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An essay on the importance of scientific literacy
Essay on scientific literacy
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Introduction
Nowadays, science becomes more fun for students and teachers. In the past, the students were sitting in their share listening to the teacher talking .Now the students encouraged in experimenting, thinking, building, observing, exploring, problem solving, and creating. One way to do that is by STEM activates. In this essay, I will discuss the value of inquiry-based, and how I implement it in STEM Day, I explain how students are assessed, how I build literacy skills and I will reflect on the STEM Day.
STEM
STEM is referred to science, technology, engraining and math. It helps the students to have a deep understanding of the content and develop other skills like problem solving, cooperation, creativity and communication, all these
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"Inquiry" is defined as "a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning." (WENT Education, n.d). Both approaches required the students to think more deeply about the content not memorize information .Also, to involve the students more in the learning to be independent learner in the future .The process of the inquiry based learning are ask ,investigate ,create ,discuss and …show more content…
Literacy in science help the students to interact with each other by asking questions and seeking for answers.” Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum” (Education Scotland, n.d). Also, students need literacy to understand the science concept through reading, listening and seeing .In the STEM Day the students were given opportunity to solve the problem through written, oral or visual presentations to have exposure to language. The students were able to read books, watch videos, talk with the teachers to ask questions and to answer questions. There were posters in the walls to provide the students in rich language environment. Also, the students did an information writing using the information they read and hear and made a
The process of scientific inquiry begins with the motivation to uncover the answer to a question. It then requires extensive research to gather all the information that could possibly be useful. Finally, one must put all the pieces of the puzzle together to make sense of all the information gathered and interpret it to answer the question. The last step is to write out what has been learned and publicize it to spread the new knowledge. There are many other factors, however, that also come into play in the process of scientific inquiry.
STEM is significant to our society, we need jobs not only to compete globally, but to also fix the important problems of the world. Technology is pervasive in almost every aspect of daily life, and as the workplace changes, STEM knowledge and skills grow in importance for a variety of workers (not just for mathematicians and scientists) (Traurig par. 6). If corporations increase female participation in the future, not only will it increase more genders and diversity to work in the corporation, but it will also help solve the important problems of the world because of all the minds that are working together. STEM is the future for this next generation as technology use is on the rise and more problems occur day by day. Remember when turning on the TV to show your daughter the commercials, that one commercial you showed can be the difference between her being interested in STEM or
Mr. Grover has spent the last two decades with PCS working in the field of education designing, developing, and creating learning programs and services intended to facilitate student-centered, experiential learning. PCS programs are now deployed in over 7,000 sites in all 50 United States and 13 countries, bringing hands-on, engaging activities to students in public and private schools, science centers, and after-school programs. Mr. Grover has extensive experience in STEM education and has worked closely with a variety of organizations to design, implement, and study successful, hands-on STEM programs including the United States Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the YMCA, the US
Michael, S.et al. (2008). Prospects for improving K-12 science education from the federal level. Journal of Education 69(9): 677-683.
1. What is the difference between a. and a. Method of inquiry is based on gathering all the facts in a criminal investigation, such as physical evidence, witnesses and records (Osterburg 2010). Methods of inquiry are ways an investigator gathers the information for a particular case they are investigating. In a criminal investigation, the method of inquiry follows five simple words, who, what, when, where, and why, and lastly how. Methods of inquiry can also be very helpful when a crime scene has to be reconstructed.
This is false, as STEM majors are taught the same type of critical thinking skills like creativity, flexibility, and intellectual curiosity. Moreover, they’re taught more specialized and useful skills, that allow them to excel. Several STEM experts stated that the most important skills taught in STEM are statistics, problem-solving, argumentation, and data-driven decision making. These skills are enormously useful not only in STEM fields but in daily life as well. STEM degrees also gives vital technical knowledge to students, that is extremely important in their respective fields, that pushes the boundaries of science and technology. In addition to that, STEM majors are given hands-on training and internships that fully prepare them for the real world. Humanities majors, on the other hand, are taught the same critical thinking skills, but the technical knowledge they receive is focused on literature, art, music, philosophy, and religion, which are all topics that may not be essential for their particular
The term ‘scientific literacy’ has eluded precise definition ever since it was coined in 1958. That year, in light of the astonishing swift advancements made by mid-century scientists (e.g. the splitting of the atom, space exploration), three publications appeared that made reference to scientific literacy: a report by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which called for a larger technically trained workforce to safeguard our economic and military strength, and a more scientifically literate public able to execute civic responsibilities intelligently; a publication from Paul Hurd and colleagues at Stanford University that exhorted curricula leaders to develop pedagogies that promoted both the cultural and practical aspects of science; and a published address by the president of Shell Chemical Corporation, who called for new curricula emphasizing the fundamentals of science, its history, and its significance for active citizenship and everyday life (see DeBoer, 2000 for review). As DeBoer (2000) noted, however, all three publications used broad brushstrokes to define scientific literacy, thus shrouding the term in ambiguity. Indeed, when asked how they interpreted “scientific literacy,” scientists and science educators had disparate notions about the role content knowledge and a broader understanding of the nature of science had in developing a scientifically literate student (DeBoer, 2000). If nothing else, this example underscores the need for clear definitions and fully articulated curricular goals. To this end, educators have spent several decades making sense of the conceptual spectrum of scientific literacy, resulting in the dissection of scientific literacy into the following sub-genres: pra...
