ASSIGNMENT ON TEACHING BIOLOGY IN SECONDARY I

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MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
Fatima, General Santos City
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Bachelor of Secondary Education
ASSIGNMENT
ON
TEACHING BIOLOGY IN SECONDARY I
Submitted to
PROF. PAUL R. OLVIS
Submitted by
HANNAH JANE C. BELMONTE
January 2014

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1. What is the importance of professional development for secondary science
teachers? What professional organizations and professional science teaching
journals are available for the betterment of secondary science teachers?
Science encompasses not only in teaching science literally, physical science which is
also part of the science curriculum is the highlighted subject in this context as well as
some touches of science. Both the teaching profession and the field of physics are in a
constant state of change. Teaching strategies are emergent and not absolute therefore
quality professional development is critical to the retention and improvement of any
teacher in the classroom. Teachers should be encouraged to participate in peer
collaboration experiences. These may occur within the department, within the school,
within the district, within the community, at the state or national level. Some suggested
venues for continued professional development follow:
Continuing Education
The physics teacher should be encouraged to pursue further studies in both
physics and teaching pedagogy. Working towards advanced degrees can be both
financially and professionally rewarding since many schools’ salary structure encourages
working towards a graduate degree.
Professional Organizations
There are a number of groups or associations with which the teacher can affiliate
in order to keep in touch with developments in the field, effective teaching practices,
and changes in resources. Membership and active involvement in professional
organizations are recommended. These organizations include:
• Local sharing groups
o In some localities, physics teachers from local schools meet several times a year.
Meetings may have speakers, reports of research, classroom projects, or tours of facilities.
• State science associations
o Sections of the American Association of Physics Teachers
The local section of the AAPT is a valuable organization. It provides a
clearinghouse for much information, a means to keep up with latest developments and
advances in physics teaching, and a chance to become known to other physics
teachers.
o State Section of the National Science Teachers Association
The local section of the NSTA is a valuable organization. It provides a
clearinghouse for much information, a means to keep up with latest developments and
advances in physics teaching, and a chance to become known to other science
teachers.

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National Science Associations
 American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT, http://www.aapt.org/,
referenced 30 April 2009) The AAPT has two national meetings each year. The
meetings are in different places in the country in order to make it possible for
teachers (K-20) everywhere to make meetings every few years. The meetings have
participant papers, plenary speakers, workshops, discussion groups, teacher
sharing, vendors, exhibits, committee meetings, lunches, dinners, awards
ceremonies, and opportunities to network with colleagues and meet friends.
 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA, http://www.nsta.org/, referenced
30 April 2009)
The NSTA has one national meeting and several regional meetings each year. All
sciences are represented. The focus of these meetings is K-12.
 American Physical Society (APS, http://www.aps.org/, referenced 30 April 2009)
The APS runs high school teacher days at many of its divisional meetings and both of its
annual national meetings. These workshops, which are free for all physics and physical
science teachers, provide a networking opportunity with research physicists, and a look
at contemporary physics research during APS meetings.
Workshops and Institutes
Workshops allow for networking with other teachers as well as learning new content
and pedagogy. Strategies come alive when the teacher is exposed to the methodology
at first hand. When teachers learn and share with fellow colleagues it reduces teacher
isolation and tends to renew enthusiasm. Some of these opportunities provide stipends,
continuing education credits, or graduate credits. Workshops are available through such
institutions as:
 Universities
 Colleges
 Museums
 Business and Industry
 Research institutes
 Professional organizations such as AAPT, NSTA, and APS
Summer Research or Work Experience
These opportunities exist to give teachers experience with real world applications
of their content area. It gives the teachers a better understanding of the nature of
scientific research. Some of these opportunities provide salaries or stipends. Opportunities
exist in:
 Universities
 Colleges
 Museums
 Business and industry
 Scientific and medical research facilities
 National laboratories
 Research Experiences for Teachers programs, funded by the NSF

