DCS 100 TUTORIAL

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DCS 100 TUTORIAL

• TOPIC
• Class Organization Preparation

Ms Noraini Abbas E-mail norainia_at_nie.edu.sg Web
page http//home.pacific.net.sg/nor_aini/NIE-NTU
.htm
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HOW TO CONTACT ME

• By email norainia_at_nie.edu.sg
• Call me (office phone) 67903833
• Call or sms me(hand phone) 96545473
• Through my website http//home.pacific.net.sg/no
  r_aini/NIE-NTU.htm
• Visit me at my office Blk 7, level 3, Room
  
• 105 (near the General
  office)

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OVERVIEW

• Laying down ground rules (5 mins)
• Introduction to DCS 100 (10 mins)
• Assignment Expectation/Questions (15 mins)
• Balloting for theme/topic (10 mins)
• Discussion in tutorial groups on theme/topic (20
  mins)
• Looking into learning outcomes
• (Primary Science Syllabus) and Science textbooks
• (2 grps-P3, 2 grps-P4, 2grps-P5 2grps-P6)
  (20 mins)
• Science Reflection (Journal Entry) (5 mins)

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GROUND RULES

• Be punctual
• Be alert, stay awake
• (3) Respect others
• Keep the lab clean
• Be focus others might want to learn
• No reading/answering sms
• Turn all hand phones to silent mode
• (4) Always ASK when in doubt
• Think of a question and write it down in your
  journal
• (5) Keep to deadlines
• Sms/email or call me earlier if you have problems

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INTRODUCTION TO DCS 100

• Curriculum and Pedagogy for Primary Science
• Nature of science
• Scientific Inquiry
• Goals Objectives of the Primary Science
  Curriculum
• (Knowledge Skills)
• Analysis of textbooks, syllabus and other
  curricular materials
• Infusion of thinking skills
• ICT
• National Education
• I E
• Principles, methods and strategies of teaching
  and learning primary science
• Experiential learning

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What is Science?

• Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov describes
  science as
• "a way of thinking," a way to look at the world.

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What is Science?

• Science is not just a collection of facts. Facts
  are a part of science. We all need to know some
  basic scientific information. But science is
  much more. It includes
• OBSERVING
• PREDICTING
• TESTING PREDICTIONS UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS
• TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF OUR OBSERVATIONS

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• Science also involves trial and error--trying,
  failing, and trying again. Science does not
  provide all the answers. It requires us to be
  skeptical so that our scientific "conclusions"
  can be modified or changed altogether as we make
  new discoveries.

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Assignment Expectation

• ASSIGNMENT 1 (60)
• Curriculum Project
• ASSIGNMENT 2 (30)
• Teaching Presentation
• Professional Attitude (10)
• Reflective thinking, attendance, punctuality...

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Assignment Expectation(Curriculum Project)60
marks

• Draw lots to select science topics
• (2) Literature Review (about 1000 words) 15
  marks
• Should cover 3 recent journal papers
• (3) Teaching Method
• 2 lesson plans 10 marks
• Worksheets/Supporting Materials 15 marks
• Emphasis on hands-on activities development of
  conceptual understanding
• (4) 1 or 2 periods lessons
• (5) Limitation/Disadvantages related to teaching
  methods used need to be highlighted 5 marks
• (6) Introduction References/Overall Presentation
  15 marks

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http//www.utoronto.ca/writing/litrev.htmlhttp/
/info.wlu.edu/literature_review/literature_review.
htmlhttp//bailey.uvm.edu/ref/envslitreview.html

WHAT IS A LITERATURE REVIEW?

• Focus more on teaching methods/strategies

In writing the literature review, your purpose is
to convey to your reader what knowledge and ideas
have been established on a topic, and what their
strengths and weaknesses are.
(PDF Document in my website on how to do a
literature review?)
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• Writing a literature review lets you gain and
  demonstrate skills in two areas
• information seeking
• the ability to scan the literature efficiently,
  using manual or computerized methods, to identify
  a set of useful articles and books
• critical appraisal
• the ability to apply principles of analysis to
  identify unbiased and valid studies.

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A literature review must do these things

• be organized around and related directly to the
  lesson plan you are developing
• synthesize results into a summary of what is and
  is not known
• identify areas of controversy in the literature
• formulate questions that need further research

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Assignment Expectation(Teaching Presentation)30
marks

• Introduction
• Rationale
• Intended Objectives
• Process Skills
• Concept
• Level/Stream, pupil profile
• Teaching methods/materials
• Evaluation method
• 2. Illustration/Demonstration of one
  teaching/learning activity
• Achievement of objectives, content, teaching
  method, practical set up
• Interesting/challenging activity
• Effective use of teaching aids/materials
• Effectiveness of using teaching method/approach
• Effectiveness of explanation and questioning
  skills
• 3. Overall Presentation
• Organization
• Flow of lesson/lesson delivery
• Communication Skills

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DEADLINE

• 17th April 2006
• No later than 5 pm
• Each student MUST hand me 1 soft copy and 1 hard
  copy
• Class rep will burn all lesson plans in 8 CDs
• Group leaders will burn for their group members
  (3 in each group)
• Adapt these lessons during your practicum

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5 themes in Primary Science Syllabus

• DIVERSITY
• CYCLES
• INTERACTION
• SYSTEMS
• ENERGY

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DIVERSITY

• 3 TOPICS
• Variety characteristics of living things
• Materials
• Classification of organisms and materials

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CYCLES

• 6 TOPICS
• Life Cycles of plants and animals
• Matter
• Water
• Day and Night cycles
• Unit of life
• Classification of organisms and materials

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INTERACTION
4 TOPICS Magnets Simple Machine Forces Environmen
tal impacts Ecology
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SYSTEMS

• 4 TOPICS
• Plant parts and functions
• Digestive and skeletal/muscular systems
• Respiratory and circulatory systems
• Electrical systems

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ENERGY

• 4 TOPICS
• Light
• Heat
• Photosynthesis and Respiration
• Forms of energy and conversion

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RESOURCES

• iScience Resources
• My Pals are Here Resources
• Singapore Primary Science Syllabus
• Supporting Activity/Experiment books
• Journals on Science teaching methods
• Websites
• Books

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

• Hands-on investigative activities ought to be
  sprinkled into a science program like spice
  they cannot cannot subsitute for a main dish
• A student who has not developed the skill of
  learning through reading has no professional
  future in science. Without foundation in
  scientific vocabulary and with minimal knowledge
  of scientific fact, their words bear an accent of
  ignorance that is impossible to conceal
• --Dr Stan Metzenberg, Reading The Most
  Important Science Process Skill

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SCIENCE REFLECTION

• Journal Entry
• Write your views on the quotes.
• Write down a question that might be in your mind
  OR write down your suggestion or an opinion about
  any issues discussed in the lecture/tutorial

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SHARE YOUR RESOURCES WITH ME!!!

• Journals on teaching and learning of Science
• (email me soft copy or hand me hard copy)
• Interesting websites as a teaching resource for
  Science
• Great vcd/ dvd to view on teaching/learning of
  Primary Science
• Other materials eg books etc

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Getting Prepared

• In the field of observation, chance favours the
  prepared mind
• ---Louis Pasteur
• Read up these websites/articles for insights
• http//www.illinoisloop.org/scibook.html
• (looking into evaluating Science Curriculum)
• Longbottom John E 1999 Why teach Science?
  (check website)