FAMILY SCIENCE FALL 2012!!

This semester we went to three venues - Ella Barnes Elementary School, Webb Elementary School and Gregory-Portland Intermediate. This is what students had to say about the experience:

"I think it is wonderful when students are so excited about learning, and even more so when that learning has to do with science or math. Thee are the subjects that students and some teachers try to stay away from. It is a huge concern in our country that we get more students excited about these neglected subjects. I have learned so much about myself from this experience as well."

"Science night made me realize that in order for students to understand a certain concept of science that you are trying to teach, they must be able to relate it to themselves."

"I honestly loved interacting with so many students and parents because each and everyone of them had something special that they brought to the table. It was fun to watch the parents enjoy their children."

"Getting practice interacting with parents is also a huge benefit that will help us all as future teachers."

"I actually got to teach a science lesson to elementary students in a non-threatening environment. The costs were definitely worth the benefits  because it is an experience that I feel is necessary to understand the dynamics between the schools and their faculty, students, and parents."

"Parents were really involved and thankful for the information we gave them. Those parents really inspired me to be a teacher, because I know that I will influence not only the students, but the parents as well."

"I don't think (family science) really changed any ideas I had about science teachers in particular, but it was an eye opener when it came to how I was going to adapt my little 'speech' to a 5 year old who couldn't care less about the health risks of sugar and just loved chocolate milk."

"The experience changed my perspective of science teaching because it wasn't about cycles or doing labs, more more about being healthy. Health is important in everyone's life, expecially young children who are growing and trying to figure out how their bodies work."

"Fun is a keyword when teaching young students. The fun that the project is the more the students will remember because they enjoyed it."


"As long as I can remember, I hated science with a passion. Every science class I had to take in middle school leading up to college was horrible. Every class I had had us mainly learning from a textbook. From these experiences, I learned that science doesn't have  to be taught in that manner. If a science lesson could be turned into a situation relating to real life, the information would be retained for a longer period of time. If science teaching consisted of having all lessons have some kinds of "hands- on" activity after each lesson, the n students would never be afraid of science."

"These three presentations we did further cemented my desire to become a professional educator, to be able to educate young children and to make a difference with a smile :)  ."

"I know that now I am a step closer to become the really amazing teacher that I want to be."

London ISD Summer II 2012!

"Science is a subject that I have always enjoyed, but been a little apprehensive about teaching. I always fear that I will not teach something correctly, won't teach it enough, or that students will ask me questions that I don't know the answer to. Family Science Night showed me that it is perfectly acceptable to not know all of the answers and that teaching science can really be fun."

"The advice I would give to future science teachers is to please, please, please make their activities engaging and interactive; something the students will go home remembering. The idea may take a while to come up with, but it will be worth it."

"The main thing I learned from this event is that is so incredibly important to provide students the opportunity to learn with their parents and to participate in fun, risk-free learning activities."

"I liked Family Science Night a great deal because it allowed our group to address a sensitive topic (hyperactivity) in a fun and friendly manner."

"This event was not only fun for the family and community but me too!"

"This sounds crazy but kids intimidate me a bit like they know I'm not a real teacher but I was surprised and very pleased a how quickly I found my confidence."

"As Einstein said, "You really do not understand something unless you can explain it to your Grandmother." I felt we must understand our topic well, because we explained it - successfully - to many Grandmothers, four year olds, Dads, Aunts, and Moms."

"In all honesty, I initially thought that the subject of Science and Nutrition was going to be boring, but as we formed our idea and then saw the reaction of those around us, I immediately changed my mind. Turning what could be a potentially boring topic into something fun and hands-on was an experience that I will never forget."

"What I originally thought would be a hassle and a waste of my time was actually fun and beneficial for me and my future career. I can take it with me wherever I go, an awareness of how these family nights work as well as all the benefits for all that are involved."

"I found that you can incorporate science into many different areas. It was easier than I thought because science is all around us."

"It was interesting to see how we had to remain flexible and adjust to the students' level of curiosity and demeanor....The main thing I will remember from participating in this event is how important is to remain flexible and have the materials necessary to be flexible for all the students as they each learn differently."

"It was a wonderful way for me to try out my teacher voice and practice interacting with families....I had a blast!"

