Pendulum Part 2

How does the length of string effect the frequency of the pendulum?

*We chose this question because we are interested in the movement of the pendulum. We are interested to see if the length of the string will effect the frequency of the pendulum.

*This question is interesting because we know mass does not effect the frequency of the pendulum swings, but we are curious if the length of the string has an effect on the frequency of the swings.

We are testing the frequency of strings with one short and one long string on a 22.5 degree angle. We are giving the string 10 seconds with three washers.

Hypothesis: The longer string the less swings will be made in 10 seconds

Long string: 3 washers 10 seconds: trial one (9) trial two (9) trial three (9)

Short string (around 3 inches): 3 washers 10 seconds: trial one (12) trial two (13) trial three (13)

Results: The shorter the string the more swings the pendulum will make in 10 seconds. The number of swings increased with the shorter swings.

Quiz question: This swing will be irregular because the length of the strings are different cause different number of swings. However, the angle does not effect the swing because the angle does not make a difference in the swings.

Pendulum

1. What is your personal experience with swinging on anything like a trapeze?

When I was a child I had a playset in my backyard. On my playset we had a trapeze type thing next to the swings. The trapeze had yellow handles that you could hold onto and swing back and forth. Another favorite activity I had when I was younger was playing on the swings.

2. What applications to "real life" do swinging object have?

Swinging objects are found in everyday life. Children playing on a playset, grandfather clocks, gymnasts on the bars, or acrobats at a circus. Also movies such as spiderman have people swinging from buildings, creating a pendulum.

3. What is your prediction about what will happen if two people are on one trapeze and only one is on the other and they are both letting go at the same time?

I predict that it will take less than 5.2 seconds with two people on the trapeze to swing back and forth. I think this because the momentum is greater causing it to go faster. Also the pendulum doesn't go as far as it did the first swing.

4. What understanding or ideas do you have about the science of back-and-forth swinging objects?

My understandings could be based off misconceptions. I know when you drop a pendulum it is going to swing back and forth. I do not know much about swinging objects.

*Washer prediction:

1 washer: trial one: 10 trial two: 9 trial three: 9 trial four: 9

2 washers:11 swings

3 washers:12 swings

4 washers:13 swings

I think that as you add more washers the number of swings will increase because the momentum will cause it to speed up. However, this is most likely incorrect because my predictions are often times misconceptions. It could possibly stay the same but I do not know why that would be.

Homework:

**Questions I have: Why is it that no matter the amount of washers on your pendulum it has the same number of swings? What if you change the angle of where the pendulum is dropped, will that change the number of swings? What if we increased the amount of time?

1. What if you change the andle of where the pendulum is dropped, will that change the number of swings? You can test this with the materials given because you can fold the paper in different angles.

2. None of my questions require more materials. Changing the angle you use the same paper. The amount of time does not require more material.

3. All my questions could be answered through more investigation. Through changing variables you can answer the following questions.

4. Questions are important because it gets you thinking about different outcomes. It clears up misconceptions that people have.

Assessment Chapter 9

Science can leave many teachers confused when it comes to assessments. Some teachers view assessments solely for summative evaluations with little to no feedback for the students. Other teachers use formative assessments to provide feedback for the students and summative assessment to issue a grade. "Classroom teachers have many assessment options. No matter which options they choose, teachers need to be able to collect sufficient information so that they can make generalizations about students' learning and make good planning decisions" (Krajcik). Without collecting sufficient information the teacher is unable to see where the students stand in their class academically.

Assessments do not have to be multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer tests that many think of when they hear the word assessment. Some examples of assessments are observations, discussions, anecdotal records, checklist, clinical interviews. When it comes to interviews they can be formal or informal interviews. Students find informal interviews less stressful than other types of assessment. A great way to start these interviews are with open-ended questions because it gives the student a clue to tell what he or she knows about a topic. Assessment can also be done through concept mapping because it shows the students' conceptual understandings.

