Hello Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to my website! I would like to share with you some information
about how I teach your children about science and ways you can help them out at
home. In my classroom I have students learn as much as possible by doing hands-on
activities. The students are more engaged in learning when doing activities and
they also retain the information better than if I was lecturing to them all the
time (Sulaiman, Abdurahman, & Rahim, 2010). I also use inquiry or guided
inquiry which allows the students to ask questions and solve problems in their
own way. The students get to use what they learn in class to solve real world
problems (Banchi & Bell, 2008).
Vocabulary
Scientific vocabulary can be difficult for students to
learn. I use strategies in my classroom to teach vocabulary that will work for
all students; even those who are learning the English language. One way I do
this is by talking to the students about the activities they are doing and I
use the vocabulary the students are learning. This helps them to connect the
vocabulary in meaningful ways (Carrier, 2011). You can do this at home by
asking your child about what they did in class that day. I also use pictures
and graphic organizers to help students make connections to the vocabulary.
Here is a link to the PowerPoint presentations I use to introduce
vocabulary:http://brightsideeducation.blogspot.com/p/vocabulary.html
Computer Games
It is not always possible to do hands-on activities in the
classroom due to safety concerns or other reasons. That is when technology
comes in handy to give students experiences they cannot get in the classroom. Educators are finding that students are motivated to learn and are retaining more information
when they use video games to learn about science (Holmes, 2012) (Liu, Olmanson,
Horton, & Toprac, 2011). One interactive online game I have used with my
students is from switchzoo.com. The students get to build their own biome and
learn about the plants and animals that inhabit the area.
You can go to my learning resources link to check out the
game and others that I use to help your child learn: http://brightsideeducation.blogspot.com/p/learning-resources.html
Please leave a question or comment if you would like more information!
Resources
Banchi, Heather
& Bell, Randi. (2008). The Many Levels of Inquiry. Science and Children. Oct. 2008. 26-29.
Carrier, Sarah
J. (2011). Effective Strategies for
Teaching Science Vocabulary. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/7079
Holmes, Venita. (2012). New Digital Energy Game, the Use
of Games to Influence Attitudes, Interests, and Student Achievement in Science. Retrieved
from http://eric.ed.gov/?q=games+in+middle+school+science&ft=on&id=ED536550
Liu, M.,
Olmanson, J., Horton, L., &Toprac, P. (2011). Motivational Multimedia:
Examining Students' Learning and Motivation as They Use a Multimedia Enriched
Learning Environment. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?q=+middle+school+science&ft=on&id=ED522012
Sulaimana, T., Abdurahman,
A.R., & Rahim, S. S.A. (2010). Teaching Strategies Based on Multiple
Intelligences Theory among Science and Mathematics Secondary School Teachers. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences.
8. 2010. 512-518. www.sciencedirect.com