The role of language in science was taken for granted, however, this chapter by Sutton (1998) addressed this issue by highlighting the influential role of language in science education. Sutton’s focus was mostly on the written aspect of language, however, there are other aspects that are influencing science education and consequently affecting the teaching and learning processes. One of these aspects is the language science is represented with, such that the language science is being represented in textbooks might be different than the students’ or teachers’ mother tongue. This raises challenges for teachers and for students, whereby teachers had to bridge the gap between scientific terminologies and students’ mother tongue. To elaborate, from my experience in practicum, I noticed students struggled to express their thoughts using accurate English and scientific terminologies. For example, once I asked students to describe the life cycle of butterflies based on a figure that I had provided, a
It is important for children to be able to develops the necessary skills to make sense of data, memorising information is no longer the most key skill for children to possess (Inquiry-based learning, n.d.). Inquiry-based learning is defined by Lutheran Education Queensland (n.d.) as seeking for truth, information or knowledge and understanding and is used in all aspects and stages of life. Inquiry based learning assists children with learning by developing critical and creative thinking skills. The twenty-first century requires “young people to be creative, innovative, enterprising and adaptable, with the motivation, confidence and skills to use critical and creative thinking purposefully” (ACARA, 2016b). According to Touhill (2012a) Inquiry-based learning is supported when educators are co-learners with children as they develop, supporting and extending on a child’s own attempts at understanding. This knowledge can be broadened by ensuring that children have the time, space and resources to become deeply involved in their investigations and there are opportunities for reflections during and after activities (Touhill, 2012a). Furthermore, it is imperative that the physical environment contains spaces as well as materials that encourage a child’s curiosity and investigation (Touhill, 2012a). By providing interesting and engaging materials educators are able to provide stimulus for children’s investigation and
Murcia, K. (2008). Teaching for scientific literacy with an interactive whiteboard. Teaching Science - the Journal of the Australian Science Teachers Association, 54(4), 17-21. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
5. How did your lesson plan and instruction change over time to consider your student’s language and home culture? How have you ensured that you have made science learning accessible and relevant to
Inquiry Learning is a way to make the student find their own answers for their questions (Lakes Matyas, Ph.D). Posing a question for the students is a way to get them started. Then, by guiding the students on their own different searches, they all come together in the end to share their findings to answer the question.
...o listen carefully to ensure that kids are discussing scientific ideas, not socializing. The teacher's role is to ensure that students achieve their primary goal: meaningful understanding of scientific concepts. The practices described in this article help bring this about in several ways. When instruction centers on students and focuses on hands-on experience with scientific phenomena, science class becomes an exciting place. When instruction concentrates on the investigation of current problems and issues through scientific inquiry, science class becomes a relevant and meaningful place. When instruction emphasizes the development of communication skills, science class becomes an invaluable place for preparing children to tackle the challenges of adulthood. And the education community owes it to its students to assess their academic progress fairly and accurately.
In closing, science education is like an invisible force that pushes everything forward. It is not always noticed, but the results of teaching science in schools could be world-changing. Science has helped in so many different industries such as the medicine field where it has been helping throughout the ages to save lives. In addition, if earth science is taught, everyone will live in a world with cleaner air, because more people will be educated to make the right decisions and help this planet. With that it is clear that teaching science education in classes is extremely important for everyone’s future.
In Science, teachers serve as the facilitator of learning, guiding them through the inquiry process. Teachers must ask open-ended questions, allow time for the students to answer, avoid telling students what to do, avoid discouraging students’ ideas or behaviors, encourage to find solutions on their own, encourage collaboration, maintain high standards and order, develop inquiry-based assessments to monitor students’ progress, and know that inquiry may be challenging for some students so be prepared to provide more guidance. There are three types of Science inquiry: structured, guided, and open. Structured is the most teacher-centered form of inquiry. This type of inquiry is mainly seen in laboratory exercises where the teacher needs to provide structure, however the students are the ones who conduct the experiment and find conclusions. Guided inquiry is where the students are given tools to develop a process and find the results. As an example, the teacher would instruct the students to build a rocket, but not tell them how to design it. This leaves creativity and uniqueness for the students to be able to apply their knowledge and skills. Open inquiry is when students determine the problem, i...