Atomic Structure Glog

Click here to view my first glog. It will educate you about atomic structure and the periodic table of the elements in a fancy, interactive way! :) Since my students will be learning about this topic this coming year, I will have them explore this glog when we reach the chemistry unit in science class.

In case you are not familiar with a glog, it is basically an online poster that you can put videos, graphics, audio, text and hyperlinks on to. For us educators, it is like creating an online learning center where students can choose what order to learn things in, explore digital media at their pace and level, and even do interactive activities or quizzes in which a teacher can assess their learning.

I like learning centers (real or online) because they give students some autonomy and choices, which free them to be more in control of their learning. And we all know that students self-motivated even in the least bit will learn and enjoy their learning experience a lot more than information learned purely from extrinsic reasons like grades. And although the quiz in this glog will be graded, there is still a lot of optional information a student can look into if they have the time and interest to do so. In other words, I think it will be more effective versus learning from a lecture or textbook reading.

I think this glog will be a great way for students to be introduced to this topic versus a textbook too. I can basically let them loose on it, making sure that they stay on task at their computers, and that they are engaged in the topic. Another way I could use this glog is for students that finish another assignment early and want a bit more of a challenge or independence with the topic. They could spend a little time on the glog, or a lot. That's the advantage of this tool. Students can spend more or less time on it, which will naturally happen because of their varied skill levels and completion of other work. It could also be a motivator for struggling students to finish an assignment so that they have some extra special time to go do some activities online!



Here are the standards (learning outcomes) that will be accomplished from students doing this glog:

EALR 1 6-8 SYSA Given a system, identify subsystems and a larger encompassing system.

EALR 4 6-8 PS2C Explain that all matter is made of atoms, and give examples of common elements - substances composed of just one kind of atom.

GLE 2.2.2 Use organizational features and electronic sources (such as headings and numberings, CD-ROM, Internet, pull- down menus, key word searches, and icons) to access information.

A. National Science Education Standards for Grades 5-8

Physical Science (Content Standard B)

Properties and Changes of Properties of Matter

B. Benchmark for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science - Project 2061) - for Grades 6-8 - The Physical Setting: 4D The Structure of Matter

Creativity & Technology in the Classroom

Here is a Q&A session I had with one of my students about creativity and technology in the classroom. His answers are in blue.

1. What do you like to create for fun at home or school?
I like to make drawings and pictures.

2. Do you like to be creative with schoolwork, or just do what you have to do get an A? Why?
It depends on the subject. For some (math, history, and science sometimes) I just like to get it done (textbook work). For art & hands-on stuff I like to spend time being creative.

3. What kinds of assignments/projects do you feel that you learn/remember the most from? Why?
Art stuff because I can look back on it and see it and remember. I also remember two of the projects we did this year very well - the one I did on a sea urchin and the other of a torpedo from the Industrial Revolution.

4. What do you enjoy more in school - when the teacher tells you exactly what you need to create, or when you have some choices/flexibility for what you can create? Why?
Choices, because I can be more creative/original/spontaneous. I can make it how I imagine it. I like making stuff.

5. Do you enjoy and learn better from books or online content? Why?
Online, because I can do it faster and obtain more information in less time. 

6. Is it more fun to do hands-on projects or computer-produced projects? Why? Is there a time and a place for each?
I enjoy hands-on things better, but also enjoy computer projects in which I get to digitally design stuff, or create models,

7. Do you think there are creative ways to learn all the subjects in school?
Yes, with hands-on projects or computers. Computers have a lot of programs that foster creativity.

8. What kinds of learning/subjects do you think computers are most helpful with?
Science, writing and math because you can get instant feedback to see if you're right or wrong about something, plus you can do an assignment faster typing versus writing it.

9. Do you think we use technology enough in our classroom, or should we use it more? How so?
I think we use it enough, although I would like to use it more since I like technology and computers. If students brought their own techy devices to school, I don't think they would be responsible enough to stay on task with their devices. They would need restrictions.

10. If we could do anything to our classroom to make it a better place to learn in, what would you suggest we do or get?
Making everything digital and having all assignments on the computer (besides the hands-on projects).

In summary, my student seems to remember things better when given a project that is hands-on, creative, and/or involves online technology. He also greatly enjoys creative freedom and the opportunity to use online technology to expedite his assignments. I would say that his answers accurately represent most of his classmates' feelings on this too, based on my observation of them in class.

Social Media in the Classroom

Reflect upon the Pew research and think about how your students connect with each other outside of the classroom walls and the content they create and share. How can we apply this understanding to our instruction in light of the potential challenges and risks?

