The Alpha Level Science - Term Paper Example

?Science Curriculum/Teaching Analysis & Revision Project By The Alpha Level Science kit published by Academic Point is a science curriculum for beginners. The curriculum is based on building a basic understanding of what science is and what it includes with a number of practical exercises that expand on each preceding unit. The curriculum includes 9 individual illustrative “read to books”, a teacher’s and student’s workbook and a CD containing a memory song (Academic Point). This paper provides an analysis of the Alpha Level Science curriculum and offer philosophical insights into how the curriculum can be improved and therefore revised for optimum outcomes among kindergarten students. In particular we draw on the philosophical ideas of pragmatism and progressivism as a means of offering revisions to the Alpha Level Science curriculum. In this regard, the first part of this paper explains and analyses the Alpha Level Science Curriculum. The second part of the paper provides an analysis of pragmatism and progressivism. The third part of this paper, informed by pragmatism and progressivism offers suggestions for revising the Alpha Level Science curriculum. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 The Alpha Level Science Curriculum 5 Pragmatism 8 Progressivism 10 Recommendations for Revision for the Alpha Level Science Curriculum 15 Impact of Revision of the Alpha Level Science Curriculum 16 Conclusion 17 Bibliography 18 Introduction Chalufour and Worth (2006) inform that national standards often set parameters for what students ought to know and be capable of doing in science. However, national standards often neglect what kindergarten students should know and should be doing in science (Chalufour & Worth, 2006). Individual states have developed standards and guidelines for students in preschool and kindergarten. However, with the growing emphasis on literacy and math, science is often neglected. Teachers are therefore left to determine for themselves what content a science curriculum should include for preschool and kindergarten students. The result is a bare bones curriculum with little meat, if and when science is taught (Chalufour & Worth, 2006). In its Benchmark for Science Literacy, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993) recommended that children should be involved in an active way in learning about the world from a scientific perspective and this education should begin from the very first day they attend school. In this regard, young students need to acquire an incentive for making inquiries about science and nature, to look for explanations, collect, count, measure things, observe qualitatively, organize observations and things, discuss and explore. These kinds of experiences will help young students to form a connection to science and to enjoy science education. This will help to heighten awareness of the scientific world as they grow older and move up in school (Saracho & Spodek, 2008). In teaching science to all students regardless of age, it is also important to understand that science contains a system or body of knowledge representing existing knowledge and an understanding of the natural process that is constantly being expanded, revised and “refined” (Committee on Science Learning Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade, 2007, p. 26). In other words, science education necessarily involves teaching and learning techniques informed by pragmatism and progressivism. This study analyses the Alpha Level Science curriculum for early learners and identifies how this curriculum can be improved to meet the challenges and goals of science education through the implementation of content consistent with pragmatism and progressivism ideas. The Alpha Level Science Curriculum The Alpha Level Science curriculum is broken into nine themed units each complete with lessons built around one of the particular themes. Each unit offers lessons which repeat in general order of presentation. The specifics of each lesson type are examined in more depth following in this paper. The suggested order of unit presentation presented to the teachers includes: Science and Scientists, Seasons, The Weather, Magnets, Your Body: Interaction, Your Body: The Senses, Animals, Plants, and Care for Our Earth. Each unit is supported by a “read to” book which contains large, colorful pictures designed to hold the interest of young students as the teacher reads and discusses the science theme and content with the class. Although Alpha Level Science provides scientific investigations and additional activities and covers more content than outlined for kindergarten students by the Core Knowledge Sequence, this content guide served as a roadmap for the basic topical choice for each major unit of study (Core Knowledge Foundation, 1998). Teachers implement Alpha Level Science with guidance through the teacher edition/student workbook which covers teacher directions, assistance, ideas, etc. and will hereafter be referred to as TESW. It is within the TESW that the progression of units is outlined. This kindergarten curriculum has ordered steps that serve as general guidelines for the teacher to follow in teaching this curriculum. Each step is here considered for analysis. A teacher review of the unit information and materials, readings done by the teacher with student engaged discussion, making the book available for individual student reading, “memory song or chant,” experiment and activity lessons, student worksheets, and possible field trips are all organized and available for teachers of kindergarten science to follow as they teach the lessons. The first suggestion is for the teacher to familiarize themselves with the contents of the TESW contents for each lesson. Each unit is further broken into eight components serving a variety of purposes. Introductory Information, Photo Notes, Vocabulary, Activities, Experiments, Additional