Telling Time

Over the course of my clinical placement the students have been working very hard on learning to tell time. Learning to tell time is a very difficult concept for students to grasp. Last week my cooperating teacher introduced telling time by the quarter hour. This concept was very difficult for students to understand and was also very frustrating to teach. The students now have had many more opportunities to practice telling time to the quarter hour and they have become much better at it. Knowing how to tell time is a very important concept for students to grasp and one that takes a long time to master. The students in my clinical placement love to play math games so I was looking for some games that the students could play that would help them to practice telling time. I found a few games that I think the students would really enjoy.

I found some very interesting activities and games on a website called Teaching Time which is especially dedicated to teaching students how to tell time. There are two games on the website that I believe students would really enjoy, the first is called Stop the Clock and the second is called Bang on the Time. Both games ask students to read a specific time and match it to a clock or stop a clock that is moving on the specific time that is given. I believe that students who have a fun time playing these games and would be able to self-assess their own understanding.

I found one other website called Time for Telling that provided a game that students could play with a partner using dice. This game is called Just in Time. The game board would need to be printed for students to use. This game would be more difficult for students to self assess but it would still be very fun and valuable for students.

Stem Cells

The use of stem cells is a very controversial and debatable topic in today's society. There many people who are strongly in support and many who strongly oppose stem cell research. I am not entirely sure of what my opinion is. I do not believe in the possibility of cloning people because it takes away the value of a human life. However, I am in support of stem cell research if it leads to the cures of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, or any other major health issue. It will be very interesting in the future to see what happens with stem cell research with the advancement of technology, and the constant human goal to cure diseases.

I already knew that stem cell research has been done on animals and even created clones, like Dolly the sheep. I did not think about any other possible benefits that stem cell research would have for animals. The Voice of San Diego which is an independent news organization released an article on November 30,2009 titled Stem Cells' Next Use:Fighting Extinction.


The article describes the possibilities of using stem cells in animals to fight against extinction through the prevention and curing diseases and the breeding of animals. I am still not in strong support of cloning any living thing, but the use of stem cells to prevent the extinction of animals would be quite valuable.

Stem Cells' Next Use: Fighting Extinction


Polar bears are one animal that may be facing extinction due to small amounts of sea ice as a result of climate change. Could stem cells be used to help prevent the polar bear and other animals facing the same fate from becoming extinct?

Thanksgiving Fractions

Fractions are a concept that I have always had a difficult time completley understanding. I am a very visual and hands on learner and as I grew up it was very difficult for me to understand how fractions worked because I was never really given any good manipulatives. With Thanksgiving and many other holidays that are coming up I was thinking about how math could be incorporated. Many families and friends come together for different types of celebrations and at these celebrations they prepare food by using recipes. Many times recipes use various fractions to measure specific quantities of ingredients that needed to be included. It is also very possible that recipes need to be adjusted to fit the needs of the group that is being served. All of this involves manipulating and using fractions. Using measure cups and spoons is also a great way for a hands-on visual learner to recognize the difference between the size of the fraction and how the fractions relate together as you follow through on the recipes. I think it would be a really neat project for students to work together with a group, find a recipe, and then produce that recipe for a class project. Students are working with fractions as they are following the recipe and they can see that there are real word examples of when they will be using fractions. It could also turn into a neat project if the students planned a dinner for their group, the class, their grade, and the school to really practice manipulating fractions. It may also show them what school cooks go through to plan meals for the entire school.

Educate to Innovate

The New York Times published an article on November 23, 2009 which discussed a new campaign for education that is being pushed by the White House. The campaign is called Educate to Innovate and its goal is to enlist companies and non profit organizations to spend money, time, and to volunteer effort to encourage students, especially in middle school and high school, to purse science,technology, engineering and math. Members of the White House have already recruited Elmo, Big Bird, video gamers and thousands of scientists to work on this new campaign.

President Obama announced that as a part of this campaign there will be an annual science fair held as the White House. As President Obama spoke of this new campaign he is quoted as saying, "If you win the N.C.A.A. championship, you come to the White House. Well, If you're a young person and you've produced the experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too. Scientist and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models, and here at the White House, we're going to lead by example. We're going to show young people how cool science can be" (New York Times).

I really like President Obama's statement on showing students how cool science can be and that scientists and engineers should stand at the level as athletes and entertainers. I think it is very sad and unfortunate that so much attention and money is poured into sports and entertainment. More money and attention should be paid for intellectual activities. I hope that this new campaign is successful is getting students more excited and involved with math and science.

