Science Methods Blog 3

   Hello Everyone!!  Welcome to my blog for the month of October.  I can't believe the semester is almost over.  This month I have been focusing on the science fair project, water cycle project, the unit, and learning segment.  I have been most proud of our science fair project this month.  We were able to do a science experiment that was out of our comfort zone.  I have always been scared to try certain types of science experiments for fear they wouldn't work.  I am glad I decided to take part in this particular experiment and was able to learn a lot about myself and about science.  We picked the science experiment where you use lemons as batteries to light an LED bulb.  I have been able to take this experiment to my work and let my students take part in this experience for themselves.  The students at my job have really enjoyed this experience and are learning science without even realizing it.  I am struggling with trying to find more time in the schedule in my placement classroom to teach my science learning segment.  The time I am able to have is during the end of the day right after recess when the students are very hyper and ready to go home.  Once the students are back in the classroom from recess there is only around 15 to 20 minutes to teach the students their science or social studies topic for the day.  This is not enough time to pull the students back into focusing on a topic and making sure the students have time to pack up for dismissal.  The kindergarten students are the first to pack up and line up for dismissal, they are out of the classroom before the other grades.  I am working with my CE to see if we can incorporate this learning segment into the literacy time instead of teaching it at the end of the day.  The students seem to focus more in the morning, which is when they have their literacy lesson, this change would benefit the students.  Having my learning segment complete and being able to teach it soon gives me the most satisfaction.  Over the next week, I would like to complete our unit so that we can have it done early and can receive as much feedback as possible.  I also would like to finish any other group work we may have so that my partner can enjoy her new bundle of joy that is coming very soon!!  I do not want her to have to worry about work during this time.  I was able to contribute to the class by working with my group on projects and being proactive for upcoming assignments.  I can take part with my classmates more through twitter this week.
Outside Research 
     I found an article related to STEM and The Importance of Teaching Earth Science by Adam Stone.   The article talks about how students today will one day have to make choices about resources.  Therefore, students need to be educated about what resources we have, how we use it, and what are the consequences from certain resources.  Some ideas the article gives teachers to do is to first help the students be able to have an experience with a concept before they teach it.  Let the students discover and figure out the concepts for themselves.  Teachers can do this by having hands on experiences with concepts available for the students.  I am placed in a kindergarten classroom this semester and I have seen how much the students like to use their hands and get messy so I loved the one that talked about digging in dirt.  The article talked about letting students dig in a garden.  I feel like my students would really enjoy this experience and would absorb so much information and skills by taking part in this experience.  The article also talked about going online to find experiences for students with concepts of earth science.  I think this is a great idea and would open up the door for more experience than what we can provide in the classroom with more advanced concepts.
Link/Resource:  http://teachmag.com/archives/10545
NCTCS  
     If a teacher is able to use these ideas and strategies in their classroom the students will be well informed and prepared for the choices they will make in their future about the earth they live in.  The teacher will be demonstrating the NCTCS standard one, Teachers demonstrate leadership, by taking responsibility for their students learning and providing them with the information they need to be successful in school and in life.  The teacher is also portraying the NCTCS standard 3d, Teachers make instruction relevant to students, by incorporating life skills into the content being taught.  The third standard the teacher is demonstrating is the NCTCS standard 4d, teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction, by using the resources online to show and help students to experience aspects of concepts that they may never have been able to experience in their present setting, community, and classroom.      
Resource: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/effectiveness-model/ncees/standards/prof-teach-standards.pdf
Current Event 
      My clinical placement classroom has been talking about bones and the skeletal system.  I was able to find a current event about fossils of animals and humans that are being found at "Saudi Arabia’s Ti’s al Ghadah."  I would show the students the picture of the antelope's jaw and teeth.  I would discuss how bones can be found years and years later.  I feel like the students will really enjoy learning about the aspects of this article.  I look forward to sharing this with them next week.  I am able to take the concepts they are learning in class and show them real life examples.  The students love seeing what they learn in class being discussed in real life. 
Link/Resource:  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fossils-hint-hominids-migrated-through-green-arabia-300000-years-ago?tgt=nr
Future Classroom
      I look forward to incorporating the ideas and strategies from the article into my future classroom. I will provide hands on experiences with my future students with new concepts.  I want my students to be able to discover, question, research, etc on their own.  I feel like the students will absorb and dig deeper in their understandings of the material.  I also would like to have a classroom where my students are learning every subject throughout the whole day.  This way I would not have to only teach certain subjects during certain times of the day and the students would not realize what subject they were learning.  I feel like this would help the students to enjoy learning and be strengthened in every subject not just one.  I know I use to struggle in reading so I would dread this time of the day.  If students do not know what subject they are working on they will no have built up phobias or anxiety to develop during certain parts of the day.   This is how I envision my future classroom.
I also will make sure to follow the NCTCS standards discussed above in my future classroom the way the teacher was able to in the article.