By Nancy Foote
Principal, March/April 2016

When I began teaching in the early 1990s, there were no state standards or tests for science, which gave me quite a bit of freedom in what I taught, or how and when I taught it. Now with state standards and assessments, we must progress through the curriculum at a certain pace, which has changed the science classroom in numerous ways. At the same time, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education has been identified as a priority to help inspire students to pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Fortunately, changes in the middle school science classroom have improved students’ learning and their motivation to acquire more.

Interactive and Engaging
Today’s students expect science to be interactive and hands-on. Students are no longer content to sit quietly and read a textbook or listen to a teacher lecture. Information is easy to get. With a smartphone, a student can look up almost anything and get an answer instantly. Therefore, what we need to teach students is how to apply that knowledge. One way to do that is with inquiry-based, real-world learning.

Inquiry-based approaches and real-world technologies are making science engaging and exciting for students. When we get away from the rote memorization of facts, students won’t find science to be dry or dull. When students think and act like scientists— instead of just reading about science—they improve their understanding and develop strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. They’re also more motivated to learn.

In an inquiry-based learning environment, students don’t have to take our word for it that a particular science concept or principle is true. Instead, they can drive the experiment, make predictions about how an event will unfold, and collect and analyze data to see how their predictions compare to actual results. Further, with technologies like digital sensors, we can give students faster, easier ways to collect accurate data so they can spend more time on analysis and discussion.

For example, during a lesson on Newton’s Laws of Motion, we used to place a doll on a roller skate and push it into a brick wall. While this helped students visualize Newton’s first law, we had no way to accurately measure what was happening. Now, we can use a motion sensor to determine the influence of force in the motion of an object, or that an object’s motion is unchanged in the absence of an external force.

Meaningful Learning
Real-world connections are making science more relevant and fun. One quick way to connect science to the real world is to measure the decibel level of the music in students’ MP3 players. This activity can also be used as a fun introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the human ear.

Research shows that exposure to sounds above 85 decibels will cause hearing loss. To help students gain a clearer perspective on the sound levels in their environment, I use a science learning solution called SPARK from PASCO Scientific to measure the sound level of music that students hear through their earbuds. Then I then ask students to research what those sound levels correspond to in the real world. Needless to say, more than a few students have been shocked to see that their music is being played at 120 decibels—the same sound level as a jet on takeoff—or louder. It’s an eye-opening experience for them.

In addition, blended learning is creating more meaningful classroom interactions. To make the most of our instructional time, I’ve implemented a blended learning model, which includes a flipped classroom. Our school has a 1:1 iPad implementation, so I record my lectures on video and ask students to watch them at home on their iPads. This frees up more class time for experiments, data analysis, interpretation, and discussion. Plus, the amount of learning that occurs when students can discuss their findings with their peers is phenomenal.

Improved Performance
Students are deepening their understanding of key concepts and skills, resulting in improved performance and a desire to learn more. Since we began using inquiry-based learning and technology to deepen students’ understanding, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in our state test scores. One unanticipated outcome is that students’ curiosity and motivation to learn have skyrocketed. When a topic catches their interest, they’ll actually go home and study it on their own, and then tell me what they learned because they’re so excited.

I recently received a letter from one of my students who recalled that I told the class that my primary job was to ignite curiosity. He said, “At the beginning of the year I kind of rolled my eyes and went, ‘Yeah right.’ If you did not reach that goal with anyone else, at least you have for me. You’ve gone far beyond igniting my curiosity. You’ve taught me to ask questions about things I want to learn, allowed me to correct mistakes when I was wrong, and altogether given me a new passion for science I never thought was even possible. You let me do science, not just hear about science.”

That’s what makes the difference. Students don’t care about standards and assessments or accountability. They care about the science. I love when I hear my students say, “I can’t wait to get to science today to see what we’re going to do next.” That’s when I know I’ve created the science classroom students want and need to succeed.

Nancy Foote teaches eighth-grade conceptual physics at Sossaman Middle School in Arizona.

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