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Motivation

By MsMentorAdmin

Posted on 2009-04-30

It seems like it’s getting harder to motivate students. What can we do?
— Roseanna, Beaverton, Oregon

I’ve found we cannot motivate others; motivation comes from within the individual. We can threaten, cajole, plead, or reward students into doing what we want, but the ultimate decision on how much to participate is made by the student. A professor of mine would say, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink… But you can salt the oats.”
That’s what teachers can do – salt the oats so students will want to be engaged in the class, not just busy and compliant (or off-task). I asked several science teachers what they do to “salt the oats.”

  • Share your own interests, experience, or passion for the topic. I asked a teacher what she does if the topic is not of great interest to her. She said because we never know what will spark something in a student, we have to at least pretend to be interested ourselves. So teachers who say, “This next unit is pretty dull, but we have to cover it for the test,” are not setting the stage to engage students.
  • Use a theme or big idea to connect the topics in a unit. For example, in a unit on animals, a life science teacher might posit, “Animals respond to their surroundings in a variety of ways.” She connects each lesson back to this theme and students use their science notebooks to record their observations, thoughts, and drawings.
  • Help students relate the lesson to current events, to their own lives, or to other subject areas. This is easy to do in science with topics such as DNA and heredity, forensics, simple machines, weather and climate, and environmental issues. Some students see these connections immediately; others may need guidance and examples.
  • Incorporate a variety of teaching strategies. Science lends itself to hands-on activities, inquiry, cooperative learning, projects, using graphic organizers, multimedia presentations, and games or simulations. Even if a student is not interested in the content of the lesson, the types of activities may be motivational.
  • Use formative assessments to gauge whether students are “getting it” or if you need to adjust your instruction. Once students get lost or confused, it’s hard to get them re-interested in a topic. If they know a topic, you could move on to a higher level of learning.
  • Give students feedback on their work, especially if they’re learning new concepts and skills. From a nod, a smile, or a high-five to a comment on written work or class participation, our recognition of students’ success and progress can be motivational to them. Some teachers have students chart their progress and reflect on their work using rubrics and science notebooks. Many students are also motivated by grades and prizes for successful work. Some teachers use rewards to get students hooked on a topic initially. However, an overemphasis on extrinsic rewards may thwart our efforts to help students ultimately become independent, self-directed learners.
  • Differentiate between being “busy” and being “engaged” with a task. A teacher once told me, “My students are so busy in science class they don’t have time to think.” I’m hoping she was exaggerating, because students need time to think about what they’re learning and connect it to what they already know or to other concepts. If you ask students to color a page, copy definitions verbatim, watch a video with no preliminary or follow-up discussion, do a low-level word puzzle, or do a simple follow-the-directions activity, ask yourself what the purpose of the activity is (beyond being busy) and at what level the students will be engaged.

If students are used to being passive learners, it may be hard for them to assume responsibility for learning, adapt to a variety of learning strategies, and develop their own interests and passions. The teacher’s role would be to model self-directed motivation and learning and provide scaffolding for students to build these skills.
It’s ironic: when I asked students what good teachers do to spark and keep their interest, they said many of the same things! The students said the worst thing to do in class is copy notes from the board. They felt they learned best from class discussions, working together, and projects that allowed them to use their problem-solving skills and creativity. I also asked if they ever thought a topic in science was going to be boring, only to find that it was really interesting or compelling. I asked what changed their minds. Virtually every student said it was something the teacher did that “salted the oats” for them.
If anyone has other suggestions, please feel free to add them!

It seems like it’s getting harder to motivate students. What can we do?
— Roseanna, Beaverton, Oregon

I’ve found we cannot motivate others; motivation comes from within the individual. We can threaten, cajole, plead, or reward students into doing what we want, but the ultimate decision on how much to participate is made by the student. A professor of mine would say, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink… But you can salt the oats.”

 

Connecting to the weather

By Peggy Ashbrook

Posted on 2009-04-28

Can you tell that it will rain soon by the way the air smells? Do you like the smell of snow? I like the way the air smells just as a badly needed rain begins—it makes me think of the earth exhaling as the water soaks in (but this could be a misconception on my part).

(Click here to see the details of the raindrops and the fallen redbud tree flowers.)

Rainfall is a significant event in children’s lives, in some places a daily one, while in others a rare pleasure. Rainy days usually mean that children play indoors so they may not know how much it rained or how long. What can we do to connect children to the patterns in nature determined by precipitation?

Taking brief note of the weather as part of a daily circle or calendar is more common in early childhood classrooms than recording those weather observations through drawings, photography, or writing. When temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover are recorded on a year-long chart, seasonal changes can be easily seen.

