November 25th

Today we went to the science fair in Elk Point. It was a blast! One of the first things we did was eat lunch. Then we had two teachers discuss with us some of the guidelines for judging the science fair. After we all had our partners we went out into the gym to judge the groups we were assigned. I was assigned to judge the Earth Science projects. I went around to about seven projects with my partner. One of the top projects we found dealt with different gases and temperature. The boy did a great job of showing his experiment and what he found. Another project we thought was good would was a project about wind energy. He had a great timeline regarding wind and how it has developed into all of the ways it is used for energy. Another project I saw that was very well done, but I did not have to judge was a project about reaction time. I got to try to catch a ruler and was timed. The student found my reaction time and compared it to other females my age. There were a lot of other experiments I liked also.
I thought this science fair was a great way to give us experience regarding judging science fairs, grading projects, and assessing students and learning about science concepts. I also think this was a great way for the students to gain experience with sharing their thoughts and experiments with others. Overall this was a great experience for everyone and I would definitely want to do it again.

November 20th

Today we had another work day. We started off the class with a group discussion regarding everything that is coming up in the future. We passed around a sign up sheet for our final projects as well. We tied up all of our loose ends and then got together in our groups to write our last lesson plan. This lesson plan needed to have hooks to the grade before it and after it in order to better help us prepare for 'real life' teaching. I think it was a great learning opportunity and again I was so productive and my group got everything done. We chose to do a unit on measurement and we used a projector to tie in technology. I am excited to see how everyone's lesson hook and what activities they are all doing.

November 13th

Today in class we had a work day. We got to work with our partners to do our second lesson plan. This lesson plan is based on a book we are going to use to introduce the science aspect of the lesson. My partner and I decide we would introduce our lesson on bats with Stellaluna. The book focuses on a baby bat that is separated from her mother and what she does to get back to her mom. My partner and I found a South Dakota science content standard for 1st grade. This standard says that first graders are able to list needs of people and other animals. I am happy we had the chance to get so much done today and my partner and I were very productive. It really helps having a work day in the classroom!

November 6th

Today we started out with viewing the revised schedule/syllabus. I think this was important to start with so every student was on the same page. Then we discussed the 5 E-model. We viewed a PowerPoint dealing with this model, which did a good job of explaining all of the steps. What I learned from this PowerPoint is that the 5 E-models consists of the the 5 E’s which are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. The engaging stage is when students use their background knowledge to make new connections. The exploring stage is where the students use their knowledge when working with materials. The explaining stage is when students use their findings to begin talking about what they are learning. The elaboration stage is where students build upon their thoughts they just learned are able to change their views. The evaluating stage is where the teacher decides if their students have learned the material and gained more knowledge about the material then when they started.

Then we did a lab regarding the 5 E-model. We chose to focus on the Explore stage. We described what the students would be doing for the lab and then we did the lab ourselves from our own directions to see if everything was clear. This lab was fun and simple. After doing the lab we realized that what happens in the higher concentrated mixture was that the potato floated. I think this was a little difficult to see because we had kept stirring the mixture so we didn't see the potatoes floating. Overall, this was a great lab and a great way to incorporate what we learned from lecture into our lab experiment!

November 4th

Today was a good day. We opened the class with a presentation. The presentation was on the four seasons and I thought it was very well done. I loved the video and thought their activity was awesome. I really liked their activity on creating a book throughout the entire year. This would be a great way to incorporate their unit for the entire year.

Next we all went outside and set off the bottle rockets from the previous lab lesson presented. This was fun! We all wore the appropriate safety garments. It was great to observe and more people, that weren't in our class, came and watched also. It made me feel like I was back in elementary school, but in a good way.

Then we moved on an discussed our assignments. I thought this was helpful because everyone has a better idea about what is expected and going on in the next few weeks. I feel a little overwhelmed, however I think things will all work out.

Then we went through an assessment PowerPoint. This was interesting, but had a lot of information to digest. I think this was helpful though and a good introduction to our new book we will be reading!

October 30th

Today was another presentation day. There were lots of good demonstrations today.

One of the labs I really enjoyed was the taste lab. We all got a chance to guess where the different tastes were found on our tongues and then given jelly beans to try to figure what kinds of tastes we all enjoyed. My favorite part of the lesson was when the teachers made a graph of our favorite tastes. I thought this was a great visual and way to have everyone participate.

