Chapter 10 Reflection (AG)

I found this chapter to be very useful. As a future teacher it is a bit difficult to hear that I will be working with students with learning disabilities. It is not easy to realize that I will have to accommodate so many needs within my classroom. It will be a challenge to work with students with learning disabilities.
It is necessary to realize that each student learns in a different way. I really like how the chapter emphasizes on different teaching approaches. Although the chapter emphasizes on teaching science to students with learning disabilities, they may also be used to teach other subjects and concepts. The chapter offers scaffolding, activity-based science, learning strategies, visual presentations, multimedia, mnemonics, and graphic organizers. As I stated all of the approaches may be used to teach any concept.
I am majoring in Bilingual Bicultural education, and one thing I really liked about this chapter, was the focus on sheltered instruction and the 5-E model. I have taken many classes in BLBC, and I believe that the 5-E model may be an effective tool to teach linguistically and culturally diverse students.

Chapter 10 Reflection (hb)

Chapter 10 Reflection

I’ll have to admit that the placement of this chapter in this book threw me off. Teaching students with special needs is usually the one of the first things that is talked about. However, I feel that where this fits into what we’ve learned up to now is perfect. The chapter is all about teaching students with special needs. The categories of special needs as stated are students with disabilities, gifted and talented students, and students with linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. The chapter talks about things we have learned about in all our other classes such as No Child Left Behind, IEP’s, modifications, and common assessments. What I find different is that the chapter gives great examples of some strategies soon-to-be teachers can use to help them teach students with special needs. One of the strategies which I’m a huge advocate is the use of graphic organizers. Something else that this book talks about that our other books and classes don’t delve too much into is the process of inclusion. The chapter talks about making real inclusion a goal for gifted and talented students. We are so busy always talking about the students on the other end of the spectrum when we fail to realize that these students need just as much attention and help as the other students. Having worked a special education assistant, this chapter helped me connect the dots and put the missing pieces together. Assistants aren’t always filled in with the specifics and I feel that I now know why certain things were done a certain way.

Chapter 9 Reflection (hb)

I always thought that Science and Math went hand in hand with each other. Not like how reading and writing go hand in hand, but more like Social Studies and Language Arts. I have never heard it put so eloquently as to say that “mathematics is called the language of Science.” Everything the chapter talks about from the concepts of measuring to the graphing, I perceived as common sense and knowledge. However, delving into the chapter, I realized that it’s not as common sense as I thought it had been. And even more so, the ideas of integrating science and language arts were something that is eye opening for me. “The pursuit of meaning” is a phrase that makes perfect sense to me, being am English junkie and loving language arts. I have never thought that the concept of predicting crossed over from language arts to science and vice versa. It makes perfect sense and when I see it all broken down and written out like this, it makes me go, “Ahhhh…. Of course it does!” I still have a tough time figuring in social studies with science. I know that science is crucial in learning about other cultures and the past, but in regards to the subject inside of a classroom, I feel that a lot of the idea presented would fall more under language arts. Although I did mention that social studies and language arts team up well, so it makes more sense to me that a complete integration is the key. With this being the case, I feel that this chapter really did a great job of burning the idea of integration into us so that we don’t have to think about it too much to do it.

Chapter 10 Reflection

Once again the authors of Teaching Science as Inquiry deliver and provide a wealth of important information on science for all learners. They offer wonderful tips and practical ways to teach students with a variety of special learning needs. I like the learning standard offered by Dr. Edwin Ellis in his teaching model, Makes Sense Strategies (p. 259). The notion of “watering up” not “watering down” is important for all teachers to keep in mind. You should expect more of your students, not less. I also like the idea of “think sheets” and semantic maps in assisting students with learning strategies.

The suggestions listed for LD learners are helpful: using activities-based science (evidenced by the Scruggs study); intensive scaffolding; learning strategies; visual presentations; multimedia in general; mnemonics; and graphic organizers (p. 256). Much like “sheltered instruction,” mentioned in terms of ELL students, I find that what works well for these students works well for all students. I have often created something for special learners that I end up using with the whole class. Also, don’t miss the website mentioned in the text: http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/sitemap.html. It is great.

I’m a little confused how “language objectives” work (p. 269) and a little concerned how it will be working with an IEP. I haven’t had the experience yet. It seems a little overwhelming to consider all the different ways in which children learn, but comforting to know that it has always been like that. Even before IDEA and NCLB, teachers have had to be creative in educating children because, as the authors remind us, “each child is unique.”

Chapter 9 Reflection

I never realized how seamlessly other subjects can be integrated with science and appreciate what he authors propose. Not surprisingly, mathematics and science are inextricably linked, mathematics being called the “language of science.” The International System of Units (SI) for the metric system, p. 235 is something that I suppose one of these days America will adopt. It is interesting that they say programs should de-emphasis converting the American system of measurement with the metric system. Growing up, it was always “1 liter is about 2 pints” and still is a little that way.

With one of my classes, I used a bar graph to show a representational view of the weather in a given month. The vertical axis showed the number of days, and the horizontal axis showed the type of weather, e.g., sunny, rainy, partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, etc. The data can then be compared to other parts of the world. This idea can be integrated with social studies as the authors suggest, p. 248. How is our weather similar to other continents or other areas of the world? I also like how the authors show how to use a line graph to help with making predictions, one of the pillars of science processes.

Keeping a journal is one of the best easy to integrate writing into the science lesson. It makes kids have to think about what they have done or witnessed and put their experience into their own words. I like the Comprehension questions on p. 246 and a K-W-L chart is the perfect device to measure a student’s prior knowledge. A shoebox “midden” is something new to me but like how the teacher used it as a time capsule.

All in all, I would want to be in communication with the all other teachers who are involved with my students and keep a through line for the thematic unit. Can all the subjects in the curriculum be connected with one another? I’d like to try to have some relatable quality between subjects. Combining different topics leads to the ultimate in “higher level” thinking.

Chapter 8 Reflection

Technology is so integrated with everything we do and every aspect of life, it’s hard to imagine teaching without it. Yet for generations, teachers and students managed to survive and thrive. Today, the computer is a useful tool and helps students become more involved. Children grow up so reliant on digital images and video that it’s really like a language that you have to speak to be able to communicate with young people. It is critical that children have exposure to as much technology as possible and it is certainly an advantage in the real world.

There seems though to be a great disparity in the technology available from one classroom to the next. Well-funded suburban schools have incredible equipment and resources. Even some of the CPS schools have sophisticated equipment I have heard. Unfortunately, my clinical classroom has one computer, for the teacher’s use only, although the kids have a 40-minute session once a week in the computer lab. It’s helpful that our text mentions that there are ideas and suggestions for the one computer classroom, p. 223. (It’s funny that the resources are over ten years old!)

I appreciate what the authors say about “Acceptable Use Policies for the Internet” p. 227. It’s important to have Internet Standards in place and a good idea to have students sign off on what is acceptable use. Last year, we had to deal with a student who used someone’s password and was going to play a childish prank. It was innocent enough but something like that can get out of hand very easily. It’s good to make kids aware that the information on the computer needs to be taken seriously.

Things that I will definitely use (and already use) are Excel spreadsheets, pie charts and bar graphs, and digital cameras. In my plants unit, I am going to use daily digital photos to document and measure a plant’s growth. If I was actually doing it in my own classroom, I could use my own camera, equipment, and laptop, which wouldn’t cost the school or me any additional money. I also like the website BrainPop and look forward to trying Kid Pix and Kidspiration. The authors’ guide to evaluating software provided in the text will certainly be handy in the future. Finally, I think it would be important to stay up to date with technology as much as possible, to seek out classes and seminars to keep current with on-going innovations. Technological advances can help all areas of the curriculum, not just science.

Chapter 10 Reflection

Whoops! I am so sorry this is so late! I thought I posted this from Word, guess not!

