(1) Positive StatementWhat are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
I am proud of the awesome lesson plans I created for both of my Independent components and the how well my activity flowed with my Block Presentation
(2) Questions to Consider
A. What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?
P
B. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
P
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
My Mentorship with Mr. Pittman was amazing he helped me come with all my answers not by telling me what he thinks about my EQ but instead showed me by just teaching his class like any good AP Biology teacher would. He was an amazing AP Biology teacher just by the test score distributions that he did with a mock test in his class showing that none of his students scored a 1 and only 3 out of 60 students scored a high 2 that could easily get boosted up to a 2 and get a passing grade.
(4) (What didn't work)
If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I would have chosen this amazing topic in the first place so that I would have a lot more foundation research. I would also wanted to focus on reading a variety of sources not only from journals and book this could have help me have better research to present in my final presentation. Last a main problem with me is that I have my presentation practiced but I get really nervous and forgot to state as many sources as I wanted to so that all my answers made sense and why I logically choose them
(5) Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.
I have gained a love for science freshman year but felt like I was in a sense to stupid to go into a career in that field but thanks to my senior project I had to read and comprehend complicated concepts of AP Biology and destroyed that idea giving me the confidence to pursue a future career in Science maybe as a Bio engineer or Microbiologist. My senior Project also help me think about how amazing my science teachers at iPoly have been and made me think about going into a teaching career so I could pass on my love for Biology onto the new generation of great scientists
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Blog 21 Mentorship
Literal
Contact Name and mentorship place
Anthony Pittman. AP Biology /Physiology teacher at Ayala High School in Chino Hills.
Interpretive
What is the most important thing your gained from this experience? Why?
I have gained the ability to keep in constant contact with people. At the beginning of mentorship I never updated my mentor and just came whenever. Near the middle around January he recommended that I send him weekly updates on my senior project.
Applied
How has what you done help to answer your EQ? Explain?
My mentorship gave me the opportunity to follow around a teacher an observe how he prepares his students for the AP Biology exam. Mr. Pittman helped me think of most of my answer through the things that he did in his classroom or the resources he gave to me. Each answer lead back to a way that he prepared his students for the AP Biology exam.
Contact Name and mentorship place
Anthony Pittman. AP Biology /Physiology teacher at Ayala High School in Chino Hills.
Interpretive
What is the most important thing your gained from this experience? Why?
I have gained the ability to keep in constant contact with people. At the beginning of mentorship I never updated my mentor and just came whenever. Near the middle around January he recommended that I send him weekly updates on my senior project.
Applied
How has what you done help to answer your EQ? Explain?
My mentorship gave me the opportunity to follow around a teacher an observe how he prepares his students for the AP Biology exam. Mr. Pittman helped me think of most of my answer through the things that he did in his classroom or the resources he gave to me. Each answer lead back to a way that he prepared his students for the AP Biology exam.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Blog 20 Exit Interview
(1) What is your essential question and answers? What is your best answer and why?
My essential question is How can a AP Biology teacher best prepare a students for the AP Biology Examination. I will like to clear that I would like my students not just pass but scores 4s and 5s and receive college credit My first answer is Integrating Inquiry based problems, assignments, Labs and Test into their Lesson Plan. My second answer is Incorporating assignments that call for students to consistently practice study skills. My third answer is Administrating Mock test so that students confidence are boost. My best answer is my first answer interrogating Inquiry based assignments,Labs and test into a their lesson plan. This is my best answer based on my mentorship experience and research I did during the year. In the AP. Biology exam students can get a good amount of points on the handwritten part of the test, These question incorporate logical thinking to receive all the possible points. An example would be like so" If your previous knowledge on light says that the colors you see is energy not being absorbed by the object then would it be logical to think that for plants with black leaves are more energy efficient than plants with green leaves" The prompt above will then be followed by questions relating to the prompt like " Where would this plant thrive and why" and " Explain the limitations of plants having black leaves being placed in a environment that it is not suited for." These question then make the student make logical connections to the many units they discuss throughout the year like for the second question a student could go back and recall cell biology and note the plant may evaporate more water quickly due to the increase amount of energy heating up the plant but could also say that the increase in heat could uncatalyze the protein in the plant making the plant not allowing cells to adsorb the proteins needed for cellular homeostasis. The students use inquiry based thought to connect what they have learn on two different units that they learned separated. Research wised I found that according to the University of Arizona that students scores increased in data and statistical analysis problems by 30% when compared to students who did not have teacher incorporate inquiry based lessons. This is another big point to mention sense mathematics were introduce last year to the AP Biology exam and was in the top 3 subcategories that students struggle in the AP Biology exam. Focusing on Inquiry will directly help the students on the sections that students struggle in.
