Embodied Learning Entrance Slip

I feel like visuals, movement, creation, and manipulable objects really help with learning complicated concepts, though, not being a math major, I still had a difficult time understanding a lot of what was described in the Henderson and Taimina paper. I imagine it would have been easier if I had the objects in front of me, rather than just pictures and descriptions. Things need to be seen in motion to get the full effect. But what actually does embodied learning mean? Is it any physical manipulation of objects in order to learn? If that is the case, geology lends itself to simple activities like scratching minerals and playing with magnets to see what happens. A teacher the other day moved desks around in the classroom to simulate the motion of tectonic plates. Is that embodied learning?

If we want to get into complicated concepts like those in the paper, there must be simpler ways to describe crystal geometry and melting points between solid solutions than what is traditionally done. The mathematical equations, notations, and projections onto a two-dimensional plane are difficult to understand. Can we give students manipulable models to help them understand the concepts? Or, better yet, guide them through building the models themselves?

Inquiry Project Thoughts Exit Slip

I'm still interested in Assessment as a topic, but I think that is way too big and want to wait until we have our course on assessment next session. There seems to be a lot of different philosophies regarding assessment and it comes down to whatever approach you want to take.

I've learned that it is really common for students who struggle with science to take Earth Science classes to get their science credit in order to graduate. So classes have a lot of students who struggle with what we consider "traditional" classroom settings. So how do you plan an earth science class for students with really varied abilities and learning styles? There are going to be such a huge variety of students - some of whom will be on the autism spectrum, or will have ADD or ADHD, or who have just been turned off by science for some reason. How do we create a class that can easily be tailored to each student's strengths, while still helping them improve on their weaknesses? It's going to be so important to learn, and I doubt I will get enough information in that area during my BEd degree. So, inquiry, here I come!

Discussion: Are marks accurate? (Sonya, Ashley, Leah, Brianna, Erika)

Marking from 1-100% is maybe too large a scale. Is there really a difference from 95% and 96%? And each mark should have some kind of meaning - comments associated with it.

Tests are also testing time management during tests. Is that really necessary to do in a test format? If you're going to test time management, shouldn't you teach it first? Is this really something that should be taught in a format that is already stressful?

How many questions would be a good number for a test? Having 10 questions on the same subject seems unnecessary.

Are multiple choice good for helping students who are easily confused? Maybe mixed types of questions in a test would be good - some multiple choice, some short answer, some long form problem. Should we drop their worst section from the grade since that is really testing their ability to test in that format?

Can we do some form of dynamic assessment that responds to the students needs and abilities? Change the tests based on how they perform?

How can we make a test that is helpful for students with different language and learning abilities?

Should students be required to show their work for math questions? Should they get full marks for just getting the correct answer and we assume they know the method? How much should we require?

How do we as teachers know if our assessment is accurate? How can we judge if we are getting an accurate representation of the abilities of our students?

Are tests appropriate in all subjects? Should there be tests in subjects like English?

Grades and Learning Entrance Slip

I read the Sarte and Hughes article and it really spoke to me. I never really felt that grades were that useful when I was in school - a lot of it was luck and had more to do with whether or not what you studied was even on the test. In spite of the fact that I knew grades didn't really reflect my learning, I still was very stressed about them. I wanted to get into a good university, and for that I would need the grades. This only got worse in University when I started stressing about grades to get my degree and get a job. There were some classes I barely made it through - they were mostly sources of stress in trying to get the required grades than anything else, and I have no idea what practical application they would have had.

The idea of grade competition as a motivator has me a little worried. If some people feel that good grades are just that important, what will happen to those who can't get those good grades? Who are "losing" in this competition?

When I was in high school, I took whatever classes I could. I wanted to learn pretty much everything and took more classes than could technically even fit in my schedule. But I always did well and was never too stressed about grades or tests. Other students chose classes based on what they thought would get them the grades they needed. What if we just did away with grading altogether? As long as students were required to be at school with a full course load, what would students do? Clearly, it would be strange at first, and it's not likely to happen any time soon since grades are still required for things like entrance into post-secondary institutions, but what if we were in some distant future where none of that mattered and it was just normal to go to school all day and not be graded. How would students react? How would teachers react?

It was fascinating during the reflections at the end of the paper where they said that even though they no longer felt that grading was so important, they felt they had no choice but to continue doing it. Because that is the world we are living in and that is what students are expecting. Why is this "the only way to get students attention" as they put it? How could we change that crucial part of the system?

I was a little sad that they didn't have a control group for this study. I would have loved to see what the difference was between the classes that de-emphasized tests and grades and a regular class. Clearly there is still much more work to be done in this area! 

