The beginning.... of 07-08
It is that time of year again, the beginning of a new school year. For me, a teacher, this time of year is fun. I feel like I have time to think and plan and collaborate with other teachers. As a member of 21C we were asked to reflect on new ideas we have and things we plan to try in the classroom. I actually have a list! This is not surprising for anyone who knows me or can see my desk, because I am a list maker, but this list is a year long list. I guess it is a list of goals I have for the 07-08 school year. Here are a few goals....One: I would like to write a lab on scientific investigation which incorporates teaching student’s web and information literacy. In 21C we have recognized and discussed that getting information is not a problem for students. But, teaching them how to deal with the vast amount of information available is necessary. My students are wiz kids when it comes to using a computer, the web and all the latest technology tools. However, when it comes to research or deciphering valid information they rarely go beyond the top five sites Google provides. In a 21C meeting last year, Karl presented on Wikipedia which along with Google is a frequently used tool for students. Prior to that presentation I did not know that Wikipedia was interactive and could be changed by anyone! This was shocking to me! So, my idea is to have students change Wikipedia to be "false". The students would add incorrect definitions or information and hypothesize as to how long it would take for the page to be corrected. This would incorporate using the scientific method and also hopefully lend itself to students realizing that not all information on the web is valid. I do not want anyone to think I am criticizing Google or Wikipedia, becomes I am not. I use both sources, but I think it could be an introductory lesson for students in information gathering via the web. Perhaps a lab like this has already been created by someone else. If you are reading this and you know of one please let me know! I am also open to suggestions, and constructive feedback! Also, please let me know if and why you think this could be a bad idea.
Two: I want to do a better job of connecting concepts, such as cells, genetics, and evolution..., with the big picture! But, what is the big picture? What are the strands that thread through a general Biology course? How does genetics tie in with evolution? (I want you to know that I can answer this question because I teach Biology but my goal is to get students to answer this question and feel confident when answering the question.) I plan to discuss this with the other Biology team members and I think it fits with what we are doing in PLC's. My part as the teacher is to provide time in the classroom to make the connections and allow students to discuss how each unit we cover connects to all of the others.
Three: In Biology I want to provide more depth for some of the concepts we cover. In the past two years I have felt that our Biology curriculum is good, and we cover a lot of material, but I have also felt that we could reduce the amount we cover and really go in depth on some topics that are relevant to life today. Of course, the real issue here is time. But again, I feel that I can discuss this with my Bio PLC and I plan to do that. Students have high interest in DNA and genetics and they are not so interested in the types of cell a plant stem is made of. So, I feel there is a place to start reducing content which can provide for the time needed to go in depth with other topics!
Four: In the past, when teaching in Iowa, I would use 15 minutes at the beginning of every Friday class to discuss "science" current events. It sometimes overflowed into politics or world events but never Brittany Spears or any "pop" culture current events (I didn't allow it, though the students tried!). It was something the students looked forward to and so did I. At the end of the year when I would have students evaluate the class, current events were always mentioned as something they enjoyed but also benefited from. It was a big piece of "relevancy" in their science education. Since I have been at AHS and adapting to the variable schedule (which I love) I see students only on MWF. I haven’t felt that I have had time to sacrifice even 15 minutes during these classes. But, this year I promise (myself) I will bring it back. I'll let you know how it goes! I may even extend the conversations into class blogs.
I am going to stop there, but I do have more goals for 07-08. Maybe I will mention them at a later time, or you could stop by my desk and view the "list". I have been asked to blog twice per month so I will try to update you on how I am doing! Have a great year!
posted by M. Wayman @ 10:33 AM
2 Comments:
Wow, this is a great list!
One - I think other folks have done lessons like this, but I can't put my finger on one. Perhaps you should Google it :-) I think it's a good idea, but realize that Wikipedia has a "revert to previous version" feature that will probably be used a lot if you tried this. Also, our school computers often are blocked from editing Wikipedia because of "vandalism" (Wikipedia blocks our IP address), and if you did this from school that would happen fairly quickly. So while I like this idea, I'm not sure it's feasible.
Perhaps you could take another angle, and have them try to analzye the changes made to certain pages on Wikipedia or something. I know that Wikipedia provides a wealth of information about the changes occuring on it, so there is certainly a lot of data to be mined there. Perhaps you can brainstorm this with some other science folks?
Two - I love this, and definitely think you should talk with the Bio team. You might also talk with Amanda Crosby, who just posted a similar "big questions" idea on her blog.
Three - Of course I'll agree with this one. 'nuff said.
Four - I really, really like this idea and think you should go for it. There are certainly an amazing amount of relevant and reliable resources on the web to help with this, everything from blogs to podcast to videos (from "reputable" sources). There are also more traditional sources, like books with collections of the best science essays, that you could pull from. (In fact, ask Brian to see the article I copied for him last week that was the intro to one of those books. If he doesn't have it anymore, let me know and I'll get it to you.)
I think this not only will help get them involved in science and wanting to learn and do more science, but I think it will help them begin to create their own personal learning network like I ranted about last week.
I'm so impressed by your thoughtful and detailed goals! I need to make a list and prioritize my own goals. I have so many things I want to try that I feel overwhelmed sometimes. Thanks for the inspiration!
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