Digital Learning, Online Libraries

I absolutely love online libraries, not only do they provide children free access to literature, they are usually very interactive and fun. One of the biggest issues I hear students make are "My [mom, dad, sibling, etc...] cannot take me to the library" or "The are no books I like here, I can never find anything I like". Online libraries solve this by making books easy to access and search; for both children and adults. Although there is great benefit with using physical books, we must accept that not every student has access to them. With new grants and funding, schools provide students with the resources to overcome these hurdles. Digital learning is not a replacement for teaching but, it is a great addition if used appropriately and not as a student's sole source of learning. In the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, the Newburgh Free Library offers eBooks an interactive books through their website for free. This is an enormous collection of literature for all ages, children to adults. From my experience, students love it. Some students like reading books online, some like listening to stories, other like watching videos and then reading more about the topic.

One program in particular is called "ScienceFlix (a play on words for Netflix) that I really enjoy.

It has many options for various learners and organizes every topic you can think of into section that you can click on. Their are topics ranging from Dinosaurs to Weather, Geology to Anatomy, Psychology to Physics. Each section has multiple online book option, an inquiry video, and multiple articles to read more about. They even provide further resources to students who want to learn more about a specific topic with links to other websites and at home activities. Science should not be a hurdle to those who struggle with reading. Programs such as these overcome that hurdle by providing options to those who cannot or struggle with reading. Although students will need to be stronger readers to better succeed in science in the future, programs such as these give them the chance to explore and learn at their own pace and access information that was not readily available to them in a classroom other than in a book. Finally these programs are more private for students. Maybe a girl doesn't want others to know she likes learning about insects and avoids reading books about them because of the pressure she feels. Maybe there is a boy in the classroom who doesn't want to let his friends know that he doesn't know a lot about animals and is too ashamed to ask others about it. Programs such as these open the doors to these students while letting them have some privacy in what they want to learn. Although this is not science related, I had a student who was in 5th grade who really wanted to read Dr. Seuss books because he couldn't read advanced books and never read "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish". He was always embarrassed and never wanted to read because he couldn't read books on his grade level and couldn't read the books he wanted because they were "babyish". The online library was a perfect escape for him to read Dr. Seuss and also listen to books on his grade level that he could share and talk about with his friends.

Children are people too, although young, they have the same fears and anxieties as we do, just on a much simpler scale. Problems we deem trivial are a students whole world so we must always address our students as the human beings they. We must listen to their problems to and hopefully find solution instead of just brushing them off as "not a big deal". We must teach them how to deal with the problems instead of making them think that their problems don't matter. Hopefully, we as teachers can mold them into successful adult that are ready to teach the next generation after them. I think digital learning is a step in the right direction that addresses problems that might seem trivial to some, but are a huge deal to other, especially those who are less fortunate.

View on Grades

Grading: Should we use it?

There is no definitive answer to this question, the same as to the "Homework vs No Homework" debate. There is merit to both sides of the argument. I am on the fence and am leaning back and forth to decide where I lie. Depending on the situation both are beneficial. Grading is great for record keeping and monitoring. As a college student, I 100% prefer grading because it keeps me on track. Even though I sometimes find myself more worried about grades than learning, that worry helps me learn. I end up learning the material in these states of panic because it acts as a reality check. For many this is too stressful and can see why many lean towards no grading. Not grading is beneficial because it promotes learning without the added stress of grades. I feel the lack of self monitoring can prove harmful, but when taught right can be extremely beneficial. As a educator, grades help monitor progress easier and help us "prove our jobs". In a world where numbers are everything, grades are needed. This cannot be any more truer for special education and getting children the support they deserve and need. Without grades it is hard to prove and classify students with special needs. I 100% agree it is very discouraging seeing a bad grade, but at the same time it can be a motivator as well to do better next time. It is when there are constant low grades that a teacher should intervene to boost confidence and give more support. Overall, I stand strong at there is no right answer, but I would say I lean closer to the grading system only because of the current system that is in place in our education system. Data is key in our world and therefore grading is still going to be a key part of our educational system and there is an education reform. It is a teachers job though to boost motivation and counteract the negativity from low grades and address the issues that cause them. The grade should also, in my opinion, be based off the student and not so much as a class as a whole. A "C" to one student is an "A" to another. Again, balance is key, grading should be used meaningfully and "no grading" should be meaningful as well as long as it is backed by research and data is still being obtained.

Biteable

Below is a link to a Scientific Method Project I presented using a new tool I picked up called Bitable.
This is a tool that I will forever use until something better comes along, I am even going to subscribe to it once I have my own classroom. Making educational videos has never been easier and the animation are simple, but eye catching and vibrant. I can make a video for any lesson I want and even allow students to make their own.
https://biteable.com/watch/the-steam-engineers-2353399

I have used Biteable in the classroom as well and it only took 10 minutes to make. I am a substitute teacher so I did not have any prior knowledge of what exactly I would be teaching that day. The students have a daily "4 Square Vocab" that includes the trait, word, root, and idiom of the day. I simply added each into a Biteable video that made their vocab more fun and memorable for that day. I was even able to share the link to the video so they could view it from their Chromebooks and copy the definitions into their notebooks instead of straining their eyes to read the board or the "4 Square Wall" that many have to get up out of their seat to use. Biteable is a great resource for presenting material and creating content catered to your students that can be edited as needed to fit your students needs.

