Science Teaching Philosophy
I believe that science is a blend of knowledge and imagination; science is learning and exploration; science is also questioning and wondering why things happen. It is very important that we teach science to elementary students. Science is a part of our students’ daily lives so it is important that we teach them about it. Elementary students are at an age where they are so curious about the world around them. They can learn through inquiry at a young age by giving them the opportunity to explore their ideas as much as possible (Owens, Martin 2011). Science does not provide answers to all questions, but it does provide answers to many questions/wonderings; when we teach students science and give them time to explore they have the opportunity to find answers to their questions/wonderings. Teaching science to elementary students opens doors to many different career fields.
When science is being taught, it needs to include the content of science, process of science, and the nature of science. Students need to learn how to do science, they need to learn specific information about the world around them, and learn what makes the pursuit of knowledge “science” (Weinburgh, 2003). As a science teacher I will definitely use data-driven instruction and make sure I meet my students’ needs. A great way to incorporate the three “legs” of science is by using the 5e instructional model. The 5e instructional model consists of engage, exploration, explanation, extension, and evaluation. Using the 5e instructional model gives students the opportunity to discover new things through exploration. It is very important that the teacher engages them in the content they are about to learn. Engaging students gives them the motivation and excitement to learn new information. When students are exploring they tend to discover and learn new information which will be explained to them after their exploration. Most of the time students are able to learn new concepts on their own through exploration but they do not know the scientific term for this concept until it is taught in the explain phase. Teaching science this semester has showed me how important it is to elaborate on what is being taught. Extending gives students the opportunity to be experts in the content that was taught. Evaluation shows us how much the student has learned. When using the 5e instructional model the content of science is included; it is simple to incorporate process skills in the engage, explore, elaborate, and extend phases; the nature of science should be stated to the students and should be evident throughout the lesson.
Science should also be taught in an environment where it is okay to question students on their thinking. Students should feel comfortable sharing their thinking and explaining their reasoning if we create this environment. As a teacher, it is necessary to see where the students’ understanding is. I believe elementary students should feel comfortable sharing their ideas with their peers and teachers. Teachers should always teach science with excitement, passion and enthusiasm since students are about to learn something new! Teachers should be excited about teaching so that the students can be excited about learning. Teachers should emphasize how important it is to have a science journal and record information about what is being learned. Teachers should model how to use the science journal by recording observations and collecting data along with the students as they learn science.
Often we forget that our students come with experiences, not blank minds (Harlen, 2001). As a science teacher it is my duty to see what experiences they bring that can make science more meaningful to them. For instance, when I did my lesson on stars (Artifact B ) I assigned students to write/draw observations about the night sky in their journals. The next day the students were eager to share their experiences and connect it to our learning. Asking students about their experiences lets them know that you genuinely care about their learning and are interested in finding our more about it. Letting student share their experiences provides a community in which students feel appreciated.
As a science teacher I want to elicit student ideas by having purposeful lessons and incorporating HOT questions. I want to be knowledgeable in what I am teaching and I will do this by learning the content and going to trainings. I believe that making a greater teacher takes training and the desire to want to learn more about different/innovative ways to teach science. I want my science classroom to include exploration and creativity. As Sullenger states, “You know science is going on when learners can tell you why they trust and question the work of scientists and why they can become everyday scientists (Sullenger, 1999). I want my students to realize that what we are doing in the classroom is also what scientists do. I also want to receive student feedback and incorporate it into my lessons. I look forward from teaching and learning from my students!
Works Citied
Weinburgh, M. (2003). A Leg (Or Three) to Stand On
Sullenger, K (1999). How do you know science is going on?. New Brunswick, Canada
Owens, T., Martin, C. (2011). Loose the Recipe Charleston, South Carolina
Harlen, Wynne, Jos Elstgeest, and Sheila Jelly. Primary science: taking the plunge. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001. Print.
Demonstrate understanding of the central concepts (content), tools of inquiry (process skills), and structure of science (the nature of science) appropriate to teaching at the K-6 level.
As a science teacher, it is very important that I always incorporate content, process skills, and the nature of science into my lessons. The content of science needs to be introduced to students in ways in which engages them to want to learn more about the content. The process skills, observing, inferring, measuring,communicating, classifying, and predicting need to be included in the science lesson so that students have opportunities to think and learn about the content. The Nature of Science tells us what aspect of science is being taught. It is very important for our students to know that there are different aspects of science and that the content we learn is class can be categorized into these different aspects. The Nature of Science shows us that science cannot prove anything but it can but it can show us how knowledge can be accepted in science (McComas, 2004).