New York Times: White House Begins Campaign to Promote Science and Math Education

Math and Music

I loved listening to music. I may not be great at sining or writing songs, but I love to listening to music. Kids love listening to music. There are countless times in the classroom where I have heard children singing or writing down popular songs from the radio. Even for myself, there are times I catch myself singing in my head. I can still remember the lyrics to hundreds of songs from my childhood. So why not use music to our advantage when we study math. I think it would be really neat to write songs with important math concepts intertwined within it. We could ask students to write math songs for us as an extra credit or extension assignment. So as I was thinking about how I could incorporate music into math class I searched on YouTube for possibilities that already existed and now I have one of the refrains stuck in my head!

Math is Fly

"We do math, subtract, you know this (PEMDAS)
Multiply, divide, exponents
Math is fly, no lie, its easy (PEMDAS)
Left to Right, oh my, stay focus"

I love this song! It has a great message and the middle school students in this video really seem to enjoy it.

I also found some other great math songs...check them out!

Middle School Teachers created this video with their students:What You Know About Math?

California teacher using math raps to engage students: The Math Rapper

I am definitely going to use music in my math class as it seems to have some promising results!

Biodiversity in the Ocean

Over the past few weeks we have been looking at the biodiversity of local land sites that we (as a class) are familiar with. This was a very interesting project and I took a lot out of it but what I really enjoy studying is the biodiversity of the ocean. I am very passionate about protecting our world oceans. The ocean feels like just another part of my soul as I explore it while scuba diving.

The world's oceans are a great place of biodiversity. There are thousands of organisms and living things that depend on each other for survival everyday. It is amazing to look at only a small section of coral reef and look at the number of organisms that live on it, in it, and other living things that depend on it's existence. There are currently a number of problems that our world oceans are facing including coral bleaching, overfishing, and shark finning. These are all very critical problems that need to be addressed and solution need to be found in order for the world's oceans to remain a healthy ecosystem with great biodiversity. But out of these issues I am most concerned with the problem that exists with shark finning.

Sharks are an incredible important part of the ocean's ecosystem. Sharks keep the ecosystem in check by eating their prey and balancing out the population. Without the sharks many different population species would explode resulting in a shortage of food for the prey species putting pressure on the entire ecosystem. Sharks are unfortunately one of the most misunderstood and feared animals. Sharks are often fished for and killed for sport, killed because of a shark attack, or killed through the process of finning. Currently finning is one of the biggest problems that is effecting the shark population.

Shark finning is the process of removing and retaining the sharks fins while the remaining carcass is discarded at sea. The shark is often still alive when it is tossed back into the sea and because it is unable to swim, slowly sinks to the bottom and drowns or is eaten by other fish. Any shark is currently being taken regardless of its sex,size, age, or species. One pound of dried shark fin can retail at $300, the industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins annually (www.sharkwater.com)

Rob Stewart a photographer and biologist released the documentary Sharkwater in 2007. This documentary looks at the devastating effects that shark finning has on the ocean ecosystem and overall shark population. He also explains the misconceptions about sharks and encourages views to make a difference. Please take the time to view his documentary(it's right online) or his website. You need to check this out, I can almost guarantee that if you have a fear of sharks or an misconceptions of them this documentary will clear them all up.

Sharkwater Documentary

Sharkwater Website

Don't believe Rob Stewart? Check out this article posted by CNN on December 15, 2008

Shark Fin Soup Alters an Ecosystem

Please protect the sharks!

I took this picture on a recent trip to the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas..

NCTM on Facebook?!

I decided to look around this evening at the different types of resources that are available on the NCTM website. Everyday I am getting closer to student teaching so it is a topic that is often on my mind. The NCTM has a short article that lists some ideas of how to start the student teaching experience successful.

The first bullet point reads "Realize that you are not Alone" the point of this bullet is to encourage the reader to collaborate with peers and cooperating teachers. It also encourages the students to become very involved with social network suggesting the NCTM group page on Facebook as a starting place. Who knew that NCTM was on Facebook? I joined the NCTM group page on Facebook and I am hoping it will be a valuable resource for me to use as a student teach and in the future.

The article includes many more good pieces of advice for future student teachers. I will be sure to refer to these tips as I am student teaching

Start Student Teaching Successfully!

Importance of Math and Science

This semester I became a student member of both the NCTM and NSTA organization. I have been working with several others on creating a student NSTA chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Through my methods courses I have come to really recognize the importance of becoming a great teacher and it is especially important to be a good math and science teacher. As a future teacher I do not want my students to feel the dread and dislike I had towards math and science in elementary and middle school. The importance of training teachers to be better in the math and science content areas seems to be a very important idea going around right now. As I was searching for news stories concerning math and science I came across a very interesting article published in the Chicago Tribune on November 6, 2009.

The Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, and the W.K. Kellogg announced a $16.7 million grant to train math and science teachers for work in urban school districts around the state. Prospective middle school and high school teachers will be recruited by 6 Michigan universities for the intensive two-year master's program in education. Each tear will receive a $30,000 fellowship and three years of mentoring once they complete the program and are hired.

$16.7M grant to train Mich. science, math teachers

WOW! What an awesome program! Maybe I should think about moving to Michigan....

Owl Pellets

I really LOVED this weeks science activity of dissecting owl pellets. I have dissected a sheep's eyeball, a worm, a fetal pig and a frog before but I have never dissected an owl pellet. I found it very interesting taking a part the owl pellet and finding all of small bones inside. It was really cool to try and analyze bones that were inside of the pellet. I think the bones that were inside my owl pellet were that of a shrew. I think dissecting an owl pellet is very non-threatening especially for young elementary students. I also believe that students would find it very interesting because not every owl pellet has the same skeleton inside of it. As Michelle showed us there are so many extensions that can take place after dissecting the owl pellet. I really want to use this activity in my classroom in the future so I took a look around to see what else I could find out about owl pellets.After searching it seems as though the average price for an owl pellet is between $1.75-$1.99. This seems relatively inexpensive and I am sure if that many owl pellets were purchased in bulk the price per owl pellet would drop down. In my searching I found a really great website all about owl pellets that is great to use for both students and teachers.

This website has information for students on what owl pellet is, how the pellets are formed, what's inside the pellets, and why they are important to study. The website also has a virtual dissection page,where students can "pull" apart the owl pellet and then place the "bones" that are found inside the pellet onto a blue print of a skeleton of the animal its eaten. I think this would be a great resource for students to use to learn more about owl pellets as well as piece some of the skeletons together. The website it also very useful for teachers. The website contains a teacher's resource page which contains a bunch of FREE materials. The website has instructional materials available, a video, and some extension activities (food chains, flight experiments, and information on bird banding). It also contains coloring pages that are pictures of various owls and facts about them. This is a website that I will be definitely bookmarking for future use!

KidWings Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection

Math Observation

Last week at my clinical placement I saw a really cool math lesson about even and odd numbers taken from the Everyday Math Curriculum. This was the first lesson in which even and odd numbers were being introduced to the first grade students. The lesson first began students counting by twos. The teacher asked the students if they noticed any patterns as they counted by twos. A few students noticed that they skipped one number every time they counted by two's. The teacher then asked two students to come to the front of the room. She told the two volunteer students to face each other and hold hands. She then explained to the students that the two volunteers were a pair. She then put up a T-Chart using the computer projector. One half of the the T-chart was labeled "All in Pairs" and the other half was labeled "Not All in Pairs." She recorded the number 2 in the "All in Pairs". She then asked another student to join the two students in front of the room. She had the third student stand back to back with one of the students already standing up in front of the room. She then counted the number of students in the front of the room along with the students. She then introduced the idea of "odd man out". She asked the students if they knew what that phrase meant, one student explained that it meant the person doesn't have a partner. After a short discussion they recorded the number 3 in the "Not all in Pairs" column. This process continued with every single student being pulled to the front of the room, counting the number of students out loud and then discussing if the number was in all in pairs or not in pairs. The teacher then explained that when the numbers are not all in pairs it meant it was odd, because "someone" was left out, and that all of the numbers that have all pairs are called even. These terms were then talked about and practiced several times. Now after this lesson every day when they have their calender time, they are asked whether or not the number of days they have been in school is an odd or an even number. Surprisingly after only a few days all most all of the students are able to identify even and odd numbers. I thought this was a very interesting, unique, and engaging way for students to learn about odd and even numbers and it seemed to stick with them.

The image below is very similar to the T-chart that was created in the classroom during the lesson.

Mean, Median, Mode, Range (Math Make Up Blog- October 9)

I was absent on Friday, October 9 due to illness. During the math class that day the base group presented a lesson using bubbles focusing on measure the diameter of the bubbles, and the mean, median, and mode of the bubbles. I read through the lesson that they have posted on the D2L site and I found it to be very interesting and definitely inquiry based. I believe that it is very important to completley understand the meaning of mean, median and mode. Media often uses mean, median, and mode in reporting various facts and figures. Many times the media also portrays these figures in a bias ways to benefit themselves. It is important for students to understand the meanings of the math terms so that when they are reading through reports that may be represented to them they can critically think about what the data really means as opposed to taking the information presented to them at face values. Over the course of my education studying mean,median, and the mode has come up many times. We studied these math terms and practiced finding them over and over and over again through worksheets, homework, and tests. We never once explored these math terms and how they really worked or how they are used in the real world. I think for a true understanding students need to explore these math concepts and apply them to real situations.