In school students often times leave tests saying "I never learned that stuff". When I conduct a test I will make sure my students are prepared and they have been taught the material. Things for a teacher to consider when making a test are does the items match the content I hoped students would learn and did I really develop these ideas in class? The teacher also what to think about the writing level the test is written at as well as her students reading levels. Students can also present artifacts such as writing samples and daily journals in order for the teacher to assess. Students can also create products, drawings, music, videos, portfolios in order to show the teacher what they know/ have learned.

When it comes to scoring teachers need to have a set rubric in order to score every child the same. There should be no "fluff" and straight to what is expected out of the assignment. Teachers can make up their own rubric for the assignments but it should include certain criteria for project-based science classrooms. The rubrics should include the following criteria: understanding of concepts, use of higher-order thinking, ability to answer driving questions, relatedness to the world, level of collaboration, level of creativity, presentation, and use of cognitive tools. Teachers are not the only ones that can do the assessments. It is important to see where the students think they are as well as where peers think a student is at. This way you have more than one opinion on an assessment. Assessment information is a great way to give grades and make decisions.

I want to incorporate different types of assessments in my classroom. That way my students do not get sick of the traditional multiple choice, fill in the blank, true false type of assessment. I want to use checklists, rubrics, observations, interviews, etc as assessments in order to see where the class falls academically. Test after test will just beat the students over the head and cause anxiety for some. Changing up the assessment will allow them to show what they know in multiple ways.

Cool It Lab

Inquiry Criteria	Inquiry continuum specific statement from the column/ row.	Why do you believe this fits that column/ row?	How would you improve this part of the lesson to make it more inquiry based?
Engage	Learner sharpens or clarifies question provided by teacher, materials, or other source	There was no specific question stated but it can be inferred through the experiment.	Provide the question at the top of the experiment sheet.
Evidence	Learner directed to collect certain data	Learner was told to collect data every 3 minutes for 18 minutes.	State the times and what measurement of degree to take the data.
Explain	None	None	Since there was no explaining in the lesson there could be more discussion about the scientific question.
Evaluate	None	None	There was no evaluation for the experiment so after the data is collecting look at other sources and see what findings they have on the scientific question.
Communicate	Learner given steps and procedures for communication	Learner was given certain questions to answer after collecting the data.	Besides answering the questions it could go further to discuss with people outside the class community about the topic.

Batteries, Bulbs, and Wires

The lesson that Ms. Stone is teaching to her class about electricity is very teacher oriented. The studnets do not have much room to learn on their own. The definitions were given to them without discussion and the instructions were verbally read out loud step by step. Ms. Travis starts the same lesson given the same materials (plus some flashlights) with a different approach. She has the class engage in a discussion about their thoughts on electricity. Instead of doing the experiment step by step she directs them what to do and lets them do it. I liked how Ms. Travis had them write their experiences for the day in their journal. Ms. Travis used more features of inquiry than Ms. Stone. Ms. Travis got the students engaged by discussing the topic first then allowed them to talk about the flashlights, build circuits, and the shoebox room. They had discussions about their findings as Ms. Travis led the class with scientific questions. The students were able to evaluate the lesson when they went to the computer lab to research other sources. Lastly, they communicated what they had learned.

"All in all, Ms. Travis's students are likely to learn better and more deeply because they are conducting their own investigations and becoming invested in answering their own questions. They are doing more than just following directions and repeating the teacher's language" (Batteries, Bulbs, and Wires). Throughout elementary school I learned through Ms. Stone's teaching style and believe that is why I have so many misconceptions about science. We got a sheet with step by step instructions are were to follow them exactly. Ms. Travis used all the features of inquiry in an efficient way. Ms. Stone led the class not allowing them to have their own investigations.

When I have my own classroom I hope that I take Ms. Travis's approach in teaching science. I want to give my students space to investigate subject matter on their own without just giving them the answers. I do not want them hear language, repeat experiment, and call it a lesson. I want to hear what they have to say and figure out vocab and questions as a class instead of just giving them the answers. The students will not learn if you are just throwing information at them.

Lab: (yellow lab) **more like Ms Stone

Strengths: Based on the instructions given for the lab we made our own explanations from evidence. We are given a scientific oriented question to engage in during the experiment.

Weakness: This lab is very teacher based. Student had to follow directions step by step. This experiment didn't allow students to experiment on their own.

