The Snow Strikes Again!

Another class canceled due to inclement weather! I would like to say we have gotten lucky, but in all reality missing two classes back to back is actually worse. Dr. S expects a lot from her students, and it is very easy to fall behind in her methods classes. I don't think I will have this problem because I know what is to be done each week to insure I don't fall behind. It is essential to stay on top of writing blogs and also writing observations as each group teaches the class. This is where Dr. S really looks to make sure you were paying attention to the group's lesson & give feedback to our peers. I am excited to meet our students, but also nervous because I am still confused to what exactly we will be doing in the after school program. Hopefully the next blog I write is after meeting our students!

The Journey Begins!

The first Tuesday classes of the semester started off with a snow day! I had mixed feelings about not meeting in person for the first class, because we only meet once a week this semester. Online through webchat Dr. S was able to give the class a brief overview of what we will be doing this semester.  I think the first class session was easier for me than other students because I had Dr. Smirnova last year. I am now familiar with her Eclass style and knew what to expect with the different google docs.

The first thing Dr. Smirnova had us do was draw a scientist. After we drew our scientists we then discussed the similarities in our drawings. Many of the drawings had men with crazy hair, lab coats, glasses and some sort of beaker or glass tube. We then talked about why these are our interpretations of scientists. Many of us stated it was because this is how scientists are portrayed on television or in movies. Dr. Smirnova then talked about how there are many different types of scientists that do more than just experiments. This activity made me think back to my elementary school days when I was always excited for science lessons. In my school we had a science/math specialist who would come around monthly to each class and do a different experiment. One of my favorite experiments was getting a hard boiled egg to fit inside a glass bottle. We were always asked to make our own hypothesis and then make conclusions why whatever happened after the experiment was over.

Just as we did last year in Social Studies Methods, we were required to create a blog and also use a tool to introduce ourselves digitally to the rest of the class. I was interested in using a new tool this time around so I chose thinglink! With thinglink I was able to introduce myself to the class using pictures from different aspects of my life. This tool is good in the classroom for older students to use for projects that way they can make a virtual poster with required information rather than a hard copy version. You can view my thinglink here!

When I found out we would be doing fieldwork in the after school program at Bishop Dunn I was very excited. The theme for the program is everyday is earth day! This program is intended to excite students about science through the use of the inquiry process. My group decided to pick the topic "energy resources." We will be discussing different types of energy (wind, water and solar) , where they come from and how they effect the planet we live on.