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What evidence did you collect that shows a change in your teaching practices from your previously identified default teaching strategy?

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What evidence did you collect that shows a change in your teaching practices from your previously identified default teaching strategy?

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My previously identified default teaching strategy was a blend between being a facilitator and being a demonstrator/coach.  In my Human Impacts on Ecosystem Equilibrium lesson to demonstrate my default teaching strategy, the lesson began with direct instruction from the teacher, before moving on to a student research activity where student groups research a threatened or endangered species in Canada, as well as an invasive species in Canada.

In the Challenging My Default Teaching Strategy lesson on Analysing Parallel & Series Circuits I move away from the demonstrator/coach teaching strategy, having the entire lesson student centred. Moreover, I use a guided inquiry approach to have students reach the learning goals of the lesson. I also incorporate the Engineering Design Process for students to complete a task where they apply the new knowledge they have gained from the lesson to address a challenge or issue.  I also try to incorporate social justice in including the "Uncharted Play in Nigeria" video clip, and by giving students the option to identify an issue and propose a potential solution to it by creating a piece of technology to address this issue in the final task of the lesson.  This also directly links to STSE.

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M Balzer - Challenging My Default Teaching Style

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What are the most influential changes to your teaching practices?

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What are the most influential changes to your teaching practices?

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I think that the most influential changes to my teaching practices that I have made through this course are working to use guided inquiry and open inquiry whenever I can to help direct student learning.  In addition to this, I am striving to create genuine tasks for student learning, where students can see themselves in the material, students are engaged in their learning, and where the outcomes of the task are immediately relevant and meaningful.  Moreover, I am striving to incorporate cross-curricular connections to foster creativity and collaboration in my students. I am also striving for these tasks to be more open in nature, in that there may be a myriad of solutions that could work for the problem (i.e. addressing the issue of access to clean drinking water). It is my goal that this helps foster critical and creative thinking in my students.

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Which component of deep learning competencies or deep learning pedagogies have influence the most change in your teaching?

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Which component of deep learning competencies or deep learning pedagogies have influence the most change in your teaching?

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The deep learning competencies that have influenced the most change in my teaching are collaboration and critical thinking. In terms of collaboration, I am striving to have students work in groups more often, especially on more open ended tasks. I am also working towards making cross-curricular tasks with my colleagues, where students from different courses work together towards a common task. I am also working towards developing my students critical thinking skills thorough more open tasks, guided and open inquiry and through project based learning. I am also working towards developing my students critical thinking skills by having them apply ideas to the real world (in particular by making connections between science, technology and the environment), and by incorporating meta cognitive strategies such as using wrappers and classroom assessment tools.

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How will you continue evolving your practice after this course is completed?

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How will you continue evolving your practice after this course is completed?

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I plan to continue evolving my practice after this course has completed by collaborating with my colleagues (both in school and online) to share new ideas and practices about teaching. I also plan to take part in conferences, such as the annual STAO conference.

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What are some ways you can keep up to date on new ideas in teaching science?

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What are some ways you can keep up to date on new ideas in teaching science?

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One of the most effective ways that has worked for me in the past on keeping up to date on new ideas in teaching science is by collaborating with my colleagues.  Through discussion and co-constructing tasks, we have often shared new ideas and strategies in teaching science.

Another way that I can keep up to date on new ideas in teaching science is through professional development either at the school (e.g. on PD days), through conferences, or through courses and workshops.

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How will you encourage pedagogical evolution in your colleagues?

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How will you encourage pedagogical evolution in your colleagues?

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One of the most effective ways to do this is to share ideas and resources with them.  Teachers in my department are very good at sharing new ideas/strategies that they have tried in class and been successful with.  I will continue to do this on my end, to encourage pedagogical evolution in my colleagues.

Another strategy that has worked well for my in the past is by co-constructing lessons and tasks with my colleagues. Often we encourage each other to evolve our pedagogical practices through this organically, as we often share new ideas and strategies with one another while we do this.

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What strategies will you present to your department to improve its efficiency and/or encourage dynamic teaching philosophies?

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What strategies will you present to your department to improve its efficiency and/or encourage dynamic teaching philosophies?

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One of the strategies that I will present to my department to improve its efficiency is by continuing to share resources, and by co-constructing activities and rubric with department members. I will also propose that we set time aside to conference with each other when planning our courses to ensure that there is clear communication about what is expected to be taught and emphasised in more junior grades to ensure a smoother transition for students in senior grades.
Another strategy that I will present to my department to encourage dynamic teaching philosophies is by using cross-curricular tasks, both between science courses and across disciplines. This of course will also require working with my colleagues in other departments.

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What topic(s) have you like most about this course?

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What topic(s) have you like most about this course?

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While I liked all of the topics in this course, the topic that was my favourite was using open and guided inquiry. The reason that I liked this topic the most was that it challenged me to think about how, and where I can effectively incorporate open inquiry in my science courses.

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What topic(s) have you liked least about this course?

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What topic(s) have you liked least about this course?

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There were no topics that I did not like in this course, and in all honesty, I felt that they challenged me to rethink and/or refine my teaching practices. If I had to pick one topic that I liked the least about the course, it would be Module 5, Activity 5 - Effective Communication with Parents. It is not that the material was not helpful or valid, rather I feel like this is already one of the strongest parts of my teaching practice.

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What are two goals that you will include in your next annual learning plan?

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What are two goals that you will include in your next annual learning plan?

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The first goal that I will include my next annual learning plan, is to incorporate a flipped classroom methodology for some of my lessons (e.g. teaching solving displacement problems using vector components.

The second goal that I will include in my next annual learning plan is to incorporate cross-curricular tasks in my teaching. In particular, I will work towards developing meaning tasks with colleagues that students from different disciplines work on together.