Essential Questions

Essential Questions

Open ended question that has multiple answers that is meant to engage student involvement. 

Volcanoes:  How do Volcanoes change the earth's surface?  Is there a volcano that poses a real danger to the United States?

Adaptation: How do physical and behavioral traits help animals survive?  How do the structures and functions of living things allow them to meet their needs?

Minerals: How can minerals be identified based on characteristics and properties?

Earthquakes:  How do Earthquakes happen?  How can earthquakes be detected and hazards be avoided?

The solar system?  What makes Earth unique in our solar system?  How do the interactions of the moon and earth affect us?  How does the position of earth in the solar system affect the conditions on our planet?

Life Cycles:  How is a plant a living thing?  How do animals/plants adapt to their environment?

To Grade or Not To Grade, That is the Question

To Grade or not to Grade, 

That is the Question

To Grade or not to Grade can be a tough topic, especially for students who work hard and like to be responsible for their efforts.  These students usually like the praise and recognition, in the form of grades, they receive and appreciate where they stand in their learning.  For some students, removing the motivational good grade, can take away the want to do well.  But reversing the situation for students who don't care about the grade, engaging learning and focusing on the context without the pressure of being judged for their efforts.  

I have a little experience with my daughters grade during their elementary school days.  The school district did not give standard grades or homework for grades k-5.  It was more of an option of 'Consistently, Most of the time, Some of the time, Not Yet or NA'.  As a parent, I struggled with this concept.  I had no idea on what my children struggled with or what they were learning till the quarter ended.  With no homework or graded work, I had to just have faith that my child was on the right path to healthy learning practices.  

As a teacher who may want to try this method, it is important to confer with the district before implementing. Grade-less learning requires deep commitment, planning preparation, and communication with everyone involved (student & parents).  Data was collected through three main collections; portfolios, self-assessments & reflection, and conferencing.  

Motivating students to complete tasks, build intrinsic motivation, I believe would be difficult for some students if there is no accountability.  

This is a concept that I feel I would first need to experience the reaction with grades before I can fully comprehend the pros of no-grades.  There are ideas that I agree with, such as evaluating and assessing through discussions, participation, and effort and not only relying on tests/quizzes.  There is more to understanding student success then quizzes/assignments, it's the progression that students make that needs to be recognized as well.  

Resources

Teachers Throwing Out Grades Facebook group   

Teaching without Grades

Unit Planning (Chapter 4)

Lesson vs. Unit Plans...my thoughts....
The difference between lesson plans and unit plans comes down to the full picture.  Lesson plans are the individual lessons taught within the unit. Multiple lesson plans will be created to fulfill a unit plan.  The Unit Plan is the big picture broken into multiple lesson plans.  Lesson plans are short lessons only lasting a week or less, while a unit plan is taught over along period of time.  Unit plans introduce the goal connected to the standards, while lesson plans contain objectives to be taught to reach goals.

Unit plans consist of concepts and learning goals that are taught over a period of time and are woven together, often across subject areas. A unit plan lasts two or three weeks (or longer) and includes several standards, skills, and desired outcomes for interconnected learning.

Videos From Audrey:

Chapter 4 Notes:
Scopes of Science Curriculum

Link to Newburgh Central School District Curriculum Here

• Earth/space science-astronomy, geology, meteorology
• Life science-molecular biology, zoology botany, ecology
• Physical science-physical & chemistry (matter & energy)
• Technology & engineering

Guidelines for planning curriculum:

1. Relevant & meaningful content
2. Relate learning to student first
3. Use concrete approach first before abstract
4. Sequence of topics is logically connected

Unit Planning:

using test books, keep it simple, covers the whole topic

Lesson Planning:

1. Content to be taught: Identify what you want students to learn
2. Identify misconceptions commonly held about the core ideas
3. Performance objectives (observable behaviors)
• condition for learning, observable performance to indicate learning & criteria to grade level of performance
4. Concept Development-engagement, exploration, explanation
5. Evaluation (assessments)
6. Accommodations-provide LRE for all students
• multiple means of Representation, expression, engagement

