Allison VanDeventer

MI

Science Sampler: Using sheltered instruction to teach English Language Learners

Wed, Sep 07, 2016 1:55 AM
Sheltered Instruction

This article will be a very valuable resource for first year science teachers. I have never heard of the term "sheltered instruction" but this article clearly demonstrates how to help ELL students using this method. The four most important elements of sheltered instruction include: group work, wait time, group-response technique, and supplemental materials. This article provides great information for science teachers with ELL students in their classroom.

Scope on Safety: Animals in the classroom

Wed, Sep 07, 2016 1:44 AM
Animals in classroom

As a future teacher, I am all for having animals in the classroom, but there are also many issues that come along with that responsibilities. Class pets can be a distraction, parents can have concerns about the animal, the animal could die, the animal could be carrying diseases, and who is going to look after it during breaks? This article gives a lot of great advice and information to think about before deciding if an animal should be brought into the classroom. This was a great article to read as a pre-service teacher.

Tech Trek: An e-learning science fair

Wed, Sep 07, 2016 1:36 AM
Not for this

This article explains how students use technology to create experiments in order to save space and resources that would be used in a traditional science fair. Although, I believe that students could create really great things with their virtual experiments, I do not believe an online science fair should replace the traditional type. There are a lot of benefits to incorporating technology into a classroom, but that cannot replace what students gain from doing hands-on experiments. Maybe a school could host both types of science fairs at different times of the year.