Observations and reflections from a five month placement with the University of Canterbury School of Earth and Environment, thanks to the Science Teaching Leadership Programme 2025a
Week 8 - # DunnerStunner (AKA dazed and confused down South)
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Hopeful signs for the begging of the course? Actually no, just a caution that rain was on the way...
After a month in the UC School of Earth and Environment, much investigation has been observed! I have spent most of my time with the Geologists, with a little Environmental Science investigating insect populations. Whether working in the field to formal laboratory sessions, the vast majority of investigations have been ' classifying and identifying ', with some ' exploring ' in the field and also some ' pattern seeking '. So far I have not really observed any investigating models, fair testing, making things, or developing systems. This is certainly in part due to the nature of Earth Sciences - where there is 'no planet B' and there are often multiple complex and interacting variables, often with limited or no ability to control variables. This is an almost total reverse of most high school science lessons, where there is a focus on fair testing and testing models (" proper science") with occasional tangents into making things or developin...
LAYER 1: Using the Nature of Science: Understanding about Science statements below, what have I been seeing / experiencing in my host placement? Where was I when I saw them, what happened, what was I or the scientists doing/saying? The majority if the following observations fall out of conversations with faculty and students within the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Canterbury. These observations or conversations happened both during 'break times' at university, during laboratory sessions and on field trips. • Science is based on observation of the natural and physical world around us . Geologists do this ALL THE TIME - including visual observations during field trips, examining photographic records of sites and also seismographic measurements. • Scientists critique other scientists methods and ideas . I have seen less of this - most work is ongoing, and critique seems to be more active during review than on a day to day basis - PhD students decide on a...
"It's a very intensive week" they said. They did not lie! My first thoughts regarding any learnings about myself as a leader are that there were no major surprises. I am given to a fair degree of introspection at the best (and worst) of times! I have completed MBTI tests in the past, although interestingly I seem to have shifted from INTJ to INTP - of course true MBT believers would say that you don't really change type, so the apparent change is more due to the fact that I have several traits that are VERY strongly 'out of type' - but then "not wanting to fit into other people's categories" seems pretty typical for an INTP personality, so I guess I can live with it. I did have to chuckle when I searched online for information on MBTI tests and one of the top results was a site discussing whether MBTI or astrology were more reliable... On "Character Strengths" tests I usually show "honesty" and "appreciation of beauty...
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