Creating life long learners

I do look foward to purchasing a Flip video camera so that I may share video of students  class work on projects,labs, and presentation.  This would also be an opportunity to share excellent teacher techniques with new teachers and hopefully model demos and labs as a science coach; if that position ever comes available in the future.  I viewed the above video just out of curiosity.  I’m considering a doctoral degree in curriculum and am trying to collect some background info before I embark on this journey.  I also view a few neat videos on the aquatic biome and a video made for Marvin Gaye’s Mercy Mercy Me the Ecology song.  I see these as great ways to create interest in ecological issues and even serve as models for projects where students investigate an ecological issue and create a video with applicable audio to present their findings.  As was said in the curriculum video our students have these skill walking in the door it’s up to us to catch the wave and find creative ways to get them interested in these real life issues.  Now if the technology would just function properly on a regular basis.

Like many new technology tools I think podcasting would be an extremely productive addition to any classroom.  Many students already own ipods and/or create podcasts.  Podcasting gives students creative autonomy and exposure that didn’t exist before.  Students/teacners could use this tool to broadcast new found research or developments on long term class projects.  Monitoring must be in place as with any and all tech tools whos use could be corrupted.  However I see podcasting as a way for both students and teachers to stay abreast of current events with convenient and quick access to a cornucopia of fact or opinion based information.  This is also a way for teachers to continue education without the inconvenience or expense of classes.  I previewed “Why science for kids which was neat because it allowed students to get answers to THEIR questions.  However, I find it could be a little abstract without some visual for some of the scientific explanations given.  I also previewed 60 sec sci and Skip the tuition.  These are concise informative and convenient as well as enabling commonwealth the access to upper echelon discusions/explanation/education.

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Here’s a creative way to get students to remember biome traits; relate them with different locations around the world.  Or even better use this as a way to introduce students to a multimedia project where they collect CC photos from flicker to represent the location, flora, and fauna of their assigned biome.

Spring in the Arctic by madpai

Taiga Forest by Kyle and Kelly Adams

Simpson Desert by tensaibuta

rainforest by tauntingpanda

Shola Grasslands by wildxplorer

Typical Bandundu savanna village by Nick Hobgood

It was suggested that we give ourselves about an hour to peruse Flikr, not enough time…  This is a great site.  I’m still struggling with ideas for how to apply it to my lessons other than pictures of organisms for reports and such,  but I’m sure with time a creative idea will come to me.  I had chosen a picture of nitrogen fixing bacteria to demonstrate where these little critters live since kids can’t easily see them.  I received an error message that the file doesn’t fit the security criteria.  Soooo  I’ll try something else.

name that biome

I think I’ve finally figured out how to attach a photo.  I’ve also made sure this is one from the CC section.  I’ve chosen several photos taken at various locations around the world.  The purpose….students will try to name the biome that the photo represents.  I like how flickr makes the real world connection to  content through photos.  Who knows perhaps it will inspire our students to become photographers and/or share photos from their life experiences.  I see this as an opportunity to encourage the multicultural diversity we are privledged with at our school and make a real life connection with the content.

Creative Commons has just made legal what many continued to do illegally.  This really opens up the door for those who have a knack for REcreating.  I can see projects created by students with greater ease and ideas overflowing due to the possibilities of content use without infringement.  I watched a video from Negativeplanet I think it was called Where the gentleman discussed sharing your work and keeping it to yourself.  He didn’t agree necessarily with the options being offered by creative commons but he did make a point about sharing your work with the public.  I don’t agree with him completely on this I tend to think that one should expect that others with want to alter or remix etc… their creative work and I think that it’s great that creative commons has come up with a way to take the guess work and risk out of this.

Wiki’s seem like a tremendous collaborative tool to be used in the classroom.  They allow students to express themselves while also getting an idea of other’s views.  This yields an environment of thoughtful expressive learners who will create, concur, and circumvent as they collaborate to learn.  Drawing upon individual prior knowledge and sharing that info and their understanding gives the learning new dimension.

