http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics
Since I am a middle school teacher (7th and 8th grade), play and games are not a heavy part of my teaching. My age group are usually motivated by other themes, and many kids that age frown upon "kiddie games" that they view are too immature. Nevertheless, there are several websites geared toward the middle school age group which can be quite enjoyable and educational. While games may not be the focus, there should be a level of fun involved. One such website is this page from the leaner.org/annenberg project on amusement park physics. Middle school kids are very much into the roller coaster culture. This website has an interactive feature that allows them to put together their own simple coaster and then get evaluated on its safety and fun factor. Perhaps a follow up activity would be for interested students to extend the roller coaster exercise by using software such as Roller Coaster Tycoon, which allows users to have full control over ther roller coasters they create (and test to see if they have mastered the associated physics principles).
Monday, July 9, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
Classroom community
The classroom needs to be a place where students feel comfortable to speak their mind and ask questions if they don't know what is going on: both of the teacher and other students. Nobody should feel like their opinions do not matter. I know that in my classroom, I have an open-door policy. Many assignments are collaborative as well, but of course there are some basic limitations. For example, it probably is not a good idea to match students together who are friends. There is a higher probability they will "be friends" and not students. Nevertheless, it is important for students to be comfortable relying on each other for support in addition to the teacher.
Technology provides a great way to introduce collaboration in the classroom. Since the typical situation in a school is not 1 computer for every 1 student, when students do technology activities, they will more than likely be in pairs or groups. A properly designed activity allows students to not only practice using technological resources, but also to practie working with each other to achieve a clearly defined objective, with a deliverable for the teacher to assess. An example would be a focused research project on an aspect of Chesapeake Bay ecology (effect of runoff, animal life, etc.). Students doing this project should be allowed as much freedom as possible (outside of the objective and deliverable). They should be allowed to work at their own pace with a level of technology that they feel comfortable using (whether it be searching Google, or more sophisticated research methods). Also, of course, if they feel the need to ask either the teacher or other groups for assistance, there should be no hesitation.
Technology provides a great way to introduce collaboration in the classroom. Since the typical situation in a school is not 1 computer for every 1 student, when students do technology activities, they will more than likely be in pairs or groups. A properly designed activity allows students to not only practice using technological resources, but also to practie working with each other to achieve a clearly defined objective, with a deliverable for the teacher to assess. An example would be a focused research project on an aspect of Chesapeake Bay ecology (effect of runoff, animal life, etc.). Students doing this project should be allowed as much freedom as possible (outside of the objective and deliverable). They should be allowed to work at their own pace with a level of technology that they feel comfortable using (whether it be searching Google, or more sophisticated research methods). Also, of course, if they feel the need to ask either the teacher or other groups for assistance, there should be no hesitation.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
PBS Teachers
The PBS teachers website seemed to be an excellent resource for teachers. There are several links to games, lesson plans, and interactive content to allow students and teachers to investigate several topics. For example, one vignette was from a NOVA feature about asteroids. There was a flash feature that allowed users to select an asteroid to hit Los Angeles and what the effect of it would be on surrounding cities. Apparently if an asteroid 11 miles wide were to hit LA, all of California would essentially be destroyed instantly and significant changes would happen to cities as far away as New York! This would be a catastrophe akin to what possibly caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Luckilly, an event such as this happens to Earth only once every 500 million years.
Despite this rather gruesome example, the resources on this website are excellent. Besides the flash features, there are links to lesson plans, sample labs, and videos from PBS TV programs, all of which can easily be implemented in the classroom with only simple materials necessary. Students and teachers alike would certainly find PBS teachers a very engaging, interactive, experience and might even recommend some of the features to colleagues down the road.
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource
http://www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach
Despite this rather gruesome example, the resources on this website are excellent. Besides the flash features, there are links to lesson plans, sample labs, and videos from PBS TV programs, all of which can easily be implemented in the classroom with only simple materials necessary. Students and teachers alike would certainly find PBS teachers a very engaging, interactive, experience and might even recommend some of the features to colleagues down the road.
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource
http://www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Rubistar
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.html
Rubistar is a website designed to assist teachers creating rubrics for performance-based assessments. Nowadays, the big push in education (at least by teachers) is away from high-stakes objective testing like the SAT and more toward performance assessment as a way for students to really show off what they know and if they can actually apply it to a real-world problem. However, this is not as easy as it seems. Unlike real tests, performance assessments take much more time and are far more subjective in nature and harder to grade. While Rubistar cannot help necessarily with the time issue, it can help teachers by giving them suggestions as to how to grade performance assessments. Rubistar allows a teacher to create a rubric for just about any subject area performance assessment. It gives the teacher suggestions as to what to look for when grading that assessment for each rubric level. If the teacher does not like the suggestion that rubistar gives, the teacher can simply change the rubric to one that is more appropriate. The interface is very user friendly and can be edited quickly. Saved rubrics can be modified to accomdate changes in the assessment.
