Integrated Science/Inquiry-Based Teaching Lab Reflection

This past week, our teaching lab was Integrated Science/Inquiry-Based Learning. We had to use some sort of scientific equipment but also incorporate the techniques we learned with inquiry-based instruction. My lesson was on conducting soil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, and dish soap pH tests and comparing the pH of each substance.

Opps-Opportunities to Improve

• I stumbled on some explanation of the soil pH indicator colors. There were 2 different solutions that would react with soil that was in certain pH ranges that are specific to those colors. I just need to know what I'm talking about and be confident in my activities. Practice!
• I also need to be more clear in what the students need to find by the end of the lab. It wasn't clear to the students and that caused some confusion. I would just need to make sure that I fully state the question and ask if the students have any other questions about what they are to do.
• The students should draw conclusions on their own. They have collected the pH of all the substances and now they need to communicate what each of those means.

Gems-Things to Keep Doing

• I did well at walking around the room and asking the students if they were doing okay.
• I let the students test for pH at their own paces. They knew what they had to do and I was there for them if they needed me.

Overall, I think the lesson went decently well. There are definitely things I have to work on but I think I did better than I feel I did. I got frazzled when I was asked about the indicator colors and that threw me off for the rest of the lesson. I can't let that happen in the future.

Weekly Investment Inquiry Based Instruction

Weekly Essential Question:

What is Inquiry-Based Instruction?

Key Questions:

Why use Inquiry-based Instruction?
How is Inquiry-Based Instruction different than Problem-Based?
What are the key elements of IBI?

Key Takeaways:

Mr. Seaman's Interview

• scaffold questions for students, ask yourself "Are the students headed in the right direction?"
• students must find answers to said questions

Readings

• students are working with each other to conduct experiments
• hands-on!!!
• I really liked the descriptions of the Six Stages of the Inquiry Cycle
• Inquisition
• Acquisition
• Supposition
• Implementation
• Summation
• Exhibition

Thinking about each of these steps individually really puts IBI into perspective for me. It helps me to think of how to implement this into my lessons. 

• "knowledge in action" is an exceptional description of IBI
• I think this is really important. Students have learned something in the area of plant science, and then there is a problem with some greenhouse plants. The students need to be able to actively use that knowledge to figure out why there are problems with those plants.

• In the Thoron reading, a study on implementing inquiry was conducted. One of the participants said, "As the teacher you have to be willing to give up being the center of attention..."
• I don't know about other teachers but I'm not teaching to be the center of attention. I am there to teach the students. I don't want to be thought of as the center of attention (although I know I am in some ways as most of their attention is on me). I do see the point in what this participant said; I think that it may be hard to just facilitate rather than be in front of the students teaching them something. It is hard to change from something everybody is used to.

I truly believe students have to learn problem solving and critical thinking skills in order to go out into the world. Because of this, my goal is to have a lesson for each unit that is high on the inquiry scale before the end of the spring semester.

References

Warner, A.J. & Myers, B.E. (2011) What inquiry-based instruction? Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC07500.pdf 

Warner, A.J. & Myers, B.E. (2014). Implementing inquiry-based teaching methods. Retrieved from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC07600.pdf 

Alberta Learning. (2004) Focus on inquiry: a teacher’s guide to implementing inquiry-based learning. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/313361/focusoninquiry.pdf 

Thoron, A.C., Myers, B.E., & Abrams, K. (2011). Inquiry-based instruction: How is it utilized accepted, and assessed in schools with national agriscience teacher ambassadors? Journal of Agriculture Education, 52(1), 96-106. DOI: 10.5032/jae.2011.01096  Note: Retrieve online from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ955679.pdf 

If Tomorrow Never Comes....

If Tomorrow Never Comes.......at least I will have seen Garth Brooks in concert.... No, no, let me be serious. While that is true, in reality I should say, "If Tomorrow Never Comes at least I will have gone to National FFA Convention twice in my life!"

