My Science Education Philosophy

How do we define science? According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of science is "knowledge attained through study or practice," or "knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method and concerned with the physical world."
What does that really mean? Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. In children, this system uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural basic phenomena.

What is the purpose of science? Perhaps the most general description is that the purpose of science is to produce useful models of reality to show the children easily.

Fields of science are commonly classified along two major lines: - Natural sciences, the study of the natural world

- Social sciences, the systematic study of human behavior and society.

I think children should learn the issues about the science since the childhood.

In our "Teaching science" lesson we learn really important and wonderful think. Especially, Kinder Garten experience was wonderful and useful for us when we think that our next academic years. All in all, everythink in lesson and lab session was didactive and useful.

Experiment with entertaining interactive facilities, play, explore, tinker... This is my science Education philosophy:)

Science...

Today, we went to Metu Science and Technology Museum to Be a Friend of the Children! Invest in Our Future!

In my opinion, children and we

learn team work and

evaluate the our past and present knowledge,

search for ways of making experiments,

learn to determine while listening and making experiments,

develop our planning skills while observing and making experiments.

All in all, I need to explain definition of science. The study of science is in the broadest sense, its nature aims, methods, tools, parts, and relation to other subjects. When studying the nature of scientific reasoning we naturally ask how it can be justified, and what are its purposes. In what circumstances can a scientific statement properly be accepted? The main purpose of science is explanation, and important concept of science causation. It is also an approach to the problem of human knowledge based on the attempt to develop general principles. Science is based on the assumption that it is possible to derive objective knowledge is confirmed by the similar observations of many persons. It is also based on the assumption that the biases and values of the observer can be relatively controlled so that a reasonable degree of objectivity is possible. Science also organized by principles. Scientific principles and theories are constantly open to criticism, further, testing, and revision within an accumulating tradition of non-dogmatic knowledge. Science can eliminate two main branches. Those are social science and natural science. Social Science wants to answer social interactions in social orders. Natural Science includes physics, chemistry, and biology. Science is abstract descriptions, and sentences in universal form.

In the laboratory hours, first group explained the sound. Experiments are good and simple so children can easily do them and learn the concepts. Second group focused on what is the role of skeleton and flow speed of liquids is different. All groups were effective and successful.

Constructivist Teacher

Twelve Traits of a Constructivist Teacher:)
Constructivist teachers encourage and accept student autonomy and initiative.
Constructivist teachers use raw data and primary sources, along with manipulative, interactive, and physical material.
When framing tasks, constructivist teachers use cognitive terminologies such as classify, analyze, predict, and create.
Constructivist teachers allow student responses to drive lessons, shift instructional strategies, and alter content.
Constructivist teachers inquire about students' understandings of concepts before sharing their own understanding concepts.
Constructivist teachers encourage students to engage in dialogue, both with the teacher and with one another.
Constructivist teachers encourage student inquiry by asking thoughtful, open-ended questions and encouraging student questions of one another.
Constructivist teachers seek elaboration of student initial responses.
Constructivist teachers engage students in experiences that might engender contradictions to their initial hypotheses encourage discussion.
Constructivist teachers allow wait time after posing questions.
Constructivist teachers provide time for students to construct relationships and create metaphors.
Constructivist teachers nurture students' natural curiosity through frequent use of the learning cycle model.

In conclusion, the teacher serves as a coach or guide for student learning. As a facilitator, the teacher challenges, questions, and stimulates the students in their thinking, problem solving and self-directed study. After a while, the students will similarly challenge each other and themselves as they work, think, and learn. In this process, students assume responsibility for their learning and move from teacher-centered to student-centered education. The student becomes an active as opposed to passive learner.

In lab session of this week, machines and their functioning are explained by the first group. They are effective and succesful. The second group focused on earthquake experiments. Their activities were also effective.

I learned these words;

stone: piece of rock shaped or cut for some purpose
reciprocity: mutual action or reaction

Constructivism & Learning

Young children-how they experience the world, interact with each other, pose questions, and construct knowledge-form the basis for this insightful examination of early childhood science education.
CONSTRUCTISIM & lEARNING

Learning consists of individuals' constructed meanings and then indicate how they influence children's education.

Learning is an active process in which the learner uses sensory input and constructs meaning out of it. The more traditional formulation of this idea involves the terminology of the active learner stressing that the learner needs to do something; that learning is not the passive acceptance of knowledge which exists "out there" but that learning involves the learner s engaging with the world.

Learning consists both of constructing meaning and constructing systems of meaning. For example, if we learn the chronology of dates of a series of historical events, we are simultaneously learning the meaning of a chronology. Each meaning we construct makes us better able to give meaning to other sensations which can fit a similar pattern.

The crucial action of constructing meaning is mental: it happens in the mind. Physical actions, hands-on experience may be necessary for learning, especially for children, but it is not sufficient; we need to provide activities which engage the mind as well as the hands.

Learning involves language: the language we use influences learning. On the empirical level. researchers have noted that people talk to themselves as they learn.

Learning is a social activity: our learning is intimately associated with our connection with other human beings, our teachers, our peers, our family as well as casual acquaintances, including the people before us or next to us at the exhibit. We are more likely to be successful in our efforts to educate if we recognize this principle rather than try to avoid it.

Motivation is a key component in learning. Not only is it the case that motivation helps learning, it is essential for learning. This ideas of motivation as described here is broadly conceived to include an understanding of ways in which the knowledge can be used.

Constructivist Setting

This week in our lesson, my friends (because I was apsent) had focused on the view of constructivism about the environment and children. When I read their writings on the blogs and the unit related with this subject, I got ideas about the learning environment is to be from the view of constructivism. Now I want to add something new about this issue to my friends' writings.

