SCIENCE PORTFOLIO
Over the course of the
Fall 2014 semester, I have been introduced to new ideas, resources, and strategies
to support science learning in the elementary classroom. Through this
portfolio, I have collected specific assignments/artifacts in order to reflect
upon my SCE 4310 experience and demonstrate how I have progressed towards
specific course goals. Additionally, I have been able to establish a philosophy
for science education that encompasses my personal beliefs as well as new
values I’ve adopted from experts in the field.
Science Teaching Philosophy:
What is science?
Upon entering my science methods course, I defined science as “a combination of skills, information and intuition that emerge and are enhanced by interacting with the natural world and beyond.” Though this definition has changed over time, I believe it served as an appropriate outline for what I now understand to be the “Three Legs of Science”. Content, process skills, and Nature of Science must all be addressed in some manner in order to be considered science. Science involves asking questions, grappling with explanations, as well as drawing connections between our own ideas and those of our colleagues and other scientists in the community.
Why is it importable for elementary students to learn science?
Through early science educations, students are able to practice skills and gain insight that will not only be useful to them as future scientist, but as informed students and citizens throughout their life.
Childhood curiosity is a beautiful occurrence that can be easily guided to incorporate inquiry. In Shiland’s article, it confirms that, “students become familiar with posing questions that can be answered experimentally” if we simply ask the right questions. Unless we allow students to practice this in the elementary grades, it will be more difficult to change or replace the nonscientific ideas and misconceptions they have been holding (Harlen).
Beyond science, students will be able to seek reliable evidence and reason to support claims being made. This higher-order thinking translates to other subject areas and lends itself to Common Core State Standards in which students must think critically about text and combine their insight with support from reading. By taking an “inquiry approach”, students are practicing skills necessary to be college and career ready.
Elementary students are particularly impressionable with their perception of who scientists are and what they do. Unless they are exposed to scientists that range in race, gender, ability, age, walks of life, and field of study, they may distance themselves from the subject before they’ve had the chance to fully experience it.
How do elementary students learn science?
In the most basic explanation, students must DO the science. Students can be guided to design and carry out investigations, but ultimately the learning will be most meaningful if they are making decisions and practicing their skills in authentic science situations.
Students’ notebooks can be used to organize and facilitate this process by providing them a space to record, collaborate, and receive feedback from peers and teachers. Students should be able to work in groups and have tools easily accessible to them. By displaying student work and taking advantage of sharing opportunities, students can learn from one-another and make adjustments to their thinking. In the Brown and Able article Examining the Learning Cycle, it confirms that, “students need to relate new ideas to their experience and place new ideas into a framework of understanding.”
When engaging students in an investigation or experiment, the results that emerge, whether intended or not, must drive the discussion. By originating the “right” answer on their own observation, the students’ focus is shifted away from the teacher as the all-knowing, evaluating “sage-on-the-stage”.
Informal learning opportunities also provide students with engaging experiences to compliment, supplement, deepen, and enhance classroom science studies (Melber). By taking science outside of the classroom, significant memories are made and a context for the content knowledge is established.
How should science be taught?
A teacher plays a critical role in how a child perceives science. Through their attitude, knowledge, and instruction, teachers can influence children to embrace science or to distance themselves from it. I believe that the first step to effective science teaching is to create an environment where students feel free to express their ideas and know that they are being heard (and not evaluated harshly). Though students should explicitly know that they are engaging in science on a daily basis, Sullinger suggests in How Do You Know Science is Going On? that teachers “shift the emphasis from content as the standard of understanding to content as the context for understanding the science community”. It is much more valuable for a child to understand the role scientists play than to be an expert of the isolated content facts they study.
Another essential component of science teaching is eliciting student ideas and thinking through assessment. Alternative perceptions can interfere with learning and need to be brought out and specifically addressed during the learning cycle. When students can recognize what they know and what they don’t know, it gives them the responsibility to decide what they need to learn.