Flour Bluff Junior High Spring 2012

"What I truly appreciate about the opportunity provided to me by teaching Family Science Night is the belief I've gained that extra-curricular, organized instruction might allow for better learning opportunities and increased absorption of information by the kids involved. While it tends to be a struggle to engage children in this age range with anything they might perceive as extra work, I do believe its is important  to try and the looks of pure, unadulterated interest that I have viewed throughout the course of this assignment have led me to believe that it is quite possible to be successful."

"One thing I love about these Family Science Nights is that we are all doing the same thing, working towards our future goals of being educators and that we are all going through the same thing. I also like how each and every one of us is helpful to one another. This make the transition so much smoother and rewarding!"

"This last event proved how much I actually knew about this topic and how much more confident I had become."

"I used to think that being involved with parents was as simple as sending something home with the child and hoping that the parent received it or having a parent teacher conference and calling the parent once a month. Clearly I was wrong, there are so many different way to be involved and family science nights are one of them."

"I felt that I have grown a lot this semester, because before I came into this class I did not know anything about science. I now feel way more comfortable presenting scientific information to my students and having a positive attitude about it. I am also more comfortable in presenting information to the parents as well."

"Now I remember the honor roll assemblies and the attendance assemblies that my parents attended but even then they didn't come into contact with my teacher and I do not want to be the teacher who doesn't talk to parents."

"I remember in the beginning being very nervous  and thinking to myself that i would probably stumble over my words and sound like I don't know what I'm talking about but actually going through the experience I found that it all came naturally."

"Through this experience I have developed more useful skills that I will use when teaching students and helping them grow cognitively, emotionally and physically."

"I have become increasingly more confident in my science teaching abilities!"

"At the beginning of the semester, inquiry-based science was new to me. I realize now how important it is in the classroom or even at a science event to help the student to get his or her own understanding of the content as they play an active role in the learning process."

Ella Barnes Elementary Spring 2012

"This event was a dream come true because not only was there more parental participation but also the children were eager to learn science. Family Science Night at Barnes Elementary was the best event ever....The students became effective thinkers and the world of science started making sense!"

"I was glad we got be be around a lot of parents because it gave me the confidence I needed to believe I knew what I was doing." 


"I learned from our own research and the other groups' projects that we need to pay more attention to what we eat and act in our daily lives to keep being healthy and happy."


"We really got to show and explain our research and show that we really worked hard which felt rewarding."


"I realized that elementary students know a whole lot more than I thought."


"Its pretty amazing to see kids so young so interested in something like medicine. She says she is planning to go to medical school."


"Its always fun to see what kind of personalities the students have. It makes me so excited to be able to work with the age group one day."


"The reward  of seeing and being a part of a student's breakthrough when understanding a new concept of working through data is an experience that words cannot describe."


"Its funny because every time I eat something now I always think about my poster and I think about, "Am I making the healthier choice or not?". 

Hamlin Middle School Spring 2012

"I actually really enjoyed teaching science. I NEVER thought about teaching science but is surprisingly really fun and very interesting. You learn a lot as you teach and I think that would be the best aspect of being a science teacher."


"The way I thought about teaching science before this has completely altered. For me, science has always been a foreign language that I have had a difficult time mastering. When I did this event, I felt like was able to completely understand and teach science to these participants without overloading their brains with too much information."


"Science is everywhere and in our daily lives. By researching this topic and seeing how common it is in our everyday lives, I saw that science can be implemented and be interesting."


"Getting exposed to these interactions is a better experience for me as a future teaching in learning to handle different situations. "


"Growing up I never took much interest in this subject as I do today after this experience. I never realized that there is science in just about everything we do and that it surrounds our everyday living."


"Family Science can be a stepping stone to get parents comfortable in getting involved."


"Just reaching one person to become healthier and take charge of their life is worth all the work to me."


"I wish when I was going to school we had things like Family Science Nights that I could have attended with my parents."


"I realized there are way to to teach any lesson and adapt the lesson to fit your specific grade level."


"The specific costs should be priceless as long as your students and parents leave with more than they came in with."


"Science was always my worst subject and I never felt like I was smart enough to learn or teach it. This is why I was so nervous for this project because I felt as if I was not qualified. However after this Family Science Night, I realized I could teach science to children and in a way that they could understand it. I definitely felt accomplished."


"The benefits gained were the connections made with my own community, helping families learn about the scientific method, exploring science, and using problem solving skills that were enhanced by the inquiry-based teaching methods."