Resource Articles:

• Unit plan Design Steps
• Check list for creating Unit Plans
1. Describe the unit's focus, scope, mission, target concepts, questions, performance, & standards
2. Identify Resources- speakers, partner-teach resources, technology, community resources
3. Develop Experience that meets objectives and supports- 
4. Collect and Devise handouts and intro teasers
5. Lock down-break unit into 3-5 segments
6. Develop flex time for re-teaching or make up, lessons plans, handouts, material key ideas
7. Create- Routines, Rubrics, description and directions for assessments
8. Go Time- Teach, review, & chart performance, reflect & redesign

• The basics of lesson and unit planning
• Intro
• set a purpose; key concepts, topics, ideas; engage, make relevant.
• Foundation
• check & review prev. knowledge, link to standard, check for understanding, introduce vocab
• Brain activity
• Ask questions, build on knowledge; brainstorm main ideas; clarify misconceptions
• Body of new information
• teacher input
• Clarification
• check for understanding
• Practice and review
• Independence practice
• closure

• The Essential Elements of unit plan design
• Each strategy, activity, or assessment you use within an instructional sequence should naturally be embedded into a particular lesson, but it is important to note that each lesson resides within a greater unit of study predicated on overarching goals.

• Solving Problems in Unit plan design
• Teacher-student continuum - Dr. Smirnova's lecture for student teachers.

Above and Beyond: Extra Credit

Above and Beyond:

Extra Credit

Link to my Piktochart

Teaching Quotes I like:

“True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their

own.” ― Nikos Kazantzakis

“You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself.” ― Galileo

“I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” ― Albert Einstein

“Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, teachers.” 

Assessment

Assessments

The biggest misconception is the idea that assessments need to be intense, stressful tests for students that their grades depend upon. Since taking graduate courses, The concept of "assessments" has been clarified to include, not just graded tests, but also encompasses the day-to-day interaction in learning. Acknowledging students' participation and feedback is an essential method in understanding what students are learning and how best to help them before unit tests.
 Assessments, are broken down into three categories...

• Diagnostic Assessments which are pre-assessments or the "finding-out" what students know.  This is performed early before the lesson is taught.  Assessment beFORe learning

• Formative Assessments help keep track of students' learning and understanding.  These check-ins help to determine if the students are grasping the lessons or if the lessons should be modified.  Formative assessments provides information to students and teachers that is used to assist ongoing learning and addresses how well the teacher and the students are doing.  Assessments FOR learning

• Summative Assessments confirms what the students have learned.  It evaluates students' learning usually at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against a standard or benchmark.  It captures the quality of what the student has learned.  Assessment OF learning

Engage:  Assessments FOR or Assessments OF learning? Why??

  As an older teacher, I have had to rethink and change my view about what assessment really means & what its primary purposes are.  When I think back to my own education, I only recall being graded and assessed on unit tests or homework (if done correctly).  This was not always a fair representation of what I knew, and it did not take into mind accountability on the teacher's strategy for teaching.  Assessment FOR learning is umbrellaed to include formative or 'on going' assessments.  This can include (but not limited to) self & peer evaluations, journal entries, observations, quizzes, exit tickets, teacher-student conferences, students' involvements in group discussions, & reflections.  I believe that formative assessments provide very important student evidence of how and what they are learning during the learning process.  This is a critical time to correct misunderstandings or to modify the teaching strategies if the content is not being understood.  Engaging students during the learning proces helps teachers to identify holes in the content and monitor students understanding.    

My Slide on assessment

Scientific Method

A series of steps or process used to explore, observe and provide answers to questions.

Love this video/song on Scientific Method.  Keeping for my future class. 

  Learn

The Scientific Method 

BrainPop is a fun interactive exploration tool used to teach a concept.  It involved multiple frames of learning, such as videos, provided vocabulary, games, ability to make a movie,  quiz, etc to engage students and provide alternative ways to learn content matter.  I have never used it or seen it (as I'm sure there are a lot of resources I have yet to discover) but this tool is a definite keeper.  I explored through the site and learned quite a bit about the scientific method and did very well on the quiz.  This too will be placed and saved in my "future classroom file".