(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
Well I started mentorship with a working EQ and I asked my mentor Mr. Pittman what ways does he believe that teacher can increase students test scores. He answered by saying that a problem with getting a concise answer to that question is that the AP Biology standard change about 1 year ago and teachers are still trying to figure out how to improve their scores but I looked at the AP Biology exam last year and notice that the question were inquiry based question, so a teacher who focuses on that type of lesson plan could help improve test scores. I then asked the iPoly Biology teachers Mrs. Cancino and Mrs Shiller if they had any research on Inquiry based learning, both gave me great sources that I then used to start crafting my first and ultimately my best answer to my EQ.
My essential question is How can a AP Biology teacher best prepare a students for the AP Biology Examination. I will like to clear that I would like my students not just pass but scores 4s and 5s and receive college credit My first answer is Integrating Inquiry based problems, assignments, Labs and Test into their Lesson Plan. My second answer is Incorporating assignments that call for students to consistently practice study skills. My third answer is Administrating Mock test so that students confidence are boost. My best answer is my first answer interrogating Inquiry based assignments,Labs and test into a their lesson plan. This is my best answer based on my mentorship experience and research I did during the year. In the AP. Biology exam students can get a good amount of points on the handwritten part of the test, These question incorporate logical thinking to receive all the possible points. An example would be like so" If your previous knowledge on light says that the colors you see is energy not being absorbed by the object then would it be logical to think that for plants with black leaves are more energy efficient than plants with green leaves" The prompt above will then be followed by questions relating to the prompt like " Where would this plant thrive and why" and " Explain the limitations of plants having black leaves being placed in a environment that it is not suited for." These question then make the student make logical connections to the many units they discuss throughout the year like for the second question a student could go back and recall cell biology and note the plant may evaporate more water quickly due to the increase amount of energy heating up the plant but could also say that the increase in heat could uncatalyze the protein in the plant making the plant not allowing cells to adsorb the proteins needed for cellular homeostasis. The students use inquiry based thought to connect what they have learn on two different units that they learned separated. Research wised I found that according to the University of Arizona that students scores increased in data and statistical analysis problems by 30% when compared to students who did not have teacher incorporate inquiry based lessons. This is another big point to mention sense mathematics were introduce last year to the AP Biology exam and was in the top 3 subcategories that students struggle in the AP Biology exam. Focusing on Inquiry will directly help the students on the sections that students struggle in.
(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
Well I started mentorship with a working EQ and I asked my mentor Mr. Pittman what ways does he believe that teacher can increase students test scores. He answered by saying that a problem with getting a concise answer to that question is that the AP Biology standard change about 1 year ago and teachers are still trying to figure out how to improve their scores but I looked at the AP Biology exam last year and notice that the question were inquiry based question, so a teacher who focuses on that type of lesson plan could help improve test scores. I then asked the iPoly Biology teachers Mrs. Cancino and Mrs Shiller if they had any research on Inquiry based learning, both gave me great sources that I then used to start crafting my first and ultimately my best answer to my EQ.
(3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
The main problem that I face other than switching my topic after all the foundation research was done was that I found it difficult to find research on my second and third answers. The way I resolve that problem was that I went to my advisory teacher Mrs. Pittman and we discuss where can i start my research on these two answers for the second she said look up graphic organizers and for my third look up re leaving test anxiety. Then after that if I couldn't find research then i asked my fellow peers if I could use any research the coincide with the two answers that needed my printed research.
The main problem that I face other than switching my topic after all the foundation research was done was that I found it difficult to find research on my second and third answers. The way I resolve that problem was that I went to my advisory teacher Mrs. Pittman and we discuss where can i start my research on these two answers for the second she said look up graphic organizers and for my third look up re leaving test anxiety. Then after that if I couldn't find research then i asked my fellow peers if I could use any research the coincide with the two answers that needed my printed research.
(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My Mentor Mr. Pittman uses all three of my answers which lead me to start crafting each individual answers based on the teaching techniques that he performed. Then my second best source was The California Science teacher educational Journals, these journal each individually have about 5-6 article focusing on different aspects of the topic that journal is covering. I used two this year " The Nature of Science and Inquiry based leaning" and "Depth versus Breath." Each article that I read in these journals have some aspect that I could tie directly into my answers .
