JoinSay Cheese! Digital Collections in the Classroom
Children love gadgets. And what better "gadget" to work with in the classroom than a digital camera? Digital cameras are easy to find, easy to use, and offer great potential for incorporating technology into your lessons. One fourth-grade class embarked on a world of discovery through the lens of their digital camera. They captured collections of leaves and bark in order to identify the trees located on their school property. The students classified their subjects and presented them to the class through powerpoint presentations and scrapbooks.
Children love gadgets. And what better "gadget" to work with in the classroom than a digital camera? Digital cameras are easy to find, easy to use, and offer great potential for incorporating technology into your lessons. One fourth-grade class embarked on a world of discovery through the lens of their digital camera. They captured collections of leaves and bark in order to identify the trees located on their school property. The students classified their subjects and presented them to the class through powerpoint presentations and scrapbooks.
Children love gadgets. And what better "gadget" to work with in the classroom than a digital camera? Digital cameras are easy to find, easy to use, and offer great potential for incorporating technology into your lessons. One fourth-grade class embarked on a world of discovery through the lens of their digital camera. They captured collections of leaves and bark in order to identify the trees located on their school property. The students classified their subjects and presented them to the class through powerpoint presentations and scrapbooks.
Favorite Demonstration: One Hot Demonstration -- The Urban Heat Island Effect
Demonstrations are most successful as a teaching tool when they can link a scientific principle to a real-life application of the knowledge. When posed as an inquiry activity, classroom demonstrations reinforce factual retention and facilitate the use of the information in critical thinking situations. Instructional effectiveness can be further improved by using the demonstration to stimulate collaborative problem-solving projects. This demonstration uses the concept of the urban heat island effect to reinforce science concepts in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics.
Demonstrations are most successful as a teaching tool when they can link a scientific principle to a real-life application of the knowledge. When posed as an inquiry activity, classroom demonstrations reinforce factual retention and facilitate the use of the information in critical thinking situations. Instructional effectiveness can be further improved by using the demonstration to stimulate collaborative problem-solving projects. This demonstration uses the concept of the urban heat island effect to reinforce science concepts in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics.
Demonstrations are most successful as a teaching tool when they can link a scientific principle to a real-life application of the knowledge. When posed as an inquiry activity, classroom demonstrations reinforce factual retention and facilitate the use of the information in critical thinking situations. Instructional effectiveness can be further improved by using the demonstration to stimulate collaborative problem-solving projects. This demonstration uses the concept of the urban heat island effect to reinforce science concepts in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics.
Research and Teaching: Assessment Results Following Inquiry and Traditional Physics Laboratory Activities
Preservice elementary teachers in a conceptual physics course were given multiple resources to use during several inquiry activities in order to investigate how materials were chosen, used, and valued. These students performed significantly better on assessment items related to the inquiry physics activities than on items related to traditional activities, regardless of the level of success on the inquiry activities.
Preservice elementary teachers in a conceptual physics course were given multiple resources to use during several inquiry activities in order to investigate how materials were chosen, used, and valued. These students performed significantly better on assessment items related to the inquiry physics activities than on items related to traditional activities, regardless of the level of success on the inquiry activities.
Preservice elementary teachers in a conceptual physics course were given multiple resources to use during several inquiry activities in order to investigate how materials were chosen, used, and valued. These students performed significantly better on assessment items related to the inquiry physics activities than on items related to traditional activities, regardless of the level of success on the inquiry activities.
Society for College Science Teachers: What They Don't Know
When you read the title, your first thought it was probably about the undergraduates you are teaching and perhaps some "common scientific knowledge" that they should have acquired in high school. Perhaps you started lamenting about the reading, writing, or analytical skills they lack. Then again, it might have been their lack of critical thinking skills. However, the students in question are graduate students and the knowledge to which is referenced is not factual, conceptual, or related to the scientific process--it is about their careers and what is in store for them.
When you read the title, your first thought it was probably about the undergraduates you are teaching and perhaps some "common scientific knowledge" that they should have acquired in high school. Perhaps you started lamenting about the reading, writing, or analytical skills they lack. Then again, it might have been their lack of critical thinking skills. However, the students in question are graduate students and the knowledge to which is referenced is not factual, conceptual, or related to the scientific process--it is about their careers and what is in store for them.
When you read the title, your first thought it was probably about the undergraduates you are teaching and perhaps some "common scientific knowledge" that they should have acquired in high school. Perhaps you started lamenting about the reading, writing, or analytical skills they lack. Then again, it might have been their lack of critical thinking skills. However, the students in question are graduate students and the knowledge to which is referenced is not factual, conceptual, or related to the scientific process--it is about their careers and what is in store for them.
Editor's Corner: Community Collaboration
Science activities that take students outside the school walls can combine the best aspects of service to the community, problem-based learning, and lessons in good citizenship. Over the past half-decade, The Science Teacher (TST) has published more than 50 articles featuring community partnership programs. The current issue takes you on a tour of community-teacher-student success stories from Virginia to Alaska and Hawaii, as noted by the Field Editor in this month's Editor's Corner. In addition, an overview of the upcoming focus themes for the 2006-2007 issues of TST is featured.
