How to apply Multiple Intelligences 19 July 2011

As teacher we have to find out how to apply " The eight intelligence" in our class.

Of course it's a tough question. It's believed for some people the existence of the ninth intelligence. This is the existential intelligence, related to the ability to pose and ponder questions regarding the existence including topics such as life and death. It is for philosophy teachers. 

 As a Science teacher, mine is the Naturalistic intelligence. It is seen in someone who recognizes and classifies plants, animals, and minerals including a mastery of taxonomies. Also, who recognize specimens and value the unusual. I am aware of species such as the flora and fauna around the world and the environmental issues.
Teachers must use this intelligence or the other ones by using relationships among the students, systems of species, and classification activities. Encouraging the study of relationships such as patterns and order, and compare-and-contrast sets of groups or look at connections to real life and science issues.
Naturalists as Charles Darwin is an example of people gifted in this way.

Multiple intelligences in Science

Today's in-class assignment is about the multiple intelligence. How can we apply it to the labs we had been developing?
I will take the bungee jumping lab:
Linguistic: Written  instructions to any of the labs. Making a design in the bungee jumping.
Logical-Mathematical: calculating the number of rubber bands that we need to through the egg without breaking it in the bungee jumping lab.
Spatial: Making a draw about the project.
Bodily-Kinesthetic: Touching, running  and jumping just to catch the egg.
Musical: Introducing some music that increases the interest for the experience.
Interpersonal: Leading an organizing the experience to keep the experience going on and working.
Intrapersonal: Setting the goals for the experience.
Naturalistic: Just seeing and touching the way in which we can develop the experience.

Weekend 16-17 July 2011

Rube Goldberg project:
It has been an incredible Challenge for us!
Working as a team we have got the project.
The most difficult part of all was to set up the design. The first design that we had in mind  was perfect but it didn't work.

So we had to try a new one. The first steep was to get the soap dispensed through the most simple step. It was dropping the empty bottle to it!.
Working together step by step finally we got it. The team work was incredible. When someone had an idea all of us collaborated to develop it.
The challenge was huge.  Finally it took twelve steps!

Goose Island 14 July 2011

Here we were all of us having a teaching lesson about how to prepare the beer.
It's a kind of art to know about the process and transform it in these different types of beer: Ale, Green until more than 20 different styles.
To taste them was a good experience as I usually never take a beer. It's a special kind of beer depending if it's toasted and the time been in the tank.
The most interesting part was when one person explained us the whole process.
After all, you must take just a little and taste.
A wonderful experience!.

How to get lunch Roosevelt University 15 July 2011

Every day we go to get lunch to "Under 55 Cafeteria".

If you want don't lose your time, please follow the steps:

1- First take your purse and the meal ticket.
2- Leave the class and go to take the elevator.
3- Go down to 1st floor and leave the building.
4- Turn right and go straight ahead.
5- Wait until the traffic light is green for you and cross the street.
6- Turn on the right and go straight ahead until you get the 55 building.
7- Enter inside the building and go downstairs.
8- Turn left and you are in the restaurant.
9- Choose the best meal and take it.
10- Go to the cashier with the meal, give him your ticket and you can eat!.

Navy Pier is the most exciting place I have visited 13 July 2011

Navy Pier  is the best place to go because whenever you go, you can enjoy with the different activities.

 First, you get in Navy Pier's interesting mix of restaurants which offers something for everyone. From casual, family-oriented dining to romantic, candlelit evenings, the emphasis is on variety and excellent cuisine. No matter what the season, an exciting roster of restaurants keeps Navy Pier visitors coming back for more.You can enjoy with the view of the lake and the sun set views. During the night there are  spectacular fireworks.

Second, after diner you can enjoy watching the last film "transformers" with the spectacular view of Chicago downtown in the movie, you get inside a 3 D film tacking part in the film, just flying. If you are really into arts you can enjoy the Theater with an open  guide to different audiences, you get involved in the plot!. A big number of the latest performances or films premier!

