Blogging

I have not used this blog for ages as I am into FB right now. The one for my course Corers 11 is great for messages and sharing what I have been doing at Scion. I have done my Mid Fellowship report and I am quite happy with that BUt I am struggling with my assignment -I am not sure what it is but I just cant get it to come together . Its about comparing 2 models of leadership and how they will help me to become an inspiring leader and how to energise commitment at work. Then I have to look at 360 degree assessment in relation to the model. I am not leaving the house until I have at least written the first draft!

Fellowship

Since I have been to Auckland it has made me think a lot more about The Nature of Science. Also when I have been out in the field I have been asking the scientists why science. All have said 2 common things- science was something they were interested in at an early age (and because I am in the bug department most said collecting insects etc)but also things like mixing things etc and the second thing was that their parents supported their interests with things like:
taking them places
family activities like diving
presents (like bug catchers) that encouraged their interests
This is an aspect of science that I want to share with the staff. How can we get our whanau involved like this (and at the same time how can we find out our parents interests and skills and tap into that).
I cant get onto my photos here so I will do my blogging at home

Maori and Science

I watched WakaHuia on TV this morning and saw this programme about Wiremu Tawhai from TeKaha way. He passed away late 2010. He talked a bit about Maori and Science. It was an AHA moment for me. I now know that if want our Maori pupils (and their whanau) to be truly involved in science we have to truly involve their traditions. Why cant we do it (even simply )at school.
How could we work Te Arawatanga, science (even environmental things) by teaching in a more traditional way- bringing old wise people in, teaching kids (and teachers) about things Maori that are really about science.

Fellowship on line bookings

Boy am I struggling with booking flights and accomodation on line for my Fellowship stuff. I mucked up my Auckland one and instead of a simple flight with pick ups to Auckland I have to drive up and find everything myself. Luckily John said I can go up on Sunday and I used google maps to get directions.I didnt realise that if the cheaper flights have gone we can book the dearer ones. I had a cell phone call from John the other day and let him know I am struggling with the on line stuff.

Apart from this, I am really enjoying my Fellowship work. This past week I have really had fun being busy. I have liked going out with Amy and Phil from South Africa - I like it when I know what I am doing. Time for a Scion photo

Fellowship

Assembling the Sirex traps with Amy from South Africa

Fellowship

For the past 2 days I have been helping 2 scientists from South Africa assemble and set up traps to catch the Sirex . It is a wasp and when they get them they will dissect the wasp to look for a parasoid worm. The Sirex is damaging their pines. The scientists names are Amy - a Masters student in genetics and Phil who has a .PHD so he's DR. Stephanie from Scion gave me some information to read about Sirex and John showed me one in the HUGE insect collection.

Fellowship

A day of meetings and connections.Meetings
1: An interview and photo with Simone who produces intra newsletter.
2: Science in The Park. Each section has an area for display and hands on. I am involved in making bugs from recycling material. I have tasks.
3: I.T. orientation
Scion has good orientations

ConnectionsTomorrow I am going out in the field with the South African Scientists.Setting up traps to catch sirex (a wood wasp) and the connection was that as well as Stephanie giving me a paper to read, John took me into the insect collection and I saw real ones. He is really knowledgeable and pssionate (in a good way) about insects.

I am learning about the insect classification system to give me background to the simple one I will do later. Photo of cleopus (from a book so I could get a real good image- from Annual Report)

I recorded what I had already seen, experienced at Scion already and I could do it under the Key Competencies. I will do that later.

Did you know that 2011 is The Year of Forests- withits theme "Forests for People". Andrew said he has some work to do with it. I googled it to get some background.

Last thing on news just on it said that Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing will be made into a new super ministry called Ministry of Primary Industries. As it was announced by the PM as a cost cutting so I wonder what this will mean at Scion.

