外教科学课该怎么上？

dawnch

————




教科学课的Mr. Ruda是一个住在佛罗里达州的老头。
据有同学观察，Mr. Ruda还是秃顶的——这我怎么没看出来呢？

除科学外，他所持有的教师执照还包括如下这样课程：
English / (Grades 6-12),
English / (Grades 5-9),
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) / Endorsement,
Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum / (Grades 5-9), & Reading / Endorsement.  

他所教的学生成绩超出了全州水平测试，其中原因之一他认为是因为他能教中学的所有课程。

Mr. Ruda的科学课，没有Baker老师的风趣幽默，也没有Vicky老师的热情活泼。
它是冷静的，就象是一位睿智的长者领着孩子们去思考和观察。
没有我们习惯观念中慈祥老人那种形象，但孩子们也不会感到有居高临下的压力。

也就只有沉浸其中，才能品出滋味。

Mr. Ruda为这个课布置了动手实验的作业，要求把观察过程记录下来。
这个作业布置了几个星期，没有一个孩子交过作业！
我跟Ruda先生沟通：家长们不太喜欢这样的作业，家长们认为那个练习册、作业纸才是作业，您能不能换一种作业方式呢？
但老头子很固执！
就算没有孩子交作业，他在每节课开始时仍然会问孩子：“你们放在窗边的种子有什么变化吗？有没有作记录呢？”
第一次有同学说天太冷，刚种下去什么变化也没有，因此没有记录；
上一次有同学说自己不舍得让种子变成植物；
这次又有同学说种下去了，但是......
总之每次都有借口。
但Mr.Ruda仍是坚持在问。
下课前仍然督促他们交作业。

在此想向大家了解，你们认为这外教的科学课该怎样上？
是把科学课当阅读课来上，只不过阅读的内容恰巧是科学内容的？
还是把科学课当科学课，让孩子学到知识，培养批判性思维，把阅读技巧、动手能力同时得到提高？

还是？。。。。还是。。。。。。？

dawnch

以下是Ruda先生的课程计划、作业安排等。。。。

关于第一次作业：
Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:25:10 -0500


I want them to get all the help they need from their parents on that little project.  I have looked at their writings and plan to tell them to write as they speak. It's effective two ways, as you know.  Dave



2012年2月2日

Both Franklin and Ned did very well on their paragraphs.  They only had subject- verb agreement mistakes often made even by native English speakers, Franklin: singular subject, plural verb, and Ned: plural subject, singular verb.  But both are to be congratulated!

dawnch

第二次作业：

The homework is to do the exercise involving separating seeds and planting them in an egg carton or in cups and writing down what was done and any progress observed. This homework can be continued over a couple of weeks and expands the idea that reading is thinking and creates new opportunities for expressing original thought.

dawnch

2012　2　06

I'll proceed slowly with Chapter 1. First, a quick look at journal entries on planting seeds from last week. Then we'll look at the vocabulary for "All About Plants" copying the words to pay special attention to them when we find them in the text we will read together. When we get to p 12, we'll assign those questions to be copied and answered for homework.  Next, we go to Lessons 3+4, "How Plants Grow and Change" pp 14-22, and plan on writing questions and answers on p 22 for homework. How do I feel about these online classes? I am impressed by the intelligence of the kids and I feel both of our countries will be better for the understanding we foster in the people we touch.

dawnch

I am using the science curriculum to teach Reading because reading in science topics presents the greatest difficulty as children proceed through school.  Part of the difficulty is the technical language and part is the process of critical thinking espoused by science. The most important thing to be gained is critical thinking because it applies to everything else kids do in school. That's why I like to say, "Reading is Thinking."