Readings, Memory Chant/song, and Recommended Field Trips are the categories found in each unit and available for the teacher and class use. Each of these is presented below along with a discussion of philosophical and ideological bents which seem to accompany their placement into the Alpha Level Science curriculum. The introductory information provided with each unit serves as a road sign for the upcoming unit. Various points where the science curriculum is intentionally linked to other content areas such as language arts, history, art, and math, are brought to the teacher’s attention here. Ideas are offered here for leading and developing discussion at the beginning of the readings as well as for developing appropriate bulletin boards during each unit. The schooling environment as it relates various ways of thinking impacts student learning. Three domains of ideas and ways of thinking exist. Sensory of the immediate world, participation in everyday life, and formal instruction in schools are the domains identified by Matthews. It is these domains which are to be kept in some degree of harmony for science education to occur (Matthews, 28). The introductory information section assists the teacher in setting the first two domains, sensory of the immediate world and participation in life (as it relates to school life) into harmony with the third domain of formal school instruction. The school and classroom environment is full of sensory input. Ideas found in the introductory information section of the TESW provide guidance and suggestions for teachers to modify this input and includes ideas such as design of bulletin boards and manipulation of the teacher’s own appearance, such as dressing up as a scientist during lesson presentation (Thornton, 2). As this curriculum is designed for the youngest school students, the expectation here is only that of fostering an initiation into scientific thought. Following the introductory information, the Photo Notes section serves a crucial role identified for lesson preparation. The critical aspect of reviewing this section before reading the text to the students is pointed out. By designed the Photo Notes section provides teachers with much needed background knowledge. Historical, ethical, cultural, and conceptual material are outlined and discussed to assist and prepare the teacher in delivering more interesting and critical lessons. Designed as appropriate for younger students and accompanied by teacher cautions to avoid taking developmentally inappropriate steps with children, included examples found in: discussion of the Rock River Flood in Wisconsin specifically related to what may have resulted from additional rain fall, scientific testing of erosion as it relates to helping farmers, scientific study of the microscopic as related to disease, observations of classifiable characteristics as well as observation as a method of analysis, and numerous other issues. This communication of science concepts directly to teachers better equipped them for educating students. Here information regarding the pictures found on every page is provided as the information relates to the unit’s lesson. Scientific history as related to the lesson and the scientific search for answers as related to the discussions and accompanied photographs help prepare teachers for optimizing the delivery of the intended education. Ideas for developing a “questioning” thought processes are found throughout the Photo Notes and provide numerous opportunities for students to develop inquiry. The importance of such advanced teacher knowledge has not gone unnoticed: As educators, teachers need to know something about the body of knowledge they are teaching, something about how this knowledge has come about, how its claims are justified and what its limitations are. Teachers should have a feel for, or appreciation of, the tradition of inquiry into which they are initiating students (Matthews, 213). Realistic and Perenialism – photo notes A “Key Vocabulary” outlining the specific science unit terms is provided along with a general “Additional Words” section. The intent here is to assist teachers as they aim to develop literacy as it relates to science. There are many definitions and concepts regarding science literacy and scientific literacy. To be clear, this vocabulary is provided specifically to give the teachers a list of terms found in the unit’s reading so that they might better be able to assist young students as they develop a working science vocabulary. Pragmatism Pragmatism was developed by American philosophers during the 20th century and advanced the idea that ideas should be tested “by human experience” (Gutek, 2003, p. 70). It was argued that ideas can change and therefore are not metaphysical, but at the same time, ideas can be applied and tested. As such ideas are suppositions, theories or perceptions that can be used for finding solutions to existing complexities (Gutek, 2003). American philosopher John Dewey’s contribution to the 20th century pragmatism ideology is particularly instructive for science education. Dewey devised pragmatism ideas of Instrumentalism or Experimentalism. Dewey’s Experimentalism takes the position that individuals “can think more accurately and completely” when they apply “experimental, or scientific” methods in testing ideas to determine if the ideas work, “solves our problem,” and “brings about” the desired outcomes (Gutek, 2003, p. 71). Dewey tested his Experimentalism ideas in an education setting at the University of Chicago Laboratory School emphasizing the “unity of knowledge” (Gutek, 2003, p. 71). Unity of knowledge takes the position that knowledge is linked to “doing” (Gutek, 2003, p. 71). In this regard, knowing is experiencing the results that follow from putting an idea into practice which is predicated on planned activity (Gutek, 2003). At the University of Chicago Laboratory School, students