Science activities that take students outside the school walls can combine the best aspects of service to the community, problem-based learning, and lessons in good citizenship. Over the past half-decade, The Science Teacher (TST) has published more than 50 articles featuring community partnership programs. The current issue takes you on a tour of community-teacher-student success stories from Virginia to Alaska and Hawaii, as noted by the Field Editor in this month's Editor's Corner. In addition, an overview of the upcoming focus themes for the 2006-2007 issues of TST is featured.
Science activities that take students outside the school walls can combine the best aspects of service to the community, problem-based learning, and lessons in good citizenship. Over the past half-decade, The Science Teacher (TST) has published more than 50 articles featuring community partnership programs. The current issue takes you on a tour of community-teacher-student success stories from Virginia to Alaska and Hawaii, as noted by the Field Editor in this month's Editor's Corner. In addition, an overview of the upcoming focus themes for the 2006-2007 issues of TST is featured.
Favorite Demonstration: Demonstrating Translation With a Student-Centered Activity
The process of protein synthesis translation is difficult for many students to understand. The reasons for this include the fact that it is difficult to visualize the process since the components involved in the process are not observable. Also, there are many details, often dependent on each other and difficult to grasp independently that are necessary to know in order to understand the process. With that in mind, an interactive group demonstration was developed to help students vizualize the process of translation.
The process of protein synthesis translation is difficult for many students to understand. The reasons for this include the fact that it is difficult to visualize the process since the components involved in the process are not observable. Also, there are many details, often dependent on each other and difficult to grasp independently that are necessary to know in order to understand the process. With that in mind, an interactive group demonstration was developed to help students vizualize the process of translation.
The process of protein synthesis translation is difficult for many students to understand. The reasons for this include the fact that it is difficult to visualize the process since the components involved in the process are not observable. Also, there are many details, often dependent on each other and difficult to grasp independently that are necessary to know in order to understand the process. With that in mind, an interactive group demonstration was developed to help students vizualize the process of translation.
Giant Ants and Walking Plants: Using Science Fiction to Teach a Writing-Intensive, Lab-Based Biology Class for Nonmajors
This writing-intensive, lab-based, nonmajor biology course explores scientific inquiry and biological concepts through specific topics illustrated or inaccurately depicted in works of science fiction. The laboratory emphasizes the scientific method and introduces several techniques used in biological research related to the works we study.
This writing-intensive, lab-based, nonmajor biology course explores scientific inquiry and biological concepts through specific topics illustrated or inaccurately depicted in works of science fiction. The laboratory emphasizes the scientific method and introduces several techniques used in biological research related to the works we study.
This writing-intensive, lab-based, nonmajor biology course explores scientific inquiry and biological concepts through specific topics illustrated or inaccurately depicted in works of science fiction. The laboratory emphasizes the scientific method and introduces several techniques used in biological research related to the works we study.
Safety First!
Working with young children and chemicals requires attention to safety. This article details the experiences of a third-grade teacher who used a “disaster” to create a hands-on inquiry that introduces children to chemistry safety during a third-grade acid/base exploration.
Working with young children and chemicals requires attention to safety. This article details the experiences of a third-grade teacher who used a “disaster” to create a hands-on inquiry that introduces children to chemistry safety during a third-grade acid/base exploration.
Working with young children and chemicals requires attention to safety. This article details the experiences of a third-grade teacher who used a “disaster” to create a hands-on inquiry that introduces children to chemistry safety during a third-grade acid/base exploration.
Are you still using 20th century techniques to teach science to 21st century students? Update your practices as you learn about current theory and research with the authoritative Handbook of College Science Teaching. The Handbook offers models of teaching and learning that go beyond the typical lecture-laboratory format and provides rationales for updated practices in the college classroom. The 38 chapters—each written by experienced, award-winning science faculty—are organized into eight sections:
Are you still using 20th century techniques to teach science to 21st century students? Update your practices as you learn about current theory and research with the authoritative Handbook of College Science Teaching. The Handbook offers models of teaching and learning that go beyond the typical lecture-laboratory format and provides rationales for updated practices in the college classroom. The 38 chapters—each written by experienced, award-winning science faculty—are organized into eight sections:
Since their release in 1996, the National Science Education Standards have provided the vision for science education reform. But has that reform actually taken hold in elementary school? “Yes!,” reports Robert Yager, editor of Exemplary Science in Grades PreK–4: Standards-Based Success Stories. “Probably the Standards have done more to change science in elementary schools than has occurred at the other grade levels.”
Since their release in 1996, the National Science Education Standards have provided the vision for science education reform. But has that reform actually taken hold in elementary school? “Yes!,” reports Robert Yager, editor of Exemplary Science in Grades PreK–4: Standards-Based Success Stories. “Probably the Standards have done more to change science in elementary schools than has occurred at the other grade levels.”