Once misconceptions have been identified, teachers must provide authentic science learning opportunities for students to gain accurate and complete content, use and fine-tune their science process skills, and get exposure to the true nature of science.
Integrating subject areas through STEM lessons or literature-based methods also provide a dynamic way to incorporate science throughout the school day. Read-alouds of not-all-true trade books can serve as platforms for new investigations and establish a well-rounded understanding of a concept.
Upon entering my science methods course, I defined science as “a combination of skills, information and intuition that emerge and are enhanced by interacting with the natural world and beyond.” Though this definition has changed over time, I believe it served as an appropriate outline for what I now understand to be the “Three Legs of Science”. Content, process skills, and Nature of Science must all be addressed in some manner in order to be considered science. Science involves asking questions, grappling with explanations, as well as drawing connections between our own ideas and those of our colleagues and other scientists in the community.
Why is it importable for elementary students to learn science?
Through early science educations, students are able to practice skills and gain insight that will not only be useful to them as future scientist, but as informed students and citizens throughout their life.
Childhood curiosity is a beautiful occurrence that can be easily guided to incorporate inquiry. In Shiland’s article, it confirms that, “students become familiar with posing questions that can be answered experimentally” if we simply ask the right questions. Unless we allow students to practice this in the elementary grades, it will be more difficult to change or replace the nonscientific ideas and misconceptions they have been holding (Harlen).
Beyond science, students will be able to seek reliable evidence and reason to support claims being made. This higher-order thinking translates to other subject areas and lends itself to Common Core State Standards in which students must think critically about text and combine their insight with support from reading. By taking an “inquiry approach”, students are practicing skills necessary to be college and career ready.
Elementary students are particularly impressionable with their perception of who scientists are and what they do. Unless they are exposed to scientists that range in race, gender, ability, age, walks of life, and field of study, they may distance themselves from the subject before they’ve had the chance to fully experience it.
How do elementary students learn science?
In the most basic explanation, students must DO the science. Students can be guided to design and carry out investigations, but ultimately the learning will be most meaningful if they are making decisions and practicing their skills in authentic science situations.
Students’ notebooks can be used to organize and facilitate this process by providing them a space to record, collaborate, and receive feedback from peers and teachers. Students should be able to work in groups and have tools easily accessible to them. By displaying student work and taking advantage of sharing opportunities, students can learn from one-another and make adjustments to their thinking. In the Brown and Able article Examining the Learning Cycle, it confirms that, “students need to relate new ideas to their experience and place new ideas into a framework of understanding.”
When engaging students in an investigation or experiment, the results that emerge, whether intended or not, must drive the discussion. By originating the “right” answer on their own observation, the students’ focus is shifted away from the teacher as the all-knowing, evaluating “sage-on-the-stage”.
Informal learning opportunities also provide students with engaging experiences to compliment, supplement, deepen, and enhance classroom science studies (Melber). By taking science outside of the classroom, significant memories are made and a context for the content knowledge is established.
How should science be taught?
A teacher plays a critical role in how a child perceives science. Through their attitude, knowledge, and instruction, teachers can influence children to embrace science or to distance themselves from it. I believe that the first step to effective science teaching is to create an environment where students feel free to express their ideas and know that they are being heard (and not evaluated harshly). Though students should explicitly know that they are engaging in science on a daily basis, Sullinger suggests in How Do You Know Science is Going On? that teachers “shift the emphasis from content as the standard of understanding to content as the context for understanding the science community”. It is much more valuable for a child to understand the role scientists play than to be an expert of the isolated content facts they study.
Another essential component of science teaching is eliciting student ideas and thinking through assessment. Alternative perceptions can interfere with learning and need to be brought out and specifically addressed during the learning cycle. When students can recognize what they know and what they don’t know, it gives them the responsibility to decide what they need to learn.
Once misconceptions have been identified, teachers must provide authentic science learning opportunities for students to gain accurate and complete content, use and fine-tune their science process skills, and get exposure to the true nature of science.
