Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

(1) I want to take a chemistry class up at Cal Poly. (CHM 121)
The lecture I am requesting will be on Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 4-4:50 and the lab will be on Tuesdays from 1:00-3:50.

(2) The class is from 4/2/13-6/7/13. Even though the component is due on the 26th; Ill have 19 hours and 40 minutes completed without any studying done (which if I plan to get at least a B in I will need), more than thirty hours will be done by the end of the class. 


(3) I will be getting the experience of being in the class again, and because my eq is "How can a chemistry teacher best assess the scientific understanding of their class?" I will be able to observe my teachers lessons and understand how she herself grades the class and if she asses the scientific understanding or the performance of a student. I will be taking two classes so I can observe both with the same mindset. 

Independent Component 1:

• LITERAL
  (a) Statement saying: “I, Rachel Wampler, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
  (b) http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd.pdf
• The main source of the completion of this work was the actual list of the California's State Standards.
  (c) Click Here
• (d) I called over 35 schools in the Inland Empire County to try to get willing subjects, but no one seemed to take me seriously. They said to call back (which I did but no reply), some hung up on me, while others simply laughed. This was just a traumatizing experience. I got 12 teachers to reply from six different cities and five different schools. Each interview took around an hour in itself and each non answer took around half an hour. I did propose one question that tried to detect how many really took me seriously which seemed to be fairly high (77%). Afterwards I tried to explain some of the data in which I collected into graphs. 
• INTERPRETIVE 
  I kept calling people. Even before with my original answers. I called people from different counties and it seemed like no one really wanted to help. I found two really helpful people. They explained their work and how they teach their class. This is a justified experiment (so to speak) because I got advice on how to run a chemistry classroom and what it will be like, time wise with the lessons, to actually plan this work. I realize that my first answer has flaws because it isn't time sensitive either. Chemistry teachers have one year to make students understand the scientific process, which isn't really enough. I think my next answer can focus around the fact that time isn't at hand and teachers have to get through so much in the little time given to them. 
• Evidence : all survey answers and graphs with information 
• APPLIED
• Chemistry teachers aren't really given the full power to get through everything that they can deem as acceptable in the classroom. They have to meet the requirements set by the state of California. This component gave me the foundational information of what a teacher's week is like. 

Independent Component Questions:

1. In your opinion, How can a chemistry teacher best assess the scientific understanding of their class?

2.  If you could, would you want to change anything about the California's set standards?

3. What is your favorite lesson and why?

4. What is your least favorite lesson and why?

5. What is your goal as a chemistry teacher? What is the main thing you want your students to take away from your class?

6. Are there any standards that you find yourself having the most trouble communicating to your students and why?

7. What methods do you find to be most affective in your classroom? Is there one that you would recommend to another chemistry teacher or student teacher?

8. Which is best in gauging a student's understanding in chemistry: Homework, tests, or in-class activities? 

9. Are there any standards that you don't go into depth in the interest of time?

10. What's the best advice you can give to a student that isn't fond of chemistry or is struggling in it?

Blog 13: Rough Draft of 30 Minute Presentation

Click Here

Sorry,  I forgot to transfer it back to a google document.
Editable.

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

1. How can a chemistry teacher best assess the scientific understanding of their class?

2. How can you judge if a student is understanding the topic at hand? 

3. Why do you believe tests are implemented and valued so highly in most chemistry classes?

4. Why are experiments so important in the chemistry classroom? 

5. What should be a teacher's main goal while teaching a class?

6. From your experience, do chemistry students learn more with independent or group work?

7. How do you assess the individual needs of the students in the class?

8. How can you make sure that a chemistry experiment in an enjoyable learning tool?

9. At what point in learning chemistry, did chemistry become more than just a class to you but a profession? 

10. How can you as a teacher encourage your students to carry on in their pursuit of learning chemistry?

11. Do you have any suggested articles or books about the subject?

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 Hour Check

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

Vineyard Church in San Dimas 

2.   Who is your contact?

Paul Hubbard 

3.   How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?   

13.5 hours 

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

I sit back and mainly observe the class during lectures. During experiments I am with the students, asking questions to aid their learning and answering any that I can. 

5.   Email your house teacher the name of your contact and their phone number.    

Chemistry Fact of the Day - Two

5 Phases:

Dancing Cornstarch Experiment:

Mix corn flour with water (enough to dissolve it [make it into a liquid]) and pour it into a large speaker connected to the computer (or any other device). Using a pure Sin wave (120 Hertz), a small hole will appear creating a moving "monster" [well a solid under the percussion of the music]. When you cut the sound, the corn starch falls to its original position when first poured into the speaker. 

Solid- Has a definite shape and volume.

Liquid- Particles are ready to flow.
Definite volume.

Gas- An air-like substance that will expand to

any space available to it. No definite shape

or volume.

Plasma- Electrically conductive. Usually formed

by heating or ionizing gasses.

Examples: lightning, stars, neon signs,

and florescent light bulbs.

Bose-Einstein Condensate- Form from matter

 that has been cooled near to absolute zero.

 Extremely fragile. (Any exposure to the outside 

world can be enough to break it down to the 

original atom.)