PSO 1: Demonstrate advanced understanding of the trends, issues, and research associated with education in general and with their respective specialization.
Relevance
The task I completed was a science performance task required by the fieldwork for EDU 505. Working with a fourth grade class, I chose to lead them in the “Skewered Balloon” activity. This hands-on lesson was an application of the principles outlined by the learning sciences, which profess that students learn most effectively when they are active participants in the construction of their knowledge and are allowed to engage in hands-on learning.
I selected this assignment because it demonstrated my competence with teaching scientific inquiry and with equipping students for 21st century learning. The task required them to engage in hands-on learning with a measure of ambiguity; students did not know why the experiment worked or which conditions would result in the most favorable outcome. However, they persisted until they succeeded, and contributed thoughtful questions to the wrap-up discussion, which extended their learning further. I acted as a facilitator and a guide during this activity, only dispensing knowledge after students had gained a measure of understanding on the matter.
I completed this assignment on June 18, 2013, for the fulfillment of a fieldwork requirement for EDU 505 (Elementary Curriculum & Instruction: Math & Science). I am nearing the completion of my credentialing program, having completed every course except for one last methods course and student teaching. Studying the learning sciences and 21st century skills in EDU 542 has more adequately equipped me to teach in manner described above.
Video shown to the students demonstrating the experiment
Significance
This hands-on activity highlighted my competence as a teacher who understands the importance of student engagement and motivation, collaboration, and constructivist learning. In this activity, students were shown a demonstration of the skewered balloon activity, which involved inserting a wooden barbecue skewer through one end of an inflated balloon and out the other side. After seeing the task performed carefully and successfully by their instructor (me), students were given the necessary materials – 4 balloons, 1 skewer, and a small cup of dish soap – without an explanation of how or why it works. Their task was to record a prediction and a result for each balloon they attempted to skewer (4 balloons for each pair of students).
All students expressed initial excitement at the prospect of conducting the experiment themselves. Upon my announcement that they would do this, students were instantly engaged and energized about learning. As they tried the experiment, however, some displayed hesitation out of fear of popping the balloon. Others were incredibly eager to try it and were not fearful of a negative outcome. Some mistook popping the balloon for an incident that required a “do-over,” as opposed to an acceptable, even valuable, failure. But I reassured them that this outcome was perfectly fine, and that they should record the results and try again. I gave replacement balloons if one was found to be defective, but otherwise stressed the acceptability of failure. This approach is consistent with 21st century skills, which recognize failure as an integral part of the learning process.
Links to Theory & Worldview
This experiment contained aspects of both constructivism and social learning. Students were not given much information about how to achieve the best outcomes; they only knew of the materials and procedures necessary to conduct the experiment. This, combined with my facilitation and guiding of the experiment, formed the constructivist component. Additionally, students worked in pairs to perform the experiment, which included making predictions and recording results. In doing so, they developed a fuller understanding than if they had been left to experiment alone.
After showing the students the video - one form of modeling - I also performed the experiment to show that no "video magic" was involved, and that it really could be done. This reflected social learning because students conducted the experiment based on what they had seen me do, and not on based on a collection of information. The whole process of the experiment also represent social learning because it included each aspect of the modeling process: attention and retention (watching the video, watching my demonstration, and receiving the materials one at a time), reproduction (performing the experiment), and motivation (the engagement of a hands-on activity).
Constructivism and social learning seem to be the theories most conducive to scientific inquiry in the classroom. When learning is hands-on and student-directed, students need no help discovering motivation. The teacher's guiding presence ensures that students do not stray too far from the experiment's objectives, that materials are used properly, and that misconceptions will be clarified. But students ultimately take responsibility for their own learning in this context, and through it they acquire the tools necessary for effective scientific inquiry. Furthermore, this inquiry process helps them develop a love of learning that will motivate them in future learning situations, creating lifelong learners who pursue and enjoy knowledge discovery.
Professional Actions
Prior to leading students through this experiment, I saw myself as a teacher poorly equipped to teach science. The sciences have always been my weakest subjects, and I did not believe that I could be as effective teaching science as I could English or math. However, the students' reactions changed my mind about this; I know now that with adequate preparation and a little imagination, I can guide students to a deep understanding of scientific principles, even if I am not an extremely knowledgeable authority on the subject.
I still have plenty of growth to make as a teacher of science, but I am certainly encouraged by the outcome of this experiment. I plan to continue seeking experiments such as this one, which can be found through the YouTube series "Sick Science." Each video and experiment provide me with an opportunity to understand a scientific principle more thoroughly, which will give me confidence in my role as facilitator, model, and guide.