collaborated to solve a number of problems on the basis that “human intelligence arises from a process of social interaction” (Gutek, 2003, p. 71). Dewey and pragmatists in general argued that schools were not segregated from, but rather a part of the larger community. Therefore education in schools should be designed to include and take account of society outside of the confines of the school. Since society is rather complex, school serves as a forum for simplifying, purifying and balancing those complexities. Simplification occurs in the school setting because it learning is modified to correspond with learning abilities. Purification occurs because in the school setting experiences that are can harm students and stifle development are not promoted. Balancing occurs because experiences are “integrated and interrelated” allowing students to identify and understand how an experience can impact other experiences and give rise to new or other experiences (Gutek, 2003, p. 77). Dewey and pragmatists in general argued that the school curriculum should not be prescriptive but rather informed by the needs, difficulties and interests of the students. Therefore, the science curriculum should follow a natural flow in phases: “making and doing”; “history and geography”, and “science” (Gutek, 2003, p. 77). In this regard, the making and doing phase is conducive to elementary school students’ needs, interests and problems. At this stage, children should be “involved in personal and group projects” centered around “activities in which they make things” (Gutek, 2003, p. 77). In other words, learning for elementary school children is “active” and “direct” (Gutek, 2003, p. 77). For example elementary school children can benefit from a curriculum that facilitates children involved in activities such as creating a garden at school, putting together a store at school, creating an aquarium, posters, stages and any activity that starts with a problem that needs a solution and requires hypothesizing about solving the problem, researching, planning a course of action and putting the plan into action (Gutek, 2003). With respect to the second phase of Dewey’s curriculum, history and geography should be taught and learned in a way that allows the student to conceptualize the world in a way that links the past, present and the future. In other words, the here and now should be viewed as a part of the larger world as a way of understanding of what occurred, what is occurring and what will occur (Gutek, 2003). The third phase, Dewey’s concept of science in the school curriculum involves testing hypotheses or “warranted assertions in various ideas of human thought, research, and endeavour” (Gutek, 2003, p. 77). In this regard, although science is typically perceived as physical and natural sciences it must not be segregated from other sciences such as social sciences. It is therefore important to know that all of the sciences are not comprised of absolutes but are merely “tentative assertions” and should be researched and reconceptualised “further” (Gutek, 2003, p. 77). In other words, Dewey’s idea of an effective curriculum promotes a teaching and learning environment in which subjects are interrelated. Progressivism Progressivism is best understood as a reflection of its root verb “to progress” (Gutek, 2003, p. 294). Progressivism takes the position that there is always room to improve human conditions in terms of economics, education, politics and society. However, in achieving progress, the means employed should be fair and known (as opposed to secret) in order to achieve eventual, relevant, on-going and “cumulative reforms” (Gutek, 2003, p. 294). In order to achieve fair results, the rules used must be consistent thus there should be a “broad, general consensus or agreement on the rules” (Gutek, 2003, p. 294). In other words: Education is seen as a consensus builder in which people learn procedures, practice them, and become committed to using them (Gutek, 2003, p. 294). Progressivism promotes that idea that change and progress occurs by gaining an understanding of where we are at now. Thus it is important to identify existing problems and conditions so as to achieve movement forward that is on-going and progressive. With respect to education, progressives advocate for children’s free expression and allowing children to be creative. In this regard, some progressives believe in informality and more flexible approaches to education. Children should be permitted to “follow their interests and use their creativity” (Gutek, 2003, p. 295). Children should be allowed to express their interests, curiosity and to be creative in a way that brings about “collaborative group learning” (Gutek, 2003, p. 295). However, it is also important to identify and meet the specific learning needs of individual children. Some progressives believe that the school setting should be used for advancing and brining about social, political and economic reform by identifying problems and attempting to find solutions. Other progressives however, believe that by taking this approach we go farther away from the needs and interests of children and too close to “politicizing” education (Gutek, 2003, p. 295). Regardless, Dewey’s pragmatist ideology was influential in developing progressive theory of education. In particular, Dewey’s emphasis on experience and experimentation was particularly acceptable to progressives although progressives would be divided into “child-centered” and “social-reconstructionist” (Gutek, 2003, p. 297). Child-centered progressivism emphasizes the child as the primary source of education. It is believed that the curriculum should be informed by the interests and needs of the child as opposed to the prescribed form typically advanced by perennialists, conservatives and essentialists. In other words progressives believe that children ought to be in a position to freely follow their individual interests without