Wetpaint Wiki

In addition to exploring options with Google Earth, this week I chose to create a wiki on Wetpaint. I made the wiki with the intention that it could be used for the duration of a course, but now I think that a wiki would be more useful as a project tool for students. For example, on this wiki, I posted a project and included due dates on the calendar, created a section for links that are useful resources for the project, a discussion thread, news relating to weather and climate, and a link to a rubric. I was thinking that I would add more projects as I go along, but instead, I think that there could be a wiki for just one project so that it does not get too cluttered. Students could use the resources on the wiki, and they could also communicate with classmates and group members. The due dates are easy to view, and the project description and rubric are easily accessible. This wiki is really just a start, and helped me get familiar with creating one, but I will not use this specific wiki in my class. I can definitely see using wikis as a tool, and I like the extensive options for what you can do with a wiki. Here is the link to my trial wiki!
http://vandykeearthscience.wetpaint.com/

Digital Storytelling

The chapter from Technology in the Secondary Science Classroom and the idea of digital storytelling directly connect to "non-linguistic" representations that my class was talking about today in the other course I am currently taking. Non-linguistic representations add detail and clarification to abstract concepts in science. Visual components can make students think, or they can provide information that students may not otherwise be able to visualize. I use accompanying visuals every day to enhance my teaching, but I often do not consider the exact reason why I am including the visual besides that it will add clarification to new content.

I especially like that in the digital storytelling examples that students were summarizing and covering the essential ideas in their videos. It is a skill for students to gather information they have learned and summarize it by turning it into a story. There is a lot of value in being able to describe a science concept in their own words so that they can teach others. It seems students have fun creating the visuals and designing the sequence of presenting them. I am definitely going to create a project using digital storytelling in my earth science class in the future. Some of these videos will serve as good models for my students.

Prezis, Glogs, and Voicethreads, oh my!

I have used prezis for personal presentations in classes I have taken, and used one for a presentation on volcanoes in my classroom, but I have never asked the students to make a prezi. I realized that the final project I did last month on astronomy would have been the perfect time to introduce students to prezis. Giving students the opportunity to be more creative than just using a powerpoint would have been perfect! I also wish that I had known about Glogs because they are an environmentally friendly alternative to making posters, since there is no paper waste. There are always too many student products in the classroom to hang on the walls so a glog would be a nice alternative. I also think that my students would enjoy making a glog, especially the ninth graders. I spent quite a bit of time exploring voice threads, but I fail to see how I would use this in my classroom. I think it would be more effective to have a classroom discussion. This technology is one that I consider to be incorporated just for the sake of using technology, not because it enhances learning. I would appreciate an example from anyone who has used this before!

Create a graph is a really cool site, and easy to use. However I think that high school students should be learning how to use excel. If I were a middle school teacher, I might try to make graphing more "fun" by using the graphing program on kids' zone. It is a good introductory graphing program and is more asthetically pleasing than excel.

During the weekend I plan to explore Google Earth in depth. There are so many activities that have been developed by teachers that are perfect for earth science.


Link to a prezi I made with a classmate this past semester: http://prezi.com/jp6yfem0sjvt/copy-of-big-ideas-in-geophysics/

Response to Readings (week 2)

In the Thier article, I appreciate how specific examples of literacy strategies can be incorporated in any science classroom. Specifically, I really like the idea of "Write as You Read Science." In my classes, to make sure students do the reading for homework, I often include include accompanying questions that address specific ideas I want them to understand or encourage them to make predictions. I would like to give more open-ended assignments where students can identify what they think is important or interesting and I suspect I will become more comfortable with this over time. "Write as you Read Science" has clear guidelines and expectations, but still give students the freedom to identify in the reading what they learned and expand on their ideas or questions.

For a large inquiry lab assignment this spring, I required students to use Google Docs so that they could share their lab report with me so that I could give them feedback all the way through to the final product. I found this to be an effective use of Google Docs, however there were some glitches as graphs or diagrams would often not show up, or the program would take a very long time to update when all students in the classroom were using it at the same time. I have recently set up Google Reader, though I find Professor Brunsell's netvibes dashboard easier for navigating classmate's blogs. I am looking forward to exploring more on the NSTA website this week as well as browsing the science talks on TED.

Technology Guiding Principles

The most important skills that students must have when using technology for information-
1. Navigation: how to search for useful and reliable internet sources
2. Discretion: how to identify which information is important
3. Application: how to apply the information that is available to them. Access to knowledge is easy, they must know what to do with that knowledge!

The technology must help students learn-
4. Technology can be used to accelerate learning by providing information or simulations that help students make connections.
5. Technology must help differentiate for different ability levels in the classroom. Every student must be able to use the technology on a level that they understand.
6. Technology helps students analyze and interpret data to further understanding.
7. Technology should enhance communication between students, the teacher and experts outside of school.
8. Technology should be providing additional, more accessible learning experiences for students, and should not be used just because it is there.

Setting the Stage Reflection

I have seen the "Did you know" video in a couple different seminars. I find the statistics especially interesting regarding the technological leaps that larger developing countries like India and China have made recently. It is pretty mind blowing that China will have more English speakers that the United States within a matter of time. Last year, working in China at a school with highly driven students, I feel I have experienced first hand the high stakes that China sets for students. The students seemed to have a more global view and long term goals than most high school students I have worked with in the US. I think it would be fair to say that my current students are fairly oblivious to what they are up against, and they may take for granted the opportunities presented to them. I really like the quote from Thomas Friedman who said that he tells his daughters to do their homework because "people in India and China are starving for your jobs." I would love to find a way to promote international communication in my classroom, since the internet makes it easy to talk to people across the world. I struggle with how to integrate social networking sites into the classroom, but I especially am interested in how twitter could be used, because the short length of post appears to make it more accessible for all levels of students to read and respond.

The article on 21st century skills was especially interesting to me, because these skills can often seem vague, but this article did a good job defining concrete skills. "If students

have experience solving problems, working in groups, and communicating conclusions using evidence, they are developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities to participate in this century’s economy." The internet expands the possibilities for communication and collaboration. Students can problem solve with students from other countries and use both of their experiences to come up with better solutions. My mentor teacher this year is involved with Green Across the Pacific, and in this program students from China and Japan learn with students in Vermont about environmental issues and attempt to collaborate on solutions. I cannot imagine a better way to promote communication between cultures on global issues.

I think that the examination of the United State's educational system is not an over-reaction. In this ever-changing world, teachers need to make sure students are learning the skills they need to be successful in tomorrow's jobs. I appreciate the current focus on more inquiry tasks and practical application than when I was in high school. It helps prepare students to be better thinkers and problem solvers.

Introduction

This blog has been created for the course: Web Tools for Science Teachers.

I currently teach Earth Science and Astronomy in Bristol, Vermont (though the last day of school is tomorrow and I will be relocating to Colorado). I began this year as a student teacher and moved into a long-term substitute position for the spring. Last year, I taught at an international school in Chengdu, China and decided to get my public school teaching license this year. I am not sure how many other people in the course are new teachers, but I am definitely looking forward to learning from everyone enrolled in the course. I am especially excited to learn how to incorporate Web 2.0 tools into my classroom. This year, I communicated with some of my students through e-mail, but a few of my students do not have internet at home. For this reason, all use of web-based technology was strictly during class periods so as not to put those without internet at home at a disadvantage. Even though students are living in an age of technology, some families still cannot afford to have a computer with internet in their home, which can be restricting for students and teachers in the area of communication. I feel that it will strengthen my teaching a great amount to become literate in web 2.0 technology, and I hope that I will find effective ways to integrate it into the classroom routine.