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Mentoring
Having a good, experienced mentor is essential to the growth of a physics
teacher. As more physics teachers enter the profession without formal training in physics
teaching, mentoring takes on an important role in the development and retention of
qualified teachers. Teacher candidates and in-service teachers should be given the
opportunity to work with effective, experienced teachers. It is important that the
administration provides time, training, and support for mentoring experiences. This
support needs to be extended to both the mentee teacher and the mentor teacher.
Organizations such as the AAPT can be utilized to assist in locating mentors in the event
that mentors cannot be found locally, e.g. small and or rural schools. When teachers
receive this support from the administration and their mentors then the teachers will have
the background to become mentors themselves. This snowball effect increases the
number of qualified teachers and mentors, thus enhancing the school and student
learning. Mentoring aids in both personal and professional development of both the
mentee and the mentor:
 Reduces burnout
 Creates a sounding board for new ideas
 Decreases isolation
 Provides a non-threatening method of evaluation
 Provides a cheerleader for encouragement and sharing of success
 Allows for networking
 Provides opportunities to look at old things in new ways
 Encourages constant evaluation of what is done and why
 Opens dialogue on best practice and how to apply to a specific situation
 Fosters an environment of learning and sharing
Publications
Scientific knowledge is continually growing. This along with the changing nature
of science education requires the teacher to keep abreast of modern developments.
Professional readings will keep the physics teacher up to date, and help maintain an
awareness of current topics of interest and recent developments. Suggested
publications include:
Journals
 The Physics Teacher (http://scitation.aip.org/tpt/, referenced 30 April 2009)
 American Journal of Physics (http://ojps.aip.org/ajp, referenced 30 April 2009)
 The Science Teacher (http://www.nsta.org/highschool/?lid=pub, referenced 30
April 2009)
 Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research
(http://prst.per.aps.org, referenced 30 April 2009)
Books
 Teaching Introductory Physic (Arons, 1997)
 Hands-on Physics Activities With Real-Life Applications (Cunningham & Herr, 1994)
 Five Easy Lessons: Strategies for Successful Physic Teaching (Knight, 2002)
 How to be an Effective Teacher: the First Days of School (Wong,1998)
 The Flying Circus of Physics (Walker, 2007)

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 Teaching Secondary School Science (Trowbridge & Bybee, 1996)
 Teaching Introductory Physics: A Sourcebook (Swartz & Miner, 1998)
 Teaching Physics for the First Time (Mader & Winn, 2008)
 Many more may be found through AAPT, NSTA, Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development and other organizations
WebPages
 ComPADRE (http://www.compadre.org, referenced 30 April 2009)
 Physics Teacher Education Coalition (http://www.PTEC.org, referenced 30 April
2009)
 Physics Education Technology Interactive Simulations
(http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/, referenced 1 May 2009)
 BUBL physics education site (http://bubl.ac.uk/link/p/physicseducation.htm,
referenced 30 April 2009)
 websites associated with science and education publications
Newsletters
 AAPT eNNOUNCER (http://www.aapt.org/about, referenced 30 April 2009)
 NSTA Reports (http://www.nsta.org/publications/reports.aspx, referenced 1 May
2009)
 APS Forum on Education Newsletter (http://www.aps.org/units/fed/newsletters/,
referenced 1 May 2009)
 APS Forum on History of Physics Newsletter
(http://www.aip.org/history/newsletter/, referenced 1 May 2009)
Listservs
 a variety of listservs focusing on secondary physics teaching are available
including those sponsored by AAPT
(http://www.aapt.org/Membership/listservs.cfm, referenced 1 May 2009))
 Physhare (http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=PHYSHARE,referenced 30 April
2009)
 Physlrnr (http://listserv.boisestate.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUPED1=physlrnr&A=1,
referenced 30 April 2009)
Reference:
The American Association of Physics Teachers. 2009. The Role, Education,
Qualifications, and Professional Development of Secondary School Physics
Teachers. One Physics Ellipse. College Park, MD 20740. www.aapt.org
2. How can Bloom's Taxonomy be used to help develop effective units and course
objectives and test/quiz questions?