This chapter covers teaching students with special needs, gifted and talented children and culturally ad linguistically diverse students. I found the descriptions of the various disabilities and impairments accurate and they served to reinforce previous knowledge of that subject. My major is special education, so this chapter had particular meaning for me.
The text, once again, provided useful information and I found the subject of specific learning disabilities, cognitive delays and emotional and behavioral disorders interesting. One term the authors used surprised me. “Mental retardation” is an expression that is frowned upon as my SPED professors have reiterated many times. Currently, it is acceptable to say “cognitively delayed or impaired.” I have no doubt within the next year or so, the terms will change again to something more appropriate.
That being said, I am aware of the glaring differences between educating regular education teachers and special education teachers. I was just chatting with a woman that was going into early childhood education and she peppered me with questions about teaching students with special needs. Her concern was that one course about teaching such students was not going to be enough to prepare her for the inclusion classroom. I couldn’t agree more. It is concerning. I also believe more could be done within the schools to foster a more collaborative relationship between teachers in general.

Reflection 10

Chapter 10 talked about addressing students with special needs. The textbook addressed students with learning disabilities, students with mental, behavioral, or emotional disabilities, students with visual or hearing impairments, and so on. The author really went into some feasible ways to modify or adapt the science lessons so that any student could participate.
I feel that science may be one of the harder subjects to make modifications to. It is more than making modifications to a worksheet or a textbook. There are activities that you do that may require more modifications and planning than most other activities a teacher may prepare.
You as a teacher may not be able to know which modifications need to be made. Especially, the first day you may have to improvise on the spot the modifications you may need. You can plan for some modifications, but there are so many that could be made depending on the needs of the specific child. You may know ahead of time depending on the availability of the needs.
The modifications for each of the special needs students may be different. Each student may need a different modification, which could make for some long lesson planning days. Once you get to know your students and know what thier strengths and weaknesses are, planning modifications should become easier.
I felt that the modificaitons provided in this chapter were modifications that I could easily use in my classroom. I feel that this textbook as a whole would be a huge asset to me in the future. I plan on keeping this book and referring to it for all of my science needs in the future. Not only does the author provide good science activities for students to really understand, but the modifications that the author provided in this chapter were modifications that could really be used. There are some authors who make suggestions that really cannot be used or are so off base that they are ridiculous. This author gives ideas and suggestions that are realistic and can easily be used by anyone in the future.

Chapter 10 Reflection

Reflection on Chapter 10- Science for All Learners

Chapter 10 focuses on teaching effectively the diverse body of students which are found in the classroom. Special needs students, gifted learners, and international or ELL students are among those who we as teachers must be able to relate to and reach at least enough so that they can grow in all the ways that they ought to during their school years. This seemingly daunting task is made more feasible through applying various strategies or utilizing various support networks, as the text discusses in this chapter. All of the aforementioned activities or strategies would be good to do with such students, although they will obviously need specialized cases/examples/etc. and will require more help and time than "normal" students. It’s just essential that they, like all students, practice consistency and effectively – for example, in teaching vocabulary a teacher shouldn't just have students look them up in the dictionary but require them to actually put them to practical use so they can become their own. I think that this is the overall spirit of teaching special needs students: to help them not feel "special" in the bad way by helping them feel comfortable with their work - they should only feel "special" in the good way!

Chapter 9 Reflection

Chapter 9 Reflection: Connecting Science with Other Subjects

Integration of a science curriculum with mathematics, literacy, and social studies is important, if only because all these topics are interrelated. Integration of language arts and mathematics should be natural, as reading, writing, and calculations are an integral part of the subject – if not essential! I would have my students do essays, poetry, problem-solving mathematics, and creative writing such as making plays or short stories to expand and enhance what they are studying in the science curriculum. Also, they can read books associated with what they’re learning that are perhaps more interesting than their textbooks, but accomplish the same purpose(s)! In this way they can have fun in the learning process, use their individual creativity, and feel that the content is personally relevant to them, which is very important because it is them who will be using it all one day. As far as social studies is concerned, history and geography are a part of it, and are part of science too. History is taught in order for students to know about what humans have done over time, geography is taught in order for students to know about the physical earth that they inhabit, civics and government is taught in order to help students be citizens in the democracy in which they participate, and economics is taught to help students be consumers in the economy in which they work. As far as teaching history (the study of humans through time), the key skills needed to be developed by students are chronological thinking, historical comprehension, analysis, interpretation, and research. For geography, students are taught according to the thematic areas of location, place, human interactions with their environments, movement, and regions. Map reading is very important as a skill, and includes directional orientation, locating places on a map and globe, expressing relative location, using scale, computing distances, using scale to estimate time of travel, and interpreting map symbols and visualizing what they mean. As a science teacher, I believe it is important to teach all of these skills and lessons with the goal of students’ development both personally and as citizens. I believe it’s essential to study and learn from the past, as well as be knowledgeable about the current systems in which we live. As a science teacher I would emphasize to my students the practical aspects of all that they learn - how it can and should directly apply to their lives in a beneficial way.

Chapter 10 Reflection

Chapter 10 identifies and desscribes the diverse group of students that we may encounter in our classroom. The text also gives us some insight on how to adress each type of student. I believe that this chapter is very important because it gives us example of how the five E model can be used in an inclusionary way.I always get thrown aback by the students that are included in the chapter, it goes from students with special needs ( be they mental or physical), students that are gifted, and students with different cultural and language backgrounds. I believe that since the five E model allows flexability to accomadate to these students.

Chapter 10

I like how the chapter reminds the teacher to include all students in the science class. The book gives great teaching techniques to guide the teachers how to teach these special students. As we learn to be teacher we do not get much opportunity to learn how to help special need students. This chapter has helped me learn some signs to look for and how to help these students if they are in my classroom. It also helps teachers make science lessons challenging for the gifted students. There should be no power struggle with the teacher and the students just because a student might know more than the teacher should not affect how the teacher teaches that student. The Five E’s are helpful while teaching such diverse group.

CHAPTER 10

Chapter ten was the final chapter in the text and it discussed science for all learners. This chapter served as a sort of review or summary for me, discussing many ideas and concepts that have been visited in previous chapters and lessons. Through out my time writing lesson plans, it has always been stressed the importance of making accommodations for a variety of diverse students. Whether the student has auditory deficits, visual impairments, language barriers, or emotional/learning disabilities, it is important that every student has a right to a full, free public education in the least restrictive environment. Learning how to adapt lessons and make appropriate accommodations is something I am familiar with, but would definitely like to improve on. There are many beneficial, different, strategies that can be incorporated into the classroom for all learners to exceed at their full potential. I want to constantly use and reflect different successful methods and approaches to reach my diverse needs of students. I also like this chapter because it gives many different ideas and tips in dealing with students and their specific disability, for example stimulating gifted students by using series of questions rather than giving information to them.

I have a younger brother that has some learning disabilities, so I have witnessed how difficult it can be at times to deal with students with differences. He went through a lot of problems and struggling before finally coming across a teacher that implemented strategies that would specifically work for him, and now he enjoys school. I see how that one teacher who really put in an effort with him really paid off for my brother’s future. I want to be one of those educators who can make a difference for all my students, so that each has a fair, successful chance at succeeding in their education.

Nye Reflection Ch 10

Chapter 10 covered a subject that has been consistently reinforced in all of the methods classes I have taken so far, but with a focus on science. This subject matter, which is usually taught in chapters about IDEA, deals with including all learners. This chapter was different because it did not simply focus on the law and how to adapt classrooms to stay with IDEA. Refreshingly the author chose to focus on practical ways teachers can accommodate the diverse body of students that we may encounter in our classrooms.
I found it especially helpful that there was a model for ELL students that might be used in a sheltered instruction environment. TESL is my minor and just this semester I learned about this type of instruction. I felt that the suggestions or modifications for Ell’s and throughout this chapter could be put to use in my everyday classroom. The other part of this chapter I found helpful were the specific suggestions for students with hearing and visual impairments. This is the first practical suggestions I have seen for these students.
Finally, I must say that I began reading as if I were going to be re-hashing the same old material again. As has been the case with this text I was pleasantly surprised. While some of the information was reinforcing what I have repeatedly been taught; a lot of it was new and refreshing.

