A Problem-Based Approach to Teaching about Pollution

This paper describes the characteristics of teacher-centered classrooms and student-centered learning environment. In addition, this paper will explain the significance of teacher education for the effective implementation of technology as well as student-centered learning environment in K-12 classrooms. In the traditional teacher-centered classroom, teachers are expected to be the subject matter experts. They present the information in textbooks and when students asked questions, it is the job of the teacher to guide the students to think in such a way that they arrive at ‘correct’ answers (Carter, 1997). Students are also expected to learn factual-based knowledge and assessment is often based on the information they delivered from their rote skills.

It can give students a variety of ways to look at problems and at the same time expand their knowledge in the subject. If our school has the opportunity to apply for a grant enabling every student and teacher to their own calculators, we should not hesitate to accept this offer. The use of calculators in the classroom is a very debatable issue and there are many pros and cons. In many schools you will find teachers who are not for calculators because they feel as though students rely heavily on them and end up losing their basic skills in mathematics or just become lazy. Gordon Clavert wrote an article titled ìA dependence on technology and algorithms or a lack of number sense?î In this article, he explains that when he gives his students calculators they lose all sense of thought.

Introduction Our experiences influence the formation of our attitudes, desires and purposes (Dewey1938).Similarly, the experiences of the students in the science classroom determine the subjects that they do as well as lead to a decline in the number of students choosing to do integrated science. In the quest to gain insight into their experiences in the science classroom, it is prudent for the researcher to review some of the issues that could have impacted on their experiences in the teaching and learning of integrated science. The current issues that will be reviewed are (1) importance of science education (2) the integrated science curriculum (3) attitude towards science teaching and learning (4) teaching strategies and motivation (5) teaching style (6) students’ experiences. The review of the literature in this research on students’ experiences in the science classroom in relation to science teaching and learning serves to guide and inform the discussion which will emerge from the findings of the research. Importance of Science Education Science education is relevant to all areas of life in our society, however many students seem to lose their interest for it in schools.

Promoting students’ argument construction and collaborative debate in the science classroom. Internet environments for science education. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Houser, N. (2005) Inquiry Island: Social Responsibility and Ecological Sustainability in the Twenty-first Century. The Social Studies May/June 2005 pp.

In order to have an unforgettable science experience, you have to have a hands-on experience. After all of my science experiences, both learning and teaching, the ones that I remember most are the ones that were hands-on. I believe that science should be very hands-on because it provides an experience that cannot really be done with any other subject. Hands-on lessons are also known as inquiry-based learning. When teaching an inquiry-based lesson, teachers have to think out of the box and create experiments for students to perform to come to a conclusion for their learning.

Teachers need to draw up lessons that include activities where learners can engage. A challenge is to link the lessons to learners’ experiences in order to make lessons accessible to all (Harlen & Qualter, 2004). Teachers also need to establish the learning needs of learners in order to plan lessons and activities that allow learners to change their existing knowledge to fit the scientific view (Loxley et al, 2010). Teachers migh... ... middle of paper ... ...s, L. & Dore, B. (2010).

Rationale In classrooms today, educators are constantly seeking and implementing engaging lessons that will increase student knowledge and skills. The intent of the activities is to help students become independent learners and use process thinking skills. Students seem to learn best by actually directing their own learning and doing, rather than being led from step to step by the teacher. In science, it is especially important that students learn by inquiry and use more of a hands-on approach to learning scientific concepts. According to Wilke and Straits (2005), inquiry-based learning is where students explore a problem using the processes and tools of the discipline.

Works Cited Bass, Joel E., Contant, Terry, L., & Carin, Arthur, A (2009), Teaching Science as Inquiry, (11th ed. ), Pearson Education, INC: Boston, MA. Nolen, J. (2003). Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom.

Discussions in the elementary science classroom are crucial to understanding scientific concepts. Unfortunately, the term discussions may lead us to imagine the whole group reading, followed by questions generated by the teacher, students restating what was previously read, and finally the teacher evaluating the students’ statements for correctness. This method of discussion is commonly known as initiation-response-feedback or IRF (Willington, 2011). This unfortunate scenario can be replaced by a more meaningful exchange known as inquiry based discussions. An alternative to IRF is inquiry based discussions.

Students need essential expository reading strategies to comprehend the science text book. Students will need strategies to be successful throughout school. This research will investigate the effectiveness of text feature walks, using QAT strategy, and completing KWL charts in the comprehension of the science textbook. Problem Statement Sixth grade students in middle school have difficulty comprehending expository text. This results in students not understanding the assignments they read from the science textbook.