dawnch

I repeated the assignment of putting a bean on a wet piece of paper towel and taping it to a window pane inside the house or apartment.  After the bean sprouts roots, turn the bean upside-down and observe toe roots' direction after a few days.  The paperwork is writing down what they observed.  It should be positive geotropism of the roots.  The planting thing is also a journaling of process and observation.  The difference between this process and simply answering questions lies in creativity and thinking involved as well as the utility of transfer of the note-taking process to other areas like reading literature.  It may appear to be loosly organized, but it is the basis for critical thinking.  Next time, however, I will assign a more concrete task based on text based questions as you suggested.

dawnch

针对这个科学课所表现出来的问题，Mr. Ruda发给我这篇文章，希望我能与家长交流一下。
但我一直没时间把它翻译成中文！


关于学生学习的七个误区

Seven misconceptions about how students learnBy Valerie Strauss
Will Rogers once said, “It isn’t what people don’t know that hurts them. It’s what they do know that just ain’t so.”
That’s the introduction to a list of seven myths about learning on the website of the Independent Curriculum Group, which is part of a movement of leading private college preparatory schools with teacher-generated curriculum.
Many people — educators included — still cling to some of these misconceptions about learning because they base what they think on their own experiences in school, ignoring what 21st century science and experience are revealing.
Here are seven of the biggest myths about learning that, unfortunately, guide the way that many schools are organized in this era of standardized test-based public school reform.

Basic Facts Come Before Deep Learning
This one translates roughly as, “Students must do the boring stuff before they can do the interesting stuff.” Or, “Students must memorize before they can be allowed to think.” In truth, students are most likely to achieve long-term mastery of basic facts in the context of engaging, student-directed learning.

Rigorous Education Means a Teacher Talking
Teachers have knowledge to impart, but durable learning is more likely when students talk, create, and integrate knowledge into meaningful projects. The art of a teacher is to construct ways for students to discover.

Covering It Means Teaching It
Teachers are often seduced by the idea that if they talk about a concept in class, they have taught it. At best, students get tentative ideas that will be quickly forgotten if not reinforced by a student-centered activity.

Teaching to Student Interests Means Dumbing It Down
If we could somehow see inside a student’s brain, its circuitry would correspond to its knowledge. Since new learning always builds on what is already in the brain, teachers must relate classroom teaching to what students already know. Teachers who fail to do so, whether due to ignorance or in pursuit of a false idea of rigor, are running afoul of a biological reality.

Acceleration Means Rigor
Some schools accelerate strong students so that they can cover more material. Schools in the Independent Curriculum Group are more likely to ask such students to delve deeper into important topics. Deep knowledge lays a stronger foundation for later learning.

A Quiet Classroom Means Good Learning
Students sitting quietly may simply be zoned out -- if not immediately, then within 15 minutes. A loud classroom, if properly controlled, includes the voices of many students who are actively engaged.

Traditional Schooling Prepares Students for Life
Listening to teachers and studying for tests has little to do with life in the world of work. People in the work world create, manage, evaluate, communicate, and collaborate.

-0-

dawnch

2012　02　20


I'm planning to do Ch 2, Animal Life Cycle and to ask the students to do the Think, Talk and write on page 89, Q 1,2,3 and the Health Link on p 91 for homework.

山居

谢谢您的资料，投票选了两项：

要有科学课特色，要有动手实验的内容
培养批判性思维，学会观察事物，提高动手能力

我想那些孩子不做这么有趣的“作业”，最主要的原因还是没有时间吧。
生活都安排满了，所以可能科学课也只能变成英语科学阅读。这是折衷的办法，虽然不是最好的解决方案。

如果有可能，我很想让我的孩子跟着优秀的名师学习。
但是孩子现在每天的时间安排已经很紧凑，英语学习可能得排到下一步，等过些时候再考虑了。

大大姑娘

哈，我选了互相矛盾的两项：
·培养批判性思维，学会观察事物，提高动手能力
·怎么上都无所谓，孩子喜欢就行
说白了就是先要让孩子对课程有兴趣，在此基础上培养批判性思维，学会观察事物，提高动手能力

心动的课程太多，时间太少，徒呼奈何呀～