Chapter 10 Reflections (BH)

Chapter 10 is about science for all learners which means children with special needs have the right to learn science as well. Special needs students consist of students with disabilities, gifted and talented students, and students with linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. This chapter also talks about IDEA which gives individuals with disabilities from birth to age 21 the right to a full public education. This led to inclusion which means all students with a wide range of disabilities are in regular classrooms for the entire school day. To aide students with LD the book says graphic organizers are good for visualization or mnemonics to with memorization. I know this first hand because my brother has a learning disability. He has short term memory and processing. I remember always helping him with his homework and trying to help him find different ways to understand things. I know this is off topic a little bit, but he is a great writer. He comes up with great ideas but can not spell for anything. Where with gifted students, give a different kind of challenge to teachers. They can benefit from doing unstructured explorations and engaging in enrichment activities such as observing how math and science are connected. The challenge for all teachers would be to supply a wide range of learning/teaching methods to meet the needs of all children. I think this is by a challenge because you have to think of everyone and sometimes things you want to do don't always work out. I will definitely need to work on being more diverse for all learners, i know that already. I have a difficult time thinking of modifications and accommodations. But practice makes perfect...eventually.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Science for all learners

Having been in the special education department and nearly finished with my education, I didn't expect to find all that much new information(in one chapter) on learners with special needs. I was pleasantly suprised with the content of this chapter as it discussed in detail different methods for teaching that population and did not limit the students with additional needs to ones with LD's. It also addressed the how to's about each of the populations in great detail.

One of the sections that I really liked was the MSS(Make Sense Strategies) approach to learning and the three principles that it discussed. (This book is so well written, it continually falls in line eith what has been written and discussed previously) Having studnets learn in meaninful ways, increasing the "learn ability fo what we teach as opposed to "dumbing it down" and the third(my favorite) students should not laste time learning trivia!!!!!

I also found the sections on visual and hearing impairments very detailed and helpful. A lot of winderful and well thought out ideas have been presented. This part of the population Tends to be overlooked when discussing special needsas we don't encounter them very often in our daily lives. They will, however be a part of our classrooms should inclusion come around full swing(we are still working on the best model, procedures and strategies for this; it is an ongoing process).

In addition,I enjoyed the section where the text discussed having additional activities for gifted and talented students. My favorite strategy was the "What if..." question. It can send a student into a project and researching a topic until an answer is found. What a great way to use "free time", especially if they are enthusiastic about the topic. A great way to end the chapters and reading section of this book. KUDOS TO THE AUTHORS. I would recommentd this book to anyone interested in teaching science or looking for a different way to approach science topics.

Chapter 10 Science for all learner

A bank of resources- regardless of the type of learning disability, adaptations need to be made even if students are excelling in science. I need to plan instruction according to all my students knowledge. Making modifications for special learning needs by 1. providing more scaffolding assistance by asking highly structured questions on subject at hand to help students draw conclusions from their observations. 2. elaboration can be used in learning but students with LD should be taught to summarize, paraphrase or in their own language in order to get a visual of an idea. 3. using concrete examples helps students comprehend charting and graphing strategies, use familiar things related to their life, for example: how many students in your class like pizza?
It seems the most challenging part of teaching science strategies to all is the difficulty I will face teaching MR students. By teaching self care, home living and so forth, I see how it might be difficult for them and me to learn and teach and pass the science standards that they are expected to master. I need to remember that labels are often just that, a label. What some LD, MR and EBD students might find difficult in one subject, find that the subject of science provides an engaging way to learn. They are able to use creativity, daringness and lively hood to participate in groups and experiments. Adapting for visual learners should not prove to be any more difficult then MR or LD. Many activities are available in audio, tactile, computer programs and Braille with the help of intervention, learning can occur in an intellectual meaningful way. I never thought of a gifted child as a pull out or inclusion "problem". I need to keep gifted students challenged but also remember they are young students and still need to function socially with the other students. Inquiry science does not rely heavily on the text book teaching, so I believe language should not be such an obstacle. I think the last paragraph of the chapter sums it up nice as to what I need to do. It states, "In teaching science, you should employ a wide range of content and teaching strategies to meet the learning needs and interests of students with special needs and those from different cultural backgrounds. You should also build on and broaden the prior knowledge of students by deepening their learning experiences.

Chapter 10

Chapter ten has useful information about students with special needs. As teachers we are responsible for making different accommodations for each student with special needs. The textbook provides different examples of accommodations that may be implemented for students with special learning needs. I think that as teachers it is our responsibility to find the right strategies to help students in any subject, not just science. What surprised me about this chapter was the study about the pendulum problem in response to number of prompts. I wonder if I will be able to come up with prompts so efficient like the prompts mentioned in the textbook. It was amazing how the same prompts helped nondisabled, learning disabled and mild mental retardation students. All the students reached one hundred percent responses but with different number of prompts. It is necessary to take into consideration the students prior knowledge and their special limitations in order to produce a lesson that addresses the issues of all the students in the classroom.

Chapter 10

This chapter was about how to make modifications and accommodations to create the best learning environment for students with disabilities, gifted and talented students, and students with linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. In the section about approaching science instruction for students with LD, the chapter talks about how it is hard to group these students into one group and say specific things will for sure be helpful. This is because students with LD have their own unique strengths and abilities, and like all students come to the classroom with their own background knowledge. I like that this section gives some suggestions that are generally supported for science instruction for students with LD such as intensive scaffolding and learning strategies.

The second part of this chapter i liked was the section on teaching learning strategies. I have heard a lot in my other classes about how students with disabilities often need and benefit from being taught learning strategies. The Makes Sense Strategies (MSS) model for teaching seems like an effective approach to me, even though I had never heard about it until reading this chapter. My favorite of the three points in this model is the one that states students should not waste time learning trivia. I would personally rather have my students work on actually being able to express a concept in their own words than to give textbook definitions by memory. The chapter explains that students with LD may also need similar explicit instruction to better understand how to read and use graphs. I like the chapters suggestion to use data of students' favorite foods to construct a bar graph and ask questions based on. This would be a good introduction or refresher on how graphs are created and used before creating one with scientific data. I Thought it was interesting the way the chapter explained how to teach students to use mnemonics. The pictures they used for explaining the different types of leaves would be helpful for myself if I had to remember them.

In the section about adapting learning materials for students with visual impairments, I thought of something I saw in one of my classes. One way to make things like printed pictures accessible to students with visual impairments would be to outline them with glue. So, when the glue dries, learners can trace the picture with their finger using the raised surface of the dried glue as an guide.

chapter 10 reflections

CHAPTER 10: Science for all Learners
Reflection

This chapter is based off the notion that science is for all learners. The theme and theory would be that all students from different backgrounds, learning abilities, and physical and emotional issues can learn science. This chapter also touches base on how the IDEA law mandates that people with disabilities are allowed a free education till the age of 21. It is a good idea for a teacher to adapt their lessons plans around students with disabilities and or needs to do so. This also holds true when a teacher has students who are gifted. A practical approach to this chapter is to learn the abilities of your students and accommodate and or modify your lesson so that the most science is learned. Hands-on exploration can help all diverse students learn the different science concepts.

I think this chapter is very informational. It gives good tips into how to adapt a curriculum around student’s different diverse needs. Hands-on experiences can also help with the learning of diverse students. I had no questions for this chapter and everything was clear. This chapter reminds future teachers that IDEA plays a big role in planning out science lesson plans.

Chapter 10 Reflection

This chapter kind of served as a review. Throughout my coursework, I have studied numerous ways to change around lesson plans and activities to modify for students with special needs. This chapter helped bring up valuable information on modifications. IEP’s were discussed briefly, and I really liked how Bass stated that IEP’s should be viewed as: “a dynamic, working document intended to improve student learning, rather than a set of legalities to be filled” (Bass 255). This is a great way to think about IEP’s. Many teachers view an IEP as a obstacle that they have to work with, and they should not be viewed as that.

I liked that Bass discussed many different types of disabilities, and offered information for each. The first one discussed in the chapter was about students with learning disabilities. Because learning disabilities are so vast, it is very difficult to classify each of them. Bass offers up some advice for addressing LD students, and the most valuable information that I received from him was to use many different activities and also to provide various levels of scaffolding. I think that each of these will help LD students with the manipulation that they need, and also some one on one time.

I really benefited from the section on visual impairments. For some reason I tend to not always include those modifications in my lesson plans, but I need to. Visual impairments are a major part of classrooms, and learning how to adapt to them will greatly benefit me in the future.

