Ashley

I picked Globe and examined several data sets.  I noticed that some data sets had a great deal of data collected and some sets didn't have that much.  I think if I set up some parameters for my students, I could have develop some great conclusions that really connect to the concepts that we are covering in class.

Like many others have stated, I want to model "position youth as people who do science".  I think kids don't realize that science is something that everybody can do - if you explore, make observations, and record data, you too can be a science.  I'm hoping with incorporating more citizen science projects, I can really get my students doing the science and shifting away from some of the cookie-cutter labs.

I haven't used any citizen science projects with my students, but I am looking forward to incorporating some of these into my classroom in the future.  I think they will be a great way to get my students really immersed in the material!

I like using rubrics and gallery walks.  I always present rubrics for an assignment before we start and try to keep the same style rubric for similar assignments.  Before students turn in work, I try to have a gallery walk, where students can present the highlights of their lab on giant post-its.  Other students then can write comments and suggestions on smaller post-its and place them on the big post-it.  They then are able to use the suggestions to improve (this also allows other student see what others did and improve upon what they had done).  This requires a class that has true trust - this has the potential to turn out badly if students are not nice or don't have trust of those around them.

I have had major issues with plagiarism.  I have had to move to assignments that are much more open ended so it is easier to spot. I model what the end result should look like and explain that everybody's work should look different - I give examples of what would be plagiarism to what isn't.   I also have students turn in assignments at checkpoints - they are are less likely to plagiarize when then turn in  small chunks of work as opposed to turning everything in at the end. Since I teacher honors classes, I also run into kids panicking that they don't have the "right" answer or results.  They are used to cookie-cutter assignments and knowing right away if something is right or wrong.  With inquiry, it is not that simple and students tend to break down.  I spend a lot of time trying to create a nurturing and kind classroom to curtail any anxiety.

This is so cool!

I try to find things that I think my students will find interesting.  It might not be something I find interesting, but if it captures the students' interest and relates to the concept I am trying to teach, the I will use that.  I I try to create an open classroom, where all feel comfortable in speaking with each other and we don't put others down.  This year, I plan to have students participate in gallery walks, where students will (respectfully) critique each other's work.  I am hoping that improves the collegiality of the classroom and teaches students that they are allowed to improve upon assignments and what they have produced already.

I think it is important for my students to do science.  All to often, students have science thrown at them and are spoken about it, instead of doing it. I know in this past year I was totally guilty of this but, I'm giving myself grace during the past year with pandemic teaching :-). This year, I am hoping to get my students outside more and incorporate many of these practices and try to really use data from the local environment to really hook my kids into the material.  If I can find the appropriate citizen science project, I think that I can really excite the kids with the material.

As educators, we are the biggest determining factor of the mood and "vibe" of the classroom.  If we aren't excited about the material or content, there is absolutely no way our students will be excited about it.  As a result, I'm not only a content expert and guide, but I am a motivator, or "hype-woman" as well.  Each day, I need to find ways to switch the material up and excited the students into getting the work done. Students also will want to be involved more with the content and material when they feel they are part of the process. When they ask questions and they we follow up with investigations that seek answers to their questions and what they wonder about, they are more willing the do the work when it is something that I put together.

This was pretty relaxing and forced me to sit still for a little bit longer than I am used to.  I think this would be a great way to calm students down and really get in touch with the environment.  I know that some students would have a great difficultly (trouble staying still, wanted to know how the assignment was getting graded), but after the year we have had, it might be something to really relax them.