Since I teach mostly 10-14 year olds, I will discuss this week's topic in the context of that age group or "teens."
What I found to be interesting in the Pew Project is the apparent dependence of teens on the internet for a variety of things: social networking, entertainment, purchases, and information. “Among families with children between 12 and 17, more than three-quarters (76%) now have broadband internet access at home" and "nearly two-thirds of teen internet users (63%) go online every day" (Lenhart, 2010). The internet has obviously become increasingly important for them. Not only that, but having a number of techy gadgets (about 3-5) has become as common as having shoes! Of those gadgets, a cell phone and mp3 player are the most common. I can vouch for the truth of these statistics even in my small, rural Christian school.

A random idea I have thought of based on how prevalent ipods are among my students is to make a podcast or even have them create podcasts on content we are studying. To go a step further, we could create educational songs in class and then put it on their devices. In this way, students could be listening to 'educational content' anytime and anywhere, even sharing them with friends and family! 

Another fact I found good to know was the prevalence of teens on social networking sites (73%), most of them commenting on a friend's page or picture (Lenhart, 2010). The most relevant information I learned was how teens lead the pack in sharing content, remixing content, and interacting with blogs. This tells me that teens are not afraid to publish things about themselves or content that interests them. That is exciting to know as a teacher, because it gives me a heads-up that my students should enjoy posting original work online at school. 

What the Pew Project doesn't tell us though, is why teens like to share information online so much...My guess is that it is a communication medium that they are more comfortable with being vulnerable and honest in, versus face-to-face in the classroom. They can be more open with their thoughts and feelings, and not face rejection as quickly or potently (except for online bullying). That leads us to the idea that online communication can be just as vulnerable to bullying as face-to-face, which is something the teacher and school need to have a policy in place to help prevent and deal with as necessary.

Another potential challenge to having students share content and feedback in class is parental consent. I have pretty conservative parents that are uncomfortable with their child having an email address. I was able to convince all of my parents how useful and safe it would be for my students to have gmail this year though, because of my access to their email and ability to limit their recipients to in-school addresses.

Despite these challenges, I have found that students love to share their work with each other, and I often find them verbally telling each other what they are posting before their post is even published. Collaborative documents can be a little chaotic at times, but they enjoy working and watching each other's work real-time. In Edmodo, some of my students have posted random things, which others quickly respond to in facebook style. With these things in mind, I think a teacher can foster a safe online environment, with guidelines, that engages students and allows them to create and communicate online. Plus, parents can be given access to view their child's published work, and comment on it themselves.

Here are a few online sites that could take advantage of students' interest in social media and commenting on each other's work (the sites in bold are ones that I currently use with my students):

http://www.edmodo.com

http://www.wikispaces.com

http://www.docs.google.com

http://www.weebly.com

http://www.fotobabble.com

http://www.fakebook.com

http://www.voicethread.com

References:

Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social Media and Young Adults. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults/Part-3/1-Teens-and-online-social-networks.aspx

IDEO's Deep Dive

This video is awesome!! IDEO is so unique in the way they tackle a project. This video definitely has implications for learning in the classroom.

IDEO's Deep Dive

Motivation!

Here is a thought-provoking video that discusses research about rewards/incentives (grades) and the influence they can have on a person's performance.

It can also be found at http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

Eight Tips for Fostering Flow in the Classroom

I found a great list of ideas to help students enjoy learning, be motivated to learn, and learn better. Eight Tips for Fostering Flow in the Classroom

Creativity in the Classroom

I just watched a revolutionary and sobering presentation by Sir Ken Robinson. He is one of the most viewed speakers from TED. Here is the link if you are interested in watching his 20 min. talk that packs a lot of punch against our aging educational system.

So is Robinson correct? Do schools kill creativity? Well, schools have long upheld the 3 Rs: reading, 'riting & 'rithmetic as the most important components of the curriculum. And in our society, it makes sense that the 3Rs are emphasized because practically everything we do depends on them - our jobs and our personal ambitions. Plus, that is what our nation's standardized tests measure.

I thought Robinson (2006) made a powerful point when he said that schools start educating from the waist up, and then focus more on the brain, and then specifically on the left side, which is where the 3Rs operate. What he's implying is that schools don't value the arts, physical education, or other creative endeavors as much as the 3Rs. Is that bad? In my opinion it's terrible, and that is why I'm thankful to be an Adventist educator, because Adventist education emphasizes a wholistic educational experience. We don't cut physical education or the arts if there are financial problems because we recognize how the mind, body and spirit are interconnected and interdependent. One example is the fact that exercise helps students focus better in school! Another neat study that compared Adventist education with non-Adventist education shows that our Bible-centered, wholistic approach to education not only helps our students do as good as other schools on standardized tests, but above average! I am passionate about what I do...but back to the question.