I found it interesting when Bass discussed ELL students and inquiry science. He pretty much stated that inquiry science allows ELL students to develop their language skills because of the activities involved in the inquiry science process. Although the 5-E model may be difficult to completely understand at first, I do think that it will greatly benefit the students in the future. Anything that we can do as teachers to help the students to fully comprehend the material is definitely worth incorporating into the classroom.

Chapter nine reflection

Chapter nine was another informative chapter in this text. I feel that it is extremely important that educators incorporate many subjects together when teaching. In the real world, individuals are not faced with tasks or problems from a single category, the task usually encompasses a variety of subjects so students should be prepared for this. Many disciplines work well together, such as math and science. Many math skills are used in investigative science, such as measuring, organizing data, and interpreting patterns and relationships. Writing and reading are also other subjects that can easily be incorporated in to science, because many times students read directions and then record results and findings. Social studies is another subject that is also equally fun to pair with science. Students may grasp and retain more ideas and concepts when the two are together. Weather, natural phenomena, and the environment are all great linkable topics. Also for reasons such as time constraint in the classroom, sometimes teachers either shorten a lesson or may be forced to drop it all together. By intertwining and relating subjects, students still gain the importance of the lesson, but also can relate it to other ideas and concepts outside the specified lesson.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 gives us some further understanding about how to intergrate science with other subjects areas successfully. I always knew that math and science went together very well and that you used mathematical skills in science. I never knew how extensive the relationship between the two subjects was until now. The reading and wriiting intergration to science is also a forseeable one since students use both skills in inquiry science and in textbooks. Social studies seems harder to intergrate at first but really it can be achieved quick easily since social studies is about human interactions with their enviroment. I believe students may be even more intrigued to discuss and learn about a subject when there is a personal aspect added to that subject.

This chapter illustrated the importance of integrating science with various other school subjects. This is due in large part to the stringent national standards. That being said, incorporating other disciplines provides students with a more comprehensive view of the world, how it works and the relationships between all subjects.
I found the text helpful in condensing the suggestions for incorporating reading and writing. I recall an entire semester about that very subject and once again, this text simplified the information and I feel I understand it more.
Many of the strategies suggested in this chapter would be useful for my students with special needs. I would need to modify the reading comprehension strategies, however. For example, a large number of my students would require direct instruction and may require very specific and more simplistic comprehension questions. I may also need to use pictorial representations of what information students should look for in a given text.
The integration of math was very important to read and provided many useful suggestions to combine the two. Children explore through classifying, counting and estimating and each subject lends themselves to the other, so it is not complicated to incorporate math into science. Math is necessary to quantify and explain relationships in scientific data.

Chapter 9

After, reading chapter nine, I have developed a better understanding of how to integrate science with different subjects like mathematics, language arts, and social studies. I think that of all the subjects mentioned in the textbook that can be integrated with science, I feel that mathematics can be connected in many more different ways. For example, with mathematics which involves counting, estimating, using patterns to name a few could be used with young students as well as older students. Science always requires interpretation of the information gathered either by writing the information in a science journal for language arts, oral presentation for social studies, or graphs for mathematics. I really liked the idea of the prompt cards used in the textbook for reading science textbooks. I think this will help students who struggle with comprehension in reading really understand what they are reading. What I found surprising was the fact that children as young as five months can use concepts of addition and subtraction.

The authors of this book made a good point by talking about and saying that teachers should connect not only science, but all subjects related to literacy. There are four areas related to literature that should be covered: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Each of these areas should be used and as a teacher you should not ignore any of these areas of literature. The book talked about many ways to incorporate these areas into every subject. I think it is an important aspect in teaching and learning. Especially in the younger grades when students are learning the essential skills and building on those skills. It may not be feasible to incorporate these into everything you do in a lesson, but implement them as much as you can into your lessons.
Teaching students to organize and interpret data is another point that the authors talked about. This is something that can be taught at an early age. This is something that students are going to have to do for the rest of their school careers. Organizing and interpreting data is also something that students will use in the real world as well, when they are done with school. The earlier students learn to do these things, the better off they will be. They can at least start some of the easier graphing techniques. These can be implemented into the subjects that are being taught. They can start to use these as a class project, which would be done as a whole class. This would make it easier for students to see before they do the graphs on their own. Graphing can be broken down into easy steps for the easier graphs, to make it not as complicated as it looks. Bar graphs, line graphs, and histograms are the main graphing systems used in an elementary school.

Chapter 9 Reflection (BH)

Chapter 9 is all about connecting science with other subjects. The national standards in every discipline support connections between subjects in the school curriculum. There are important connections to be made between science, math, language arts, social studies, as well as other subjects.
Math and science can center on four main themes: quantifying the world, organizing and interpreting data, using patterns and relationships, and operating on numbers. Children use all four of these connections all the time. Quantifying the world is estimation and measuring real world variables. Organizing data is making graphs, tables or diagrams from information collected or given about something. Interpreting data is reading what the graphs, tables, or diagrams are. Using patterns and relationships have children predicting and testing their hypotheses and coming up with a conclusion. According to the book, science and reading/writing is critical for elementary/middle school students.
Teachers can help students succeed in reading through helping them acquire necessary prior knowledge, and helping them follow up after their science readings. They always can improve their writing skills as they communicate their inquiries to others.
Science and social studies seem pretty easy to integrate because everything in society is based off of some part of history. For instance the book talked about weather and the environment. One needs to know the history on it before they have investigate it.
This chapter helped me greatly on trying to integrate other subjects into science. I always do it the other way around. I always integrate science into language arts instead of integrating language arts into science. It takes practice but i feel that this chapter has helped immensely.

Chapter nine

This chapter deals with the integration of science into other subject areas. This book thoroughly discusses the integration of science into the areas of math, social studies, reading and literacy. I enjoyed the way the authors elaborated on the many uses of math within the area of science. It discussed gathering and representing data in charts, graphs, and number lines. It also talked about standard units of measure that are discussed in a math class.

I also liked the way that this text discussed the need for literacy in science and how reading is uusually one of the last activities in science. This is to ensure the students have a good understanding of the concepts that are discussed in class. This way they able to elaborate on the concepts as they read. The book also mentions the need for pre-reading, reading and post-reading stategies, a very important tool for studnts at any age.

Finally, it talked about the connection between social studies and science. I would have never assumed that there was such a big connection between these two subjects, but now that we are"globalized" with the internet, there seems to be no limit to the information that is available to us for a lesson in science. Discussing the earth on its axis and comparing temeratures, position of the sun etc, are just two of the many ways that a science teacher could discuss other parts of the world and the effect that science has in two very different ways with regards to the local population.

I have really enjoyed all that I have read in this text. I have found it to have many useful ideas and information for the future educator. I know that I will use this book as a reference as I teach, for I couldn't possibly remember all of the information that has been provided.

Chapter 9 Reflection

I found this chapter to be extremely useful with integrating science with other core areas. To me, it makes a lot of sense to intertwine subjects because they seem to overlap each other a lot. Math and science go together beautifully, as do science and language arts. Math is the first subject usually connected to science because many ideas are connected. Measuring, graphs, experiments, and the use of numbers are all great ways to include math in science.

Language arts are also an extremely helpful integration technique. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are all ways for language arts integration. Students can utilize important literacy strategies during science lessons. Partnering up language arts with science can be as simple as science notebooks. I can look at the notebook to make sure that the concept is understood by the student, and also evaluate their writing style.

Social studies was also mentioned in the chapter, and this is another great idea. Connecting science with history, technology, and also geography can really help students to see the topic being learned. I think that each of the ideas presented in the chapter were great ideas for integration. I think that integration is a great way to kill two birds with one stone. It is important for students to learn as much as they can, and integration really encompasses that.

