"Science in Plain English"

Since it is getting closer to the 4th of July, I have been working along with my husband at our firework stand. I haven't had a chance to make my organism poster using Glogster, but I just had to post about a site that has student created vidoes based on the CommomCraft "In plain English" video series. The videos are short and to the point, demonstrating concepts with paper cut outs. The student made videos covering science topics are awesome! I am excited to think about how to put this to use in an activity geared for a biology classroom. So far, I've thought both showing how to use a punnet square's and demonstrating mitosis would work well in this format . Now I just need to learn how to go about posting a self-created video. That is something I have never done, so this could be an interesting endeavor!

Glogster Idea

I was pleased to find a fitting video that showed many things that would get students excited about biology class. My next step was developing activity that tie in the video to reading and writing in order to help develop science literacy skills. Here's what I came up with: After viewing the video, students select one type of organism (animal, plant, fungi, bacterium) to research further. They could even have an open ended research to get started, and narrow down their organism as they found information. I would request that they use a minimum of 3 resources, and would have to follow some of the write as you read science guidelines covered in the science and literacy article. For example: underline the main ideas or topic, place a dot next to the parts you want to remember, place question mark next to parts you don't understand, highlight the parts you find interesting, write notes about the information you want to remember, and so on.

After the initial search for information and the write-as-you-read activity, students could use Glogster to create an Organism Poster to show their classmates which organism they chose, and all of the interesting information, including pictures, they could find about their organism. I think as a student, I would find this sort of assignment interesting, as it would encourage me to read, research, and create. Next order of business: figuring out how to best use glogster!

Thoughts?

Intro to Biology Video!

Web Tools and Literacy

After spending a significant amount of time watching videos about science and technology on TED.com (an intellectual version of youtube, which offers free talks in the categories Technology, Entertainment, and Design)I decided to attempt to "embed" a video that would be appropriate for this blog. Through some trial and error, I managed to get the video embedded so that it plays right on my blog. The video I selected focuses on using technology to reach students across the world, specifically in slums. It seemed to fit right in with what we've been discussing in this course, the need to change how we use technology to improve student learning. Check it out when you have time!

Using new web tools in my classroom excites me, but my main use of pre-made videos has always been to get students engaged. As I read through the Science & Literacy Article, I realized asking students to reflect upon what was shown in the video would be a valid and meaningful method in which I could incorporate writing into my science curriculum.

I will be teaching biology for the first time this fall, so my next step is finding a few appropriate videos that I can use during the first few weeks of school. My intent is to use the videos to encourage students to interpret, apply concepts, and make real world connections, as well as to introduce what biology is all about. I think by using a "watch-write-discuss" activity (video is shown, students are given time to write a reflection, and then students are encouraged to discuss their reflections in a small group setting) would provide a learning opportunity that would incorporate literacy into my science curriculum.

Check back later this week to see what videos I find that are suitable for introducing biology! Suggestions are also welcome.

Ted.com videos

Guiding Principles for Classroom Technology Use

When thinking about the forms of technology I have used in my own classroom, and how I have decided what types of technology-based methods and assignments to incorporate into my lesson planning and teaching, I find much of what I have used falls into three basic categories:

1. Does it help students apply science to daily life?
Activities that encourage students to use the web to find, for example, the pros/cons (and the factual information to back both) regarding the application of new technology are used to help students to think critically about how science affects their lives and their world.

2. Does it offer an alternative learning experience we can't do without the technology?
Offering access to virtual labs that allow my students to "see" and "manipulate" atoms and molecules, change the temperature or pressure of a gas, and numerous other activities that would not be safe or possible in the average ninth grade classroom as supplements to actual hands on labs are activities I frequently use to cover the less hands-on-friendly physical science concepts.

3. Am I doing old things in old ways? Using a projector/white board to show notes and demonstrations, using laptops in place of encyclopedias and newspapers, and using laptops for word processing are ways that I use technology weekly and even daily, but when the resources are available, why not use them?

Upon further thought, when I consider the first two categories, applying science to daily life and offering alternative learning experiences, these act as my guiding principles, as I feel both improve student learning. These are the activities I really think about and ask myself what their benefit is prior to incorporating them into a lesson.

The last category, doing old things in old ways, just shows that the use of technology (perhaps simply because it is there) can make the process of delivery smoother, simpler, but perhaps without a huge benefit to the learner. These activities, I utilize not so much for the sake of incorporating technology, but for the sake of getting the information across...not completely different from using a text message rather than a direct phone call...... same information, slightly different form of delivery.

This process of sorting through the forms of technology I have used and my guiding principles for doing so puts the focus not so much on the technology itself, but back on student learning- How does the use of this technology improve student learning? That's my one true guiding principle after all.

Setting the Stage

To provide some brief background info, thoughts regarding web 2.0 and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills are my basis for today's post. As a bit of a theater enthusiast, I can't help but to play on words, and "set the stage" so to speak, so here's what I see:

The average teacher's lounge, including the old coffee and heated-up leftovers smell, a few teachers, including one of the negative Nancy variation (isn't there always one?). Discussion topic: 21st century skills. Nancy complains how she is already struggling to cover content standards, and can't believe we are now expected to teach students how to use computers and technology. She asks loudly, "Does any of this tech stuff even pertain to real life?" Entrance cue to one hurried teacher carrying a laptop and a second teacher jamming to some music on an i-pod.

Incorporating 21st century skills into one's teaching repertoire can be daunting, even for educators who are fairly confident about their own tech skills. Some examples of how 21st century skills could be incorporated into an elementary classroom seem advanced to me, and I have been fortunate to have had a laptop cart and interactive white board in my high school class room for the past 2 years. Students have used the laptops to complete web-searches and virtual labs, find science related news, and in some small part, add to the class wiki.

Here is where web 2.0 comes in and smacks me in the face: Despite feeling as though I've been incorporating technology-based skills into my instruction, it seems as though I have been using the web as a reference tool rather than the creative engine that it is.

Web 2.0 changes the mechanism of web use from that of the provider of static information to a tool of collaboration. Web 2.0 brings a change in focus- encouraging students to create, to think critically, and to collaborate with others. These are useful skills to enable students be successful in an ever changing world.

Changes in knowledge and information require updates in not only textbooks and computer software, but also in the instructional methods that are used to teach. Educational use of web 2.0 to further advance how we teach is a noble thought. Ideas, however, that we must do so in order to produce students who can compete with those from other countries, while not a completely invalid theory, would not be my personal driving force.

Introduction

Hi and Welcome!

My name is Kate Solberg, and I live and teach in Sisseton, SD. I have taught 9th grade physical science for the last 5 years, and look forward to the excitement and challenges that a teaching assignment change to 10th grade biology will bring.

Although I feel fairly technologically confident, the idea of having my own blog has been one hurdle that I never really felt the need to overcome- until now! I enjoy writing and sharing information with colleagues and students, so it surprises me that I've always felt like I wouldn't know what to post, but I think that's been my main reason for holding back.

I have high hopes that I will be able to design this blog into a working site that my new biology students will be able to use in the fall!