My Science Philosophy Statement
What is science?
When I was first asked this question at the beginning of the semester, my response was quite broad. My exact answer was, “Science is in everything. Whether you are discovering, exploring, or finding answers to your questions. Even when you are not intentionally looking for answers, you still see science.” At the time I thought that this was a solid answer. Yet, as the semester progressed, I found that I was a little ways off. “Science is in everything,” is not quite true. Yes, we may think we see science all the time but in reality it is not actual science. Science is questioning and wondering and wanting to find answers about things in the real world. It is investigating and discovering those answers while creating more questions from the answers you determined. Science is finding evidence that supports or contradicts your ideas.
Why is it important for elementary students to learn science?
Elementary students need to learn science to discover more about the world around them. They need to learn the process skills, how to find answers, and how to apply those answers to life (not just in science). Students need to discover that their misconceptions are not true. They need to understand how important science is to the world and how much growth it has brought to people. If students can see the importance of science, they will want to be a part of it.
How do elementary students learn science?
Students learn science through interaction. In order to have interaction, students needs to feel secure and comfortable in the classroom. If students cannot socialize with others, they will not be able to learn as effectively and share their ideas.
Instead of being told what science is and facts about science, they need to discover and explore themselves. Students may be able to learn a little from reading a book but they will not have a concrete understanding of the concepts until they have a chance to investigate the concepts themselves. Students also learn more about things that they are interested in. As a teacher, if you connect science topics to the real world, students can better connect and understand.
How should science be taught?
Science should be taught through questioning, investigations, inquiries, and discussion. Students should be taking the lead in science. They are the ones exploring and asking questions. They find evidence to answer their own questions and create new questions. Teachers should be there to ask the students questions that deeper their thinking and understanding. If a student can justify their answer and thinking then that student has grasped the concept.
Investigations and inquiries should be a part of science teaching. Students will learn more and hold onto more information when they discover the answers themselves. The students will come up with questions that they wonder about and create a way to find answers to those questions. They will learn how to collect evidence and use that evidence to support their findings.
Last year I thought I was teaching science the right way, using the science textbook and having the students complete a worksheet or "experiment". After this semester I realized that I wasn't efficiently teaching students and they were not learning as much as they could have. I now know that there is much more to teaching than reading from a book and giving the students an activity to complete. There are the three legs of science, the 5 E's, inquiries, questioning, student led discussions and explorations.
After this semester I know I can be an effective teacher in science. I know I still need practice but I am better than I was before.
When I was first asked this question at the beginning of the semester, my response was quite broad. My exact answer was, “Science is in everything. Whether you are discovering, exploring, or finding answers to your questions. Even when you are not intentionally looking for answers, you still see science.” At the time I thought that this was a solid answer. Yet, as the semester progressed, I found that I was a little ways off. “Science is in everything,” is not quite true. Yes, we may think we see science all the time but in reality it is not actual science. Science is questioning and wondering and wanting to find answers about things in the real world. It is investigating and discovering those answers while creating more questions from the answers you determined. Science is finding evidence that supports or contradicts your ideas.
Why is it important for elementary students to learn science?
Elementary students need to learn science to discover more about the world around them. They need to learn the process skills, how to find answers, and how to apply those answers to life (not just in science). Students need to discover that their misconceptions are not true. They need to understand how important science is to the world and how much growth it has brought to people. If students can see the importance of science, they will want to be a part of it.
How do elementary students learn science?
Students learn science through interaction. In order to have interaction, students needs to feel secure and comfortable in the classroom. If students cannot socialize with others, they will not be able to learn as effectively and share their ideas.
Instead of being told what science is and facts about science, they need to discover and explore themselves. Students may be able to learn a little from reading a book but they will not have a concrete understanding of the concepts until they have a chance to investigate the concepts themselves. Students also learn more about things that they are interested in. As a teacher, if you connect science topics to the real world, students can better connect and understand.
How should science be taught?
Science should be taught through questioning, investigations, inquiries, and discussion. Students should be taking the lead in science. They are the ones exploring and asking questions. They find evidence to answer their own questions and create new questions. Teachers should be there to ask the students questions that deeper their thinking and understanding. If a student can justify their answer and thinking then that student has grasped the concept.
Investigations and inquiries should be a part of science teaching. Students will learn more and hold onto more information when they discover the answers themselves. The students will come up with questions that they wonder about and create a way to find answers to those questions. They will learn how to collect evidence and use that evidence to support their findings.
Last year I thought I was teaching science the right way, using the science textbook and having the students complete a worksheet or "experiment". After this semester I realized that I wasn't efficiently teaching students and they were not learning as much as they could have. I now know that there is much more to teaching than reading from a book and giving the students an activity to complete. There are the three legs of science, the 5 E's, inquiries, questioning, student led discussions and explorations.
After this semester I know I can be an effective teacher in science. I know I still need practice but I am better than I was before.