the constraints of rigid rules and structures. By taking this approach children would be involved in “self-initiated activity” with the encouragement of their teachers and can thus effectively “explore their environment and thereby enlarge their horizons” (Gutek, 2003, p. 297). By working and learning together in groups children would naturally develop as productive democratic citizens (Gutek, 2003). Social reconstructionist differs only in that they feel children should be introduced to and deal with controversial matters as a means of improving society (Gutek, 2003). Progressivism generally disapproves of an education curriculum that is prescribed and stresses subject rather than the interests and needs of children. Moreover, progressivism does not subscribe to a competitive learning environment in which children turn against one another. Education should not be constructed around preparing for tests. Education should be focused on the child’s “growth and development through activities that encourage initiative, creativity, and self-expression” (Gutek, 2003, p. 300). The curriculum should be such that it encourages experience built upon “activities, process learning, inquiry, and problem solving” (Gutek, 2003, p. 300). Teaching should involve facilitating learning as opposed to narrative instructions. Education should be such that it is “multifunctional” and addresses the child as a whole taking into account the child’s social, intellectual, physical and social elements and not on mere academic abilities (Gutek, 2003, p. 300). Modification of the Alpha Level Science Curriculum Informed by education concepts of pragmatism and progressivism, the Alpha Level Science curriculum can be improved to achieve more progressive and pragmatic learning among early science learners. Although the Alpha Level Science curriculum makes allowances for group activities and experimentation as promoted by progressivism, but more especially pragmatism and Dewey, it takes a back seat to visual stimulation and the teacher as the center of learning. In other words, the Alpha Level Science curriculum can be modified to more acutely emphasize the needs and interests of the child as envisioned by both pragmatism and progressivism. In this regard, the Alpha Level Science curriculum’s visual and teacher centered instructions does not achieve the kind of hands-on experience contemplated by pragmatism and progressivism. Although, the Alpha Level Science curriculum encourages group activities and experiments the foundational basis of the program is read to books and the teacher doing things and dressing in ways that communicate science thought and science vocabulary to the students. Matthews and Enfield (2012) argue that while the use of picture books (such as those used in the Alpha Level Science curriculum) can stimulate thinking in scientific terms, they will be more effective when combined with exploration and experimentation. This will help children gain the hands-on experience necessary for applying knowledge to the world in which they live (Matthews & Enfield, 2012). Again this concept is particularly conducive the pragmatism ideology which promotes experimental and experienced-based learning and the progressive ideology of process learning and problem solving and focusing on the child as opposed to teacher centered instructions. Tu and Hsiao (2008) also provide insights into the manner in which the Alpha Level Science curriculum can be improved to achieve the ideological goals of pragmatism and progressivism. Tu and Hsiao (2008) suggests that teachers could use more experimental and activities-based lessons to improve the scientific thinking of children. Moreover, science based questioning should come up outside of the formal classroom structure. This would involve the children in the doing mechanisms suggested by Dewey. This is accomplished by Tu and Hsiao’s (2008) suggestion that in informal classroom activities outside of the actual lesson teachers can engage the child’s focus and attention by asking questions that get the child to do specific things such as soling problems, counting, comparing, measuring and reasoning. Therefore scientific knowledge and thinking can be achieved through both formal and informal activities and experiments. A study conducted by Payton, Weissberg, Durlak, Dymnicki, Taylor, Schellinger, and Pachan (2008) also lends legitimacy to the progressivism concept of emotional and social learning and the collaborative learning promoted by pragmatism. The study conducted by Payton et.al., (2008) involved the effect of emotional and social learning elementary school programs including 324,303 children. The study revealed that students from kindergarten to grade 8 participating in the programs regardless of ethical background, race or urban or rural backgrounds, showed marked improvements in social/emotional skills, perceptions of others and the self, connectivity to school and in academic outputs (Payton, et. al., 2008). We would therefore suggest that the Alpha Level Science curriculum be modified to include emotional and social learning to achieve the goals of progressive and pragmatic learning as it not only builds social and emotional responsibility and skills (progressivism) but it also engages the students and this can only enhance critical thinking (pragmatism). As Campos, Pessanha and Jorge (2011) inform, kindergarten children are a unique group of students. They are at a phase of development in which they are required to obtain the social and emotional skills necessary for living and co-existing in society. In other words they must learn to not only listen, but also to respect the perspective of their peers and mentors. They must also learn to share “the same objects and help each other” (Campos, et. al., 2011, p. 33). Therefore collaborative and active learning as promoted by pragmatism and emotional and social learning as promoted by progressivism are more