week 3 in class reflection

In my classroom I think that it will be vital to use formative assessing continuously and almost constantly through observation, questions, conservation, reflection and numerous other possibilites. It will be important for me as a teacher and for the learners. I'm not sure what I think of summation assessment. Is it necessary? I will probably do it but as far as ruberic, it will count for much less of the overall assessment. It also may be more of the core facts and pedagogy based to please the school system and to help on the state standard tests. I'd like to teach in a nature center or similiar environment where my assessment would be "Did they have fun? Did I help foster an appreciation for nature/outdoors? Were they able to take "something" home with them?" My other choice is teaching biology to middle school age students. When I teach I want to incorporate games, activities, crafts, art, projects, experiments, hikes, field trips, and research. I definitely want to be "doing science to explore and test big ideas". I think using some of the technology will really help with the "doing science".

In my classroom I want to find out what the learners are interested in and try to focus the curriculum around that . What are they interested in everyday life? And what biology topics are they most interested in? I think schools should be more like real life. If it pertains to the students more, then they'll be more interested, thus more motivated, which equals better transfer.

Chapter 9 gives me some great ideas. I think it'd be fun (and a great learning tool) to have students actually do projects and or research that actually involves their community. For example, I think Chapter 9 mentions there is a program where students enter their data after collecting it in the field. If I was teaching in Minneapolis and we were discussing the scientific method I'd have students perhaps test the water quality in the Mississippi River (or some other research they were interested in - however then we could also discuss water quality and where we get our water from and conservation, ect). Anyways, actually "do science". They'd be more motivated because it would involve their community, have peer review, experts involves. They could even do a presentation. Perhaps split into two groups - do an outline that I'd give feed back on (formative assessment) then revise and do it for the whole class. Then the whole class would discuss it.

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