanding. Having the advancements in technology after Sputnik also important. Science and technology go hand in hand. The launch of Sputnik proved this to anyone that may have had doubts and because of it our use of technology in the schools also changed. My students have always enjoyed using technology with their lessons and activities. I think it helps them understand the content better and help them apply the skills they have learned in their everyday lives. One example was from my student teaching experience. I had just taught a lesson about rocks and minerals and the students had an opportunity to examine the samples I had provided with them. One student wrote down the different types he of the samples, went home and researched them all. The next morning he came back and was very excited about showing me all of the information he had discovered about the rocks he had seen the previous day. I believe technology has the opportunity to inspire children's learning and interests.

Link: http://www.nationalacademies.org/sputnik/ruther1.htm

Article 2
Summary:
Sputnik changed the face of education by making it clear that schools would have to change their subject matter at all levels to become scientists, or engineers, or mathematicians and compete with other nations to become number one. Support for science education and new curriculum immediately impacted the schools and challenged the students with more difficult material. The "space race" improved students' interest in science and math until a man walked on the moon in 1969, where interest began to drop dramatically. Fox said it best in her article, "we seem to have lost our curiosity about nature." As educators, we need to develop and adopt new technology and new ways to teach. We also need to recognize that our students learn completely differently than we did.

Reflection: Change is always scary and can be difficult to adapt to, however, in the case of science reform it has been for the best. The change of having a satellite being launched into space inspired many people to think differently and challenge old ideas. As educators we shouldn't be afraid of change and provide our students with new, innovative styles of teaching and meeting our students needs while using and incorporating technology throughout the lessons. In my previous field experience I worked with a teacher that was unwilling to change and incorporate technology into her lessons. The county she worked for spent a lot of money investing into several pieces of equipment that were in her classroom and could be utilized for the benefit of the students, however, this teacher was bitter that the county had chosen to provide this technology for all of its teachers and students as opposed to a raise for the teachers and refused to use the equipment. I believe this greatly impacted her students learning and is an example why we shouldn't be hesitant or unwilling to adapt to a change.


Link: http://www.nationalacademies.org/sputnik/fox1.htm

Video:
I thought this speech was very motivational for both teachers and students. One particular statement that stuck with me from the video was when the President said, "A good job requires a good education." This will ensure that students will need to continue their education to be successful in the workplace and will instill a good work ethic in students. The students at TechBoston are lucky to receive a laptop upon entering the school, however, it's not realistic for other schools, but we should take it upon ourselves as educators to integrate more technology into subject areas and make learning more engaging for our students so they will want to continue their education.

ECE 7706: Module 1

Science Lesson

I haven't taught science in nearly two years. The last time I taught it was during my student teaching, however, a typical science lesson will begin with a motivation or a hook to catch the students' attention. Then we will discuss the vocabulary and create a KWL chart. One of my favorite lessons was on Rocks and Minerals. I gave them each a collection of rocks and had the students write down four different characteristics of the rocks individually and then collectively we discussed the characteristics on the board. Each student then explained where each type of rock could be found. In the following days, the students illustrated, described the shape, texture, color, mass, size, and hardness of the sample in their science journals. The students would then complete a ticket out the door as an end of the day assessment and a post test at the end of the unit.

Technology in Science

Technology is always important in the lesson. I think it really helps the students to connect with the lessons. Webquests and BrainPOP Jr. could have been incorporated into the lesson above. Also, the students could have completed their own research on rocks and minerals on the computer or have participated in some activities on the SMARTBoard. Technology should be used in the classroom as long as it is relevant and helpful to the students. It should never be a time filler.

Concept Mapping

I've never heard of concept maps being called concept maps, although I've used them frequently. Concept maps are a great way to organize information in a clear way that makes sense. As a visual learner it has always benefitted me and I would love to use this in my classroom with students that may be struggling.