Role Models Exit Slip

We all need role models to encourage us. When I was working in Geology, it was the experienced women who took me under their wing and guided me in the industry - they understood what I was going through. Even when I wasn't working with them, knowing that there were women in the industry was encouraging for me. It's not just women who need role models, but people from different cultures, with different abilities, learning styles, and different classes as well.
I'm not great with media, but I can see how much potential there could be to make a more welcoming class. I visited the Emerging Media lab in the Scarfe basement and they had great educational VR programs with little to know language involved - it's super accessible to anyone comfortable with the VR system. I also really love the idea of having skype meetings with people all over the world, including geologists in the field, or scientists in other countries to discuss their work. We could invite people to speak who don't fit the stereotypical characteristics of anyone in the field. I would even love to "share" a classroom with another group somewhere else - having the students around the world teach and learn from one another. Not sure how realistic any of this is, but I would love to see connections like that made - make the world feel just a little bit smaller for my students.

Students should be encouraged to add their own personalities to their projects and work - make it their own and relevant to themselves somehow. Everything from their personal style to their learning style should be made as personalized as possible

Overall, I think we as teachers have an obligation to examine our classroom in every way to be sure it is accessible and welcoming to as many different students as possible. 

Tolerance Vs Embracing in Earth and Space Science/General Science

I was always encouraged to study science in my home and never overtly made to feel unwelcome, but there were few women role models for me in the field of geology. The big names were always men - not just men, but white men. It made me feel out of place. There seems to be a preference for celebrating white men in science fields, and it would help students feel more welcome to have a variety of role models. For example, I only learned about Watson and Crick when we were studying the structure of DNA in biology, never Rosalind Franklin. I try now, when discussing space exploration with students, to show and discuss work being done all over the world, by people of diverse backgrounds. There are interesting astronauts and space scientists from all over the world, but few people in Canada know of the amazing work being done in places like India, China, or the United Arab Emirates.

I also think that teaching in ways that are accessible to people from different backgrounds and cultures is very important, but I still have a lot to learn in this area. I was raised and educated in Canada, and school has always been a familiar and relatively comfortable environment for me. I see now that maybe it wasn't so for everyone in my classes. So how can I make a science class welcoming for everyone? Role models are definitely not enough. Clearly not putting them down is important, and listening to their concerns, but how can I be more proactive? The students should have agency and choice in how they learn, but how can I support that kind of diversity in a large classroom?

Garden Experience Exit Slip

I learned a lot in the garden today. I was lucky enough to be raised in a somewhat rural setting and we had an orchard. Vegetable gardens were something we always had at our place while I was going up. This was so normal to me that I missed gardens and couldn't wait to live somewhere I could grow my own. It hadn't really occurred to me that not everyone has had that kind of experience. It was fun walking around with my classmates and helping them identify plants that they use every day.

I noticed people were very distracted in the garden as well, but I think that is a good thing. It shows how interested they were in their surroundings, how immersed in the experience. They were as excited and in love with the garden as I always have been!

One of the biggest surprises for me was doing the braiding dance. I hadn't thought of gardens as places to learn dance and math, let alone a place to combine these things. But there are plenty of chances to study math in a garden - fractals in a carrot leaf, golden ratios in plant leaves, angles and curves and symmetry everywhere. And you can't be more immersed in a subject than when you are surrounded by it!

Multicultural School Gardens Entrance Slip

Since I first heard of having school gardens, I have always loved the idea, but have had a difficult idea visualizing how I would implement it as a teacher. The things that come to mind are simply learning about the carbon cycle and the growth of plants. This paper by Amy Cutter-Mackenzie was very inspiring and informative.

I had never considered that different cultures would have different relationships with gardens. Food is such a central part of our lives, no matter who we are or where we come from. There is not only great variety in what we eat and how we cook it, but also the social customs around food and eating. A garden is a great way to open a conversation around those different customs, and that conversation can then be expanded to include other cultural differences. It's an opportunity for everyone to increase their understanding; this includes the students, but also the teacher.

I loved the idea of turning a garden into an intergenerational educational experience - giving students the opportunity to help their families and other community members learn and practice English. This would help them (the families) feel part of a larger community, when language may have been isolating them. Even if they don't speak much English, gardens are very physical places and language learning would be done in context at whatever pace is comfortable for them. It reminds me of the preschools I have seen in care homes. Everyone benefits!

The use of students as reporters was inspiring as well. There is no reason the students can't do the work to design and evaluate a garden that is meant for them! I was glad to see the degree to which the students seemed to appreciate the garden. They may not have learned much about the plants themselves to begin with, but I can see how just small changes could help the students focus on what they are growing and eating. They clearly have benefited from the garden even without knowing what they grew.