Mark Guy

Creating Eclipses: Using Scale Models to Explore How Eclipses Happen

ABSTRACT The importance of using proportional scaled models in teaching about eclipses to elementary- and middle-level students is presented in this article. The authors illustrate how using creative models to display the basic concepts of shadows, scale, and perspective can foster a deeper understanding of how eclipses occur. Three innovative, easy-to-construct, scaled models are described as effective tools to enhance students’ understanding of eclipses. The models include space perspective on cast shadows, Earth perspective on solar eclipses, and the Moons orbital plane around Earth.

Project NEO: A Video Game to Promote STEM Competency for Preservice Elementary Teachers.

The need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors for our future workforce is growing, yet fewer students are choosing to major in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics areas, and many are underprepared, in part because elementary school preservice teachers are also underprepared. This National Science Foundation-supported project developed and tested the first of several planned modules of a video game based on the Next Generation Science Standards. Results suggest that preservice teachers who play the video game demonstrate improved science content knowledge. The study also found that preservice teachers had positive attitudes toward video games as instructional tools. Implications for preservice teacher education relating to games and science education are discussed.

Project NEO: Assessing and Changing Preservice Teacher Science Knowledge with a Video Game

The need for STEM majors for our future workforce is growing, yet fewer students are choosing to major in STEM areas, and many are under prepared, in part because elementary school preservice teachers (PSTs) are also under prepared. This NSF-supported project developed and tested the first of several planned modules of a video game based on the Next Generation Science Standards. Results suggest that PSTs who play the video game demonstrate improved science content knowledge. The study also found that PSTs had positive attitudes toward video games as instructional tools. Implications for PST education relating to games and science education are discussed.

Being Ready to Learn: My Experience Differentiating Science with Third Graders

As a former elementary teacher, Mark spent an entire academic year in a third grade classroom observing the practice of differentiated instruction in all subjects and co-teaching differentiated science inquiries. The science inquiries included explorations of heat transfer, batteries and bulbs, rocks and minerals, and an extensive unit on moon phases that specifically focused on learner preferences and interests. Differentiated process and products were embedded within the moon phases unit to promote science conceptual understanding through learner choice and creativity. From this experience, Mark learned to be more responsive to the students as diverse learners and now integrates elements of differentiated instruction into his elementary science methods courses. He spends more time getting to know his teacher candidates’ interests and learner preferences as well as embedding differentiated process and products into the 5 E science instructional model. Teacher candidates experience differentiated instruction first as learners in class and then plan and teach differentiated science inquiries to their peers and elementary students. The rewards and challenges of differentiated instruction are also addressed in class.