Lab: (pink lab) ** more like Ms Travis

Strengths: the students were presented with a question that engaged them through the entire that. They were not given much direction other than what was needed. They were given suggestions that they could try thoughout the experiment. Drawings and recording there work was a way of communication in the lab.

Weakness: For some students this lab could be frustrating because you have to explore independently.

Standard/Benchmark	Learning goals	Formative Assessment	Learning Performance
Physical Science K-4 Content Standard B Light, heat, electricity and magnetism. Benchmark: Electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.	Students understand what makes a complete circuit.	Many students (75% of my peers) think that it takes two wires to create a circuit in order to light a bulb.	Yellow: The strength of this lab was that there was a scientific oriented question to engage in. Weakness was that it was very teacher based; it did not allow students to experiment on their own. Pink: The strength of this lab was it allowed students to explore on their own with only given suggestions. They were to record and draw their data. The weakness of the lab was the fact it could leave some students very frustrated if they cannot figure it out.

Creating another circuit lab:

In this lab you will be given a D cell battery, a motor, and as many wires as they need. They have been able to create a circuit with one wire in order to make a bulb light up. The next task is to create a circuit in order to start a motor. How many wires will it take to start the motor? Are there difference between a circuit to light a bulb veruses a motor?

5-E Criteria	Part of lesson that addresses this inquiry criterion	More teacher-directed or student-directed? Explain
Engage	Created a question in order to get them engaged and thinking about the experiment.	Teacher-directed because the teacher is presenting the question.
Evidence	They will be set off to work with their groups on collecting data.	Student-directed because they are given materials but they have to figure out how to complete the experiment.
Explain	Come up with an explanation to the question presented at the beginning of the experiment.	In the middle of student-directed and teacher-directed because the question was presented by the teacher but the students are explaining their findings.
Evaluate	Discuss with other groups on the outcome they have come up with.	Student-directed because they are able to explain their outcomes to other groups and perhaps find something out that their group was unable to find.
Communicate	Collect data from each group and discuss as a class the outcomes.	Teacher-directed because the teacher will lead the discussion but student-directed because they will be participating in the communication aspect.

Weather

1. My learning performance will show that the students understand the changing weather conditions from day to day by recording it. They will note changes in weather such as temperature, sunny, humid, cloudy, etc. To take the learning performance to the next step they can try to predict what tomorrows weather will be like based on their knowledge and prior recordings.

2. My learning performance contains all 5 features of inquiry. The students will be engaged because they will be asked to figure out the change in weather. The students will be collecting evidence through their daily weather log. We will explain as a class and in small groups about the weather conditions that everyone has gathered on their own. Then we will evaluate those data findings with other sources such as the internet. After we evaluate the students will communicate with other people outside our class community to see what others think about weather.

Standard/Benchmark	Learning Goals	Formative Assessment	Learning Performances
Content Standard: K-4 Earth and Space Science Content standard: D Changes in Earth and Sky Benchmark: Weather changes from day to day and over the seasons.	Understand the different weather conditions from day to day and that sunny doesn’t always mean warm.	Based on the formative assessment question people had a misunderstanding about the weather changes. They based their assumptions off personal understandings.	Go out and record the weather for a week and notice the different weather conditions. Draw pictures and use descriptive language to ensure great detail.

INSES Chapter 1 & 2

In this article they define inquiry as "the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work" (INSES). A way to start this is to compare the thinking process with an inquiry based lesson. For example the geologist who was mapping the dead trees along the coast. He took the information he saw, began asking questions, and starting drawing information from his previous experiences and knowledge. When the geologist collected such explanations from his experience he then collected data. As humans we are always curious and trying to find out the unknown. We use high levels of thinking skills in our daily lives which is referred to as inquiry.

"One of the best ways to understand school science as inquiry is through a visit to a classroom where scientific inquiry is practiced" (INSES). "We noticed something about the trees on the playground. What's wrong with them?" (INSES). I think this example of Mrs. Graham's fifth grade class is a great vision of what inquiry is like in a science classroom. Mrs. Graham allowed her students to bring up the concern about trees and talk about it instead of telling them they will learn about it later. Both the geologist and the students started off with a question and came up with an explanation for their observations based on their knowledge. This is allowing the students to have a hands-on experience, and since they brought it up they are interested in the subject matter.