Another lab we watched was the ooblac. We had actually already seen this demonstration done the day before, but it was good to review.

Another demonstration was done with bottles and making water tornadoes in them. I thought this lab went smoothly and I was happy the teachers had already made the wholes in the water jugs for us. I thought they were well prepared with their materials also.

The last demonstration was done short on time. It was one with heat and light sources for first graders. The PowerPoint was well made and they got everyone involved by having volunteers feel the heat coming from the lamp. They also had lots of great examples and visuals. The worksheet was also an easy way to assess students and the candy at the end was a great way to close the lesson. I also enjoyed how they tied trick-or-treating into using a flashlight or light source.

Overall today was a lot of fun! And beneficial.

October 28th

Today was quite an interesting day! We had more presentations to watch and do. Today, however, I had trouble concentrating. The first presentation to start took awhile to get the technology started. It seemed that today's lessons weren't as prepared as they should have been. We didn't get through to many demonstrations today because of the lack of technology and time.

The first demonstration I remember seeing was the bottle rockets. I thought their safety video for this was great and I loved the demonstration. It really stood out and I think, if done properly, the kids or students would really enjoy it.

The other demonstration I remember was the one on elephant toothpaste. This was done well and I thought it was well organized. The materials were already measure and laid out and this made the lab go smoothly.

Overall, I don't remember to much from today's presentations, but I do remember how great the bottle rocket was! It went super high!

October 23rd

Today was presentation day. My group went first and I thought we did a good job. We ran a lab of making Jell-O and learning about mixtures. After we were done we watched other group go and do their presentations. The group that did the habitat activity did a great job of sharing information and I thought their activity was fun. Then we watched an activity regarding oil, water, and food coloring. This activity was great! I actually enjoyed it and really thought kids could get into it and found it very interesting. There was also an activity on floating and sinking objects. I think this activity was also fun, but the students could have created a worksheet that would have made the lab go a little smoother. The last activity we did not have time to do.

I think this class overall, was beneficial but felt really rushed. I also found that this room was really hard to work in. There wasn't a lot of room to walk around and I hope when I teach that I have a better workable space. I also would have hoped that there would have been more time so we could have seen the last activity. I am looking forward to the rest of the presentations the following class period.

October 21st

Today we started the day, once again, by answering questions. This was helpful, because our midterm project was due the next class period. Then we went through the Chapter 5 and 6 study guide. This was helpful also. We went through it and discussed it together in order to hear about other's ideas. It is due in a week, which also gives us a good chance to reflect on what we talked about in class and figure out our answers.

After the reading guide we did a short little lab. This was fun and entertaining. It also took the perfect amount of time so that we still had time to reflect together as a class. The lab was basically blowing air on a ping pong ball and watching it jump from the glass and land in another one. The air was what made the ping pong ball jump out of the first glass. We also found that the air created a current. I also learned that the harder we blew on the ball, the further it would go. We also made a graph to portray this finding. This lab was fun and entertaining along with benficial and informational!

October 16th

Today we were in the computer lab. We all got on the Internet and went to a site where we learned about Staying Safe Online. This site we went to had a worksheet, which we were given, to fill out. We went through each question and clicked on the different links in order to find the answers to the questions. The questions all related to how students can be safe online. The information we wrote down, I actually already knew, but it would be great for younger students to learn about.

After the worksheet we filled out some stars with what we think would be the most important tips for people to know before using the internet. Then we drew pictures and colored the stars. This was a good creative activity for the students used to culminate the information they learned.

The last activity we did, was look up a URL that had information we could use in order to stay safe in the lab. We did this in groups. It was an easy assignment which was nice because we were all a little hyper today.

October 14th

Today we went through a PowerPoint regarding safety. The presentation shared considerations and information regarding safety. It also answered questions about our midterm project.

Before the presentation we opened with questions regarding the class. It seems we open with questions everyday which is helpful, so that we all are on the same page. However, I think we all seem to get confused from class to class on what is expected. So sometimes the questions are a little repetitive which can hinder our learning time.

After the presentation we read an example of a Science Story. We took turns reading, which helped to get us all engaged. Since a Science Story is part of our assignment for the midterm, I was happy we received an example of one.