conducive to the formulation of a science curriculum for kindergarten children. The Alpha Level Science curriculum does not emphasize these aspects of learning and thinking, but merely makes suggestions for teachers to be creative when using the 9 units. Given the focus on test preparation, a factor specifically cautioned against by progressivism, it is important that the Alpha Level Science curriculum emphasize emotional and social learning and collaborative and active learning. Recommendations for Revision for the Alpha Level Science Curriculum Informed by the philosophical ideologies of pragmatism and progressivism, we would therefore recommend that the Alpha Level Science curriculum be revised to ensure that each of the 9 units include specific instructions to engage group discussions about the unit. Students should therefore be encouraged to relate the lesson to a real life situation by the implementation of a practical measure. Students should be encouraged to ask questions and to express any impressions that they may have of the knowledge obtained from the unit and from their own practical experiences with the unit. The units should be constructed around student experiences and experiments rather than having the teacher demonstrate scientific concepts as recommended by the Alpha Level Science curriculum. For example, the Alpha Level Science curriculum recommends that the teacher do things that create a visual and sensory link to science by perhaps dressing as a scientist. We would recommend that students be encouraged to present their interpretations and perceptions of science as a means of assessing their individual interests and learning readiness at the onset of their science education. Students will therefore be asked to share and discuss their ideas of science and this will incorporate the pragmatist and progressivism ideas of teaching to the student as opposed to rigid and prescriptive forms of teaching. We would also recommend that while discussions at the beginning of the unit is good, discussions at the end of each unit is also necessary for encouraging students to formulate ideas and problems. Students can then be directed to test their ideas and to find solutions for problems. By taking this approach, students will learn by doing, observing and exploring. More importantly, students should be encouraged to work in groups and by doing so will testing and sharing ideas and knowledge and will learn to listen and learn to respect the perspective of others. We would also recommend that the Alpha Level Science curriculum provide specific instructions for students to observe nature and science away from the classroom and to bring those observations to the classroom. Those observations should be the subject of group discussion and debate so that children can understand and experience the scientific world into a specific time and place and share those experiences with others. Impact of Revision of the Alpha Level Science Curriculum The revisions recommended above would create a classroom environment in which teachers are able to identify the interests and learning readiness of individual students in the classroom. Thus the teacher will be in a better position to divide the students into groups in which interests are shared and mixed. Students that are not as ready to learn as others will be mixed in groups with students who are more ready. By taking this approach, students will be in a position to help one another learn and will learn to listen to the ideas and interests of others. By taking this approach, students will learn at an early age to be more democratic citizens and thus will gain the objectives of social and emotional learning envisioned by progressivism. The implementation of group and individual practical exercises will also achieve the pragmatism idea of observing, doing and experiencing things. Students will learn to identify problems, formulate hypotheses, conduct their own research, test those ideas and determine solutions of their own. At the same time, students will be learning and testing by reference to established rules pursuant to the pragmatist philosophy of learning. Having students express what they have learned and what they perceive as science will also mean that students are contributing to their own learning and understanding of science. More importantly, our revisions will ensure that students’ are not only actively participating in the classroom, but are learning in accordance with their interests and learning readiness. This would increase the chance of engagement and thus should increase the academic and social performance of children as they move up in school. Conclusion The Alpha Level Science curriculum takes an initiative in that it introduces a structure for teaching kindergarten children to think scientifically and to understand the world of science and nature in an age-appropriate format. However, it does not emphasize the significance of active learning, hands-on experience, collaborative learning, child centered learning and emotional and social learning contemplated in various degrees by the education philosophies of pragmatism and progressivism. If the Alpha Level Science curriculum focuses more on collaborative and active learning and emphasizes the emotional and social experiences of children rather than the visual stimulation by third parties (teacher and picture books), teachers will be directed to emphasize group activities, collaborative learning, critical thinking in both informal and formal settings and will encourage kindergarten students to apply science to the real world and as such gain a more hands-on educational experience. Bibliography Academic Point. (n.d.) “Sound and Solid Science Education: Alpha Level Science”. http://theacademicpoint.com/index.html (Retrieved 2 December 2012). American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). 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