How I might do introductions

I loved the use of name cards! It is a great way for the teacher to get to know names and for the class to get to know each other! I will make sure my students get colorful paper and markers to write their names and draw a picture of something that represents them. I love the idea of introducing yourself to a partner and then the partner introducing you to the class. This activity allows student to really get to know their partner. I might go around the classroom and have each person say their name and something interesting about themselves. I might offer a prize to the student who can remember the most names and interesting facts about their classmates. I want my students to feel comfortable in my classroom so I will encourage a sense of community among my students.

Reflection of Day One

After the first day of class, I knew I was going to enjoy Science and Technology Methods. I was sure that I was going to have to work hard to earn the grades I deserved but I knew it was going to be an experience that I would take a lot from. I loved creating name cards and I was pleasantly surprised that we were encouraged to draw pictures on our name cards. The activity to follow was interesting and allowed us to learn about our peers as well as ourselves. I enjoyed reminiscing about science teachers I have had in the past. It was interesting to me to think about the teachers I will try to be like and the teachers who I do not want to be like. Thinking about all the great science teachers I have had made it easy to come up with traits of a good science teacher. It was fun sharing stories from science in elementary school among my group. We were able to collaborate and come up with our own definitions for science and learning. Discussing our thoughts and experiences made it more comfortable to share with the class. I am happy to feel like a community of learners in our science methods class and I am excited to see what we have in store for the rest of the semester.

The Wonders of Winter Weather

As my mother drove me home on Wednesday morning, I was worry free noticing the dry roads and lack of precipitation. My mother had told me she hoped we didn't encounter snow on the two hour drive back to Long Island. I was doubtful as I looked into the clear sky above Newburgh. As we drove down the Thruway, It began to drizzle. Further on our journey, I could see a blurry cloud in the road ahead. As we approached I could see the blurry cloud was made out of tiny specks of snow. We drove into the blizzard and I found it remarkable to watch the temperature drop and the rain drops turn into snow flakes. We could feel the road freezing underneath the car. While I made my observations of the rapidly changing weather I thought about the concept of freezing point. Although I am familiar with the concept of freezing, I could not understand the weather shift that occurred next. It sounded like rocks were hitting the car! It was hailing- ice falling from the sky! This is the question I hope to find the answer to: what are the precise conditions required for hail and how are those conditions different from snow? This is just the first of many questions I will be asking on my journey to discover science in my environment.