Integrating subject areas through STEM lessons or literature-based methods also provide a dynamic way to incorporate science throughout the school day. Read-alouds of not-all-true trade books can serve as platforms for new investigations and establish a well-rounded understanding of a concept.
GOAL #1:
STUDENTS WILL PLAN AND PARTICIPATE IN SCIENCE LESSONS/ ACTIVITIES APPROPRIATE FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL TALENTS OF CHILDREN (FEAP 1, 2, 3, 4; FC 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) |
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Lesson Plan Analysis and Adaptation
After discussing in class Shiland’s Decookbook It! article and the limitations of using “cookbook” science activities from text series or websites, this assignment gave me a chance to practice researching and evaluating resources (as many teachers in he field do as part of their regular lesson planning).
This assignment helped to illustrate how the “Three-Legs” can appear, or be incorporated, into existing activities. In order for effective teaching to occur, a lesson much be prepared with accurate and complete content, opportunities for students to actively and authentically exercise their process skills of observing, predicting, communicating, measuring or inferring, and an aspect of the Nature of Science must explicitly be addressed to connect students to the scientific community.
Through this assignment, I was able to use a lesson that my CT had selected for our current unit on the properties of matter. I felt that it helped me focus my analysis to specifically think of my students’ developmental talents, prior knowledge, and the experiences we’ve had in the classroom this year. By critically thinking about activities and resources, I am better able to adapt them to reflect sound educational practices.
After discussing in class Shiland’s Decookbook It! article and the limitations of using “cookbook” science activities from text series or websites, this assignment gave me a chance to practice researching and evaluating resources (as many teachers in he field do as part of their regular lesson planning).
This assignment helped to illustrate how the “Three-Legs” can appear, or be incorporated, into existing activities. In order for effective teaching to occur, a lesson much be prepared with accurate and complete content, opportunities for students to actively and authentically exercise their process skills of observing, predicting, communicating, measuring or inferring, and an aspect of the Nature of Science must explicitly be addressed to connect students to the scientific community.
Through this assignment, I was able to use a lesson that my CT had selected for our current unit on the properties of matter. I felt that it helped me focus my analysis to specifically think of my students’ developmental talents, prior knowledge, and the experiences we’ve had in the classroom this year. By critically thinking about activities and resources, I am better able to adapt them to reflect sound educational practices.
5 E's Lesson Sort
A large focus of SCE 4310 was on the learning cycle and using the 5 E’s lesson planning method. To prepare for our assignment, we read and discussed Lorsbach’s The Learning Cycle as well as Brown & Abell (2007) Examining the Learning Cycle. Through this process, I was able to see how important continuous assessment is important for transitioning students from one phase of learning to the next. As a learner, I engaged in multiple learning cycles on content areas such as chromatography, magnetism, electricity, and the water cycle. Though each of those experiences were helpful, I was able to collaborate with a Residency colleague on the 5 E’s Folder sort in order to take on the role of a teacher by making instructional decisions on the layout of a lesson. Based on the standard/goal we were given, we had to determine from a collection of 8 activities, which were appropriate for students to engage in and are consistent with how individuals learn best through the stages of the learning cycle.
It wasn't until I re-read my reflection on a Power 3 Science training I attended in September that I realized I had already heard about the 5 E's method. I was excited to make the connection between what I am practicing in my course work and my school district's philosophy!
click here to read my blog post on the training
A large focus of SCE 4310 was on the learning cycle and using the 5 E’s lesson planning method. To prepare for our assignment, we read and discussed Lorsbach’s The Learning Cycle as well as Brown & Abell (2007) Examining the Learning Cycle. Through this process, I was able to see how important continuous assessment is important for transitioning students from one phase of learning to the next. As a learner, I engaged in multiple learning cycles on content areas such as chromatography, magnetism, electricity, and the water cycle. Though each of those experiences were helpful, I was able to collaborate with a Residency colleague on the 5 E’s Folder sort in order to take on the role of a teacher by making instructional decisions on the layout of a lesson. Based on the standard/goal we were given, we had to determine from a collection of 8 activities, which were appropriate for students to engage in and are consistent with how individuals learn best through the stages of the learning cycle.