 Third it doesn't matter if you go with children or not, only just playing everyone have fun. All the activities are designed to be played with them. Through the role play of a fireman you can save your own house from a big fire. Or just build the most spectacular rocket in the world.

At least but not last you can have a romantic visit of Downtown Chicago Boarding one of the many pleasure boats docked along Navy Pier's Dock Street for an experience you won't soon forget. A wide range of vessels offers visitors everything from elegant dinner cruises that include dancing and live entertainment to thrilling speedboat rides along Lake Michigan and water taxi rides between lakefront attractions. From the extravagant to the low-key, there is a boat for every occasion at Navy Pier!
Navy Pier is a must-see, enjoy it and have fun!!

Chicago Children Musem 11 -12 July 2011

The Museum was very interesting for children.
One of the most interesting was " Water ways". In this lab practice they can observe how is the water movement. Apply it to the physic principles or Archimedes, how a material floats and others no. Why is the water moving and how through a pipe with a bump ?  These questions can help them to understand not only the physic mechanism but also how it works.
The other one very interesting was about "Flying". They must build a boomerang with two, three or four sheets.
So they can try and find out which is the best model. How it can fly?  How long? Observing the movement in the air they can understand the concept related to the free fall of an object. They can also predict the velocity, related to the high and the weight.

Activities in the Museum 12 july 2011

The most interesting activity in the science museum was  the one about the Tsunami. 

You can interact with different options: the coast shape, the origin of the natural disaster could be an earthquake, tornado or volcano. You can also play with the distance to the coast. It was very interesting to test the different points. From the scientist point of view I found it properly designed with a little introduction about the formal concepts and a little guided questions.

The Second one was the periodic table. You can see how the elements can be combined to form different materials and their  properties. It was a good challenge for students and teachers just to try it on.

From the scientist point of view I found it properly designed with a little introduction about the formal concepts and a little guided questions.

Museum of Science and Industry 8 July 2011

 The Museum of Science and Industry:
The MSI has a lot of tools for teaching and learning. It has develop many interesting activities about the basic principles of Physic, Chemistry and science. It's very useful for everybody interested in Science. Teachers and students can develop their own program doing things that they can perform in the school.
I was impressed by the  development of the tornado, avalanche, tsunami and the tabloid of the chemistry elements. You can try by your own changing the different elements and making a compound.
The knowlegde that students can take from the museum is huge. They will get a better understanding of the phenomena itself and how it's produced.
My suggestion for this activity to student is to provide them the keywords, a previous explanation about the main phenomena and then to answer a sheet with some questions, just to know if they have a clear understanding or not.

What phenomena is it ?
How is it produced?
Describe it.
Why do you think it happens?
Tell me an example of a recent phenomena.

Answering this questions they'll realize if they understand it or not.
 The teacher should take advantage of this.

Chicago White sox vs Minnesota Twins 7 July 2011

Here we were in a real baseball stadium.
It was amazing! So many people supporting their team. It was White Sox's  home. The most interesting was the surroundings. Crowded wearing a cap and a shirt with the Sox  logo. The stadium was huge. All people taking a hot dog, a beer, peanuts... Just following the tradition. Supporting the Sox during all the play.
The people were just observing the play but finally they got a home run. Fireworks were setting to celebrate it.
It was great to feel the emotion of the play!.
It was not important the result, the important thing was to see the Sox playing.
Great!



http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310707104

Baseball 6 July 2011

The culture goal for this day was to improve in our knowledge  about baseball.
I only had a general idea about it. Of course, nothing about the rules. When I was a little girl we used to play many sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis and baseball. Always under our rules, not the proper ones.

It's interesting to read about the rules and how to play baseball as a sport. I found it very difficult. Not only for the special vocabulary but also for the development of the play. Words like pitching, fielding was not used in other sports so we didn't know the real meaning of them.
Surfing the net we found out how develop the play, the rules and the different words used for it. So it was interesting.

