In searching for a science based online community to participate in I was able to locate many, however, finding a site that was useful to me as a teacher who teaches all strands of science was a little more challenging. I first tried NSTA's blog, however, the postings were intermittent and I did not find them very useful. Next was Ning, there were many communities to participate in but most were class sites, highly specialized or centered around one topic, not a broad based science forum with many users. Finally, while searching for directions to prepare nutrient agar from scratch I found Science Forums, The Original. Not only did I find the directions to prepare the nutrient agar for a science fair project but also my online community. The site is very well organized. By visiting the community page you can choose different forums in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Medical Science, Mathematics, and more. Under each of the these topics you can choose the general science forum for each field or a more specialized topic under the fields, such as, quantum theory, genetics, or organic chemistry. In addition to the forums found directly on site, Science Forums, The Original also provides links to blogs created by the users themselves. This service offers additional resources and continued conversations for topics these users specialize in.
Where I found this online community most useful was in learning alternative approaches to explain science concepts my students were having trouble grasping. Another was finding more material to continue class discussions or to help answer questions from class. While searching and reading threads for various topics many users include links to radio programs, TV shows, or other media that can be used for class readings and discussions. Another great advantage of the wide array of topics and users of this site are the labs, class activities and additional resources to supplement class material that can be found throughout the listed threads. One of the major reasons I think if found this site so useful compared to others I looked at was the shear number of users. While most of the users are not teachers, everyone is interested in science and seems very knowledgeable in their field of study. This allows for feedback from many people with different approaches to a topic or question which I found very useful when trying to find different ways to present or talk about material so that every individual student is given the information in a format they can understand. It also allows for quick responses to questions. On average, I have received a response to questions I have posted within 5 minutes which then starts a continued conversation about the topic with other viewers and as they hold conversations with themselves, I have been able to find the answers I have been looking for.
You can check out this online community by clicking on the link below:
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Notes on "Changes in Philbert's Population" a digital story expressing science concepts
As mentioned in my previous post, the topic of my digital story is change in a population influenced by challenges presented by a dynamic environment and changing climate. The star of the story is a long-winged duck named Philbert. Philbert's mate is a short-winged duck named Phylisody. Shortly after having 3 long-winged children Phylisody dies because a drought has made the distance between watering holes on the migration south too great for her little wings to handle. Throughout the story Philbert contemplates what is happening to the land around him and observes the influences these changes have his population of ducks. The story ends with some reflective questions about what might have happened to other populations, it the characteristics of his population had been different and what the future may hold for the ducks that remain.
The main focus of this story was to express the concept of change over time. While creating the story and watching the final product I realized that there are also some underlying concepts that could be reviewed as well. Such as climate change and genetics and probability. As an assessment for students, they could create similar stories where other density-independant or density-dependant factors influenced the change in allelle frequencies.
To view this digital movie click on the link provided below.
The main focus of this story was to express the concept of change over time. While creating the story and watching the final product I realized that there are also some underlying concepts that could be reviewed as well. Such as climate change and genetics and probability. As an assessment for students, they could create similar stories where other density-independant or density-dependant factors influenced the change in allelle frequencies.
To view this digital movie click on the link provided below.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Story Map and Rubric for a Science Based Digital Story
For my digital story I chose to express the concept of changes in a population due to challenges presented by the environment. The story presents natural selection through the life and times of Philbert, a long winged duck, and his family who struggle to overcome a drying environment and the increased distance between watering holes encountered while migrating.
To view the Story Map I created for this project and the Rubric For Assessing a Digital Story in Science Concepts click on the links below.
To view the Story Map I created for this project and the Rubric For Assessing a Digital Story in Science Concepts click on the links below.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Valuable Internet Resources for teaching science
In my first year of teaching high school science, one of the most challenging concepts for students to comprehend has been the location of electrons around the nucleus (positions of the different orbitals), energy levels and electron configurations, and how the valence electrons determine the chemical properties of an element, as well as, why they will form ionic and covalent bonds with different atoms to become stable. In my searching, I have found 2 very useful websites that offer interactive models to help supplement lessons and facilitate understanding for my students.
The first site is Learner.org and the web page is simply called Interactives. This site provides interactive lessons in science, mathematics, language arts, arts and history. You can click here to go straight to the Interactives site. This site provides an excellent walk through basic atomic theory, atomic structure, electron energy levels, orbitals, and configuration, and ends with a explanation of the information provided in each box of the periodic table and groups and periods of the elements within. The site includes games for the students to play with interactive models to test their knowledge on the concepts being presented that involve identifying atoms, ions, and isotopes of an element. As well as, arranging and properly filling orbitals with electrons in the correct orbital.
