I have had personal experience with both Ecobeaker and Evobeaker from SimBio. This software allows students to construct and run simulation programs from school computers. Some of the concepts investigated are extremely sophisticated, and more readily accessible if actually seen.
I've done the Isle Royale simulation as well as the Domesticating Dogs sim. I think one of the most enjoyable features of these programs is that once you master the basics, you can start playing with them and seeing results. For example, you can change the amount of plants, moose, and wolves and see how changing one variable affects the entire environment. Students can immediately see how one member of a food chain affects the entire web.
I have not used the other programs, but I am sure they work similarly. Ecological and evolutionary processes exist on a timeline that can't actually be seen or experienced in a classroom. These simulations show students how these concepts apply by actually watching populations or environments change through time. For an inquiry-based classroom, the use of these programs could be invaluable for student learning.
I know that when I get a teaching job, I am going to lobby my department head for these programs!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
WebQuest review
I found an interesting and useful WebQuest entitled: Genes: The Building Blocks of Life. The especially cool thing about this WebQuest is that it was made in Virginia, and therefore conforms to the Virginia Standards of Learning for Biology.
Funding for biological ressearch is always tight, and this WQ allows students to explore various areas of genetics research and come to a consensus about which aspects of this research deserve funding. In the process, they learn about genetics and it's varied applications. I especially liked the fact that part of the process of this WQ was for students to discuss, debate, and arrive at a consensus with their classmates that everyone in the group was happy with. This is an important life skill, as well as in science.
The WQ is entirely on one page, though I think it would have worked better if each navigation link was to a different page instead of a section on one page. However, I thought that the directions for students were very clear, and I liked that each student would have to be knowledgable about the basics of genetics before they could proceed with the rest of the project. I also like that the WQ maker included resources for building consensus and creating a persuasive argument. It is always a bad thing to assume students possess knowledge that they may not have, and those pages provide a blueprint and a reference for once they get to that stage of the WQ.
I really liked that each perspective was grounded in a current issue in applied genetics. Some of these issues do not have clear cut answers, and require background knowledge to make judgment calls. This WQ not only helps students understand basic genetic info, but allows them to apply that new knowledge in a novel situation with real-life underpinnings. I also liked that the rubric takes into account the research, the consensus with the group, and the presentation product. This shows students that their work as a group is valued and they are being evaluated for their process as well as their final product.
Overall, this was a good WQ. I can see areas that could use a little work (i.e. obtaining links from more varied sources), but I liked a lot of aspects of the WQ and it seems very student friendly.
Funding for biological ressearch is always tight, and this WQ allows students to explore various areas of genetics research and come to a consensus about which aspects of this research deserve funding. In the process, they learn about genetics and it's varied applications. I especially liked the fact that part of the process of this WQ was for students to discuss, debate, and arrive at a consensus with their classmates that everyone in the group was happy with. This is an important life skill, as well as in science.
The WQ is entirely on one page, though I think it would have worked better if each navigation link was to a different page instead of a section on one page. However, I thought that the directions for students were very clear, and I liked that each student would have to be knowledgable about the basics of genetics before they could proceed with the rest of the project. I also like that the WQ maker included resources for building consensus and creating a persuasive argument. It is always a bad thing to assume students possess knowledge that they may not have, and those pages provide a blueprint and a reference for once they get to that stage of the WQ.
I really liked that each perspective was grounded in a current issue in applied genetics. Some of these issues do not have clear cut answers, and require background knowledge to make judgment calls. This WQ not only helps students understand basic genetic info, but allows them to apply that new knowledge in a novel situation with real-life underpinnings. I also liked that the rubric takes into account the research, the consensus with the group, and the presentation product. This shows students that their work as a group is valued and they are being evaluated for their process as well as their final product.
Overall, this was a good WQ. I can see areas that could use a little work (i.e. obtaining links from more varied sources), but I liked a lot of aspects of the WQ and it seems very student friendly.
