Science Unleashed
This blog is dedicated to pedagogical content related to science.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Parent Involvement in Science Learning
If you think it is the science teacher's job exclusively to instill the love and curiosity of the subject in students - think again. Parents and other caregivers can nurture this curiosity in children of all ages by creating a positive and safe environment at home for exploration and discovery. Learning to love math and science is important for so many reasons as our world becomes more dependent on technology. It's much easier than parents may think to your children in the world of science and technology. The internet is a great place to start. A simple search on Pinterest can open up a world of experiments, fun infographics and even links to sites that can be used as a supplement or further application of science lessons taught at school. By taking the time to execute simple yet worthwhile experiments such as planting seeds, or taking a nature hike - even feeding ants in a field, parents can encourage children to be curious and ask questions- traits that will most likely spill over into academic life and flourish with time. Curious thinkers need to be nurtured at school and at home. Together we can raise our students to love and learn science.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
International Arab Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Lebanese International University had the privilege to host one of
the greatest influential educational conferences in the Arab world that target
higher education. For the eighth time this conference has been pioneering
to find solutions for the problems faced by higher education in the Arab World.
Researchers, experts and scientists from around the Arab world studied issues
like promoting employability for university graduates, how we prepare them for
the work place, how to ensure maximum learning, how we incorporate technology
and E-learning, and many other issues that assure quality and accreditation in
higher education. The audience this conference targeted was people of high
stalk like university presidents, deans and directors of Quality Assurance and
Accreditation offices, people within the research community, but how can a
university student benefit from such conference?
Dr.
Wafaa Ahmed Zahran of Menoufia University mentioned in her research on how
accreditation changed and improved learning in their medical school, that one
step they took in the road to reach accreditation was to let their students
know what their rights are and what they are supposed to benefit from during
the time spent in university. This awareness is exactly why university students
should attend this conference, which can help them assure the quality of their
own education.
On the other hand higher
education does not differ much from lower education systems. As a teacher in
training I found it very inspiring to hear people who devoted their lives to
improve education talk about their findings. We both aim for individuals that
are able to survive the outside world, in the case of higher
education in the work place. The term employability was repeated often during
the conference. Dr. Narimane Hadj-Hamou the founder and CEO of CLICKS in
Dubai-UAE spoke on how important it is to expose students to the workplace
and allow them to experience situations through hands on activities where they
can apply the skills and knowledge they learn in classes. She also spoke about
effective pedagogy that supports employability, which refers to the strategies
that educators use to teach students skills that make them competent in the
workplace. Those innovative pedagogical techniques might include
metacognition skills that teaches students to think about their own
thinking which is the highest level of thinking according to bloom's taxonomy.
Dr. Hadj-Hamou also mentioned how important it is to teach through technology
as she said that "students might know how to use technology, but do not necessary
know how to learn it".
All of this brings us back to
what we have learned during many of our TD courses, and is another proof that
we can also reach quality assurance in our schools through these very own
techniques.
Finally, I think it is important
to note that after attending this conference and listening to all these
great speakers, it makes me very proud to know that these people who belong to
the Arab world have such impact in the field of education. In addition, this
conference made me realize how blessed we are to have a university like the LIU
that endorses education in all its forms, and is always looking for methods and
ways to better the journey of education to yield individuals who are
professional and can tackle the outside world with no complications.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Teaching Students About Climate Change
Our planet faces the threat of climate change everyday. The temperature is on the rise and unless we do something about we might melt before we know it.So what can we do as teachers to help in decreasing this change? We can raise awareness among our young students. We must teach our students how important earth is to us, what is offers, how it protects, its specialties, and show them how to love it. Show them videos of the ice melting in the north pole, the rise of the water level, and the way penguins and polar bears are losing their habitat. Show them the amount of plastic in the sea, the fish, whales, and sea turtles that die from consuming it. Talk to them about extinct organisms, whether plants or animals that were once present in the ares where they are living that are not there anymore. Present statistics to them of the amount of carbon emissions by cars, factories, and wars. Involve them in recycling activities, planting trees, or even picking garbage of the roads. Explain to them how scientist are spending days and nights trying to figure ways to decrease this change, and what they can do to decrease it as well. Do not forget to show them stories of people who succeeded in finding methods to decrease climate change or preserve a specie on the verge of extinction. Doing so will give them hope to believe that it is still possible to save the planet.
