Hello! My name is Kelli Farr. I am a student at Utah State University in Logan and in my last semester of school before I student teach. My content area is science, specifically Biology and Chemistry. I am also taking courses that will meet the requirements for a Physical Science Endorsement, allowing me to teach Physics.
I grew up in Brigham City, so I am pretty familiar with the valley. I enjoy the outdoors, sports, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends. One of my favorite sports is Pickle ball. Most people have never heard of it, and if they have they usually laugh when they hear I play. Why do they laugh? Well it's very popular among retired folks and in senior communities. And yes, I have been beaten by 74 year old ladies. They had game.
As I said earlier, I have been studying science and hope to teach in a high school after I graduate and receive my teaching license. I believe that understanding science is the gateway to making sense of the world around us. What I have found to be the greatest excitement in science is the fact that it is always changing! Science always triggered a sense of discovery and desire to learn, and through my educational experiences it has grown to become something I am very passionate about. It is my hope that I am able to provide future students with opportunities to experience science as a means of discovery and understanding the world around them. Ultimately, it is my hope that students leave my classroom with the understanding that science is a way of knowing.
When looking up "literacy" in the dictionary, a common definition is the ability to read and write. While I do agree with this dictionary definition, I do not think it is a complete definition. In addition to reading and writing, I also believe that literacy encompasses the ability of an individual to apply this knowledge and set of skills in various contexts of life. I believe that literacy allows for students to succeed not only in the classroom, but in situations they will face in the real world.
Literacy is crucial in my content area of science. In order for students to interpret the world around them, they must have the skills required to build a base of knowledge. As students acquire literacy skills in the classroom and build knowledge, I believe they are able to face society with more competence, gaining meaning from situations they encounter resulting in learning and growth.
In looking over and trying to write down my definition and thoughts on literacy, I find myself running in circles with my thoughts. I hope that this class will help me to establish a more concrete, straightforward definition of literacy.
As I said earlier, I have been studying science and hope to teach in a high school after I graduate and receive my teaching license. I believe that understanding science is the gateway to making sense of the world around us. What I have found to be the greatest excitement in science is the fact that it is always changing! Science always triggered a sense of discovery and desire to learn, and through my educational experiences it has grown to become something I am very passionate about. It is my hope that I am able to provide future students with opportunities to experience science as a means of discovery and understanding the world around them. Ultimately, it is my hope that students leave my classroom with the understanding that science is a way of knowing.
When looking up "literacy" in the dictionary, a common definition is the ability to read and write. While I do agree with this dictionary definition, I do not think it is a complete definition. In addition to reading and writing, I also believe that literacy encompasses the ability of an individual to apply this knowledge and set of skills in various contexts of life. I believe that literacy allows for students to succeed not only in the classroom, but in situations they will face in the real world.
Literacy is crucial in my content area of science. In order for students to interpret the world around them, they must have the skills required to build a base of knowledge. As students acquire literacy skills in the classroom and build knowledge, I believe they are able to face society with more competence, gaining meaning from situations they encounter resulting in learning and growth.
In looking over and trying to write down my definition and thoughts on literacy, I find myself running in circles with my thoughts. I hope that this class will help me to establish a more concrete, straightforward definition of literacy.
Hi Kelli,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your first posting! I liked your definition of "science literacy" as applying principles of science to various facets of your own life. It reminded me of work by Gay Bisanz, in which she studied people who had cancer, and they looked online to find possible treatments. They had to be able to evaluate "scientific research" to make informed decisions about which treatments they should choose. As you know, there are a lot of very suspicious scientific claims out there. I like the idea of going beyond the teaching of facts, to helping students apply scientific principles to their own situations. In this case, you could help somebody evaluate the science behind clinical trials.
Thanks again for your first posting and I look forward to reading more of your ideas as the semester progresses.
Kelli,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I am highly impressed by your content area. Biology and Chemistry are both subjects that I had to study extra in order to perform well. With that being said my content area, Family and Consumer Science Education, uses science and creates an everyday science application. I am excited to learn from you and use your knowledge in my future teaching.
I too am excited to broaden my definition and idea of literacy.
Nikki Capener