"The (inquiry) standards seek to build student understanding of how we know what we know and what evidence supports what we know" (INSES). Students have to inquire what they know and the inquiry process will add to the students knowledge. Students need to be engaged in this inquiry process in order to have a deeper understanding of its characteristics.

There is a lot that goes into the inquiry process but it is important in the education of science. The process allows students to participate instead of being lectured on material. In elementary school it engages students through hands-on activities and their interests.

Shifting From Activitymania

Activitymania is an approach to teaching elementary science that involves a collection of prepackaged kits. These activities are hands-on but are often disconnected from one another. Inquiry allows students to move the lesson to the next step based on their ideas and interests. Inquiry also allows the students to ask questions, where as activitymania wants you to disreguard any data that does not fit. Activitymania also has a specific assessment that is looking for one correct answer. The switch from activitymania to inquiry does not mean you have to throw out the kits, instead asks teachers to clearly define goals and the relationships to students' lives. Once those goals are defined it is essential to link them to supporting activities. These supporting activities can be used to engage students, skill development, an idea for modification or extension, provide students with common experiences, and as a method for students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts and related scientific ideas.

"Inquiry cannot be prepackaged as it takes different directions according to students' interests and questions related to the concept being studied" (Activitymania Science and Children). Inquiry allows the teacher to teach the lessons and concepts needed but in a way that is more engaging to the student. Just like we read in the Sweater article I think it is extremely important to take the lesson where the students are showing interest. It wont do the students any good to learn from a kit and have their questions disreguarded. Moving on with the lesson without touching on students' curiosity is a disservice to them.

In my science classroom I hope to touch on all the curriculum standards that I need to for my district but in a way that makes learning science engaging. I want to allow my students to take the lesson to the next step with their own thinkings. It is crucial to connect lessons, such as magnets mentioned in the article, to the students lives. Why is this topic important to my students? I know it was much easier for me to get into a lesson if I knew why I was learning such a thing. Engaging my students in science through inquiry is something I hope to include in my classroom.

Iowa Core Website

The state of Iowa wants their students to excel in the technology rich economy we live in today. Iowa core takes teaching to a deeper level by focusing on researched standards leaving the students with high expectations. It is designed to improve achievement of all students preparing them for the world they are to face one day. Iowa core focuses on student-based classrooms. Teachers are expanding their knowledge as they work through the Iowa Core in making lesson plans. This webpage has the restrictions for Iowa Core in math, science, social studies, literacy, and 21st century issues.

"The vision for the Iowa Core is to ensure the success of each and every student by providing a world-class curriculum. The Iowa Core is designed to improve achievement of all students, preparing them for the world of work and lifelong learning. It identifies the essential content and instruction of critical content areas that all students must experience" (Iowa Department of Education). Iowa is taking teaching and learning to the next level by ensurring teachers use those deeper thoughts in order to produce the best students possible. Every lesson plan done should be based off a standard and I will make sure to fulfill that Iowa Core standard every lesson I teach. It will not only benefit me as a teacher but I want the best for my students.

The website is easy to navigate through and allows you to click on a subject as well as a grade. It provides a pdf of Iowa core under the criteria you selected. I particually like how the website provides an explanation for each subject to why they believe the Iowa Core to be the best.

How Do I Develop and Use Benchmark Lessons? Krajcik

Nothing good will come out of an unprepared lesson. You have to put thought into developing your lesson and ask yourself questions like what am I teaching, or what are the learning and performance outcomes? Learning performances is another word for objectives, but learning performances is specifically what achievements we expect of the students. Objectives are very vague and are just what they students will know at the end of the lesson. There are four different kinds of knowledge factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. There are six cognitive processes remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

"Similarly, you shouldn't perform a benchmark lesson without constructing a lesson plan" (Krajcik). Going into a classroom with 20 or more pairs of beating eyes on you, you must be prepared. Having a prepared lesson in lesson plan format with the correct benchmark is not only expected out of teachers but it is necessary. Having a lesson plan allows you to go back and look at things in order to answer what did I want to get out of this lesson?