After doing some searching I found two really cool math lesson involving these math concepts on the NCTM website.

The first lesson I found was titled a Mathematical Cornucopia of Pumpkins. This lesson was in Teaching Children Mathematics journal publish in September 2006. This lesson involves students using and exploring the concepts of mean, median, mode as well as mass, volume, circumference, and diameter. Students collect the data on the seed count and seed mass as well. After students collect the data they sort through it and try to create the understanding of the mathematical data by looking at the data as well as their actual pumpkins. It seems like this would a lesson that students would really enjoy exploring. It also seems appropriate for the time of year seeing a Halloween is only a few days away. This is definitely a lesson that I will consider using in my classroom and one that I have saved on my computer for future use.



The second lesson I found on the NCTM website is titled Generating Meaning for Range, Mode, Median and Mean. This lesson was published in the Teaching Children Mathematics journal in the November 2009 issue. This lesson involved students collecting data, thinking of ways that the data could be interpreted, introducing the mathematical concepts and then using real world examples. I really like this lesson because students are developing their own understanding for the mathematical concepts as they are exploring the data. They are not just given a definition to use to describe the concepts. They use the concepts and then learn the definition. I think that this is a great way to learn because students understand concepts differently and by letting students explore they are able to develop their own understanding to use.

The image above is the way in which I was taught how to use mean, median, mode and range. It can be a great real world example of how these concepts work. However, it can not be the only way we teach these important mathematical concepts to students if we want them to reach a true understanding.

Teaching Science

Last week (October 19-23) we (my clinical partner and myself) taught our science unit on healthy living (nutrition, sleep, and physical activity) to first graders. I had an AWESOME time! Over all the lessons we taught together and as individuals went really well. I was really happy with how well the week really went. Of course there are always things that I will need to continue to improve upon and I am by no means an expert of teaching but I am very happy with how things went. The students understood the material that was presented to them and overall they seemed to enjoy it. One thing that I do want to work on is how to react a little more quickly or have some strategies for when something unexpected comes up. For example the lesson I taught on Wednesday afternoon did not go as well as I wanted it to. One of the students started crying in the middle of the lesson because he felt like he had no friends. One student was complaining about how boring school was (this is a daily occurrence) and one students was very sleepy and not participating. I did my best to especially include these students in the activity by calling on them. But to no avail some of the issues still continued, it did seem to really interrupt the progress of the other students as they seemed interested and in their exit slips even the students that were struggling to follow still correctly identified what I wanted them to. I would just like to have more strategies to help me out in situations like this because I was not sure how I should have reacted. I continued on with my lesson and called on the students to help them to become more engaged and after the lesson I had a little chat with the student who was crying to see if he was okay ( my clinical partner was sitting with him during the lesson trying to solve the problem). I am not sure how to really have handled the situation any different. The students in my classroom will always come first, they are human being with emotions and reactions that will be different day by day. It is also my job as their teacher to guide them along with the content. In order to do that I will need to create a safe place in the classroom where all of my students feel comfort. I found an interesting article that talks about students emotions in the classroom and the best ways to build a safe situation for them.

Taking Account of Emotions in Student-Teacher Relationships

Chemistry Experiments

On Wednesday during science class we played with the "mystery blue liquid". The mystery blue liquid was actually red cabbage juice. I learned that red cabbage juice is an indicator and can tell you which substances are a base, an acid, or considered neutral in regards to the pH. We used the cabbage juice indicator to test some of the substances the students in the class brought from their homes. This was an AWESOME lesson! I learned so much from it, and I am a college student! I loved the fact of not knowing in the beginning what the blue mystery was. Not knowing made me want to find out what it was, and I wanted to experiment with it to see what would happen. I was able to make my own connections and inferences as I was experimenting with the mystery liquid. I guess that is the power of inquiry based lessons. I wanted to know more about it, and no one had to encourage me to learn more about it. I can promise you that if I would have been taught with this type of lesson in high school I would have been much more interested in science. In high school, when we did experiments, we knew ahead of time what was going to happen and what we should be looking for. I understand that there are some occasions that you have to know what you should be looking for as you are experimenting, but always knowing kills the inquiry. I want to use lessons like this in my classroom to encourage inquiry. I want my students to be more interested and engaged in science than I ever was. I will keep my eyes open for more lessons like this and I will know that if I would be engaged with the lesson, there is a pretty good chance that my students will be engaged in it.