At the beginning of this semester I had a lot of trouble incorporating the Nature of Science into my lessons. As you can see in Artifact A below, my lesson plan included the content of science and process skills but did not include the Nature of Science. As the semester went by I realized the importance of including the Nature of Science in my lessons. I realized that I cannot teach science without knowing what aspect of science I am teaching. Artifact B, shows how I incorporate the Nature of Science into my lesson plans based on the big idea that I am teaching.
I believe that science is a blend of knowledge and imagination; science is learning and exploration; science is also questioning and wondering why things happen. It is very important that we teach science to elementary students. Science is a part of our students’ daily lives so it is important that we teach them about it. Elementary students are at an age where they are so curious about the world around them. They can learn through inquiry at a young age by giving them the opportunity to explore their ideas as much as possible (Owens, Martin 2011). Science does not provide answers to all questions, but it does provide answers to many questions/wonderings; when we teach students science and give them time to explore they have the opportunity to find answers to their questions/wonderings. Teaching science to elementary students opens doors to many different career fields.
When science is being taught, it needs to include the content of science, process of science, and the nature of science. Students need to learn how to do science, they need to learn specific information about the world around them, and learn what makes the pursuit of knowledge “science” (Weinburgh, 2003). As a science teacher I will definitely use data-driven instruction and make sure I meet my students’ needs. A great way to incorporate the three “legs” of science is by using the 5e instructional model. The 5e instructional model consists of engage, exploration, explanation, extension, and evaluation. Using the 5e instructional model gives students the opportunity to discover new things through exploration. It is very important that the teacher engages them in the content they are about to learn. Engaging students gives them the motivation and excitement to learn new information. When students are exploring they tend to discover and learn new information which will be explained to them after their exploration. Most of the time students are able to learn new concepts on their own through exploration but they do not know the scientific term for this concept until it is taught in the explain phase. Teaching science this semester has showed me how important it is to elaborate on what is being taught. Extending gives students the opportunity to be experts in the content that was taught. Evaluation shows us how much the student has learned. When using the 5e instructional model the content of science is included; it is simple to incorporate process skills in the engage, explore, elaborate, and extend phases; the nature of science should be stated to the students and should be evident throughout the lesson.
Science should also be taught in an environment where it is okay to question students on their thinking. Students should feel comfortable sharing their thinking and explaining their reasoning if we create this environment. As a teacher, it is necessary to see where the students’ understanding is. I believe elementary students should feel comfortable sharing their ideas with their peers and teachers. Teachers should always teach science with excitement, passion and enthusiasm since students are about to learn something new! Teachers should be excited about teaching so that the students can be excited about learning. Teachers should emphasize how important it is to have a science journal and record information about what is being learned. Teachers should model how to use the science journal by recording observations and collecting data along with the students as they learn science.
Often we forget that our students come with experiences, not blank minds (Harlen, 2001). As a science teacher it is my duty to see what experiences they bring that can make science more meaningful to them. For instance, when I did my lesson on stars (Artifact B ) I assigned students to write/draw observations about the night sky in their journals. The next day the students were eager to share their experiences and connect it to our learning. Asking students about their experiences lets them know that you genuinely care about their learning and are interested in finding our more about it. Letting student share their experiences provides a community in which students feel appreciated.
As a science teacher I want to elicit student ideas by having purposeful lessons and incorporating HOT questions. I want to be knowledgeable in what I am teaching and I will do this by learning the content and going to trainings. I believe that making a greater teacher takes training and the desire to want to learn more about different/innovative ways to teach science. I want my science classroom to include exploration and creativity. As Sullenger states, “You know science is going on when learners can tell you why they trust and question the work of scientists and why they can become everyday scientists (Sullenger, 1999). I want my students to realize that what we are doing in the classroom is also what scientists do. I also want to receive student feedback and incorporate it into my lessons. I look forward from teaching and learning from my students!
Works Citied
Weinburgh, M. (2003). A Leg (Or Three) to Stand On
Sullenger, K (1999). How do you know science is going on?. New Brunswick, Canada
Owens, T., Martin, C. (2011). Loose the Recipe Charleston, South Carolina
Harlen, Wynne, Jos Elstgeest, and Sheila Jelly. Primary science: taking the plunge. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001. Print.
Demonstrate understanding of the central concepts (content), tools of inquiry (process skills), and structure of science (the nature of science) appropriate to teaching at the K-6 level.
As a science teacher, it is very important that I always incorporate content, process skills, and the nature of science into my lessons. The content of science needs to be introduced to students in ways in which engages them to want to learn more about the content. The process skills, observing, inferring, measuring,communicating, classifying, and predicting need to be included in the science lesson so that students have opportunities to think and learn about the content. The Nature of Science tells us what aspect of science is being taught. It is very important for our students to know that there are different aspects of science and that the content we learn is class can be categorized into these different aspects. The Nature of Science shows us that science cannot prove anything but it can but it can show us how knowledge can be accepted in science (McComas, 2004).
