orange county public schools the trouble with bubbles! stem in prek march 11, 2015 winner

Orange County Public Schools

The Trouble with Bubbles!

STEM in PreKMarch 11, 2015

WINNER


LEARNING GOAL

Teachers will understand how to intentionally implement activities in their classroom that integrate science, technology, engineering and math.


Evidence

4 I implement activities in my classroom that integrate science, technology, engineering and math and can explain why to my administrator, paraprofessional(s) and parents.

I can explain the importance of STEM activities during a pre-conference with my administrator, meetings/trainings with parents, and discussion with the paraprofessional(s).

3 I implement activities in my classroom that integrate science, technology, engineering and math.

I intentionally include STEM activities in my daily plans because I understand the importance.

2 I can identify STEM activities but I don’t always feel comfortable using them in my classroom.

I may include a STEM activity I find interesting and easy.

1 STEM? Isn’t that part of a plant? I have heard the term STEM but I am not sure am not sure what the letters stand for.


Science (a way of thinking)…nurturing a sense of curiosity. It’s about observing, experimenting, predicting, discovering, investigating, questioning and wondering.

Technology (a way of doing)…a fancy word for tools…crayons, pencils, paper, rulers, measuring tapes, magnifying glasses, balances…

Engineering (a way of doing)…identifying a problem, thinking about solutions, and trying them out (e.g. making a more stable base when building with blocks)…if at first you don’t succeed…

Math (a way of measuring)…comparing, sorting, looking for patterns, identifying shapes…language such as using words such as bigger, smaller, higher, lower, longer, shorter, farther, closer…


A Child’s Brain

The first three to five years of life are a unique period of growth for a child’s brain. Every second, young children’s brains develop 700 synapses, the neural connections that provide the foundation for language, reasoning, problem-solving, social skills, behavior and emotional health.


30 Million Word Gap

Refresh your memory…in the past we have talked about the Hart and Risley study in which two researchers spent time in the homes of 42 families with young children over the course of three years…based in information obtained they determined there could be as much as a 30 million word gap between young children entering school.


Closing the Gap• Researchers are finding out is the gap is just as

pronounced for math skills as for literacy abilities

• This math achievement gap begins early, even before kindergarten

• Some children can be 18 months behind their peers when they start kindergarten


Just like vocabulary is an early predictor of later reading ability, research shows that early exposure to math is linked to later abilities in math and other subjects such as reading and science. Early exposure is also a predictor of high school graduation and college attendance.

An article in Science concludes, “Preschool children’s knowledge of mathematics predicts their later school success into elementary and even high school. Further, it predicts reading achievement even better than early reading skills.”


Young Children and Science Learning National Science Teachers Association identifies key principles

• Even young children have the capacity to engage in scientific practices and develop understanding at a conceptual level.

• Play/engaging in experiential learning is essential in helping young children develop science skills.

• Young children need to have multiple and varied opportunities over time that allow them to engage in science exploration and discovery.


Academic Learning and Intellectual Learning

Academic learning “by definition is the stuff that is clear like the alphabet, it’s no logic, it just has to be memorized… and it does have to be learned eventually.”

Intellectual Learning “has to do with reasoning, hypothesizing, and predicting, theorizing, and so forth and that’s natural.”

~Lilian Katz interview on Bam Radio

http://www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WMBK.RTSTEM.cfm


OMG…one more thing!

According to Dr. Sherri Killins, “What STEM does is give a label to what you are already doing…helping children explore, observe, ask questions, predict, integrate their learning…it’s what we have done in early childhood education.”


Teaching IntentionallyIntentionality refers to how teachers interact with children. Robert Pianta defines intentionality as “directed, designed interaction between children and teachers in which teachers purposefully challenge, scaffold, and extend children’s skills”.

~Robert C. Pianta, Founding Director, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning


STEM throughout the DayArrival: Sort fruit/veggies with plastic food or picturesCircle Time: Bring in a bag of apples to share, let kids feel/smell apples

from the bag. Read the book Applesauce by Shirley Kurtz. Talk about how applesauce is made.

Outside time: Notice trees and see what kinds of things are growing in the trees. Draw pictures or dictate what they see in their STEM journal.

Snack: Make homemade applesauce with the class (volunteers and facilities permitting) or simply serve apple sauce and talk about how it is made.

School Home Connection: Tell parents about your activities, encourage parents to ask their children how the apples turned into applesauce. Let children bring their STEM journals home to share their drawings.

~Boston’s Children’s Museum’s STEM Sprouts Teaching Guide


So…

• It’s noticing what children do everyday and asking the “right” questions

• And the best part about it is…we don’t need to have the answers to create memorable STEM experiences


Why is this not the best question to ask?


“Why” questions imply a right/wrong answer

“What” questions focus on what children are noticing and doing• Build students' confidence• Make them feel like experts • Springboard for teachers and

students to investigate together

• Emphasis is on observing and communicating

WHAT questions not WHY questions

-Boston’s Children’s Museum’s STEM Sprouts Teaching Guide

Orange County Public SchoolsSentence prompts

• “How might you build that?”• “What other ____ can you think of?”• “Let’s make a list of all the ____ we can think of.”

• “What would we need if we wanted to make ____?”• “Let’s figure out how we would do/make that.”

• “Okay, now that we’ve planned it, let’s make it!”• We’re making a ____. Want to help?”• “Let’s get started!”

The SECA Reporter Spring 2014 Issue

Orange County Public SchoolsSentence prompts

• “How does that work?”• “How do we know … ?”

• “Which one do you think will … ?”• “Let’s see what happens when we ….”

• “What’s the difference between ____ and ____?”• “How can we sort these?”• “Which ones go together?”

• “How could we make it go faster?”• “Uh oh, we have a problem here. How are we going to figure this

out?”• “What would you do if ____ were to happen?”

• “What happened?”

The SECA Reporter Spring 2014 Issue


Bubbles(sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Blowing bubbles up so highFloating, floating in the sky.

Filled with colors, filled with airPopping here and popping there.

Blowing bubbles up so highFloating, floating in the sky.


Don’t panic! It’s only science . . .

and technology and engineering

and math. You can do it, and so can

young children! It’s all about

noticing behaviors, asking good

questions, encouraging children to

repeat their actions and observe,

and cheering them on.


For all you do!!!


Contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns

Janice Penn Stephanie Thomas

[email protected] [email protected]

Component #2100002

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

orange county public schools the trouble with bubbles! stem in prek march 11, 2015 winner

Documents

math skills

kindergarten slide

importance of stem activities

math achievement gap

winner slide

closer slide

word gap

stem activity