Discuss the considerations that influence a constructivist science teacher’s choice of methodology? What considerations influence a constructivist science teacher’s choice of day-to-day curriculum? When a science teacher finds they have to teach a topic which they have not studied, what is recommended? The National Association for Research in Science Teaching has taken the position that every teacher is a researcher. How can science teachers participate in the research efforts?
RESPONSE: Chapter 13 – The Elementary Science Education Professional Sabina Soloway June 2, 2010
METHODOLOGY: When considering teaching methodologies, a constructivist science teacher should focus on teaching process rather than product. The main goal is having students learn how to do science through relevant, hands-on lessons that mimic the way real scientists do science (Martin, page 535). This methodology will result in “capturing children’s interest” and exploit their already predisposed curiosity about the world around them.
CURRICULUM: The day-to-day curriculum that an elementary science teacher might choose to implement must be determined by the following parameters: • Process is more important than content. • Discipline boundaries among the sciences are softened. • Science is integrated with the rest of the curriculum. • Science is attached meaningfully to life. • Science content is based on fundamental scientific principles and concepts (Martin, pages 535-536). The challenge facing science teachers, however, is dealing with prescribed curriculum that contains specific science content without a nod to the value of teaching through inquiry and investigation. A good rule of thumb is to try to manipulate any stipulated core curriculum content requirements into lessons that can be accomplished through inquiry and investigation based activities. The rest of the required content will need to be taught in a more traditional way, where the instructor is merely imparting information to her students.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: When, as a teacher, you must teach a topic with which you are not that familiar, there are many ways of gaining the knowledge to help guide your students to mastery. Texts might give some background information and from there, teachers are encouraged to seek as much outside information as they can through the Internet, professional development opportunities, colleagues, industry, the community, etc. The Internet is a vast resource of information with countless websites catering to teachers of science and those simply wanting to gain scientific information. Many national associations concerned with science education exist and can be accessed through the Internet, providing on-line journals, general information, links, program opportunities, etc. Schools and school districts offer in-house and off-site workshops and institute programs. Teachers can work with other more experienced teachers to gain valuable information and teaching techniques. Also, the community is a valuable resource as parents and area businesses might provide expertise in an area that you are researching. All of these avenues can and should be utilized by the teacher in order to come to the classroom well prepared and ready to teach.
TEACHER AS RESEARCHER: Teachers of science should be researchers in that the ultimate outcome of educational research is improving classroom practices and effectiveness and, consequently, student learning. Teachers researching their own teaching styles and techniques are said to be involved in action research. This kind of research involves the following: • developing a specific problem or question • reading other action research reports • obtaining data • forming conclusions • sharing the results (Martin, page 543). This is different from trying out new activities or teaching styles to liven up your own classroom that have already been proven to be effective. Action research is attempting to evaluate a novel approach to teaching that is as yet unproven. The “understanding and insights that emerge from field work and subsequent analysis (Martin, page 544)” create a new and improved way of involving students in science learning.
Lori Vigliotti Chapter 13 Elementary Science Methods 6/3/2010
Methodology/Curriculum: A constructivist science teacher realizes that all children come to understand science in different ways. They are aware that students will construct their own understanding of science concepts in a way that is meaningful to them. These teachers do not believe that they have some unseen ability to transfer information into children’s brains. They take into consideration that children learn by doing, and what they experience in an activity is then assimilated with what they already know, or have been previously exposed to. They would choose experiments that: • Students would be interested in • Have student generated questions • Focus more on the “process, rather than the product” (p. 534) In a constructivist teacher’s classroom science is not designated solely to science class. It is incorporated with the entire curriculum, and is made relevant to their life. If a science question or interest is made apparent during another subject lesson that could then be the concentration of the next science activity. Professional Development: There will be times when science teachers are asked to teach a topic that is unfamiliar to them. Today, there are various sources of information on the internet. Parents, teachers, public and government organizations have equipped the world-wide web with a vast amount of material ready to be explored. Science organizations publish journals online with stimulating articles and ideas. Many of these same organizations offer workshops for a hands-on experience. It could also be helpful to reach out to colleagues at their school for advice and guidance. Sometimes their fellow teachers may even have a strong interest in the topic where they need help. If all of the teachers are new to the subject matter, then it is better to research collaboratively and complete some experiments with one another. I would also encourage a teacher to ask their students if they have any knowledge about the material. Possibly, the class can research the subject in groups and construct their own questions and experiments as well. Teachers as Researchers: Opportunities for teachers to participate in research exist in and out of the classroom. Science teachers can align themselves with local colleges, universities, or even some industries, such as Siemens, that are conducting student research. The National Association for Research in Science Teaching encourages teachers to perform research right in their classroom. This is known as action or applied research. The focus of this research would be on the effectiveness of classroom practices (p. 543). This process involves five stages: (1) develop a problem or question, (2) read other action research reports, (3) obtain data, (4) form conclusions, and (5) share the results (p. 543). The essential goal is to improve teaching methods and thus increase student learning. It is not simply trying out some new ideas and materials. It should be noted that this type of research involves a cause and effect relationship between teaching procedures and the classroom practices, and the improvement in students’ achievement.
