{"id":950,"date":"2018-04-23T13:43:16","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T17:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=950"},"modified":"2018-04-23T13:43:16","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T17:43:16","slug":"try-and-keep-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2018\/04\/try-and-keep-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Try and Keep Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Science teaching.<\/p>\n

What could be so hard about it?\u00a0 Besides the lesson planning, difficult micro-level concepts, keeping the curiosity alive in the classroom, and helping students succeed on standardized tests.<\/p>\n

Oh, and let’s not forget keeping up with the constantly changing, constantly evolving nature of science.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of teaching a subject like science is that it is not concrete.\u00a0 I may have learned organic chemistry for the first time in college, but the high schoolers I’m teaching in field right now just finished their unit on C-H based molecules, something I had never even heard of until sophomore year at Miami.\u00a0 Why are students learning these things so early?\u00a0 Because the nature of chemistry is changing, and what we expect students to know is constantly increasing.<\/p>\n

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This is the challenge with science teaching–not only do you have to be proficient in your subject area, but you have to\u00a0remain<\/em> proficient in your subject area.\u00a0 You have to be constantly learning and growing as much as your students are.\u00a0 You have to keep up with the changing times.<\/p>\n

This in and of itself has some implications.<\/p>\n

1. No more teaching out of the textbook.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That 29 year old photo of Ronald Reagan to show a “real-life celebrity” with Alzheimer’s in your cell bio class?\u00a0 Not gonna cut it.\u00a0 Textbooks can be used, but teaching straight out of a text that is outdated as fast as driving a brand-new car off the lot isn’t going to help anyone.\u00a0 This means you have to put in work and find the newest research and examples to teach your students.<\/p>\n

2. You’ve gotta hit the books.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Oh, so new technology shows the ever-increasing prevalence of climate change?\u00a0 And we have to actually\u00a0teach\u00a0<\/em>this stuff now?\u00a0 Welcome to the challenge of keeping yourself up to date–knowing the newest information, the facts, is essential for teaching your students what they need to know.<\/p>\n

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A cosmic convergence of neutron stars has led to an explosion of astrophysical discoveries — and 2017's scientific Breakthrough of the Year: https:\/\/t.co\/sX0BxWkmGg<\/a> #BOTY17<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fX3IyIAEgf<\/a><\/p>\n

— News from Science (@NewsfromScience) December 21, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n