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.

5 Good Reasons Why to Use Science Notebooks

In the article Five Good Reasons Why to Use Science Notebooks the author touches on many key points to think about as future educators. Keeping a science notebook can be beneficial to not only the students but as well as the classroom teacher. Notebooks are a great place for students to collect their thoughts, and because everyone is different it allows the students to collect information in their own ways. These ways could be a different language or the type of collecting technique. I think this idea is extremely important; I agree that this notebook will benefit the children not only in science but also in literacy. The author has stated more reasons as to why this science notebook is a great addition to every science classroom. Some more reasons are it helps the teacher guide instruction as well as the teachers collaboration with other teachers.

"The notebook is a tool that encourages students to use writing for thinking and empowers them to become active in their own learning" (Gilbert& Kotelma). I think this statement is crucial. This notebook can open doors for every student to participate and become active in the lesson. While they are learning a science lesson they are also sharpening their writing skills which is detrimental to the schooling. This notebook encourages students to use what they know or observe (for example the snail observation) and write it in their own words. They can be writing but aren't limited to facts, observations, or questions.

As a future educator I think incorporating the science notebook into my classroom is a must. I strive to find all ways to get students involved in any lesson whether it is math, science, or social studies. This allows everyone to voice what they want to say in a educational manner. It allows the shy ones to speak on paper and it allows the ones that like to take over discussions to get everything they have to say out. As a teacher it is hard to pin point where every student is on a lesson so this notebook is a great tool in figuring out where to take the lesson next. I think as the Hispanic and ESL students are increasing, allowing students to have this notebook and being able to incorporate their background into is a great idea which the author stated. Science notebooks are a great tool to use in the classroom.

Line of Learning

My science experience in elementary school was not a memorable one. I remember doing experiments and having to do long lab packets with each one. We used science kits and learned about such topics like planets, magnets, electricity. I wish teachers were able to grab my interest in science lessons more.

Elementary students learn science through science kits, books, and hands on experiments. A topic is introduced, discussed, and then the student completes a experiment. Science can be a stressful subject for a teacher because there is a lot going on with lots of materials so the environment that students work in must be safe and organized. The teacher must be prepared for every lesson and practice experiments ahead of time. They should be able to answer or research all the questions that might come at them during class discussion. Must importantly they should grasp the interest of every student in some way in order to make science fun and memorable

January 22, 2012

After revisiting my past experience with science and reading a few articles it is clear to me that I want to run my class in a constructivist manner. Science is a hands on subject and needs to be learned through engaging activities. Information will be presented in a way that is not overwhelming through scaffolding. I want my students to learn information and perform well on tests but remember the information after the test and not have misconceptions about science.

January 29, 2012

Everyone has misconceptions about a lot of things in life. I have a ton of misconceptions about science that I did not know I had till reading the articles and taking the quiz in class. It is important to address these misconceptions in a way that shows evidence to the correct answers. Each student will enter the class with misconceptions and it is important to address these before they end up in college with the same misconceptions.

February 5, 2012

I still agree with my statement that science is learned in many ways one being hands on experiments. I like how in the sweater article the teacher didn't just tell her students that the theory was wrong but instead allowed them to try their own experiments. The students were allowed to test their misconceptions they had and were able to base their thinking off what they found or hold onto the misconception. Teaching science could be difficult because I feel like you have to go with the flow. If a student brings up a misconception you may have to dump your lesson plan and go off of what the students give you. Another example of going with the flow was shown in class this week. Technology doesn't always go as planned so you have to be flexible with everything.

February 12, 2012

The idea of students learning best through their interests and hands-on activities was backed up by the two articles we read this week. Inquiry process of learning is using knowledge you already have to explain a question that was brought up. It is important as a teacher to react to the students interests and have a discussion with them. Allow them to create a hypothesis, experiment, and draw conclusion about a topic even if it was not in your lesson plans for that day. Even though kits are still used in elementary schools they do not have to be thrown out. You can use the kits with the inquiry process in order for your students to get the most out of learning science.