My Mentor Mr. Pittman uses all three of my answers which lead me to start crafting each individual answers based on the teaching techniques that he performed. Then my second best source was The California Science teacher educational Journals, these journal each individually have about 5-6 article focusing on different aspects of the topic that journal is covering. I used two this year " The Nature of Science and Inquiry based leaning" and "Depth versus Breath." Each article that I read in these journals have some aspect that I could tie directly into my answers .
Friday, April 25, 2014
Blog 19 Independent component 2
Literal
A ) I, Alejandro Espinoza, affirm that I have completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
B ) The sources I used for my independent component were My Mentor Mr. Pittman he showed me his lesson plan and his test. The Campbell AP Biology book, this helped me work on the worksheets to make my lesson plan. And the POGIL Activities for AP Biology workbook, this is were Mr.Pittman got his packets to give to his students and what I worked on to study the material.
C ) Okay Done.
D ) So for my independent component I decided to do the sections of the book that Mr. Pittman went over after the time I got my independent component approved. The sections I did the were evolution, the endocrine system the nervous system and the immune system the last sections Mr. Pittman covered this year.
Interpretive
Here is the link to the Google doc containing pictures of some of the worksheets I worked on to learn the about evolution and the bodies systems.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B6dH0MDonWeFN2EzSlhweGtMbnM&usp=sharing
Here is the time in which I will tackle these four sections as one whole unit within a 4 week Block schedule Unit with a test on the last day and some time for review.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L4n0Eu1YRRC9Ehccfp8WWJdM_syiSLheKmuWiMzQLOc/edit?usp=sharing
Applied
My component helped my understand my topic more by basically showing me what teacher have to do when planning a new lesson. I understand that the teacher must follow certain lab requirements for the AP Biology standards so I couldn't put in my own created Inquiry based labs but I can put in Inquiry based assignments.Yet again I learned that the effort that a teacher put into his work will directly reflect how the students will do on their exam and eventually their final AP Biology Examination. I also learned that an AP Biology teacher must put focus on the topics of each sections that will be directly on the exam.
A ) I, Alejandro Espinoza, affirm that I have completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
B ) The sources I used for my independent component were My Mentor Mr. Pittman he showed me his lesson plan and his test. The Campbell AP Biology book, this helped me work on the worksheets to make my lesson plan. And the POGIL Activities for AP Biology workbook, this is were Mr.Pittman got his packets to give to his students and what I worked on to study the material.
C ) Okay Done.
D ) So for my independent component I decided to do the sections of the book that Mr. Pittman went over after the time I got my independent component approved. The sections I did the were evolution, the endocrine system the nervous system and the immune system the last sections Mr. Pittman covered this year.
Interpretive
Here is the link to the Google doc containing pictures of some of the worksheets I worked on to learn the about evolution and the bodies systems.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B6dH0MDonWeFN2EzSlhweGtMbnM&usp=sharing
Here is the time in which I will tackle these four sections as one whole unit within a 4 week Block schedule Unit with a test on the last day and some time for review.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L4n0Eu1YRRC9Ehccfp8WWJdM_syiSLheKmuWiMzQLOc/edit?usp=sharing
Applied
My component helped my understand my topic more by basically showing me what teacher have to do when planning a new lesson. I understand that the teacher must follow certain lab requirements for the AP Biology standards so I couldn't put in my own created Inquiry based labs but I can put in Inquiry based assignments.Yet again I learned that the effort that a teacher put into his work will directly reflect how the students will do on their exam and eventually their final AP Biology Examination. I also learned that an AP Biology teacher must put focus on the topics of each sections that will be directly on the exam.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Blog 17: Fourth Interview
1. What is the best way to prepare a student for the AP Biology examination.
2. What is your opinion on Inquiry based activities being an important part of a teacher's lesson plan to prepare a student for the AP Biology exam.
3. What is your opinion on consistently making student practice study skills to help them prepare for the AP Biology exam
4. What is your opinion on focusing a lesson on a goal orientated activities such as a notebooks or a report that is collected at the end of the unit.
5. How much do you focus on the AP Biology book to help you teach your students the content they need to know that you didn't have time or a concept that goes more in depth in the book.
6. If the AP Biology standards changes and you have to make a new lesson plan how would you tackle a new concept.
2. What is your opinion on Inquiry based activities being an important part of a teacher's lesson plan to prepare a student for the AP Biology exam.
