Data Reliability

Now that you are one month in, how do you see this experience changing your classroom?  Think in terms of what you teach and how you teach.  How will your students know something has changed?

I think the organization within the lab will really change how I approach teaching science. One area I want to change is to include more education on using data reliability in my science and math courses. Analysts use consistent standards and controls for quality assurance within their tests. In the past, I have not included a lot of instruction on using standard measures. Typically, my students each measure or test their sample and we compare results as a class. I think it would be valuable for my students to begin this practice of also measuring/testing a known control sample.

In their daily lives, my students are constantly bombarded with immediate feedback. Video games, twitter, online shopping, texting, and facebook all provide a constant stream of information that updates them on their performance. Using quality control standards would also provide them (and me) with immediate feedback on their performance. If they are not able to meet the standard, I want them to problem solve and determine the reason for the discrepancy. I can also provide additional scaffolding to help them be successful.  I hope including more controls will help them to become more aware of checking their own work and ensuring accuracy.

A Needed 21st Century Skill

Today I decided that Iowa's list of 21st Century Skills is missing one important life skill: admit problems or mistakes and use appropriate resources to correct them. This is a skill I try hard to model and teach to my students because it is a hard lesson to learn. However, in reality, we are all human. We mess up, and we have the choice to cover-up the error or learn from it.

Yesterday I was able to assist on a very interesting manual lab analysis. We tested for methylene blue active substances (MBAS) in a stream water sample. MBAS is a detergent that contaminates water supplies. In the process the sulfates react with methylene blue to form a blue-colored complex and then are extracted using chloroform.  (http://www.caslab.com/Test-Methods-Search/PDF/USGS-Method-O-3128-95.pdf). The process entire process took us over three hours to complete. Unfortunately, during one of the final steps I made a mistake and combined two samples. The analyst very calmly told me that it was alright and helped guide me through the process to fix the mistake.

Too often our pride gets in the way for us to admit mistakes. Even as I'm typing this, I feel uneasy confessing my error. But once I made my mistake, I thought of my students and how they must feel when they make a mistake in the classroom. My reaction is then critical for the child. I can either help them learn or to scold them for their error. My reaction completely sets the tone for what they will do in the future if they make another mistake.

I hope to remember this experience and how patient the analyst was when she helped me correct my error. I need to show the same guidance to my students, so they learn from the process and are able to correctly go through the process the next time.

Newborn Screening

One of the services SHL offers is testing all newborns from Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota for over forty rare, genetic disorders.The newborn screening process is highly time-sensitive in order to protect the newborns from rare birth defects caused by both parents passing on a recessive gene for the trait. The defect could cause disease, developmental delays, or even death if left untreated. I have been able to learn about several tests the analysts use to identify the diseases.

Fortunately, if the defect is identified in the newborn screening process there are treatments or interventions that can help the newborn to live a healthy life. For example, one of the disorders is known as Galactosemia (Galt). People with Galt have difficulty digesting galactose (type of sugar) found in dairy products. If left untreated the disease could cause mental disability, liver problems, and can lead to death. The good news is that once the screen identifies the disease, newborns are immediately placed on a galactose-free diet can live relatively normal lives.

I'm beginning to plan how I can incorporate all of this fascinating information back to my classroom and students. I believe the most natural fit will be to embed the information within  a genetics unit.  I plan on introducing the unit by having students learn about DNA. One of the analysts provided me with a lab that extracts DNA from kiwis. After investigating genetics and heredity, I also plan on teaching about the importance of newborn screening and the real-life example of how genetic traits can be carried on through recessive genes. I'm still considering ways to incorporate newborn screening into a problem-based unit. However, I believe I may challenge my students to consider ways they could increase the public awareness of the newborn screening process and demonstrate how the disorders transferred genetically.

A big thank you to Mike and the rest of the Newborn Screening crew. All of you certainly impressed me with your level of expertise and ability to explain the process. I am thankful Iowa provides this service!

21st Century Skills

What are some of the connections you see between your externship and math or science essential concepts and skills?  21^st Century Skills?  Five Characteristics of Effective Instruction?  Eight Standards for Mathematical Practice? 

21^st Century Skills:

I have been surprised to discover the connections that exist between the externship and 21^st Century Skills. I know for many beginning teachers, 21st Century Skills are often overlooked. I knew they were an element in the Iowa Core, but I primarily focused on teaching the content areas. However, as I am working, I am realizing how important these skills are for students to develop. While the content areas are very important to set the background knowledge for what students need to know, they also need to be able to apply the information in their social, professional, and personal lives.

At SHL, some of the relevant skills I see are…

-          Employability Skills

o   Obtain the personal characteristics that empower them to be productive, caring, and competent citizens

o   Communicate and work productively with others emphasizing collaboration and cultural awareness to produce quality work

o   Adjust to various roles and responsibilities and understand the need to be flexible to change

o   Practice leadership skills, and demonstrate integrity, ethical behavior, and social responsibility in all activities

o   Demonstrate initiative, creativity, self-direction, and entrepreneurial thinking to produce successful outcomes.

o   Demonstrate productivity and accountability by producing quality work

-          Technology Literacy

o   Use technology resources to create original products, identify patterns and problems, make predictions, and propose solution.

o   Use interactive technologies in a collaborative group to produce digital presentations or products in a curricular area.

o   Use technological resources to develop and refine questions for investigation.

o   Utilize digital tools and resources to investigate real-world issues, answer questions, or solve problems.

