Interview: Science education and distance learning

Sonseeahray Tonsall reports

80% OF THE STATE'S POPULATIONPREPARES FOR FALL SEMESTER OFDISTANCE LEARNING BECAUSE OFCOVID-19 IMAGINE HOW HISTORYIN MATH WILL COME ALIVE ACROSSSCREENS, LARGE AND SMALL, IT'SHARD ENOUGH NOW THINK ABOUTSCIENCE CLASS THAT'S SOMETHINGTHAT USUALLY HAPPENS IN LASTVERY SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT ANDLOTS OF HANDS ON LESSONSJOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUTTHE SPECIAL CHALLENGE OFTEACHING SCIENCE REMOTELY IS30 YEAR CLASSROOM VETERANKELLY BORMANN A TEACHER ATSACRAMENTO'S COUNTRY DAYSCHOOL AND A VOLUNTEER WITHTHE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OFSCIENCE EDUCATORS GOOD MORNINGTO YOU.

RONNIE WE'LL TURN TOYOU'VE GOT A SCIENCEEXPERIMENT READY FOR ASOMETHING YOU MIGHT DO WITH A6TH GRADER, WHAT IF YOU GOTSET UP THERE.LESS SO I HAD TO YET THERESWEAT AT TO IDENTICAL CLASSESAND BOTH OF THEM.

CLEARLY THEINSIDE AND I HAVE ALSO WITHME.

2 I SPEAK SO I'M GOING TOGO AHEAD AND PLACE THOSE ICERAID INTO OR CLASSES ANDCURIOUS WHAT YOU MIGHT NOTICERIGHT AWAY.

YEAH, WE'RE SEEINGSOMETHING THEY WILL GET BACK.TO THE EXPERIMENT IN JUST AMINUTE SO FOR ALL THE PARENTSCONCERNED ABOUT RIGOR WITHTHIS KIND OF SUBJECT INDISTANCE LEARNING.

WHAT YOU'VEGOT THERE IS IN MOST HOMESSCIENCE IS REALLY JUST ALLAROUND US.

SO THERE'S A LOT TOWORK WITH.ABSOLUTELY AND I THINKTHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANTPIECE THAT YOU MENTIONED THEREIS SCIENCE IS ALL AROUND US.EVERYWHERE WE LOOK JUST IASKED DOING THIS VIRTUALLYTHERE'S SO MUCH SCIENCEHAPPENING AND I KNOW SCIENCEEDUCATORS EVERYWHERE UP TOCLEAR THOSE WHO SUEDCALIFORNIA ARE HAVINGCONVERSATIONS ABOUT MAKINGSURE THAT THE RIGOR IS THEREWHETHER WE'RE FACE TO FACE ORWHETHER WE'RE IN OUR REMOTESITUATION BECAUSE SCIENCE ISGOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT THISYEAR, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN HENEEDS TO BE ANY LESS RIGOROUSTHAN IT HAS IN THE PAST.

ITHINK IN FACT IT GIVES US ANOPPORTUNITY TO BE REALLYCREATED AND REALLY FLEXIBLE.AND SCIENCE IS ALL ABOUTTHINKING ABOUT REAL WORLD ANDTHE APPLICATIONS.

AND HOW WECAN HELP OUR STUDENTS I TEACHYOU TO BE CURIOUS.

ASKQUESTIONS AND HAD ACTUALLYINVESTIGATE ON THE WITH THESUPPORT OF THEIR TEACHERS SO IACTUALLY THINK IT'S A GREATOPPORTUNITY FOR US TO.

THINKABOUT SCIENCE IN THIS WAY ANDI CAN ASSURE YOU WE'VE GOTLOTS OF IDEAS AND IN FACT THISEXPERIMENT THAT I'M SHOWINGYOU HERE IS SOMETHING THATSTUDENTS WILL HAVE MOREABILITY TO DO AT HOME AND THEYWOULD ACTUALLY IN A CLASSROOMWHERE THEY CAN'T BE AT LABPEOPLES AND WORKINGCOLLABORATIVELY.EVERYBODY THINKS ABOUTDISSECTING A FROG LESSON BUTYOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TODO THAT NECESSARILY AND YOU'VEEVEN.

KIND OF TRANSLATE THOSESKILLS AND TECH CUTTING ON ABANANA.YES, AND YOU KNOW SO WE'RELOOKING AT DEVELOPING SKILLSAND SO YOU CAN USE OF OUROTHER TIMES.

TO PRACTICE THEACTIVE DISSECTION AND THIS ISTHE TEACHER MAY STILL BEDISSECTING SEEING SUCH AS THEPROBLEM.

ON IN A VIRTUALSETTING AND THEN THERE AREALSO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OFAPPLICATIONS OUT THERE FORFREE.

THAT WE CAN ACCESS ASBOTH CATERS AND THE STUDENTSTHINK CONTINUE AND SPIRAL OFLEARNING.I KNOW THERE ARE LOTS OFRESOURCES ONLINE THAT YOU'RESAYS HE HAS BEEN PUTTINGTOGETHER WHEN IT COMES TOVIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS AND NEARLYREALLY STRESSING ACCESS ANDEQUITY WHAT COMES TO THETECHNOLOGY TO CONNECT TO ALLOF THAT BEFORE WE RUN OUT OFTIME WE HAVE TO NOW.THIS EXPERIMENT I SEE ONEICE CUBE THAT'S FLOATING ANDONE THAT'S GONE TO THE BOTTOMSO THIS IS ABOUT WHAT DENSITY.THIS IS ABOUT INTO THE INTHIS IS THAT WHAT WE CALLPHENOMENA AND IT IS AN OPTIONTO THAT CONCEPT OF DENSITY ANDSTUDENTS WILL HAVE THEOPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THEIROWN INVESTIGATIONS AND HELPTHEM UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT'SGOING ON HERE.GREAT THANK YOU SO MUCHRELIEF AND WE ALL LEARNED ALITTLE LESSON THIS MORNING INA HOPE THAT GIVES PARENTS SOMEMORE COMFORT ABOUT WHAT ISCOMING WHEN IT COMES TO ANENTIRE SEMESTER WITH A SUBJECTLIKE THIS IN DISTANCELEARNING, THANK YOU TO YOUAGAIN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH HAVE