"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question."
Decouvertes

"The important thing is never to stop questioning."
Albert Einstein

"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers."
Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire

For the round-table discussion, I would like for you to consider our work this term. Please be ready to respond to the questions below. The format for response is TBA.

(NOTE: Please remember this is in lieu of a final exam.)

1. How will you determine what is taught in science in your classroom?
2. Please list and prioritize at least four (4) sources of actual science content to be taught in your classroom.
3. How will you determine the methods of science instruction to be used with your students?
4. Describe eight kinds of science activities and relate each to "INQUIRY."
5. How does the internet relate to your model as far as resources for science?
6. What are techniques that you will consider to maintain a proper learning environment for science in your classroom?
7. How does "prudence" relate to the types of science activities you will use in your curriculum?
8. How will you make sure you are using activities that developmentally appropriate for your students?
9. How will you make sure your teaching strategies meet the needs of the different learning styles of students?
10. Can you discuss five ways you may address diversity in your classroom?
11 How will you incorporate National Science Standards in the development of your science curriculum?
12. How will you incorporate National Benchmarks in the development of your science curriculum?
13. How will you incorporate the Tennessee Science Standards in the development of your science curriculum? What about the document "Tennessee Science Standards" at:
http://www.state.tn.us/education/ci/cistandards2001/sci/ciscience.htm
14. How will you insure that students in your class "think like scientists"
15. How will you insure that students in your class relate "science" to their daily lives?
16. How will you insure that students in your class relate "science" to other subject areas?
17. What kind of science assessment will you use with your students?
18. How will you make sure that assessment does the job you want it to in your science class?
19. Address the following items as they relate to professionalism.
a. attendance (yours)
b. accountability (making sure you are following the prescribed curriculum for the system)
c. professional courtesies and responsibilities to your colleagues (do's and don'ts)
d. meeting professional expectations of administrators (leave, lesson plans, parental contact, etc)
20. What kind of wellness program will you consider (support group, physical exercise, lifelong learning, etc)
21. How will you make the tough decisions that have to be made? How do "prudence" and "What is best for my students?"figure into those decisions?
22 . What steps will you take in your classroom to insure that your students are safe when conducting lab exercises?
23. How are safety in the classroom and prudence related?
24.Describe 3 types of assessment that you feel that you can comfortably use with your students as it relates to "activity science."
25. What are your three most important emphases as it relates to being perceived as a professional by your students' parents?
26. What will be the one major guiding principle that you will use when it comes to making tough decisions concerning your students in your classroom.
27. Describe three ways you may use the internet in your science classroom.
28. What precautions will you use as it relates to internet use by your students?
29. What signal will you use when you want your students' attention when doing 'activity science?'
30. How will you decide when time is 'yours' as opposed to being 'on the clock' 24 hours a day?
31. Describe three ways you will avoid gender bias in the science classroom.
32. Describe three ways you will deal with diversity in the science classroom.
33. Describe three ways you will deal with stress as it relates to the classroom (wellness).
34. What is the first thing you will do on the first day to set the mood for appropriate classroom behavior in your classroom?
35. How important are expectations for the conducting of parent conferences? What are some of these expectations?
36. How will you deal with the issue of child abuse in the classroom?
37. AND how will you do your best to insure that you do not perpetuate the environment that contains 'little science' with a student population that already may have two strikes against it? Remember that for any citizen to expect to be reasonably successful in the future, it is imperative that she/he be technologically and scientifically literate.
38. What do you plan to do to make sure that you keep up to date from a professional development standpoint. Remember "No Child Left Behind"and other such "HIGH STAKES" initiatives are an important part of your professional future.