I'm not sure if schools are the main ones to blame for this problem though. Former President Bush's No Child Left Behind act caused 'teaching to the test' to become schools' main motivation because of the fear of losing funding. This has limited teaching time to focus on the skills and content needed for the tests, which are predominantly focused on the 3Rs. PE and the arts have in turn been more neglected because they're not being tested.

I think that digital media can help reduce the creativity killing in schools. In my classroom, I love to use digital media because it engages my students very effectively. My understanding of digital media includes videos, online websites (static and interactive), music, and educational computer games. Digital media, by nature, is creative too. It was created by artists, musicians, designers, programmers, directors, editors, etc. Whenever I show digital media to my students, or let them independently interact with it, their creativity is encouraged because they want to make or do things similar to what they just experienced. Digital media can be controlled and/or manipulated by them too, versus a printed textbook. None of my students have ever said that they would be interested in writing a textbook! Plus, the fact that 80% of 6th-8th graders own an ipod (Project Tomorrow, 2010, p. 8) is reason enough to include digital media in the classroom, since it is obviously an important part of their personal lives. If I don't incorporate digital media in my classroom, students will view my classroom as less and less relevant, since their personal lives practically revolve around it. Project Tomorrow (2010) says that students "recognize from their own experiences growing up immersed in digital media that the best way to drive educational productivity is through the effective use of rich and relevant digital tools, content and resources” (p. 25). I want to make sure to capitalize on that so that my students can not only be creative in school, but be prepared for the real world when they graduate from school!

References

Robinson, K. (2006, June). Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity [Video file]. Retrieved from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Project Tomorrow. (2010). Creating Our Future: Students Speak Up About Their Vision for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU09NationalFindingsStudents&Parents.pdf

Empathy & Education

One of my classmates has an excellent 5min talk on the role of empathy on learning, which you can access below. I definitely recommend that you listen to it. I also shared some of my own comments about it afterwards that you can hear.

Jen's VoiceThread

Emotions & Social Interaction VoiceThread

You can go to the link below to watch and hear my VoiceThread about the role of emotions and social interaction in learning, and how technology can help develop those skills.

VoiceThread

Plant Structure & Function Prezi Reflection

Here is the question I will be answering in this post: "In what practical ways can a media-infused presentation like the one you created help foster the development of both the disciplined and synthesizing minds?"

First of all, the "media-infused presentation" this question refers to is a prezi I made on plant structure and function, which I will be using with my students this coming year. Click here to view it.

Before I answer the above question, I should clarify what Howard Gardner's (2006) definition of a "disciplined" and "synthesizing" mind are. In his book, Five Minds for the Future, Gardner describes the necessity of developing 5 minds to be successful in our changing world. Those are the disciplined, synthesizing, creating, respectful, and ethical mind. I will probably be posting something related to each one this summer. For now, I will briefly describe the disciplined and synthesizing minds.

The disciplined mind, as Gardner (2006) would describe it, is when a person focuses on what they are learning, sticks with it continuously, and masters a skill or craft, which Gardner believes to take at least 10 years to do. An example of a person with a disciplined mind would be a surgeon, whose experience and continuing education enables them to master and constantly improve at patient care.

A synthesizing mind is when a person is able to gather information from completely different sources, boil all the information down to the main point(s), and then be able to clearly communicate that synthesized information with others. An example of a person with a synthesizing mind would be a teacher, since they are inundated with educational resources, but have to pick and choose what is most important and effective in helping their students learn.

With that background, I will now reflect on how my prezi will help foster those minds. I believe that it will help my students develop a more disciplined mind because they will need (and hopefully want to) stick with the prezi until it is completed. I will make sure they have enough time to go through the whole prezi too, since a plant's structure can only be fully understood when it is seen as a whole and not just parts. On the other hand, helping them 'zoom in' on the different parts of the plant will help their disciplined minds develop because they are getting a deeper understanding of the part compared to a basic definition. Plus, there are a couple of optional interactive activities in the prezi that allow them to dive even deeper to become more of an "expert" on plant structure and function. To go even further, this prezi will be placed in the midst of quizzes, discussions, and assignments on the topic, which will help my students "master" the content according to their developmental ability.