February 19, 2012

When I was in elementary school science consisted of doing experiments and collecting data. Come to find out there is so much more to the learning of science. Inquiry was a word that I was unfamiliar with in terms of science until this semester. There are 5 features of inquiry. 1. Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented questions. 2. Learners give priority to evidence, which allows them to develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically oriented questions. 3. Learners formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically oriented questions. 4. Learners evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific understanding. 5. Learners communicate and justify their proposed explanations. This seems overwhelming but after watching the video and splitting up each section, it is not so bad. It takes an awesome teacher to do all these steps effectively and I hope to be one of those. As a teacher you need to get their attention, have students collect data, let them discuss with others their findings, research, and communicate with different audiences. Inquiry takes time but it is an efficient way of learning.

February 26, 2012

Every lesson should include all the features of science inquiry. I believe in order for you to truly have every feature you have to be more towards the left side of the inquiry continuum with more student focused learning. I believe that if a student is doing an experiment they are going to need to explore on their own. The students should be able to make mistakes in order to learn from them. In elementary school I was told step-by-step instructions for every experiment, which I did not learn from. Even though teacher based experiments still have all 5 features of inquiry it does not teach the students everything they need to be learning. Teachers have to understand that students are going to get frustrated with more student centered and less help from the teacher type of experiments. Between the pink and yellow circuit lab I learned more from the pink one because it made me think more. I was not given pictures or step-by-step instructions for this lab and relied on the group members and myself.

March 4, 2012

Assessment is a topic that teachers could have misconceptions about. You should always be assessing whether it is a formal assessment or a one question quiz put into a google doc to see where your students are. Teachers should be assessing what the students are doing and what artifacts students produce. Teachers are not the only people who could assess, students can assess themselves as well as their peers. The most important assessment is a formative assessment, which can come from the Paige Keeley probes. The formative assessment shapes where you are going with the curriculum. There are also summative assessments that can be used. The most important thing to remember when it comes to assessment is the assessment and rubrics must be linked to the learning performances! A good website to use in order to produce rubrics is rubistar.4teachers.org. This website allows you to pick the topics you want to assess the students on and splits it up into different point values. Effective assessment criteria are contextualized, multidimensional, students being actively involved, valid and reliable, accommodates diversity, consistent with learning theory, and measures meaningful understanding.

March 28, 2012

Technology is taking over the classroom more each and every year. Dragon Speak is a great software to implement in the classroom for students of any disability. Students that struggle with typing can simply speak into a microphone and the computer will type for the student. Of course, students performance in writing and typing skills will be altered but with the use of Dragon Speak there is a fair and level playing field between all of the students. Dragon Speak has strengths and weaknesses to its software. Its strengths are that it makes that playing field level for all students and allows greater independence for the student. Some weaknesses are it can be pricey and schools might not be able to fund the money. Another weakness is that Dragon Speak can be difficult to initially set up. The independence it can give a student is a huge step for a child.
April 23, 2012
Teaching science is not an easy task when it comes to kindergarteners. We taught the lesson of plant growth and life cycles of plants. We included the steps of inquiry in order to be as much student oriented as kindergartners can be. We allowed them to plant their own sunflower seeds, make observations at their own homes, be involved in a celery experiment that showed how water is absorbed, gave them worksheets for them to color and complete, and lastly we read them books based on plants. The things that my group struggled with the most would have to be class control and time. Kindergarten has a short attention span and you have to take that into consideration when creating a two-day lesson. We wanted the students to be involved as much as possible but this took some one on one disciplining. Time was something else we struggled with. We had too much planned for each day and had to cut an experiment out. You have to remember that it takes kindergarteners more time to complete a worksheet than you would think. I really enjoyed being able to take what we have been learning all semester and actually be able to perform it.