Virtual Learning Network

It is hard to separate the capabilities as each has a role to play as you progress through a unit / investigation. However it is a good idea to identify ipone that you want to focus on. Gathering data /observation is a great place to start. Observation is the key to all the rest. Learning to take a long look, looking over time, describing, - all need practise. There is a loittle routine called 'See, Think, Wonder'. This allows you to work with the kids on a single item or in groups with one each. See - observe, describe, research. THINK - infer from what you see, Wonder - questions to follow up, investigate. Can be done with 5 year olds or 15 year olds. Can be done in an hour or over a week. 

The Science Learning Hub has some great activities to start you off. All you need are some magnifying glasses and some interesting things to look at.

Well done you for wanting to teach science. Your first port of call should be TKI and the science curriculum area. Focus on the overarching strand which is the Nature of science. This will guide you through the skills, strategies and attitudes of thinking and working like a scientist. The other strands will give you a context to practise these skills. The science capabilities (again, look for them on TKI) are the 'how' of the Nature of Science. How to investigate, how to collect and critique data, how to make observations, how to communicate your understanding. NZCER has recently published an awesome book called "Constructing your primary school science curriculum". It is a brilliant, up to date 'guide' to putting the curriculum to work. Try and get hold of it from NZCER's website - it is an easy read but very practical. Within this blended elearning area of the VLN is my blog "the Joy of Science". I put it together to enable teachers to start some science conversations. Have a look and see if it has anything to help you get started. Also, start a science table in your classroom! It can be an actual table or just a tray. Find some interesting things for the kids to look at. Buy some magnifiers from the two dollar shop and see what happens. Collect a box of interesting things like nuts and seeds, shells, moss, stones, unusual nuts and bolts, weird things you find in the junk drawer, old things like film. Then have the kids sort them eg. Natural and manmade, round and not round.....that one starts a lot of arguments! Get them talking to each other, justifying their opinions and thinking with evidence. Be brave, have a go, do not be afraid to reveal yourself as a learner. Science is all about not knowing something and finding a way to discover the answers to your questions. Good luck

I agree. I won an ACET last year...but nearly didn't apply for the same reasons as you. So the way i saw it was that your activities don't have to make a direct impact but you wouldn't do them if there wasn't some impact on the children either directly, via the school environment, introducing opportunities, supporting your colleagues to make an impact on their students, etc. i feel strongly that this is a time when you have to just throw everything at them. Make sure you have eveidence that supports you? You may need to 'manufacture' evidence!! By this i don't mean write positive emails to yourself!! But ask parents or colleagues if they would mind sending you an email where they write their comments rather than just telling you verbally. Then take a screen shot of it so the panel can see it is genuine. Don't give up on this opportunity. You have to do it for yourself. Be your own cheerleader because sadly no one else will....and you are working too hard to miss out. 

One way to make the most of them is to make sure they are used by 2  or 3 kids at a time as their conversations will be helpful for their combined learning but will also give you insight into how they are thinking. "Show me" is a drawing programme that also records voice so you can record how they explain somethig then listen to what they said as it replays the drawing / demonstrating process too.  Multi maths is acool maths add/sub/ multiplication programme that is really best played in a group. 

Of course it all depends on what you want to study...the context. but any of these will allow you to explore the Nature if Science. Try "virtual heart", "brain pop uk" it has movies and good graphics. The Science Learning Hub has one called...."science hub"   Moon globe and mars globe are like google earth but for the moon and for mars!  You should also check out the website for Steve Spangler. And my blog here on the VLN .."The Joy of Science" - it has some suggestions for ways to explore the nature of science in arange of contexts without having to do A whole unit. /groupcms/view/700731/the-joy-of-science--e-science-resources

This week I have given you "Mythbusters" as a site to try for videos and good demos of dicussions of the set up and trial and error process of investigation.   Have a look and let me know what you think.

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This week I have updated "What a site" with Mythbusters.  It is a great show for firing the imagination and encouraging the "I'll give that a go" attitude needed to test ideas. There is a lot of good information as well as the videos of their actual investigations. Maybe your class could begin making their own videos of the process of investigating - the process of trial and error and discussion is just as important as finding something out at the end. Wouldn't it be great to be able to review their process at the beginning of the year and critique it in view of their experience at the end of the year? 

Check out my latest post on "Joy of Science".  What if you could make anything you have ever imagined, drawn or designed?  Well, with 3D printing this is now possible.  What are the implications for medicine, architecture, design, intellectual property?  Have a look and have a conversation with your students - will they have a 3D printer in their homes in 20 years time? Imagine what you could make...

Check out this week's  "What if" post in "The Joy of Science".  What if you could make anything you ever imagined, drew or designed...well 3D printing is making this possible. What are the implications for medicine, design, architecture, imtellectual property? Have a look and have a conversation.

Check out this week's post in "What if".  What if you could make anything you ever imagined, drew or designed...well 3D printing is making this possible. What are the implications for medicine, design, architecture, imtellectual property? Have a look and have a conversation.