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2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding, 3.1 Teaching & Learning, edushare

Understanding Science Literacy

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The process of fair testing is ensuring there are no deliberate advantages or disadvantages to any variables in an experiment. This ensures that the information gathered is reliable. To guarantee reliability any obvious advantages to any factors are controlled.

An example of this is how high a ball bounces (Prain, 2007). The height of the bounce the ball executes is measured, however the following things are considered:

  • “Will the type of ball affect its bounce?”
  • “Will the surface on which it bounces affect the bounce?”
  • “Will the height from which you drop the ball affect its bounce?” (Prain, 2007)

These three variables are changed and the experiment is carried out more than once. This, therefore, ensures the test is “fair”. By taking into account all these factors and questioning how they will effect the experiment a person is, therefore “science literate” as they are understanding the questioning and issues with the experiment.

Being literate is ‘the ability to read and write’ (Oxford University Press, 2016). Being able to read and write helps us understand daily processes we wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Without being able to read and write we wouldn’t understand travel timetables, signs, how to tell the time, how to shop or even be able to sustain a job! To me, this would suggest that the idea of Scientific Literacy means simply to be able to understand the ideas behind science and how to use these ideas to conduct experiments, alike how we use reading and writing to understand variables of the outside world.

Not only does Scientific Literacy mean having an understanding of science, bscienceut also being able to form questions and conclusions from the evidence found through experiments (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2003). Over all, Scientific Literacy means that children understand the words used in science, the process of experiments, why the experiments are being carried out, can come up with their thoughts about the outcomes, and also why it is important that they know this for everyday life. This directly links to some key principles in the Curriculum for Excellence (Education Scotland, 2016). Teachers must ensure that when they are teaching science their pupils are not simply just learning the terms like they may learn a times-table. In order to be Science Literate the children must understand the depth of what they are learning.

A lack of scientific literacy could mean the development of false scientific conclusions. One of the main examples of this was the MMR vaccine scare. In 1998 an investigation into the three in one vaccine for measles was conducted by, the now discredited, Andrew Wakefield. He came to the conclusion that that vaccine could actually increases a child’s chance of developing autism. This research was released and caused fear to spread to all parents who became hesitant to allow their children to receive the vaccine. It wasn’t until 2004 that an investigation into Wakefield’s research took place and it was found to be flawed. The medical records of thmmre children he investigated did not match his research and the paper he published was taken  down.

This is a clear example of how important science literacy is. This spread of false information caused the vaccine rates to drop dramatically and a significant increases in measles, causing many children to suffer unnecessarily. New research found that there was no connection between and vaccine and autism and there are no side effects to the vaccine. However, some parents are still wary of the vaccine and refuse to allow their children to receive it.

 

Prain, V. (2007) How to interpret multi-modal science texts. Available at: http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/5303/linking_science_literacy_strat.pdf (Accessed: 27 January 2016).

Education Scotland, (2016). Principles – How is the curriculum organised? –

Learning and teaching. [online] Educationscotland.gov.uk. Available at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/thecurriculum/howisthecurriculumorganised/principles/index.asp [Accessed 28 Jan. 2016].

Oxford University Press, (2016). literate – definition of literate in English from the Oxford dictionary. [online] Oxforddictionaries.com. Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/literate [Accessed 28 Jan. 2016].

OECD, (2003). The PISA 2003 Assessment Framework – Mathematics, Reading, Science and Problem Solving Knowledge and Skills. Paris: OECD

The story behind the MMR scare, Rory Greenslade, 2013. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/apr/25/mmr-scare-analysis

Utmb Health, Wakefield Autism Scandal, David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, 2012. Available at http://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/shows/237_wakefieldAutism.html

NHS Choices, Ruling on doctor in MMR scare, 2010. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/01January/Pages/MMR-vaccine-autism-scare-doctor.aspx

 

2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding, 2.1 Curriculum, 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities, edushare

Becoming the next Walt Disney…

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Throughout my life, I’ve grown up watching animated films such as those created by Disney, so when Sharon told us that our first technologies input would be on animation, I was excited to see what we would be doing  throughout the workshop. Our first task was to make a small flipchart on the corner of our notebooks by drawing small pictures in the corner and flipping the paper in order for the images to move. I had done this before when I was at primary school, however this time minequote-Walt-Disney-animation-offers-a-medium-of-story-telling-1087 didn’t work out so well. (Maybe my artistic days are behind me!!)

Then, Sharon let us have a go at using the program, Pivot, which I had also used before in first year Computing at secondary school. This was really fun and Sharon told us to recreate the “Let it Go!” scene from Frozen (one of my favourite Disney films!!)  by using different figures and colours to identify the characters. The song was played through the speakers to give us motivation and made for a really fun lesson, although Sharon advised not to play the song in the classroom as there would never be any lessons getting done! It was interesting to see the different things that you can do on Pivot, however Sharon told us to quickly search Pivot on Youtube and we shortly found that many people create and upload violent animations. This is something that, as a teacher I would need to address to my class and ensure that no themes of violence should be used in the classroom environment.

The next part was the most fun  as we got to use plasticine models to create a short animation. My group decided to create small fish and create an under the sea theme. It was interesting to use the programme Zu3D as I had never heard of it before. I think that this would be a fab project to do with a class, as it could be a short activity or it could be stretched out over a long period of time to create a longer motion picture. It’s also really easy to use once the program is set up and the webcam and microphone are installed into the computer.

I had a look at the Experiences and Outcomes of ICT and found that animation sits in a section called Computing Science contexts for developing technological skills and knowledge. I think that it is definitely a science but I would also say that animation is an art. Although our projects were very small; feature length animations can take years to produce because every detail has to be perfect in order for it to flow smoothly. In Dundee, graphics and animation are now a huge part of our culture as companies based in our city create games that are sold worldwide.

I feel that animation is an aspect of ICT that I definitely want to try out with a class in the future. I think it would be so rewarding for the children to work so hard and have fun on this project to see the end result after a period of time and it would be really enjoyable for me as the teacher to see what the children create.

I think the constructivist learning theory is associated with creating animation. The learning style is intrinsic as the children will set their own goals and then motivate themselves to learn new things to make it better, and in terms of animation, make their production the best they can possibly make it. Jean Piaget was a constructivist theorist and he believed that learning relates strongly to their stage of cognitive development. In relation to animation, I agree. A task such as using plasticine to create an animation would be too advanced for Early Years pupils as they may not have the fine motor skills needed in order to mould the plasticine into models and move the models in small movements to create the picture. Therefore, the task would have to be set for a child’s age and stage (maybe younger children could create a flipchart). The role of the teacher to encourage this learning style is to provide an environment that will promote “assimilation” and “accomodation” which means that the children can allow their brain to learn new things but also build upon information they have already learned, building up a vast amount of knowledge on the subject.