Fellowship

Another great day at Scion. Some more work with Judy in the Lab, a visit to the quarantine section with Margaret to open a special parcel from England (an opportunity to see the procedures expected from MAF.)Lisa told me where some buddleia plants are and told me that the cleopus 'bugs' are on the plant doing what they are meant to. Photo today is of them both.
I am being 'interviewed' for Scion's internal newsletter. I made sure I went through our media sheet so I don't get it wrong.
Some paper work came thru from John ( its for my tickets to Dunedin) I must keep on top side of this.
End of day not so good when I got my pay slip and I received only $72 for the fortnight. Sue will sort it out.

Fellowship

Before we go to Auckland 14 Feb for our CORE 2 days we have been asked to consider the following question
What are the biggest challenges that face teachers wanting to give their students quality science educational experiences? How do you think that they can be overcome?

I am going to brainstorm a bit here and come back later.Points I want to consider.
What ARE quality science educational experiences? how will I recognise one if it jumps out at me?
How do I make science relevant?I found this in 'Students' attitudes to secondary science and science teaching: A synthesis of findings comparing recent NZCER research with Scion research (Scion is my host organisation and it was great to see that they are interested in the school side of science) -A summary of research for Scion - Andrew gave me a copy -"What was most important was when science content was related to 'real life' or 'real life applications.' Students most memorable recollections of school science often related to experiential science such as field trips and science camps,practical and 'hands on'activities, memorable experiments such as dissections and playing with chemicals, and 'student lead work' such as science fairs and camps.
In the section of this report which asked students what comprises positive experiences of teachers in science ,things like teachers who have a passion for science/enthusiastic/fun, have teaching skills and knowledge of the subject, able to get the message across/variety of explanations/positive teachers offered a mixture of learning and teaching methods and teachers who were genuinely interested in students learning came out.

I will read more but this has given me a good start.
Picture today is Arhopalus ferus

Fellowship

I have met great people at Scion - in the Bio-security and protection team.They are passionate about their work and I am lucky to have this group as my host for my fellowship. This photo is of Tracey -she's a local who won the Scion Suffragette scholarship to help her attend Victoria University. Part of the scholarship is that she works at Scion in the Christmas holidays. Tracey looked after me when we went out in the field earlier in the week as its a bit nervous doing new things -(boy I sound like a real learner (another thing to remember about kids and their learning.)

Fellowship

I did some real science today (although it was at a very basic level.) I liked that it was hands -on. I am starting to think like a primary school kid. I like that!!!

Fellowship

I tried to send my profile to John but it keeps coming back as not being accepted.I am going to get a Scion PC soon.

Fellowship

Another great day and I arrived home absolutely tired as today I went out for 6 hours in the forest checking beetle traps.They were pine bark beetles Hylastes ater and Hylurgus Iigniperda and also the longhorn beetle Arhopalus ferus.
I also had a great conversation with Tracy the student from Victoria who is working at Scion over the holidays. I asked her why she likes science and she talked about her year 6 teacher and how she helped her like science. I will write some more about this later.

Fellowship

I am going to try to blog each night so I have a daily record of happenings plus I can reflect. All this will help me with things like writing my profile.

WOW what a great first day at Scion. I was out in the field looking at Dothistroma sample stands in Kaiangaroa Forest. Plane.Back in after lunch I was introduced to lots of nice people.
Tomorrow morning I am going out with a group to check insect boxes (part of a monitoring trial.) Soon I will get the names of things. I have a desk in an office over at the bio security and protection area. Also, because of Health and Safety I needed to have some steel cap boots to wear out in the field. I have a swipe card and tomorrow afternoon ICT will be setting up my stuff. I met a few people that I already knew (or who knew people like Shortplanx). One said he knew I was coming ages ago because Shortplanx had told him.
I phoned Bob to let him know about my exciting first day because I want to keep in touch with school.The photo is me in the forest today.
Several emails about Fellowship things I MUST be organised so I dont get behind.