It wasn't until I re-read my reflection on a Power 3 Science training I attended in September that I realized I had already heard about the 5 E's method. I was excited to make the connection between what I am practicing in my course work and my school district's philosophy!
click here to read my blog post on the training
GOAL #2:
STUDENTS WILL CHOOSE APPROPRIATE STRATEGIES, GROUPING ARRANGEMENTS, RESOURCE MATERIALS AND VISUAL DISPLAYS FOR LEARNING SCIENCE (FEAP 1, 3; FC 1, 2,) |
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Classroom Science Wall
As I have spent the majority of my time this semester within my field experience, it is to be expected that I have grown tremendously in my perception of science teaching because of it. Having observed and experienced the first few weeks of science instruction at the beginning of the year, I realized just how much care goes in to developing a community and environment that fosters science. The process skill and science tools posters on our science wall were not hand-created, however they were introduced and displayed individually over the time that we studied them. The science tools that are pictured are the ones located at the students’ desks in their science kits. Additionally, our current concept vocabulary terms are displayed in this designated “Science Space” and will be relocated to our classroom word wall once we move to the next unit of study. From what I’ve learned through SCE 4310, there are many things happening in my classroom already that are supporting students in science. Clear and easy access to information and materials is just one example, and I believe having this opportunity to be apart of a classroom that arranges and displays learning in this way will benefit me when it is my turn to create a classroom environment of my own.
As I have spent the majority of my time this semester within my field experience, it is to be expected that I have grown tremendously in my perception of science teaching because of it. Having observed and experienced the first few weeks of science instruction at the beginning of the year, I realized just how much care goes in to developing a community and environment that fosters science. The process skill and science tools posters on our science wall were not hand-created, however they were introduced and displayed individually over the time that we studied them. The science tools that are pictured are the ones located at the students’ desks in their science kits. Additionally, our current concept vocabulary terms are displayed in this designated “Science Space” and will be relocated to our classroom word wall once we move to the next unit of study. From what I’ve learned through SCE 4310, there are many things happening in my classroom already that are supporting students in science. Clear and easy access to information and materials is just one example, and I believe having this opportunity to be apart of a classroom that arranges and displays learning in this way will benefit me when it is my turn to create a classroom environment of my own.
Water Cycle Analysis
After completing the Water Journey 5E’s learning cycle in class, the Evaluation portion was to find an image on Google of a water cycle model and to analyze the model for both strengths and limitations by referencing the Wenham and Ovens text for support. By applying what we had learned about the journey of a water droplet Explore and Explain phase, I was able to be a critical consumer of “educational” material in order to avoid creating gaps in understanding or instilling misconceptions for students. By sharing our Water Cycle Analysis with our Residency colleagues, it further demonstrated how varied scientific models can be and how it is important that students are exposed to multiple representations of visual information. This activity continued to validate how important of a resource the textbook is in regards to developing rich content background knowledge.
After completing the Water Journey 5E’s learning cycle in class, the Evaluation portion was to find an image on Google of a water cycle model and to analyze the model for both strengths and limitations by referencing the Wenham and Ovens text for support. By applying what we had learned about the journey of a water droplet Explore and Explain phase, I was able to be a critical consumer of “educational” material in order to avoid creating gaps in understanding or instilling misconceptions for students. By sharing our Water Cycle Analysis with our Residency colleagues, it further demonstrated how varied scientific models can be and how it is important that students are exposed to multiple representations of visual information. This activity continued to validate how important of a resource the textbook is in regards to developing rich content background knowledge.
