Science-what are your goals for 7th and up

[Yolanda]

Seems to me that many goals and basic themes of study have changed over the years, as to what the goal for your graduating child would/could/should be. I believe some of the change has to do with more technology in our world. Testing and experiments might even be outdated to some degree or in some ways.

 

 With this in mind, how do you go about deciding what your child should take away with them once gone from the nest :) With lists from various books i.e. 'What Your ____ Grader Should Know', Rebecca Rupp's book on making your own list using her ideas (gleaned from a handful of places),  Common Core, your state's list, etc there just isn't one list of knowledge to teach....thank goodness!!! :)

 

 So, a couple of questions for you. I'll list them so it might be easier to answer.

 

1. How or what do you use to determine what you want for your child's basic store of knowledge to set them on their way? And do you/spouse have a science background? (I don't, HA!)

 

2. Do you feel the basics of science have changed, whether due to technology or otherwise? How?

 

3. Do you feel there is a new outlook on science that is different from the way science was viewed, say 30 years, ago when home learning was in it's infancy?

 

 

I'm just trying to brainstorm here. I feel there have been and will continue to be changes regarding science and the way we look at things for the future and just wondering if you'll brainstorm along with me :)

 

 

[Yolanda]

I realized what made me think about this. It came to mind as I read "The Digital Invasion". How with the new ways our children deal with the world through technology and how learning is different. One small example is how in the past the one way or the main way to write a research paper was to look up in books to get info. There would be a lot more reading going on than there is now. Now it's more like skimming, reading a blurb that goes along with a photo, or watching a 3-10 minute video clip that tells us the info.

 

So just as that is one small example of how learning is changing, it just makes me think the way we have been teaching science is going to change as well. Make sense?

 

Referring back to the book a minute, another huge change is going to be how the recent generations will have relationships with one another. With much remote communication (texting, email, FB) these generations won't be well versed in body language and voice tones, among other ways of reading people.

 

Much is changing. Learning and how we learn will, too.

 

Hope this made sense!

[8filltheheart]

In our homeschool the simple answer to your question is no. I have changed very little about how I teach. High school science still incorporates the big 3 (physics, chemistry, and biology). The focus within bio has shifted to biochem away from ecosystems.

 

The exceptions to the no would be using a graphing calculator, being familiar with programs like word, excel, pp, etc, and researching online databases through the library (does anyone uses microfiche anymore? ;) )

 

Fwiw, I expect my kids to read. Videos and documentaries do not replace reading content in our homeschool. Period. That would be a no starter approach in our household. Videos supplement what has been read to reinforce, but I do not take the approach that watching a documentary is the equivalent of reading about a subject. My older kids are reading school subject matter several hrs a day.

 

(Fwiw, based on my children's academic outcomes, I have zero intention of altering my approach.)

[regentrude]

Seems to me that many goals and basic themes of study have changed over the years, as to what the goal for your graduating child would/could/should be. I believe some of the change has to do with more technology in our world. Testing and experiments might even be outdated to some degree or in some ways.

1. How or what do you use to determine what you want for your child's basic store of knowledge to set them on their way? And do you/spouse have a science background? (I don't, HA!)

 

2. Do you feel the basics of science have changed, whether due to technology or otherwise? How?

 

3. Do you feel there is a new outlook on science that is different from the way science was viewed, say 30 years, ago when home learning was in it's infancy?

 

Experiments will never be "outdated" in science because that is the way science gathers data about the world. There can be no science without observation of phenomena and verification of theoretical predictions against experiment - that IS the core of science.

This does not mean, however, that there must be a focus on experiments in science education.

 

I do not think anything basic about science has changed with technology - it's just the tools that have changed. Technology allows an investigation of areas previously not accessible, it allows simulations, and it allows easier and faster processing of information, but it does not change the core of science.

If anything has changed, I find it is the emergence of an anti-science attitude in this country. 30 years ago that was different.

 

DH and I have a science background; we are both physics professors. Up to high school we follow a very interest led course, with lots of observation, living books, documentaries. For high school level coursework, we follow a physics first model, as this is the most basic of sciences; then cover chemistry which is an application of physics, and then bio which uses a lot of chemistry and has less emphasis on classification of organisms nowadays.

I am with 8FilltheHearts: my kids read. The way information is processed when reading is very different from the way visual media are processed. In my work, I have not seen any evidence that a heavy use of digital technology for teaching produces any better outcomes - on the contrary. Videos, animations, simulations etc have their place in illustrating specific concepts, but I would not rely on them as a primary means of teaching, because in essence they create a much more passive experience for the learner.

 

So, basically, my answer is nothing much has changed - except for a few tools, and some content focus which does not affect the teaching of the fundamentals.

 

2. Do you feel the basics of science have changed, whether due to technology or otherwise? How?

 

 

 

I think the biggest change is how much more there is to cover in an introductory Biology class than there was 30 years ago, which has nothing to do with the technology of education.

[regentrude]

Want to add  more about goals:

aside from college admissions requirements/college readiness, one fundamental goal of my science education is to raise critical thinkers who understand how science works, and who have enough basics to understand important phenomena in their lives - this I consider a fundamental prerequisite for making informed decisions.

I am thinking of things like: how do antibiotics work (and why they are useless for viral diseases), how does a microwave work (and why they don't have to be scared to use one), combustion engines, human body, celestial mechanics, basic chemical reactions, ecosystems, rock formation, circuits...

 

I can not imagine going through life surrounded by phenomena for which I do not have an explanation - that would be deeply unsettling to me. And I cannot imagine how one can make decisions about the use of technology or chemicals without any understanding of the way they function.

 

If this is disjointed, it's because I have to run to work....