All About Science at the COABE Conference

Submitted by Kathy Tracey on Tue, 07/17/2018 - 23:24
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Friends, 

Several science enthusiasts are working collaboratively with COABE to discuss the potential for a future Science Conference Strand. We are looking for your feedback. What would you like to see as conference sessions? What were some of your favorite / most interesting topics of discussion from LINCS or even other conference presentations? 

Our goal is to begin to gather data to so the presentations meet your needs. 

We are looking forward to your feedback. 

Sincerely, 
Kathy 
@Kathy_Tracey

Comments

Hi everyone,

As Kathy said, a few of us are thinking about science workshops for adult ed teachers and wondering what would be most useful. Some of us have been teaching science for a while; others, like me, are newer to teaching science and remember clearly the feeling of not knowing enough science to teach it. Some have a wealth of science experience to share with teachers and are wondering what would help our teachers get started in teaching science.

Here are some possible topics:    

  • Science processes for all levels of literacy
  • Climate change
  • How do I teach without materials (especially in Corrections)?
  • How to use science podcasts
  • Integrating literacy with science
  • Cross-cutting concepts in science (NGSS)

For those who have not taught science in the past, what do you think would help you get started? Is a it a question of appropriate materials or teacher knowledge? For those who have been experimenting with science, what struggles and successes have you had?

We might also use this thread to brainstorm workshop topics for different venues, since not very many people can make it to COABE every year. There are many state conferences where science workshops could be (and probably are) happening.

Best,
Eric

I am horrible at science. I was a high school math teacher for 13 years and my students loved to ask me science questions because I would make up answers (obviously incorrect). One great thing I have learned being a teacher (especially in adult education) is you make yourself vulnerable (in a good way) when you learn with your students. When you MODEL HOW to find answers and HOW to ask questions you teach that knowledge is not inherent and that an "expert" doesn't know everything! I think science is a great way to do this! 

I recommend Crash Course videos. They are great mini introductions to lessons.

I think a great topic would be how to read a lab report....I don't know about GED or TASC but HiSET has a lot of that on it!

Stefanny

 

Thanks for the feedback and recommendation for a resource and potential workshop topic, Stefanny.

When you talk about reading a lab report, are there any specific things you can identify as particularly challenging for HiSET students? For example, is the report made more difficult because of graphs and charts, vocabulary, interpreting results from an experiment, all of the above?

Thanks for any additional information you can provide.

Heidi

I think it is a little bit of everything.

The vocabulary is vaguely familiar to not at all familiar. You mix that with the charts and graphs they associate with math (and we know how they like to compartmentalize). And to top it off the chances they have ever read a lab report is very slim so they aren't sure how to break down the report or how everything fits together.  So I think it is a series of possible barriers...and once they hit so many...they are done. 

 

Hi all, I have read this with interest. I wonder how many would be interested in a workshop, or even a LINCS special event on how to teach science when we are not necessarily science experts. The goal could be how to teach science practices, building background knowledge and vocabulary, building science for careers, and possibly science and ESL. I'd love to hear your thoughts, Kathy