Thursday, 12 December 2019
Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Thursday, 28 November 2019
Annotated bibliography ( Jashan and KK)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i0ZejXJ_oYAiuMVmK74CK7brtvU400pBoclkUmiDlqw/edit?ts=5ddedc3d
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i0ZejXJ_oYAiuMVmK74CK7brtvU400pBoclkUmiDlqw/edit?ts=5ddedc3d
Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Entry Slip - November 14
Permitting Creativity in Science - Janet Beavin Bavelas
The very first article of the quote,
"To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose...
A time to plant and time to pluck up that which is planted...
A time to break down, and a time to build up"
made me stop and revisit some of my own beliefs about how certain things in life happen at their own time and how kind of all things fall in their place with time. Though I would have referred to this quote in other contexts in my life at other times, at this moment I could think of an analogy with my teaching philosophy. Everything we plan to teach our students tends to have a purpose and we try to follow an order or logically sequence our lessons. Then we give students some time to process and analyze the information before we take a quiz or any form of assessment to evaluate students' learning. This is followed by further building up of concepts slowly by breaking down bigger picture into smaller ideas. All this organization requires lot of creative and critical thinking before it is presented to students.
Secondly, the idea that "research too is a generative process, full of passion, fumbling and disorderly"
in a way coincides with my own ideology about the research process. During my master's degree in India, I often had discussions with my friends and peers about what it takes to be a scientist or who do we call a scientist in a real sense. They used to laugh at my vague notion of developing/observing something super or extraordinary even while cooking or just making a cup of tea. I still believe that scientists are not only the people working in isolated environments or labs and reading a lot of books and articles but are also the people who are curious about the world around them and can formulate their observations in words and hypothesize about it. I believe in encouraging the students to inquire and communicate their ideas with others.
My third stop was at this interesting conclusion by Lewis Thomas," A good way to tell how the work is going is to listen in the corridors/ If you hear the word 'Impossible' spoken as an expletive, followed by laughter, you will know that someone's orderly research plan is coming along nicely"
This sounds so true as the word Impossible itself means I am possible. Also, someone's creativity might be at peak for other's to understand. The research is not only about coming up with new ideas but refining old ideas by giving explanations and providing pieces of evidence.
As for me, I want my students not just to memorize concepts but question and inquire why it is so or what If this/that. I want to provide my students' opportunities to explore their creativity and interests, inquire and make predictions about their observations rather than seek textual answers. Inquiry-based learning, open, guided, structured inquiry help students build mind habits by exercising healthy and creative thinking practises for learning, innovating and applying their knowledge to the natural world around them.
Permitting Creativity in Science - Janet Beavin Bavelas
The very first article of the quote,
"To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose...
A time to plant and time to pluck up that which is planted...
A time to break down, and a time to build up"
made me stop and revisit some of my own beliefs about how certain things in life happen at their own time and how kind of all things fall in their place with time. Though I would have referred to this quote in other contexts in my life at other times, at this moment I could think of an analogy with my teaching philosophy. Everything we plan to teach our students tends to have a purpose and we try to follow an order or logically sequence our lessons. Then we give students some time to process and analyze the information before we take a quiz or any form of assessment to evaluate students' learning. This is followed by further building up of concepts slowly by breaking down bigger picture into smaller ideas. All this organization requires lot of creative and critical thinking before it is presented to students.
Secondly, the idea that "research too is a generative process, full of passion, fumbling and disorderly"
in a way coincides with my own ideology about the research process. During my master's degree in India, I often had discussions with my friends and peers about what it takes to be a scientist or who do we call a scientist in a real sense. They used to laugh at my vague notion of developing/observing something super or extraordinary even while cooking or just making a cup of tea. I still believe that scientists are not only the people working in isolated environments or labs and reading a lot of books and articles but are also the people who are curious about the world around them and can formulate their observations in words and hypothesize about it. I believe in encouraging the students to inquire and communicate their ideas with others.
My third stop was at this interesting conclusion by Lewis Thomas," A good way to tell how the work is going is to listen in the corridors/ If you hear the word 'Impossible' spoken as an expletive, followed by laughter, you will know that someone's orderly research plan is coming along nicely"
This sounds so true as the word Impossible itself means I am possible. Also, someone's creativity might be at peak for other's to understand. The research is not only about coming up with new ideas but refining old ideas by giving explanations and providing pieces of evidence.
As for me, I want my students not just to memorize concepts but question and inquire why it is so or what If this/that. I want to provide my students' opportunities to explore their creativity and interests, inquire and make predictions about their observations rather than seek textual answers. Inquiry-based learning, open, guided, structured inquiry help students build mind habits by exercising healthy and creative thinking practises for learning, innovating and applying their knowledge to the natural world around them.
Thursday, 24 October 2019
Inquiring about Inquiry Project:
Though I initially thought about working on the concept of Flipclassrooms or Incorporating Indigenous education in Physics and Math, I have decided now to pair up with Jashan Bajwa on the topic of the role of technology in Physics and math classrooms. I believe it would be a better topic right now to learn about different technologies that could motivate students to actively participate in Physics and math classrooms. While talking to Jashan about this topic, I realised that working on this project will help me develop theses skills and also better prepare me for the practicum. following is a rough draft of our thoughts about this topic which I think we will revise as we start working on the project.
Though I initially thought about working on the concept of Flipclassrooms or Incorporating Indigenous education in Physics and Math, I have decided now to pair up with Jashan Bajwa on the topic of the role of technology in Physics and math classrooms. I believe it would be a better topic right now to learn about different technologies that could motivate students to actively participate in Physics and math classrooms. While talking to Jashan about this topic, I realised that working on this project will help me develop theses skills and also better prepare me for the practicum. following is a rough draft of our thoughts about this topic which I think we will revise as we start working on the project.
Thursday, 17 October 2019
Exit Slip: October 17, 2019
Today's class started with an amazing presentation by Christa about Solar system and orbits of planets. I personally enjoyed being the planet Neptune orbiting along with Pluto around Sun.