My One Month Teaching Experience
Growing up my parents being both teachers who poured their life into their job made me realize how beautiful yet tiring teaching is. Thus I decided to be a teacher to inspire students the way they did. I haven't finished my teaching diploma yet but i applied to the school I used to learn in last summer, so when they needed a teacher to substitute they choose me to teach for a month. Teaching in the school I used to learn in was a dream come true. I used to set in these very seats when I acquired my passion for science and I was hoping I could help my students find that passion. However, as a went around asking for their names and checking how they felt about science I was surprised that my students hated science, and the reason was their teacher. After I heard most students from grade 1,2, 5, and 6, say the same thing I knew I needed to be different to do things she does not do, however I still needed to be myself. One of the things I tried to focus on is to give my students a chance, hear them out, although their questions might be silly sometimes or too complicated, I did my best to give them answers with the knowledge I had while staying within their comprehension span. Another thing I focused in is to include all students during lesson explanation, and keeping them all engaged at the same time. I had to move around, call on students, and ask them to come to the board to write or read off the book. As to class management I have to admit it was really hard. The students are used to noisy periods, where some students would take advantage of their teacher and would get kicked from class sometimes. I put in mind that kicking students out was not an option and what happens in class can be resolved internally. In addition, I tried making science class more interesting, and with the help of the coordinator I showed my students grasshoppers, and conducted an experiment with them, I incorporated cooperative learning, used the microscope with my students and prepared slides with their help, and used the concept attainment model...If it was not for the stress and the pressure I felt juggling school and university I would say I had a great experience. Of course this month was not perfect but I am proud to say that my students look happy when they see me.
Webinar- How to Boost Emotional Intelligence in Students
As I mentioned in my reflection on
the EDUC560 course webinars are highly beneficial for teachers who are willing to
enhance their pedagogical repertoire through the knowledge of experts. I
witnessed this by attending a webinar presented by professor and former
director of clinical training in Department of Psychology at Rutgers University
Maurice J. Elias, and director of the center for Child & Family Development
in Morristown, New Jersey Steven E. Tobias who are also the authors of the book
titled Boost Emotional Intelligence in Students. Emotional intelligence also referred
to as EQ is the ability to manage one’s feelings and interact positively with
other people. Prof. Elias stressed the importance of EQ and said that it is one
of the most important issues students face, just like not being able to read
will present challenges to students, not being able to read people will present
them to challenges as well. EQ is very similar
to and is sometimes called Social-Emotional Learning, Social-Emotional and
Character Development, Social Skills Development, Cognitive-Behavioral Skill
Training…etc, which all aim to boost EQ.
Why should we focus on EQ?
Having high EQ is related to having a
sense of self, as well as the ability to have meaningful and rewarding
relationships with others. Just as IQ is important, not having EQ will result
in having a hard time listening, paying attention and working in groups in
class.
Having EQ will help students achieve better academically and become more
available for learning. In order to make the best of the time spent in school,
boosting our students EQ skills will help relieve the stress they face at home
whether economical, violence or trauma.
Accountability assessment or the test
our students take in schools will not prepare them for the tests of life. This
is the mission both Elias and Tobias aim for, to prepare students for life. Studies
show that emotional intelligence is correlated with career success and academic
skills. A Study done by Google identified seven soft skills referred to as
emotional intelligence skills to determine whether their employees are successful
they are: Value responsible, hard-working, can handle stress, can communicate clearly
and assertively, problem solving skills, resolve conflicts, and get along with
team members all being aspects of emotional intelligence. Many other studies
support that in order for our students to succeed emotional intelligence skills
are indispensable throughout the process of kindergarten to university and
later on career life.
Three primary EQ areas:
1. Area 1: Self-Awareness
and Self-Management: focuses on feeling and self-regulation.
