My response to the NSTAblog.com post: Experience being outdoors in nature? How much do we need?
http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2010/09/25/experience-being-outdoors-in-nature-how-much-do-we-need/comment-page-1/#comment-882
As a child, I have the most vivid memories of nature. I was constantly paddling around in the pond across the street catching frogs, salamanders and just having a good time getting dirty. I remember my science teachers always taking us for nature walks in a nature trail behind the school and my fourth grade teacher who took us to explore tide pools at a popular beach in our town. Why is it that this is what I remember most about my Elementary experiences? I believe it is because I was engaged in doing something I truly cared about, caught my interest, and allowed me to investigate my surroundings.
Young children are more in tuned to their environment and their surroundings than we think they are. They are natural inquirers who are always trying to find out more about their world. This week I have been working on the elementary divisional standards and curriculum trying to keep it more inquiry based and real science. I find that most units that teachers are teaching are 85% surrounding Living Things and their Environment. Why is this I wonder? Is it because this is easier to find things to teach about or is it easier for us to connect to because of our own childhood experiences? We have our work cut out for us as we try to bring in more of the physical and Earth sciences into our PreK-Grade 5 curriculum in order to better prepare students for Middle School.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Survival Tips for Grade 7
Monday, August 16, 2010
Module 12
How will you continue to learn new ways of doing new things?
I will continue doing what I have been doing and that is trying new things, searching for new ways of doing things through blogs, twitter, professional development, even from my students, my colleagues, and especially from our IT department here at ISB. The best way that I learn how to do new things is to explore and try them out all by myself. I am a tactile/kinesthetic learner who does things by doing.
What challenges do you predict for the 1:1 program?
I predict that we will have challenges in the first year with students leaving computers at home, forgetting passwords, breaking computers, not charging them, or forgetting them somewhere, they may even get them mixed up with classmates the same way they do with textbooks. Maybe an overload of printing. Too many accessing the net all at once. I predict that perhaps parents may cause problems with their children using the computers at home because of limited filters on the laptops. Classroom management will need to be very much the same throughout the whole Middle School and procedures need to be consistent. That's pretty much it except if the server fails, internet doesn't work. All I can say is be prepared with an alternative plan...ALWAYS! Anyway, it will be an experience to say the least.
I will continue doing what I have been doing and that is trying new things, searching for new ways of doing things through blogs, twitter, professional development, even from my students, my colleagues, and especially from our IT department here at ISB. The best way that I learn how to do new things is to explore and try them out all by myself. I am a tactile/kinesthetic learner who does things by doing.
What challenges do you predict for the 1:1 program?
I predict that we will have challenges in the first year with students leaving computers at home, forgetting passwords, breaking computers, not charging them, or forgetting them somewhere, they may even get them mixed up with classmates the same way they do with textbooks. Maybe an overload of printing. Too many accessing the net all at once. I predict that perhaps parents may cause problems with their children using the computers at home because of limited filters on the laptops. Classroom management will need to be very much the same throughout the whole Middle School and procedures need to be consistent. That's pretty much it except if the server fails, internet doesn't work. All I can say is be prepared with an alternative plan...ALWAYS! Anyway, it will be an experience to say the least.
Module 11
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." After watching the two videos over and over again about the use of Open Data and Pivot zooming program I have realized that the web really isn't just a source of information, but a birthplace of information. There are so many things that we don't even know about our world, this includes the resources and possibilities which could make our teaching more powerful and meaningful for our students. How will I encourage the development of the information literacy skills my students will need for their futures? That's a tough question to answer, but I have already begun my journey to discovering what information literacy skills I have and need right now and what my students will need at the moment in order to succeed this year. Information keeps changing and advancing, especially on the web. New information and technologies are being born every moment. How will our students keep up? Well, the answer is...through us...their teachers. We need to first educate ourselves and be aware of our own literacy skills and ability to locate and interpret information on the web, know which programs to use, know how to navigate the web efficiently, safely, and effectively to broaden our own knowledge. This is how I will help my students really. I will guide them through their research, key words, web safety, help them to check validity and reliability of the information they have collected from the web, as well as teach them how to locate specific information, data, and programs they can use in the science classroom.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Module 10
Wallwisher is a great site for using in science class or really any class you wish to get feedback from your students on. I think I may use it for nighttime homework: EXIT SLIPS are an excellent way to see any misconceptions, further inquiries students have, their understandings, thoughts, etc...