Within the Employability Skills, I believe it is imperative for students to be flexible, reliable, innovative, and self-directed. Employers are looking for employees that can adapt to a position and provide new ideas to the program. It is my challenge to develop these skills. I will be thinking of new ideas on how to incorporate these dimensions.

Week Two - Initial Concerns at SHL

Week 2: What concerns do you/did you have at the beginning of the externship?  What did you do or what help did you have to overcome those concerns? 

I did not have very many concerns when I started my externship. I was very excited about the opportunity to experience a career in laboratory science. That being

My Concerns:

• Content knowledge  - my current level of expertise compared to employees at SHL

• Correlating content knowledge to elementary standards  - Are there avenues for connecting the real-world to elementary science/math lessons?

• Networking with faculty – collaborating with faculty to discuss my goals for my externship

Addressing Concerns:

• Communicating clearly with faculty - I tried to be explicit when speaking with SHL employees about my goals for the externship. I want to observe and participate in the real-world problems that they are face daily. Additionally, I want to generate ideas to connect their research to the classroom. When talking with most of the faculty, they seemed very supportive of the goals of the externship program. During my training, one of the statistics I learned was in the year 2020, there will be a need for 250,000 additional laboratory scientists. The scientists at the lab recognize the imperative need for students to come out of school prepared and motivated for STEM careers. In one of my discussions, we determined that my class of fifth graders will be career-ready in ten years (year 2022). I am excited that I have the chance to explain the exciting opportunities available in laboratory science career.

• Correlating content knowledge to elementary standards – During my first few weeks it is evident that a lot of the information and data is at a much higher level than what my students receive at the elementary level. However, I am noticing that several tests will correlate with concepts my students do learn about. For example, earlier this week I assisted in analysis of products containing lead. The test specifically read the percentage of lead in the sample. The technology used is designed to identify the lead compound as it passes through the flame. One standard my students need to accomplish is that materials are identified by their physical properties. Typically, this is done through observable traits (color, shape, form, etc.) However, by fifth grade the students are prepared to go more in depth. I could include information, pictures, short videos on using the technology at the lab to recognize samples based on their properties.

•  Content knowledge – One of the things I have enjoyed during my externship is having the opportunity to learn content knowledge and lab procedures from the analysts. I am learning new information every day, and I have found the best way to increase my level of understanding is to not be afraid to ask questions. Most of the time, I am able to make the connections needed to understand the process and information. The experience has definitely increased my desire to return to school and consider a master’s degree in science or science education.

Week One - Training and Preparation

On Monday, I began my Real-World Teacher Externship at the State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) in Ankeny. I am looking forward to the experience and the opportunity to experience real-world applications of the STEM disciplines and reflecting on how I can transfer these experiences back into the classroom. I have no doubt that my students will benefit from being able to explore new problems that are relevant to their world and experiences.

Just like in school, the first part of my externship required several days of training and preparation. It reminded me of the first days of school when I spend countless hours teaching important procedures, rules, and expectations (i.e. classroom expectations, turning in homework, attendance, hallway procedures, etc.). All the practice helps create a safe work/school environment. One thing I think is imperative for any learner to understand is the rationale behind the training. If the learner does not see the importance of the training, then they are less likely to pay attention or be motivated to learn the material. This objective is easy to lose sight of when we are faced with the challenge of introducing a high volume of information during the initial training period. I know it is a challenge for me in the first days of school to find relevant and interesting ways to teach my students new procedures. However, I need to always remember that my goal is for them to utilize the information in order for the rest of the year to run smoothly (and safely). Another key component in this training is to review the information. I was glad to see that SHL includes periodic training sessions to review policies and procedures. Of course, there will always be individuals/students that view the reviews as cumbersome, but they are important reminders for safety. It will be my challenge to find methods to make the information more engaging and beneficial to their learning.

During my training period, I have spent some time reflecting on how I can change my traditional format of introducing procedures at the beginning of the year. One idea I had this week for an easy implementation plan, was to create a checklist over the procedures covered in the first few weeks of school. As we went through my training, the checklist was helpful to track my progress. I believe my students would also appreciate the visual and would benefit from being able to self-monitor their own progress. Additionally, rather having a traditional teacher-led "training sessions", I would like to make the lessons more departmentalized by groups of students. Following the business model, I can group students into departments in which they can plan training lessons for other students:

• Human Resources: cover attendance policies, lunch count  
• Safety: classroom and hallway procedures
• Administration: assignmernt policy, late-work procedures, attention-getters
• Emergency Response: introduce tornado, fire, and other safety protocols

With some overarching guidance and control, I believe I am flexible enough in my teaching to allow my students to "take control" on creating these expectations. Additionally, I believe it will help them thoughtfully and purposefully reflect on classroom procedures.