Alex Hartley's
E-portfolio
The experiences of a science educator in the Boston Area
Franklin Park Development Tenants Association
This organization is located in the heart of Dorchester and works to enhance the quality of life for the affordable housing residents of Franklin Park and the surrounding communities. Among other things, they provide an after-school program for children who live in the area.
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
I taught a Neuroscience class, the Brain Explorers' Club, for middle school students in the after-school program. We met once a week for 90 minutes and did a variety of experiments and activities to learn about the brain.
Program Summary:
-After-school program for middle school students
-Neuroscience class
-Teach content through experiments and activities
My take-aways:
-Thinking about how to make neuroscience concrete enough for middle school students
-Designing a curriculum from scratch
-Creating engaging, hands-on, inquiry-based lessons for middle school students
-Experience designing and teaching lessons
Brain Explorers' Club
How do I make an abstract concept, like "the brain", concrete enough for middle school minds to understand?
What is important for middle school students to know about their brains?
Is it possible to learn content through an experiment? If so, how do you plan a lesson so that students learn the desired content regardless of whether the experiment works?
What is the best role for high school assistants? How can I design activities, communicate expectations, and give instructions so that the high schoolers become assistants rather than distractions?
How do I ensure that students learn the desired content when we are doing kinesthetic activities that give students the opportunity to move around?