Resource Critique: HPE & ST

Hannah Weston

8144625

PED3113A

Professor: Jennifer Rottman

January 23rd, 2020

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Resource Critique: Science and Technology

Mystery Science in an online resource that teachers can incorporate into their lesson planning to meet the expectations of the science curriculum. Mystery Science favours the digital age of teaching and student’s fascination with screens by presenting educational content in video format. Also, the site is interactive as it allows students the ability to submit science or technology related question with the possibility of having them answered. Each week’s video presented is based off one of the questions students have submitted online. At the end of every new video, students are given the chance to vote on what topic they would like to learn about next, dependant on the three questions available that week.

Mystery Science relates to the Ontario curriculum for Science and Technology, although identifying one overall expectation is difficult as video content ranges from kindergarten to grade five, and discusses multiple topics relevant to the curriculum, such as understanding life systems or understanding matter and energy. Although, the two specific expectations are identifiable; relating science and technology to society and the environment, and developing investigation and communication skills. The specific expectations are met through the information the videos show and the prompting thinking questions. The creator of the site, Doug, has strategically created opportunities within the videos for teachers and students to discuss the ideas on science or technology. Encouraging students to take a moment to critically think and consider possible answers to the posed question is a main strength of the website.

Another strength of Mystery Science is its goal to bring more attention and high-level learning to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The hope is to decrease the number of students who dislike science or mathematics by the end of their schooling experience. By incorporating presentation formats that interest children, providing time for inclusive thinking, and an opportunity for examination, students will be more invested and less overwhelmed with these typically deemed harder subjects.

The only consequence of Mystery Science is the requirement of an account to gain access to the content. Many accounts are given out for free (currently 618 are still available), however after a year, a subscription fee is required. Depending on the teacher’s budget, school funding, or student’s interest in the video content, a teacher may decide to opt-in or out of the site. Also, if students want to watch a video on their own, they require the educator’s log-in information. Although, this issue does not affect classroom availability.

Mystery Science highlights the imagination portion of ICI, as the prompt questions encourage students to use their previous knowledge and unique thinking to come up with possible answers. From personal experience as a student teacher, students respond well to these questions, usually coming up with multiple ideas. Also, students are very fond of this website, as it gives them the freedom to choose, the video format is entertaining, and is presented in a child-friendly way. The students at my placement are very excited on Monday’s when they know a new mystery science video has been released. Showing excitement is a positive impact Mystery Science has had on my placement students, as it demonstrates how Mystery Science videos are engaging and impactful. Majority of students can grasp the main ideas of each video while continuing to be curious about the topic by asking new questions. Based off of these observations and experiences, I would be willing to use this resource within my own classroom one day.

Overall, Mystery Science is a useful tool in fostering excitement and facilitating interest within science and technology-based content through videos. Mystery Science wants students to stay curious.

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Resource Critique: Health and Physical Education

The Zones of Regulation is a resource teacher can display in their classroom to help students with their emotional understanding. The Zones of Regulation are based on four colours, which represent a group of emotions. Green is calm emotions, yellow is excited or nervous emotions, red is angry emotions, and blue are emotions related to being upset. Especially for lower grades, students can use the Zone of Regulation to communicate how they are feeling. Sometimes students have difficulty putting into words what specific emotions they are experiences, which is why the zones are a useful tool to communicate an overall feeling.

Although the Zones of emotion can be used for students in all grades, I believe it would have the biggest impact within the Kindergarten to grade three range. Within the Ontario curriculum for health and physical education, the Zones of Regulation is related to Strand A (social-emotional learning skills). In addition, it can be categorized under the overall expectation, A1: “apply, to the best of their ability, a range of social-emotional learning skills as they acquire knowledge and skills in connection with the expectations in the Active Living, Movement Competence, and Healthy Living strands for this grade” (Health and Physical Education, 2019, p. 112). The specific expectations met are A1.1 Identification and Management of Emotions and Al.5 Self-Awareness and Self Identity. The Zones of Regulation are noted here as it is a tool for students to help recognize and communicate their emotions, as well as what actions they can take to shift which zone they are in.

A strength of this resource is the ability for students to easily connect to it and understand the meaning of various colours. For students who have emotional difficulties, this resource provides them with a tool to expand their emotional knowledge, which has a positive effect on well-being. In addition, students can use the Zones of Regulation to identify and navigate other’s well-being in relation to the various colours. For students with exceptionalities, the Zones of Regulation are a helpful visual to pair feelings with. Some emotions are not always visible at first, which makes the colour pairing extremely useful as it allows for a visual to correspond to an emotion. Therefore, this resource is one that is applicable to all students regardless of cultural or personal background.

A weakness of the resource is that it is limited to young children, as older children will be less likely to categorize themselves as in the green or red zone. Although, older students are more equipped with the ability to be able to pinpoint what emotion they are feeling and discuss the implications. There may be a limited age-range on the usefulness of the Zones of Regulation, but it is still effective and other forms of understanding emotions are available to older students.

ICI is visible within the Zones of Regulation through the addition of an image to represent the feeling, as well as associating it with a colour representation. It allows students to have a more expressive language and helps to creatively prompt them to explain their emotions more in-depth. It displays innovation in our traditional ways to explain or express emotions.

Within my placement school, the Zones of Regulation is the main way that well-being and social-emotional understanding is promoted. Many of my placement students use the colours to describe their emotions, rather than identifying a specific emotion. Also, when a student is too emotional to talk, having the ability to point to which colour on the fall they associate with is a helpful tool of communication for the educator. After seeing the success of these resources, I would be inclined to use it in a primary classroom. I believe the visual component is important for advancing the emotional understanding, as well as the tool being beneficial for students to learn how to communicate or recognize theirs or other’s emotions.

Picture of Zones of Regulation available at https://www.amphi.com/Page/16817

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Bibliography

Ministry of Education. (2019). The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8 Health and Physical Education. Retrieved January 13th, 2020, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/2019-health-physical-education-grades-1to8.pdf

Mystery Science. (n.d.). Retrieved January 13, 2020, from https://mysteryscience.com/.