The “Code Blue” wiki allowed students to recreate themselves as Dr.s and to create a medical clinic.  This site offers an opportunity for digital discovery of the body systems.  Allowing students to add links for body system searches esures individual discovery and group sharing.   This wiki didn’t really show a great deal of  collaborative info, perhaps that was because of its security status???  It is however a great way to take my body systems project and kick it up a notch.

I’d like to create something similar only adding a PBL spin where the student doctors must give their individual diagnosis after reading the patient’s symptoms.  Students will use the links for systems and read each others’ diagnoses giving feedback based on their findings.  They would also be expected to give a prognosis and discuss treatments.

Although it takes time to develop the idea and set up the wiki, in the longrun paper is saved, students are engaged and the info is not just regurgetory.  It is thoughtful, insightful, based on fact and individual understanding of the content and how it relates to them.

I also enjoyed the creativity of the “Utopia” wiki.  However,  students’ work must be monitored and guided to prevent wiki use from becoming an email site.  There was one other wiki idea I liked and that was building a science word wiki with the vocabulary students learn all year.  This is just another creative way to reinforce vocabulary and increase student’s understanding of it.

Students will gain a great deal from this modern day form of cooperative learning.  This format makes it easier for teachers to monitor who’s doing what

I have come to realize I really didn’t know what overwhelming was before.  This introduction to blogging and RSS aggregation has set my mind ablaze with possibilities for what will become my new age classroom.  I look forward to spending some real time using habit 7.5, PLAY, this summer to develop some real interactive lessons.  Getting students to make the connection between class and real life will be a cinch .  Guiding them onto the path of becoming life long learners is how I view using these technologies, tools, and applications.  It almost seems like we’re tricking them into learning using their gadgetry and presenting opportunities for open discussion, persuasive writing, and thoughtful commentary.  I’m like a kid in a candy store.  I just hope I don’t get a belly ache trying to take it all in.

Interesting articles I could applyto unit3

Article related to ecology unit

Biomes

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!  I really had no idea all of this was available.  This can become addictive.  I look foward to the time when the little white earphones hanging from students ears are delivering the latest science news or grammar check info.

The feed I know I’ll enjoy is the New York Times Science.  I’ve tried to no avail to get this subscription at various schools I worked for but the Times is considered too expensive.  The article I read ties directly into the Unit I will be beginning with my students. I find this to be and exceptional educational tool.  Students tap into real life applications not just work sheets and Idle lecture but, real life happening.  Sometimes it’s past happenings but when it’s current like this particular article it just makes mastering the standards for the unit all the better.  But wait the benefit is 3 fold.  It’s a current event linked to the standards being taught, they can view it using their amazon kindle or iphone, and I could use it towards the 25 book standard.  SWEET

Some blogging is a means by which many express their opinion.  However, their cases, for the most part are well stated and are a product of experience and some research on their part.  The comments component allows them an opportunity to see who shares their opinion or opposes it  and to learn some new views and information relative to their topic.

Blogging facillitates learning by requiring prior knowledg.  This encourages students and adults to broaden their horizons, improve their critical thinking skills, and becom better listeners and better writers.  Creative vocabulary usage adds panache to one’s blog however  always necessary to get the point accross.  It is however encouraging as an educator to watch students and the profession of education grow not from the outside(county) in but from the inside(those on the frontlines) out.

PS Sister Nancy’s typing class will certainly pay off now

An opportunity for a free education.  Learning from any and everyone on your schedule at your pace what a concept.  I look foward to using the tools of Web 2.o with my students because I look foward to seeing learning become a cool thing to do.  I can’t wait to see the non productive challenge the high achievers because these tools help to level the playing field.  Not all kids can express themselves well verbally and the same goes for written assignments.  But technology is their domain.  I truly believe that all kids can learn and Web 2.o allows us an opportunity as educators to learn from each other the best practices to promote this learning.  The tools allow us the opportunity to meet our students where they are and raise them to heights they never knew were possible.

I’ve used the photosharing tool to display students using the active board, and laptops during class.  They are also shown performing lab tasks.  This brought such delight to the parents to see what not just what their child is doing but that teaching is occuring in our school and that our children are actively participating in their education.