Latest Posts MST LiteracyHere are two short and sweet posts, both linked to the other.
Sylvia Martinez shares her Meme, Web 2.0 version of a chain letter, on the topic of what she is most passionate for kids to learn about.
Sylvia called out Brian to create his Meme on the same topic.
Brian called out me. Mine will be coming soon. I know there must be some teachers here at Klem South who love this sort of thing. Want to join the fun?
I love teaching science because it makes kids think. It makes them think about their own ideas and observations. I love hearing about their thought processes, as random as they might be. I love giving them the opportunity to try an idea and “fail” because these unexpected results are often the most meaningful. I love learning from my kids - their ideas are so unique. I love that science helps them make connections between their understandings of the world and how it works and with the learning taking place in the classroom. I love the fact that science is everywhere you look and there are real-world problems just waiting for students to explore. I love taking kids outside to observe, collect data, and just to appreciate nature. I love that science is active and not passive. And I love the connection to every other subject.
When you teach science, you teach literacy. Kids learn to observe, ask questions, predict, sequence, infer, draw conclusions, analyze, evaluate, summarize, compare/contrast, solve problems, and read and write in meaningful contexts. Modeling metacognition is such a big part of elementary science. We focus their attention on what is going on in their heads as they try to make meaning of situations and identifying strategies to assist in the process. This is exactly what we want them to do when they have a book in front of them. We want kids to be active participants in the learning process as they attempt to make meaning. So why is it that reading is taught during “reading” time and science it taught during “science” time or whenever teachers find the time?
Finding the time to teach science is essential. David Warlick recently blogged about the diminishing time elementary teachers are spending teaching science since NCLB took effect. David writes,
Improving reading and math skills is not the problem. The problem is how we’re paying for it.
Extra ELA time is not the answer nor is taking away recess.
Brian Crosby shares an account of how we are paying for it as he tells of students’ reactions to the recent eclipse. Students were scared, but it’s even more frightening to think about the future implications for these kids not having the opportunities to explore science in elementary school. I loved reading the comment from Doug Noon.
Teach Science. Teach Social Studies. Be a radical.
On the flip side, Jenny, a 5th grade teacher blogged about the disparity of time devoted to teaching reading between elementary and middle/high school. As in most elementary classrooms, her students devote much less time to social studies and science than ELA and math. She wrote,
I feel that my students have to be able to read, write, and do math in order to be able to truly understand social studies or science. So I don’t have any concerns about how we spend our time…
What are your thoughts about how we spend our time at the elementary level?
Powered by ScribeFire.
More and more teachers at our school have voiced an interest in blogging. Whether this interest is in creating a teacher blog or a student blog, a great place to start is to simply begin reading different blogs. To help those who don’t know where to begin, I’ll highlight two each week that I have found personally interesting, inspiring, or perhaps challenging in some way. This week both posts provide examples of project-based learning.
The first post is Reading Plants by Jabiz Raisdana whose blog, The Intrepid Teacher, I just recently discovered. In this post Jabiz shares his story of working with struggling readers and how he connected a gardening project with the book Where the Red Fern Grows through the common theme of perseverance and hard work found in both.
et al. by Bob Sprankle who writes Bit by Bit, illustrates how kids are actually attempting to “see” a million by raising one million pennies.
A penny for your thoughts on these posts and your views on project-based learning.
This past week I was lucky enough to work with data specialist Jennifer Borgioli to discuss possible data collection measures to measure the goals established for this newly established MST position.
MST Goals:
Since this is the first year I don’t have my own classroom, there are several challenges I’m working through. One is the difficulty in measuring an increase in student performance. Most of the time this year, students have visited the MST room for a series of 3-5 lessons as part of a larger unit in science. Recently for 5th grade, the purpose of the lessons is to build background for a unit on the changing Earth (geology). I have data on formative measures which show some growth, but not as significant as what would be seen later in a unit. Since I’m not teaching an entire unit, nor am I working with all classrooms in the school, what is the best way to measure the increase in student performance?
The other piece to this is in regards to project and problem based learning experiences. Part of my focus this year has been directed at implementing an HP team grant with three classroom teachers (2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade). We have students investigating water quality at local ponds/stream through the year using various data collection measures. They have worked liked scientist collecting and analyzing data, developed their own inquiry questions, have had the opportunity to explore a topic in-depth, worked in collaborative settings, and will be presenting their findings to an authentic audience (Monroe County Water Coalition Meeting in March at the Brighton Town Hall). The way this learning experience is assessed is much different than the format of the NYS 4th grade science test. What happens if the group of 4th graders on this project does not perform as well on the NYS test as others in the grade level but has demonstrated a deeper understanding of living environment concepts through their experiences and tasks in the classroom?
One idea she shared by Jennifer was to interview a sample of students to gather information on their perceptions of learning. Examples: How well do you feel you learned about ___ through this project/problem? How do you feel this experience has helped you? How involved in learning do you feel you were during this project/problem?
From what I’ve researched on my own, the format of this instrument is intended to elicit students’ estimates of how much they gained from the class, and to relate their gains to particular aspects of the class pedagogy. Its particular focus is on what students gained from the class rather than asking students what they “liked” or “valued” about their classes.
I’m interested to hear more about how this type of data collection can be used to measure the identified goals. How can the questions be tweaked to elicit the most meaningful responses? How many students should be surveyed and how should the students be chosen? Also, what other less common forms of data collection can be used?
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to work in this position for 6 months, there are other unintended outcomes, not directly related to student performance, but rather to an increase in teacher confidence and use of student-centered practices such as inquiry and PBL. Should data be collected on these unintended goals? If so, what data collection measures would work best? Ahh…the challenges of learning how using data effectively!
Yesterday a dedicated group of teachers, mostly from right here at Klem South, gathered to form a Collegial Circle to explore the K12 Online Conference.
Our purpose: Explore concepts of Web2.0 and the possibilities for instructional changes and classroom practices to support the 21st Century Learner.
Our desired outcome: Develop a greater understanding of Web 2.0, 21st Century Skills, and the importance of developing an on-line personal learning community.
Things did not go smoothly as planned. Questions were asked, concerns were shared, and confusion lingered throughout. Frustrating, yes, but that is part of the process of starting to explore something new and unknown. As Brian Crosby, a 5th grade teacher in Nevada states in his blog title, Learning is Messy.
Learning is a process. Click here to take a look at the comments from a group of graduate students after setting up Google Reader to subscribe to blogs and exploring the blogosphere. You don’t know what you don’t know. You have to begin to learn from someone, somewhere, somehow. They are just beginning to explore Web 2.0 tools to expand their own personal learning network. Do you feel the same way as any of these students?
I took time this morning to peruse the 2006 presentations on the K12 Online Conference site and found this awesome presentation, “Globally Literate,” about the changing state of literacy from Clarence Fisher, a classroom teacher of grades 1-8. From the K12 site I was able to link to his blog, Remote Access, and on his most recent post he reflects on his experience starting to blog 3 years ago. It is amazing to see how his network developed and how he learns from others just as so many others learn from him. Imagine the benefit to his students from what Clarence has discovered through blogging and connecting with others beyond his rural setting in Canada?
Learning is personal. Learning requires a desire and a dedication. Even your openness to begin to explore these incredible resources while still having doubts, questions, and concerns illustrates your commitment to your profession and your students. Starting on a bumpy road is better than traveling down no road at all!
