Goal #2
Demonstrate understanding of the social, intellectual, and personal development of students and recognize the diverse needs, interests, and abilities of students in regard to science at the K-6 level
Demonstrate understanding of the social, intellectual, and personal development of students and recognize the diverse needs, interests, and abilities of students in regard to science at the K-6 level
Artifact 1- Science Interview
Well, Jeni (our science Professor) told us to interview about two students. I talked with my CT about this interview, and he wanted to do it with the entire class! I wasn’t really prepared to look through 18 interviews, which were really just questions that I asked them to think about and answer the best they could. But, from the responses that I did get, I do not regret giving it to the entire class. I pulled two students aside and asked them more in-depth questions so I could get a better idea of what they thought science was. It helps me to understand their past experiences in science and how that affects them even today. Most students said that science is a class and they know when science is happening because they have to take out their science books and notebooks. I am happy that they referenced their notebooks, but I know that I do not want my students to think of science as just a class they have to take and that they have to use their book. I want science to be interactive, creative, and logical. If I never elicited students' ideas about science, I would never have known that they just view it as bookwork. Now, I know that I need to build in more activities for them to explore!
Well, Jeni (our science Professor) told us to interview about two students. I talked with my CT about this interview, and he wanted to do it with the entire class! I wasn’t really prepared to look through 18 interviews, which were really just questions that I asked them to think about and answer the best they could. But, from the responses that I did get, I do not regret giving it to the entire class. I pulled two students aside and asked them more in-depth questions so I could get a better idea of what they thought science was. It helps me to understand their past experiences in science and how that affects them even today. Most students said that science is a class and they know when science is happening because they have to take out their science books and notebooks. I am happy that they referenced their notebooks, but I know that I do not want my students to think of science as just a class they have to take and that they have to use their book. I want science to be interactive, creative, and logical. If I never elicited students' ideas about science, I would never have known that they just view it as bookwork. Now, I know that I need to build in more activities for them to explore!
Artifact 2 - Misconceptions
"Misconceptions? That does that have to do with teaching science?" HA! That’s what I asked myself the first time we started talking about these misconceptions in class. I thought that I had no need to learn about student misconceptions. Who cared? I was just going to teach them what they needed to learn anyways, right? Wrong! So very very wrong. Misconceptions about science come from EVERYWHERE and it is hard to break a student of their misconceptions. As a pre-service teacher, I find it very difficult to know what students could possibly have misconceptions about. I mean sure, maybe after 10 or so years I will have a better understanding of what my students generally do not understand and have misconceptions about, but that will come with time. Well my friends, I did not have to wait 10 years! Jeni, my science Professor, came to the rescue and showed our class this website that lists misconceptions by category. When I know we are going into something new, all I have to do is go to the site and look up what misconceptions students tend to have about the certain topic. I will forever use this site because it is user friendly and so relevant to helping a novice teacher understand students' misconceptions.
"Misconceptions? That does that have to do with teaching science?" HA! That’s what I asked myself the first time we started talking about these misconceptions in class. I thought that I had no need to learn about student misconceptions. Who cared? I was just going to teach them what they needed to learn anyways, right? Wrong! So very very wrong. Misconceptions about science come from EVERYWHERE and it is hard to break a student of their misconceptions. As a pre-service teacher, I find it very difficult to know what students could possibly have misconceptions about. I mean sure, maybe after 10 or so years I will have a better understanding of what my students generally do not understand and have misconceptions about, but that will come with time. Well my friends, I did not have to wait 10 years! Jeni, my science Professor, came to the rescue and showed our class this website that lists misconceptions by category. When I know we are going into something new, all I have to do is go to the site and look up what misconceptions students tend to have about the certain topic. I will forever use this site because it is user friendly and so relevant to helping a novice teacher understand students' misconceptions.