Week 4 Observation

During the lab on phase changes, three things that I felt the teacher did well were, the lab
materials ahead of time for each lab group, managed class time well, and made sure the groups
had enough time to finish the lab, and gave reminders throughout the period on which type of
units they should be using when recording their data.
From what I witnessed during this class, this teacher did a really great job at preparing
materials, but the lecture sometimes felt as if it were slightly robotic, and rehearsed and it lacked
authenticity. The ultimate measure of success is the extent to which teachers assimilate
knowledge in a meaningful way and subsequently teach their students what they learned
(Hardre, Nanny, Refai, Ling and Slater, 2010). I feel this could impact how students perceive
the lab, and their engagement in the activity. The second thing I would have done differently is
made the activity more student driven, and allow for more discussion among the groups.
According to research done by Johnson, Fargo, and Kahle (2010), A student-centered
instructional environment that engages students in socially interactive scientific inquiry and one
that facilitates lifelong learning (p. 153). The students were not able to make a connection to
this lab or given the opportunity, which now is missed, for them to engage in a potential opening
for life long learning. Even though there are things I felt I would have done differently, the
students still gained the concepts being taught to them, and the classroom was well organized,
and efficiently run. I feel that there are several things I could learn from this teacher, as she uses
technology throughout the lesson, and lab, and has the students using Google classroom to
engage with each other for homework assignments and for support. Some students mentioned
that they enjoy the technology because it gives them so many options for doing an assignment.

References
Hardr, P. L., Nanny, M., Refai, H., Ling, C., & Slater, J. (2010). Engineering a Dynamic
Science Learning Environment for K-12 Teachers. Teacher Education Quarterly, 37(2),
157-178.
Johnson, C., Fargo, J., & Kahle, J. (2010). The Cumulative and Residual Impact of a Systemic
Reform Program on Teacher Change and Student Learning of Science. School Science &
Mathematics, 110(3), 144-159.