The task I completed was a science performance task required by the fieldwork for EDU 505. Working with a fourth grade class, I chose to lead them in the “Skewered Balloon” activity. This hands-on lesson was an application of the principles outlined by the learning sciences, which profess that students learn most effectively when they are active participants in the construction of their knowledge and are allowed to engage in hands-on learning.
I selected this assignment because it demonstrated my competence with teaching scientific inquiry and with equipping students for 21st century learning. The task required them to engage in hands-on learning with a measure of ambiguity; students did not know why the experiment worked or which conditions would result in the most favorable outcome. However, they persisted until they succeeded, and contributed thoughtful questions to the wrap-up discussion, which extended their learning further. I acted as a facilitator and a guide during this activity, only dispensing knowledge after students had gained a measure of understanding on the matter.
I completed this assignment on June 18, 2013, for the fulfillment of a fieldwork requirement for EDU 505 (Elementary Curriculum & Instruction: Math & Science). I am nearing the completion of my credentialing program, having completed every course except for one last methods course and student teaching. Studying the learning sciences and 21st century skills in EDU 542 has more adequately equipped me to teach in manner described above.
Video shown to the students demonstrating the experiment
Significance
This hands-on activity highlighted my competence as a teacher who understands the importance of student engagement and motivation, collaboration, and constructivist learning. In this activity, students were shown a demonstration of the skewered balloon activity, which involved inserting a wooden barbecue skewer through one end of an inflated balloon and out the other side. After seeing the task performed carefully and successfully by their instructor (me), students were given the necessary materials – 4 balloons, 1 skewer, and a small cup of dish soap – without an explanation of how or why it works. Their task was to record a prediction and a result for each balloon they attempted to skewer (4 balloons for each pair of students).
All students expressed initial excitement at the prospect of conducting the experiment themselves. Upon my announcement that they would do this, students were instantly engaged and energized about learning. As they tried the experiment, however, some displayed hesitation out of fear of popping the balloon. Others were incredibly eager to try it and were not fearful of a negative outcome. Some mistook popping the balloon for an incident that required a “do-over,” as opposed to an acceptable, even valuable, failure. But I reassured them that this outcome was perfectly fine, and that they should record the results and try again. I gave replacement balloons if one was found to be defective, but otherwise stressed the acceptability of failure. This approach is consistent with 21st century skills, which recognize failure as an integral part of the learning process.
Links to Theory & Worldview
This experiment contained aspects of both constructivism and social learning. Students were not given much information about how to achieve the best outcomes; they only knew of the materials and procedures necessary to conduct the experiment. This, combined with my facilitation and guiding of the experiment, formed the constructivist component. Additionally, students worked in pairs to perform the experiment, which included making predictions and recording results. In doing so, they developed a fuller understanding than if they had been left to experiment alone.
After showing the students the video - one form of modeling - I also performed the experiment to show that no "video magic" was involved, and that it really could be done. This reflected social learning because students conducted the experiment based on what they had seen me do, and not on based on a collection of information. The whole process of the experiment also represent social learning because it included each aspect of the modeling process: attention and retention (watching the video, watching my demonstration, and receiving the materials one at a time), reproduction (performing the experiment), and motivation (the engagement of a hands-on activity).
Constructivism and social learning seem to be the theories most conducive to scientific inquiry in the classroom. When learning is hands-on and student-directed, students need no help discovering motivation. The teacher's guiding presence ensures that students do not stray too far from the experiment's objectives, that materials are used properly, and that misconceptions will be clarified. But students ultimately take responsibility for their own learning in this context, and through it they acquire the tools necessary for effective scientific inquiry. Furthermore, this inquiry process helps them develop a love of learning that will motivate them in future learning situations, creating lifelong learners who pursue and enjoy knowledge discovery.
Professional Actions
Prior to leading students through this experiment, I saw myself as a teacher poorly equipped to teach science. The sciences have always been my weakest subjects, and I did not believe that I could be as effective teaching science as I could English or math. However, the students' reactions changed my mind about this; I know now that with adequate preparation and a little imagination, I can guide students to a deep understanding of scientific principles, even if I am not an extremely knowledgeable authority on the subject.
I still have plenty of growth to make as a teacher of science, but I am certainly encouraged by the outcome of this experiment. I plan to continue seeking experiments such as this one, which can be found through the YouTube series "Sick Science." Each video and experiment provide me with an opportunity to understand a scientific principle more thoroughly, which will give me confidence in my role as facilitator, model, and guide.