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Western education systems often describe the outcomes they expect from students
as knowledge, skills and attitudes – KSAs. Knowledge refers to mental skills or the cognitive
domain of learning. Skills refers to the psychomotor or manual skills that need to be
developed by school aged members of society. Attitudes are the growth in affective or
emotional areas. The origins of the KSAs can be traced back to the research of Benjamin
Bloom and his colleagues in the 1950s.
The most important domains to consider in regards to second language education
are the cognitive and affective. Each domain is made up of parts or sub-domains,
starting from the simplest behavior to the most complex.
Reference:
Olenka Bilash May. 2011. Bloom’s Taxonomy. Retrieved on January 28, 2014 from
http://www.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/best%20of%20bilash/bloom
staxonomy.html
3. What are the various ways that portfolios can be used in science teaching? What
are the main components of a professional teaching portfolio? (Develop your own
Science Teaching Portfolio .)
A portfolio is an organised collection of student work designed to represent students'
efforts and academic achievements over a period of time. Portfolios are a powerful
assessment tool that provide a record of accomplishments and encourage students to
reflect on their progress and development in the biological sciences. Students typically
take responsibility for organising their portfolio and selecting the most appropriate
content, depending on the purpose of the portfolio assessment task.
To be most effective, portfolios should be a purpose-designed collection that
functions as a tool for critical reflection as students gather evidence to demonstrate the
development of knowledge, skills and competencies, along with the transformation of
attitudes and values that have occurred as a result of their learning in the biological
sciences.
Student portfolios may be used for different assessment purposes across year
levels. For first year students, the portfolio may provide evidence of learning and an
opportunity for self-reflection and assessment as learners come to terms with vast
amounts of new knowledge in the biological sciences. As students move into later years
of study, the portfolio may also be used to support career preparation, thus allowing them
to showcase accomplishments that may be shared with prospective employers, or to
document specific learning outcomes in a course of study.
Portfolios also allow academic staff to track student development within a course,
to evaluate a course and to evaluate and monitor student performance.

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Types and Purposes of Portfolios
There are four main types of portfolios or e-portfolios:
Personal Portfolio: recognizing learning
This type of portfolio is primarily concerned with self-reflection and growth. This has
most in common with the reflective journal. The student prepares the portfolio or journal
and retains ownership of the document. Therefore the primary audience of this type of
portfolio is the student, followed by others with whom the student chooses to share
information, including academic staff members and peers.
Feedback Portfolio: Recording and reflecting on learning
This portfolio works as a more collaborative document, providing feedback and
evidence of learning primarily to the academic staff member, but it may also be shared
with peers. The purpose of this portfolio is to guide teaching and learning and to promote
independent learning.
Accountability Portfolio: Validating learning
For this type of portfolio, the academic staff member provides direction to the
selection of contents. The primary audience for this type of portfolio is academic staff,
university administration, external assessors or agencies (e.g. AUQA, review panels and
professional organisations). The primary purpose of this portfolio is to provide evidence of
learning, including graduate attributes and competencies developed in the biological
sciences. This information guides the teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum
development process.
Presentation Portfolio: Presenting learning
This portfolio is produced collaboratively between the student and academic staff
member. The primary audience extends beyond the university community to prospective
employers or interview situations. The purpose of this portfolio is to demonstrate and
highlight achievement, skills and abilities.
Assessing Portfolio-based Assessment in the Biological Sciences
Portfolios, particularly e-portfolios, offer unique opportunities to provide an array
of feedback to students, ranging from comments stored in an online log to scores on
assessment rubrics. In the case of formative assessment, for instance, students may view
the assessment responses online and respond by improving an e-portfolio work in progress
and then seek further feedback from the academic.
The following guide provides a useful starting point for planning, development and
assessment of e-portfolios. It also draws attention to some of the unique elements of e-
portfolios, such as the use of multimedia and navigational elements. When you assess
portfolios, you may provide feedback on:

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Selection of material
 Relevant - everything tied to the set purpose and audience
 Carefully selected to make obvious specific points
 Each example/illustration makes a useful contribution
 No unprocessed or trivial material
 Not unfairly selected to misrepresent
Level of reflection
 Reveals deep understanding
 Embedded
 Illustrates self-awareness and growth
 Incorporates and is responsive to feedback from others
Content
 Reveals considerable thought over a period of time
 Variety that demonstrates depth and breadth
 Is contextualised
 Reveals personality as well as thought
 All text is accurately and succinctly written - polished prose
Use of multimedia
 Enhances content and engages
 Appropriate and purposeful
 High quality audio/video
 Non-distracting
 Integrated
Design
 Uncluttered and elegant
 Graphics are in accord with portfolio's purpose and its creator
 No distracting elements
 Well organised and coherent
 Connections are readily made
Navigation
 Clear - intuitive
 Allows users to select their own pathways
 Fully hyperlinked
Reference:

