Personal Philosophy on the Role of Science - Essay Example

Science Investigation Personal philosophy on the role of science Personally, I believe that science provides a practical avenue for examining and exploring important issues revolving around the human body and different aspects of the environment. Science is a collaborative, dynamic and creative endeavor that arises from the desire to make sense and learn about our world by solving problems, making predictions, investigating and exploring unknown factors. Learning science provides young learners with the opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding about significant science processes and concepts that are a crucial part of the universe. When young learners develop sound scientific skills, understandings and knowledge, they are bound to make informed decisions about local and global issues and also participate in science related careers in future (ACARA, 2012). I strongly believe that, experiential learning is one of the best ways that children can learn and develop a strong passion towards science. When teaching science, I believe that it is essential to create a learning environment that enables children to become curious, question, use their creativity, explore and investigate issues freely. It is important for educators to develop learning activities that inspire children to explore and discover. Learning activities incorporated in the science classroom should be geared towards experiential learning. It is essential to ensure that children experience each science concept rather than simply reading or talking about it. Every learning activity in the science classroom should be geared towards evoking student’s interest in science and helping students understand a range of scientific inquiry methods such as questioning , planning experiments, conducting experiments , collecting data, analysing data, assessing results and making evidence-based conclusions. In order to help students realise these goals, I employ a wide range of pedagogical methods that are based on my beliefs about teaching and learning. For instance, my beliefs about teaching and learning are grounded on Jean Piaget’s, theory of cognitive development and the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Piaget’s, theory of cognitive development suggests that children learn effectively through active engagement, participation, exploration and interactive activities (Smidt, 2007). On the other hand, the Reggio Emilia approach to learning emphasises on the need for young learners to have a certain level of control towards the content that they learn and the direction of their own learning (Caldwell, 1997). Based on these approaches to learning, when teaching science I always ensure that the children’s interests are taken into account when determining the learning content. Furthermore, I ensure that all children are actively involved in both the planning and implementation process of learning. For instance, when planning for science experiments, I ensure that I provide each child with the opportunity to present their ideas and views about what should be done. When conducting the experiments, I also ensure that I provide adequate resources, materials and space for each child to actively participate in the experiments. In the course of this process, I also provide a platform where children can interact with each other and exchange ideas in relation to the science concepts that they are learning. Moreover, I always ensure that I provide each child with the opportunity to exercise independent and critical thinking and draw their own conclusions based on what they have observed and learnt. In addition to this, I encourage children to be self-sustainable in their own learning by giving them take-home assignments that they can do during their free time. In principle, my outlook on the role of science in the learning of environment comprising of children between the ages of 3 -5 years is that, it helps children engage in experiential learning where they can freely explore and investigate unknown issues about their environment. References Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2012). Science: Rationale. Retrieved on August 21, 2012 from Caldwell, L. (1997). Bringing Reggio Emilia Home: An innovative approach to early childhood learning. New York: Teachers College Press. Smidt, S. (2007). A guide to early years of practice. New York: Taylor & Francis. Science Investigations: Reflections and Shadows for 3-5 years old Investigation 1: Exploring Light Rationale It is essential for children to understand that light travels in a straight line and spreads out. This activity is designed to help children to explore and experiment on how light travels. Through this activity, children will be able to understand key concepts about light and how it works. Materials Flashlights Hollow boxes A dark room Inquiry Questions Have you ever used flashlights before? What are flashlights used for? What happens when you switch on the flashlight? What happens when you move the flashlight back and forth? How does light in the flashlight move? Can the light move around a corner? What happens when you put an object in front of the flashlight? Activities Divide children into groups of three Provide each group of with a flashlight and a hollow box Lead children into a dark room Ask each group to practice control on the flashlight by shinning it on specific objects in the room such as the wall , the ceiling and the hollow boxes Ask each group to explore how light moves when they move the flashlight in different positions. Role of teacher In the course of this activity, the teacher will play the role of facilitating children’s learning process by ensuring that there are adequate resources, communicating to children on how to conduct the experiment and asking children questions to get their ideas and evaluate their understanding on the concepts embedded in this experiment. In addition to this, the teacher will supervise the use of the flashlights in order to avoid any safety hazards. Role of children During these investigations, children will take part in planning and implementing the experiment. They will be provided with the opportunity to communicate their ideas on how to conduct the experiment. They will also play a key role in implementing the experiment by controlling the flashlights and shining it on specific objects and areas in the room. Subsequently, they will discuss with their group member how light moves and write down their conclusions based