1. I plan to teach students more how to use the internet before I assign them an assignment that requires them to use the internet for research. I think I take for granted what they already know, and I need to make sure that all students know how to appropriately use this vast resource.
2. I intend to better teach how to use data collection probes and software. I need to make sure students know their purpose and function before we use them with a lab. I want to write more labs for my students to incorporate this great tool.
3. I want to make better use of an LCD projector besides showing video clips, presenting ppts, working through worksheets together with it on the whiteboard, and presenting student ppts.
4. I plan to utilize more online databases such as those listed in "Partnership for 21st Century Skills". I think that my students would learn a lot from analyzing real-time data.
5. I would like to use our laptops more for assessment purposes such as online quizzes. This will prepare students for the direction many assessments may be going, at least for many college courses' assessments.
6. I want to incorporate what I am learning about blogs and twitter into my teaching so students can learn how to share their ideas and thoughts about particular subjects. I want these tools to help them become better communicators of science.
7. Overall, as mentioned in my previous blog, I want technology to help students learn how to think and analyze better so they can be better problem solvers.
Re #2, what kind of probes and software are you using? I think it's a great idea, but am unfamiliar with the options out there. Thanks-
ReplyDeleteKelly
Hi Kelly,
ReplyDeleteWe have Vernier which does a good job organizing data in tables and graphs data as it is being collected. We also have hand-held data devices just called CBL, computer based lab (or calculator based lab?), in which probes are plugged into them and it collects data, no computer needed. Of course you have to write the data as it is being collected in order to analyze it. I like the Vernier system, but I honestly have not had the chance to explore other programs hands-on.
The probes we have are temperature, conductivity, light, dissolved oxygen, and maybe a few more that I have not experimented with.
Hope this info helps...
You have some great ideas here. We will do some things with online data sets in a couple of weeks. You may also want to take a look at "Google Docs" (if your district allows). Google Forms is particularly useful for quickly assessing students.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right on about assuming students know how to appropriately and efficiently use the internet. There is so much information out there, and it is difficult to discern what is useful information!
ReplyDeleteUsing the laptops for assessment, both formative and summative is great. I love being able to do a quick analysis of the data that is provided! We have Senteo sets in our school, (I think these are fairly common, but they are small wireless "clickers" that students can use to answer multiple choice, T/F, and numeric answer questions.) They are great for doing a quick check on student understanding, and can be used for traditional assessments as well.