Overall, class was productive today and my concerns on the midterm project were cleared up.

The Amazing Food Detective

I thought this activity was great! I did a couple of the case studies. I did Emily and Althea. The thing I liked the most about this website and game was how interactive it was. It did a great job of showing me how to use the tools and it was very instructional and easy to do. I loved the colors and visuals as well. One thing that was also great was the print out of the activities we could do away from the computer and at home. This is helpful because not everyone has a computer or enjoys using one. I think it is also important to incorporate different activities into the same unit so children don't get bored to easily. I thought this was great because it also integrated parents into the information and knowledge being taught and learned. I think that it also did a good job of including boys and girls. I think both genders would like this website and detective solving. There were also mini-games that go along with each case. They are also fun and a great way to learn and use different areas of the brain. I also think the mini-games can be used more for fun then for learning so teachers could use them as a reward!

CyberBee

Wow! I loved this website. At first when I looked at it I really didn't see to much, but then I looked at the links on the right. The first one I clicked on was 'curriculum ideas'. This had a ton of information ranging all of the different ways to integrate Internet into the classroom curriculum. It included all of the subject areas and cross-curricular ideas, which was great because I won't be teaching just one subject area. Then I clicked on 'web projects'. There were only two but they seemed fun and beneficial to the students. There was also a link for 'research'. This link would help student dealing with web evaluation guides, citing electronic resources, and noodle tools (which is a quick cite area). The last link I clicked on was 'treasure hunts'. This link led me to a page full of other links that were super fun and helpful such as 'science on the web' and a treasure hunt where you answer trivia questions regarding your favorite authors. I think this website is completely beneficial and would be great to use in the classroom with every subject area. One of my favorite things about this website was it's integration of the different areas and ways that Internet and technology can be used in the classroom. I will definitely be visiting this website in the future!

October 7th

Today we opened class with a slew of questions that needed to be answered. This is important so that everyone starts off on the same page. After asking and answering questions we moved into the PowerPoint dealing with safety in the classroom.

This PowerPoint gave all of us a lot of information regarding the midterm project. It showed us the rules we should follow in the classroom and the rules we should follow with our project. One thing I remember Dr. E. saying is 'to never leave the classroom when doing a lab'. This is a great example of having a safe learning environment.

Then we looked at a list of judging a science fair fairly. This had a lot of good information on it. I think the steps will really help me to learn about judging. I also liked the fact that there was a rubric attached to it. This was a great example and showed me what I need to be prepared for.

The last thing in class we did was a mirror lab, regarding mirror writing. I liked this lab. It was quick but fun and interactive. This lab is great because there isn't a lot of preparation needed. It was funny to see others writing and to try and write your own. It showed me how difficult it is to write without seeing also.

October 2nd

Today I was not in class. I went to the Rosebud Indian Reservation for internship. However, I did do the reading for today and looked at the PowerPoint I missed.

I learned a lot about misconceptions while reading chapters 3 and 4. I learned that they should be used in the classroom as a stepping stone regarding the base of learning in the classroom. I learned that students should taught to learn from their 'wrong' ideas and learn new ones. Every child is going to come into the classroom with different ideas and it is a teachers' job to show the students the right way of thinking and let them explore on their own.

After looking at the PowerPoint I learned more about building upon teaching concepts. There was a lot of information in the slide show. One thing I found interesting is that research has found is in regards to core concepts. Research basically says the best way for children to learn is to be taught the basics, then taught more on top of them, and that these concepts should be taught year after year. This is important, because it is hard for students to understand material they haven't been taught before.

Web Seminar

After viewing the Web Seminar, I realized how beneficial something like this is in the classroom. The information was presented in a way that made me interested and kept my attention. One thing I really enjoyed about the presentation was the use of charts and diagrams. They did a great job of depicting the information and showing how it connects. One of my favorite diagrams was the comparing and contrasting of the high and low mass stars. I also learned about the make-up of stars and that hydrogen makes up the majority of a star.
In a classroom, when I am the teacher, I think I could truly use Web Seminars to teach different subjects. I think students would enjoy this, not only because of the viewing appeal, but because it is interactive. I also think viewing the presentation is beneficial, because students can go back and look at the slides in order to refresh their memory. Another advantage of using a Web Seminar is for comprehension. By having students interact, you as the teacher can see who understands the material. This experience overall, was a good one for me. It was beneficial to see the use of technology in the classroom and I learned more than I probably would just from a lecture because I could move at my own pace.

