How does teaching CS in Science relate to your professional goals?

Posted April 17, 2017 by ilee

Reflect on your identity as a Science teacher--what do you aspire to? Then reflect on how learning to integrate Computer Science in Science through modeling and simulation relates to your professional goals and identity.  

Post your thoughts to the forum below, and come back later to read other entries and comment on another teacher's response.

Comments

Submitted by eso on Sat, 06/03/2017 - 00:07 · Permalink

I aspire to help my scholars become critical thinkers that analyze the information that are given, make claims rationalized with evidence, then extend their thoughts to create novel questions. I also intend to make my teaching more exciting and engaging. 

By integrating Computer Science into my practice, I can help my scholars become more technologically literate in general, but also support them in computational thinking. Using, modifying, and creating models is a great  sequence of learning for the scholars to gain ownership in their education. 

Submitted by Bright_Eyed_Science on Thu, 06/08/2017 - 22:25 · Permalink

As a science teacher, I aspire to give my students the tools they need to make informed decisions, chase their dreams, expand their knowledge of possible career paths and hobbies, to spark/maintain their curiosity and love of learning, and to make science accessible, relevant, and engaging. Effectively integrating computer and computational science into my teaching will help me become the teacher my students deserve by enriching their science content knowledge, and giving them the technology skills they need to be competitive in the global workforce. 

Submitted by jsimpson on Fri, 06/09/2017 - 16:06 · Permalink

Reflect on your identity as a Science teacher--what do you aspire to? Then reflect on how learning to integrate Computer Science in Science through modeling and simulation relates to your professional goals and identity. 

I aspire to help my students to be real world problem solvers who care about their environment and others around them.  I want them to first be empathetic to others and willing to help one another learn and grow.  

I know saying I want my students to be lifelong learners is cliche, but I do want them to be curious about their world.  

Part of my professional goal this year has been to integrate technology into the science classroom.  I have learned much and have helped develop some initial training to other teachers and to my students.  This training has been mostly around communication and literacy practices.  I see Computer Science in Science as a process to understand how to solve real world problems in science, to be creative and wonder, and to understand a thinking process that will help them learn throughout their lifetime.

Submitted by jgurbada on Wed, 06/14/2017 - 12:39 · Permalink

As a science teacher, I aspire to inspire students and spark a life-long love for learning science and learning in general. I hope to get students hooked on science and inspire students to go into a STEM field, either STEM electives in high school, STEM major in college, STEM trade school, etc. Learning to integrate CS in Science through modeling and simulation will help me reach my aspirations because it will make learning more fun and approachable for students. When learning is fun and understandable, students ten to gravitate toward school and learning.

Submitted by hjoyal on Tue, 06/27/2017 - 20:55 · Permalink

I believe that I want to be someone who teaches kids how to think for themselves and not simply regurgitate. I am excited about what I have been learning because, except for using the computers, this is how I have been teaching in my room. I am nervous because it is not intuitive for me to use the computers to create the test bed, yet I know it is what my students need to be ready for the world they are going to inherit. 

Submitted by bonitagirl on Mon, 07/17/2017 - 22:32 · Permalink

It has always been my thinking that I am not there to provide answers, I am there to help my students find the answers. My goal is to teach my students how to think...to problem solve...to see the world and learn about it... where do they fit into the whole picture.

I am a bit apprehensive about using computers, but I am excited about what they could bring to my classroom.

Submitted by jfretz on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 17:41 · Permalink

Over 400 years ago Sir Francis Bacon wrote, “Knowledge is power.”  I believe that every student, regardless of background, can achieve success at the highest level of academics.  Quality education should be universal, and all students deserve an opportunity to access the many tools necessary to make gains in learning and build a better life for themselves.

As a science teacher, I also hope to instill in students an insatiable curiosity about the natural phenomena they encounter in the world. When students are driven by curiosity, their motivation to learn is intrinsic, stemming from a love of knowledge. A positive view of one’s education, once developed, will last a lifetime.

I  believe that the greatest learning gains are made when students have a sense of confidence and accountability. Sadly, I think many students may be intimidated by the content taught in science classes. This is understandable considering the misconceptions many people have of what it means to be a scientist. It seems that integrating computer science could help my students understand the science content as well as the skills necessary to be college and career ready. Modeling and simulation would also make science more accessible, discernible and authentic.

Submitted by person11d on Fri, 08/04/2017 - 23:52 · Permalink

As a Science teacher, I intend to teach through projects and hands-on experiences as much as I can effectively incorporate into my classroom. At first, I was nervous about having to also teach my students computer science, but am getting increasingly excited for the possibilities of projects that students can now conduct without even leaving the classroom. I feel this adds to the effectiveness I'll have as a teacher by making science fun for students, maybe they'll be inspired to explore a field within science as a career. 

Submitted by jstblue on Sun, 08/27/2017 - 15:36 · Permalink

As a Studio Art teacher, I believe artistic processes and scientific processes are very closely related and in many cases the same.   I work hard to inspire my students to be engaged with living and to experience joy in learning.  Professionally, my hope in learning and using Computer Science is to help students make deeper connections to the world around them and to really feel and understand that everything they do matters.  I like to think of myself as an Arts Integration specialist and I'm excited about the potential of using Computer Science to help students develop a joy of lifelong learning.