Chapter 9

Math and Science seem to be the easiest to integrate. Math can be used in real world situations and applied to collecting scientific data, measuring, graphing etc. The book is correct in saying that science is a natural place for students to develop a view of mathematics. Organizing and interpreting data by using graphs is something students have been doing for years in science and most don't even realize they are connected. Reading this chapter makes me realize how numbers, formulas, data charts, patterns and concepts, just to name a few, are everywhere in science. Even balance, by children experiencing balancing from an early age, a seed has been planted of mathematical thinking for childrens mental and physical actions. I was in a 2nd grade math class when the students were playing with a balance bar. They discovered qualitative thinking without knowing it. They discovered that heavier weights close in can balance lighter weights far out. They could not believe it was possible because clearly, while holding a heavier weight in one hand and a lighter weight in the other, they knew there was a difference but could not explain why one close in and one far out could create an equal balanced bar. It was so enlightening to see them so excited about this discovery.
Reading- there's more to science then just reading. Students need to interpret, comprehend, process, describe and predict the meaningful events involved in science theories and views. Writing in science is a great way for students to get into the practice of getting to the point and stating their information clearly. Writing can be informal, like in journals but should include descriptions and explanations. Connecting Science and Social Studies helps students understand the world around them. Social Studies intertwines the environment and it's relationship to humans.

Chapter 9 reflection

CHAPTER 9: Connecting Science with Other Subjects

Chapter Reflections


Chapter 9 gives great information into how to integrate other subjects into science. The theme and theory of this chapter is the integration of subjects into science. Measuring, counting, recording, writing down what happens, and diagramming graphs and charts are all ways to record science inquiry. However, this practical approach also helps with the conception of mathematics, reading, writing, and technology. Science and math are especially connected. Finding patterns and relationships are all ways to concept these two subjects. The environment and science is also linked, this can also lead into the integration of social studies. So, in general what this chapter is stating is that; as future teachers, we can incorporate many different subjects into science. This will help further the conceptual understanding of all subjects and create more practice and learning.
I think this chapter gives great insight into how to incorporate many different subjects into scientific inquiry. One teacher can cover many ranges of different topics. Measurement and charting can be incorporated into math. This can also lead to technology use and many more curriculum topics. This chapter was very clear into how one can integrate other subjects and how science already does incorporate many of these subjects. I have no questions for this chapter at this time it was clear and insightful.

Chapter 7 Reflection

The importance of a teacher’s effective questioning cuts across all curricula. Knowing your subject well and having experience help fuel the most successful questioning. So, in my short time working with children, one thing I try to do is turn the students’ questions back to them or show them how to ask a different question to help them resolve their query. I try to show them an alternate way of looking at something or steer them in a new direction. I try not to provide answers, just guidance.

Chapter 7 has a few items that struck me and are thoughts that I want to bear in mind as I grow. Firstly, the importance of observation time before children look for explanations is crucial (p. 191). This cognitive development would be key in teaching a plants unit to 2^nd graders. Also, I liked the authors’ explanation of “convergent and divergent thinking” and how they relate to closed and open-ended questions. Especially given the research that is referred to on page 186, it’s a shame that teachers don’t ask more open-ended questions. I suppose they don’t because it takes more time and effort. Additionally, time is once again a factor, especially when talking about “wait-time.” The Rowe study that shows the advantages of adding just 2 or more seconds of wait-time is astounding (p. 201). I will be ultra aware of this as I do my clinicals and student teaching. I will also be cognizant of the distinction of wait-times “1 and 2,” 2 being “the pause that follows the burst of responses by the students.” Finally, I like how a teacher’s support and scaffolding of questions can lead to students’ metacognition or children learning to help themselves.

Lastly, encouraging your students goes a long way and I have always tried to look for good in every student, even if this can be challenging at times. One thing I have trouble doing is keeping children’s comments on track. Especially with the 2^nd graders in my clinical, sometimes their contributions have little to do with the topic. I do my best to either gently cut them off, or rephrase their comment to make it pertinent. I want them to feel safe to voice their opinion and be involved, but I sometimes may need to remind them to stay on topic. Ultimately, I believe good questioning is a skill that will develop with reflection, time, and practice.

Chapter 9

This chapter is all about connecting science with other subjects. The first subject that comes to mind when hearing this topic is mathematics. Many concepts and skills in mathematics can be used with in science as well. The four ways in which teachers can connect science with mathematics are by engaging students in quantifying the real world, organizing and interpreting data, using patterns and relationships, and operating on numbers. In the science lesson plans we created a few weeks ago, I had students quantifying the real world by measuring volume and mass, and using their data to perform operations. Measuring is a math concept that is very useful in science, but something we don't always remember. When I took a science course in college I was surprised that I could not remember how to find the volume of an object. The section about measuring in this chapter emphasizes the importance of practice and rehearsal of measuring so students can improve their performance and be able to use their skills in different contexts. I like how the section about measurement talks about using nonstandard units to introduce the concept of measuring. I remember using the classes shoes to measure the length of our classroom in first grade, and even remember being told to use the width of the tip of a pinky finger to estimate the length of distances or objects in centimeters. I also like that this section informs teachers not to ask for conversions between two systems of measurement. I think it is less confusing for students if they don't have to always compare measurements of the same length with different units of measurement. Accepting students' concepts of a unit of length is something that would be important to do with students with all students including those with special needs.

The next part of this chapter I like is its explanation of organizing and interpreting data. I remember this always being not only helpful to visualize results, but also interesting to see the results that other classmates came up with in comparison. Data recorded consistently over a period of time can also be compared with each other. I also like the part in the graphing section that explains dependent and independent variables. I think it is important for students to see what is a dependent and independent variable in a study in order to realize that changing one thing can have an effect or change something else. When it comes to incorporating operating on numerical data with science lessons, i think it would be a good idea to try and synchronize what is being learned in math with what mathematics skills are being used in science so that students use math skills in science after or while they are mastering them in math class. I like that this chapter talks about how textbooks are often times too confusing for students. In my clinicals I tried to use the classes science textbook to a curriculum based measurement (CBM) of a students reading skills, but quickly realized after the first session that the textbook was at much too high of a reading level for the student. Luckily, the class never really worked out of that textbook from what I could see. I think it is always important for teachers to assist students in pre-reading, reading, and postreading when working out of a textbook, especially for students with difficulties in reading.

Chapter 7 Reflection

I feel that closed ended questions are a good way to do informal assessments. It is important for a teacher to assess students at different points throughout the unit. By using closed ended questions you are assessing the students without the students being aware that they are being assessed. Open ended questions are a good way to keep a discussion going. Students may be more comfortable with open ended questions because there is more than one answer to a question. The students can also feel they can give a general answer if they are unsure and the discussion can continue to give deeper answers. This may also be useful in having students deepen their comprehension. If a conversation on a topic goes on and gets more involved some “pieces of the puzzle” may click for some students.

I like how the author stated to accept all student ideas and answers to questions, even if they are wrong. By doing this, you are not completely dismissing the student and making them feel bad for answering. This may help the student feel comfortable in the future to continue answering questions even though their answers may be wrong. The author suggests using verbal and nonverbal responses when acknowledging students answers. I liked how the author suggested extending student responses and probing students to get the right answer. This does not shut them down when giving a wrong answer at first, but can help the teacher help the student to lead to the right answer. The student may know the answer, but may have just mixed up information and stated the wrong answer. If the student does not know the answer, this can help the teacher lead the student in the right direction of figuring out the right answer.

I liked the section on wait time. I remember when I was in school and a teacher would call on a student. There was not much wait time. The teacher usually waited not more than a second or two. If you are the one being called on and cannot remember the answer that seems like forever. But in reality, sometimes students need more than a second or two to process the question and retrieve the correct answer from their memory. Students learn a lot of material throughout their school career. If the question does not pertain to something recently covered, it may take more than a second or two to come up with the answer. It also may take more than a second or two if the student does not like to speak up in class. The students’ nerves may take over and need more time to process information. The author made a lot of good points in this section. Some of these points certain teachers should really pay attention to and understand these concepts instead of waiting a second for a student to answer. Processing time takes more time than that most of the time.

Ch 9 Reflection (AG)

Chapter 9 focused on connecting all other subjects with Science. As a future teacher I understand the importance and benefit of connecting science with other subjects. The book offered several ideas on connecting math, literacy, and social studies with science. I am grateful to see the examples offered. But this does still raise a concern. It is not always easy to connect two subjects. This is one area where as a future teacher I will have to plan ahead and carefully analyze the information that will be taught, in order to successfully transmit the information being taught.