2. Area 2: Social
Awareness and Relationship skills: deal with the ability to get along with other
people.
3. Area 3: Possible
Decision-Making and Problem Solving: is the capacity to deal with the obstacles
life throws at you in an ethically and morally responsible ways.
Techniques to build skills in these
areas:
1. Sample time
Frames and Lesson planning: for example if you have the whole you year you must
target all three areas of EQ, if not focus on only area 1 (more like a pre-requisite
for the next two areas) and either area 2 or area 3. Devoting some time to
practice skills of these areas in a necessity that will make your other instruction
more efficient. Conclude with a self-evaluation assessment of what was learned
and how to keep skill development going. Lesson can be 30 minutes long to as
much as you can take. Practice is key, working intensively helps students
internalize these skills.
2. The structure of
lessons: Skills we should focus on in our lessons:
EQ area 1 (Self-Awareness and Self-Management):
- Skill 1: Knowing your EQ strengths and challenges. Understand
and recognize the fact that even the most miserable child has emotional intelligence
strengths.
- Skill 2: Understanding your values and being your best
self.
- Skill 3: Thinking and talking about feelings.
- Skill 4: Recognizing negative self-talk and practicing
positive self-talk.
- Skill 5: Achieving and maintaining self-control.
EQ area 2 (Social Awareness and Relationship
skills):
- Skill 6: Anticipating and defusing trigger situation:
To be able to regulate emotions and be aware of the things that set you off. We
want students to understand what sets them off and learn how to manage those
thing when they happen or even avoid them.
- Skill 7: Assertive communication.
- Skill 8: Reading the social and emotional cues of
others.
- Skill 9: Playing our many social roles (communicating differently
with different people).
- Skill 10: Empathy (how people around you are feeling).
EQ area 3 (Possible Decision-Making and
Problem Solving): helping the kids have a problem solving strategy they can use
no matter the situation.
- Skill 11: Using the ESP problem solving process.
- Skill 12: Goal setting.
- Skill 13: Brainstorming.
- Skill 14: Anticipating Outcomes.
- Skill 15: Planning for success and overcoming obstacles.
While teaching those skills we have
to model them for our students.
Some skills to use in lessons while teaching
EQ skills:
1) Developing a
feelings vocabulary: to help your students define how they are feeling. You can
start by asking students “How many feeling do you think you experience in a
day, an afternoon, an hour or even at the same time?” to introduce the topic or start a discussion
about feelings in a sharing circle which will help in developing empathy and
communication skills.
2) Developing self-control:
Ask students what they do to calm themselves down and when is it important to
control strong feelings. Then show students techniques that will help them exercise
self-control (e.g breathing techniques)
From this webinar it was very obvious
that if we focus on emotional intelligence it will make is easier for us to
deal with students. In my opinion, when our students realize that we care about
how they feel they start trusting us more and become willing to listen to us
giving us the chance to instill in them more emotional intelligence skills.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Dealing With Gifted Students
Gifted children are those who
possess abilities that are significantly above the norm for their age. Giftedness
may manifest in one or more domains such as; intellectual, creative, artistic,
leadership, physical or in a specific academic field such as language arts,
mathematics or science. Not all gifted students are the same. It is up to
us as adults and teachers to know how to deal with gifted individuals to
maximize their intellectual abilities.
Characteristics of Gifted
Individuals
Because gifted children are
so diverse, they do not show the same characteristics. But the most common ones
are:
1.
Excellent memory and thinking
abilities
2.
High curiosity level
3.
Creative with high imagination
4.
Prefer to work independently even
being good in leadership
5.
Enjoys solving problems, especially
with numbers and puzzle
6.
Great sense of responsibility and
leadership
7.
Longer attention span and intense
concentration
8.
Learn basic skills quickly and with little practice
9.
Puts ideas or things together that are not typical
10.
Keen and/or unusual sense of humor
11.
Is easily bored with routine tasks
12.
Is self-motivated (does not need external motivation)
13.
Desire to organize people/things
through games or complex schemas
14.
Strive for perfection
15.
Bursting with emotion and
sensitivity
16.
