I have not yet received an answer to my question. I expect that this would be the result because I did something like this with my students and found that they didn't get answers in a timely manner. It brings to mind questions about site and places that offer quick answers to questions. Should we trust things like cha-cha (the text a question get an answer) for answers to questions that we have? Where should we refer students if they have a question?
In thinking about what i was going to share this week since I didn't get an answer, I came up with a question that I have had a lot that maybe some of you can help answer. How much or how many answers should we just give to students? This year, my school year has started much differently then it has in the past. We are trying to create a culture of learners instead of just students. We are also trying to can the role of the teacher to that of a facilitator. This changes the result of a student asking a question. How often should we just answer the questions and when should students be asked to find the answer? The students also all have a laptop that they can access during the school day. This is a change for them from what they are used to. How do we teach them to use their resources instead of immediately ask a teacher?
If any of you have had an experience similar to this and have advice or solutions, I would love to hear!
Andie
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Web2.0 Tools
The first tool that I investigated was a site called museum boxes. It is an online tool that allows students to create virtual museum exhibits that showcase different ideas on different side of boxes that fit neatly onto a shelf. I like this tool a lot and have used it with my students as a tool to showcase main ideas while tell the audience what they know. One of the things that I like the most is that students have to be able to talk about their topic rather then being able to read it off the screen. The website is http://museumbox.e2bn.org/ .
The second tool that I investigated is a site called GoAnimate. It is a site that creates cartoons that relays the information that you put in. I don't think that this would be a good site to use for the class project but it is a cool tool to use in class. I think that it would be a good tool to introduce a new concept. It is definitely engaging for students and keeps their attention. It seems to be easy to use although I did think that sometimes the cartoon characters are hard to understand. I have had students use it before and they love it. The website is http://goanimate.com/ .
The tool that I have found the most useful is Prezi. I use Prezi all the time in my classroom and when I go to talk with other teachers and professionals. I think that it is engaging and a good way to show information. I like that you can insert pictures and videos and also provide information in an engaging way. I have had students use Prezi before. They can use it with very little instruction from the teacher. They also can format the presentation to meet the needs of their audience. I think that this will be the tool that will best present my information for this task. The website for Prezi is http://prezi.com/ .
Hope this information is helpful!
The second tool that I investigated is a site called GoAnimate. It is a site that creates cartoons that relays the information that you put in. I don't think that this would be a good site to use for the class project but it is a cool tool to use in class. I think that it would be a good tool to introduce a new concept. It is definitely engaging for students and keeps their attention. It seems to be easy to use although I did think that sometimes the cartoon characters are hard to understand. I have had students use it before and they love it. The website is http://goanimate.com/ .
The tool that I have found the most useful is Prezi. I use Prezi all the time in my classroom and when I go to talk with other teachers and professionals. I think that it is engaging and a good way to show information. I like that you can insert pictures and videos and also provide information in an engaging way. I have had students use Prezi before. They can use it with very little instruction from the teacher. They also can format the presentation to meet the needs of their audience. I think that this will be the tool that will best present my information for this task. The website for Prezi is http://prezi.com/ .
Hope this information is helpful!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
21st Century Tools
One of the tools that I use with my students to support collaboration is a website called titan pad. The website to access it is www.titanpad.com . It is super easy to use and allows your students to collaborate on a single document at the same time. It also helps teach respect and responsibility becasue the students have to be careful not to write over each other. It is a tool that I use a lot in my classroom that I really like.
Another site that I really like and have my students use on a regular basis is sciencespot.net . I have them go to the kid zone if they need reinforcement on a concept. They like it because it uses kids friendly words and pictures, and I like it because it has really good information. It also has a huge database of lessons for teachers to use also.
Another tool that I use to engage my students is brainpop.com. My school has a subscription so i will use the videos as introduction into a lesson or topic. I like them because they are very short. The videos often prompt my students to ask questions and start thinking about the topic. The videos do not give them information in depth just a surface introduction so it serves as a jumping in spot for the content.
The final site that I found and am going to use with my students is http://museumbox.e2bn.org/. It is a site that allows students to create virtual museum exhibits. I have also used it to help my students find a way to support an argument. They put a claim on one side of the box and then use the remaining sides to support their claim. The students like it a lot.
Another site that I really like and have my students use on a regular basis is sciencespot.net . I have them go to the kid zone if they need reinforcement on a concept. They like it because it uses kids friendly words and pictures, and I like it because it has really good information. It also has a huge database of lessons for teachers to use also.
Another tool that I use to engage my students is brainpop.com. My school has a subscription so i will use the videos as introduction into a lesson or topic. I like them because they are very short. The videos often prompt my students to ask questions and start thinking about the topic. The videos do not give them information in depth just a surface introduction so it serves as a jumping in spot for the content.
The final site that I found and am going to use with my students is http://museumbox.e2bn.org/. It is a site that allows students to create virtual museum exhibits. I have also used it to help my students find a way to support an argument. They put a claim on one side of the box and then use the remaining sides to support their claim. The students like it a lot.
