LAST POINT FOR MY STATEMENT (Edited)

Actually, this term taught me more than I have about science teaching for early childhood education. I am keeping my opinions at the beginning of the term (please look at the first entry of my blog), but this term I created a perspective and philosophy by examining different points of view to the science teaching. I can say that our laboratory activities that we actualized during the term, provided me lots of interesting ideas about science teaching to young children. This term I discovered the constructivist perspective, I examined it in detail and I decided that it is appropriate for my educational philosophy. according to my science teaching philosophy, children's experiences are so valuable. Learning, understanding and applying come from these experiences. I believe that children are active learners, manipulaters and doers. ıt means, they learn from their own actions. At that point, I am a facilitator, a model, a catalyst and a consultant for them. In my future classes, I will observe them carefully and it is my responsibility that I will prepare appropriate environment that stimulate their curiosity about their world, because early childhood education period is a time that this curiosity should be fed with beneficial, valuable and suitable activities.

Moreover, I strongly assert that science integrated curriculum has very important role on not only developing scientific knowledge, but also improving child's language development. While investigating, probing and discovering new things, children communicate with peers and adults, so they gain highly developed language ability. Before this course, I do not think that there is close relationship between science teaching and language development, but now, I know that science education gives the possibility to express their ideas and this position provides improving language skills.Additionally, ı claim that science teaching creates a strong naturalistic development for children. This term we did lots of experiments and they are about plants, animals, our body, senses, making a rainbow, environment, features of simple machines, how a phenomena occur and so on. All of these experiences' aim is to teach children science in terms of physics, chemistry and biology.

In conclusion, I think that -as a future teacher-, our major responsibility is to foster child's curiosity, encourage him/her to participate in discovery, create appropriate environment and let expressing themselves. Now, I know that this is not so difficult, because science is at everywhere!

WHAT AN AMAZING DAY!

This was the our last week and it is he time to present our learning centers. We were separated into 10 groups and each group focused on different subjects. My group is formed with Hande, Azize and I. We prepared a learning center about space and astronomy. We designed eight different projects that involve spacecraft, astronaut, telescope, rocket, sun system, stars, sun and phases of moon. It is sure that preparing all of these activities were not so easy for us, but we did all of them enthusiastically and having fun. At the presentation day, I was too excited, because I have little experience about being with children. I predicted some reactions about our learning center, but I did not know anything totally. After entering METU Kindergarten groups divided into two classes and we began to arrange our projects. Actually, I saw that each groups had prepared very well. there were various learning centers about our body, light, seasons, animals, plants, water,sound, food,color and space&astronomy. My friends have done different, educational and beneficial activities in order to teach these concepts. Especially animals corner and plants corner drew my attention. I appreciated the sound corner, because they have found different activities about teaching different sounds and also making sounds. When I look at our corner, I think that this part is one of the most bright corner. Our projects were shining due to our materials, because we tried to do projects to make them like real astronaut or spacecraft. Our telescope was standing above the tripod toward the stars. All planets that belong to sun system was arranging in front of the sun and our astronaut was on the floor. Our spacecraft and rocket were staying closely on the table. After finishing arranging projects, children came to the classroom and they directed whatever they want to go. Although our corner was so attractive, first of all, no children came to near us, bet then, they began to join us and we started to look at stars with telescope. They liked that activity. We especially wanted from children to find the most bright star in order to teach Kutup Yıldızı and its functions.. Moreover, children did not know what a comet is before our presentation. Moreover, sun system drew more attention. Children wanted to learn planet's names eagerly. We asked them "In your opinion, which one is hottest or coldest? Why?" and "which one is biggest or smallest" I recognized that children like interesting and strange names such as Jupiter, Pluton and Saturn. Most of them found Saturn interesting due to its ring:) We made our presentation more enjoyable by giving examples from the cartoon whose name is "Jetgiller". It is known by all children and I saw that they understood easily when ı gave examples from that cartoon. Our astronaut was seem so bright and we discussed with children about what kind of clothes are suitable while going to the space. Also we talked about functions of the rocket and spacecraft and we discuss what are the differences between them. In order to teach phases of the moon, we asked "how do you see the moon? In the same shape always or not?" Actually, we generally chose divergent questions while orienting the children to the activities than convergent questioning. I realized that some of children is interested with space and astronomy but some of them just listened to us. Especially a child -Cemal Efe- came to near our projects and said, "I always interested in size and I want to learn everything about it, so tell me!" ı was surprised, but then we had interesting and funny conversation with him about our projects. When we look at other projects, I saw that environment and light corners were the attractive parts. We met four or five groups at Kindergarten and we spent enjoyable time with them. Children are amazing, their questions are surprising, their reactions are fantastic. I mean, this day was the important day for me, because ı gained valuable experience from children.

At the end of the presentation, I felt so tired, but I was really happy. I learned that it is not so easy to busy with children; however, the job is so satisfaction according to me. I was happy, because our projects went on properly and I thought that children is knowing what a comet is, names of planets, functions of spacecraft and the benefit of telescope and sun. For all of these reason; I can say that it was an amazing day for me!!