We also talked about our entrance slip about Marks and Grades for assessment. One thing that ponders everyone is, Are Marks accurate? I feel to answer this question, we need to know how marks are arrived at and how often students are marked or graded in classrooms for assessments. Although marks cannot be the only tool to assess students, it is a way of evaluation of students' performance in the current education system. I don't think Marks are always an accurate judgement of one's level of progression but can be indicative of one's achievement when calculated number of times through different models of assessment.
It is hard to take one fixed stand over this question because it depends upon the type of assessment used for grading. For example, in a test/ quiz with objective questions, marks may indicate one's level of understanding for some cases, whereas it can also be a matter of luck or cheating or some kind of help for others. Likewise, in a group project, marks may not indicate efforts and understanding of all group members to the same level. So marks don't accurately measure students' understanding of concepts.
On the contrary, some students may be consistent in getting the kind of same grades in all sorts of assessment, may because of their actual understanding and efforts involved. In such cases, one can say that marks are measuring their achievement. So it really depends upon the criteria of assessment and assigning grades.
Today's class started with an amazing presentation by Christa about Solar system and orbits of planets. I personally enjoyed being the planet Neptune orbiting along with Pluto around Sun.
We also talked about our entrance slip about Marks and Grades for assessment. One thing that ponders everyone is, Are Marks accurate? I feel to answer this question, we need to know how marks are arrived at and how often students are marked or graded in classrooms for assessments. Although marks cannot be the only tool to assess students, it is a way of evaluation of students' performance in the current education system. I don't think Marks are always an accurate judgement of one's level of progression but can be indicative of one's achievement when calculated number of times through different models of assessment.
It is hard to take one fixed stand over this question because it depends upon the type of assessment used for grading. For example, in a test/ quiz with objective questions, marks may indicate one's level of understanding for some cases, whereas it can also be a matter of luck or cheating or some kind of help for others. Likewise, in a group project, marks may not indicate efforts and understanding of all group members to the same level. So marks don't accurately measure students' understanding of concepts.
On the contrary, some students may be consistent in getting the kind of same grades in all sorts of assessment, may because of their actual understanding and efforts involved. In such cases, one can say that marks are measuring their achievement. So it really depends upon the criteria of assessment and assigning grades.
Saturday, 12 October 2019
Entrance Slip: October17, 2019
The Effects of Marks and Grades
The Grades and marks may serve as a motivation/reward for some students, but surely is distress to many. As a student, I feel Grades and marks are not real indicators of one's learning, alternatively, grades maybe just an indicator of one's ability of memorization. In fact, it interferes with the process and quality of learning. Studying or learning something just to perform better in the test or to achieve higher grades to meet the expectations of the parents causes too much pressure on young minds which may also result in mental health issues. The constant stress of being graded detaches a student's interest from actual learning. I believe the grades simply serve the purpose of the schools and institutions to publish their standards of achievement. Also, in some cases, the grades are just arrived at by evaluating students' performance in random quizzes and tests. Sometimes students do well otherwise in class but fail to perform in exams due to pressure of being judged. I agree with John Sarte and Sherri Hughes statements in the article that the students can learn better if the focus is not on marks and grades but on personal satisfaction, reaching career goals and basically having a good life later. On the other hand, as a teacher sometimes, I feel that grading and marks do play an important role in the process of learning at school. They serve as criteria not just for the assessment of one's learning but to reward a student's hard work and efforts. I recognize that exams/tests may cause stress in students that may hinder their learning, but they also help in the evaluation of students' learning. Additionally, they also prepare students to be confident and ready to face the challenges in life. Some form of formative assessment before summative testing can be helpful in relieving stress in students.
One of the unintended side- effects of grading may be a feeling of powerlessness in students as they may consider a teacher's authority to control students with threats of grades. This may decrease their motivation to learn and build up an atmosphere of tension in classrooms. Assigning grades and marks to signify one's learning unintentionally classify and label students by categorizing their abilities according to the marks/grade scored. The focus on grades and marks may deviate the students' interest from enjoyable learning towards adopting unfair means to achieve higher grades. The system of grading not only pressurise students but is also a burden for the teacher to spare time for preparing competent tests and rubrics to mark them and still most teachers are aware that the test does not gauges the real intelligence. In the absence of this focus on grades, teachers can devote more time to introducing activities to make learning fun in classrooms.
I acknowledge the importance of deemphasizing the grades and marks in classrooms to alleviate stress in students and encourage active learning. Still, there has to be a systematic way of assessing the students' learning to fill out the report cards which is a part of the school system and also a part of the admission process in universities for higher education which offers limited seats only to high achievers. As a Science and Math teacher, I personally want to encourage my students to learn for better understanding by developing logical reasoning for the world around us. The grades and marks will follow if one is ready to put their best efforts and hard work. The students can be offered choice and participation in planning and designing assessments that can help a teacher determine the students' understanding of concepts. Different forms of testing pathways can be useful such as formative assessments like reflection through entry/exit slip, digital resources like Kahoot to promote fun learning, sample worksheets for practice. Providing students with real-life problems to work on such as asking them the no. of tiles required to fill the entire classroom or some science problems like the importance of the study of density to identify floating/sinking objects and to identify real/fake gold will encourage students to relate the use of their learning to everyday life. A teacher may then observe students' performance in the formative test and modify and reevaluate a few times before summative testing. This will give students several opportunities to show their level of understanding.
A teacher may then also adopt different ways of summative testing like quizzes, projects, open-book test so that everyone gets a fair chance to perform without stress.
The Effects of Marks and Grades
The Grades and marks may serve as a motivation/reward for some students, but surely is distress to many. As a student, I feel Grades and marks are not real indicators of one's learning, alternatively, grades maybe just an indicator of one's ability of memorization. In fact, it interferes with the process and quality of learning. Studying or learning something just to perform better in the test or to achieve higher grades to meet the expectations of the parents causes too much pressure on young minds which may also result in mental health issues. The constant stress of being graded detaches a student's interest from actual learning. I believe the grades simply serve the purpose of the schools and institutions to publish their standards of achievement. Also, in some cases, the grades are just arrived at by evaluating students' performance in random quizzes and tests. Sometimes students do well otherwise in class but fail to perform in exams due to pressure of being judged. I agree with John Sarte and Sherri Hughes statements in the article that the students can learn better if the focus is not on marks and grades but on personal satisfaction, reaching career goals and basically having a good life later. On the other hand, as a teacher sometimes, I feel that grading and marks do play an important role in the process of learning at school. They serve as criteria not just for the assessment of one's learning but to reward a student's hard work and efforts. I recognize that exams/tests may cause stress in students that may hinder their learning, but they also help in the evaluation of students' learning. Additionally, they also prepare students to be confident and ready to face the challenges in life. Some form of formative assessment before summative testing can be helpful in relieving stress in students.