https://biteable.com/watch/-2360598

Why I love Science

Why I love Science
I knew from an early age that I loved science. I do not mean this as an empty statement, I really do love science. It has shaped me to be the person I am today. It is not just one aspect of science either, I do not say I love science solely because I love animals; I love physics, anatomy, psychology, etc... It all started at an early age of 4 when I was in Pre-K. I would catch "Daddy Long Leg" spiders in my backyard (because there were so many on my fence) and bring them into class in a giant pretzel container to feed to the class frogs. Now, as I am typing thins, I realize that this is probably why frogs are my favorite animals (along with stingrays that I will save for another story). As a child, I would only read nonfiction books. I preferred animals, but weather, anatomy, and geology still sparked my interest. I wasn't allowed to watch many cartoons as a kid, rather I was allowed to watch National Geographic and the Discovery Channel (back when they had more documentaries and last reality TV shows or violent studies in anthropology). I have never really reflected like this before and it does feel good to think back to why I love science. I would also chock up my love for science (mainly engineering) to the board game Mouse Trap and the many computer games and played as a kid. I remember one where I was tasked with creating a Rube Goldberg device in a Tome and Jerry mouse trap game on CartoonNetwork.com. I have not thought about this until just now and it is amazing what is coming to my mind, it feels as though I am rambling, but I guess that is the point. This really does feel good and I am starting to see the whole point of these blogs to become better teachers. I cannot pinpoint one instance to why I love science, rather I believe I was molded by it and became who I am today all because of my parents and their intuition to expose me to science throughout my life until I was able to make choices of my own.

Unit Plans vs Lesson Plans

Unit Plan vs Lesson Plan: What's the Difference?

Lesson plans a small components that make up the entire unit. Lesson are a day to day occurrence while a unit plan is administered over the a long period of time that includes many lessons. Another way to put it is that a unit plan is very broad and can cover a wide range of topics while a lesson is pinpointed to a specific aspect of what the unit is abut.


 

Unit Plans

A good unit plan must have many components

(Abruscato, DeRosa, 2015, p. 58)

Tips for Unit Plans

My biggest tip for Unit planning is to make use of your resources. I huge help would be textbooks because they give structured, systematic information that can benefit you in oyur planning. Also make use of premade science kits that can, not only aid it providing good lesson, but also remove the stress of preparing for a lesson. As long as you familizrize yourself with the material, a simple kit can go a long way. Finally, my biggest tip, is to know your stuff. Do not teach what you don't know. Understandbly, there mught be a topic we aren't sting in and that's okay, no one is perfect. There may be gaps in your knowledge, it happens. What is not okay if spreading misinformation. When you aren't strong in a topic, research it, take a crash course, become the expert (or expert enough) so that your students are benefitting from your lesson and not suffering from your lack of knowledge.

Lesson Plans 

Lesson Plans are one of teachers most important jobs. Lesson plans are a daily occurrence and need to be well though out. With practice they become second nature, but sometimes they can become less meaningful. My honest opinion is to always check yourself and make sure that the lesson is meaningful and is benefitting your current students. Lesson Plans are to teachers as filing taxes is to an accountant, it is our job. An accountant must do their taxes to the upmost perfection because that is their job. A teacher needs to make their lesson to the upmost perfection because that is our job.

As I continue through my master program, I have become more confident in lesson planning (and planning in my daily life as well). At first I was so scared and nervous of failure, now it has become almost second nature. Mount St. Mary has provided us the tools to be effective teachers. At first I thought it was hard and tedious, but that difficulty has made planning so much easier and I am grateful for it. Now, when I need to make lessons on the fly, I am able to with ease. By making lesson planning harder at first, it made practical lesson planning easier in the future.

Science in the News

I have recently read an article about a new type of cast that has been developed that is both waterproof and lightweight. Not only that, but this new cast provides more comfort than a standard cast and promotes healing faster. This hits home to me because, just recently my mother broke her finger from slipping in our house. It was a very stressful situation and all day we just kept hearing worse and worse news. Eventually they said she needed to have surgery on her finger so they prepped her finger for surgery for the following Monday (this happened on a Thursday). Just when we thought the worst was over, my mother needed a cast put on her entire arm because she ended up fracturing a bone in her wrist as well. The reason this article grabbed my attention was because my mother was in so much pain and discomfort with this cast. It was itchy, their was a ton of pressure, and it was heavy. I saw the article on this product roughly a week after the incident and all I could think about was "what if my mother had this instead". There have been so many medical advancements in recent years, but I have yet to see one that hit close to home. Now, returning back to the article, this cast is 3D printed meaning it is cheap and lightweight. It also is easy to apply and remove, no saws required. One of my mothers biggest fears is the doctor sawing it off. This eliminates the need of a "scary" saw that strikes fear into children and adults. I find it amazing that ever since 3D printing became popularized, the uses have been endless. From home building to medical use, 3D printings uses seem endless. I compare 3D printing to the invention of the digital printer, the next step up. When printing was easily accessible, books became abundant; posters, flyers, letters, so many things became the standard of society. It is almost like the discovery of electricity and the endless uses that cam from it. 3D printing is a modern marvel of this era and whenever I see articles such as this one, I cannot help affirm my belief.

https://www.cast21.com/