When I went through school it is sad to say I remembered things for the test and then forgot them. I was using my factual knowledge. This was because my teachers didn't allow me to use all my knowledge domains and cognitive processes. I was given the information and expected to know the facts for the test. I wasn't asked to implement what I knew or connect it with other things we had learned. I want my students to be able to pull together all their knowledge and remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

Mosart Website

Before starting science methods I would have thought children had misconceptions but me being the teacher could easily change those. I would have got the first question wrong for what are misconceptions, if it wasn't for class discussions. Children hold misconceptions and can most all the time back up those misconceptions. I was shocked at the children's misconceptions about the heart but also the little girl that was talking about blood. No matter what the teacher was prompting, she was sure the blood was blue in some parts and red in other parts but when it hits the air it turns red. It is also interesting that when you ask them how they know such thing it is because they have heard it from someone older. Misconceptions are hard to change, complex, based on students experience, and present at all grades and achievement levels.

When asking what percent will the students get on a misconception-based multiple choice test I had no idea. I guessed every possible answer before guessing 40-55%. They are more difficult because they are based on a different understanding of science. In classroom assessment number one you are not testing those skills that the advanced students do not know. You would think that the advanced students would not need to be tested on the basic level items because they are advanced. In a Mosart class you measure what everyone in the class knows which are those basic skills that students have misconceptions about.

Mosart tests are to given at the beginning and end of a course and it will reveal the concepts students understand and what they have misconceptions about. This makes sense because that way the teacher knows what misconceptions to address and what to teach. At the end the teacher will know what the students are still holding onto. Misconceptions should not be viewed as a negative thing but as a students learning process. Mosart tests should not be for a grade but more to give the teacher an idea of where their students are. After viewing the tutorials Mosart tests seem like something that I would use in my classroom to help me tackle my students misconceptions.

Sweater Article

Students that come into a classroom whether it is second or fifth grade have prior thoughts. The students that enter a classroom are not clean slates, they have previous experiences to guide their thinking such as the students in O'Briens class. Do sweaters and hats give off heat? Instead of Deb O'Brien just saying no she allowed them to discuss it as well as do an experiment. Allowing students to conduct their own experiments help them deal with their sensible reasoning as to why something is. Conceptual change is ongoing because children will hold on to their constructed schemes of thought. When students thinking is up against evidence teachers can play a huge role. In order to promote new thinking patterns teachers can use methods such as stressing relevance, making predictions, and stressing consistency. Science textbooks in the classrooms have grown so much in the past years when it comes to guiding students in the right direction.

"Despite massive evidence suggesting that students learn by doing, by manipulating, by experimenting, the great bulk of science teaching is still based on textbooks" (Davis). I think what O'Brien did in her classroom was the best way to approach such a situation. Students often stick to these beliefs they have and conceptual change is often out of the question. It is the teachers duty to be able to allow students to experiment with things in order to prove to themselves what is right from wrong. The students having hands on experience with a topic like heat will leave a greater impression on them rather than just telling them the facts from a book. Although textbooks are important, I believe it is the hands on learning that really leaves those facts from the textbook in a students mind.

When I am teaching my students science I will use the textbook in order to have the facts down. This will allow the students to be able to read the information on paper. I do not however think reading the text is enough. I want my students to be able to have hands on learning to either test their own thoughts or learn new things. I remember mostly reading the textbook in elementary school and believe that is why I do not remember much.

Keeley

Assessments happen everyday in the classroom. Whether they are formative assessments or summative they are happening often. Formative assessment are those that happen at the end of a unit, midterm, or final. It is intended to tell the teacher what the students have learned and what topics need to be revisited. Summative assessment is cumulative in nature and is used to see if students have met course goals. Another kind of assessment is the formative assessment probe in which teachers can tackle the misconceptions of any subject that a student might enter school. Each probe consists of two parts a selected response and a justification for selecting the response. Probes get the students thinking in order to participate in a group discussion or in order to write down their thoughts on paper.