Can express him or herself well
17.
Adapts readily to new situations
We often assume that gifted
students are perfect and cannot possibly suffer from any behavioral or learning
problems. However, we are wrong and gifted students can have these problems but
require us to deal with them differently than we would do in regular students.
Here are some of the Symptoms of gifted children with behavior
problems might
show:
-
Easily gets "off task"
and "off topic"
-
Is impatient when not called on in
class
-
Is easily bored when they finish an activity
-
Can become disruptive in class
(annoying others)
-
Shows strong resistance to repetitive
activities and memorization
-
Completes work quickly but sloppily
-
May resist working on activities
apart from areas of interest
-
Leaves projects unfinished
-
Takes on too much and becomes
overwhelmed
-
Challenges authority
-
Does not handle criticism well
-
Does not work well in groups
-
Tends to be absent-minded regarding
practical details
-
Forgets homework assignments
-
Can be very critical of self and
others
-
Likes to argue a point
-
Is a perfectionist and expects
others to be perfect as well
-
Easily gets carried away with a
joke
-
Has a tendency to become the
"class clown"
-
Sometimes perceived as a
"know-it-all" by peers
-
Is sometimes "bossy" to
peers in group situations
Many signs exhibited by gifted kids can be seen as symptoms of a
learning or behavior disability. For example, the ability to acquire
information quickly can result in a child who is bored, impatient with slower
kids and rebellious when it comes to classroom routine and rote drills. A child
who is creative and innovative might be seen as disruptive and out of step with
his peers. Poor handwriting, for example, often is a sign of a learning
disability, but many gifted children who have poor handwriting might just be
thinking faster than their hands are getting it all down on paper. Furthermore,
some gifted students are face being underachievers.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHERS
1. Implement
a multi-level and multi-dimensional curriculum.
2. Be
flexible with the curriculum.
3. Make
the curriculum student-centered.
4. Allow
students to pursue independent projects based on their own individual interests.
5. Try
to maximize your students’ potential by expecting them to do their best.
6. Teach
interactively. Have students work together, teach one another, and actively participate
in their own and their classmates’ education.
7. Explore
many points of view about contemporary topics and allow opportunity to analyze
and evaluate material.
8. Consider
team teaching, collaboration, and consultation with other teachers. Use the
knowledge, skills, and support of other educators or professionals.
9. Involve
students in academic contests.
10. Consider
parental input about the education of their gifted children.
11. Always
remember that gifted children are similar in many ways to the average child in
the classroom. Do note place unrealistic expectations and pressures on gifted children.
12. Address
the counseling needs of each student to support emotional growth, as needed.
13. Do
note assign extra work to gifted children who finish assignments early. This is
unfair and frustrating to them.
14. Provide
plenty of opportunities for gifted children and average children to engage in
social activities. Some gifted children may need help in developing social skills.
15. Establish
and maintain a warm, accepting classroom. Teach your classroom community to
embrace diversity and honor differences.
Remember that implementing some of these strategies will benefit all of the children in the classroom, not just the gifted ones.
Remember that implementing some of these strategies will benefit all of the children in the classroom, not just the gifted ones.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
A True Inspiration
Our learning journey, from kindergarten to university, is
definitely one of the most influential and character shaping journeys a person
will embark upon. If an individual is fortunate enough such a journey is life
changing and uplifting. Science class, and later on biology, from grades five
through to brevet, were by far the most memorable part of my personal journey
at Salah El-Deen Educational Center. Miss Faten, this enthusiastic and
vibrant teacher who would go on to teach and inspire so many began her
pedagogic journey by teaching my grade five science class. Because my
generation came of age in an educational atmosphere still very much influenced
by the remnants of archaic teaching practices, it was awe-inspiring as a ten
year old to see a creative, active, as well as intelligent teacher breathe life
into the otherwise limp learning experience most of us were
living. Whether it be bovine organs to show heart valves and ventricles or
beautiful, fresh flowers to show reproduction in plants, this teacher was
always looking for ways to keep us intrigued and captivated by the subject
matter at hand. She also used a very generous, non-food reward
system in which she made certain the “smart” students didn’t monopolize rewards
as we had experienced occasionally with other teachers. What was obvious
during my teacher’s lessons was that she was always prepared. She explained her
lessons with clarity allowing us to master the art of analyzing, interpreting,
describing, hypothesizing, and constructing graphs, by the end of grade six.