Monday, October 5, 2009
K-12 news
My K-12 news is not really about pedagogy, or what happens in the classroom. As a teacher, I think our concern for our students extends beyond the classroom, which is why I think the newest news about the availability of healthier snack choices in American schools, published by the CDC, is important and encouraging.
From 2002-2008, schools in in almost all states included in the study made candy and salty snacks, and soda and sports drinks less available for their students. They also increased the availability of healthy snacks and juice. As the editorial note points out, states with high increases like Mississippi have significant problems high rates of adult obesity. Encouraging smart food choices helps instill values for healthy eating that students take with them after they walk out the school's doors. I also think that it is encouraging that states, like Utah, that did not have increases in nutritional standards in the food they offer students are willing to revise those standards in the future.
A large part of our jobs as educators is not just to instill content knowledge, but to teach students how to think about how their decisions affect themselves and others. By only offering healthy snack and drink options, we send a united message about health and nutrition both inside the classroom and throughout the school. I think if students believe that we believe the messages we tell them about what they should eat for good health, they will be more willing to internalize these messages, and make right choices for themselves.
From 2002-2008, schools in in almost all states included in the study made candy and salty snacks, and soda and sports drinks less available for their students. They also increased the availability of healthy snacks and juice. As the editorial note points out, states with high increases like Mississippi have significant problems high rates of adult obesity. Encouraging smart food choices helps instill values for healthy eating that students take with them after they walk out the school's doors. I also think that it is encouraging that states, like Utah, that did not have increases in nutritional standards in the food they offer students are willing to revise those standards in the future.
A large part of our jobs as educators is not just to instill content knowledge, but to teach students how to think about how their decisions affect themselves and others. By only offering healthy snack and drink options, we send a united message about health and nutrition both inside the classroom and throughout the school. I think if students believe that we believe the messages we tell them about what they should eat for good health, they will be more willing to internalize these messages, and make right choices for themselves.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Assistive Technology
Having hearing problems myself, I decided to research AT devices for students with auditory processing disorders. In contrast with my own hearing impairment, individuals with APD generally have good hearing (i.e. the structures in the ear are fine), but have difficulty processing this information when it reaches the brain. Children with APD have trouble recognizing the differences between the sounds in words, and have even more difficulty in noisy environments or when performing a complex task. APD is classified as a learning disability, and also as a speech-language disorder. This disability can often be confused with many other disabilities, and may also function as a part of another disability.
I was unable to find a lot of AT used when treating APD, as it is a poorly understood disorder and there is still a lot of research to be done. The only technology, as opposed to teaching strategy, that I was able to find was an auditory trainer. This technology reduces background noise and allows the receiver to focus on the person speaking. Basically, they work as microphones that only one person can hear. This allows the child with APD to block out normal classroom noise, and focus on the sound of the teacher talking. I've also read about Auditory Memory Enhancement, a technique that allows students to make complicated information more basic, and helps with recall of information. This trains students with APD to break information into smaller segments, and to represent that information quickly and in a way that makes sense to them.
Just talking about the use of AT for students with APD, auditory trainers are different than hearing aids in that only specific sounds are being amplified, while background noises are not. Children with APD have difficulty focusing on and remembering auditory information; this technology allows them to concentrate on just one set of sounds, instead of picking it out among many. I think this technology is relatively simple to use for both the student and the teacher, and could make a major difference for students in the classroom.
Biology classrooms can sometimes be heavy in details, and technologies like this can help students with APD take good notes and focus on a lecture. However, a good teacher would also differentiate her class, and a student with APD could be classified as almost a default visual learner. Some of the accomodations that could be made in a classroom that has a child with APD are: lecture notes already written out, so students can concentrate on listening to lectures, graphs and charts of information, the use of graphic organizers, transcripts for videotapes, quiet areas for groupwork so that background noise is less of an issue, seating considerations, and giving directions one at a time. These practices, along with the use of an auditory trainer, would allow students with APD an easier time with processing auditory information, and ways to focus on hearing and processing without the loss of content information.