Fellowship

I tried to get a plane to Auckland for 14/15 Feb but none available so I will have to drive. I will need to sort out google maps etc to ensure I know exactly where to go and to keep my travel records. I booked to Dunedin going down early sunday 13 March and coming back the last flight on Friday which is about lunchtime. I may have to miss some of the last part on Friday though so I hope that's not too much of a problem.
Today I am sorting out the notes I need for Andrew at Scion on tuesday morning.I will call into school to take a copy of the guide for Host organisations as its a good summary. I will do my first profile Tuesday night after I have got the information about what I am going to be doing. REMEMBER TO TAKE THE CAMERA as I need a photo for the profile. I have started the leadership book and it is interesting. I can some of the leaders I know in some of the aspects.It also made me reflect on where I thought I sat when I was a school leader.
My head is full of the task ahead and I am really nervous as well as excited. I must listen carefully tomorrow and at the same time ask questions if I am unsure.What to wear? I think there wont be any 'field work' on the first day so professional looking but (I will put some sneakers in the car in case we are out and about.) I am not sure if I will need it day 1 but I will also take my laptop incase I need it.

Fellowship

WOW what a start. I met so many interesting people and have come back from Wellington with my head full. I MUST be organised so I keep up with everything

We are to keep a relective journal as part of The Primary Science Teacher Fellowship and I am going to use my blog for it. I will start by making a list of all the things I need to do in the next little while. So in no particular order:
# Sort out the papers I need to take on Tuesday morning when I met AD at Scion and write out any questions I have for him. (Make sure I just listen first as my questions may be sorted.)Charge camera and take it with me on Tuesday.
# Activate the card so I can book my plane to Auckland 14-15 Feb and Dunedin 13-18 March.
# Plan my profile due 7 Feb (must have a photo)
# Read my book the Leadership Challenge and relect on it.
# Plan out my media sheet.

Fellowship

I heard from AD today and I am to turn up to Scion at 9.30am on Tuesday 1 Feb. I am now nervous about the whole thing.On Friday the flight to Wellington is on. Now I will wonder what I shall wear to both places. I think the being nervous feeling is just a natural stage after the excitement. I am going to blog about my Fellowship. I want to set up a wiki but that might come later. I am waiting for the FaceBook group thing to come through. I have put my profile on -I think in the right place.

Face Book

Now I know why people use FB for quick catch up. Now I am getting better at using it by keeping comments light and not navel gazing like my blog tends to be. I still need to learn how to communicate with someone who is online the same time as me.
Only 5 days before my Fellowship starts with my day in Wellington.

Communication

I am learning about the different uses for Face Book, blogging and email. I really need to make sure I use them correctly and not cross the line. So while I have put a photo and a quick comment about my flooded front lawn on my Face Book I suppose it was wrong as FB seems more for fun things. Never mind I am learning.

Face Book

I finally got myself on Face Book. Now I am wondering will I still need this blog. I think I need to really consider what I will use these 2 different things for.

E Fellow

I just found the final report on R's and the rest of the e fellows from Core Education-- WOW it makes for some powerful reading. What was also great was that Robyn hadnt actually seen the final report - only the draft and I could tell her where it was. Fancy me using google and email in a real context.

I think its the next step for our PD after our ICT contract as its about using ICT/inquiry etc to help improve our students literacy. It talks about student engagement and heaps of other things we have been talking about. An interesting comment for me was "We also need examples of literacy learning in e learning contexts within other disciplinary areas such as science." So as well as my science type objects I still need to make sure I keep student learning at the heart of what I will be doing on my science fellowship. (However, that may come in a bit later)

Science in the Park

OOPs got the wrong date -its on saturday 12 March not the 19th. Its called Science in the Park - Discovering Scion.

New Start

I am once again feeling more positive about life and I am really looking forward to the Science Fellowship to begin. We are organising Mum's unveilling for 19 Feb. I have enjoyed seeing my family again now that they are all back from their holidays. I have been looking at Scion's Annual Reports and Forest for Life site. Science in the Park is on Saturday 19th March so I am going to see if my granchildren can come. I will also ask school can they put it in the newsletter.I think the photo is of one of the plants (with its associated bugs ) that I will be learning about.