"The process of making students' thinking explicit through discourse serves a dual purpose. First, it allows teachers to see what types of ideas students have so they can provide interventions that address misconceptions or provide for further learning opportunities. Second, encouraging students to make their ideas explicit to others actually promotes learning for both the thinker and those with whom he or she shares the ideas" (Keeley). I could not agree with this statement more. I believe that it is important to get students thinking using a probe in order to see what they know or what things as a teacher you might need to focus on. When a student is able to talk out a topic with another student it is more than likely that they know the material. I always learned best when I was able to talk things out with people.

Just like the quiz we took in class to find out our misconceptions, I will hold those in my own classroom. I think it is important to always assess the students even if it is just observational. I hope to, as a teacher, present the material I need to but also figure out what they are struggling with and spend time touching on those topics the most. It shocks me how many misconceptions I had about science. It makes me wonder what I was doing in elementary school during science lessons. I do not want my students to feel this way down the line.

Peters: Theoretical Foundations for Constructivist Teaching

Theoretical foundations for constructivist teaching is a theory that is made up of different ideas. For example it includes such areas like the cognitive constructivism which is Piagets work and the sociocultural constructivism associated with Vygotsky. Learning depends on action which is why learning goes hand in hand with sociocultural. When teaching a science lesson it is the teachers responsibility to provide the resources, get the students active in the lesson, and keep their focus. It is important to remember the students zone of proximal development so you ensure that you are not stepping on the students toes. The constructivist learning model focuses on the learner rather than the teacher. The constructivist theory is all about the student having hands on learning and being able to think deep on their own.

"The goal of instruction is to actively engage the students in solving problems within the zone of proximal development. The teacher's role is that of a facilitator or mediator" (Peters). As a teacher I want to be there for my students when they need help but I also want them to be able to try on their own. I think it is important for a teacher to learn when to step in and when to let the student do the thinking. If the teacher is always there, the student will become dependent and always ask for help without trying on their own. Through scaffolding the teacher is able to give just the right amount of help for the student to accomplish the task at hand. The teacher is the model and helper when appropriate.

Through the constructivsit teaching theory I hope to have a suceessful class. I want my students to be able to be indepentent but know that I am here to help them learn. I want them to have an active role in the learning process and be hands on as much as possible. I do not remember being as hands on in elementary school and middle school as I would have liked. School should not be boring and consist of the students sitting listening to the teacher. My class will constantly be moving and helping teach by being engaged.

Krajcik: Constructivist Teaching

There are many different ways of teaching thought out by different theorist. For example, Constructivist teaching is a way of learning that deals more with showing and hands on interaction rather than lecturing information to the students. Constructivist teaching includes learners prior knowledge, asking questions and allowing them the time to think about it. Teaching a new lesson should not be rushed and should allow time for reflection. Another thing that constructivist teaching includes is drawing from different resources allowing students to see different information about one topic.

"Tell me, and I forget. Show me, and I remember. Involve me, and I understand" (Krajcik). This is how the ancient Chinese proverb captures the idea of constructivist teaching. To me it sounds simple and I could not agree more, but you still have those teachers that will stand up in front of the class and lecture. I think hands on learning is the best way of teaching and one of the ways I learn best. I think it is so important to change up the learning process whether that is hands on labs, reading from different texts, or having discussions so that the students do not get bored. The article mentions allowing students to go out and take action. For science this could be a great thing. I wish I had more memories of going out and doing something to help the environment based on what we were learning. Scaffolding is also something mentioned that goes well with showing and involving the student. You have to model what is right and be there for the student as they are learning.

Teaching by lecturing is not effective and I will not construct my class in that way. I want my students to be able to watch me as I model things but also get information by them being involved in the learning. I will allow time for them to think and gather their own conclusions before moving on. Going through school having those teachings that sit there and throw information at you is not effective. It goes in one ear and out the other. I want my students to be able to grasp the idea and know it not only for the test but for many years after the test. Constructivist teaching is something I will use in my classroom.

