A particular discipline or branch of learning, especially one dealing with measurable or systematic principles rather than intuition or natural ability.
One of the things that stayed with me from last year's CI&A: Science course was the stereotype of what "science" is. Evidence was shown of how primary children had drawn scientists in a fairly stereotypical way -- a middle-aged man with frizzy, Einstein-like hair, a lab coat, and chemistry equipment scattered about. The point was that there is indeed that stereotype, and it appears as if children were viewing science narrowly in that way -- conducting experiments in a laboratory and writing up reports about their results.
And they're not to blame. Watch any kids' TV shows and you'll see the mad scientist stereotype rampant.
The draw-a-scientist exercise affected my view as well, because had I been the test subject, I would've drawn the exact same thing, and as a teacher in training, I should known better. If things remained the way they were I would've propagated that exact same stereotype, thus probably directly affecting children's interests in the subject. Thus, I had vowed to make that change.
People learn by doing -- not so much by reading off from textbooks. In designing my science lessons I try to think of ways to be hands-on and kinesthetic, using full extent of the classroom and its resources. In explaining things I tend to doodle on the board and become more animated, which has helped me greatly in my stint as a Grade 3 teacher here in Thailand.
Having taught the flight unit to a diverse group of grade 4, 5, and 6 students from my last practicum, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons that I have applied -- albeit to a lesser extent than what I had hoped -- in my classroom here. Five important goals that I have created for myself are as follows:
- Breaking the stereotype that science is not just a subject learned in the classroom
- Creating relevant lessons that tie in with real-life experiences
- Connecting science with other subjects -- social studies, English, and mathematics, in particular
- Ensuring the kinesthetic and hands-on interactivity
- Diversifying assessment
To accomplish these will take a lot of time and effort, for sure. But such is being a teacher. And I love it.
"Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science."
- Edwin Powell Hubble
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