Chapter 8 Reflection (AG)

Chapter 8 offers future teachers a framework, and suggestions for using technology and resources to support inquiry learning. Computers now play a major role in education. I do remember when I was in elementary school; computers were rarely seen in the classroom. I actually remember going to computer class, and that is the only place you really saw a computer. Now there are computers found in most classrooms, which are made accessible for the students. As a future teacher I will most likely utilize technology as part of my teaching method. It is interesting to see how technology has evolved in the classroom. In the past I do recall using technology for research purposes only. It is important to manage the internet use in the classroom. It is important that the students are supervised while using the internet. Technology can be beneficial in the classroom, but it is important the teacher has complete control of the use of technology.

Chapter 9 Reflection

Connecting Science with Other Subjects

Upon reflecting on the first section of this chapter, I recognized that science does in fact incorporate most, if not all of the subjects; math, reading, writing, social studies. Science offers students a way to enhance what they learn in other subject areas. I especially liked table 9-1 and figure 9-1, as they showed ways that mathematics can be applied to scientific inquiry. I also came across a statement, "practice and rehearsal are important concepts in learning theory". Students are allowed to practice skills while adding to what they already know.

It made sense to me when the text mentioned that in reading students construct meaning from the text, and in science, students construct meaning from the world around them. The K-W-L chart is a great tool that was mentioned on a side note in the chapter. It is often used in many subjects, but mainly reading. It is a relief to know that this instructional tool can be used for all subjects, including science. Also, I recognized that reading strategies are not just for reading literature. They can be applied to science textbooks, as well. Prereading, predicting, summarizing, etc. are all ways to build comprehension and make sense of what is read.

This chapter proves that science is such a great asset to all classrooms. It incorporates so many important subjects, themes, ideas, skills, etc. that are essential to the growth of all students.

Chapter 5 Reflection

Chapter 5 begins with the idea that teachers are designers, not free to choose what goals and standards they teach, but free to craft a curriculum of lessons that will meet the needs of every student. I appreciate how the chapter gives a brief outline for the lesson introduction, which is designed to motivate and draw the students in, foster understanding, and engaging students. I liked the idea of the science learning center. It seems like an excellent way to add variety, while promoting responsibility and cooperative learning.

I greatly appreciated the section on managing classroom behavior and found it to be very helpful. The book mentions that not all behavior is equal, and that each case should be dealt with in an appropriate way. Managing classroom behavior is crucial to the success of the lesson, as one disruption takes away from the time devoted to teaching and is a distraction for the entire class. The book mentions that contingency plans should be prepared for possible problems. This may be the only way to prevent problems or at least deal with them in a quick, firm and constructive way. Ultimately, misbehavior in the science classroom is a safety hazard. At the end of the day, it is teacher's duty to ensure a safe and supportive environment. The chapter opened my eyes to the idea that sometimes behavior skills need to be taught and students need to be guided towards alternative and appropriate ways to interact.

The section on implementing a lesson is extremely helpful to any teacher. It is the backbone to a well rounded lesson. This chapter was by far one of the most practical and useful references. It provided a root system for the lessons to grow from. Lessons may be fully developed; without the proper preparation, classroom management, and safety, however, the lesson may not reach its full potential and survive against external elements that may suddenly arise. Happily, a teacher perfects her craft as she gains more experience and renovates her approach by modifying it, adding to it, deleting from it, etc. The students are like a mirror, reflecting back the best and worst of a lesson. Students are our best asset in more ways than expected. They can teach us just as much as we try to teach them.

Chapter 8

I was really interested to read all the different kinds of technological tools you can use in the classroom to enhance learning. I always am aprehensive to use technology because I feel that I do not have such a good grasp on how to use the technology properly myself. I do not consider myself internet savvy and I do not know how to really take full advantage of all the software programs I have in my computer and in class. How can I improve my own technological skills and still engage my students effectively using technology? Does the school provide their own programs for usage and if not, how can you know what would be appropriate to use and for what age group it would be appropriate for?

Chapter 8

Chapter eight covered the use of technology tools and resources for science subjects. This subject particularly interested me, because I am familiar with technology, but not many supportive resources. Plus things in the technological world are always changing and advancing, so at times it is difficult to keep up. They have a table on page 221, which outlines some computer-based lab suppliers, which may come in handy in future teaching. It is important to remember that all websites should be evaluated to make sure they are safe and appropriate for students.

There are more resources available than just the computer or Internet. DVD’s and CD-ROMs are a helpful way for children to visually learn and see concrete ideas and concepts. Databases and digital cameras may also be helpful tools when teaching science inquiry. KidPix is a program that is mentioned, and it is actually one that I am familiar with and have used. I really liked it and enjoyed it, finding it helpful in certain activities and lesson planning. I was surprised that they mentioned it in the chapter. They also have helpful on-line resources pertaining to specific subjects, such as weather, clouds, GLOBE. When teaching these subjects, these websites and resources may be very helpful and beneficial.

Chapter 4

Chapter four had some very interesting points. Here, we learn and discuss the 5-E model of instruction for teaching science. This model is not only practical and useful, but is also beneficial in making sure that all the important aspects of instruction are covered. On pages 94 & 95 of the text, the charts do a nice job illustrating the specific functions of what the teacher does applying the 5-E model, and what the student is expected to do using this same model. It brakes down the phases in detail and explains them in a manner that is very understandable and approachable. I also enjoy how the 5-E model provides specific focus on the NSES tasks of inquiry. I plan on using this approach when teaching science as a future educator.

Another method that I plan on using in my own teaching is the guided discovery approach. Here, the students are presented with interesting questions about the natural world, and they explore materials, make observations, and find the answers to their questions. I would serve as a guide in the discovery process, and I think this is important because children need to be motivated to want to explore and answer questions on their own terms, and I feel that the guided discovery approach makes this possible.

Reflection 8

Using technology in the classroom is a great resource for teachers. There are some things that teachers just can’t visually show their students when teaching a lesson. By using the technology that is available today, teachers are able to show students more visual explanations to help them comprehend the material better. This is especially true when it comes to topics of space. You cannot take a field trip into space. But with all of the technology today you as a teacher can show video clips and pictures taken in space.
There is a wide variety of technology available for teachers to use as resources in a classroom. The internet, which is becoming a widely used and more trusted source now than in years past is a great way for students to deepen their comprehension of the material. There are also DVD’s, databases, simulations, and virtual field trips. There are many more, but too many to list. The idea of virtual field trips is an interesting concept. The students still get to experience learning in a different form, but they do not have to leave the school to do so. This saves on a lot of stress of the teacher or teachers taking the students on the field trip. Teachers could create the feeling of a relaxed environment. Depending on how the virtual field trip would be viewed, teachers could have students sit on the rug in the classroom and relax while viewing the virtual field trip. As with any field trip, the teacher should view the virtual field trip first, to make sure that it is suitable and appropriate for students to view. This along with making sure that it follows along with what you want them to deepen their comprehension skills on.
The amount of technology that you as a classroom teacher use will also depend on how much technology your school or your classroom have access to. Lesson plans based on using technology in the classroom should not be created until you determine what resources you have and what the school can afford. You as a teacher may have to find alternate means of implementing technology into your classroom. As with anything else you as a teacher use, you should view whatever form of technology you are going to use to make sure that it covers appropriate material and that the information is accurate and up to date.

Chapter 8- Reflection

Technology has no doubt impacted our lives and continues to. As teachers, it is important to stay up to date and be familiar with the many technologies available in order to meet the needs of our students and grow with them. With anything, when the times change we must react as chameleons and adapt too. Technology allows students to learn concepts and gain a better understanding for concepts, by watching demonstrations, seeing additional lectures, seeing actual pictures of places and things we can only imagine while reading. Rather then just learning in class about a topic, reading papers, and researching a topic, technology allows us to explore the subject more in depth and see things we would not ordinarily be able to see.

We all know students learn in many different manners; kinetically, visually, auditorally. Technology can be useful when trying to relay information in different ways. A prime example of this is my experience in my Biological Science class I’m currently taking. We read our chapters as we normally would. But to make sure we really understand the material being read we access this website called, mastering biology, which goes along with the text. The concepts we are learning in the chapter are followed up by a description in visual form of what were learning in the text. Difficult concepts are better understood because of technologies advancements. Studying material in many different ways allows for better retention and a greater understanding.

