Cool Science Interaction!

Subject: Science
Grade: Three
Source-URL: http://pbskids.org/zoom/games/goldburgertogo/index.html

Description: I would use this website as a fun activity for grade three students as an introduction the Testing and Design unit. I would have each student work individually or in partners to try and complete the puzzle. I think it would be a fun way to get students thinking about how systems are designed and suitable materials to use in real life designs.
I would then have the students plan out a simple machine that they could design and build.

Planning and Prep: I would email the direct link to each student, (having checked it works of course) to save time having them find the site. This would eliminate wasting time (at my practicum the school has provided each student with an email account). The game may take an entire class for some students. Having some of them in partners allows students to help each other out. Not all students are computer savvy or mechanically minded. As they finish they could then move back into the classroom. In groups of three, they are given a handout with the activity explained. Each group will have access to a number of items (wood, cans, nails, doweling, hinges, rubber tubing, etc.) As a group they would begin to design their own machine on poster paper that is provided. The design process may take some time, potentially another class. However, boredom would hopefully be abated by the thought that they actually would get to build their machine once the teacher has approved their design. Once students have a teacher approved design, it is construction time!

GLO:
3–8 Evaluate the suitability of different materials and designs for their use in a building task.

SLO:
5. Apply procedures to test different designs.

ICT Outcomes:
C6- Students will use technology to investigate and/or solve problems.
C7- Students will use electronic research techniques to construct personal knowledge and meaning.
F6-Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of the operating skills required in a variety of technologies.
P2-Students will organize and manipulate data.

Internet Safety!

If there was ever was someone who was reluctant to bring internet into the classroom it would be me. There are too many horror stories of children being abused and taken advantage of over the internet for me to be completly comfortable allowing my students free access to the internet. However I think the idea of a webquest is a good one. It provides students with access to information, so they can construct their own learning, but it also does it in a way that the teacher can monitor and control with the students are viewing over the internet. It also saves time, as students are not wasting time trying to find information. The teacher has already previewed and deemed that information as accurate and usable. I think that as a teacher I would definetly use webquests for my students, they are time consuming to make, but kids already spend much time on the internet, so webquests allow them to learn information in a fun and relevant context. However, I think it is also an important responsiblity at the beginning of the year to review internet safety. This could be done through a class discussion, by talking about what information is safe to give out over the internet; reviewing unacceptable behavior such as bullying over the internet or text messaging. A discussion would be effective for older grades, but for elementary school, it might be more effective to have the students go online and play some games such as The Three little pigs, on web awareness at http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/special_initiatives/web_awareness/index.cfm .

Spreadsheets and the Classroom

While they can be slightly frusterating to use at times, spreadsheets can offer many uses in the classroom. For the teacher they are an invaluable tool for keeping track of marks and student progress. Spreadsheets could also be used as a tool to keep track of their own marks. It could be used in math for doing assignments on averages, means, modes etc. It could be used in a science class for students to create charts about animal populations in certain areas. Or keeping track of the weather throughout the year. As an English major, I struggled with how to use spreadsheets in an Language arts class. But during the tutorials I came accross a brillian idea of using spreadsheets to create timelines. A lesson that I could do in my coming practicum to get to know the kids, would be have them create a their very own timeline about themselves. It would be autobiographical and they could include events they thought were important about their lives. Once each child has completed their timeline, we will print them out and they could bring pictures of themselves to glue to the timelines and we could post them all over the classroom. That way each child can display their work of art proudly, but also have the opportunity to learn about their peers.

Discussion Forums in the Classroom

I have never been involved in a Discussion Forum online before. I was a little skeptical at first, but after having browsed several forums and having posted my own I can see now the value of Discussion Forums. One really great thing about an online discussion is that it causes the teacher to take a backseat and allows the students to do the talking and sharing. One thing we are always talking about in class is how to get more than 2-3 students to put their hands up in class. Things such as wait times, giving students time to think about the question such as write down an answer or pair-in-share are all strategies to get more students to participate. But an online discussion could be a solution. Students have plenty of time to look at a question and formulate an opinion or answer, they can refer back to class notes and make an informed, intelligent answer. As each student comments it also opens up opportunity for them to learn from their peers and see from a perspective other than the teacher's.
One problem I do have with online discussion is that it decreases the face to face interaction of a classroom. The social interaction and class conversations are important to a students development. As students get older they will be expected to answer questions and formulate opinions without prep-time. So I think its important to incorporate both in-class and on-line discussion.
5 ways to enhance classroom discussion
1. Students will go home at the end of each day and ask and comment on a question pertaining to a topic that was discussed in class that day.
2. After group presentations on Canadian politics, the discussion about each topic will take place on-line to ensure each student gets a voice and the discussion can be ongoing and not bound by time constraints.
3. During an English class, as each person finishes the assigned chapter from the class novel, they will go on-line and share/discuss the theme of the chapter, the plot development/character development and their prediction of how the book will end.
4. After a class field trip to the museum, students will go online and write a post about what they learned that day and ask a question about what they still want to know after the trip. They must then comment or answer (if they can) on another student's post.
5. Since math is something that many people struggle with, students can go online during an assignment and post a question about a concept they are struggling with. This allows for peer-tutoring. Also the teacher could post a few problem solving questions and students must as a class discuss the answer and come to a concensus as to the answer.

Concept Maps and Writing Stories

I’ve never been a big fan of concept maps, especially in an English class. Normally I just write out a bit of an outline, or general ideas and just start writing. However, after using Inspiration to create a concept map I’m actually quite excited about using them in my classroom. Inspiration is very easy to use, but concept mapping is a very simple way of jotting down ideas and keeping thoughts organized. My concept map is about the things you need to write a story. After seeing the finished product I can definitely see how seeing this information organized in such a way would help students understand how to write a story. As they begin to write the story they could create their own concept maps and fill in the different bubbles. Who the characters are, what they like, don’t like; where the setting takes place; what happens in the beginning, middle, end of the plot? Then all the students need to do is take the information off of the web and translate it into an actual story. This could keep them from getting overwhelmed and would help them organize their ideas in a very efficient way. It also fulfills the ICT learner outcomes: C4-Students will use organizational processes and tools to manage inquiry. C6-Students will use technology to investigate and /or solve problems. F2-Students will understand eh role of technology as it applies to self, work and society. F6- Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of the operating skills required in a variety of technologies. P2-Studetns will organize and manipulate data.