Creating fun in Science

     This week in Science we focused on Earth Science in class. We were able to discover and discuss many of the topics in Earth Science. We began the class by getting into groups and being lectured on the different topics of Earth Science. I thought that this was nice to have a relaxed discussion with other classmates, because sometimes you can learn more from your peers than you can through lecture. I believe that the different topics of Earth Science are interesting and they provide an understanding of the Earth's surface.

     As discussed in class there were some things that I didn't understand when it came to Earth Science, and thankfully we split into groups to begin working on the topics that we didn't necessarily understand. In my group was Kim and Sean, now Sean and I have previous experience of working together. Kim and I have worked together with many different varies of projects, so it was exciting to be working with her again. This project was very helpful to my understanding on the topic as a whole. I enjoyed learning about Earth’s surfaces’s because my theme for the semester and fieldwork was The Solar System and Climate Change, so this fit right in with the rest of my projects. We decided to use a multimedia tool, ThingLink. This tool was super creative and was nice to use for our project. 

      Next week we will present on this topic, but I feel completely confident to present on this topic. I also feel like my group is going to be able to answer any questions on this topic because we thoroughly researched it. Next week, we are also going to be focusing on space and the different topics within space science. 

KDP and Class FUN

     This was our first class without having fieldwork! We covered a lot of topics in this class that were helpful to the class as a whole. We talked about how to create and write in a blog and how to create our e-folios. This was more helpful to some of the other students because I have done this for many classes. However, I did not know that a website can be copied, so I created my website from hand and created each web page.

     After we completed these two tutorials, we went to a KDP Event: Knowing what to say. This event talked about talking to children about difficult things. Knowing what to say to a student who has been through a tragic situation. Unfortunately, nowadays students experience very dramatic things at very young ages. These students go through more than the teachers do and knowing what to say is half the battle. We had many different speakers ranging from professionals to students who had gone through a dramatic experience. The most moving speaker for me was Veronica Malloy, president of KDP. Veronica spoke on domestic/sexual abuse in a  household and what to say to the children. I found this topic to fall close to home and I appreciated that she was able to speak on it. Overall I think the workshop was a success and I enjoyed attending with the class.

Fieldwork everywhere!

Fieldwork is an experience that all future teachers must endeavor. For fieldwork in Science Methods we completed fieldwork at Bishop Dunn Memorial School. I had the joys of working with the Science club after school. The unit that we focused on in fourth-sixth grade is “Everyday is Earth Day."

Overall, fieldwork contributed to the master skills of teaching because we are focusing on writing different types of lessons, and implementing the lesson designs into the classroom. Our master skills, as a class, are being developed through the creations of different lesson plans. I feel that developing these different lesson plans we are widening our abilities as a teacher. It is important to keep an open mind when teaching, and these lessons plans allow that. By creating a direct, inquiry, and cooperative learning lesson we are opening a gateway to creativity. By implementing these lessons into the classroom we are opening a window for all children to learn differently. We are making it easier for students, who do not learn just one way, to learn the same material that their peers are learning. Also, we are making the material easier for the teachers to know how to teach to all students. We are also widening the horizon in which we teach. My observations of the lessons created has also allowed my, not only the teacher, but also the student to think outside the box. So many of my peers have thought of so many different, creative ideas that I personally was not able to think of. Personally, I think this shows the power of teamwork and teams versus individually. However, I think watching my peers implement the lessons was another roller coaster. It was interesting to see a lesson on paper and then to see them execute it. I feel that seeing my peers execute their lessons just made us, the class, realize that it is imperative to executing a lesson plan properly to stay on time.

Overall, fieldwork as a whole was extremely rewarding. I loved working with the science club at Bishop Dunn. I feel that it was a great learning experience as well. I hope that all of the teacher candidates made as much as an impact on the students as they did for us.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

     The final group taught their lessons today, and this has been by far the most exciting experience for fieldwork. The students really grasped onto the program and thoroughly enjoyed the topics that we taught them. Group four consisted of Jake, Kim, Allison C., Chad, and Barbara. This group seemed to click and transition very well. 

     Group four focused on how to save the Earth, and they started off with having recyclable products on the students desks and having them separate it into bins before they began their lesson. This was great for getting the students interested in the lesson. I thought the they should have explained things to the students before they told them to get up and recycle. The students seemed a tad confused from the activity, but the group did a great way of pulling them back into the lesson. The symbols that they showed the students to remind them what they needed to do during the lesson was helpful because there was no miscommunication. I also enjoyed that they used the Kahoot for the closure and assessment; however, there were some technical difficulties that weren't taken care of right away. As for the inquiry lesson, having Fred the Fish was a great idea. Showing the effects of pollution on the fish was a great visual for the students because they were able to see many different variables on the fish. 

     Overall the entire lesson seemed well-though out; however, the presentation provided too much cognitive overload and I felt overwhelmed. The teachers didn't seem like they rehearsed much, but it didn't show during their lesson. I felt that the teachers showed a great representation of their topic and taught useful things.

Weather and Climate Change: Precipitation

     The third group began and ended their lessons yesterday. The third group taught their presentation based on weather and climate change, with a focus in precipitation. They looked at the different effects of the weather on the earth and climate change. Leanna, Justine, Rachel, Kaitlyn, and Kathleen were the members of group three.  

     The teachers presented nicely and I felt that I learned a lot about their topic. The activities that they presented, during the lesson were engaging and encouraged the students to follow along. It was informing to learn about the different types of clouds and what they look like. I had never before learned on those topics. Also, the teachers seemed to really enjoy their topic. I thought that the teachers could have better prepared for any mishaps during their lessons. Such as, during the activity, the teachers didn't know how to exit one of the features of the SMARTBoard. I felt this was a little distracting for the students because they felt like they had a moment of free time. Unfortunately, the third group didn't get to present either of their independent practices because they went over their teaching times for both lessons. As for the inquiry, the teachers presented a fun filled activities. I am not sure what each student did exactly because each group did a different project. 

     Overall, the third group did present a fun activity and the students seemed to really enjoy what they were doing. I thought that they were confident and showed promise for their ability to control large groups of students.