LET'S CHILD THINK!

This week we started to lesson with discussing NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and its function about early childhood education. I have heard this organization before and I have gained benefit when preparing my homework from this organization site. Then we talked about what we expect from child during science learning. Those are;

• Raise questions


• Explore materials/ objects


• Make careful observations


• Describing, comparing, sorting and classifying


• Use variety tools to extend observation


• Engage investigations


• Record observations


• Work collaboratively (communication)

Then we discussed the questioning types of divergent and convergent. It is sure that both two types are important for extracting children's thoughts and opinions. However, I think that divergent questioning is more effective one. In my opinion, if you give correct answers to the child directly without evolution possibility, children cannot improve thinking, reasoning and cause effect abilities. On the other hand, if we provide learning with divergent questions , we enhance to children make decisions, express ideas and discussing the different points of view. For this reason, divergent questioning, is more effective method for both children and teachers. While talking about questioning types, I also learned their sub terms. Divergent questioning is related with;

• instigating discovery
• eliciting predictions
• probing for understanding
• serving as a catalyst
• encouraging creative thinking
• reflecting on feelings

whereas convergent questioning is about

• direction attention
• recalling the temporal order
• recalling prior conditions

This week's laboratory session included many activities about air which were done by Rukiye and Kübra. They did lots of activities and many of them really interesting and beneficial. Especially 'parachute' activity and 'air compressing' activities took my attention. Moreover, extra activity part fulfilled with funny activities. We saw the different sound vibrations with different length of pipes and we made a 'hacıyatmaz' and discussed the its reason: center of gravity.

All activities were efficient and beneficial so I want to congratulate my friends.

This week I learned several new terms:

• divergent: going off in different directions from a center.
• convergent: tending to one point of focus
• incidental: likely to happen in connection with something else
• instigated: teşvik etmek
• probing: investigation
• eliciting: drawn out

BEING A TEACHER FOR A SHORT TIME!

Actually, third week of science education lesson has special mean for me, because we have actualized our lab activities in our lab session. Before talking about my ideas and thoughts based on these activities, I want to mention some effects to science teaching discussed in theoretical lesson that had effects on me.

We focused on curiosity, emotions and feelings. As Kashdan& Fincham indicated that curiosity is an effect prompted by emotions and continues throughout life. (2002). I think this statement completely true and also I believe that curiosity is very significant element that one child have to get. Because, only if a child wonders something that goes around her life, he starts to research and explore. In this way, he begins to interested with science.

In addition, I learned the difference between the terms, feelings and emotions. Before this lesson, I have thought that feelings and emotions are conscious responses. We feels our emotions. This is very simple! However, after lesson, I have understood that feelings are the unconscious emotional responses which are coded in the brain. Moreover, feelings and emotions are the assistants of the learning. This kind of information is beneficial for me, because, now, I know that if I create positive environment in my classes, I will get high success.

Another important subject that we focused on; Multiple intelligences theory. I have heard that term approximately a year ago and I have read several articles about what is multiple intelligences theory and discussions on it. I claim that,
intelligences can be improved,indeed. I found Gardner's
theory and his identification of intelligences according to some features effective. I believe that while there is a relationship between some of these levels, others are independent. I mean that if a child is not good at linguistic concept, he/she can not have high logical and mathematical concepts. On the other hand, I can create a hypothesis like that; if a child is not good at spatial patterns, it does not mean he is also not good at musical ability. I think this situation shows us, as a teacher candidate, we should analyze these levels carefully and in detail, then we determine each child's intensive ability and then we should create appropriate environment.

As I said before,at our lab time we did our activities. I performed several activities about how to teach senses to children and how to show children their unique. I think my activities are so amusing that I really had fun, but I sometimes found hard to behave like a teacher. Due to having no training period, I have no idea about how a child behave or ask what kind of questions. However, materializing experiments provide me a class environment and gave me opportunity to behave as a teacher. And at the end of lab time, I saw my sufficiency and made a decision about doing best for my second future lab activity. Finally, if you represent any idea, comment or question about these activities, I'd be glad to hear them. Thank you.


TANGIBLE: something that can be touched or felt
PERSEVERANCE: persistence in anything undertaken

"EXPLORATION" MEANS JUST AN EXPLORATION?

In our second week, we emphasized some important terms which are beneficial for teaching science. Actually, I can say that I have heard some of these terms before. In addition we gave different and clear examples in order to explain some complicated terms.