The best way to learn about something is to perform it. So here we was practicing baseball or more exactly learning through the play to baseball.
It was very funny!!

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Science Teaching.
To start with this topic I would like to explain the specific curriculum that we have to develop in Spain. The main part is the syllabus. We must follow up a compulsory syllabus. Of course in Science you can  do it in a research way in the lab classes, but the main part of the curriculum must be developed in class. So its very difficult to avoid the formal teaching.
On one hand teachers are not used to develop this theaching methology in an inquiry or research way. In the other hand the students are in class in a high number, not disciplined enough and not used to this kind of teaching.
As a new project, bilingual programme requires a big effort from the administration, the students and for teachers. In my opinion we have to get a balance between  a formal-innovative teaching.
The improvements that we get in our personal bilingual methology and  skills will be directly influence the students goals.

Weekend activities 2-4 th July

It has been an exciting weekend.
I've got a real immersion in the American culture.
On Friday's night, we were  in a Jazz concert. The singer was really good. It was a little place near Evanstone quite interesting people just talking in a low voice. Having a nice time.

On Saturday, we visited the Botanical garden. It have a big lagoon with differents smalls representative gardens, such as, the English style. There are cooking demonstrations about innovative cooking. In this way  the visitors not only enjoy the landscapes, but also enjoy with handmade cooke in differents restaurants.

On Sunday evenning we went to the cinema in a Terrace at The Conrad Hotel. It was incredible to feel in this quiet place the calm inside this huge city.

On Monday, the 4th of July, we provide some arregements in my host car. We participated in the  Skolkie Parade. There were above 100 participants in the Parade. Most of them dressed in military styles or as music bands and Women dressed in 19 century style. People standing along the street, picking up smalls flags, moving then and  showing who proud they felt about the Parade...
Amazing!

In the afternoon we were invited by Alejandro's host home. It was really nice, so talkative people in a warm and familiar site, so many food for all differents tastes... The spectacular view from the 18th floor... I have not words to describe it. So cool!.

Chicago Center for Green Technology 1July 2011

 Chicago Center for Green Technology is a rehabilitated building in 2002. It's a national model for sustainable design and technology. Promoted as an educational resource, training, research and demonstration such as a resource network.
 The green center is open to public and accessible to everyone interested in sustainability, green technology
and green buildings. It provides Knowledge, books, a library, web resources and samples of materials more friendly with environment.
All the building is an example of what  the word sustainability mean:
 -The paved surfaces in the street and parking lots and rooftops prevent the rain water being absorbed into the ground going to a sewer system.The rain water polluted with pesticides, detergents or fuels is carried through the sewers to the water treatment system and them released into the rivers.

 -The rain cisterns takes all the rainwater  and it's used in watering the plants. So they can reduce the cost of the water in the building and  the pollution at the same time.
- Bios-wales are ditches with plants. They direct water from the parking lot into the wetland. At the same time the plants in the bios-wales absorb and filter the water.
- Retention pond and native plants. The excess rainwater not stored in the cisterns or absorbed by plants or the roof goes through the landscape to a pond. Native plants retain the humidity due to their deep root system, require less maintenance, are more tolerant that gardens grass and filters the water. This pond stored the water and it's released as it is needed providing the humidity and support to the wildlife.
-The Brick house is a model of sustainability. Made of wood, with small and large windows and solar panels in the roof. The cost is as less expensive as possible.
- The solar panels are in three different locations: in the roof, over the windows and at a ground level. They convert the sun's light into electricity for the building ( 25 %). It reduces the pollution using less electricity generated by coal burning in power plants.
- The Eco-roof also stored with natural grass plants. They can be installed in walls, at the ground level or in the roof. They retain more humidity and store the water. Providing isolation to the building.

For further information
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/doe/provdrs/ccgt.h

It's a must see.