The ages of children, the individual differences of children, the shape classroom are very important while prepering an environment for children in the perspective of constructivisim. when I read the books to learn constructivisim and its environment design, I learned that the "Constructive Learning Design" teachers should use a variety of revisions in the past seven years and now emphasizes these six important elements: Situation, Groupings, Bridge, Questions, Exhibit, and Reflections. These elements are designed to provoke teacher planning and reflection about the process of student learning. Teachers develop the situation for children to explain, select a process for groupings of materials and children, build a bridge between what children already know and what they want them to learn, anticipate questions to ask and answer without giving away an explanation, encourage children to exhibit a record of their thinking by sharing it with others, and solicit children's reflections about their learning. Teachers shoul have that determined by the district curriculum or the textbook they are using in their classroom and need to think more about accomplishing it than about writing it again.

In constructivisim, learning should be more: independent, individualized, interactiveinterdisciplinary, and intuitive. Construtivist Setting includes that:

an easy flow of traffic and movement throughout the classroom

providing much flexibility in the use of physical space,

providing flexibility in the use of furniture,

materials which are accessible to children to foster their self-direction and autonomy,

learning areas which provide reciprocity between each of them to foster children's ability to problem solve,

multiple usages of materials and objects encourage children to think different possibilities,

practical considerations.

Teachers should also consider the social context of the classroom to foster effective learning environment.

Lastly, I want to write about technology using and its benefits on children in constructivisim. Teacher should also use technology at their classrooms formed by the constructivist approach. Because we know that in technology rich classrooms there are many observable positive changes. For example, there is a shift from whole class to small group instruction, coaching occurs rather than lecture and recitation. Teachers can work with weaker students more often rather than focusing attention on brighter students as in traditional settings. Students are more actively engaged. Students become more cooperative and less competitive. Students learn different things instead of all students learning the same thing. Moreover, there is an integration of both visual and verbal thinking instead of the primacy of verbal thinking. These positive changes mentioned above are ver significant for children and also teachers. Therefore, Constructivist Setting is very useful and brings success to both children and teachers.

Constructivism & Its curriculum

This week's subject was also the constructivist perspective and its curriculum. We focused on constructivism in terms of the constructivist curriculum model for science. We tried to find the answers of these questions;

If students and teachers together construct or enact their own curricula, what are the consequences in terms of curriculum theory and practice?

What is the state of practice with respect to teaching and learning from a constructivist point of view?

Instead, constructivism promotes using curricula customized to the students' prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes hands-on problem solving. In a Constructivist curriculum the role of the teacher becomes one of a facilitator, a 'guide on the side'. The student becomes the active 'meaning-maker'. I mean that, constructive teaching is based on the belief that students learn best when they gain knowledge through exploration and active learning. Hands-on materials are used instead of textbooks, and students are encouraged to think and explain their reasoning instead of memorizing and reciting facts. Education is centered on themes and concepts and the connections between them, rather than isolated information.

We also focused on three general question:
1) How can I make it move?
2) How can I make it change?
3) How does it fit or how do I fit
these questions are for an early childhood science education curriculum from a constructivist perspective.

I also learned from this lesson that children are asking two sorts of questions:
wonder,
puzzlement.

In the laboratory hours, first group did experiments which were used to explain weather. Experiments were very good-prepared and enjoyable.
Second group tried to inform us about the reason of landslide, how a salty water holds an egg up and make it float on water. They were also very successful and enjoyable.

I learned these words:
congruent: identical, corresponding or in agreement,
inquiry: exploration, investigation or questioning,
incline: slope, grade or slant.

AS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR, WE SHOULD BE..

I have been asking myself this question ‘Why do I want to be an early childhood educator?’. My answer is easy. Because I love children. However, there should be more personal attributes to be an early childhood educator besides loving children. I think, I do not only love children but I also want to share my life and knowledge with them. I will have a vital role in shaping my children’ lives.
I believe that, as a teacher; we sould have motivating personality and we should be enthusiastic, warm, humor, creative, adaptable, flexible, and fair.
I want to give an answer to dreams of each children one by one. I am sure that they have enormous dreams in their little mind. I believe that all of them are individual and unique. They are more and more enthusiastic than me and they need love, care, respect, confidence, and support. I will establish and maintain an environment that ensures children’s safety and healthy development.
And of course, we should trust children and respect them. Moreover, positive relationship with families is so important.
Finally, we must be knowledgable. I believe that knowledge of subject is so important but just knowledge is not enough. We should combine knowledge of teaching with my subject knowledge. Furthermore, as a teacher; we should take consideration knowledge of children so that we reflect correct and efficent knowledge to children.

In this lesson, we talked about three types of knowledge which are described by a constructivist philosopher, Piaget. These are;

Physical knowledge

Logico-mathematical knowledge

Social knowledge

Lastly, we compared behavioristic and constructivist approaches. In the behavioristic approache; teacher and learner's prior knowledge have so significant role to teach new knowledge. However; constructivism emphasizes the importance of the knowledge, beliefs, and skills an individual brings to the experience of learning. It recognizes the construction of new understanding as a combination of prior learning, new information, and readiness to learn. Individuals make choices about what new ideas to accept and how to fit then into their established views of the world. In my opinion, constrructivist approache is more suitable and succesful than behavioristic.

To conclude, I mean; to reach an understanding of basic phenomena, children have to go through stages in which they accept ideas they may later see as not truthful. Understanding is built up step by step through active involvement.

In the lab; The first group made experiments to focus on different concepts about water. They were effective and successful. Their concepts about water as follows;

water has weight,
water's weight and upthrust help things float,
water goes into the air,
water can change forms reversibly,
water is a solvent for many materials,
water clings to itself,
water clings to other materials,
water moves into other materials.

The second group made experiment about how we take a breath. Their experiments are also so effective and enjoyable.