Deanna
Forum Replies Created
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I want to use more rubrics in class. when I do use them on projects the students are more open to creative solutions... sometimes they will prove to me why they chose to be assessed in that way. It always boild down to time -- when grading 350 student the time for each assignment is sprse. Incorporating more peer reviews will help with the process along with self evaluations on the rubrics.
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My biggest challenge is the lack of time I get to see the students and the number of students that I have. For example, I love to walk around and listen -- formative assessments but I see the students 2 time a week and most classes are back to back meaning that as one class is leaving another class is coming in --usually a different grade level. the time to jot down notes for assessment is extremely limited that way as well as the amount of work that needs to be covered. I thought that this next year may slow down starting with DL but if any ndication of the last two weeks --- oh my!!
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Time! Time! Time! The reality of the science education is to cover the topics that are needed for testing -- which are way too many to cover in my 2 40 minute classes each week. My heart and passion is with inquiry, (PBL) but i see that most often it is guided and structured. This year may be different and I just may do a full blown inquiry based projects for all 350 students who hopefully will not have to test this year--- and I may be retiring this year. Perfect storm! Rubrics are the way to go with assessing as well as a some presentation. 5 years ago, we tried an experiment at our school-- everyone gave up their reading block and did a full blown inquiry based science project connected to the Bay. The students loved coming to school during that time-- Some teachers were totally overjoyed and several were just confused. Overall the project was phenomenal with over 200 parents attending the Science Museum we had at the end of the 6 weeks.
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Doing this later than earlier had a benefit of reading other posts. I am very interested in doing more with Monarchs. We have been involved in the tagging and looking into that data-- with the teacher acct. (Younger students under 13 can not register for any of the sites to input data.) This is a good sum from MV site... "data collected through the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP) have provided valuable insight for monarch conservation habitat and population targets, including how many milkweed plants are needed to produce one migratory monarch. MLMP research (Nail et al., 2015) suggests the answer is 29 milkweeds! Other community science programs like Journey North and the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper are painting a picture of where and when monarchs and milkweeds are found on the landscape. How do these programs extend beyond monarchs? Monarchs are the draw, but humans are innately curious creatures. We cannot help but ask more questions or take note of the other things we see in our milkweed patch. Participating in monarch community science projects provides an opportunity to make observations, further connections in nature, and introduce volunteers to conservation work that benefits entire ecosystems." Such a clearing house of info on that site-- It was ok-- for user friendly-- i would have to really work with students to explore site for answers. Manipulating data on several sites-- I found out that where I liv does not have much data and it is not to interesting for students YET! I feel that maybe we can change that by making a data set for our area after we plant our pollinator and milkweed garden this year.
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Connections-- I think I do need an "I wonder" board and making a digital one for DL is next on my to do list. Some students get motivated if they ask me some questions and I tell them I am not sure but find out and you can share next class. Students love to share what they found out- and it allows them to dig deeper.
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You summarized my thought completely-- I want to spend more time diving deeper this year. Perhaps the DL will help
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I have been having a lot of fun in the past week with Seek and iNaturalist. I helped a college student with her ecology project at a local NMS with Seek. Challenges-- 1. Seek sometimes could not identify a plant-- some that I knew the common name. We would try many times 2. Students are not allowed to have phones out in elementary school nor can they take them on a field trip. 3. Getting parents to do it with their child. I want to explore Monarch Larva Monitoring Project with my students to participate and input data... (not this fall with school data due to DL)
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I love taking students outside. In past years, it was easy -- students were excited to go out, sit on the ground in all temperatures to observe... In the past 3 years, it has become very hard -- the students do not necessarily want to go outside because of bugs, their shoes, their allergies (a dramatic increase), their homeroom teacher's attitude about science or outdoors... I have given much thought about what has changed and how I can change. I think setting up the activity with what them "wondering about" before going outside to observe or gather data may help overcome some of the hesitancy as they will want to see if they can find answers to their wonders or they will be able to revamp some of their wonders when they come back.