The NSTA is a great resource for finding inquiry based science lessons. After only a few minutes of searching a found an inquiry based lesson for grades 6-12 on boiling water. The neat thing about this lessons is that it ties to the International Boiling Point Project. After students have completed their experiments they are able to compare their results with students from all over the world. The ultimate goal is to find which factor (room temperature, elevation, volume of water, and heating device) has the biggest impact on boiling water. I love the idea that students are able to collaborate with other students who are not in their classroom.

Watching the Pot to Improve Inquiry Skills

Math and Science in the Flu

Wow! It is has been a long time since I have blogged and I think that I need to fix that. So last weekend (October 9-11) I was at home sick with some time of cold, possibly the flu, I am not really sure. The side effects of my cold are still present (cough) and are slowly starting to go away, (finally). This week Ashwaubenon high school closed its doors for both Thursday and Friday because 41% of the student body called in sick with reported symptoms of the flu. With the H1N1 flu and other sicknesses going around right now, I started to think about where math and science fit in with the flu.

Last week I decided to stay home sick from school on Friday. I decided to stay home for two reasons. The first was because I did not feel well enough to go to school and the second reason was because I did not want to share whatever I had with others. I started to think about what would have happened if I did go to school, and math popped into my head. If I would have gone to school sick I would have easily come into close contact with at least 10 people. Those 10 people would also easily come in contact with another 10 people, and as easily as that just me and my sickness could have spread to 100 other people (that's crazy), and if all of those people come in contact with another 10 people, which is inevitable in a university setting,that's 1,000 people that could have come in contact with my germs! That's insane! It just exponentially grows. It is no wonder that 41% of the student body of Ashwaubenon high school is at home sick with the flu when last week they had homecoming, and are in contact with each other everyday (it's a giant petri dish!). It is also no surprise that the H1N1 flu virus has spread so quickly around the world. Scientists can use math to predict the spread of the H1N1 flu virus. Today, in the United States alone there are 238,366 probably/confirmed cases of the H1N1 as listed on the FluTracker website created by Dr. Henry Niman, a biomedical researcher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Check out the information gather on the spread of the flu: FluTracker Website

Okay, so now that I have talked a little bit about math and the flu (there is no way I covered even close to every way that math can be connected to the flu) let's talk about how science can be connected to the flu. So obviously the spread of the flu can be connected to science by the way the body reacts to colds and infections, as well as how germs are spread from person to person,and how they are reproduced in the body but what I am really interested in is how scientists create flu vaccines. H1N1 flu vaccinations are just starting to be released to the general public, and there is already a shortage of the season flu vaccine in some locations. So how do they make a flue vaccine? I learned a lot of cool information about how the flu vaccine is made every year from the website www.influenza.com.

First world health officials analyze and choose which flu strains they believe will be most prevalent in the following year. World heal officials inform the FDA of which strains they believe will be most prevalent. The FDA must agree with the decision, and then the vaccines can start to be made. Millions of specially prepared chicken eggs are prepared and sent out to drug manufactures. The manufactures inject the chicken eggs with the flu virus. The chicken eggs are then incubated for a period of several days in order for the virus to multiply. The virus-loaded fluid is then removed from the egg. The fluid undergoes purification to ensure that the virus is no longer active. Different strains of the vaccine are then combined and testing begins. Once testing has been completed and any adjustments have been made the FDA needs to approve it. Once the FDA approves it, the manufactures begins to package the vaccine is vials and syringes and ship the vaccinations out.

Are you a visual person?

Annual Influenza Vaccine Production Timeline

Math Manipulatives

During Friday's math class we got to play with the fraction circles which are used to help students learn and understand fractions. I loved playing with the fraction circles. I really believe that if I would have been given the fraction circles and had an opportunity to explore with them at a young age, I would have a better understanding of what fractions are today. Fractions are a part of math that I have always struggled with, and still struggle with today. I actually do feel a bit more comfortable with fractions after just that short time manipulating the fraction circles on Friday. I think the fractions circles helped me because it was a kinesthetic movement and this type of movement is how I can learn best. It was also helpful for me because I new that all of the pieces were cut out of the same circle so it was easier for me to be able to see which fractions were bigger or smaller because the comparisons were easier for me to make. I think it will be very important for me to include math manipulatives in my lessons for learners, who like me need that kinesthetic movement to enhance their learning. After playing with manipulatives I started to think about different materials that could be used for a math manipulative at a free or extremely reduced price. After searching online there are many websites and forums directed as parents who home school their children, that have many great ideas for math manipulatives.