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Harris, K-L., Krause, K., Gleeson, D., Peat, M., Taylor, C. & Garnett, R.
(2007). Enhancing Assessment in the Biological Sciences: Ideas and
resources for university educators. www.bioassess.edu.au.
4. What are Jean Piaget's "stages of Intellectual development" and how can they be used
in science teaching? How do these stages relate to teaching methods such as the use of
learning cycles, concept maps, etc.?
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
Sensory Motor Period (0 – 24 months)
Stage-Age Characteristic Behavior
Reflexive Stage
(0-2 months)
Simple reflex activity such as grasping, sucking.
Primary Circular
Reactions(2-4 months)
Reflexive behaviors occur in stereotyped repetition such as opening
and closing fingers repetitively.
Secondary Circular
Reactions
(4-8 months)
Repetition of change actions to reproduce interesting consequences
such as kicking one’s feet to more a mobile suspended over the crib.
Coordination of
Secondary Reactions
(8-12 months)
Responses become coordinated into more complex sequences.
Actions take on an “intentional” character such as the infant reaches
behind a screen to obtain a hidden object.
Tertiary Circular
Reactions
(12-18 months)
Discovery of new ways to produce the same consequence or obtain
the same goal such as the infant may pull a pillow toward him in an
attempt to get a toy resting on it.
Invention of New
Means Through Mental
Combination
(18-24 months)
Evidence of an internal representational system. Symbolizing the
problem-solving sequence before actually responding. Deferred
imitation.
The Preoperational Period (2-7 years)
Stage-Age Characteristic Behavior
Preoperational
Phase
(2-4 years)
Increased use of verbal representation but speech is egocentric. The
beginnings of symbolic rather than simple motor play. Transductive
reasoning. Can think about something without the object being present by
use of language.
Intuitive Phase
(4-7 years)
Speech becomes more social, less egocentric. The child has an intuitive
grasp of logical concepts in some areas. However, there is still a tendency to

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focus attention on one aspect of an object while ignoring others. Concepts
formed are crude and irreversible. Easy to believe in magical increase,
decrease, disappearance. Reality not firm. Perceptions dominate
judgment.In moral-ethical realm, the child is not able to show principles
underlying best behavior. Rules of a game not develop, only uses simple do’s
and don’ts imposed by authority.
Period of Concrete Operations (7-12 years)
Characteristic Behavior:
Evidence for organized, logical thought. There is the ability to perform multiple classification
tasks, order objects in a logical sequence, and comprehend the principle of conservation.
Thinking becomes less transductive and less egocentric. The child is capable of concrete
problem-solving.
Some reversibility now possible (quantities moved can be restored such as in arithmetic:
3+4 = 7 and 7-4 = 3, etc.)
Class logic-finding bases to sort unlike objects into logical groups where previously it was on
superficial perceived attribute such as color. Categorical labels such as “number” or animal”
now available.
Period of Formal Operations (12 years and onwards)
Characteristic Behavior:
Thought becomes more abstract, incorporating the principles of formal logic. The ability to
generate abstract propositions, multiple hypotheses and their possible outcomes is evident.
Thinking becomes less tied to concrete reality.
Formal logical systems can be acquired. Can handle proportions, algebraic manipulation,
other purely abstract processes. If a + b = x then a = x – b. If ma/ca = IQ = 1.00 then Ma = CA.
Prepositional logic, as-if and if-then steps. Can use aids such as axioms to transcend human
With Jean Piaget’s stages of actual development, one can say that every
individual is unique in the aspect of learning. One is a fast learner and the other one is a
slow learner. That’s why in teaching especially in science subject, curriculum makers and
experts consider the child’s learning processes in establishing the level of difficulty of a
particular lesson.
Reference:
http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/piaget/

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5. What are "advanced organizers" according to Ausubel's learning theory and how can
they be used in science teaching?
The advance organizer is a tool or a mental learning aid to help students `integrate
new information with their existing knowledge, leading to "meaningful learning" as
opposed to rote memorization. It is a means of preparing the learner's cognitive structure
for the learning experience about to take place. It is a device to activate the relevant
schema or conceptual patterns so that new information can be more readily `subsumed'
into the learner's existing cognitive structures.
Ausubel believed that it was important for teachers to provide a preview of
information to be learned. Teachers could do this by providing a brief introduction about
the way that information that is going to be presented is structured. This would enable
students to start with a "Big Picture" of the upcoming content, and link new ideas,
concepts, vocabulary, to existing mental maps of the content area
Reference:
LeFrancois, 1972. Meaningful Verbal Learning Subsumption
Theory. http://tip.psychology.org/ausubel.html

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