Imagine It Phase 6 Update
For my Imagine It project I wanted to focus on my students’ learning and also their reflections on what they are learning. We just finished our first unit in science and we’re starting unit 2 now which is on wave energy. I am learning so much from my students and the curriculum that I am using this year. In class each day, I challenge my students to write more and expand on their critical thinking skills and abilities. Students are aware of what is expected of them and they are encouraged to express themselves in different ways.
I have also become more aware of my own expectations and have found that reflection is also an important component of my teaching experience as well. Through the process of learning a new curriculum and implementing my Imagine It I am often meeting new challenges. For example, it has been a goal to bring in PBL this quarter and I am planning to create a great project for my students to engage and also challenge themselves in completing. The project will most likely be focused on energy and how we use energy in our everyday lives. It will also have an emphasis on energy conservation since that is a big part of what my focus will be this year. There are also science labs in my curriculum that I have began to think more creatively about. We also have been watching different videos that incorporate the topics that are being covered thus far.
I also have a STEM club that my school received a NEED grant for with some innovative materials and solar energy hands on activities that I am excited to experience with my students. In this club, I can implement the Imagine It as well in a way where my students are enjoying learning in an extremely meaningful way. This has been a challenge in itself with planning and just having the ability to make what my students are learning in the classroom relevant to what is going on in the environment today with natural resources becoming less accessible to some. By showing students videos that explain the effects of things like global warming and the many natural disasters that have occurred in recent years, students are beginning to make connections that are beyond classroom learning. There is a “Future Energy” exhibit at The Museum of Science and Industry that I plan to take this particular group of students to sometime in the spring. In this exhibit, students will be allowed to participate in different energy simulations that will give them the hands on experience they need to truly understand what the NEED project and the STEM club are meant for.
I am just beginning the process of implementation, however, I am looking forward to what is to come from this project. I have had an amazing learning experience so far, and I will continue to grow and develop my craft from each new challenge.
For my Imagine It project I wanted to focus on my students’ learning and also their reflections on what they are learning. We just finished our first unit in science and we’re starting unit 2 now which is on wave energy. I am learning so much from my students and the curriculum that I am using this year. In class each day, I challenge my students to write more and expand on their critical thinking skills and abilities. Students are aware of what is expected of them and they are encouraged to express themselves in different ways.
I have also become more aware of my own expectations and have found that reflection is also an important component of my teaching experience as well. Through the process of learning a new curriculum and implementing my Imagine It I am often meeting new challenges. For example, it has been a goal to bring in PBL this quarter and I am planning to create a great project for my students to engage and also challenge themselves in completing. The project will most likely be focused on energy and how we use energy in our everyday lives. It will also have an emphasis on energy conservation since that is a big part of what my focus will be this year. There are also science labs in my curriculum that I have began to think more creatively about. We also have been watching different videos that incorporate the topics that are being covered thus far.
I also have a STEM club that my school received a NEED grant for with some innovative materials and solar energy hands on activities that I am excited to experience with my students. In this club, I can implement the Imagine It as well in a way where my students are enjoying learning in an extremely meaningful way. This has been a challenge in itself with planning and just having the ability to make what my students are learning in the classroom relevant to what is going on in the environment today with natural resources becoming less accessible to some. By showing students videos that explain the effects of things like global warming and the many natural disasters that have occurred in recent years, students are beginning to make connections that are beyond classroom learning. There is a “Future Energy” exhibit at The Museum of Science and Industry that I plan to take this particular group of students to sometime in the spring. In this exhibit, students will be allowed to participate in different energy simulations that will give them the hands on experience they need to truly understand what the NEED project and the STEM club are meant for.
I am just beginning the process of implementation, however, I am looking forward to what is to come from this project. I have had an amazing learning experience so far, and I will continue to grow and develop my craft from each new challenge.