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I laid in my hammock for 45 minutes and recorded ever natural noise I heard which included 15 different birds, 3 very active squirrels, wind rustling in the leaves above, and 10 chickens that decided to come hangout under the hammock. I tried to identify some of the sounds using Merlin.
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I want to incorporate more "I wonder"boards-- especially before they go outside so that we have a basis for discussion in later- research.
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I love the local to global connections as that on is one I emphasized our watershed studies. We make a point to cover the larger watershed through the 3 years of science that I have them. We start with the school yard and wetland, connect it to the stream across the street (field trip). We continue exploring the bigger watershed with 3 field trips to areas along the Potomac River. Eventually make it to the Chesapeake Bay. We try to do water quality testing along the way. I need to help them make more connections with their data-- comparing it to the buoy data, comparing it more from site to site and analyzing it form year to year. They will then take on more of the scientist role besides just collecting the data and using instruments. Expecting the unexpected seems to always happen so I am comfortable learning about things along with the students. My focus will be to maximize the students' role as scientists.
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I like how you started introducing the concept of wetlands and then allowed them to explore and to ask questions about wetlands around them. Seems like you peaked their interest and incorporated the local area to help them understand the world around them.
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That is an amazing journey/story that needs to be shared with others. Have you even written an article for NSTA? I want to hear more of your students journeys. What age groups?
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@Jessica Great map- you clearly captured my thoughts about inquiry.
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@Elisabeth Good thinking---I like the idea of getting the families involved backyard birding and citizen science especially with distance learning.
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We have dabbled with citizen science project over the years including terrapin projects with the National Aquarium, DNR projects (yellow perch, horseshoe crab, sunfish, and shad), counting penguins, Project Budburst, collecting macro-invertebrates, and Globe cloud. I have not done any on monarchs (other than tagging) as we do collect, hatch, and tag monarchs. I also want to do more with birds as the students can experience a life long activity.
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Love the program. I know how you are quickly trying to assess where the students are with outdoor ed, trying to expose them to all of the knowledge, and trying to have them experience environmental ed. It seems that perhaps an quick last culminating finale could be more of a stage 4 inquiry -- by going to a new setting, perhaps a different part of the water and ask-- how can we determine the health of the watershed?--- laying out all of the tools that they learned to use, perhaps posters to remind them of what they learned to look for (habitat analysis). 15 minutes to analyze whether it is a healthy or not and then have a debate. Hmm... I think I will do this when we go to stream next time. It may reveal what they learned and how they connect other concepts like erosion in their analysis.
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I know I was there-- but now "we" have moved to more (stage 2/3) inquiry but not full due to time constraints... One way we changed is by starting with a phenomena and almost all the time the students come up with questions that were the ones that we needed to based on the curriculum. (It always amazes me.) Then we go into guided inquiry about how are we going to answer the question. I still have so much more to do but this simple start helps. Good luck.
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Alka Seltzer rockets. After showing a rocket explode without any instructions, the students discuss how it occurred. They usually quickly realize that some chemical reaction occurred as we had just finished that unit. My question is how can we make the rocket go higher. After much thought, the students come up with around 10-15 ways they can change the rocket to make the rocket travel further. Although this guided inquiry allows for their own design and testing, I give them them the investigative question, help them with data charts, analysis, and conclusion. I think that I can modify the lesson with the control experiment as a teacher modeled investigation with the data chart and graph. Then the students would have a model to use when they chose what variable they are going to change on the rocket. They would be able to design a data table and chart based the control experiment. After testing and analyzing their data, they can communicate to others their results and then debate which variable affected the rocket the most ---which will lead to more questions. Can various changes be combined to make the rocket go even higher i.e. adding more alka seltzer and increasing the temperature of the water? Perhaps allow them to choose 2 variable and test them-- explain why/why not the combination made the rocket go higher than changing one variable
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*throughout* (Not sure why I wasn't allowed to edit)