Technology helps students to further explore concepts. If students have questions or need extra practice, the World Wide Web offers many different websites with practice questions or tutorials. The availability of the internet allows students to research questions to obtain answers when they are struggling for answers at home while doing homework, right away. Instead of waiting to get an answer from the teacher, calling a friend, or getting help by a tutor, the internet offers a quick way to get added help in understanding when you need it.

I do feel that technology definitely takes away the interaction between people which is extremely important while learning Science topics and any other subject for that matter. Sometimes other students will have different ways of thinking through problems and actually discussing why they think the way they think and this is a technique for learning and development that can not be replaced by technology. It is still important to understand how to solve problems, in a situation when technology is unavailable. Or to understand why a problem was thought through the way it was. With anything it is important to understand how you came to an answer and not just relying on technology to do the work for the student. School system budgets may not be able to afford the technologies available and some of the home may not either. So, in these situations emphasizing the importance of knowing how to use equipment or raising awareness of what is available and how to use the equipment is important.

Chapter 8 Reflection

Technology, Tools and Resources

This chapter is definitely a useful tool for future teachers. I think that technology offers an endless amount of opportunities to enhance student learning. I believe that incorporating technology into the classroom can only benefit and strengthen any lesson. Also, teachers that are implementing new ideas in technology are setting themselves apart and becoming a valuable resource for schools.

I was pleasantly amazed at how many ways technology can be utilized in the classroom. I was somewhat overwhelmed. This chapter thoroughly covered many ideas and even gave examples on how to apply certain ideas in a real case scenario. I especially appreciated the section on the one computer classroom and computer learning stations. I also found the example of the school policy on Internet use to be very practical and helpful.

I found the listed websites throughout the chapter to be very resourceful and entertaining. Although some web pages were not found, I was able to find a similar one on the main page. One such address was http: //spaceplace.nasa.gov.en.educator/posters. On this page, .pdf files of posters and lithographs, as well as postcards and bookmarks are free to download. The graphics are really neat!

Also, the website www.exploratorium.edu had online exhibits that were amazing. I searched this web page and found a useful tool for my science lessons, titled "The Science of Gardening". I clicked on a link, titled "Secret Lives of Flowers", and was amazed at the quality and realness of the images. A slide show unfolded the inside of a flower, magnified to reveal one single pollen piece. My favorite flower, the rose, suddenly became this vast network of hidden compartments. It is the first time that I ever admired this flower for more than its delicate petals.

I had so much fun looking at the websites listed throughout the chapter; I could only imagine how much fun a student would have exploring the same web pages. The last paragraph is titled, "Take the Plunge." It leaves teachers with the idea to be "curious, yet critical" and read widely to keep up with advances in educational technology. I certainly will dip my feet in first, but in time will take the plunge as I gain more confidence as a teacher at the forefront of a society immersed in new ideas and possibilities.

Chapter 6 Reflection

Chapter 6 makes very clear the different ways to go about evaluating and assessing students. It contains a surprising number of examples of different assessments that I will certainly use as a resource now and in the future. One thing I have finally learned is that children need to know what you’re grading them on. For some reason that was never clear to me. That’s one reason I like rubrics and other means of assessments that are explicit, uncomplicated, and can support a teacher’s grade if it was ever contested.

Additionally, this chapter also stresses that assessments and evaluations are for the benefit of all. I think too often they are seen as punishment, not something that you can learn from. As the caption of the picture in our text states, “Assessments should help make students’ work and progress understandable to students and parents.” (p. 139) I think it needs to be emphasized more that we’re in it together. It should be like shining a light on where a student needs to go. Too often, assessments are thought of strictly as good or bad grades, deserved if they’re good, undeserved if they’re bad. A teacher should discuss with students, “Here’s where you are. This is where you need to go and what you need to work on and I can help you.” It should be open communication between teachers, students and parents all the time. It shouldn’t be parents saying, “It’s report card time. What are your grades? Am I going to be happy or upset?” Apparently, through school websites and private access to student’s ongoing grades, parents should be able to keep up with their child’s progress and be able to question work along the way. I hope that this diffuses “report card day ” anxiety.

One last item: “Why do U.S. students lag behind in planning investigations but exceed international averages in drawing and explaining conclusions?” (p. 165) I have a rather unscientific answer. American youth, in general, want instant gratification. They don’t have the patience to “plan investigations.” When it comes to “drawing conclusions,” however, we have always been encouraged to be independent, express ourselves, and speak up for our causes. Explaining our actions and outcomes is a something we learn to do to be an active, contributing member of society.

Chapter 8

Chapter eight has been an eye opener for me because of the variety of technology tools that can be used along with instruction. The internet is an important resource which can be used in any content area to obtain information. What surprised me about this chapter were the virtual field trips. I went on-line to see what it looked like. There are virtual field trips for every subject; http://www.uen.org/tours/fieldtrips2.shtml in this site you can create your field trip or pick one that is already done. After finding the appropriate virtual field trip it is easier to create a lesson plan. I found the text book to be very helpful because it gave an example of a lesson plan including technology and using the five e model. I think the big idea of this chapter is to implement educational technology to motivate student to learn. I think it is important to keep up to date with technology because students want to learn what is new.

Chapter 8 Reflection (BH)

Chapter 8 was an introductory to the many possibilities of using technology to enhance learning and motivation in the science classroom. There are a variety of tools and resources that are available, every teacher should try to use them. I believe that using technology in the classroom helps children to see visually what they are doing and could further help their learning. The only thing about using technology resources is stating the rules on using them. Teachers need to make sure they have specific rules and guidelines for every child to follow so they don't go off and do something they are not supposed too. Some technology that is available for use in the classroom today are computer based lab systems, CDs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, digital cameras, LCD projection screens, TVs and the internet. I guess for me, none of this information seemed new to me. I have always used these for my own research in high school and college, but not so much in grammar school. I think it would be beneficial for children to learn all the different resources when they are young so they can do more research in their classrooms as well as their home. In high school, I always felt like i was researching something or watching something in class. Sometimes I wish I had more of that in grammar school. Yes we watched movies here and there, and did little experiments but I never took into consideration that I would use all the information again in college. I think it is great for children to explore different opportunities and learning styles if given the chance, it will help their learning grow in science.

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Technology Tools and References for Inquiry Science

In today's technological world, young children are savvy using electronic devices of many kinds, and it's practically getting to the point where not incorporating technology in the classroom is not best practice. There are many reasons for this: the attention spans of children has decreased greatly due to the speed of the technology available to them; the capacity for information that the children can process all at once has increased due to the capabilities of the technology available to them; and furthermore, we should accept that using technology is a very important skill for all to develop for when they are on their own, so we should work on that skill while the children are still in school.

This chapter gives tips on how to incorporate technology in inquiry science instruction and learning, which can greatly augment it. GPSs, computers, CD-ROMS, DVDs, projectors, digital cameras, data sensors, digital microscopes, and especially the internet are all recommended tools for enhancing teaching and learning, among others. The internet is perhaps the most powerful of all tools, because there are websites and programs that can be found online which offer the capabilities of just about any specific technology, as well as there is obviously a massive amount of information available for students to learn from. As the book notes, though, there also obviously are concerns with internet usage that must be addressed and accounted for. Students can easily get distracted or into trouble, so we as teachers have to have some way of monitoring a classroom full of computer-users.

Overall, this was just another very helpful and useful chapter.

-Jesse (bullsfan009)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Effective Questioning

This chapter focuses on asking effective questions - an essential skill for a teacher to practice. There is a place for closed-ended questions (when learning singular facts is important), but generally I believe that we should always strive to ask open-ended questions, because the fact that they can be answered in many ways and in depth promotes maturity in thinking and problem-solving abilities. Also, I liked how in this chapter they correlated the 5-E model of lesson planning with question-asking at each step, as this is very practically helpful, especially with the examples provided as well. The section on responding to student ideas is very good for the development of teachers' communication skills - I liked how they broke down and focused the teacher's response according to the purpose they (should) have in mind with the response: to accept, to extend, and/or to probe the student's thinking.

