CREDE

Dr. Tharp's "theory" portion of his standards is a very relevant piece of information. When I am reflective about my personal theories about what children can and cannot do I get a little nervous... am I guilty of having low expectations for some students? I have always prided myself on my willingness to be flexible and responsive to student's needs but am I too quick to make accommodations? When I consider how I go about it... I usually make accommodations right off the bat so they don't feel overwhelmed. Maybe I should let them make attempts and see how it goes so I don't limit them from the get go... by having lower expectations for them. I will really pay attention to this aspect in the next few weeks and see if maybe I am making assignments less challenging for some students!

CREDE

So I couldn't sleep as I thought about my classes and how they interact in my classroom. I think I do a good job because I do a lot of lab work in my classes... but they are always so unsure of themselves during labs... they ask many questions like "what should this look like?" and "are we doing this right?"

As I reflect I'm thinking maybe to make it more challenging and really hit home on the scientific inquiry standards I need to do more labs that are self designed by the students. What I mean is... Here is the research question - you can use any lab equipment I have available - design an experiment to investigate the question. The students will be much more likely to "ingest" the ideas of control groups, quantitative data, etc... They create tables and data charts rather than filling them in...

I do it in the beginning of the semester but maybe it should be implemented throughout the course.

CREDE

I like the idea that Dr. Tharp refers to as "forever assisting." It is so important that what we do in the classroom sparks curiosity. We need to help our students become thinkers! Our lessons need to be engaging and support higher order thinking in our students. When we tell them facts and show them information it does not require much interaction on their part. I agree with Dr. Tharp when he states that worksheets do not promote complex thinking. To me they are just fact checking devices. I also have many students who tend to copy and cheat so worksheets are even less effective in that regard. They just want to fill in a blank... get the point in the grade book. They don't really invest in wanting to know it. When we do lab activities and create artifacts by doing projects the students display self expression that gives us insight into their personality, interests, likes, and dislikes. This in turn creates positive momentum. The more we understand the influences on the students the better we can serve them.

Even something as simple as a poster can be a useful tool. It is common knowledge among educators that teaching is the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy. When students take information and attempt to construct meaning and present it back to the class or other students, the process itself is much more enriching. They have to decide what it means to them and convey it to others... a powerful thing.

Truly the most challenging lessons make them think... and think... and question... and connect... and organize....

CREDE

Crede standard 2... developing literacy and language skills across the curriculum is very important for my science students. I think many students - native English speakers and ELLs alike, sometimes tune out or turn off because the language of science sounds so complicated. So much of the content is based on words they don't use or hear everyday. At the beginning of the semester we focus heavily on what my science department refers to as "scientific literacy." We discuss and create visual aids for word parts used commonly in science like "hydro," "hetero," "geo," and "therm." When students see a word with one of these commonly used parts they can begin to decode the meaning. For example, if a student sees the word geothermal... they might recognize part of the word (therm) and think... "I know that has something to do with heat..."

What I do have going in my favor is that the concepts are things they do EXPERIENCE on a regular basis. This relates to what Herrell & Jordan call "relia." They can connect to the real world using objects like flashlights and bubbles to construct meaning and remember information. An example of this is the concept that light waves are energy, not matter. We emphasize that matter has mass and takes up space. If I shine a flashlight on a scale in front of them (or they do it themself) the scale does not register any measurement.

CREDE

Being a Science teacher, I am in a position to construct activities that meet CREDE standards on a pretty regular basis. I try to do at least one lab every week or so. The lab environment usually calls for using collaborative groups and encourages dialogue. I think I could probably do a better job of LISTENING! As I contemplate my actions during lab times I am coming to realize that I move at a pretty frenetic pace moving from group to group... answering questions, clearing up misconceptions, reassuring students that they are doing it "right," fixing equipment... tons of action but am I listening to dialogue between the students????? Maybe not so much. I blink and its time for them to leave.

Another thing I need to pay more attention to... Groupings! If I let them group themselves or pick their partners, they flock to their own cultural groups. I need to intervene and force a little more interaction.

I am good at showing my ELLs respect (Garcia's first R). I praise the fact that they can speak and think in TWO languages. We talk about the differences in the language of the Spanish speakers from El Salvador, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. They got into an interesting discussion this week about the word "tea kettle" which was in a scenario I had given them about phase changes. The kids from PR didn't know what it was and one of the girls from ES was explaining it to them in Spanish... they were listening intently and both their faces lit up at the same time when they got it... she must have said a word that "clicked" for them. It makes me want to learn Spanish!