on their observations. Safety considerations Prior to the experiment, the teacher will provide safety instructions on how to use the flashlight. Children will be warned against removing the flashlight dry cells and touching the flashlight screen in order to avoid burning or ingestion of harmful chemicals. After the experiment children will also be asked to wash their hands. Investigation 2: Mirror Images Rationale It is important for children to understand how images are reflected in the mirror. In this experiment, children will explore what happens to different shapes when they are reflected in front of the mirror in different angles and positions. Through this experiment children will be able to explore, discover and exercise their critical thinking skills. Materials A mirror Crayons, felt pens and pencils Blank drawing papers Inquiry questions What do we use a mirror for? What do people see when they look in the mirror? What do you see when you put your drawings in front of the mirror? What does your drawing look like in the mirror? Is it the same? Is it different? What is different about it? Activities Ask children to look at the mirror and communicate what they see. Ask children to draw different pictures and shapes( triangles, circles and squares) in the blank drawing papers Ask children to put their drawings in front of the mirror in different angles and positions and encourage them to keenly observe the image reflected in the mirror. Role of teacher During this experiment, the teacher will play the role of facilitating children’s learning process by ensuring that there are adequate resources, communicating to children on how to conduct the experiment and asking children questions to get their ideas and evaluate their understanding on the concepts embedded in this experiment. Role of children Children will take part in planning and implementing the experiment. They will be provided with the opportunity to communicate their ideas on how to conduct the experiment. They will also play a key role in implementing the experiment by creating different drawing and shapes and reflecting drawings in front of the mirror in different angles and positions. After, they will keenly explore and observe the image reflected in the mirror. Subsequently, they will communicate their observations and conclusions. Safety considerations Before the experiment, the teacher will provide safety instructions on how handle the mirror with care, the teacher will also supervise children’s use of the mirror so as to avoid any damages or accidents. Investigation 3: Making Shadows Rationale In this experiment, children will examine how shadows are formed and how light travels in transparent, translucent and opaque objects. Through this study, children will learn that a shadow is formed when an opaque object blocks light that is traveling to a different object in the same path. Children will be actively engaged in planning this experiment, conducting the experiments, collecting data, analysing data, assessing results and making evidence-based conclusions. Materials Flashlights Tissue paper Cardboards A white and light pieces of cloth Plastic blocks Inquiry Questions What is a shadow? How are they formed? What happens when light shines on a transparent object? What happens when light shines on translucent objects? What happens when light shines on opaque objects? Activities Divide children into groups of three Provide each group of with a flashlight, tissue paper, cardboards , plastic blocks, white and light pieces of cloth Ask each group to switch on their flashlights and shine the light on the flash light on the tissue paper, cardboards , plastic blocks, white and light pieces of cloth Ask each group to identify which materials are transparent, translucent and opaque Ask each group to explore and discuss what happens when light shines on a transparent translucent and opaque objects Ask each child to make their own conclusion on how shadows are formed. Role of teacher In this experiment, the teacher will play the role of facilitating children’s learning process by ensuring that there are adequate resources, communicating to children on how to conduct the experiment and asking children questions to get their ideas and evaluate their understanding on the concepts embedded in this experiment. Role of children In the course of this experiment, children will take part in planning and implementing the experiment. They will be provided with the opportunity to communicate their ideas on how to conduct the experiment. They will also play a key role in implementing the experiment by using their flashlights to shine on transparent translucent and opaque objects. Subsequently, they will observe, explore and engage in discussions with their peers on what happens when light shines on different objects and how shadows are formed. Safety considerations Prior to the experiment, the teacher will provide safety instructions on how to use the flashlight. After the experiment children will also be asked to wash their hands. Investigation 4: Sources of light Rationale It is important for children to know where light comes from and some of its uses. This investigation aims at providing children to explore and discover different sources of light and their benefits. Through this investigation, children will work independently and engage in critical thinking. The will learn about natural sources of light like the sun, moon and the stars. They will also learn about man-made sources of light like electricity, flashlights, fire etc. Materials A picture book on sources of light Pen , crayons Journal Inquiry Questions What is light? Where does light come from? How does light help? Activity Each children will be provided with a picture book on sources of light Children will be asked to read the book and identify different sources of light Subsequently, they will be asked to draw different sources of light in their learning journal and write about their benefits. Role of teacher The teacher will play the role of facilitating children’s learning process by communicating and guiding them on how to independently conduct their investigations about different sources of light and their benefits. Subsequently, the teacher will assess children understanding on light by reviewing their learning journals. Role of students During this investigation children will work independently by reading the provided picture book and identifying various sources of light. Subsequently, they will be asked to draw and write down their findings. Read More