Hello,
I'm Mark, and I have been teaching 6th grade science, in a middle school, for over a decade. I had reached a point in my career when I wanted to become a better teacher. Pursuing a Master's Degree was a giant step for me, personally. Two of my friends, at work, have gone through the same Lesley program, and recommended that I check it out. I have two young children at home, and the convenience of the online program was the deciding factor when I chose Lesley for my graduate degree. Back then, I didn't know how convenient it would be for me and my family.
I have been able to work during every part of my day. I go online before the kids wake up and after they go to bed. Sometimes, I just jump on when the time is right. It's GREAT!
After participating in the Lesley program for only a short time now, I have already felt a shift in my approach to my teaching. The use of inquiry in my own learning , here at Lesley, has reset my thinking about how I teach science to my students. I'm learning how important it is for me to facilitate the process of learning science for my students. The days of recipe type labs and classroom lecture are fading.
Just this week, in my Physics class, the focus has shifted to "listening" to children and their ideas. What are their ideas about motion? This is so important in trying to move their understanding of motion, forward. Many children have a basic understanding about motion, but when they're asked to explain why or how, their ideas take very different paths. How can we begin to help children learn the complexities of motion without spending time to take a look at what they already know? Whether those ideas are right, or wrong, we need to listen first.
In coming weeks, we'll be continuing our focus on children's ideas about motion. I can't wait!
-Mark
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These past couple of weeks has been a challenge for me. I celebrated my 10-year wedding anniversary with a trip to Ireland with my wife and some family. I knew that I probably wouldn’t have a chance at getting any school work accomplished while on my trip. I decided to get all of my assignments done before I left. The flexibility of the Lesley program allowed me to access the session for the following week. Although it took a bit of extra effort to get things done on time, I was able to complete the assignments and enjoy my time abroad.
ReplyDeleteThe coursework, recently, has focused on listening to children, as I said in my last post. We have spent a great deal of time and effort analyzing our one-on-one clinical interviews. This has really got me in tune with finding out what children know about motion, and truly wanting to know what they think about motion. I felt a click that has rewired what I want to get out of my students. Instead of focusing on what I want them to know, I am fascinated by what they know already. I want to learn what they think about movement in their world.
I have learned that children have many great ideas about how or why things move, but struggle to change misconceptions. It is my job to help them explore those ideas, and see, for themselves, what can be supported by evidence. These skills will be something I continue to work on this summer, and I am looking forward to using them in the fall.