One of the unintended side- effects of grading may be a feeling of powerlessness in students as they may consider a teacher's authority to control students with threats of grades. This may decrease their motivation to learn and build up an atmosphere of tension in classrooms. Assigning grades and marks to signify one's learning unintentionally classify and label students by categorizing their abilities according to the marks/grade scored. The focus on grades and marks may deviate the students' interest from enjoyable learning towards adopting unfair means to achieve higher grades. The system of grading not only pressurise students but is also a burden for the teacher to spare time for preparing competent tests and rubrics to mark them and still most teachers are aware that the test does not gauges the real intelligence. In the absence of this focus on grades, teachers can devote more time to introducing activities to make learning fun in classrooms.
I acknowledge the importance of deemphasizing the grades and marks in classrooms to alleviate stress in students and encourage active learning. Still, there has to be a systematic way of assessing the students' learning to fill out the report cards which is a part of the school system and also a part of the admission process in universities for higher education which offers limited seats only to high achievers. As a Science and Math teacher, I personally want to encourage my students to learn for better understanding by developing logical reasoning for the world around us. The grades and marks will follow if one is ready to put their best efforts and hard work. The students can be offered choice and participation in planning and designing assessments that can help a teacher determine the students' understanding of concepts. Different forms of testing pathways can be useful such as formative assessments like reflection through entry/exit slip, digital resources like Kahoot to promote fun learning, sample worksheets for practice. Providing students with real-life problems to work on such as asking them the no. of tiles required to fill the entire classroom or some science problems like the importance of the study of density to identify floating/sinking objects and to identify real/fake gold will encourage students to relate the use of their learning to everyday life. A teacher may then observe students' performance in the formative test and modify and reevaluate a few times before summative testing. This will give students several opportunities to show their level of understanding.
A teacher may then also adopt different ways of summative testing like quizzes, projects, open-book test so that everyone gets a fair chance to perform without stress.
Friday, 11 October 2019
Exit Slip: October 10, 2019
Education in Nature
Today was a perfect sunny day for our class in Orchard Garden. Starting the day with some lone/me time to observe nature to draw was quite relaxing for me personally as I got some time away from my busy going life(with assignments, commuting, family life). I liked this idea because it can be a good reflection activity for students too, as once you start drawing, it is not just you draw what you see, but what you feel about what you see in that particular moment. It was interesting to see and discuss different people's perceptions about the drawings, nature and man-made things. We actually applied our heads, hands and heart to learn how to use your body for certain measurements. Predicting the direction of the rising and the setting sun was a good exercise/stretch for body and mind Snack time is always good delight for both the eyes and the stomach, especially in the Orchard garden when you get to pick up yummy fruit(Asian Pears) and veggies yourself. Sundial activity was amazing too. I remember my grandmother telling me stories of their time when people will tell time without clocks. The time as we measured with Sundial was very accurate. This makes me feel like studying more about Sundials and different numbers on it. I am feeling really inspired to learn more about natural and bodily ways of learning and teaching so that I can successfully incorporate them into my teaching.
Education in Nature
Today was a perfect sunny day for our class in Orchard Garden. Starting the day with some lone/me time to observe nature to draw was quite relaxing for me personally as I got some time away from my busy going life(with assignments, commuting, family life). I liked this idea because it can be a good reflection activity for students too, as once you start drawing, it is not just you draw what you see, but what you feel about what you see in that particular moment. It was interesting to see and discuss different people's perceptions about the drawings, nature and man-made things. We actually applied our heads, hands and heart to learn how to use your body for certain measurements. Predicting the direction of the rising and the setting sun was a good exercise/stretch for body and mind Snack time is always good delight for both the eyes and the stomach, especially in the Orchard garden when you get to pick up yummy fruit(Asian Pears) and veggies yourself. Sundial activity was amazing too. I remember my grandmother telling me stories of their time when people will tell time without clocks. The time as we measured with Sundial was very accurate. This makes me feel like studying more about Sundials and different numbers on it. I am feeling really inspired to learn more about natural and bodily ways of learning and teaching so that I can successfully incorporate them into my teaching.
Tuesday, 8 October 2019
Entrance Slip: October 10,2019
David W. Henderson and Daina Taimina's story from Art to Mathematics and from Mathematics to Art is totally inspiring for me in particular, as I did not develop any serious interest in both Maths and Physics till I myself began teaching. I liked Math and Physics subjects in School because both offered some logical explanations for the natural world around us. I was happy with mathematical diagrams and proofs but failed to understand the real beauty behind it. Now, when I think about teaching these concepts to my students, I am not satisfied with just proofs and logical arguments and reasoning as my students don't precieve them as sufficient as I did, for clear understanding. In this dynamic world, children also want some dynamics in learning. Formal teaching, with memorization techniques to compute things, may work for kids to score grades, but won't encourage them to inquire as long as they cannot feel the aesthetics of the concept/idea. That is why, I feel bodily experiences might be helpful in learning not just mathematics and physics, but any subject. This not only gives students a chance for better understanding but discovering something new out of it.
The idea of proofs without words- visual explanation for proofs is new to me which sounded really interesting. The visualization for the general equation mentioned in the text is impressive. A crocheted hyperbolic plane by Daina Taimina is striking. It clearly shows how these two writers have developed cross-curricular interests (Art and Math). The design process in any field requires integrated knowledge from different fields (arts, geometry, computer-tech, physics, etc.) Therefore, I believe that bodily experience may help students not just understand the content, but may also encourage them to thrive for the cross-curricular connections. This might also be useful in case of promoting, creative, critical and inquiry skills, where we can provide children with an opportunity to get sensory experiences by playing around with materials.