Click on Module 10 above to see my wall. :)
How can we make student self-organization more appealing? Pageflakes, googlesites and Moodlic are all fantastic ways that students can become more self-monitored both in organization and their own learning. Pageflakes is a great home page for students so that they can have their facebook, gmail, de.lici.ous bookmarks, calendar, translator, dictionary, universal video, news from various popular sites all on one page. Everything they would need is right there on one site with many more gadgets they can put on there. iGoogle is similar except you can place your Google Reader feeds right into your iGoogle page and your entire work platform is in one place. Students may like this more for those who like having their documents, google talk, email, calendar, reader and googlesites all in one place. With Moodlic they can upload their assignments and keep track of when assignments are due for each course at the middle school. Moodlic is more course oriented and could be helpful for students once a routine is set up for them to follow. I believe that self-organization has never been more appealing for students. Instead of just a plain old agenda and fallen out pages or forgetting assignments, they are also more accountable for getting their assignments in on time. No excuses for not doing so.
Click on Module 10 above to see my wall. :)
How can we make student self-organization more appealing? Pageflakes, googlesites and Moodlic are all fantastic ways that students can become more self-monitored both in organization and their own learning. Pageflakes is a great home page for students so that they can have their facebook, gmail, de.lici.ous bookmarks, calendar, translator, dictionary, universal video, news from various popular sites all on one page. Everything they would need is right there on one site with many more gadgets they can put on there. iGoogle is similar except you can place your Google Reader feeds right into your iGoogle page and your entire work platform is in one place. Students may like this more for those who like having their documents, google talk, email, calendar, reader and googlesites all in one place. With Moodlic they can upload their assignments and keep track of when assignments are due for each course at the middle school. Moodlic is more course oriented and could be helpful for students once a routine is set up for them to follow. I believe that self-organization has never been more appealing for students. Instead of just a plain old agenda and fallen out pages or forgetting assignments, they are also more accountable for getting their assignments in on time. No excuses for not doing so.
Google Earth Rocks!
Google Earth is an amazing tool to use in the science classroom. I will be able to use it especially when studying pollution in Grade 7. Students can use Google Earth to view changes in areas over time of where factories have been or with Grade 6 of mining and destruction of habitats. Grade 7 will also be able to use Google Earth Moon and Mars views as well as the sky view when studying Astronomy. I would like to use Google Earth tours to present areas to students where current events are occurring in Ecology or Archaeology or Geology so they can connect with the area the scientists are talking about. I think Google Earth will become a very effective tool in presenting field trips to students we would like to take together, but are geographically impossible. The more we use Google Earth, the more applications of it we will discover together in the science classroom.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Google Sketch up success!
This is my Blood Bank from Sketch up! It's the best I could do, but I learned a lot about the tools and 3D web bank for images.
Module 8 complete
I tried using Sketch Up, but I didn't have much luck with it. I've made a few building structures, but still can't see the people in it. I figured out how to choose the various designs for the house and tables and chairs for the patio. However, Sumo Paint went much better for me. This is a great tool which I can see students using to illustrate their understanding of science terms or concepts. Anything is possible with it. The picture below this post was created in Sumo Paint and it is showing Maine and all of my favorite things about it.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Mass Sharing in the Future!