Notable events, such as, “the storm that blew down the big tree” or snow days that closed school, can be highlighted and reflected upon. If you record weather phenomena, compare your class’ results with that of the National Weather Service, Climate Prediction Center

Recording the weather can help children make sense of the natural phenomena that are not in our control but affect our lives profoundly. I knew a three-year-old who cried when she noticed any clouds moving overhead. I wonder if drawing the clouds daily in a notebook might have reassured her that they were a familiar occurrence, and not threatening. Teachers who live in areas with occasional severe weather—how do you talk about it with young children? Please add your comments by clicking on the word “Comment” below.

Peggy

Can you tell that it will rain soon by the way the air smells? Do you like the smell of snow? I like the way the air smells just as a badly needed rain begins—it makes me think of the earth exhaling as the water soaks in (but this could be a misconception on my part).

 

Earth science

By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2009-04-26

Science and Children cover, March 2009It’s not hard to get young students interested in the earth sciences that explain and describe the world around them. And yet for many students, the upper elementary and middle school grades are the last time they’ll be exposed to earth science topics in school. (Although I just visited a high school that is returning earth science to the curriculum in response to the state’s science assessment.)
But SciLinks does not skimp on earth science topics. By entering keywords such as volcano, rock, glacier, plate tectonics, geyser, weather, or earthquake, you’ll find many informational websites for students, background information for yourself, and teaching suggestions.
Several sites recently submitted to SciLinks include a wealth of ideas and multimedia resources. Earth in the Universe and Earth System, Structure, and Processes from Teachers’ Domain have images, Flash interactives, and videos. You can incorporate these into your lessons, or use the many lesson plans (with connections to state standards) included. Registration for the site is free. Rock Cycle has animations of the rock cycle and the formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.

Science and Children cover, March 2009It’s not hard to get young students interested in the earth sciences that explain and describe the world around them. And yet for many students, the upper elementary and middle school grades are the last time they’ll be exposed to earth science topics in school. (Although I just visited a high school that is returning earth science to the curriculum in response to the state’s science assessment.)

Organized into three practical parts, The Creation Controversy provides teachers with insights into modern science and the Book of Genesis, effective strategies for teaching evolution and other controversial topics, and the NSTA Position Statement on Evolution.
Organized into three practical parts, The Creation Controversy provides teachers with insights into modern science and the Book of Genesis, effective strategies for teaching evolution and other controversial topics, and the NSTA Position Statement on Evolution.
Here’s an interesting statistic: More than half of all chemists work on some aspect of polymers. For high school teachers who want to introduce polymer science basics, properties, and uses, this book is uniquely helpful—much deeper than simple monographs or collections of experiments, but much more accessible than college texts.
Here’s an interesting statistic: More than half of all chemists work on some aspect of polymers. For high school teachers who want to introduce polymer science basics, properties, and uses, this book is uniquely helpful—much deeper than simple monographs or collections of experiments, but much more accessible than college texts.
There’s got to be more to professional development than in-service workshops. This thoughtful book paves the way to change. It shows the circumstances under which professional development has the most impact on student learning, reviews programs that work, and offers practical ideas about how professional development can sustain science education reform. The following topics are addressed:
• Changing professional development to help with standards-based reform

• Building a professional development program
There’s got to be more to professional development than in-service workshops. This thoughtful book paves the way to change. It shows the circumstances under which professional development has the most impact on student learning, reviews programs that work, and offers practical ideas about how professional development can sustain science education reform. The following topics are addressed:
• Changing professional development to help with standards-based reform

• Building a professional development program
Make science teaching better for every student. Help learners from different backgrounds—and with different learning styles—by developing new skills, resources, and knowledge. This book discusses the ways in which professional development can help you handle equity and diversity issues in the classroom. Among the topics:

• How professional development can help teachers motivate and increase participation by women and minorities in science

• Using professional development to promote change

• Professional development’s role in leadership development and reform
Make science teaching better for every student. Help learners from different backgrounds—and with different learning styles—by developing new skills, resources, and knowledge. This book discusses the ways in which professional development can help you handle equity and diversity issues in the classroom. Among the topics:

• How professional development can help teachers motivate and increase participation by women and minorities in science

