Science and technology

If anyone knows me for long they know I love biology. There is really not much that means more to me. The opportunity to use technology to enhance my understanding of and my teaching of biology has been a very positive move. What has been found to connect technology and science standardized tests? Are students that use technology in science more likely to do well on these tests? Actual getting their hands dirty should be important as well. Observations are key, but with the use of technology are they able to see things they normally wouldn't- inside a cell, inside the brain, use virtual labs to experience the movement of muscle doesn't that help? Questions hopefully to be answered.

Interactive whiteboard

Yesterday I worked the interactive whiteboard into my zoology class lesson plan. I found an impressive site with information on Arthropods. The site had diagrams that you could then click on and then you can zoom in on specific anatomical parts. The sections of the organisms, head thorax and abdomen will light up when you click on it. The most amazing part is when you investigate the movement of the jaws and see what and how they eat. The tutorial goes in steps so you can learn the individual parts then see the interaction with the food source. The students were mezmerized by this, not a small achievement since these are juniors and seniors and certainly have better things to do...

Cell Phones

Our school, like all of yours I'm sure, has wrestled with the whole cell phone dilema. When they first came onto the scene as a problem we said they could not be in the school, period. When a phone would ring in class the phone was taken away and sent to the principle's office to retrieve from him. Then we tried another approach- students were given the option of giving it to the teacher and get it back in 3 days or if they would not hand it over they were suspended for 1 day. Well, some students really don't consider being suspended as punishment so that didn't work, plus the whole refusal thing was actually insubordination. Now the policy is that they are allowed in the school and students may use them before and after school hours but they must be out of sight during school hours. When the text problem developed that has thrown a monkey wrench into the deal but we are all adjusting, perhaps a little of frustration and we've got teaching to do rather than always fighting the issues of the cell phones.

Ed Tech 590

As I prepared my project last week I was talking to our technology teacher. The subject of the technology standards, NETS and the 21st Century framework. She was explaining that we are required to submit where in our required content area lesson plans we meet each expectations. As a teacher that only teaches electives she is unable to actually fulfill the requirements. In the past couple of years I do remember supplying her with technology used for specific biology standards. Now after taking this class it makes considerable more sence and I will be able to better supply her with the information. It will also challenge me to look at more uses for technology.

youtube

Youtube is a great source of entertainment and frustration for me. I do spend a bit of time checking on new posts of interest. While working on my fifteen minute project I found several videos about the scientific method. As you would guess most were so boring even for me. I did find a couple of really good ones. One was a video about the scientific method grail style and the other was a rap about the scientific method. Most of those rapped lessons are really bad and corney but this was actually pretty good. I had a huge challenge actually getting it into my power point but after a few hours and help from the technology goddess I have a youtube video in my powerpoint.

Google docs

I've been using google docs a short time. The opportunity to edit students work, add questions to some group plans or commenting on an experimental design really sold me on it from the start. I used it with my co-workers when we were developing a new teacher aide curriculum guide. This was especially helpful since as a teacher we don't have that much time working with other teachers because of different schedules, lunches, coaching, etc.
However, I didn't realize how un-user-friendly and boring presentation was on google docs. I always make my presentations on power point so had no idea. Am I missing something? I've asked several people I work with in addition to students and all had the same comments. I someone out has other information I would love to hear it.

United Streaming

United Streaming is a great way to find educational, safe, grade appropriate videos. I don't know if any of you like or use it too. Because you can either watch the whole video or video segments I can show just the most relative parts. The one flaw I see is that many I use in biology are dated which is a death sentence for a teenage audience. Some of the videos have study guides that go along with them which I have used. I know the PBS videos are available online but are their other sources out there for science videos?

Technical difficulties.....

As someone else said in their blog, this class is forcing me to try more technology. It can be frustrating though when things don't work right. This happened Friday and today in the media center lab but not for me, for the students. They were researching parasitic worms and creating a brochure. I was suprised when most of the students were unaware of how to put together a brochure that is tri fold and back to back. This year we no longer have microsoft word on our computers, just word perfect which most of us are not familiar with. Some of them were creating their brochures on google docs also. So, several of the people were unable to save what they had worked on for three days, we had to get the media specialist in to trouble shoot which took quite a while and ran into the next hour. Of course there were some that became so frustrated, perhaps hormones were responsible for some of it, but they just gave up and said they would redo the whole thing at home.

Contradictions

Being the senior class advisor homecoming week means not working on Ed Tech 590. But its over and I don't have any excuses! Our school has been trying to stay technology smart that of course takes money and lots of it. Luckily we received a grant for some interactive whiteboards in some of the high school classrooms. I'm practicing on the job training, with students giving suggestions as I fumble. I call them guinea pigs when their class is the one I try my new interactive lesson plan. They do giggle but working with teens gives you thick skin. As a biology teacher I have been more of a hands on teacher, collecting pond water, taking students to the pond, going outdoors and doing real observing. So now I'm trying to learn how to use more technology in my class. My goal is to enhance our outdoors, hands on, real science by using technology.