Explore

Curiosity, discovery and gecko feet - Robert Full

I enjoyed Robert Full's Ted Talk.  It reminded me of a lesson I was part of with a small class using a Scholastic Newsletter about how nature has helped to influence many amazing inventions that humans have learned to rely on.  The kids were really engaged.  It took a topic that young children were naturally interested in-nature/animals- and compared it to things that we use everyday and how it was created.  There are lots of resources out there for this subject.  I have included a video that could be shown.  Robert Full's study falls right into this.  He was able to take a question, engage the students, research, form hypothesis and really test it.  This study lead to an incredible break through in research and technology.  

I have attached a video of nature inspired technology that fits along with science discoveries 

Wonder & Wow

Please write your reflections, commentaries on your blogs and reference the sources whenever possible.

3 things you discovered

1.  The opportunity to see example questions put to the scientific method process has been very helpful in understanding the steps taken to discovery. I have learned the steps, but the connections have not been strong. Providing students with the opportunity to work through it will be a stronger educations tool.

2. The scientific method does not have a standard amount of steps. The concepts are there, but depending on the level of the students, the method can be broken into 5-9 processes. Example: conclusion can be the end, or report findings, analysis can be its own step or combined.

3. The first step of discovery is the question, observation or problem. The question must be testable. Often this is just the wording or take on the question.

2 interesting facts or details
1. The Scientific Method has been used and adopted by the science community for a long time and has become the founding tool for discovery

2. One of the most important features of the scientific method is its repeatability. The experiments performed to prove a working hypothesis must clearly record all details so that others may replicate them and eventually allow the hypothesis to become widely accepted.

1 question you still have-click on Padlet
 Padlet



Show What You Know!

Take our Kahoot! 

see my business proposal for
the Scientific Method here...

Soule Power Exploration! Piktochart

Inquiry Learning Resource Articles

 

Inquiry Resources

Models, Strategies, & Methods Notes

Instructional Models-Models represent the broadest level of instructional practices and present a philosophical orientation to instruction.  

• Used to select & structure teaching strategies, methods, skills & student activities.

Model--Strategies--Methods--Skills

Instructional Strategies-Determine approach teacher takes to achieve learning objections. Several strategies can be used within a model.

• Direct-teacher directed
• Indirect-student centered
• interactive-2 way communication
• independent-
• Experiential-learning center, activity orientated

Methods-most specific ways of creating learning environments

• Specifying the nature of the activity in which the teacher & learner will be involved to achieve goals.

Strategy	Direct	Indirect	Interactive	Experiential	Independent
Method	explicit teaching, compare/contrast demonstration, guides for reading	concept mapping, problem solving, Inquiry, reading for meaning	debates, role playing, brainstorming, peer practice	field trip, experiments, focused imaging, role playing, games	computer assoc games, essay, homework, research project, learning centers

   Inquiry Slides  click here

Inquiry Learning Cycle Articles

1. What is Inquiry?                                              
                          

Reflection:  This article was rather fun to read.  Asking for the definition of "Inquiry" is a pleasant thought.  My personal definition was along the same lines that they discussed.  -Inquiry is using curiosity for the baseline of learning.  Focusing a topic that is interesting for the student and gets them engaged makes learning more enjoyable.  The student can explore the topic allowing them to understand what they are observing, perhaps recalling on past experiences to understand their experiment or scientific concepts more.-  Inquiry is a process of exploration which is guided by personal interest or question.  The exploration can create new pathways where learners can discover meaningful concepts and understandings.  I like the statement describing "Inquiry" as "highly personalized way" of learning.  Curiosity is important, and humans are naturally curious.  Building on that idea, inquiry can build on leaning by seeking, obtaining, and making meaning from answers.
I like the introduction, when building the meaning for Inquiry, create a concept map.  This tool is useful in crating diagrams that illustrate the relationships and interconnections of concepts for a particular topic/idea.  Concept maps help students to negotiate meaning, organize ideas, and become more effective learners by utilizing linking words to connect and illustrate relationships.