Water Journey Learning Cycle
Though the “water cycle” is a concept that my Residency colleagues and I were quick to claim that we truly understood, participating in the Water Journey learning cycle challenged and inspired us to fully embrace best science teaching practices. As I transitioned through the stages of the learning cycle, I recorded noted onto a graphic organizer to outline the activities and assessments that I engaged in. I seriously had a blast taking part in this activity and realized how the Explore phase of a lesson does not have to be compromised even when the content doesn’t seem “hands on”. This lesson integrated literacy through a read-aloud of The Water Journey by Elenor Schmid. It also provided a unique outline for a narrative writing task. Math was integrated by collected and analyzing the data of where each of the “droplets” visited. Being able to track how my thinking changed by creating and modifying a model of a water cycle motivated me as a learner to find out more, which is exactly how we intend scientific inquiry do for our students. Each activity and assessment moved seamlessly into one another and I realized just how influential teacher preparation and organization are to facilitating students’ focus on the investigation at hand.
Though the “water cycle” is a concept that my Residency colleagues and I were quick to claim that we truly understood, participating in the Water Journey learning cycle challenged and inspired us to fully embrace best science teaching practices. As I transitioned through the stages of the learning cycle, I recorded noted onto a graphic organizer to outline the activities and assessments that I engaged in. I seriously had a blast taking part in this activity and realized how the Explore phase of a lesson does not have to be compromised even when the content doesn’t seem “hands on”. This lesson integrated literacy through a read-aloud of The Water Journey by Elenor Schmid. It also provided a unique outline for a narrative writing task. Math was integrated by collected and analyzing the data of where each of the “droplets” visited. Being able to track how my thinking changed by creating and modifying a model of a water cycle motivated me as a learner to find out more, which is exactly how we intend scientific inquiry do for our students. Each activity and assessment moved seamlessly into one another and I realized just how influential teacher preparation and organization are to facilitating students’ focus on the investigation at hand.
Mealworm Inquiry
After doing an initial observation of the darkling beetle and its life stages, there were many things unknown about these creatures. Being guided to focus an inquiry question and process through templates helped me to see how achievable scientific study is for students, even those who may not seem “ready”. As a learner I was able to collaborate with a group and make decisions about the inquiry we wanted to conduct. This example of an “open inquiry” gave the responsibility and power of decision making to the students and had minimal input from the teacher. I believe I still have room to improve on giving up control to my students and trusting them with their own learning. Still, knowing that the more practice they have engaging in this kind of the learning, the better they will become.
After doing an initial observation of the darkling beetle and its life stages, there were many things unknown about these creatures. Being guided to focus an inquiry question and process through templates helped me to see how achievable scientific study is for students, even those who may not seem “ready”. As a learner I was able to collaborate with a group and make decisions about the inquiry we wanted to conduct. This example of an “open inquiry” gave the responsibility and power of decision making to the students and had minimal input from the teacher. I believe I still have room to improve on giving up control to my students and trusting them with their own learning. Still, knowing that the more practice they have engaging in this kind of the learning, the better they will become.
GOAL #4:
STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND A VARIETY OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES RELATED TO CHILDRENS' OUTCOMES IN SCIENCE (FEAP 4; FC 1) |
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Formative Assessments for lessons
As part of creating a Stem lesson about plants, my 3rd-grade Residency PLC and I decided to incorporate an Agree/Disagree formative assessment to the Engage portion of our lesson. This particular assessment was modeled for us during our participation in the Magnetism learning cycle in SCE 4310 and was included on a master list of formative assessments. As a teacher, I found this to be an uncomplicated yet informative way to elicit student thinking and possible misconceptions.
Also included on the formative assessment resource was "concept cartoons" Though I didn't get to incorporate it technique into lesson when it came up in our classroom, I was excited to play around with the possibilities it provided. Now that I've had some practice using Toondo, I am excited to add this strategy to my assessment tool belt.
As part of creating a Stem lesson about plants, my 3rd-grade Residency PLC and I decided to incorporate an Agree/Disagree formative assessment to the Engage portion of our lesson. This particular assessment was modeled for us during our participation in the Magnetism learning cycle in SCE 4310 and was included on a master list of formative assessments. As a teacher, I found this to be an uncomplicated yet informative way to elicit student thinking and possible misconceptions.