I was unable to find a lot of AT used when treating APD, as it is a poorly understood disorder and there is still a lot of research to be done. The only technology, as opposed to teaching strategy, that I was able to find was an auditory trainer. This technology reduces background noise and allows the receiver to focus on the person speaking. Basically, they work as microphones that only one person can hear. This allows the child with APD to block out normal classroom noise, and focus on the sound of the teacher talking. I've also read about Auditory Memory Enhancement, a technique that allows students to make complicated information more basic, and helps with recall of information. This trains students with APD to break information into smaller segments, and to represent that information quickly and in a way that makes sense to them.
Just talking about the use of AT for students with APD, auditory trainers are different than hearing aids in that only specific sounds are being amplified, while background noises are not. Children with APD have difficulty focusing on and remembering auditory information; this technology allows them to concentrate on just one set of sounds, instead of picking it out among many. I think this technology is relatively simple to use for both the student and the teacher, and could make a major difference for students in the classroom.
Biology classrooms can sometimes be heavy in details, and technologies like this can help students with APD take good notes and focus on a lecture. However, a good teacher would also differentiate her class, and a student with APD could be classified as almost a default visual learner. Some of the accomodations that could be made in a classroom that has a child with APD are: lecture notes already written out, so students can concentrate on listening to lectures, graphs and charts of information, the use of graphic organizers, transcripts for videotapes, quiet areas for groupwork so that background noise is less of an issue, seating considerations, and giving directions one at a time. These practices, along with the use of an auditory trainer, would allow students with APD an easier time with processing auditory information, and ways to focus on hearing and processing without the loss of content information.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Meet the Standards
One technology that I would like to use in the classroom to incorporate a difficult concept in Biology would be cell phones and evolution. Students often have a difficult time understanding what evolution is, and how it works. I also know that cell phones have pretty much become ubiquitous and almost necessary in teen and adult life.
One thing you could do is have people pool their cell phones together, and pick out common characteristics or features that some phones have and some don't. This would work as a good analogy for genes in a population. Then, we could create a "selection event" where to complete a task, we'd have to use a feature that some phones had and some did not. For example, you could have a timed task for a phrase they would have to text. Phones with keyboards would be much faster than those without, though some phones without keyboards might make the time constraints based on how fast the students could text. This would show students how natural selection works at a genetic level. They would be able to see that the population evolves, and not the individual, which many students have difficulty understanding.
This example aligns with the concepts from Chapter 1 because texting has become more popular than actually talking on the phone, and I think it would really engage them. I think a timed "selection event" would be fun and challenging, while at the same time providing a powerful example of a concept that may not be readily apparent. Using the technology, in this case, is more about engaging students and making content accessible for them, more than utilizing the cell phone technology itself. I think there's lots of different ways we can use technology in the classroom, and as long as that technology serves an instructional purpose, it doesn't have to be all about fancy programs or complicated activities.
One thing you could do is have people pool their cell phones together, and pick out common characteristics or features that some phones have and some don't. This would work as a good analogy for genes in a population. Then, we could create a "selection event" where to complete a task, we'd have to use a feature that some phones had and some did not. For example, you could have a timed task for a phrase they would have to text. Phones with keyboards would be much faster than those without, though some phones without keyboards might make the time constraints based on how fast the students could text. This would show students how natural selection works at a genetic level. They would be able to see that the population evolves, and not the individual, which many students have difficulty understanding.
This example aligns with the concepts from Chapter 1 because texting has become more popular than actually talking on the phone, and I think it would really engage them. I think a timed "selection event" would be fun and challenging, while at the same time providing a powerful example of a concept that may not be readily apparent. Using the technology, in this case, is more about engaging students and making content accessible for them, more than utilizing the cell phone technology itself. I think there's lots of different ways we can use technology in the classroom, and as long as that technology serves an instructional purpose, it doesn't have to be all about fancy programs or complicated activities.
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