Math Manipulative Ideas

Environmental Science Workshop

I loved going to the environmental science workshop this past Thursday. I love seeing and experiencing science in the outdoors. I love promoting conservation, especially the protection of sharks and the ocean. I was definitely in my element. There was one thing that concerened me at the environmental workshop, and that was people's overall dispositions outdoors. It really bothers me when people (especially girls) scream if a spider happens to wonder across their hand or lap, or how "dirty" and "gross" it is to play outside in the woods. Now, I am not saying everyone has to enjoy the outdoors observing science. However as future teachers we need to watch the dispositions when we are in front of students. It is no surprise to me that there are fewer female scientists then males, when it is constantly put out there that is really "gross" or "dirty" to investigate the science that is taking place outdoors or in the lab. I think many girls get the impression that they can not like science, and that science is meant for boys. I believe this is especially prevalent in the outdoor sciences. It is important for us as teachers as not to show biases such as these because it may shut doors for some students who may otherwise be very interested in the subject. I worry about those at the workshops who were afraid to get down and dirty, and the impacts that they may have on their students and their dispositions. As a future teacher, I hope to not show my negative biases towards any subject and I hope to encourage all students to find for themselves whether or not they like a subject. There are many groups who have tried to reach more girls and get them more interested in science and math.One group in Massachusetts provides a free hands on experiences with science in after school programs for girls of all ages. In the elementary grades students work on science projects and experiences by having a famous female scientist to focus their projects on.

Science Club for Girls

Math Resources

During last weeks math class many groups presented on the resource materials (books & websites) they found to support mathematics. I found these lists of resource to be very valuable for me in the future. After listening to the presentations, I wanted to find a resource that was on the internet and specifically designed to help teachers with planning interesting math lessons. After doing some searching I found the PBS website for teachers which is broken down into grade level and subject. Within each section there are classroom resources, discussions, and professional development. I will use this site, because I think it will help me find creative ways to teach mathematics as well as improve my own skills by being able to share and collaborate with other.

PBS Teacher Resources

Amazing Adaptations

Wisconsin is always known to have crazy weather, and September has been no exception. Wisconsin can go from sunny and 80 degrees one day, to 50 degrees and windy the next day and weather that is everything in between that. I do not want to talk about the study of climate and weather today, but it is a very interesting science topic to study. Today I want to talk about the amazing adaptations the human body makes in regards to weather.

The last few days have been mid-fifties which is typical for a Wisconsin fall and everyone has been saying how chilly it has been. It so interesting to me how our bodies adapt, because right now mid-fifties feels cold to us, but when it is mid-fifties in the middle of January or early Spring we feel like it is a heat wave. It is the same in spring when we have a really warm day and people make comments like, "It's so hot outside", when during the middle of summer it would be considered a very cool day. I wonder how our bodies adapt to these weather changes, and how quickly it changes. It would be very interesting to take a person and have them live in different climate regions to see how quickly they would adjust. For instance take a person from Florida, where its hot and humid almost all of the time, and put them in Wisconsin during a heavy winter storm.

After doing some researching it seems as though there are many processes that help to control and regulate body temperature, especially in extreme climates. For example people who live in extreme cold, like the Inuit have an increased basal metabolic rate, increased fat insulation of vital organs, and a change in blood flow patterns.

What to know more?

Am I Smarter than a 5th Grader?

Over the course of today I have been looking at possible math lesson plans for my group to teach. I have been also thinking about what tomorrow, my first day of clinical placement in first grade, will be like. Last week Friday we talked about the state standards for math, and this discussion made me very nervous. I am very nervous and anxious for the time that I will be teaching math in my clinical placement as well as in my future student teaching, and teaching positions. I am extremely nervous because I am not sure I know math content all that well. I am not confident in my abilities to teach math well. After reviewing the standards it scares me to think how smart my students will be, and many of things they will be studying I have no memory of learning and if I did learn, I am not sure I could explain why the math works. Math is something that I have always struggled with. I have taken the math courses at UW-O, and learned and explained how the math worked, but I am not positive I could explain what I learned to someone else. My math skills have improved greatly overtime. My skills have improved the most by tutoring students in the classrooms I have been in. In fact, a few months ago I took the Praxis II and did the entire math section by hand (because I forgot my calculator!) and still passed. A few years ago I can almost say for certain that I would not have been able to pass that test by only using hand calculations. What makes me most nervous is when students will be asked to explore why something works the way it does it math. This portion of math makes me the most nervous, because what if while the students are exploring they discover something that I am not aware of that is correct, or vice versa that it is incorrect. I know that I need to continue to increase my knowledge in mathematics and through more knowledge I will gain more confidence to teach math.