The second site is Skool Interactive Training. This site is great for the subsequent lessons on different groups of elements in the periodic table. It does a very good job at explaining valence electron configurations, why certain groups of elements are more reactive than others and how ionic bonds are formed between cations and anions. It visualizes ionization of atoms and the interactions between cations and anions in forming stable, electrically neutral, bonds.
A third site that I have found very useful for different science activities and lesson plans is The United States Geologic Survey website. This site offers information on a very wide range of activities and lessons for earth science and biology. My favorite thus far has been the water cycle game. The site provides you with materials for print, instructions, assessment ideas, and extensions to comprehensively teach the water cycle, energy transfers, and pollution tracking through the water cycle. Complete with key words and information for further study. I have used this very active and engaging activity with both my junior high class and my 10th grade biology class with fantastic results.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Article Assessment #5:
“Assistive Technologies for Reading” by Ted S. Hasselbring and Margaret E. Bausch.
Overview:
This article discusses how assistive technologies such as, Read & Write Gold by TextHELP and the Read 180 program published by Scholastic Inc., are tools that can help all educators guide and support students through class material with additional reading support and reading intervention or training programs. The authors present findings that 8 out of 10 students with learning disabilities have reading problems. Text-reader software like Read & Write Gold assist students by using synthetic speech to read text aloud with the student as well as provide support for writing and editing by reading back what the student has composed. Technologies like these help the student recognize when they have skipped words or misread material written material and in compositions of their own. Other software programs are known as reading intervention. These systems provide individualized reading strategies and training to students based on their current skill level. . Programs such as Read 180 .....
Click Here to view the complete article assessment.
Overview:
This article discusses how assistive technologies such as, Read & Write Gold by TextHELP and the Read 180 program published by Scholastic Inc., are tools that can help all educators guide and support students through class material with additional reading support and reading intervention or training programs. The authors present findings that 8 out of 10 students with learning disabilities have reading problems. Text-reader software like Read & Write Gold assist students by using synthetic speech to read text aloud with the student as well as provide support for writing and editing by reading back what the student has composed. Technologies like these help the student recognize when they have skipped words or misread material written material and in compositions of their own. Other software programs are known as reading intervention. These systems provide individualized reading strategies and training to students based on their current skill level. . Programs such as Read 180 .....
Click Here to view the complete article assessment.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Article Summary #1 Spring Semester
"The Overdominance of Computers" by Lowell W. Monke
Overview:
In this article the author brings to point the adverse effects on our children by the all too early incorporation of technology into classrooms. In a technology driven world computers are increasingly being emphasized in school curriculums and the introduction to computers to students is at an earlier and earlier age. Monke argues that students at young ages are not prepared for the “power” of computers and instead, their education should be focused on strengthening their real life experiences with other human beings, their self-discipline, empathy and other natural, living world skills. Especially when these lessons outside of school are often distracted by computers, video games and other technological entities that distance children from the living world. Monke outlines the “essentials in the early years” and concludes with suggesting that not until high school should digital technologies take a strong role in students education.
Reference Points:
• “The more powerful the tools – and computers are powerful – the more life experience and inner strength students must have to handle that power wisely.”
For the complete assessment and reflection Click Here.
Overview:
In this article the author brings to point the adverse effects on our children by the all too early incorporation of technology into classrooms. In a technology driven world computers are increasingly being emphasized in school curriculums and the introduction to computers to students is at an earlier and earlier age. Monke argues that students at young ages are not prepared for the “power” of computers and instead, their education should be focused on strengthening their real life experiences with other human beings, their self-discipline, empathy and other natural, living world skills. Especially when these lessons outside of school are often distracted by computers, video games and other technological entities that distance children from the living world. Monke outlines the “essentials in the early years” and concludes with suggesting that not until high school should digital technologies take a strong role in students education.
Reference Points:
• “The more powerful the tools – and computers are powerful – the more life experience and inner strength students must have to handle that power wisely.”
For the complete assessment and reflection Click Here.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Article Assessment #3, “Tools for the Mind” by Mary Burns
Overview:
This article outlines how computers are not being utilized to their full potential to advance student learning, the causes of this under-utilization and proceeds to offer two strategies to transform computer use in the classroom.