At the beginning of this semester I had a lot of trouble incorporating the Nature of Science into my lessons. As you can see in Artifact A below, my lesson plan included the content of science and process skills but did not include the Nature of Science. As the semester went by I realized the importance of including the Nature of Science in my lessons. I realized that I cannot teach science without knowing what aspect of science I am teaching. Artifact B, shows how I incorporate the Nature of Science into my lesson plans based on the big idea that I am teaching.
Artifact A | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Artifact B | |
File Size: | 47 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Demonstrate understanding of the social, intellectual, and personal development of students and recognize the diverse needs, interests, and abilities of students in regard to science at the K-6 level
As a science teacher it’s important to understand that students come with experiences and interests. When we take into account our students’ interests and use them in our instruction, students become more engaged in the lessons. This year my CT (cooperating teacher) and I decided that we will have our S.T.E.M fair project based on our students’ interest. We had a conversation with our students as a whole class and asked them if they had any wonderings. As my CT asked them about their wonderings I was writing an “I wonder” chart on the white board with the students’ interests (Artifact C). Every student had the opportunity to share something they wondered about. On inquiry Monday’s, we worked on researching our wonderings and seeing if it’s something we can investigate. We learned that we can find answers to our wonderings by asking an expert or doing quick research. My CT and I decided that we need to give them options by wondering of different things aloud and seeing if we can elicit any ideas or if we can all agree on something that my CT and I wondered about. All my students became interested in parachutes and as a class we all wondered if bigger parachutes came down faster than smaller parachutes. The students were really engaged in our investigation since it was something they were interested in.
As a science teacher it’s important to understand that students come with experiences and interests. When we take into account our students’ interests and use them in our instruction, students become more engaged in the lessons. This year my CT (cooperating teacher) and I decided that we will have our S.T.E.M fair project based on our students’ interest. We had a conversation with our students as a whole class and asked them if they had any wonderings. As my CT asked them about their wonderings I was writing an “I wonder” chart on the white board with the students’ interests (Artifact C). Every student had the opportunity to share something they wondered about. On inquiry Monday’s, we worked on researching our wonderings and seeing if it’s something we can investigate. We learned that we can find answers to our wonderings by asking an expert or doing quick research. My CT and I decided that we need to give them options by wondering of different things aloud and seeing if we can elicit any ideas or if we can all agree on something that my CT and I wondered about. All my students became interested in parachutes and as a class we all wondered if bigger parachutes came down faster than smaller parachutes. The students were really engaged in our investigation since it was something they were interested in.
As a science teacher I’ve realized that I must elicit all students’ ideas and make sure every student is learning by differentiating instruction. A way of differentiating instruction for me has been demonstrating how to do an activity (Artifact D. For instance, demonstrated how to put sticky notes on items around the classroom and come to my seat quietly. Modeling this activity helped my students do it. Differentiating instruction can also be individualized to one student. I had a lot of trouble working with one student since she has language delays. It’s difficult for her to communicate with me or other students. I decided to ask my science professor if she knows of any resources that can help me and this student communicate better. She suggested that I google “language delays” (Artifact D) and assured me that I will find something to help me. Researching this helped me learn that this student needs to be included in conversations as most often as she can. She needs to be listened to and included. Although it’s hard to understand her when she talks she can still communicate through pictures, pointing, and assistive technology. I have let her use an app on an iPad and let her type her responses to some questions; this was very effective!
Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to critically evaluate and utilize contemporary science standards and curriculum materials for science education
As a science teacher this semester I have learned that there are tons of resources to help me teach my lessons. There are lesson plans online that can be used to help me teach science in my classroom. The lesson analysis (Artifact E) I created this semester has showed me that I can use any part of a lesson plan found online as long as I modify it to my students’ needs. I can add to found lesson plans and make sure that they have content, process skills, and the Nature of Science. The science curriculum map offers plenty of resources to use for each lesson. This semester I was able to teach using some of those resources. For our Earth and Space unit we used the AIMS book resource (Artifact F). I had trouble finding the AIMS book at my school so I e-mailed the Science District Resource Teacher and asked her if she can send it to me. She is a great resource to have!