The Heat is On
The question that I was interested in as an extension from this lab was: What other items might you like to test, other than water? For example, do you think spaghetti or hot dogs might react the same as or differently than hot water? Why might these items cool faster or stay hot longer?
I was interested in this question because I can remember as a kid going to school having my mom send hotdogs in my lunch box. She would heat up water to boiling and then put in in my thermos and put the hotdogs in the thermos also. Then when it was lunch time I would get the hotdogs out and have them for lunch. I remember also being worried that they wouldn't be ready or any good but they always were.
As I think about using lessons like this in my classroom, I think stories like this are important. At the time when i was in school, I didn't have any idea what was happening in my thermos, but my mom did. I think that my students would be very engaged in test a scenario like this and in hearing my story.
I was interested in this question because I can remember as a kid going to school having my mom send hotdogs in my lunch box. She would heat up water to boiling and then put in in my thermos and put the hotdogs in the thermos also. Then when it was lunch time I would get the hotdogs out and have them for lunch. I remember also being worried that they wouldn't be ready or any good but they always were.
As I think about using lessons like this in my classroom, I think stories like this are important. At the time when i was in school, I didn't have any idea what was happening in my thermos, but my mom did. I think that my students would be very engaged in test a scenario like this and in hearing my story.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Engaging in Inquiry
The question that i chosse to investigate was which pendulum will come to rest most quickly. I choose this question because it is a standard that i have to teach to my 7th graders.
I set up the experiment by attaching each washer to a string, 1 washer at a time. I then suspended the washers and dropped them from a set height and timed the amount of time it took for the washer to stop moving. I then recorded the data in the data table.
I set up the experiment by attaching each washer to a string, 1 washer at a time. I then suspended the washers and dropped them from a set height and timed the amount of time it took for the washer to stop moving. I then recorded the data in the data table.
- During the experiment I found that the lightest washer stopped swinging first. This was the result that I expected.
- The experiment well. I didn't run into any difficulties. This would be a lab that my students could do with ease. I would not expect them to encounter any difficulties.
- I would not make any modifications at this point in time.
- In completing this activity, I would want my students to understand the idea of a pendulum and how it works. I would also like them to explore force and motion and how these are at work in this situation. I would also like for them to investigate the idea of perpetual motion and why the pendulum stops when it does.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Egg Lab
This week my students participated in an inquiry lesson that was used to teach them about osmosis and diffusion. The students used the egg as a model of an animal cell. It started by having the students use vinegar to dissolve the egg shell. Then the students put the egg in a variety of liquids including syrup and water (they got to choose the final liquid) in order to see what happened. The egg changes drastically during the experiment. It is awesome as the teacher to get to see how excited and engaged they are in their learning. The students come into class eager to see what has happened. They ask great questions and stay very focused and involved. They do a good job of using the class discussion to figure out what is happening to the egg. They have a harder time applying that to an animal cell. They need guidance in order to figure out what would happen in a real cell. Overall I think that this is a great experience for all of my students!
Below is a link to some samples of student work as well as a copy of the rubric that i use.
http://aloyal.decatur.dms.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/group_files.phtml?parent=11215972&gid=430826&sessionid=73d9be6508fcfbd8e30663b6d07b385a
Below is a link to some samples of student work as well as a copy of the rubric that i use.
http://aloyal.decatur.dms.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/group_files.phtml?parent=11215972&gid=430826&sessionid=73d9be6508fcfbd8e30663b6d07b385a
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Melting Icebergs Experiment
Below are my response to the last question of the activity. Overall I like this activity a lot and i didn't think that I was going to. Upon first reading, I thought this was going to be a mess and could not understand why we would do something so impractical. Upon further review, I came to realize that this activity would be something that addressed many misconceptions with students and forces them to think beyond their current understandings. I think that this might be something that i try with my students as we are starting the earth science unit. I liked that it pulled in a current controversial topic as well as forced me to think about a problem in more then one way. I would love to hear what you thought of the experience as well as how you think the students would respond!
9. Extended Questions
a. What happens if the global ice caps melt?
Based on what I know if the global ice caps melt then there is going to be a large increase in the amount of water that is part of the oceans. I think that the probability of the global ice caps melting completely is low. I believe that the earth cycles through temperature and weather phenomena’s and that we are more aware now because of the increase in technology and the ability to track weather systems and global climate changes. I do think that if the polar ice caps were to melt completely then many steps would need to be in place to prevent catastrophe and also to harness the valuable amount of fresh water that would come available.
b. What other questions do you have about this science inquiry experiment?
Do the students have enough knowledge to take a task like this and investigate it in order to lead to confirmation inquiry?
Would the students have the ability to reason out what they are seeing to make sense of it?
How do you get the students to ask the questions that lead to changes in hypothesizes and then an understanding of the observations?
Could this be done in a class period in order to provide the students with the ability to make the observation necessary, and then to apply those observations to change thinking?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)