This prezi will definitely encourage my students' synthesizing mind because of the variety of media they will be exposed to within it. They will view pictures, text, diagrams, formulas, audio clips and video clips. The references alone will show them the spectrum of resources synthesized to create one harmonious, sequential presentation. I hope it will also be a good example of a clearly communicated presentation on a specific topic, that they can remember a lot from. But more than that, I hope it can be a good example of a well-synthesized presentation, so that they can in turn create their own prezis on a different topic. This prezi was a very effective project at helping me synthesize and filter information from various sources, and so I assume it will do the same for my students.

References

Gardner, Howard. (2006). Five minds for the Future. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Synthesizing Project

First of all, one should clearly understand the definition of synthesis before going about creating a synthesis project for students. According to Howard Gardner (2006), the creator of the theory of Multiple Intelligences (noted in an earlier blog post), synthesizing is "the ability to knit together information from disparate sources into a coherent whole" (p. 46). Disparate is means something that is different, but not comparable. In other words, the act of synthesizing would be more appropriate when trying to find similarities between a cat and a dog, not a dog and another dog.

Anyways, before you get lost in the vocabulary of this project, here is my idea to help students learn to synthesize, which I had my students do this last year in history class. While studying World War I & II, we watched videos, looked through books, and studied about it online. Then for a synthesis project, I had my students use the notes they had taken from each source to construct a digital timeline at www.tiki-toki.com, as well as US Government images. I required them to pick the same amount of events about each war in relation to their grade level. I also encouraged them to choose events that took place throughout the war and not just in one year or one location. Here is one of my student's timelines.

References

Gardner, H. (2006). Five Minds for the Future. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Digital Media Atomic Structure Lesson

One topic I plan on teaching this coming school year is the structure of atoms. To start off the lesson I would have students watch a short video to introduce them to structure of atoms. (Click here to watch the 17 minute video on atomic structure. You will need an account with Discovery Education to view it.) I would give them the included video quiz to help them have specific details they would be looking for throughout the video, and to check their understanding of it immediately afterwards. Then together we would choose one element from the periodic table. I would draw and project the image through the document camera, and have the students draw it as well - either on a tablet or piece of paper that they will share with me. After discussing the structure, I would let students choose, on a collaborative Google doc, which element they would like to study and present to the their peers. Their assignment would be to create a short video clip of themselves explaining the details of their element, and to use whatever materials they want to construct a 3D model, such as a hanging mobile, of the atomic structure. Or, they could make an animated powerpoint of their element to show the movement of the parts of the atom. To do all of that they would need to research their element online, or use an app of the periodic table if we purchase one. Another fun activity to include in their presentation would be to video record a group of students working together to act out the atomic structure of an element by each posing (or moving) as their assigned part. To conclude the lesson, students would post their presentations on a class wikispace, which I would help them with, and then comment on each other's presentations. Their feedback could include how their classmate's element's atomic structure compared to their own. 

My goals through this lesson would be to:

1. quickly provide some highlights (video) about atomic structure so they have some background knowledge to work with
2. motivate them to remember important facts about the topic (quiz)
3. draw and discuss an atom's structure together (document camera)
4. give students some ownership by letting them choose an element that interests them (google doc)
5. have students synthesize what they learned with me and their online (internet) research to create a presentation (video / powerpoint)
6. have students work in a group to act out an element's atomic structure (video camera)
7. have students share their presentation on a classroom webpage (wikispace), and give feedback on each other's presentations

With all of these activities combined, there would be multiple ways and times for me to check my students' understanding of the topic. In addition to making assessment more convenient for myself, these various ways would enable students with various strengths and learning styles to showcase their understanding with me and the class in a way that would be fun and natural for them. If any students struggle with how to accomplish any of the above goals, I could encourage peer-to-peer mentoring. As we all know, when you teach somebody else a skill or concept, your chances of remembering that skill or concept is a lot better. 

Multiple Intelligences & Higher-Level Thinking

Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory and Dr. Bloom's Taxonomy of higher-level thinking have greatly influenced how I teach and assess my students. If you aren't familiar with these, do yourself a favor and at least take a brief look at them. They will at least help you better understand each person's unique strengths and the characteristics of a critical thinker.

Being a visual learner, here is a diagram for each idea, as well as a link if you want to learn more:

Martin, A. (Artist). (2005). Multiple Intelligences. [Image]. Ann Arbor, MI; University of Michigan. Retrieved July 3, 2013, from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.martin/home

Bloom's Taxonomy. (2013, July 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:30, July 3, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy&oldid=562683312