One way I think I could improve my math skills and become more familiar with what students know is to use the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics website. The website contains great resources and even sample problems that students will see.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

To Be or Not to Be...

Hmmm... I wonder if I made the right decision to be a social studies minor. Michelle said in class the other day there is a need for teacher's to have backgrounds in both math and science and this got me thinking about my decision to become a social science minor. Now don't get me wrong, I love the social sciences they are all very interesting to me and there is a definite need for them to be present in schools. However, I really also enjoy the sciences. I especially enjoy studying biology and the aspect of environmental conservation. I was reminded by this enjoyment on our outdoor biodiversity field trip during Wednesday's class. I am also reminded of this on a daily basis when I go on walks through the Bubolz Nature Preserve in Appleton. I own all of the Planet Earth and Blue Planet series, as well as many other science documentaries including SharkWater filmed by Rob Stewart (If you have not seen it yet, you should!). So with all of this science around me, how is it that I chose social science?

As I reflect on this question, I can easily remember why I did not choose to be a science minor and it boils down to the study of chemistry. Now I know that chemistry is just one field of the sciences, but I am fairly certain I would need to have some classes in chemistry to be a science minor and even just thinking about taking a chemistry course causes me to have anxiety. I do not enjoy chemistry for one second. I both fear and despise it. As a reflective professional does, I thought about why I have these feelings towards chemistry, because after all I only took one chemistry class and that was in high school. I know why I don't enjoy chemistry and it all boils down to the chemistry teacher. Let me start by describing how he set my classmates and myself up for failure. First his grade point scale was too ridiculously easy and not at all acceptable. To get an A in the course you had to have an 80% or higher, to have a B you needed to have at least 60% , to have a C you needed to have at least 40%, a D was all the way down to 20%, and failing was anything less that 20% in the course. How ridiculous is this? First it set me up to believe that chemistry was very hard and there was a pretty good change I am not going to understand it at all, especially if I get a C with only having 40% of the information correct. It also made me feel as though I didn't have to try because I am fairly certain that on any test of quiz I can get at least 40% correct by pure chance, and if not 40% for a C, I could easily get higher than a 20% and still pass the test. The grading scale but itself made it very difficult for me to even believe that I could do well in chemistry, and this mental state did not help me at all in the class. Second, the teacher was just terrible. I can remember going over the concept of balancing equations maybe twice and we were expected to just know it and understand it (like that happened). The teacher fell asleep during his own class as we were watching "important" videos. He also set us up to fail. At my high school there were 8 sets during the day, and chemistry was probably taught 4 or 5 of those sets. The teacher by "chance" left out an upcoming test and answer key on the front counter/desk. Of course the first set of classes for the day copied down the multiple choice answers to cheat (he never changed tests), the answers were shared between friends and passed on through many of the sections. Well, the day of the test people cheated and of course he found out. I was in the 8th and last section of the day and we took the test. By this point he knew some people had cheated so he changed the test, he made every single one of the multiple choice answers to be the letter A (all 25 of them). After we took the test he yelled at us for cheating (even though not everyone, including me had cheated) and told us that all the multiple choice answers had been changed to A. Now, from a student stand point I would never put the answer for multiple choice questions to be A, 25 times in a row even if I did know the correct answer. It was not okay for students to cheat, but as I mentioned before not everyone did, and students like me who did not have the answers felt cheated, as though it was an unfair test.

Now, what was the point of sharing this experience? Teachers have a profound effect on a student's confidence in the subjects they are studying. This teacher made me feel like I couldn't study or understand chemistry, and even when I passed the course I did not feel like I accomplished anything because his standards were so low. I do not want my students to have the negative feelings I have towards any subject. So it is very important for me to not show any negative feelings towards a subject, and to remember that even something as simple as my grade point scale can represent information to my students. I truly believe that this one experience changed my feelings towards science and maybe even changed my decision to avoid becoming a science minor. Maybe it's time for me to give chemistry a fair chance, and now that Michelle explained what the Excel center look for possibilities to gain a science minor and license in the future.

I'm dreaming of a white winter....

