Comments on: Will Master Teachers Help Kids Master Science or Science Tests?

By: NickK

NickK — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 01:21:25 +0000

Truly an inspired teacher is worth their weight in gold! Therefore, teaching the teachers is the valuable mould for bringing the best into our classrooms and should be valued at the highest level

By: carol james

carol james — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 04:29:52 +0000

I love teaching inquiry- based science! When kids are motivated with ooohhhs and ahhhs, it inspires me to keep presenting the content in new ways. I keep exploring, myself! OK, I have been teaching 30 yrs. and have taught grades 1-3. I made lab coats from white shirts collected at thrift stores and ironed scientist logos on them. I listen to NPR Science Friday to get new ideas… light bulbs! For instance, 2 yrs ago I got the recipe for making snow flakes w/ dry ice w/ little effort on my part. Fit right in w/ several areas of my content for gr. 2.

How can we ignore the inspiration and knowledge that comes from “hands on” experiences for children? Teaching to a test will kill this. Balance is needed. Teachers must be encouraged to guide explorations and led to realize that this will help those “test scores” in the end. The means are essential! If not, the end will be more difficult. Rote memorization has its place, but inspiration and joy for the subject is so important in grade school.

I know that my students did well on content tests b/c I stimulated their thinking and made sure they understood the vocabulary and content in the context of a fun experience. They remember what THEY DO!!!! That is so important for those implementing policy to remember. I pray we can get it right for our children’s sake and the future of our country.

By: L. Maaradji

L. Maaradji — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:04:51 +0000

Our educational system has some gigantic flaws – funding, canned curriculum, teaching to a test, inadequate teacher preparation, one of the shortest school years in the world and now siphoning off the best and brightest STEM teachers to a semi-administrative position camouflaged as ‘master teachers’. How about a program where master teachers stay in the classroom and new teachers or those of us that need a ‘tune-up’ apprentice with those effective teachers? Excellent teaching requires skills that not everyone has such as organization, personability, enthusiasm, depth of knowledge, patience, experience, and a clear understanding of the students being taught. As a mentor teacher for years I know that not everyone brings these and many more necessary skills to the table. We assume these skills can be taught. I’m not so sure after 20 years in the classroom. Let us keep the best of us working with students – where we have the greatest impact – in class.

By: Hypatia

Hypatia — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 04:28:10 +0000

Of course tests have their uses, but nothing substitutes for critical thinking and hands-on exploration. Science can be so exciting, if properly taught.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:32:37 +0000

My wife and I are both science teachers (high school and middle school, respectively) and are very interested in this topic. Something that recently caught our attention was an article in the latest edition of Scientific American (“Building a Better Science Teacher”) which has an intriguing chart on page 65. The chart lays out the most likely path ways to STEMM. There are many possible factors that influence a person to enroll in either science, technology, engineering, math or a medical field in college. But the single most predictive factor was whether that person had completed calculus in high school. This was surprise to us because while we assumed that a mastery of math was important to a STEMM career we never realized that it was so predominant over so many factors we considered more influential such as high achievement in science, encouragement by teachers and family, and reading ability. Master science teachers may be helpful but for my wife and I, we both understand now that teaching science will provide only a foundation of knowledge and experience — we know now that the students with an interest and ability for STEMM should also be shepherded into high school calculus if they are to engage in a college level study program. We may do more good as a nation to generate more STEMM graduates if we place more emphasis on competent math instruction in all grades to steer more students to math courses at higher levels.

By: Luann Lee

Luann Lee — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:01:56 +0000

@Mathlogic: I agree that testing may have a place in measuring student learning. There are other ways to measure learning, too. Students who engage in scientific inquiry through field studies or lab investigations can present their work to teachers, peers, the community and demonstrate their learning. Students can collaborate with one another, educators, and scientists and demonstrate their learning through discussions, blog posts (or an old-fashioned paper essay, but then who else gets to learn from this?), electronic of paper posters for display, you get the idea. Are you currently working in math or science? Did your learn-for-the-test background prepare you for this? Just curious.

@Sara G, I, too, have difficulty leaving my classroom. I work hard to foster collaboration and community among my students, and generally find that they will continue learning if I am out for a day or two. Moving to a “no-sub-needed” system as proposed by Nancy Flanagan ( http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teacher_in_a_strange_land/2012/07/lets_get_rid_of_subs.html ) might make this easier. I’d like to introduce you to my friend Diana Laufenberg’s blog ( http://laufenberg.wordpress.com/ ) . Diana is an incredible resource for teaching social studies through inquiry and problem-based learning. I learn from her constantly.

@Dale Cope, you are so right. How can we get our lawmakers to see this?

@Joemac35, I echo your frustration with the acronym STEM. It’s as though the clever creators truly believe we’ve never integrated real science (or math or engineering or technology) into our students’ learning.

@Billikin, Yes, and for every school and every teacher, not just those in high-need schools or those in districts and states who have sold their souls to the RTTT gods to get said funding.

@English Teacher, I feel your frustration at English being ignored in this initiative. Curently, my state tests reading, writing, math, and science – but students do not have to pass science, so science and social studies teachers are simply expected to support tester subjects at the expense of our own course goals. I advocate for a collaborative environment in which students integrate “subject areas” to engage in meaningful learning. There are many students who are very capable of greater success in “STEM,” but haven’t been encouraged or see no reason to engage. Other students may find their gift in writing, and as you mention, writing is central to communicating important ideas. A peripheral understanding of “STEM” subjects may pave their paths into a technical writing, editing, or even a sic-fi career.

By: Ilene Franklin

Ilene Franklin — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 22:44:23 +0000

Chemistry Teacher Says:
When texting, we have begun to use rebuses to reduce the number of key strikes, increase our communication speed, and save some money. And let’s face it, rebuses are cute. But, the English teacher is correct. Everything that is imagined, discovered, derived, and learned needs to be communicated without ambiguity. Language Rules! L8tr

By: English Teacher

English Teacher — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:33:16 +0000

Will the amazing students who are taught to search out their own answers be able to communicate their ideas to others? Let’s not forget that all educational disciplines are important to a well-rounded students. Those who can’t excel in STEM classes will be left behind and undervalued. No one can win a Nobel Prize unless they write up their findings and in some cases illustrate, electronically publish, etc.

By: Billikin

Billikin — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:02:37 +0000

Here is a thought about inspiring students to learn about STEM subjects: Increase funding for research on the one hand and engineering projects on the other, and make a big deal about it.

By: joemac53

joemac53 — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 23:42:50 +0000

There is no magic bullet. There is no centralized, top-down dogma that will satisfy all “positive” outcomes. Good teachers know their subject and how kids learn. Good teachers have a good relationship with their students. Good teachers can be good role models.

I am very frustrated with the “everybody should be doing this” attitude of ed reform. I retired after 35 years as a STEM teacher (we forgot to have an acronym before). I will admit to the “please leave me alone” attitude for most of those years.