• Using professional development to promote change

• Professional development’s role in leadership development and reform
 

Teaching with the community

By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2009-04-21

When I saw the theme for this issue, Teaching with the Community, what came to mind was students visiting community resources such as museums, zoos, and parks on field trips or students and teachers using the community as a classroom. But the articles in this issue have other interpretations of “community.”
The State High Biodiesel Project describes a collaboration between the science department and the agricultural science program to turn fryer oil from the cafeteria into an alternative energy source. Perhaps other institutions in the community can learn from these students (and their teachers). On the web, you can find out how to Make Your Own Biodiesel and the authors provide the details of their lessons on Alternative Fuels
The community engaged in Collaboration at the Nanoscale consists of high school classes and university faculty. They formed a scientific community to study microbes and viruses safely, using advanced technology. For more information on the topic of microbiology, go to SciLinks and enter the term “micro” for lists of websites related to microbes, microbiology, microscopes, and electron microscopy.
Student research on a topic of interest to their communities, such as indoor air quality, is demonstrated in the article The Big Sky Inside.According to the authors, the data collected by the students is being used beyond the project to investigate other air quality issues. If you want to get some ideas for other projects, check out Solving Environmental Problems in SciLinks.
Use the article EQUIPping Teachers to learn how to change your classroom into a community of inquiry. The authors describe a tool/rubric that can help you improve the level of inquiry in your class activities. It’s an excellent article that everyone should read. For more information on inquiry, see Making It Inquiry 9-12 in SciLinks.

When I saw the theme for this issue, Teaching with the Community, what came to mind was students visiting community resources such as museums, zoos, and parks on field trips or students and teachers using the community as a classroom. But the articles in this issue have other interpretations of “community.”

 

Recommended most highly

By AnnC

Posted on 2009-04-17

This may seem like a simple thing, but I get requests for a considerable number of letters of recommendation every year. I suspect you do, too. I almost always say yes–partly out of being somewhat flattered, I’ll admit, but also because the majority of students (and faculty) who ask me for these letters are perceptive enough to recognize ahead of time that I have a fairly high opinion of them. And I must just be very friendly.

Just for fun, I kept a count one year. I wrote 45 separate letters for 23 different individuals. And yes, that means I wrote 23 new letters starting with blank pages. Most of the others required modest modifications of text that I already felt described this individual well. But in any case, anyone who has plopped themselves down in front of a blank, white form replete with blinky cursor knows that this isn’t a small amount of time…or effort.
But truly, I usually don’t much mind. But in the middle of a difficult letter, in the midst of a mild bout with writer’s block, I started wondering if our increasing mutual scrutiny has resulted in ‘regard inflation’ in the same way we’re experiencing ‘grade inflation’. Of course, there’s no way to know. But, the scientist in me just itches to find a way to find out.
I’ve seen a few examples (possibly apocryphal) of letters with double entendre that appeared at first read to be supportive of a candidate’s application, but…. I’m wondering if any of my readers have any examples (either of their own creation, or anecdotal) they would be willing to share here. Any great bon mots out there???
And how has your own experience been with letters? If you have a request from a student for whom you know you won’t write a glowing report, how do you decline? And do each of you get hit with 45 letters in a year, or does it just feel that way???
Please let me know. If you don’t wish to comment here, write me at acutler@uindy.edu. 

This may seem like a simple thing, but I get requests for a considerable number of letters of recommendation every year. I suspect you do, too. I almost always say yes–partly out of being somewhat flattered, I’ll admit, but also because the majority of students (and faculty) who ask me for these letters are perceptive enough to recognize ahead of time that I have a fairly high opinion of them. And I must just be very friendly.

 

Handouts about science to share with families—add your favorite resources

By Peggy Ashbrook

Posted on 2009-04-16

“What kind of science do you teach young children?!” people sometimes ask when they hear that the preschool curriculum includes science. Being able to share how the science activities are age appropriate, lay the groundwork for deeper understanding in later years, and support literacy and math learning, helps families understand that science is a natural part of an early childhood program. Including science activities does not mean that the program is only for children whose thinking is advanced beyond their years, nor does the program exclude imaginative play and artistic work.
Communicating what early childhood science is all about encourages families to support science learning at home. Here is a book and a few downloadable resources that can help.
What is a Scientist? by Barbara Lehn with photographs by Carol Krauss (1999, Millbrook Press): beginning with “A scientist is a person who asks questions and tries different ways to answer them,” and ending with “A scientist has fun,” this book’s simple statements and clear photographs describe science as children (and scientists) practice it.
From Australian government, the National Science and Technology Centre’s Questacon—a 36-page pamphlet with wonderful photos and general instructions for activities which are easy to implement at home.
Center for Inquiry Science: sample “Science Out of School” newsletter articles describing simple activities with the goal of “communicating to parents that science activities can be accessible, fun, and informative.”
TryScience—the Parent Page:  download a generic or city-specific brochure providing useful information and hints on science activities for parents and families everywhere, and listing local science resources.
Will you list your favorite books or pamphlets in a comment (click on the word “comments” below)?
Peggy

“What kind of science do you teach young children?!” people sometimes ask when they hear that the preschool curriculum includes science. Being able to share how the science activities are age appropriate, lay the groundwork for deeper understanding in later years, and support literacy and math learning, helps families understand that science is a natural part of an early childhood program. Including science activities does not mean that the program is only for children whose thinking is advanced beyond their years, nor does the program exclude imaginative play and artistic work.

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