Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a pre-service teacher at George Mason University?
In Professor Andrew Gilbert‘s Science Methods for the Elementary Classroom course, pre-service teachers in the Elementary Education Program explore creative and relevant approaches to teaching science. Throughout the spring semester, students wrote down scientific inquiries they naturally came across (or wondered about) in their own “Wonder Journal.”
Toward the end of the semester, each student chose one of their ‘wonders’ to investigate as the focus of a research presentation. On the last day of class, they held a “Wonder Fair” with their research posters displayed, and observed the interesting things their peers had discovered.
Keep reading to learn about the student experience and how this is shaping their own teaching approach.
What was your experience like keeping a “Wonder Journal?”
Jolie Dennis: “Keeping my “Wonder Journal” was a very positive experience. Naturally, I am an inquisitive person, and I didn’t recognize how many questions popped into my mind throughout the day. Writing down my questions when they came to mind allowed me to reflect on them and later research the answers.”
Christopher Marquez-Alfaro: “I personally thought it was very fun keeping a wonder journal because I was able to just dump information on very little things that I wondered throughout the day. I kinda forgot to write down many of my wonders or placed them on a voice or note memo to come back to it. I would try to figure out my own wonders by adding information I already knew or by adding information to my wonder journal giving more context as to why I was wondering about that topic.”
Madi Parodi-Porter: “Keeping the wonder journal was truly a fun experience. I got to look at everyday things through a scientific lens and think critically about how science plays a role in everything we do! Even after the assignment was over, I still found myself jotting down little notes about things I am curious about.”
Gabby Corwin: “I liked how much of the project was in our hands. Our ‘wonder’ could have been about anything as long as we could tie it back to science. Most of the cohort chose a topic that they either personally connected to, or found interest in. That caused us to become very excited to explore and explain our ‘wonder’.
What ‘wonder’ did you explore?
Jolie Dennis: “The title of my research poster was “Fresh Air”. I ended up choosing “Fresh Air” as my topic because, on top of the stress of the end of the semester, my friend had recently given birth to her baby boy. I’ve heard it said for a long time, “go get some fresh air,” or “if your baby is fussy, take them for a walk,” and I wasn’t sure why those were sayings or why they helped. For my research project, I wanted to figure out the science behind it.”
Christopher Marquez-Alfaro: “Effects of Alcohol Consumption” was my research topic for the wonder project. I mainly did this because it was funny to me, but I also got to research all the effects alcohol has on the human body. I started my project by being interviewed prior to drinking, then being asked the same questions after drinking, and compared how I responded under the influence. After that, I looked up all the effects alcohol had on our bodies and our brains to see what alcohol was targeting in our bodies, and how we digest it.”
Madi Parodi-Porter: “My research poster is titled “How Does the Human Body Processes Medication?” I chose this project because I myself take medicine every day for different reasons, so I was curious to see how our bodies break down medications.”
How has this experience shaped your teaching philosophy moving forward?
Jolie Dennis: “Before this course and this project, I didn’t realize that by making small adjustments and additions, I could make my science class much more engaging for my future students. This project allowed me to take my learning into my own hands and research a topic that I wanted to, that wasn’t tied to standards. The excitement and freedom that I experienced are something that I want my students to experience as well.”
Christopher Marquez-Alfaro: “This project made learning about science more fun and interactive, as I was able to find my own research and present something that I felt like I had a good grasp on. This could be implemented with students as they would be able to create their own wonder journals based on what they would like to learn more about. It would be better than sitting through a 30 to 45-minute PowerPoint presentation on a science subject.”
Madi Parodi-Porter: “I think this experience helped shape my teaching philosophy by reminding me that even though we may not realize it, science is all around us. All of the subjects we cover in school are interwoven through every aspect in our lives, and that is something I want to be sure to remind my students of in the future.”
Gabby Corwin: “As pre-service teachers, this project demonstrated how we can bring curiosity and research into our future classrooms in a low-pressure, engaging way. My cohort now finds ourselves walking around campus saying, ‘I wonder why…..?'”
Interested in teaching elementary education? Check out our Elementary Education Program!
Are you engaged in an interesting CEHD course assignment? Reach out to Anna Ondieki to share your experience!