Moreover, she would make sure each year after that we were able to apply these
pillars of scientific method. Classroom preparation is not
however exclusive to a plan book. Her remarkable effort was seen through all
the posters she meticulously hand crafted, and the actual animal organs she
would supply to aid in demonstrating the different systems within animals. She
had short, stress-free quizzes to assess how well her previous lesson went so
that she would know where our level of comprehension stood. Perfection is
something we all strive for but can never achieve because we are always looking
to do better-to be better. As a first year instructor, this science teacher may
have been going through all of the trials and tribulations a first year teacher
goes through but in retrospect she was a motivator, an innovator, able to
balance proper classroom management without sacrificing fun science.
Importance of Bloom's Taxonomy
Day in and day out our role as educators advances. Not only are we
responsible for building students’ character, we are obligated to teach them
how to think. We need our students to be able to approach problems and
complications in various and innovative ways, and examine them from different
perspectives. They must be able to recall previously learned information to
understand what is being taught, apply it in the right areas, analyze
situations, synthesize by putting together the material that is learned and
finally, evaluate according to given standards, the last six being the basic
elements of Bloom’s taxonomy. The more we as teachers are aware of how
important it is to help our students reach higher levels of thinking the more
likely our students are able to succeed. In other cases it was proven that
truth-seeking, open-mindedness, self-confidence, and maturity also improved
along critical thinking when teachers aimed to increase students’ thinking
abilities. If we are to find lasting and
honest success as teachers it is crucial that we move away from teaching young
minds by rote and move towards the innovation and expansion of students’ minds
by training them as well as ourselves, to use higher levels of thinking. A large mass of cognitive
research has overwhelming proven that problem solving and reasoning engage our
children on levels that far exceed traditional mechanical, parrot-fashioned,
methods of old. It is obvious that Bloom’s Taxonomy is a foundation for learning that is easily
applicable in a classroom environment when success of students is put first and
foremost.
My philosophy of teaching
Teaching is one of the most noble jobs in the world, we are blessed with the chance of influencing young children every day. Being a successful teacher does not come easy, we must be role models for our students to follow, believe in their ever growing intelligence and abilities, and encourage them to be the best they can. Every students has the right to learn and express themselves, it is our job as teachers to promote an environment that stimulates our students to grow socially, emotionally, physically and mentally. I believe that students learn best when they have access to hands-on activities and have a teacher that encourages experimenting and trying new things. We are under pressure to create individuals who have the confidence, perseverance, discipline, and intelligence to become effective contributors to the society, I hope to bring the best in my students to become such individuals. Learning is not only limited for students, as teachers we should keep an eye out for learning form our students, environment, and family, while keeping our own knowledge and teaching methods up to date. This is my philosophy of education, and I know it will constantly change, but that only means that I am growing.
Monday, February 26, 2018
EDUC560
Learning technology is crucial in a time like ours. Incorporating technology with education opens doors not only for students to explore the web and learn on their own, but also for teachers to up their teaching game. Teachers are rushing to use technology in their classrooms, but can not do so because of their lack of knowledge. To make the best of what it presents it must be integrated effectively into our educational systems by equipping our teachers with the tools and knowledge required. This course present a great opportunity for us as teacher to learn how to use technology, first to facilitate our job, and second to make the learning process much more engaging for our students. I am looking forward to embarking on this chance so that hopefully one day I can make learning more exciting and interesting.
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Parent Involvement in Science Learning
If you think it is the science teacher's job exclusively to instill the love and curiosity of the subject in students - think again. Par...
-
As I mentioned in my reflection on the EDUC560 course webinars are highly beneficial for teachers who are willing to enhance their pedagog...
-
Day in and day out our role as educators advances. Not only are we responsible for building students’ character, we are obligated to teach ...