PD STEM - Susan - 23 January 2018

Today we did PD with Susan. It was such an eye-opener with how you can engage children in a very subtle way, keeping them interested and getting them to be scientist.  This is what stood out for me. 

STEM = Science, Tools, Engineering and Maths

S = Natural physical World
TEM =  The made world

Don't say we are going to do writing, talk about science. Avoid them thinking that we are focussing on writing. We are being scientists, investigating.
After the ice ice baby game - kids will compare on what they can CHANGE to make their ice-block melt faster. Re-do the activity.
They are learning coming from their own experiences.
Stay away from the AIM of a lesson etc. Focus on what we can investigate.

Observation is through our 5 senses. To a scientist all the senses are important. We use all our senses to gather as much as possible data on what we are investigating.

DELVE: Go back into what you know, draw what you know about an ant, talk about it, add labels, talk about it again, ask questions, go to tv (go up close) and look at examples, go back and adjust your picture, look at another example.  Watch video clip, talk about it. (Reasoning).

ALL AKONGA AS CULTURALLY LOCATED: (STEM can be seen as cultures)
Professional reading: Patricia Grace - Good Read - Butterflies

Confident (Con = with) With truth You are confidence because you know the truth
Connected (Con = with/together) nect = the point where paths cross
Actively Involved
Lifelong Learners = Challenges us as teachers

The nature of science  strand is the overarching, unifying strand. Through it, students learn what science is and how scientists work.

You cannot teach science as a strand, they are incorporated together.  (Think of each strand as a piece of clothing, you cannot just one per term, you need all of them to complete the picture).

Authentic + really connected to a lot of things.

Awe and Wonder This is what we want the children to be like.

Scientist that I could research:
Carl Sagan
Ray Bradbury
Edwin Powell Hubble
George Henry Lewes
Roger Hanlon

So What?
* Be prepared to change!
* Focus on being scientists, not writers.
* Engage students on a deeper level by using specific questions, but also giving them time to figure things out. Don't haste them or put pressure on them with time constraints.
* Let the children move around in the class, e.g. standing up to have a closer look on the tv.
* Provide lots of time to talk to each other.

What do I need to do next? 
* Reflect on what I use to do in the class, what can I change to engage my children more?
* Make a list of questions I can ask that will encourage my children to think deeper about things.
* Research scientists and discover how they think about science, what gets them excited, how do they look at something different to a normal person.
* Think how all of this can be used in our inquiry about change.
* Read Patricia Grace's story on Butterflies.