Question 1
What are your fears about teaching primary science and technology? Point out 5 difficult concepts and/or ideas that you think are challenging to you as a prospective teacher. Explain why you believe these concepts are difficult to teach and/or learn.
Answer
Although the curriculum for primary science and technology is very basic, teaching it may require facing a range of challenges, which are linked to the specifics of the school environment, children’s background, and teachers’ proficiency. My fear is failing to motivate students to learn and being unable to help them to develop scientific curiosity. Furthermore, there are several concepts that I find difficult to address in the classroom setting.
Specifically, I fear that it will be quite complicated to teach students about energy transformations due to the complex nature of the potential energy. Also, the concept of atmospheric pressure is a difficult subject since students may have trouble grasping the idea. For the same reason, the phenomena of speed and electricity might be not quite easy for students to embrace.
Question 2
According to you, what is science? What is technology? How do you think the two are connected?
Answer
I believe that science is a system of knowledge about the world built on observations and experiments, which allows one to understand the nature of a variety of objects and phenomena. Technology, in turn, incorporates an array of tools that can be used to cognize the universe, determine the connections between seemingly irrelevant factors, and perform a detailed analysis to derive new knowledge. Therefore, science and technology are linked closely together, the latter being an important tool in making observations, scientific inquiries, and experiments required to draw inferences and build scientific theories.
Question 3
According to you, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using the 5Es for teaching primary science and technology?
Answer
The 5E instructional model has gained a sizeable amount of popularity in the modern education system, with a range of schools deploying it as the basis for teaching students. In the context of the Science and Technology class, the 5E framework provides several opportunities for improving the learning process. Specifically, with the focus on engaging and exploring, the model will motivate students to develop a scientific inquiry and analyze the outcomes of their observations.
Thus, students will acquire crucial skills that will help them to think critically and develop independence in their research. As a result, learners will gain the essential knowledge of how scientific theories are built and how theoretical knowledge is translated into practice. Moreover, students will delve into the nature of the reciprocal connection between theory and practice, thus understanding that practical outcomes inform the further development of theory.
Question 4
According to you, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT for teaching primary science and technology? List 5 ICT tools and present one possible use for each (use could be content-specific or content independent)
Answer
Due to the avalanche of technological innovations that have been introduced to education recently, teachers have a range of ICT tools for improving the quality of education. However, the available ICT devices can be seen as both an asset and an obstacle to successful education since their disadvantages are as numerous as advantages. Among the benefits that ICT offers to teachers, one should mention the improved student-teacher and parent-teacher dialogue.
Thus, the individual needs of each learner might be met due to the enhanced communication process. However, not all learners may have access to the necessary technological devices and tools, which may become a hindrance to their learning process. To ensure that technology is used to its maximum potential in class with no student left behind, a teacher should consider several options. These include applications for collaborative learning to enhance cooperation, MOOC platforms for lectures, simulations for skill training, mobile apps for taking notes, and social networks for maintaining consistent communication.
Question 5
Present 1 website that you can use in your primary science classroom and list at least 3 features that you find most important/helpful for you and/or your students.
Answer
In the environment of a primary science classroom, one could use the site that provides crucial information about ICT devices, their effects on the learning process, and the means of incorporating them into the Science and Technology curriculum. Therefore, the site created by the Education Standards Authority of the new South Wales Government can be explored in-depth as a potential resource for building a coherent ICT framework.
The site gives critical information about the standards of the Science and Technology Curriculum in Australia, which will help a teacher to structure classes properly (Education Standards Authority). Also, the site provides an in-depth overview of the ICT devices that can be deployed in the designated academic setting. Finally, both teachers and students can learn more about the skills that are deemed necessary for further academic progress.
Work Cited
Education Standards Authority. “Technologies in Kindergarten to Year 10.” EducationStandards.NSW.edu.au, 2017. Web.