As far as my school experiences, our mathematical and science teachers had a good grasp over the content and context but they lacked resources, support and ideas to incorporate embodied ways of learning. I think thats where and why I had and have gaps in my learning and understanding of things. But after reading such articles(as above) and participating together in class for such ideas, I am getting more aware of this need and about ways to do so. I now realise that it is not that hard to accommodate movement, gestures, sensory experiences as ways of learning in our classrooms. I can relate it to Physics right now, as we study about speed, velocity, gravity, forces, motion dynamics, mechanics, all involve movement and can be studied by visualizing. We are studying in one of the physics classes to capture motions like jumping, running, tossing a ball and then visualizing velocity and acceleration graphs by using technology. School gardens or grounds can be used for doing such activities which exercises head, hands and heart together.
I am looking forward to the next class in Orchard Gardens to learn more about embodied ways of learning.
David W. Henderson and Daina Taimina's story from Art to Mathematics and from Mathematics to Art is totally inspiring for me in particular, as I did not develop any serious interest in both Maths and Physics till I myself began teaching. I liked Math and Physics subjects in School because both offered some logical explanations for the natural world around us. I was happy with mathematical diagrams and proofs but failed to understand the real beauty behind it. Now, when I think about teaching these concepts to my students, I am not satisfied with just proofs and logical arguments and reasoning as my students don't precieve them as sufficient as I did, for clear understanding. In this dynamic world, children also want some dynamics in learning. Formal teaching, with memorization techniques to compute things, may work for kids to score grades, but won't encourage them to inquire as long as they cannot feel the aesthetics of the concept/idea. That is why, I feel bodily experiences might be helpful in learning not just mathematics and physics, but any subject. This not only gives students a chance for better understanding but discovering something new out of it.
The idea of proofs without words- visual explanation for proofs is new to me which sounded really interesting. The visualization for the general equation mentioned in the text is impressive. A crocheted hyperbolic plane by Daina Taimina is striking. It clearly shows how these two writers have developed cross-curricular interests (Art and Math). The design process in any field requires integrated knowledge from different fields (arts, geometry, computer-tech, physics, etc.) Therefore, I believe that bodily experience may help students not just understand the content, but may also encourage them to thrive for the cross-curricular connections. This might also be useful in case of promoting, creative, critical and inquiry skills, where we can provide children with an opportunity to get sensory experiences by playing around with materials.
As far as my school experiences, our mathematical and science teachers had a good grasp over the content and context but they lacked resources, support and ideas to incorporate embodied ways of learning. I think thats where and why I had and have gaps in my learning and understanding of things. But after reading such articles(as above) and participating together in class for such ideas, I am getting more aware of this need and about ways to do so. I now realise that it is not that hard to accommodate movement, gestures, sensory experiences as ways of learning in our classrooms. I can relate it to Physics right now, as we study about speed, velocity, gravity, forces, motion dynamics, mechanics, all involve movement and can be studied by visualizing. We are studying in one of the physics classes to capture motions like jumping, running, tossing a ball and then visualizing velocity and acceleration graphs by using technology. School gardens or grounds can be used for doing such activities which exercises head, hands and heart together.
I am looking forward to the next class in Orchard Gardens to learn more about embodied ways of learning.
Thursday, 3 October 2019
Exit Slip: October3,2019
Today's class was about making, patience and learning. I had a lot of fun doing these making activities with the support of my friends. Thinking about integrating head, hearts and hands with school learning in math and science, rope making can play an important role. There can be a number of activities that can be done. One of them could be done outside in the school garden/playground that is making ropes for playing Tug of War. Students can be asked to make ropes, then test the strength, study tension in the ropes and activity can be carry forward to play Tug of War. I think this activity will incorporate learning, Collaboration promoting physical, mental and socio-emotional skills.
The picture below is a fun memory and a skill learnt will all my head, heart and hands involved, that I am going to try with my students in future.
Today's class was about making, patience and learning. I had a lot of fun doing these making activities with the support of my friends. Thinking about integrating head, hearts and hands with school learning in math and science, rope making can play an important role. There can be a number of activities that can be done. One of them could be done outside in the school garden/playground that is making ropes for playing Tug of War. Students can be asked to make ropes, then test the strength, study tension in the ropes and activity can be carry forward to play Tug of War. I think this activity will incorporate learning, Collaboration promoting physical, mental and socio-emotional skills.
The picture below is a fun memory and a skill learnt will all my head, heart and hands involved, that I am going to try with my students in future.
Wednesday, 2 October 2019
Entrance Slip - Oct 3, 2019
In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. -Aristotle
I found the above quote significant to our visits to the garden and to Sharon Kallis's article" Building of change from the Ground Up". We sometimes but children(broader inquiry lens than us) often wonder about things that we use for day to day life. For instance, soap used at home, they know where do you get it from, but they inquire how do they make it? What it is made up of? Is it good for the skin? Which one is better(from 100s of soap brands)? This may make us think for a while if we want to provide our children with the right information and nurture their overall development or we may ignore their inquiries(for our comfort of time) putting a stop to their natural curiosities.
It is interesting to find in Kallis's article that this shift in thinking is happening and we are again taking initiatives to consider the bigger picture of inquiry; What to make, How to make, Where to get materials from(19). Also, I would like to add the aspect of Why to make, to this picture. I liked Kallis idea of going backwards in order to get forward(19) that is reflecting on the past to work better for our future. Her thoughts on getting society and community involved in making things rather than manufacturing are really mindful. Think for a moment, factories/industries favouring machine power over manpower, causing unemployment, pollution, unnecessary production, which is, all in all, disturbing the balance in nature. Making things on our own will encourage the science of relearning lost skills, acknowledge nature, support not just production and consumption, but physical and mental health. Additionally, this could be our first step towards restoring life on Planet Earth, which is the need of the hour.
We are close to the edge of humanity as we are approaching the robotic world we aimed for. Kallis's notion of backsourcing is very appropriate to the present-day situation, at least for some of us who have anticipated the adverse effects of massive destruction/damage that we have already done.
The pictures in Kallis's article serves as a source of enrichment to the idea of 'make your own'. I found the three different videos on three different activities on art and geometry(rope making, lace/ net/ multistrand braid) quite engaging. I didn't get a chance to try them but looking forward to doing them with the class on Thursday.