I believe all people should think of themselves as life-long learners and researchers, especially teachers. Whether it be learning more about science and the latest discoveries or being familiar with the most current children’s literature and successful methods of teaching the writing process, we must be constantly learning and growing. I do have a problem with relying on the internet for professional development or gaining insight on a subject you are unfamiliar with. We must be careful about where we are getting information. Is it coming from a largely known and accepted organization? Are the journal entries we read peer-reviewed? Do we consider who has funded the research or where the research is being carried out as we read articles? It is important to remember that statistics can be manipulated and not everything on the internet is true. That being said, I do think it is important to take advantage of what organizations like the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) or American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), among others, put online.
I think it is up to teachers to take the initiative when it comes to professional development, gaining understanding on an unfamiliar science topic to be taught, and research. If we really are passionate about what we do as teachers, we should be thinking of these things as personal growth and development, not professional. There are so many opportunities for teachers to keep learning. Personally, I like to take advantage of museums. More locally, there are places like The American Museum of Natural History in NYC, the Rugter’s Geology Museum, and mining museums in Ogdensburg and Franklin, New Jersey. I also try and visit places when traveling… the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for example. I even had the chance to visit the National Musuem in Prague, CZ where I got to see minerals from various places in New Jersey. Talk about making science relevant to my own life! New Jersey is rich in scientific history… from geology and paleontology to Thomas Edison and other inventors. Visiting places like these can help us make our science lessons cross-curricular as well. I also think we need to network and take advantage of the people around us. We know someone who can inform us better on a topic we have to teach. Or there may be children in the class with knowledge or a connection to the topic. Using guest speakers is also a good idea. I remember my father coming in to my 3rd grade class to talk about rocks and show us fluorescent minerals.
Besides researching their own teaching styles and techniques, I think it is important science teachers have some experience with scientific research, especially in the upper grades. I am lucky, in that I have research experience in both environmental science and child psychology. Our scientific knowledge grows out of research. It’s important to understand how data is collected and analyzed. There are many volunteer opportunities out there. I know teachers who have done Earthwatch and applied for grants to pay for it. That is something I am very interested in doing.
Sabina provides a great description of the constructivist teacher’s methodology. The focus on the process is paramount. Science is messy….it does not follow the distinct, forward steps of the scientific method. As Lori states, we must remember and be responsive to the different learners in our classrooms. Catherine sums it up by stating that we are all life-long learners, researchers and students in the quest for continued improvement of instruction to promote deep, long-term learning in a never ending quest for knowledge.
Action research in the classroom provides the most valuable means to improve instruction tailored to your specific students. Another way to develop our trade as teachers is through sustained professional development. We need to share our ideas, resources and classroom success and challenges with our colleagues. Read, explore, search and share articles, websites, lessons and projects with your colleagues. ( Use blogs for discussions!!) Reach out to the businesses and parents in the community…there is a wealth of untapped resources ready to enhance your classroom learning.
