NJCCCs

I never thought to actually read through the NJCCCS because I do not use those standards. I am now looking and analyzing my Preschool Expectations. It will be easier for me to critique my expectations because I do not have a lot of strands under each content area. It all connects back to the idea of having the end at the beginning of planning. Before becoming an administrator, I would like to have the opportunity to explore all the content areas. I am not sure if this will happen, but it is my intent.

Cheat sheet

NJCCCS Science

5.1 Science Process
Students will be able to understand that people of many different cultures have contributed to scientific discoveries and technological innovations. Students will also understand how major events have impacted the history of science. Students will be able to understand the origin of the many theories and laws that have been developed in science.
5.2 Science and Society
All students will develop an understanding of how people of various cultures have contributed to the advancement of science and technology, and how major discoveries and events have advanced science and technology.
5.3 Mathematical Applications
Students will be able to determine the most appropriate estimates, measurements, and computations of quantities when conducting scientific experiments or observations. Students will also be responsible for choosing the most applicable measuring instruments based on the type of experiment that is being performed. Students should be able to recognize patterns and express physical relationships using mathematical equations. Students will also be able to understand construct tables and graphs to interpret or express scientific findings.
5.4 Nature and Process of Technology
Students will be able to understand the difference between events that take place in nature and those that have been created to solve human problems. Students will demonstrate how measuring instruments are used to gather information to solve a problem. Students will also be able to analyze a product or system to determine its’ purpose. Students should also be able to analyze a technological problem and identify its’ basic components.
5.5 Characteristics of Life
Students will be able to distinguish living things from non-living things. Students will be able to identify the roles that organisms play in the food chain. Students will understand the composition of living and non-living things, such as cell structure in plants and animals. Students will also understand the organization in living things. Students will be able to describe the basic functions of the major systems of the human body. Students will be able to describe the different stages in the lives of different organisms. Students will also understand the how and why extinction occurs and the different theories of evolution.
5.6 Chemistry
Students will be able to sort objects based on their physical or chemical composition. Students will be able to recognize about 100 elements that have been identified on Earth. Students will be able to describe properties of mixtures and solutions. Students will understand how and chemical reactions occur. Students will be able to recognize evidence of a chemical change and describe its’ properties. Students will also be responsible for understanding the structure and properties of matter.
5.7 Physics
Students will be able to recognize and explain relationships between motion and forces. Students will understand the laws of physics and be able to apply them to their understanding of discovery during experimentation. Students will be able to understand various sources of energy and recognize its many attributes.
5.8 Earth Science
Students will be able to identify and describe the various substances that make up soil and rocks. Students will be able to recognize the importance of fossils and how they provide evidence to plants and animals that lived long ago. Students will be to understand and explain the characteristics of air and water. Students will be able to explain changes that take place on the Earth’s surface. Students will be able to utilize and analyze data gathered that explains changes that occurred on Earth over time.
5.9 Astronomy and Space Science
Students will be able to understand the motions of the Earth, sun, moon, and planets. Students will understand all the components of the solar system and their many different characteristics. Students will be able identify specific stars and their specific developments. Students will understand how the solar system’s part in determining elements of time and seasons. Students will know what technology is used to study the many aspects of the universe.
5.10 Environmental Studies
Students will understand their interaction with the environment and how crucial their actions are to the environments sustainability. Students will be able to investigate and explain events that take place naturally throughout the world.
Strengths
· The science standards also show a strong emphasis on the subject areas of biology, chemistry, and physics.
· The strengths of the science standards are that they seem to follow a sequential pattern, in regards to building amount prior knowledge that should be learned in previous grade levels.
· The science standards also provide a vast amount of information that should be learned by the end of specific grade levels, which gives educators a precise understanding of what needs to be taught.
· The standards are cross-curricular and include content areas such as: Math, Social Studies, and Technology.
· Since the standards include other content areas they are able to transfer from one content area to another.
· They are reviewed and revised every five years.
Weaknesses
· There is such a vast amount of information that needs to be learned by a certain grade level that invokes a very logical question of how deep of an understanding do these students have of all these concepts.
· They are reviewed and revised every five years.
· less of an emphasis on earth science, astronomy and space science, and environmental science than in the three sciences biology, chemistry, and physics.
Related Articles
Brainard, J. (2007). Report Urges Improvement in Teaching of Science. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53.
Hackett, J., Pratt, H. (1998) Teaching Science: The Inquiry Approach. Principal, 78, 20-22.
Hendrickson, S. (2006). Backward Approach to Inquiry. Science Scope, 29, 30-33.
Lewis, A. (2006). Science Teaching. The Education Digest, 72, 71-72.
Wheeler, G. (2006). Ten Years of Science Education Standards and the Roadmap to Success. School Science and Mathematics, 106, 169-172.

Textbook as a resource

During on of our class discussion we were talking about textbooks as a resource. Currently, I work as a pre-k teacher and we do not have any textbooks. I guess I have an advantage because I always use outside resources when I plan. I requested a grade change for next school year. So I am a little scared because of the discussion. I thought that the upper grade teachers taught from the textbook. I am truly learning a lot from this curriculum course.

Trip

I have a trip scheduled for early May. When I planned this trip I was just planning, I was not thinking about connecting it to learning. When one of our classmates brought up the kindergarten trip for harvest, I began to reflect on our class trip. I really feel that I am cheating my students. I intended to work on bugs and insect prior to the trip. Now I am rethinking that now. I intend on altering my lesson for the rest of this month and continue into late May (we also have a trip at the end).

What I think is funny is that this trip had to approved by my VP, assistant superintendent and director of my department. The only questions on the sheet referred to what standards and what activities you will do prior to trip. I just put a KWL chart, but I gave no in depth information on how this connected to student's learning and understanding. I assumed that all these knowledgeable people would have investigated more into the connection to understanding. The description of the kindergarten class and the trip really helped me

Enduring Understanding

When I was reading the chapters, I developed a "wow", I didn't know that. I started to do a true reflection of my own teachings. I think that I was doning more of coverage than in-depth teaching. I was impressed with the "multifacetd view of understanding". Through my own education I didn't have a full understanding, I memorized to pass ( especially in high school. I teach pre-k so know I am truly aware now if i am teaching for understanding or just to cover the materials (e.g. knowing all the alphabet by the end of the school year).



Every time I write my lesson plans i provided some open ended questions. ASfter reading the chapter on essential questions, I realized that my question are geared toward the "twin sins". I somewhat feel that I have failed my previous students because, I didn't have the true understanding of how to teach effectively and provided. I didn't learn any of this during my alternate route program.



Teachers have to grapple with providing lesson that students can:explain, interpret, apply, have prespective, empathize and to have self-knowledge. Teachers have to make sure that students are not just memorizing but have the knowledge and ability to explain the why and how questions. Teachers also have to provide the esential questions that are "thought provoking".

successful Novice Teacher

I truly believe that the success of a novice teacher falls on the administrator. Novice teachers do need to possess certain charateristics such as: eagerness to learn from students and others, ability to reach different learners and survival skills in general. In order for the novice to be successful the administration need to provide these teachers with essential tools. The essential tools should be having a mentor, co-plannning with other teachers, staff development and observing model classrooms. The stats on novice teacher turnover shows that these teachers need the school family and themselves to be successful and productive.

personal mission

My mission is to motivate by providing an academic and social foundation for later success. I will provide opportunities for every student to lean and reach their highest potential. Students will reach their potential by me continuing to strive to differentiate my instruction. My demeanor as well as my classroom will be warm and inviting.