In my opinion, the 91st National FFA Convention is one of my favorite things to do. Attending Convention this year with my cooperating center was only the second time I've ever been there (1st time was to receive my American Degree two years ago!). I really needed a break from constantly going to classes. This was the right amount of "have fun" and "you need to be Miss Lang for 4 days."

Mr. Haussener, 4 girls, and myself made up the Cedar Crest group. The girls were not competing in anything so our schedule was made up of tours, walking around the expo and doing other fun activities! 

Wednesday October 24

We toured Corteva Agrisciences (the Dow, DuPont Merger). This was actually a really informative tour. Two of the girls actually want to go into (informal) education and they had the opportunity to ask questions about the different job opportunities offered through the company. (This was also beneficial for me as I am open to all options!) The students not only learned about jobs but also about the different projects that Corteva is and has been working on.

We had a little bit of time to walk around to the businesses and colleges at the expo. I was on the lookout for free resources that I could utilize in the classroom. I did find a few small items that will be useful!


Then we did what I want to call a, "moral support, team building" kind of exercise. We went zip lining. And I was semi nervous...I was nervous to be hanging in the air by a line attached to wooden towers and a trolley/pulley thing. I knew I was going to be fine but it still made me nervous. I also could not look up at all because I start to not feel well if I do; I can look down though. I know, weird!

Along with the Cedar Crest group was Northern Lebanon students, our neighbors! I believe most, if not all, of the students knew each other so we had a pretty good time! One of the NL students was scared out of their minds to be up in the air that high. Everyone pitched in and supported her, encouraged her, and told her it was going to be alright. It was a fun, yet meaningful trip!

Honestly Wednesday night was the night I was looking forward to! It was time to see Garth Brooks in concert!!!!!!!

We weren't on the floor or really even close to the stage but if I zoomed in on the screen, I could get some pretty cool shots! He played for just over an hour I believe. I was super tired but I was too excited to fall asleep! He "ended" the show but I knew he was missing a HUGE song but couldn't figure out which one. He did this on purpose of course! Anyway, he came back out for his encore and played "Shameless" and I maybe one or two other songs.

--This is a good bonding experience for the students, maybe some stress relief and even some cultural awareness or introduction to a different genre of music if they don't listen to country!

Thursday October 25

We had an early morning as the group of us went to the opening session at 8 AM. The keynote speaker was Kyle Scheele. As I'm writing and thinking about this, I'm actually crying. Part of his message and a big project that he's working on is "letting go of who you used to be." This has been a really rough year at school for me; I feel I have lost some people from my life that I thought were going to be friends for life and sometimes it has made me feel alone. I can't count the number of times, just this semester, that because of everything going on, that I have caught myself saying, "I just want to go home." "I just want to go to where I know I'm loved and where I can see my cows everyday." In reality, I am loved. I do have a lot of people who are there for me. Everybody gets really busy in college and can't always hang out with everyone that they want to hang out with. I get that now.

Also, we walked around convention some more. I had to buy shirts for my parents (and I bought one for myself too of course!). In addition, I walked around to different booths as well and learned more about several different companies.

--Walking around the convention center gets the students to meet new people and discover things that they have never seen or done before.

Our last big thing that we did on Thursday was touring Fair Oaks Farm. They had pigs and dairy cows. We had a bit of a thought process on when to head to the farm because it was across the time zone line so they were an hour behind what Indianapolis was. We let ourselves become confused when thinking about the time difference. It all worked out okay; we got to the farm right on time!

--It was really interesting, to me at least, to see the way that the farm worked differently than what I know. This will be useful in the spring for the two students that were on the trip. I can say, "remember when we went to Fair Oaks?" in my animal science units. That doesn't work for all of the students in the class but it might peak others interests to learn more about Fair Oaks and other operations.

Overall, I know it was an educational experience for all! The students learned a lot on the tours and just by walking around the convention center. I learned alot about myself and how to handle myself during student teaching. 

My advice (to myself and other student teachers): We are close in age to these students. We can easily relate to them so we may feel we can share a lot of information with them. I was careful to watch what I said and how I said it. My point is, remember you are there teacher, not their parent or friend. If we are too friendly, then they won't have any respect for us while we are teaching them.