Discuss the considerations that influence a constructivist science teacher’s choice of methodology? What considerations influence a constructivist science teacher’s choice of day-to-day curriculum? When a science teacher finds they have to teach a topic which they have not studied, what is recommended? The National Association for Research in Science Teaching has taken the position that every teacher is a researcher. How can science teachers participate in the research efforts?
ReplyDeleteRESPONSE: Chapter 13 – The Elementary Science Education Professional
ReplyDeleteSabina Soloway
June 2, 2010
METHODOLOGY:
When considering teaching methodologies, a constructivist science teacher should focus on teaching process rather than product. The main goal is having students learn how to do science through relevant, hands-on lessons that mimic the way real scientists do science (Martin, page 535). This methodology will result in “capturing children’s interest” and exploit their already predisposed curiosity about the world around them.
CURRICULUM:
The day-to-day curriculum that an elementary science teacher might choose to implement must be determined by the following parameters:
• Process is more important than content.
• Discipline boundaries among the sciences are softened.
• Science is integrated with the rest of the curriculum.
• Science is attached meaningfully to life.
• Science content is based on fundamental scientific principles and concepts (Martin, pages 535-536).
The challenge facing science teachers, however, is dealing with prescribed curriculum that contains specific science content without a nod to the value of teaching through inquiry and investigation. A good rule of thumb is to try to manipulate any stipulated core curriculum content requirements into lessons that can be accomplished through inquiry and investigation based activities. The rest of the required content will need to be taught in a more traditional way, where the instructor is merely imparting information to her students.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
When, as a teacher, you must teach a topic with which you are not that familiar, there are many ways of gaining the knowledge to help guide your students to mastery. Texts might give some background information and from there, teachers are encouraged to seek as much outside information as they can through the Internet, professional development opportunities, colleagues, industry, the community, etc. The Internet is a vast resource of information with countless websites catering to teachers of science and those simply wanting to gain scientific information. Many national associations concerned with science education exist and can be accessed through the Internet, providing on-line journals, general information, links, program opportunities, etc. Schools and school districts offer in-house and off-site workshops and institute programs. Teachers can work with other more experienced teachers to gain valuable information and teaching techniques. Also, the community is a valuable resource as parents and area businesses might provide expertise in an area that you are researching. All of these avenues can and should be utilized by the teacher in order to come to the classroom well prepared and ready to teach.
TEACHER AS RESEARCHER:
Teachers of science should be researchers in that the ultimate outcome of educational research is improving classroom practices and effectiveness and, consequently, student learning. Teachers researching their own teaching styles and techniques are said to be involved in action research. This kind of research involves the following:
• developing a specific problem or question
• reading other action research reports
• obtaining data
• forming conclusions
• sharing the results (Martin, page 543).
This is different from trying out new activities or teaching styles to liven up your own classroom that have already been proven to be effective. Action research is attempting to evaluate a novel approach to teaching that is as yet unproven. The “understanding and insights that emerge from field work and subsequent analysis (Martin, page 544)” create a new and improved way of involving students in science learning.
Lori Vigliotti
ReplyDeleteChapter 13
Elementary Science Methods
6/3/2010
Methodology/Curriculum:
A constructivist science teacher realizes that all children come to understand science in different ways. They are aware that students will construct their own understanding of science concepts in a way that is meaningful to them. These teachers do not believe that they have some unseen ability to transfer information into children’s brains. They take into consideration that children learn by doing, and what they experience in an activity is then assimilated with what they already know, or have been previously exposed to. They would choose experiments that:
• Students would be interested in
• Have student generated questions
• Focus more on the “process, rather than the product” (p. 534)
In a constructivist teacher’s classroom science is not designated solely to science class. It is incorporated with the entire curriculum, and is made relevant to their life. If a science question or interest is made apparent during another subject lesson that could then be the concentration of the next science activity.
Professional Development:
There will be times when science teachers are asked to teach a topic that is unfamiliar to them. Today, there are various sources of information on the internet. Parents, teachers, public and government organizations have equipped the world-wide web with a vast amount of material ready to be explored. Science organizations publish journals online with stimulating articles and ideas. Many of these same organizations offer workshops for a hands-on experience. It could also be helpful to reach out to colleagues at their school for advice and guidance. Sometimes their fellow teachers may even have a strong interest in the topic where they need help. If all of the teachers are new to the subject matter, then it is better to research collaboratively and complete some experiments with one another. I would also encourage a teacher to ask their students if they have any knowledge about the material. Possibly, the class can research the subject in groups and construct their own questions and experiments as well.