Also included on the formative assessment resource was "concept cartoons" Though I didn't get to incorporate it technique into lesson when it came up in our classroom, I was excited to play around with the possibilities it provided. Now that I've had some practice using Toondo, I am excited to add this strategy to my assessment tool belt.
Student Science Notebook
Part of my involvement in science for my field experience includes providing feedback to students in their notebooks. My CT has embraced the flexibility of notebooking and gives students the opportunity to make their notebooks an interactive place to display their recordings and reflections. In addition to assessing them on a 3-point rubric for completion and accuracy, I try to consistently add comments that probe their thinking. Scientists need to be able to communicate their ideas, so I encourage students to add clarifying details so I can get a better picture of what they are thinking and see the progress of their learning.
Part of my involvement in science for my field experience includes providing feedback to students in their notebooks. My CT has embraced the flexibility of notebooking and gives students the opportunity to make their notebooks an interactive place to display their recordings and reflections. In addition to assessing them on a 3-point rubric for completion and accuracy, I try to consistently add comments that probe their thinking. Scientists need to be able to communicate their ideas, so I encourage students to add clarifying details so I can get a better picture of what they are thinking and see the progress of their learning.
GOAL #5:
STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE THE CAPACITY FOR COLLEGIALITY, REFLECTIVE PRACTICE, AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH IN REGARD TO SCIENCE TEACHING (FEAP 5, 6; FC 1) |
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Reflective blog
The blog on my professional web space is where I, less explicitly that I am doing here, reflect on my experiences in my internship and connect it to what I am learning in my coursework. Though it has often been challenging for me to relive and reveal my successes and shortcomings each week, I know that it is the most obvious way to show my growth through the semester. My CT and I established a consistent method of goal setting, observations, and port-conferences on my lesson regarding the STEM Fair this semester. The process often led me to my greatest take-away from each week that I would choose to blog about. Ultimately, I have grown professionally and feel that it will make for a smoother transition into more formal observation in the near future.
The blog on my professional web space is where I, less explicitly that I am doing here, reflect on my experiences in my internship and connect it to what I am learning in my coursework. Though it has often been challenging for me to relive and reveal my successes and shortcomings each week, I know that it is the most obvious way to show my growth through the semester. My CT and I established a consistent method of goal setting, observations, and port-conferences on my lesson regarding the STEM Fair this semester. The process often led me to my greatest take-away from each week that I would choose to blog about. Ultimately, I have grown professionally and feel that it will make for a smoother transition into more formal observation in the near future.
Science Autobiography
From early on in the semester, I have been asked to consider how my personal experiences with science as a learner influence my perception of science teaching. In one of the first classes in SCE4310, I rather definitively stated “I just don’t like science”, so my journey to embrace my inner-science teacher has been a long, difficult, and emotional one. By writing my Science Autobiography, I was able to describe moments from my past, reflect on their impact on my outlook and attitude on science learning, and connect these ideas to the process of shaping myself into an effective elementary science teacher. It was only after I exposed the sources of my insecurities and sour-feelings that I was able to take on the new perspectives offered by this course. By abandoning my own misconceptions about science, I’ve grown personally and professional to where I can confidently say…I love science!
From early on in the semester, I have been asked to consider how my personal experiences with science as a learner influence my perception of science teaching. In one of the first classes in SCE4310, I rather definitively stated “I just don’t like science”, so my journey to embrace my inner-science teacher has been a long, difficult, and emotional one. By writing my Science Autobiography, I was able to describe moments from my past, reflect on their impact on my outlook and attitude on science learning, and connect these ideas to the process of shaping myself into an effective elementary science teacher. It was only after I exposed the sources of my insecurities and sour-feelings that I was able to take on the new perspectives offered by this course. By abandoning my own misconceptions about science, I’ve grown personally and professional to where I can confidently say…I love science!