Final Week: July20-26
We have all seen the value of working through obstacles, and genuinely agree that part of the scientific process is using unexpected results as a spring board to broader understanding. But, how do you insure that these personel observations are appreciated by your students. So, with respect to the entire 5 week experience. Please answer the following 3 question.
- How did this activity help you gain a better understanding of authentic research?
- In what way does it help you apply authentic research to the class room?
- Any lingering question, comments, or glib remarks you feel inclined to offer? Please do so?
July 26th, 2006 at 9:14 am
One of the most important aspect of authentic research that I have learned is that you need to have patience because various trials will come up along the way. Also I now understand why a teacher is so important to a student. I can not recall how many times my group relied on someone else to get us to the next step. There were many a morning when we felt like we couldn’t move on because we had to wait to talk to Cody, Dr. Nanny or Adam. I need to remember this when I have 28 students all trying to ask me a question at one time in lab and how frustrated I am when they don’t finish on time because they were waiting around on me to come help. I have now been in their shoes.
I am so excited to start using more open ended labs in my classroom. Hopefully I will remember that I don’t have to try this on every lab. Just try a few along the way then add a few more the next year untill hopefully I am totally inquiry based
July 26th, 2006 at 11:22 am
Well I am on technology overload! I am excited to go back and begin to use the computer and smart board. My team was so patient with teachng and showing me how to do the different techniques, I need to take this asspect back to my room. Having taught for so many years I need to be reminded that I am a “teacher” and need to treat my students the same way I was treated this summer.I wish we had had more of a definitive conclusion to our project but that is science.
July 26th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Today is both a sad and an exciting day. I don’t know that I can express in words what this experience has meant to me. This summer has given me the opportunity to realize that I am a good teacher and I have a lot to offer my students.
I also realized that collaboration is something I want to be involved in throughout my teaching career. The members in “my group”, including the four other participants, Adam, Cody, Dr. Nanny, Janis, and Sharlence, have been the rocks in my educational pool. I have enjoyed every experience, pat on the back, and idea, they have shared with me. I feel like I will not be alone when I go back to my school.
I believe the research experience, although frustrating and stinky at times, has given me a new outlook on science. I have been in the world of science for several years and for the first time I was able to think of the next logical step in a science process. I have always wondered how others did that. I know now that it is through the complete process of scientific investigation, start to finish. My wonderful partner and I owned every step of the experiment and we were allowed to hit dead ends and even be wrong at times !! We learned so much from that alone. I know it is OK for my students to get unexpected results, I even now hope for those type of results so that discussions and learning experiences can come from them. What an amazing concept, get the unexpected, learn from it, think of the next logical step, feel comfortable to try it. Life skills learned through science, how incredible for my students.
I hope this spark stays with me through all my years of teaching. I know I have support to lean on and I am very thankful for that.
I would like to express my deep apprectiation for all those involved with making this experience possible for teachers like me. I will return to my students ready to challenge them in ways they’ve not been challenged, with support they may never have had before. Hopefully they will go away from this year with a little of the spark I gained through OSP!!
July 26th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
I’m a little sad to see our five weeks end. We’ve formed bonds that won’t be forgotten. We have plans to work together on a project for Winter Conference. We’re scattered across the state, yet we have formed a community of sorts that will allow us to stay in contact. That makes saying goodbye a little easier.
OSP is like no other educational or staff development experience I’ve ever had. The support - both practical and intellectual - has been constant with each person involved in guiding us through this summer. No one has said to me, “You did that wrong”, or “That’s not the correct answer”. We’ve been encouraged and questioned so that we dig a little deeper and find answers ourselves. I think great teachers leave the responsibility for learning on the students and the great teachers (Janis, Dr. Nanny, Adam, Cody, Sharlene, etc.) associated with this summer program have done just that.
Even though our project didn’t yield the results that we expected, it has been a valuable experience for me. Maybe part of the value lies in the fact that our project didn’t yield the results that we expected. It brings home the concept of science as a process through which to learn rather than a stagnant body of knowledge.