Okay, okay, I know what you are thinking, "Why on earth is Amy thinking about snow already? She must be completley crazy!" Well okay, maybe I am a little crazy. We are experiencing some especially beautiful weather right now and there are many fun activities to do in fall. However, I love winter! I do not love Wisconsin icy roads or extremely cold weather but there are so many fun things to do in winter, and I can't wait to do them! I love ice climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing and naturally you can only experience these activities during Wisconsin's winters.So in thinking about the activities I am looking forward to this winter, I started thinking about the science that goes along with these activities. As I go ice climbing I experience science as temperature changes directly effect the ice I am climbing. If the temperature is too warm, the ice is very wet and difficult to climb because the picks easily get stuck. If the temperature is too cold, the ice becomes very brittle and shatters in pieces when you hit it. Science and math are present when we tie ropes and use angles and pulley systems to help us climb. As I snow shoe it takes the integration of math and science to explain how snowshoes keep you from sinking in knee high snow banks. When I go skiing the weather patterns and temperatures directly effect the quality of the skiing. Snow temperature effect the type of wax put onto the skis, and the temperature of the iron used to apply the ski wax. Down hill ski racers use this science to compete at their best. Even for the snow to fall science is in charge. Social studies also plays because there are certain regions of the United States that receive different amounts of snow, or no snow at all. I will enjoy this fall's activities as well observing how science is involved with the seasons changes, but I look especially forward to this winter to see what science has in store for my activities.

Where am I ever going to use this?

"Where am I ever going to use this? Why do we have to learn it? This is so pointless, I am never going to use it again!" As a student I have mumbled the previous phrase and questions countless times and as a future educator, I am sure I will hear them from my own students countless times. As I think back on my education and my experiences in the classroom these statements are often uttered during math and science lessons. I can also recall on several occasions that after these statements were made the the teacher simply responded with, "Trust me, you will see and use it again later on in your life." This answer is not at all satisfying, especially when trying to keep a student interested in the topic. I believe that teachers need to do a better job of showing students how the topics they are learning are truly relevant to their lives in order to help them understand and maintain interest.

As I sit here on a very slow day at work, I am completely surrounded and engulfed by math and science. I currently work as a sales associate and scuba instructor at a dive shop in Appleton. Each and everyday I come to work I am completely encircled by math. When I open the store, I count the cash for the store. As customers come in I use math to calculate discounts, tax, shipping and payments. I use math when calculating how much weight an individual will need in order to be properly weighted while scuba diving. Science is also constantly present through out my work day. Science is needed to understand the physics of diving, filling scuba tanks, and the chemistry of the salt water aquarium that is located in our shop. Science and math are always inter-related with the sport of scuba diving. The science of physics explains why something works the way it does, and then math is used to solve the problem. For instance,science explains how and why objects are either positive, negative, or neutrally buoyant in water. Math is then used to calculate how much more or less weight is needed to make it positive, negative, or neutrally buoyant in the water.

Science and math surround me each and everyday and most of the time I do not even realize it. As a future teacher it will be important for me to help students recognize that on a daily basis science and math surround them, and it is a very important topic for them to learn about.

The following link is to a lesson plan put out by PBS designed around the science and physics that effect scuba divers by using a documentary of the sinking of the Andrea Doria.


Andrea Doria Science Lesson Plan

The Light Bulb Turned On

Through the course of my education at UW-Oshkosh, I have taken several language arts courses. The topic of teaching vocabulary has come up in almost all of these courses. I have read the research about teaching vocabulary, and I have practiced different methods and techniques of teaching vocabulary but it was not until my science methods class on Wednesday (August10th) that the light bulb turned on, and something just clicked inside my head. Professor Fleming was guiding us through an activity,when she said " Don't ever introduce vocabulary before the activity." She then showed us through an example, by defining the term "model" through the activity. Now, I have read the research and listened to lectures about how to teach vocabulary but it was not until today that it truly become clear to me through the example that was given.

As I think back on my own education, I can remember how I was exactly taught new vocabulary words for each new unit I was studying. Almost always, before beginning a new unit the teacher would write the vocabulary words on a board followed by the definition. We would then record the word and the exact defintion given into our notebooks. Learning vocabulary like this did not work for me, and I am sure for most students it does not work. Students, including myself, do not retain vocabulary this way and even if they do they only know the word and it's exact defition and no conception of how it is to be used in a sentence, or how it is really related to the content. Using the word and defining it through the activity is much more vauluable. Not only am I able to better recall the meaning of the word, in this instance "model" but I am also able to recall how it was used in a sentence, and what a real "model"looks like becasue I drew one with my own hands.

The statement that was made by Professor Fleming,"Don't ever introduce vocabulary before the activity", was so simple and one that I will easily remember and continue to use.