Although all the listed activities sounded interesting to me, for Oct 3, I would list the following:
A1. Learning about the history of measuring with hands, thumbs, paces etc....caliberating distances and angles, measuring the garden.
A3. Trying the portable sundial and see how it works.
B1. Making rope and twine for day lily leaves.
B3. Making the handles of the net bags through multistrand braiding.
In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. -Aristotle
I found the above quote significant to our visits to the garden and to Sharon Kallis's article" Building of change from the Ground Up". We sometimes but children(broader inquiry lens than us) often wonder about things that we use for day to day life. For instance, soap used at home, they know where do you get it from, but they inquire how do they make it? What it is made up of? Is it good for the skin? Which one is better(from 100s of soap brands)? This may make us think for a while if we want to provide our children with the right information and nurture their overall development or we may ignore their inquiries(for our comfort of time) putting a stop to their natural curiosities.
It is interesting to find in Kallis's article that this shift in thinking is happening and we are again taking initiatives to consider the bigger picture of inquiry; What to make, How to make, Where to get materials from(19). Also, I would like to add the aspect of Why to make, to this picture. I liked Kallis idea of going backwards in order to get forward(19) that is reflecting on the past to work better for our future. Her thoughts on getting society and community involved in making things rather than manufacturing are really mindful. Think for a moment, factories/industries favouring machine power over manpower, causing unemployment, pollution, unnecessary production, which is, all in all, disturbing the balance in nature. Making things on our own will encourage the science of relearning lost skills, acknowledge nature, support not just production and consumption, but physical and mental health. Additionally, this could be our first step towards restoring life on Planet Earth, which is the need of the hour.
We are close to the edge of humanity as we are approaching the robotic world we aimed for. Kallis's notion of backsourcing is very appropriate to the present-day situation, at least for some of us who have anticipated the adverse effects of massive destruction/damage that we have already done.
The pictures in Kallis's article serves as a source of enrichment to the idea of 'make your own'. I found the three different videos on three different activities on art and geometry(rope making, lace/ net/ multistrand braid) quite engaging. I didn't get a chance to try them but looking forward to doing them with the class on Thursday.
Although all the listed activities sounded interesting to me, for Oct 3, I would list the following:
A1. Learning about the history of measuring with hands, thumbs, paces etc....caliberating distances and angles, measuring the garden.
A3. Trying the portable sundial and see how it works.
B1. Making rope and twine for day lily leaves.
B3. Making the handles of the net bags through multistrand braiding.
Thursday, 26 September 2019
Exit slip: September 25, 2019
Amidst Nature:
Clouds, Wind, Rain nothing stopped us today from having a ecstatic experience in the lap of mother nature. The melodious tune played by Prof. Susan with flute in the heart of nature not only surprised us all but also laid-back all my stress(due to assignments, projects, family life). She also made us sing along the lyrics of " I like to Rise (Country life)" which was a cherry on the top. That reminded me about my childhood spent in a village in India. We all sang along together and it was fun. Susan introduced us to Diana (apologies if spelled incorrectly), a PHD scholar at UBC whose area of research is "Relationship between sounds of nature and students Learning". She guided us and walked us through the Orchard Garden. I found it interesting and logical after we finish an activity of observing sounds of nature and things around with all our eyes closed and were asked to interpret our observations and shape them. We worked in groups and presented our observations in the form of orchestra. It was very entertaining and I think we all enjoyed it. This activity not only promoted Group collaboration, but also made us to ponder that how humans/ technology is interfering with the natural beauty and with growing urbanization, we are loosing the sight of true nature. I will definitely try to do that with my students in school garden. We also picked some natural fruit (Asian apples, apple pear) and vegetables(cucumber, tomatoes, garlic) and then shared them together. I in particular went to get some herbs(Rosemary, basil leaves, mint leaves, fennel seeds) as I was totally absorbed by their fragrance in the Garden. The salad was fresh and delicious. I liked the way we thanked nature and everyone before starting/ ending our class. We discussed about different activities related to our subject area that could be done in the school gardens with the students. I am looking forward to our next class where we will be actually doing more stuff; The art and geometry of rope-making and yarn plying, Simple Turkish lace/ netting/ string bag, making multi strand braid. I feel thankful to God for letting me be a part of everyday great experiences with great people around.
Amidst Nature:
Clouds, Wind, Rain nothing stopped us today from having a ecstatic experience in the lap of mother nature. The melodious tune played by Prof. Susan with flute in the heart of nature not only surprised us all but also laid-back all my stress(due to assignments, projects, family life). She also made us sing along the lyrics of " I like to Rise (Country life)" which was a cherry on the top. That reminded me about my childhood spent in a village in India. We all sang along together and it was fun. Susan introduced us to Diana (apologies if spelled incorrectly), a PHD scholar at UBC whose area of research is "Relationship between sounds of nature and students Learning". She guided us and walked us through the Orchard Garden. I found it interesting and logical after we finish an activity of observing sounds of nature and things around with all our eyes closed and were asked to interpret our observations and shape them. We worked in groups and presented our observations in the form of orchestra. It was very entertaining and I think we all enjoyed it. This activity not only promoted Group collaboration, but also made us to ponder that how humans/ technology is interfering with the natural beauty and with growing urbanization, we are loosing the sight of true nature. I will definitely try to do that with my students in school garden. We also picked some natural fruit (Asian apples, apple pear) and vegetables(cucumber, tomatoes, garlic) and then shared them together. I in particular went to get some herbs(Rosemary, basil leaves, mint leaves, fennel seeds) as I was totally absorbed by their fragrance in the Garden. The salad was fresh and delicious. I liked the way we thanked nature and everyone before starting/ ending our class. We discussed about different activities related to our subject area that could be done in the school gardens with the students. I am looking forward to our next class where we will be actually doing more stuff; The art and geometry of rope-making and yarn plying, Simple Turkish lace/ netting/ string bag, making multi strand braid. I feel thankful to God for letting me be a part of everyday great experiences with great people around.
Tuesday, 24 September 2019
Entrance Slip: September 26,2019
Gardens of Hope!