An important key point made in the article explains how computers are being utilized for lower-order thinking applications rather than tapping into higher-order thinking. Burns argues that this is caused by four common behavior patterns of districts and educators. She explains one major reason for this trend in lower-order application use is due to the commonly used “show-and-tell” applications in classrooms such as Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc… and an under-utilization of more advanced conceptual applications such as, spreadsheets, databases, and GIS systems.
Two strategies are offered by Burns to correct the unbalanced computer use between lower-order and higher-order thinking. To begin the balancing process, educators must focus on teaching critical thinking first and technology later. Students must be able to evaluate information for its relevance and credibility in order to apply the information available through technology. She also offers five questions for educators to reflect on before incorporating technology into the classroom, such as; “What kinds of software should I use in the classroom, and why?” and “ Does the current technology use in my classroom support the curriculum and deepen content? How?”
The second strategy offered is to focus on curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The focus should be on technology’s ability to help educators achieve educational goals not just the mere use of technology. Burns believes this can only be accomplished through well-designed and ongoing professional development and she outlines four criteria in which professional development should be designed in order for educators to learn how to integrate computers to engage higher order thinking processes.
Reference Points:
1. “Many educators believe in the “exceptionality” of computers, viewing them as instructional talismans that can do for the student learning what other reforms and tools cannot.”
2. “Four common behavior patterns reinforce this notion of exceptionality and simultaneously handicap the potential of computers to promote higher-order thinking”
a. “First, many districts have concentrated on professional development that trains teachers in the skills instead of teaching them how computers can enhance
student learning.”
b. “Second, many district have not made the kinds of accommodations necessary to
allow for the full capitalization of classroom technology”
c. “Third, schools have conflated technology use with instructional quality and
student engagement with improved learning and higher-order thinking.”
d. “Fourth, we often classify all software applications as cognitively and
instructionally equal.”
3. “Technology alone cannot move students to higher-order thinking skills, but some
applications are more suited for this task than others….. experience in classrooms
indicates that students generally use lower-order applications that offer few opportunities
for problem solving, analysis, and evaluation.”
4. “Most commonly used applications are what I call show-and-tell applications –
PowerPoint, Word, Publisher, and Front Page – with the Internet the most commonly
used non-show-and-tell application in terms of frequency of classroom use.”
5. “More developmentally appropriate and challenging tools, such as spread-sheets and
databases, offer richer opportunities to practice analytical and critical thinking skills.”
6. “Students and teachers must become creators of information and ideas, not simply users
of technology.”
7. “To use and integrate computers in higher-order ways, teachers must engage in intensive
and ongoing professional development that responds to a number of needs.”
a. “First, the program should model good instruction and take teacher through the
learning press so that they experience learning from the learner’s point of view and
reflect on it as a practitioner”
b. “Second, professional development should help teachers understand the
conceptual reasoning behind such higher-order software as geographic information
systems and databases.”
c. “Third professional development should model technology use that is deliberately
matched t a particular learning outcome so that teachers can see how activity
design, tool use, and learning connect.”
d. “Last, professional development should focus on core areas of teaching—content
knowledge, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.”
8. “… schools must take measures to ensure that they are using computers to their fullest
instructional potential.”
Reflection:
Prior to reading this article I had not put much thought into the differences in lower-order thinking applications and higher-order thinking applications of computers and different software. PowerPoint may be a good way for students to organize and assimilate the main points of a reading or research however it does not necessarily promote critical thinking. I agree with Burns strategy in that critical thinking must be taught first and technology second. No matter how much technology students are familiar with, unless they are able to critically digest content and evaluate information, its credibility, and its relevance, technology cannot do much in the way of advancing cognitive skills. When students have this ability they can create a better evidence or research-based report and use a PowerPoint to enhance their presentation and understanding of the content, instead of using a PowerPoint to restate the outline of information.
Additionally, I agree with the criteria set forth for the organization of professional development. Limited awareness of software available inhibits educators ability to utilize quality software to engage higher order thinking. I find it more frustrating than helpful to be told that I should use a certain software or application to assist with a lesson with the absence of a model for how to use it or how the software should be applied. In reading this portion of the article I reflected on this particular MAT technology class and how helpful it was to be taught the spreadsheet skills and led through the utilization of spreadsheets in our energy conservation project. This presented the model of how to use spreadsheet applications to analyze and project data instead of just telling us “you should be using this in your classroom.”
This article outlines how computers are not being utilized to their full potential to advance student learning, the causes of this under-utilization and proceeds to offer two strategies to transform computer use in the classroom.
