I. Philosophy of Teaching

"All understanding begins with wonder." These words were spoken in the 18th century by the German poet, dramatist, novelist, and scientist: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Goethe's genius embraced many fields of human endeavor including teaching. I believe, as Goethe did, that students must first be curious about the world around them before you can begin your teaching.

Fan the Spark of Curiosity The key to helping students want to learn, want to find relief from incomprehension, is to first get them interested in listening to what you have to say. To achieve this goal, I use a variety of "props" and springboard discrepant events or "tricks" to grab my students' attention. When my high school physics students enter the classroom to learn about inertia they are greeted by me in full costume, role-playing as Galileo Galilei. To introduce students to their unit on light, they are visited by "Surfer Joe-The Electromagnetic Wave Surfer." My costumes, music, props, and visual aids help to "fan their spark of curiosity" and make their entire learning experience more fun.

"Habits of Mind" plus Passion The Florida Science Framework lists curiosity (along with sharing, creativity, honesty, open- mindedness, objectivity, skepticism, and tolerance) as one of the "Habits of Mind" or attitudes necessary to apply the process skills of science. I would like to add one more attribute to this list: passion. In addition to being given the skills and habits of mind necessary to do science, students need to see that passion is as crucial for creation in the sciences as it is in the arts. I firmly believe that the best way to build this passion in science is for students to actually DO science.

Developing Communities of Science Learners "TEACHING STANDARD E" of the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards (1996) states: "Teachers of science develop communities of science learners that reflect intellectual rigor of science inquiry and the attitudes and social values conducive to science learning." They envision "a new order where teachers and students can work together as active learners." To become active learners students must be given ample opportunities to apply their scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills. To achieve this goal, I have incorporated a number of applied problem-solving contests into both the secondary and elementary school science curricula, including activities from the Science Olympiad, Odyssey of the Mind, Junior Engineering and Technical Society, and Invent America Programs. Every year my physics students compete in events such as "The Naked Egg Drop," "The Terrible Trebuchet," and the ever-popular "King of the Hill Battle" (now re-named "Queen of the Hill" since all-girl teams triumphed in the past two years). Most recently, the elementary students (grades K-5) joined the high school physics students in building "Bungee Rockets" from 3-foot mailing tubes. After engineering and applying nose cones and tailfins to mailing tubes, the students launched their rockets using a loop of surgical tubing fastened to the end of a 16-foot board which was angled upwards at one end by an 8-foot tall soccer goal. The rockets reached speeds of 45 mph and traveled over 150 feet. Through direct experience with hands-on science materials and applied technology, we can help students realize that science is a dynamic, tentative, and exciting discipline that impacts virtually every aspect of their daily lives.

Doing Science The National Science Education Standards document also states: "Student achievement can be interpreted only in light of the quality of the programs they have experienced." Therefore, we need to change both the way we test and teach our science students. We need to talk less and let our students do more. Instead of telling students what scientists have discovered, we should let students become scientists and discover the knowledge on their own. Teaching strategies should be directed toward issues, problems or questions that are relevant to the students' lives.

II. Philosophy regarding Assessment

Developing Self-Directed Learners Ernest L. Boyer writes in The Basic School (published by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1995): "In the end, the goal of assessment in the Basic School is not only to strengthen community but, above all, to enrich the climate for learning and extend, for all students, their prospects for success." All students should feel confident about their learning progression and comfortable with the assessment methods used. The most outstanding teachers are those who spend less time directing a classroom and more time facilitating individual student progress with valuable assessments. In fact, the word "assess" is derived from the Latin word "assidere," which means "to sit beside." A classroom that fosters real learning must have the feeling of a workshop or laboratory in which the answers to questions can be hammered out through cooperative investigation and inquiry. Students need to know it is O.K. to ask as many questions as necessary and they need to be encouraged to answer each others' questions. The intent of good assessment is helping students develop into self-directed learners. The National Research Council's National Science Education Standards document states: "When teachers treat students as serious learners and serve as coaches rather than judges, students come to understand and apply standards of good scientific practice." I agree and incorporate this approach in my assessment of students.

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