In our theoretical lesson, we focused on exploration. I learned that exploration have more meanings than it has. At the end of this lesson, I have thought that exploration contributes different special features to children. In my opinion, once a child attempt to explore something he/she begins to think, begins to observe , wonder and looks for answers and solutions. This situation brings us to the previous week. As we discussed teaching science importance last week, we said that science teaching supports all developmental areas of children. That is, exploration provides to children thinking and thus cognitive skill; going to different areas to research and thus motor skill; communication and discussing with others and thus social and language skills. Moreover, for this week, I realized the difference between prediction, estimation and measurement by giving clear examples. That is why, I can say that that week I got invaluable information what the exploration means and then I made inferences about its significance and I wanted to share it within this blog.

In our laboratory session, we had an activity that I found not only amusing but also providing us critical thinking. It is about paper towel's quality and our instruction wanted from us which one is more durable or more absorbency?? Our group made a decision about to find which one is more durable and then we actualized our experiment. We put equal drops on all of the paper towels and then began to put coins. According to results, our prediction and hypothesis was true. That is, we made a true hypothesis before starting experiment and with this experiment we have supported our hypothesis. Number 5 of paper towel was more durable because it carried much more coins according to others.

This experiment guided us about critical thinking, making decisions, constructing hypothesis and making follow statements one by one. I think this situation shows us, science is systematic discipline and gives us certain results!

In this week, also, I learned new terms:

quest: pursuit of something
hunt: search, look for
enquiry: investigation
comprehensive: extensive, large in scope

FIRST WEEK JOURNAL

IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE TEACHING

In our first course, I gained new perspectives about science teaching at early childhood period. Actually, when I read the handout which is about developmental areas of 36- 72 months of children, I realized that science teaching supports all of these areas. At the beginning of the lesson, I thought the science teaching is necessary because of cognitive development but after the lesson, my ideas partly changed. Now, I think that all areas are supported, but especially language development are mostly affected from science teaching. I claim that when children begin to interested with science, they will start to wonder, start to think and try to answer questions in their brain. This situation causes beginning discussion and thus communication. That is, children will begin to ask questions to teachers and friends and discuss the different points of views. So, their language development improves very well. I try to say, all of the developmental areas are supported but I think especially language development drew my attention. Teaching science also gives children chance to improve their creativity, self esteem and ways of thinking. In brief, in our first week, I learned the significance of science teaching during early childhood education. It is sure that information that I learned will be efficient guide for my future classes.

In addition, in our lab. session, we did several experiments to teach basic scientific skills. Let's examine the experiments and their contributions one by one.

• Our first experiment is about how we can measure the volume of objects. I think in this experiment we also teach to children some geometric shapes. For example, we can ask to children "what this object (showing hexagon) looks like?" With this way we provide them thinking and express their ideas.
• Another experiment is about one of the basic element of scientific process: inferring. We put the different kinds of shapes in a box and try to infer their names, shapes etc. I think this activity is so beneficial for young children for gaining inferring ability.
• Our third experiment's aim is to teach children: prediction. For this experiment we used potatoes and scales. Before we measured their weight, we tried to predict which one is more heavy.
• Then we did an experiment with lots of pen and pencils. We classified them into six groups according to their different features. I think this experiment is so effective that teach children basic seriation skills.
• Another experiment's aim is observing. We observed two potatoes and tried to find differences

So, all of these experiments are so beneficial at teaching science to young children. Because they are enjoyable, all of them can take part in my curriculum.

MY STATEMENT

MAKING SCIENCE FUN!!

It is sure that children, especially young children are naturally curious about the world and they have always a "why" question in their mind. For this reason I believe that teaching science is very significant process. In my opinion, when we teach science to young children, we can meet different ideas, solutions, options, surprising questions from children. As a future early childhood major, I think that it is very important to give true answers with right way. I know that young children have amazing capability to learn everything that goes around their world. However, I believe that if we make science teaching fun, they can learn much more easily and thus, their learning process will be enjoyful. Due to the this enjoy, children will join to experiments and learning centers automatically and contribute themselves to science learning voluntarily.

I claim that science teaching target should not to teach facts, the aim should be to teach skills. Also, I think these skills can be gained by performing experiments. That is why, as a practice teacher, we should do investigations and experiments in our future classes in order to teach basic scientific skills such as observation, prediction, inferring etc. It is sure that there are different ways of teaching science in early childhood period, but as I mentioned before, I prefer that the teaching way which consists enjoy, fun and different ways that draw children's attention. At that time, experiments will be my first helpers. To illustrate, I guess that most of young children love doing hands on works. That is the reason why I prefer the experiments as a teaching way. I believe that by showing a little effort, I can make science their favorite subject.

At that point, I will plan my lessons carefully, determine learning objectives clear and simple. Also, I will plan lots of activities that have learning objectives. With this way, I provide to intensify the subjects. I think that if I do these objectives and make science fun for young children, all children will come to love science!