3. What is your opinion on consistently making student practice study skills to help them prepare for the AP Biology exam
4. What is your opinion on focusing a lesson on a goal orientated activities such as a notebooks or a report that is collected at the end of the unit.
5. How much do you focus on the AP Biology book to help you teach your students the content they need to know that you didn't have time or a concept that goes more in depth in the book.
6. If the AP Biology standards changes and you have to make a new lesson plan how would you tackle a new concept.
7. Test are important to see how much knowledge the student has gained and comprehended. How do you structure your test , do you include essays multiple choice, fill in the blank and what style of question do you believe show the student comprehended the full concept.
8. Do you believe that testing a students knowledge through hands on exams, such as practicals are more effective than a written test if so why if not why not?
9. Science is known as a social experience how much do you interact with other teachers to help get ideas for lessons labs etc.
10. Homework is important to keep the students mind consistently refresh and practicing skills. How often do you give homework and how much do you usually give.
11. What skills, such as studying techniques and time management, do you expect your students to already mastered by the time they first enter your AP Biology class.
12. What skills do you expect your students to obtain after taking your AP Biology class.
13. In my research I keep on hearing an idea of direct instruction which is a way of teaching in which the teacher lectures for most of the class how often do you use this technique.
14. In your past years as a science teacher how often dis you use inquiry based labs and assignment, such as case studies to help teach your students the concepts at hand.
15. How much do you go out of your required job to help the students prepare for the AP Biology exam, such as study sessions and/or Saturday mock test sessions.
16. My Mentor has a mindset in which for a student to do well while taking the exam they must examine the exam and see how would an AP Biology teacher grade the test. How often do you try to teach your students test taking skills such as practice on writing a rubric for an essay.
17. My Mentor believes that the answer to question #1 is to teach the students to learn for themselves. Personally do you believe that the answer he gave is a great answer if not why?
18. Knowing who the student and their habits is important how much time do you put on knowing each students and their individual habits so that they can do better on the AP Biology examination.
19. How do you structure your class to meet both the common core standards and the AP Biology standard. Do you always keep this structure if not why.
20. Sense you also teach Honors Biology do you have a higher standard for students who already took your class and why?
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Blog 18 Third answer
EQ
How can an AP Biology teacher best prepare a student for the AP Biology Examination?
Answer 3
Give frequent mock test to decrease test anxiety.
Give frequent mock test to decrease test anxiety.
Details
My mentor Mr. Pittman gives test that consists of actual test questions from the AP Biology exam. His test are harder than the actual test so that when the students take the actual exam they are fully prepare for the Exam.
My Fourth Interviewee talked about how she makes test that consist of all parts of the AP biology exam. She gives the students a lot of questions that can't be answered with the time allotted this helps the student prepare for time management when taking the AP Biology Examination
Research Sources
Mentor Mr. Pittman
Fourth Interview Mrs Ramirez AP Biology at Pomona Catholic High School.
Mentor Mr. Pittman
Fourth Interview Mrs Ramirez AP Biology at Pomona Catholic High School.
Concluding Statement
Mocking the Ap Biology exam help the student reduce their testing anxiety which on the day of will help them score a 4 or 5 on the Exam.
Mocking the Ap Biology exam help the student reduce their testing anxiety which on the day of will help them score a 4 or 5 on the Exam.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
The Blind Boat Maker - A Story About Failure.
Hello readers so today at mentorship my mentor, Mr. Pittman and I were talking about different topics related to what he is teaching in his class at the moment. We eventually got into a talk about genes and Mr. Pittman talked to me about a book called the "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins the book goes into depth on what evolution is. The story that Mr. Pittman brought up was the Blind Watchmaker but instead of going in depth on the story he said that he didn't like the way the story describes evolution. So he decided to change it to The Blind Boat Maker. The story basically goes like this. There was once a Blind man on an island who had the ability to build boats. He grabs random parts and constructs a boat. After the boat was finished he pushed the boat out to the ocean. If the boat was a success it floated on the sea but if it was a failure it skunked to the bottom of the sea. One day a boat visited the island and seen all the wonderful boats floating on the sea but didn't see the failures that sunk to the bottom of the sea while because they are failures. They aren't meant to be seen is the point. So the connection to Evolution is that nature creates Biodiversity by giving a different genetic code to every single organism through many different processes. The cool thing I thought about this story is that it can teach everyone a story about life and continuing on with your life after failure. So my readers remember that your failures will always sinks but your successes will always float on my friends.
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