Finally, the additional tips given toward the end of the chapter were very helpful. In previous classes I've heard of the tip of increasing wait-time, and I think it's great. We should have patience and establish an environment where the students aren't constantly feeling pressure. Providing adequate wait-time when asking questions works for that purpose, as the students are put more at ease when seeing their teacher has peace and calm and is not about to pounce on them for not giving an immediate answer. The students should be encouraged to think, reason, and problem-solve...especially on the spot, which they can do if given some wait-time, but which they won't do if not given wait-time, as they'll just quickly say "I don't know". If they can learn to on-spot think instead of on-spot react, and apply this to decision-making in appropriate life situations, this can be a great benefit for them.

by Jesse Foresto (bullsfan009)

This chapter discusses using technology as a resource to teach students science as inquiry. While I was aware of much of the technology discussed, I was excited to learn about the computer based laboratory (CBL). I agree with the text and think the electronic data taking enables students to engage in more creative processes and facilitates more complex thinking about the data itself. That being said, as a future teacher, I would introduce the system after I introduced the students to traditional data collection, organization and processing.

I found the suggestions for programs and websites especially helpful. I read about several products from Tom Snyder Productions and have seen some of the programs and find them valuable. They are quite expensive, though.

Considering the expense of some of these programs or the cost of obtaining computers to use, I become frustrated, once again, over the disparity in funding for our schools. While I understand and support the many benefits of using technology to enhance learning, I am at a loss to explain how we as a society justify not providing such tools to all of our students. I am well aware that far too many schools are with out televisions and CD players, let alone computers and software products. I am terribly bothered by this and feel it is something that needs to change.

As a special education teacher, technology is vital to my students. In some cases, it may provide a method of communication where previously, there was none. It enables my students to participate in and engage with the curriculum.

On a personal note, I have always been insecure regarding computers and technology and while I am far more comfortable and knowledgeable, I still feel part of me is inept when it comes to computers and I do need to work that out before I begin teaching. It is similar to my feeling I am not good at math or science, and that would make sense, seeing that the three subjects are interconnected. This methods class and my math methods class are changing my perceptions and I am working on familiarizing myself with technology. I had a technology in education course last semester which opened up a whole new world to me. I need to continue working on my shortcomings. I would not want to look unprofessional or worse, set the example for my students that “if you are uncomfortable with something, ignore it.” That would be a disservice to them and to me.

chapter 8 relfections

Ch.8 Reflections


Chapter 8 adequately talks about the technology that is available for science inquiry. Its theme and theory is that technology can enhance science inquiry and experience. A practical approach to this chapter would be to beneficially use the internet and its sources while teaching. However, as future teachers, we need to establish the rules and precautions of the internet. There are other technology resources that can also be available to teachers. Things like, CD ROMS, DVD’s, television, and LCD’s can also play into further education and inquiry. This chapter also gives certain sites and information on how to enhance a teacher’s science exploration.
I liked this chapter because it not only states how technology can help enhance the science subject but it also gives you examples of the websites and resources to use while teaching science. Even though this is just an introductory chapter, I believe it leaves you with a better understanding of how and when to use technology. I think this chapter is great for beginning teachers, who are not technically all that computer savvy. I have no further questions and or confusion about this chapter. It was adequately prepared by showing me how to use and learn about technology for science.

Chapter 8

This chapter is about how technology can be used by teachers and students in the classroom to promote learning. Although I experienced lots of technology in various forms such as computers when I was in school, I feel that there is always new stuff out there that can be used in the classroom. The chapter explains the rationale for using technology in the classroom by stating that technology has, "...changed the way people do science, handle personal affairs, and run businesses, and they have the potential to enhance the way schooling takes place." Because science as a field has always seemed to be up on the latest technology, I feel it is imperative to encorporate technology within the science curriculum. Technology can help us see new things, see old things in new ways, find new information, organize data, and many other things as well. The chapter says that using technology in ways similar to professionals in the field can lead to a deeper understanding of concepts and improved thinking and proglem-solving capabilities. I also think that using technology the say way scientists do can be a great motivation for students. I think students want to feel that they are truly conducting real science, and using technology can make science more real for them.

Many students today seem to come to the classroom with a grasp of technology, especially when it comes to computers. Many students have already learned to not only use computers as a tool for keeping information, but also for research. I liked the part in this chapter about using internet images to engage students in inquiry. The description of how to do this seems much like what Dr. Clishem showed us when taking pictures of the moon and putting them into a word document. I like this strategy for engaging students because it shows students how easy it is to look up science related concepts on the internet. Students could easily do this engage activity on their own if there are enough computers in a classroom. However, it would be important to make sure students are actually looking up what they should be whenever they are on computers. I also like the part in this chapter about taking a virtual field trip. In my 7th grade science class, my teacher sort of did this sometimes to show us the galapagos islands. However, the internet wasn't nearly as fast as it is today, so it was never a very productive activity when we were waiting around for things to load so much, and having to deal with other technical difficulties. Showing a video seems to me like it could substitute for taking a virtual field trip if it is thorough enough about a certain subject or concept. I think teachers should make sure that videos and virtual field trips reflect what is being learned in the classroom through activities and visa versa.

The part about taking a factory tour via the internet reminded me of the show on The Discovery Channel called "How It's Made." I think students would be interested in seeing how things they use are made. However I think it would be hard to incorporate showing this program with the current science unit. One thing I could think of is if students were doing things with heating, cooling, melting, etc... they might see how things like metal are melted down and shaped certain ways. The description of computer-assisted instruction packages says that they are effective even though they usually focus on drilling and practice. I used one of these programs to learn to type on the keyboard, and it was extremely beneficial since I can still type well today. I like the part in this chapter about using digital cameras. Letting students take pictures of their findings could be a great way to formulate presentations on other technological programs such as powerpoint. Digital cameras could also be used to take pictures of students performing tasks, and later used to show the steps of that task is greatly helpful for students with special needs. I also like the section that talks about using PowerPoint. In one of my classes last semester I had to create an interactive program using PowerPoint that not only presented information but had students answer questions and perform tasks using that information. I would definitely consider making another program in PowerPoint for students to use in a science class.

The last thing I thought was interesting in this chapter was how it stated that not all classrooms or schools will have computers for each student or group of students. I think when I develop lesson plans for these methods courses that use technology I usually assume that there will be access to multiple computers. Therefore, I like that this chapter gives some advice for how to still incorporate technology in the classroom even with one computer.

Chapter 8

This chapter talks about technology tools and using them to enhance learning for students. Since technology is on a rise allowing students to learn through it will help them prepare them for future. Since students like using the computer giving them an opportunity to use it towards learning will motivate them to learn. Teachers have to organize their classroom according to the students. Teachers have to make sure that students are using the internet resources probably. The 5 E’s can be used with technology. Allowing students to do projects and journals on the computer will teach them to be organized and neat.

Chapter 8 Reflection

I really enjoyed the content of this chapter. For a teacher who is computer savvy, and also for those who are not so savvy, there was a multitude of information in this chapter. It first introduced technology, which most of us are familiar with, and its many uses. It talked about CD-ROM's and DVD's which have much information and different approaches to teaching than alot of us are used to.

I am one of the latter(one who is not so savvy) teachers and was extremely appreciative of the detail that this chapter gave. In the second part of the chapter it discussed use of the Internet and the many types of "virtual teaching" possibilities that are available for us to use. It discussed virtual labs, assistive instructional packages, digital cameras and microscopes(how awesome!!). I would love to be able to teach a lesson in Biology using a digital microscope. This would ensure that each student would be seeing and discussing the same thing .

I find it very helpful to know that this type of resource is out there. I have known about computers for a long time but I guess I never realized just how much technology is available to everyone and all the ways it can assist us in our classroom. It is very encouraging to see all that is available to us as teachers in using modern technology. It also discussed several websites where there was global participation. I was never able to talk to students in a different town, let alone a different state our country about a topic in science. What wonderful learning opportunities are avavilable for students today.

This chapter also talked about teaching the students how to do a power point and make a presentation more interesting using technology. It also memtioned the importance of learning how to organinze and store data using technology, something that will only aid the students in the future as we are all aware. I especially liked how this text took the time to offer suggestions and other resources available for those classrooms that don't have the benefit of multiple computers. This is something that is all too true in many areas of the US. There are so many districts that have no money for computers at all.

Finally it talked about the protocol, safety and standards for the classroom regarding the internet. With all of the on-line preditors and inappropriate material that is out there, we need to ensure that our students are recieving the highest qualty education, and that includes internet safety and precautions.