Author: Joan AnconaWelcome 2021
We made it! We made it out of 2020 and into 2021 and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Oh, and it feels so good. We really have learned a lot and will be better in the end. That feeling of relief upon entering this new year is a common one all across the globe. One thing for sure is that we are not alone in this one. Everyone, everywhere will remember 2020. We had a shared experience world-wide, how amazing. Even though we often think we just want things to go back, now when we take a look at the world around us we realize that the only way we can move is forward. So what can we as elementary science teachers do on this forward path? What if we hardly got to science at all in 2020? Have we failed our students just at the time when they need to learn science the most? It’s going to be OK. You have undoubtedly been doing more science and engineering than ever - not less. It's the thinking like a scientist, and doing like an engineer, that is the most valuable part for our students, not the specific content. You and your students got to act like scientists and think like scientists and see themselves as direct participants in science and engineering, everyday. That is moving forward. The world we are living in is filled with science and engineering questions, problems, activities, investigations, and discussions. We are all involved and we have all been learning. Best of all, for the past year we were not just learning things that someone else already knows or that someone found out long ago. We have been constantly uncovering and discovering, measuring and debating, suggesting and exploring things that no one has built an expertise about. We are all working together to move our world into uncharted territory. We continue to argue our ideas using evidence we collect from the world around us, just like scientists. That is moving forward. You may think that there is still not enough time for official “science” lessons and that ELA and math have added significance this year. But remember science is all around us. Squeeze it in. Try this game with your students. Run these quick discussion sessions a little bit everyday, at the beginning of home room time, between math and recess, before writing time, whenever you have a minute or two to squeeze it in. Brainstorm in small groups, or reflect individually. Answer the question: What have you been doing that is just like a scientist or an engineer? Use the Science and Engineering Practices to come up with a master list of all the things you and your students have been doing throughout this year that are just like the work of a scientist or an engineer. I have a head start for you in the examples below - have fun with this! Your students will gain so much from knowing that they are scientists and engineers already. And when we are able to return to “official” science classes, we will all be ready with our developing skills and knowledge. Asking Questions and Defining Problems: What will school be like? How can we do investigations with students who are distanced? What is the best room arrangement for students to allow them to have learning conversations safely? What will my teacher want me to do? What kind of materials will I need to learn at home? Developing and Using Models: Using shoes in rows as blocks in a bar graph - Drawing plans for my classroom and work environment - Representing my classroom in a Bit-moji picture - Practicing fractions while cooking in the kitchen Planning and Carrying Out Investigations - Having practice zoom meetings with students just to see what will happen - Playing with new software and online classrooms and interactive remote learning tools to see which works best - Taking a chance and participating on a camera to see how my classmates will react Analyzing and Interpreting Data - Discussing survey data collected from parents and colleagues - Discussing what’s working and what’s not for my at home classroom - Counting up how many students participate in each kind of assignment Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking - Measuring the distance between student chairs - Keeping track with hash marks how many times my teacher says Ummmm - Estimating how long it's going to take to finish this assignment and pass the computer to my sister Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions - Finding the best way to use your cell phone as a document camera - Coming up with the best background for sharing while I am on camera - Designing a new way for students to work in small groups while wearing masks. Engaging in Argument from Evidence - Explaining (again) why we need to wear masks all the time - Explaining to your teacher what they do that makes the lesson easier to hear - Explaining to parents why students need to participate every day Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information - Researching the best way to do demonstrations for remote learning - Sharing your screen to show your classmates your work - Deciding which expert to listen to when it comes to remote learning Remember, Science is all around us!
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AuthorPhenomenal Science Leadership Team Archives
February 2022
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