Eventually, performance assessments will become more commonplace and rubrics to grade them will be all the more necessary. Websites like Rubistar will become essential for teachers trying to stay ahead of the curve.
Rubistar is a website designed to assist teachers creating rubrics for performance-based assessments. Nowadays, the big push in education (at least by teachers) is away from high-stakes objective testing like the SAT and more toward performance assessment as a way for students to really show off what they know and if they can actually apply it to a real-world problem. However, this is not as easy as it seems. Unlike real tests, performance assessments take much more time and are far more subjective in nature and harder to grade. While Rubistar cannot help necessarily with the time issue, it can help teachers by giving them suggestions as to how to grade performance assessments. Rubistar allows a teacher to create a rubric for just about any subject area performance assessment. It gives the teacher suggestions as to what to look for when grading that assessment for each rubric level. If the teacher does not like the suggestion that rubistar gives, the teacher can simply change the rubric to one that is more appropriate. The interface is very user friendly and can be edited quickly. Saved rubrics can be modified to accomdate changes in the assessment.
Eventually, performance assessments will become more commonplace and rubrics to grade them will be all the more necessary. Websites like Rubistar will become essential for teachers trying to stay ahead of the curve.
Monday, July 2, 2007
The Technology Fix
When computers were first introduced to schools, administrators thought that this new technology would almost instantly improve test scores, make kids more enthusiastic about school, and jump-start better careers. However, in the time since computers have come, there really has not been much, if any, measurable positive impact. Drop out rates are still steady, and kids nowadays are even less enthusiastic about coming to school, despite all this new technology. In The Technology Fix, the author (William Pflaum) attempts to find out why. He travels to several schools across the United States to investigate how each school uses technology in their curricula. Originally just a project out of pure curiosity, Pflaum attempts to draw conclusions about why technology is not having as big an impact as it was originally designed.
In the book, Pflaum sites several examples of schools that have excellent technology programs and visions, schools with poor programs and visions, and several schools in-between. These vignettes can be very applicable to schools with similar situations. The conclusions and recommendations that Pflaum draws are very reasonable. Probably the most important recommendation Pflaum draws is his 4th one. In it he says "Teach students to use productivity tools and the Internet, but wait until studens are ready; coordinate such teaching within and across grade levels" (p. 206). The Internet is a valuable productivity tool, when used properly. Teaching Internet etiquitte should be a priority for elementary and early middle school computer classes.
This would be an excellent book for teachers or anybody else interested in technology to read if they are interested in implementing technology to a more fuller capacity in their school. Granted, it is mostly opinion-based, but if Pflaum's viewpoints are combined with viewpoints from other individuals in this field, administrators are more likely to make sound decisions regarding technology use for their schools.
In the book, Pflaum sites several examples of schools that have excellent technology programs and visions, schools with poor programs and visions, and several schools in-between. These vignettes can be very applicable to schools with similar situations. The conclusions and recommendations that Pflaum draws are very reasonable. Probably the most important recommendation Pflaum draws is his 4th one. In it he says "Teach students to use productivity tools and the Internet, but wait until studens are ready; coordinate such teaching within and across grade levels" (p. 206). The Internet is a valuable productivity tool, when used properly. Teaching Internet etiquitte should be a priority for elementary and early middle school computer classes.
This would be an excellent book for teachers or anybody else interested in technology to read if they are interested in implementing technology to a more fuller capacity in their school. Granted, it is mostly opinion-based, but if Pflaum's viewpoints are combined with viewpoints from other individuals in this field, administrators are more likely to make sound decisions regarding technology use for their schools.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Parents and the Internet
Parents want to know what is going on their kids' classrooms. Teachers want to make sure that parents are up to speed on what is going on in the classrooms. Enter the Internet. Nowadays, several teachers use online gradebooks and homework sites such as http://www.schoolnotes.com to keep parents informed. I know at my school we use both schoolnotes.com and PowerSchool, an online community for parents, teachers, and students to share grades, comments, and other information about what is going on in school, and it is updated regularly.
In addition, there are plenty of other ideas for how parents can be involved from home with the Internet. For example, Mr. Patterson from Clips from the Classroom uses e-zgeometry.com to publish problems for his class to solve, and parents can view them as well. There are other websites that publish tests and quizzes that both students and parents can use.
Of course there is also email, which is quickly becoming the primary communication method between teachers and parents. Email allows for quick communication at any time during the day.
In sum, there are several ways that parents can use the Internet to keep tabs on what is going on in school with their kids. There are probably more ways that it can be use that have not been realized just yet.
In addition, there are plenty of other ideas for how parents can be involved from home with the Internet. For example, Mr. Patterson from Clips from the Classroom uses e-zgeometry.com to publish problems for his class to solve, and parents can view them as well. There are other websites that publish tests and quizzes that both students and parents can use.
Of course there is also email, which is quickly becoming the primary communication method between teachers and parents. Email allows for quick communication at any time during the day.
In sum, there are several ways that parents can use the Internet to keep tabs on what is going on in school with their kids. There are probably more ways that it can be use that have not been realized just yet.
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