Nick Huber's ID portfolio

Navigation links: ETAP 623 Fall 2024 | Link to my mini-course front page

About Me

My Name is Nick Huber and I am a Biology Teacher at Cheektowaga Central High School in Buffalo, New York. I did my undergraduate work at St. John Fisher University where I was also a member of the football team. As well as teaching Biology I am an advisor for both Student Council, and Power-Lifting Club. I coach football as well as baseball. In my classroom I have two pets a Red-Eared Slider turtle named Barb, and a Ball Python named Stella. At home I have my cat Nala and the countless birds that use the feeder I have set up on my balcony.

My Topic and Purpose

The mini course will be about identifying and using scientific phenomena for science teaching in the classroom. Phenomena allow for students to have a jumping off point as well as a central problem to solve. This style of teaching allows for students to practice working together to solve a common problem. It allows for students to develop real world skills to use wherever they go post graduation.

Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content

This course will look to build the following skills:

How to actively search and identify viable and credible phenomena
How to use that phenomena to build a unit plan
How to generate and analyze data from student run investigations
How to make assessments that align with a phenomena based unit

Course Schedule: Click Here to Enter The Learning Center

Week 1: What is phenomena based learning?

Week 2: How to find various credible phenomena for the classroom

Week 3: How to create a unit plan using phenomena

Week 4: How to design investigations that promote data analyzation and relate back to the phenomena

Week 5: Making assessments for the phenomena based unit

Needs Assessment

Educational Opportunity:

Science education today needs to be looked at through a different lens. In the past our science classes have built around the idea of memorizing theories, concepts, and definitions. The new way of thinking is working scientifically in these classes. Having students find a question to discover the answer to. This will let our students explore what it is truly like to be a scientist. It is not about memorization it is the skills necessary to problem solve, analyze, and collect data.

Participants:

The ideal participants for this mini unit are K-12 STEAM educators. The concepts in this mini unit can be for any educator who is looking to instill and foster problem solving skills in their students. Educators participating could have varying levels of experience as well and will equally benefit from the material that is presented to them.

Gap Analysis:

Our science education is shifting. We are moving towards NGSS standards for our STEAM education. The National Science Teachers Association explains the shift and why it is occurring. "Science education traditionally has focused on large volumes of content, primarily basic facts and vocabulary, while falling short on the deeper understanding of key scientific concepts and the application of these concepts to daily life" (NSTA, 2024). This message embedded in their mission statement is the key to understanding the current gaps in the education. Our students are not entering the next level of their education or career with the ability to be successful. With little focus on what science actually is as a skill and developing that skill we were failing. Ideally our students will master scientific concepts and come to deepen their understandings through these new standards. Phenomena based units and education is our tool as educators to help prepare our students for future careers and secondary education opportunities.

Existing Efforts:

Currently we are in limbo in education. In New York State the implementation of not only a new exam for the high school sciences but new graduation requirements have thrown a wrench to educators. There are many different curriculums that are built for educators to use to meet NGSS standards. The toughest part of this is that all the material is pre-built. The best type of material is one that is organically made by teachers or at least manipulated by teachers. Showcasing the best skills the teacher possesses in order to get their students to learn.

Intent statement:

This mini course will prepare the participant with the ability to create their own content that aligns with NGSS standards. This material will be rooted in using phenomena to create units for students. Through observation and reflection educators will determine how they can best manipulate phenomena to engage their students.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

The learner in this course is one who is a classroom teacher with a class in the science field. Learners will be teachers of varying experience. New teachers getting acclimated to their career or veteran teachers looking to help refocus their classes for success. These teachers can also be teaching in a variety of environments. Urban, suburban, or rural school district teachers can gain more knowledge through this course. This mini-course will be built in an asynchronous model so that participants can do it on their own time. This allows for educators to gain access to the material even with having a busy schedule as a teacher. Participants will spend anywhere between 5 to 15 hours on the material. This will vary based on how in depth participants will engage with what is presented to them. As well as how easily educators pick up on some of the skill based learning units. A participant will need a connection to internet and a computer or tablet in order to participate in this course.

Performance-Based Objectives

After completing this mini-course, learners will be able to:

Develop a unit plan built around a scientific phenomena
Rewrite and group objectives based on a scientific idea or theory
Search for credible scientific phenomena
Develop assessments for units based in phenomena
Understand the positives and negatives in having students work in this style