As a science teacher this semester I have learned that there are tons of resources to help me teach my lessons. There are lesson plans online that can be used to help me teach science in my classroom. The lesson analysis (Artifact E) I created this semester has showed me that I can use any part of a lesson plan found online as long as I modify it to my students’ needs. I can add to found lesson plans and make sure that they have content, process skills, and the Nature of Science. The science curriculum map offers plenty of resources to use for each lesson. This semester I was able to teach using some of those resources. For our Earth and Space unit we used the AIMS book resource (Artifact F). I had trouble finding the AIMS book at my school so I e-mailed the Science District Resource Teacher and asked her if she can send it to me. She is a great resource to have!
Articat E | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Artifact F | |
File Size: | 961 kb |
File Type: |
Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to plan and implement a variety of instructional strategies and assessment techniques for teaching science at the elementary level
As a science teacher, it’s very important that I implement the 5e instructional model into my lessons (engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate). This semester I was able to create my lesson plans using the 5e instructional model. When teaching the unit of Earth in Space I had trouble coming up with the engagement part of the lesson. I was thinking of different ways that I can engage my students and I thought about how using probes can be a great way to engage my students. I decided that to make a probe (Artifact G) as a way to engage students and informally assess their thinking. As I looked at the data of the probe I realized that I had a lot to teach my students and I was able to plan from there.
As a science teacher, it’s very important that I implement the 5e instructional model into my lessons (engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate). This semester I was able to create my lesson plans using the 5e instructional model. When teaching the unit of Earth in Space I had trouble coming up with the engagement part of the lesson. I was thinking of different ways that I can engage my students and I thought about how using probes can be a great way to engage my students. I decided that to make a probe (Artifact G) as a way to engage students and informally assess their thinking. As I looked at the data of the probe I realized that I had a lot to teach my students and I was able to plan from there.
Artifact G | |
File Size: | 63 kb |
File Type: | docx |
For my lesson on push/pull I used formative assessment by sitting with individual students and asking them specific questions about their thinking. As they answered the questions, I recorded their answers in my science journal (Artifact H). I also had them write their thinking in their science journal. By doing this type of formative assessment I realized that my students had misconceptions about pull/pull.
Demonstrate the capacity to create a positive environment that encourages science learning by modeling the attitudes and dispositions of scientific inquiry
Having a classroom community is essential in a science classroom. In SCE 4310 I learned that working with peers makes learning fun because you have the opportunity to listen to different perspectives and share ideas with the people in your community. I did a mealworm inquiry with three of my peers. Each of us observed our mealworms tracks for activity twice a day (Artifact I). We learned so much from each other’s data!
Having a classroom community is essential in a science classroom. In SCE 4310 I learned that working with peers makes learning fun because you have the opportunity to listen to different perspectives and share ideas with the people in your community. I did a mealworm inquiry with three of my peers. Each of us observed our mealworms tracks for activity twice a day (Artifact I). We learned so much from each other’s data!
Articact I | |
File Size: | 1596 kb |
File Type: |
In my classroom we have created a community where everyone respects each other’s thinking and listens to the speaker (Articact J). My students have learned from each other by comparing their data and talking about their observations. For my Earth and Space lesson I decided to have students compare their observations from Day 1. After they compared their data I asked them if they learned something new from their partner’s observations and most of them did.
Demonstrate the capacity for collegiality, reflective practice, and professional growth in regard to science teaching
As a science teacher I’ve realized the importance of collegiality. I am very fortunate to have peers that engage in conversations where we can grow professionally and learn from each other. The other first grade teachers who are in my program (UTRPP) and I would communicate ideas, feedback, and lesson plans to each other via e-mail (Artifact K). I learned so much from them. I was able to implement one of my peers push/pull lessons into my classroom by making a few modifications. I feel privileged to have such awesome peers who I can learn from!
I have also learned so much from receiving feedback from my CT, and my science professor. I was very clueless on how to make science lesson plans using curriculum maps. I also had no idea what the Nature of Science was. Through classroom conversations and my science professor’s feedback I learned about the different aspects of the Nature of Science (Artifact L). I look forward on implementing everything I’ve learned into all my lessons.
As a science teacher I’ve realized the importance of collegiality. I am very fortunate to have peers that engage in conversations where we can grow professionally and learn from each other. The other first grade teachers who are in my program (UTRPP) and I would communicate ideas, feedback, and lesson plans to each other via e-mail (Artifact K). I learned so much from them. I was able to implement one of my peers push/pull lessons into my classroom by making a few modifications. I feel privileged to have such awesome peers who I can learn from!
I have also learned so much from receiving feedback from my CT, and my science professor. I was very clueless on how to make science lesson plans using curriculum maps. I also had no idea what the Nature of Science was. Through classroom conversations and my science professor’s feedback I learned about the different aspects of the Nature of Science (Artifact L). I look forward on implementing everything I’ve learned into all my lessons.
unnamed.jpg | |
File Size: | 31 kb |
File Type: | jpg |