September 23rd

Today we learned how to do an acid test. We learned what acid was and then how to tell if there was acid in something. The first thing we did was mixed baking soda and vinegar in a cup. The mixture bubbled releasing carbon dioxide. This release pushed the stopper up. We also observed that if the gas forms then the liquid is an acid.

After doing this test we did the same test with water, orange juice, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice. We mixed baking soda with each of these substances. We found that each liquid did contain acid, however, there were different levels of acid. The vinegar had the most acid. The water did not have any acid. The lime and lemon juice seemed to have almost as much as the vinegar and the grapefruit and then orange juice came next.

We also did this experiment with the actual fruit. This however, proved that there was more acid in the actual juice then in the fruit. This lab was very interactive and it was nice to work and discuss this in groups.

September 18th

Today we started off class with a discussion regarding the Science Standards and goals included. This did a great job of providing for us what was and is important when teaching a Science activity.

After we did this we went only to Foss Web. This was an interactive site where we learned about Nutrition and and Food. I think this activity was a lot of fun. I learned about how to prepare a food dealing with proteins, carbs, fats, and calories. We played a game called 'what's for dinner'. We planned what foods would be allowed. The web page was colorful and fun to use and easy! This was a great example of using technology in the classroom.

After this activity we did the activity on the web, we did an activity on paper and planned a lunch menu. This was great because some people might learn better by writing instead of doing things on a computer. We also learned about calculations, which is a great way to integrate Math content.

Then we took a short, easy quiz. This is important because we need to be aware of whether or not the students are comprehending and learning. I thought today was a very productive day!

September 16th

Today we discussed more about science and the strands. I already had read about the strands, therefore this was a great review. We also talked about all of the questions we had regarding the quiz and blogs. This was helpful so I knew what was expected of me.

Then we made the safety game. This was a great activity. We colored the game board and learned how to play. I think this would be a great activity to do in the classroom. It teaches students about safety and how safety will play a huge role in science activities. I think this activity should be done in the earlier activities, so that students can learn how to be safe when doing the future activities.

We also were given a lesson plan evaluation rubric so we understood how to make one and what was all required. This was great because there are lots of different ways to assess students and this rubric did a great job of providing what was required for our projects. It makes it a lot easier to succeed if we know what is needed and being looked at.

September 11th

Today during class we discussed the Nature of Science. One of the things I took out of the lecture was the four reasons to teach science well. They include that science is an enterprise that can be harnessed to improve quality of life on a global scale, that science may provide a foundation for the development of language, logic, and problem-solving skills in the classroom and that a democracy demands that its citizens make personal, community-based, and national decisions that involve scientific information.

While during the reading I learned about the four strands of science. These include understanding scientific explorations, generating science evidence, reflecting on scientific knowledge, and participating productively in science. I read about how these four strands need to be intertwined and used in the scientific curriculum.

One thing I really enjoyed regarding the reading was the example of scientific lessons in different grades. The examples were then related to the reading of the chapter and that really helped me to make connections.

September 9th

Today's activity regarded using Temperature Probes. The name of the lab was Temperature Probe Response Time. What we did included using a temperature probe, a glass of cold water, a glass of hot water, and a calculator-like thing . These tools all helped us to find out how response time works.

I felt that the lab could gone a little smoother. I thought the directions were going to be a little simpler, and it was difficult for us to get our technology to work the correct way. After we got our calculator thing to work, the lab was easy. We basically just stuck a probe in a cup of cold water, set up the calculator, and then moved the probe into a glass of hot water. Then we recorded our results.

The time it took for the temperature to max out was 78 seconds. We minused 20 from that and found out that our response time was 58 seconds. This basically means that it took 58 seconds for the temperature to completely change from the cold water to the hot water. Our graph looked like a bell basically and then at the top it levels off, which represents the temperature being maxed out. Our group also felt that the reason the time was on the bottom was because it was constant and the temperature was on the side was because it kept changing.

Overall, this lab was a good way to introduce new concepts, tools, and group participation.