The idea of having a school garden may not be new in Canada, but for me, in person, this sounds interesting. We use to have a big garden/ lawn in the centre of our school premises in India, around which were structured four walls of learning, The garden had beautiful flowers (no crops/vegetables), which we were allowed to see from far because of strict discipline rules. Going through the article, "The UBC Orchard Garden and Cultivating Learning Network" by Susan Gerofsky, I realised the significant role a garden can play in cultivating ethical and moral values in the students.
I wonder, we(our generation of the 90s) have also been taught in schools about cultural, economic and environmental sustainability, awareness(missing activism) about global climate changes, energy conservation and renewable sources, physical health(mental health misinterpreted with mental illness), the goals that these gardens work on, yet no significant revision can be found in climate changes. Instead, it has been worse than ever before. I may be wrong in stating this so straight forward, but now I know that teaching about environmental sustainability without incorporating the environment physically into schooling can do no good.
We often talk/hear that schools should provide students with the latest tech designed classrooms and laboratories, planting a garden is equally important as having a well-equipped infrastructure. Children spend a lot of their day time in schools and teaching inside classrooms only can sometimes become monotonous and unexciting for them. Also, health issues like diabetes, obesity are now more common among young children because of unhealthy lifestyles. In such a phase, having a garden in school and consolidating it into the timetable as a part of enforcing curriculum could be helpful.
Students can walk around in the garden(nature walk), feel fresh and relax their minds which can promote better physical and mental health. They can learn to grow vegetables and develop healthy eating habits while developing respect for food. Additionally, they can learn to share the food with others, fostering social-emotional bonding. This can also be useful in advertising the notion of "GO GREEN".
There are many ways to include environmental education in the curriculum. I think using gardens to teach Science can be a good approach. Composting, planting seeds and watching trees grow, inquiring effects of water and sunlight on certain plants to study photosynthesis, looking for opportunistic plants, the study of matter around us, coding activities with microbits to test soil moisture, ripples in the water to study waves, slot for rainwater harvesting, etc can be some of the activities that would enhance active learning in the lap of nature. Students may also have their work shared with other classes through an exhibition in the garden. Different subject teachers can collaborate for integrated learning.
All this may sound easy and beautiful, but there can be few challenges like the ones mentioned in the article. Profits from real estate developments, safety concerns related to allergies associated with the vegetation, flexibility in the schedule so that all teachers can manage to share/access school garden for their subject, etc. The pros of having a school garden definitely supersede the difficulties, which I believe can be tackled together with administration, community and government support. Let's all work together towards these gardens of hope as Audrey Hepburn rightly states, "To Plant, a garden is to believe in tommorow".
I am looking forward to this Thursday's class as it will be a new experience of learning out in nature for me.
Thursday, 19 September 2019
Exit Slip : September 19, 2019
The topic of discussion for today's class was based on climate crisis. We, started with discussion on Renert's article, about our role as a teacher, approach towards curriculum, teaching and learning, teachable subject(s) in correspondence to environment education. It seemed from everyone's ideas that we are kind of on a same page, and are willing to incorporate environmental education into our teaching practices. Some of the things that I personally learnt from the discussion are, asking students to examine their daily life, encourage them to notice/observe the impact of emissions on our environment by comparing public vs private transport, emphasize place based learning, include education in, for and about environment by including examples related to environmental concerns into context, being a role mode for our students, introducing concept of Skype scientist in classrooms.
Interestingly, Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old environment activist's speech on Ted talk, brought quite a turnover from lively discussion to a thoughtful silence in our class today. I was surprised/ shocked to see that how such a young child can be so considerate about the climate crisis. Not only this, she is all out on her way to prompt her audience, mostly of educators, climate scientists, politicians, people with power to make a change towards environmental sustainability by taking initiatives to save the world. Greta,insisted in her speech on the need to change the rules, reducing emissions, to feel panic as if our own house is on fire, to be more careful for the future of our future generations. Its time to take time out of our vague lives and look around and feel/think about extinction, population explosion, interplanetary colonization,mental health, industrialization etc. What our selfish/ mean ways of living,survival would cost future generations. I was left spell bound by the impact of Greta's powerful words and forced to think, what if every student in my class starts feeling the same and questions me about my contribution towards this environment change. I am struck in my own thoughts, what if every student feel like going on a climate strike and not to study as knowing about negligent implication of education in real life.
Its time not to think and discover ways to act, but act. I am hopeful that together we can definitely bring a change.
The topic of discussion for today's class was based on climate crisis. We, started with discussion on Renert's article, about our role as a teacher, approach towards curriculum, teaching and learning, teachable subject(s) in correspondence to environment education. It seemed from everyone's ideas that we are kind of on a same page, and are willing to incorporate environmental education into our teaching practices. Some of the things that I personally learnt from the discussion are, asking students to examine their daily life, encourage them to notice/observe the impact of emissions on our environment by comparing public vs private transport, emphasize place based learning, include education in, for and about environment by including examples related to environmental concerns into context, being a role mode for our students, introducing concept of Skype scientist in classrooms.
Interestingly, Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old environment activist's speech on Ted talk, brought quite a turnover from lively discussion to a thoughtful silence in our class today. I was surprised/ shocked to see that how such a young child can be so considerate about the climate crisis. Not only this, she is all out on her way to prompt her audience, mostly of educators, climate scientists, politicians, people with power to make a change towards environmental sustainability by taking initiatives to save the world. Greta,insisted in her speech on the need to change the rules, reducing emissions, to feel panic as if our own house is on fire, to be more careful for the future of our future generations. Its time to take time out of our vague lives and look around and feel/think about extinction, population explosion, interplanetary colonization,mental health, industrialization etc. What our selfish/ mean ways of living,survival would cost future generations. I was left spell bound by the impact of Greta's powerful words and forced to think, what if every student in my class starts feeling the same and questions me about my contribution towards this environment change. I am struck in my own thoughts, what if every student feel like going on a climate strike and not to study as knowing about negligent implication of education in real life.
Its time not to think and discover ways to act, but act. I am hopeful that together we can definitely bring a change.
Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Entrance slip : September 19
#FridaysForFuture#ClimateStrike#StrikeWithUs (copied)
The Climate change(Global warming) has always been a defining issue of our times, but its high time now as it transverses an alarming stage. Despite the fact that we all are busy in our own lives, the concern for this climate change, consideration of its impact on us and our future generations stays somewhere in our minds. Honestly, any time I read or hear anything about growing environmental issues, I feel concerned and involved, but the next moment, I begin to feel uncertain about my role or my contribution towards this global situation. With worldwide Climate Strike demanding actions and support for our future, starting Friday, September20th,I think, there could not have been a better opportunity for me to read this article "Mathematics for life: Sustainable Mathematics Education" by Moshe Renert.
The author's approach towards sustainable education in respect to mathematics education is quite provoking. Accounting broader aspects of mathematics education in particular, the article has projected my perspectives about mathematics education beyond mathematical formulae and equations towards responsive thinking and innovative environment friendly teaching practices. Though, the article addresses transformative role of mathematics education to meet the need of ecological sustainability at every point, but the two things that surprised/ impressed me in expression are:
#FridaysForFuture#ClimateStrike#StrikeWithUs (copied)
The Climate change(Global warming) has always been a defining issue of our times, but its high time now as it transverses an alarming stage. Despite the fact that we all are busy in our own lives, the concern for this climate change, consideration of its impact on us and our future generations stays somewhere in our minds. Honestly, any time I read or hear anything about growing environmental issues, I feel concerned and involved, but the next moment, I begin to feel uncertain about my role or my contribution towards this global situation. With worldwide Climate Strike demanding actions and support for our future, starting Friday, September20th,I think, there could not have been a better opportunity for me to read this article "Mathematics for life: Sustainable Mathematics Education" by Moshe Renert.
The author's approach towards sustainable education in respect to mathematics education is quite provoking. Accounting broader aspects of mathematics education in particular, the article has projected my perspectives about mathematics education beyond mathematical formulae and equations towards responsive thinking and innovative environment friendly teaching practices. Though, the article addresses transformative role of mathematics education to meet the need of ecological sustainability at every point, but the two things that surprised/ impressed me in expression are:
- Damasio's(1994) statement that emotions play a crucial role in decision making and human action, acknowledges Barrow's(1992) "the notion of counting and the notion of quantity". If we cannot relate large numbers to their larger impact, then our understanding of their correlation with any physical phenomenon is negligent.
- The metaphor of 'butterfly' is actually very capacitating. It signifies the importance of each one of our roles and social-environmental responsibilities to be aware of our actions and their consequences. It conveys the power of each water drop that contributes to the bigger ocean.
I believe, educational institutions, schools play an important role in shaping our society by laying foundations and moral values in life of young generation. It is time for us to realize the potential of our roles as educators and the impact of our words/teachings/ lessons that could motivate many, students, parents for a better framework of society. Regarding accommodation, reformation, transformation while addressing present situation of climate crisis and endangers awaiting humanity, could help in fostering a sense of care and respect among students for our environment It is our duty to orient ourselves and our teaching methodologies/practices by adopting skills to inculcate examples/models such as ones described in the text, into our teaching philosophies could initiate a change in favour of sustainable education.
Thursday, 12 September 2019
Exit Slip: September 12, 2019
Today's class started with the most common inquiry,I believe all the prospective teachers might have, that is how much time we actually have with students and how to use that time efficiently to meet the needs of BC's new challenging curriculum. It was fun to work in groups and discuss different views and ideas on the best ways to use classroom time. Some of which included, working in class for resources, promoting inquiry based learning through use of technologies, visual aid for mental health, hands on activities to engage students, incorporating student's interests based strategies in teaching, etc. I think all of us are learning from different perspectives that will be helpful to deal with the diverse learners in our future classrooms.
Following that we watched, the Mathematics professor, Jo Boaler's video on student inquiry which is an eyeopener for all who are not only studying mathematics but also teaching mathematics. The video throws light on traditional, one dimensional and multidimensional mathematics, covering various myths and beliefs that goes around learning mathematics. I feel, the message that Math is not a gift and every child can excel in mathematics;provided persistence, learning from mistakes and encouragement, needs to be spread among our students. Carol Dweck's idea of fixed and growth mindset is also interesting.
Earlier I used to have no approach towards the research and surveys done on Student's different styles of learning, but now after getting more familiar with the role of curriculum in student's overall development motivates me to inquire more in the field, as why it is important to know that how students tackle different (math) problems and how multi dimensional strategies in teaching can be more stimulating and engaging. It is important to know for us as prospective teachers that the research also shows that students with inquiry based ( thinking about the big ideas) and reflective skills (making real world connections) are high achievers than others involved in narrow version of learning. Therefore, its our responsibility to nurture these skills in our own classrooms. Conrad Wolfram, the CEO of "Wolfram Alpha" also inspires everyone to look for broader perspectives in respect to math learning by stating that math is not just a calculation, but much greater than that.
All in all, it is essential to adapt different teaching styles for active learning which will be favorable with the needs of present day world.
Today's class started with the most common inquiry,I believe all the prospective teachers might have, that is how much time we actually have with students and how to use that time efficiently to meet the needs of BC's new challenging curriculum. It was fun to work in groups and discuss different views and ideas on the best ways to use classroom time. Some of which included, working in class for resources, promoting inquiry based learning through use of technologies, visual aid for mental health, hands on activities to engage students, incorporating student's interests based strategies in teaching, etc. I think all of us are learning from different perspectives that will be helpful to deal with the diverse learners in our future classrooms.
Following that we watched, the Mathematics professor, Jo Boaler's video on student inquiry which is an eyeopener for all who are not only studying mathematics but also teaching mathematics. The video throws light on traditional, one dimensional and multidimensional mathematics, covering various myths and beliefs that goes around learning mathematics. I feel, the message that Math is not a gift and every child can excel in mathematics;provided persistence, learning from mistakes and encouragement, needs to be spread among our students. Carol Dweck's idea of fixed and growth mindset is also interesting.
Earlier I used to have no approach towards the research and surveys done on Student's different styles of learning, but now after getting more familiar with the role of curriculum in student's overall development motivates me to inquire more in the field, as why it is important to know that how students tackle different (math) problems and how multi dimensional strategies in teaching can be more stimulating and engaging. It is important to know for us as prospective teachers that the research also shows that students with inquiry based ( thinking about the big ideas) and reflective skills (making real world connections) are high achievers than others involved in narrow version of learning. Therefore, its our responsibility to nurture these skills in our own classrooms. Conrad Wolfram, the CEO of "Wolfram Alpha" also inspires everyone to look for broader perspectives in respect to math learning by stating that math is not just a calculation, but much greater than that.