An important key point made in the article explains how computers are being utilized for lower-order thinking applications rather than tapping into higher-order thinking. Burns argues that this is caused by four common behavior patterns of districts and educators. She explains one major reason for this trend in lower-order application use is due to the commonly used “show-and-tell” applications in classrooms such as Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc… and an under-utilization of more advanced conceptual applications such as, spreadsheets, databases, and GIS systems.
Two strategies are offered by Burns to correct the unbalanced computer use between lower-order and higher-order thinking. To begin the balancing process, educators must focus on teaching critical thinking first and technology later. Students must be able to evaluate information for its relevance and credibility in order to apply the information available through technology. She also offers five questions for educators to reflect on before incorporating technology into the classroom, such as; “What kinds of software should I use in the classroom, and why?” and “ Does the current technology use in my classroom support the curriculum and deepen content? How?”
The second strategy offered is to focus on curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The focus should be on technology’s ability to help educators achieve educational goals not just the mere use of technology. Burns believes this can only be accomplished through well-designed and ongoing professional development and she outlines four criteria in which professional development should be designed in order for educators to learn how to integrate computers to engage higher order thinking processes.
Reference Points:
1. “Many educators believe in the “exceptionality” of computers, viewing them as instructional talismans that can do for the student learning what other reforms and tools cannot.”
2. “Four common behavior patterns reinforce this notion of exceptionality and simultaneously handicap the potential of computers to promote higher-order thinking”
a. “First, many districts have concentrated on professional development that trains teachers in the skills instead of teaching them how computers can enhance
student learning.”
b. “Second, many district have not made the kinds of accommodations necessary to
allow for the full capitalization of classroom technology”
c. “Third, schools have conflated technology use with instructional quality and
student engagement with improved learning and higher-order thinking.”
d. “Fourth, we often classify all software applications as cognitively and
instructionally equal.”
3. “Technology alone cannot move students to higher-order thinking skills, but some
applications are more suited for this task than others….. experience in classrooms
indicates that students generally use lower-order applications that offer few opportunities
for problem solving, analysis, and evaluation.”
4. “Most commonly used applications are what I call show-and-tell applications –
PowerPoint, Word, Publisher, and Front Page – with the Internet the most commonly
used non-show-and-tell application in terms of frequency of classroom use.”
5. “More developmentally appropriate and challenging tools, such as spread-sheets and
databases, offer richer opportunities to practice analytical and critical thinking skills.”
6. “Students and teachers must become creators of information and ideas, not simply users
of technology.”
7. “To use and integrate computers in higher-order ways, teachers must engage in intensive
and ongoing professional development that responds to a number of needs.”
a. “First, the program should model good instruction and take teacher through the
learning press so that they experience learning from the learner’s point of view and
reflect on it as a practitioner”
b. “Second, professional development should help teachers understand the
conceptual reasoning behind such higher-order software as geographic information
systems and databases.”
c. “Third professional development should model technology use that is deliberately
matched t a particular learning outcome so that teachers can see how activity
design, tool use, and learning connect.”
d. “Last, professional development should focus on core areas of teaching—content
knowledge, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.”
8. “… schools must take measures to ensure that they are using computers to their fullest
instructional potential.”
Reflection:
Prior to reading this article I had not put much thought into the differences in lower-order thinking applications and higher-order thinking applications of computers and different software. PowerPoint may be a good way for students to organize and assimilate the main points of a reading or research however it does not necessarily promote critical thinking. I agree with Burns strategy in that critical thinking must be taught first and technology second. No matter how much technology students are familiar with, unless they are able to critically digest content and evaluate information, its credibility, and its relevance, technology cannot do much in the way of advancing cognitive skills. When students have this ability they can create a better evidence or research-based report and use a PowerPoint to enhance their presentation and understanding of the content, instead of using a PowerPoint to restate the outline of information.
Additionally, I agree with the criteria set forth for the organization of professional development. Limited awareness of software available inhibits educators ability to utilize quality software to engage higher order thinking. I find it more frustrating than helpful to be told that I should use a certain software or application to assist with a lesson with the absence of a model for how to use it or how the software should be applied. In reading this portion of the article I reflected on this particular MAT technology class and how helpful it was to be taught the spreadsheet skills and led through the utilization of spreadsheets in our energy conservation project. This presented the model of how to use spreadsheet applications to analyze and project data instead of just telling us “you should be using this in your classroom.”
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