I believe that mass sharing in the future is going to be extremely important for young students and adults alike in order to keep the world small enough to function. Mass sharing has become very important to me as a person who lives far away from her family and friends. It helps me to keep in touch with my friends and I am able to share ideas with them easier than ever. As an educator, mass sharing for me has just begun but will be so important in improving my ability to complete more in less time for work and this may even mean less meetings but more effective teaching. Students who use mass sharing have found it so much easier to collaborate online than trying to get together during the day at someone's house during their busy after-school schedules. Students are learning and communicating more because of mass sharing. Often times in science class discussions there are students who always end up dominating the discussion, but if students are mass sharing and responding on line about certain concepts, they are less reluctant to speak. Mass sharing is a wonderful tool for communication, collaboration, and reflection!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Online Resources
What online resources have you used to improve your teaching, and how do you usually find them?
The resources that I use to improve my teaching in middle school science are:
NSDL-National Science Digital Library
NASA-Educators-National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NSTA- National Science Teacher Association
PBS.org- pbskids.org/dragonflytv/scientists/index
Discovery Education
Pearson-phschool.com (text book codes)
SciLinks
The Science Spot
Middle School Science - www.middleschoolscience.com
A few of these resources were given to me by my science methods teacher in University. The rest I have stumbled across when I was searching for topic based lesson plans during my first and second year of teaching science. These are excellent resources that I continue to revert to when looking for lesson ideas.
Another resource that I find to be extremely helpful in keeping up to date on science news and science blogs is Pageflakes. I love this way of organizing all of my resources in one place that I use for my classroom, including gmail, twitter, and my blog. Podcasts and latest science news videos can also be found right on my Pageflake.
Twitter is another social networking resource that helps me find even more sites that other science teachers around the globe use.
All in all, the internet is the place that helps me most in getting resources that I need, even science ebooks! I love it! However, the downfall is that there are way too many sites out there and I'm not really sure how to find sites that could be helpful for bringing in more virtual environments into the science classroom.
The resources that I use to improve my teaching in middle school science are:
NSDL-National Science Digital Library
NASA-Educators-National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NSTA- National Science Teacher Association
PBS.org- pbskids.org/dragonflytv/scientists/index
Discovery Education
Pearson-phschool.com (text book codes)
SciLinks
The Science Spot
Middle School Science - www.middleschoolscience.com
A few of these resources were given to me by my science methods teacher in University. The rest I have stumbled across when I was searching for topic based lesson plans during my first and second year of teaching science. These are excellent resources that I continue to revert to when looking for lesson ideas.
Another resource that I find to be extremely helpful in keeping up to date on science news and science blogs is Pageflakes. I love this way of organizing all of my resources in one place that I use for my classroom, including gmail, twitter, and my blog. Podcasts and latest science news videos can also be found right on my Pageflake.
Twitter is another social networking resource that helps me find even more sites that other science teachers around the globe use.
All in all, the internet is the place that helps me most in getting resources that I need, even science ebooks! I love it! However, the downfall is that there are way too many sites out there and I'm not really sure how to find sites that could be helpful for bringing in more virtual environments into the science classroom.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Computer Use Now and in the Future
When I think back when I was teaching fourth grade, 2 years ago, the extent of my computer skills was excel spreadsheets, word documents, and sending/receiving emails. I began to use the projector to show short films on my laptop, but with help from my teaching partner. The technology facilitator would help me on PowerPoint projects, Hyperstudio projects, Windows Movie Maker, and using ikeepbookmarks.com for keeping a collection of bookmarks for the units I was teaching at the time.
Now, just two years of working at the Middle School and in the science classroom, I can't believe how visually literate I have become. Thanks to the push and guidance from Jennie and Paul. Through the course of 23 things, the virtual environment opened up to me as a whole new world. I became confident in tinkering with things on the computer, as our 21st century learners do. I am amazed at the amount of tools that are out there and the support available for teachers and people in general. The social networking tools that allow for collaboration are amazing.
In the future, I would like to be using flipcams and podcasts more often in the science classroom for documenting laboratory investigations and discussions instead of always presentations. I see the computer and Panaboard as being very prominent in my classroom as well as the students ability to stretch their inquiry even further with the new high speed internet which will be available in the classroom. I would like to incorporate tech based research and programs during hands-on project-based learning.