2. BRILLIANT LABS BLOG NEWS

Academic Research

Busting the Myths Surrounding the Inquiry-Based Science Classroom

August 6, 2019

|

Kayoe Stewart, Brilliant Labs Innovaton Coordinator

Reflection:
Inquiry-based learning: ask testable questions, create & carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, draw conclusions & construct explanations that promote a deep understanding of fundamentals of science. I also believe that students need real experiences experimenting with science.  More hands one investigating allows students to learn through student-led experiments.

Myth 1: Teaching science through inquiry means students discover science ideas on their own 

• Inquiry learning is scofolding, guiding students throught the process.

Myth 2:  Teaching science through inquiry is achieved merely through hands-on activities 

• yes, it is hands-on learning but also "minds-on learning".  it is important for students to be engaged in their learning. 

Myth 3:  Teaching science through inquiry is chaotic

• there are multiple forms of assessments through out the investigation.  the teacher is the facilitator and helps guide students learning.

Myth 4:  Teaching science through inquiry is not an efficient use of time

• It does take longer, but utilizes the core concepts of scientific research and understanding.  

Myth 5:  Teaching science through inquiry is only for some students 

• Struggling students need more concrete experiences and contact with teachers, Inquiry learning emphasizes this concept.

Myth 6:  Teaching science through inquiry does not promote college and career readiness 

• institutions are putting more of an emphasis on critical thinking and inquiry to develop essential 21st century skills in their graduates.

This is what I have learned from this article.  It helped to build a better understanding, she the pros & cons of what people think of Inquiry based learning.  

3.  Inquiry, Learning Cycle, and 5E Model (5 pp). PDF

Reflection:  "Inquiry is a set of interrelated processes by which scientists and students pose questions about the natural world and investigate phenomena; in doing so, students acquire knowledge and develop a rich understanding of concepts, principles, models, and theories."  Great intro!  

This article is actually very useful.  I have saved it for further review, it breaks down each idea and provides rich descriptions as well as consistencies and inconsistencies of teaching.  When studying Inquiry teaching, it appears to be a natural way to engage students into learning, but this is only one strategy in the education curriculum and will have it's benifits and its negative points.  


4. 5E Learning Cycle

This document is short and sweet with only the essentials on it.  

Engage

Here the task is introduced. Connections to past learning and experience can be invoked. A demonstration of an event, the presentation of a phenomenon or problem or asking pointed questions can be used to focus the learners' attention on the tasks that will follow. The goal is to spark their interest and involvement.

Explore

Learners should take part in activities that allow them to work with materials that give them a 'hands on' experience of the phenomena being observed. Simulations or models whose parameter can be manipulated by learners, so that they can build relevant experiences of the phenomena, can be provided. Questioning, sharing and communication with other learners should be encouraged during this stage. The teacher facilitates the process.

Explain

The focus at this stage is on analysis. The learner is encouraged to put observations, questions, hypotheses and experiences from the previous stages into language. Communication between learners and learner groups can spur the process. The instructor may choose to introduce explanations, definitions, mediate discussions or simply facilitate by helping learners find the words needed.

Elaborate/Extend

Using the understanding gained in the previous stages, now learners should be encouraged build and expand upon it. Inferences, deductions, and hypotheses can be applied to similar or real-world situations. Varied examples and applications of concepts learnt strengthen mental models and provide further insight and understanding.

Evaluate

Evaluation should be ongoing and should occur at all stages, in order to determine that learning objectives have been met and misconceptions avoided. Any number of rubrics, checklists, interviews, observation or other evaluation tools can be used. If interest in a particular aspect or concept is shown, further inquiry should be encouraged and a new cycle can begin that builds upon the previous one. Inquiries may branch off and inspire new cycles, repeating the process in a spiralling fractal of interrelated concepts, where instruction is both structured and yet open to investigation.