All Good Things Must Come To An End!!!

If I'm being honest, I was horrified of taking this class with Dr. Smirnova.  I had heard from many other students that it was a crazy amount of work and time.  That she expected so much from her students and could keep piling the work on.  Going into this class I did not know if I would make it out alive and I was not just taking one of her course I was taking two.  I spent the first class doubting if I had made the right choice in careers and if I had the skills to complete this class.  In the beginning of the semester I constructed some goals for myself regarding this course.


Now that the semester is over, I am so glad I took this course.  Not only is Dr. Smirnova a book of great resources,  she also will give you all the support you need.  No matter the time of day or the amount of question, she always has an answer for you.  At the end of this class, I feel like I am a stronger teacher.  I understand the techniques need to teach science.  I know that teachers are not perfect but, they strive to be.  I have learned how to incorporate all two lesson styles into a unit plan, how to use great internet tools into lessons, and how google docs can be a great asset to your classroom.  I will use all the tools and strategies that Dr. Smirnova has taught throughout this semesters .

It is surprising, but I am going to miss this class.  As a class we all worked together, had fun, and found our way through this class.  Moving forward from this semester, I will take all the tools I have used and bring them into a classroom.

As the semester comes to a close I am sad to leave this class and will always be grateful to Dr. Smirnova's amazing teaching.

Thank you for everything Dr. Smirnova!!

How to Make Science Creative

 Why should we make science creative?  Science is a topic that spans so many different areas from microbiology to the unknown of space.  As teachers we need to create creative science activities to help students expand their understanding of science which will expand their understanding of life as they know it.  In the article Think Creatively about Science the many concept is to teach students science in a creative and interesting way.  To develop creative scientists the students need to develop flexibility in making choices and problem solving.  Creative scientists can find problems and solutions that others miss.  When students are exposed to experiences at a young age they are able to develop problem solving skills earlier.  As I read this article it concerns me with how we teach our students in schools today.  In schools we are trying to force students to think within a box.  We do not allow the students to explore their world, we just want them to read and retain the information.  Most students can not learn like this.  They need to experience the information in their own way, to internalize it in the way that is most interesting to them.  Over the past couple of years, our school have been taking this experience away from students.  In this article it says a educator must create an environment that encourages students to discovery on their own.  An educator must invite students to ask questions and have areas where students can investigate these questions.  When students are allowed to question, investigate, and discovery information they are learning the skills of problem solving which can be used through out their schooling and life, not just in science. 

As a teacher of preschool I believe in teaching through play and discover.  Student learn through the use of games, puzzles, imaginative play, role playing. sensory activities, songs, and finger plays.  By allowing students explore and discover information in their own way they tend to internalize the information.  When a student is learning through exploration and discovery they do not realize they are learning.  For students with academic difficulties, this make learning more tolerable because they do not realize they are learning.  I truly hope as I get into the mainstream schools I can continue using exploration and discovery to help my students learn. I want to teach the students to love to learn and find their own path through learning.

Can We Teach The Change?

As teachers we have the opportunity to teach students to change the world.  Students need to learn that if they want, if they put their mind to it they can change the world.  In class today we discussed how we as teachers can teach students how to relate, understand, and help the topic of global warming and climate change.  As teachers we need to give our students the tools and information to help them understand what global warming and climate change is.  That this problem did not happen over night and I will only get worse if we as people of the Earth do not change our ways.  Once the students understand how global warming and climate change they then can start thinking of how the topic relates to them.  If students do not think that global warming and climate change relates to their life they will not care as much.  Once you can teach the students how global warming and climate change relates to their life they can start thinking up ways to help.  You never know inside which students mind will come up with the solution to this our any problem.  By giving students the freedom to think on their own and make a different.

As a class we came up with came up with a joint statement about the importance of global warming and climate change.  After watching the movie Home by Yann Arthus-Bertand we all wrote statements  regarding our effect on the Earth.  Then, we came together and created a statement that reflected our thoughts and ideals.  We then added our joint statement to change.org.

 

Here is our joint statement:

Joint Statement

We are science methods students from Mount Saint Mary College. During this semester we have studied climate change and its impact on our planet. The finale to our course included watching Home, a documentary directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and narrated by Glenn Close. The documentary was eye opening and shocking in regards to the negative impact that humans have had on our planet on a daily basis. Humanity is threatening the ecological balance of our planet. Our resources will not last forever, especially if we continue to abuse them with toxic pesticides, excessive mining, water shortages, deforestation, extinction, global warming, droughts, and wildfires. Many species have become extinct and continue to become scarce.  Everyday, thousands of people are dying because they are drinking polluted water. It is up to us to keep clean the very resource we need to survive. As we deplete our nonrenewable resources, we need to lean on natural resources such as the sun.  We need to look to solar power to become our primary resource for energy. When we allow chemicals to be released into our waters, soil, and atmosphere we put a strain on our natural resources.  One of the major reactions from releasing chemicals into our atmosphere is the depletion of our Earth’s ozone.  As we continue to release these chemicals into our environment we put everything on the beautiful Earth in harm's way.  Cities like Dubai embody the result of our power and are critical need for natural resources, yet flies in the face of our home’s dire need for support and sustainability.   We can make a difference but we need to reshape our focus. It has been said that progress is fulfilled in volume. Numbers speak louder when Governments are beginning to prioritize the need for renewable  energy. Electricity plants are exploring geothermal energy. The introduction of Wind farms produce 20%  energy.  Intelligence in engineering will help lead our society and joining nations on a mission to preserve our earth rather than exhaust her resources.

As future teachers, we hope to impart this important information onto our students and stress the importance of protecting our home.

Action speaks louder than words. As future educators, it is our job to inform the youth about the harm we have created.

1. We will develop awareness of the state of the environment, by creating organizations for students to join, learn, and promote Earth friendly mentalities.
2. We will persuade administrators to incorporate environmental change into science curricula for all grade levels.
3. We will maintain the movement of educating our students to continue to bring the positive change to our environment and maintain the balance of our home.