Teachers as Researchers:
Opportunities for teachers to participate in research exist in and out of the classroom. Science teachers can align themselves with local colleges, universities, or even some industries, such as Siemens, that are conducting student research. The National Association for Research in Science Teaching encourages teachers to perform research right in their classroom. This is known as action or applied research. The focus of this research would be on the effectiveness of classroom practices (p. 543). This process involves five stages: (1) develop a problem or question, (2) read other action research reports, (3) obtain data, (4) form conclusions, and (5) share the results (p. 543). The essential goal is to improve teaching methods and thus increase student learning. It is not simply trying out some new ideas and materials. It should be noted that this type of research involves a cause and effect relationship between teaching procedures and the classroom practices, and the improvement in students’ achievement.
Responding...
ReplyDeleteI believe all people should think of themselves as life-long learners and researchers, especially teachers. Whether it be learning more about science and the latest discoveries or being familiar with the most current children’s literature and successful methods of teaching the writing process, we must be constantly learning and growing.
I do have a problem with relying on the internet for professional development or gaining insight on a subject you are unfamiliar with. We must be careful about where we are getting information. Is it coming from a largely known and accepted organization? Are the journal entries we read peer-reviewed? Do we consider who has funded the research or where the research is being carried out as we read articles? It is important to remember that statistics can be manipulated and not everything on the internet is true. That being said, I do think it is important to take advantage of what organizations like the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) or American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), among others, put online.
I think it is up to teachers to take the initiative when it comes to professional development, gaining understanding on an unfamiliar science topic to be taught, and research. If we really are passionate about what we do as teachers, we should be thinking of these things as personal growth and development, not professional.
There are so many opportunities for teachers to keep learning. Personally, I like to take advantage of museums. More locally, there are places like The American Museum of Natural History in NYC, the Rugter’s Geology Museum, and mining museums in Ogdensburg and Franklin, New Jersey. I also try and visit places when traveling… the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for example. I even had the chance to visit the National Musuem in Prague, CZ where I got to see minerals from various places in New Jersey. Talk about making science relevant to my own life! New Jersey is rich in scientific history… from geology and paleontology to Thomas Edison and other inventors. Visiting places like these can help us make our science lessons cross-curricular as well.
I also think we need to network and take advantage of the people around us. We know someone who can inform us better on a topic we have to teach. Or there may be children in the class with knowledge or a connection to the topic. Using guest speakers is also a good idea. I remember my father coming in to my 3rd grade class to talk about rocks and show us fluorescent minerals.
Besides researching their own teaching styles and techniques, I think it is important science teachers have some experience with scientific research, especially in the upper grades. I am lucky, in that I have research experience in both environmental science and child psychology. Our scientific knowledge grows out of research. It’s important to understand how data is collected and analyzed. There are many volunteer opportunities out there. I know teachers who have done Earthwatch and applied for grants to pay for it. That is something I am very interested in doing.
Catherine Orosz
Chapter 13 comments:
ReplyDeleteSabina provides a great description of the constructivist teacher’s methodology. The focus on the process is paramount. Science is messy….it does not follow the distinct, forward steps of the scientific method. As Lori states, we must remember and be responsive to the different learners in our classrooms. Catherine sums it up by stating that we are all life-long learners, researchers and students in the quest for continued improvement of instruction to promote deep, long-term learning in a never ending quest for knowledge.
Action research in the classroom provides the most valuable means to improve instruction tailored to your specific students. Another way to develop our trade as teachers is through sustained professional development. We need to share our ideas, resources and classroom success and challenges with our colleagues. Read, explore, search and share articles, websites, lessons and projects with your colleagues. ( Use blogs for discussions!!) Reach out to the businesses and parents in the community…there is a wealth of untapped resources ready to enhance your classroom learning.
Great work learning team 13!
~Rosalie