I'm so psyched about the freedom I feel when I have technology at my fingertips!
Now, just two years of working at the Middle School and in the science classroom, I can't believe how visually literate I have become. Thanks to the push and guidance from Jennie and Paul. Through the course of 23 things, the virtual environment opened up to me as a whole new world. I became confident in tinkering with things on the computer, as our 21st century learners do. I am amazed at the amount of tools that are out there and the support available for teachers and people in general. The social networking tools that allow for collaboration are amazing.
In the future, I would like to be using flipcams and podcasts more often in the science classroom for documenting laboratory investigations and discussions instead of always presentations. I see the computer and Panaboard as being very prominent in my classroom as well as the students ability to stretch their inquiry even further with the new high speed internet which will be available in the classroom. I would like to incorporate tech based research and programs during hands-on project-based learning.
I'm so psyched about the freedom I feel when I have technology at my fingertips!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Google Apps
The more I learn about Google Apps, the more I wonder how a teacher could live without it! There are so any practical and effective applications available for free through the Google Suite that just keep getting better. I believe Google Apps are going to have a very large impact on the standards and quality of our school from teachers being about to communicate with parents better, to students collaborating in and out of school efficiently, to teachers being able to finally collaborate on units and curriculum in order to refine our programs so that our students can be able to make connections across the disciplines. Google Docs will be one of the main apps that will allow all of this to happen. Having all students and teachers as Google Account members has made communication 10 times easier than ever before. Students are able to contact me from home or from school and ask questions about an assignment on Google Talk at any time. They can have their questions and concerns followed up on almost immediately rather than waiting for an email to go through. Google Docs is another way that the learning environment will be improved because students can collaborate and share documents as well as have my feedback either in school or out of school. I look forward to learning more about how Google Calendar and Google Sites can also be used in the classroom!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Reflection of Gmail Accounts
* What are the main differences between Gmail and any email you've used before?--
I have had two other email accounts- one at school isb.rs and yahoo.com and they are very simple and are mainly only used for email contacts. However, gmail is much more diverse in it's abilities to promote 'real' conversation, information seeking, and collaboration where everything is in one place.
* What would you like to be able to do with Gmail? Responses here might inform future learning opportunities in this course.
I am not really sure what else there is that you can do with gmail. Google Talk is already amazing and especially when all students have a gmail. I use it a lot with keeping up on student assignments and understandings. I guess I would like to know more about how to incorporate Google into Moodlic. ALSO, how all students could see my calendar of assignments and how they could be emailed to all students in Gr. 6, 7, 8A instead of depending on students to look at the calendars on Moodlic.
* How could one of the tools in Gmail be used to positively impact student or teacher performance at ISB?
I believe Google Docs is a valuable tool for students to work from home and collaborate and reflect on various assignments. This way, they do not need a flashdrive, they can work from their own homes instead of meeting out of school at someones house.
I have had two other email accounts- one at school isb.rs and yahoo.com and they are very simple and are mainly only used for email contacts. However, gmail is much more diverse in it's abilities to promote 'real' conversation, information seeking, and collaboration where everything is in one place.
* What would you like to be able to do with Gmail? Responses here might inform future learning opportunities in this course.
I am not really sure what else there is that you can do with gmail. Google Talk is already amazing and especially when all students have a gmail. I use it a lot with keeping up on student assignments and understandings. I guess I would like to know more about how to incorporate Google into Moodlic. ALSO, how all students could see my calendar of assignments and how they could be emailed to all students in Gr. 6, 7, 8A instead of depending on students to look at the calendars on Moodlic.
* How could one of the tools in Gmail be used to positively impact student or teacher performance at ISB?
I believe Google Docs is a valuable tool for students to work from home and collaborate and reflect on various assignments. This way, they do not need a flashdrive, they can work from their own homes instead of meeting out of school at someones house.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Minerology 4 Kids
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