Fieldwork Week !

This week we have been preparing for field work and what it will be like when we meet the students we will be working with for the semester. We have worked in our groups to come up with About me activities and we have also worked in our groups to present slides we have made in front of the class which to me is very good practice for what it will be like when we are in front of the class teaching. We were able to work on our communication skills and prepare who will speak first and last, we worked together to put our ideas into slides and we were able to practice speaking in front of the class and asking them questions when their is silence. We were also informed with information about what it is we need to fix when we speak to the class, clear loud voices and eye contact is important, also many of us need to work on uncrossing our arms when we speak and opening up to the class so it doesn't appear that we are nervous to speak in front of everyone. I am excited for fieldwork and i think it is a great opportunity for each of us to experience teaching the class together and coming up with different lessons and activities for everyone,  Tomorrow should be a fun first day!!
                                                                

Surviving the beginning of the semester !

The beginning of the semester can be a little overwhelming for everyone, we are all still in summer mode but it is time to buckle down and begin a new year. I am finally starting to get back into the swing of things now that we are a few weeks into the semester ! When the semester first started I was a bit overwhelmed with everything that was going on, new year, new classes and so many new things to learn and get into the routine of doing. I was so thrown off when i saw the new eClass it took me a few days to figure out how to work it, figure out where all of my assignments were posted and where I would be adding my work but now that I finally got it I feel a lot better about everything. I am pretty excited for the Education classes I am taking this semester. I love fieldwork and being in the classroom with the children. Helping the students learn and grow throughout the weeks we spend with them is such a fun and rewarding experience. Although science was never my strongest subject I am ready to plan lessons and set up activities that the children will love doing and I am really excited about it as well. I hope the kids enjoy the experience as much as I do.


                                                 

Scientific Me

Danyela DaRos

September 4th 2016

Science Methods

Throughout school I have had many different experiences with science, whether it had to do with experiments we did in class, learning about different topics in biology and even identifying different types of rocks in earth science. I can remember all the way back to Middle School and I can also remember some activities I did in High School when it came to science and the outdoors as well. There was a time where I was able to go outside during my class period and collect different types of rocks outside, after collecting these rocks we brought them back into class to try and identify which types of rocks we have found. Although I enjoyed being outdoors for me the most interesting part of science is when you are able to conduct an experiment and work hands on. When the experiment is right in front of you and you are able to watch and observe something that is about to happen, for me it draws my attention to the topic a little bit more. I can remember a number of experiments I have done in science from middle school on but one that I and everyone else always seemed to be fascinated with was when you would put different color liquids into a glass vile and watch how some start to bubble out and have a reaction and others do not.

Another experiment that always caught my attention was watching how certain things separate when you put them together because one may be classified as having more density then the other. I think it is very helpful when you are able to conduct an experiment and watch the reaction right in front of your eyes. These types of experiments stand out more than others because you can actually conduct the experiment yourself and watch little by little what is going on. Experiments allow you to have a hypothesis and they allow you to talk about what you think is going to happen and then watch and see what actually happens, sometimes you are right and sometimes you may be wrong. It is very important to pay close attention and gather all of the information you can. I also think it is important to keep the kids interested in science as well. I plan to do hands on activities with the children and see how they work with one another and what observations can be made from an experiment that is happening right in front of them because I know when I had teachers who allowed me to do hands on science projects I was much more interested rather than we just talked about different types of rocks all period long.

There are all different types of sciences and there are many different ways to teach it and learn it. Some individuals are more interested in certain topics than others but as long as they are given a good experience with different types of science I think it will be something that they remember and that will impact them in some way or another. I know certain things that capture ones attention always seem to stay in mind years later, like the experiments I did in middle school I can still remember clearly today. I think it is meaningful when you are able to learn something and also get enjoyment out of what you may be learning in science and wanting to continue with the project and find out more. Some topics can just consist of notes and reading when others you are actually given the opportunity to watch and see for yourself, which was always interesting to me. I feel that I have been successful with science over the years, although it was never my strongest subject I feel as if when I started to learn about something that really interested me it came easy to me and I wanted to continue learning. Everyone can always use improvement on different topics but for the most part I was able to obtain a lot of information throughout the years when it came to science. When it comes to defining science I look at science as a study of certain experiments and how one is able to observe what is happening over time, I view it as being able to prove something at the end of a lesson or experiment based off of the information you have provided form the beginning until the end. My learning experiences have shaped this definition because I was always able to make an educated guess on what I thought was going to happen and I was either proven right or wrong after conducting an experiment. Science can be very interesting.