All in all, it is essential to adapt different teaching styles for active learning which will be favorable with the needs of present day world.
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Entrance slip: September 11, 2019
On Becoming a Reflective Teacher - Carl A. Grant and Kenneth M. Zeichner
I found the article enlightening for the prospective teachers as it can work as a guideline for us as a teacher candidates right now to have a broader picture of our careers as a teacher in the future. It talks about different attributes, reflection in particular, a teacher should have that can maintain a healthy relationship between the educational institutions and the society.In general, imparting relative over absolute knowledge, balancing situational and rational knowledge can help in overall social-emotional development of our students. The article is from mid 1980s, I believe it is relevant as it emphasizes the importance and the need of reflection in a teacher's life in the present, yet the idea of discrimination in classrooms based on students' ability or strengths is outdated. Evidently, BC's new curriculum does incorporates the program adaptations, modifications to support diverse learners and hence promotes an inclusive education system.
After reading the article , I actually started thinking about the kind of teacher I want to become and the strategies I will be using for effecting teaching and class management and how this will be different from my teachers in the past. It arouse a sense of responsibility in me towards the society as the students I am going to teach are going to shape it. The questions about what to teach, how to teach and why to teach will always agitate until a teacher carefully reflects upon them. The article inclined me to inquire what is meant to be reflective, how and how much reflection is needed and more significantly, if reflection hinders performance. Also, I realized that how important the inquiry and critical skills can be for a teacher, to discriminate between assumptions and beliefs and how these inquiries can be executed in a classroom for providing an active learning environment to the students.
On Becoming a Reflective Teacher - Carl A. Grant and Kenneth M. Zeichner
I found the article enlightening for the prospective teachers as it can work as a guideline for us as a teacher candidates right now to have a broader picture of our careers as a teacher in the future. It talks about different attributes, reflection in particular, a teacher should have that can maintain a healthy relationship between the educational institutions and the society.In general, imparting relative over absolute knowledge, balancing situational and rational knowledge can help in overall social-emotional development of our students. The article is from mid 1980s, I believe it is relevant as it emphasizes the importance and the need of reflection in a teacher's life in the present, yet the idea of discrimination in classrooms based on students' ability or strengths is outdated. Evidently, BC's new curriculum does incorporates the program adaptations, modifications to support diverse learners and hence promotes an inclusive education system.
After reading the article , I actually started thinking about the kind of teacher I want to become and the strategies I will be using for effecting teaching and class management and how this will be different from my teachers in the past. It arouse a sense of responsibility in me towards the society as the students I am going to teach are going to shape it. The questions about what to teach, how to teach and why to teach will always agitate until a teacher carefully reflects upon them. The article inclined me to inquire what is meant to be reflective, how and how much reflection is needed and more significantly, if reflection hinders performance. Also, I realized that how important the inquiry and critical skills can be for a teacher, to discriminate between assumptions and beliefs and how these inquiries can be executed in a classroom for providing an active learning environment to the students.
Sunday, 8 September 2019
Exit Slip - September 5, 2019
Today's class was a real platform for all of us to interact for the first time through our views and perceptions about different topics, proving that each individual can have unique ideas about anything and everything. Such lively and open analysis helps in understanding, how different arguments can be discussed without arguing; respecting difference of opinion in all circumstances and how different ideologies collaborate towards unified theory that can illuminate one's path of learning.
Six controversial statements about (math) education: Things are constantly changing, so are the young minds. Studying and exchanging thoughts on the six statements taken from Borasi's article made me think that how people develop these and many other myths about education and what is its impact on people in general, but students in particular. I strongly feel it is our role as a teacher to inquire if certain notions obstructs active learning for a student in any way.
Frank McCourt: From slums to students heart, from ashes to 'Angela's Ashes', from an ordinary teacher to the 'Teacher Man', Frank McCourt's valuable experiences inculcates a sense of never giving up in all his students and now in us, as we proceed in this thrilling adventure of learning and following his footsteps towards miraculous journey of discovering ourselves as teachers. There is lot to learn from Frank's inquiry skills and teaching practices, few of which can be summarized as;
Six controversial statements about (math) education: Things are constantly changing, so are the young minds. Studying and exchanging thoughts on the six statements taken from Borasi's article made me think that how people develop these and many other myths about education and what is its impact on people in general, but students in particular. I strongly feel it is our role as a teacher to inquire if certain notions obstructs active learning for a student in any way.
Frank McCourt: From slums to students heart, from ashes to 'Angela's Ashes', from an ordinary teacher to the 'Teacher Man', Frank McCourt's valuable experiences inculcates a sense of never giving up in all his students and now in us, as we proceed in this thrilling adventure of learning and following his footsteps towards miraculous journey of discovering ourselves as teachers. There is lot to learn from Frank's inquiry skills and teaching practices, few of which can be summarized as;
- Developing a sense of responsibility towards your students and yourself: I now feel that a Teacher needs to study their students (emotionally and psychologically) before making them study their subject. Teachers can use their skills to discover student's competence, cooperating it into meaningful learning.
- Practicing and cultivating Power of Thinking: A Teacher should be able to motivate students to think, wonder and inquire about and beyond text.
- Stimulating Critical Inquiry: Encouraging critical thinking by analyzing text through different perspectives, research findings, data and facts.
- Open to new Learning: Frank's statement," If you are teaching and you're are not learning, you're not teaching" emphasizes the fact that learning is life long process and there is lot to learn form everyday experiences with students. A balance between learning(lessons and unit plans) and practicing( actual teaching through experiences and story-telling) in class can inspire students to put all their efforts to produce best results.
I feel motivated after watching both the videos as I am also a immigrant like Mr. McCourt and sometimes feel different about my accent. I am strengthened from his struggle(first as hardships in childhood and second as a foreigner) to represent myself and utilize the skills learnt so far and more on the way to grow as a successful teacher and drive my students to be fruitful not only in their careers, but in their life.
Thursday, 5 September 2019
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