Misconceptions Die Hard

Misconceptions are everywhere, and science is a subject that students could come into with a lot of misconceptions. In science there are many facts, formulas, data collecting, etc and getting every piece of information down correctly could be difficult but it is never too late to correct these misconceptions. In the article the study was interesting and got me thinking, do I have the same misconceptions that a lot of these students have? I am not sure that if I was asked whether certain objects floated or sank that I would be able to answer correctly. It is better to stop and correct misconceptions before they are presented out loud in the class, so it is important to learn about such misconceptions and address them right away.

"Teachers can take steps to prevent misconceptions or to break them down after they have formed" (Stepan, Beiswenger, & Dyche). I think as an educator it is so important to have the students get the most out of learning no matter what subject it is. Science is not every ones favorite subject and can be a drag so it is the teachers responsibility to make it as interesting as possible. There are a lot of ways to do this such as, picking an interesting and clear textbook, picking labs that are appropriate, and concept mapping. I remember my science textbooks were so confusing and I was not positive what they were saying. Misconceptions will happen but through good explanation and good teaching we can eliminate them.

As a future educator I hope to make every subject interesting and make it enjoyable for everyone. For science, I want the labs to be clear, entertaining, and engaging. Also I want the text to be at an appropriate level for the students I am teaching and have it be as straight forward and up to date as possible. This way the misconceptions will be eliminated because it is clearly taught to my students. I want vocabulary to presented in a manner that is not overloading that the students will forget. Misconceptions are bound to happen but I would like to correct the misconceptions I currently have about science and prevent my students from having the same ones.

"Diffendoofer Day"

1. What does it mean when someone knows how to think?

Someone knows how to think when they are able to draw conclusions from something presented to them. They are able to have their own opinion about anything using knowledge they already have.

2. How does a teacher teach a student how to think?

They present the student with information but allows them to process it on their own. They do not just give the students the answers but encourages them to dig deep and see what they are able to come up with on their own. Make them think outside of the box, this may mean that the student has to step out of their comfort zone.

3. Have you ever been in a class where you really had to think?

Yes, every class I am forced to think deeper of what the teacher is saying. I am constantly forced to make connections with my daily life and the information presented in class. Some examples of thinking I have had to do is in elementary school thinking about topics to write about, solving math problems, and thinking about the alphabet. There are those classes that are strictly memorizing information that do not require much thinking.

Rising to Greatness

As times are changing so are a lot of other things for Iowa, for example Iowa lost its number one spot in math and reading scores. The rural population is decreasing and communities are changing. This leads to a wider diversity of people as well as poverty on the increase. Iowa was once a power state when it came to schools achievements but it is going on the downward slope. Iowa is not preparing its students for the real world where they are having to compete with not only those from other states but also those from other countries. Iowa tests scores for fourth grade reading and eighth grade math are flat lining as well as slightly decreasing. This is allowing the nations average scores to catch up with Iowa's scores. It is not possible to start fresh but instead Iowa schools need to build from where they are increasing achievement scores and decreasing the gap.

"Graduates of Iowa schools compete not only with those from other states, but also with graduates from other nations" (Pennington & Chadwick). In this day and time getting a job out of college is not as easy as it once was. The competition is high and the economy does not help with the decrease in number of jobs. Iowa once was one of the top states for the achievement scores and was doing well in preparing their students for the real world jobs. Presently, Iowa's numbers are decreasing and are not preparing their students to the best of their abilities. Now that the competition is fierce and global for jobs Iowa must step up their game. Iowa must support the challenges that the higher education is giving them and higher their expectations, get high qualified educators, include technology, and have a fair and aligned assessment system.

As a soon to be graduate from Iowa I would like to know I graduated from a highly ranked school in the nation for academics, but as a future educator I hope to teach in Illinois. Illinois is where I got most of my education and from the maps in this article they are doing pretty well in scores. I will be student teaching in Iowa so I would like to give these students my very best in hopes to turn these scores around. I believe that change in Iowa is possible and they can take the number one spot again. We have to increase the scores not matter the diversity, poverty, or any change that might occur in Iowa. It starts with the plan thought out by a educated teacher and that teacher having high expectations for students that will make this a great turn around.