Experiments!

I learned this week about how to get students engaged into a science lesson. The key to this is starting off with them confused! If you introduce them into a topic and they leave confused, that is what you are wanting. This confusion will turn into curiosity to these young learners because they are going to want to understand and know more about the topic at hand. I also learned more about matter through the experiments we did, but I also learned that I would not be able to describe what is going on in those different experiments to someone else, it just all seems like common sense to me. That mindset is something I am going to have to fix so that I do not harm my students by not trying to explain concepts about questions they ask. 

The experiments (some are pictured below) are what came off as both clear and confusing to me. I was able to understand what was going on, but I was confused as to why or how I would explain this to someone else. Today, we were put into position as students and trying to come up with questions that students might ask. These questions were valuable and understanding coming from a student, but what is confusing to me is how I am going to answer these questions that I don't really know the answer to. This is definitely something I can and need to work on as a future educator!

I can apply what I have learned through this lab in many ways when it comes to my future teaching. I am going to have to come up with experiments that are going to engage the students and fascinate them. I can just stand up and lecture them the whole time, but that is not going to stay with them or keep them engaged either. As a future teacher, I need to find ways to spice up information where the kids can be more hands-on so that they will be more excited and learn better. I always find that actually simulating and experimenting with different material is a better way to learn than just having information thrown at you off of a presentation.