Are You Suffering from Sage on the Stage Syndrome??

Hello All,

I recently had two students working on independent projects that were not turning out quite the way they were expecting. I was especially delighted about one not working out so well.  It excited me to be able to respond that sometimes one can learn just as much or more from something not working as it should as something that works out perfectly.  Happily, I could have probably typed out two pages of many ‘great scientists’ who made a mistake that led to a discovery or who while working on one thing changed direction in order to address another issue with the unexpected way the research had gone. With that tucked away somewhere in my mind, the title “How to Learn? From Mistakes” caught my attention.  As Dianne Laufenberg shares in her talk, the reminder is there sometimes the greatest way to learn is through mistakes.  Students need to fail some. I could relate to information she presented regarding the educational system and where the access to information has been located over the years.   I had to admit I had grown up in a culture where the teacher was usually the sage on the stage, the great dispenser of knowledge.  As a teacher, I continue the battle of transitioning away from becoming a sage on the stage teacher to more of a teacher that guides students to do, find, and explore on their own...'guide on the side' seems to be the current catch phrase. I find for some students that have been in the system of the teacher as the great dispenser of information, this can be a challenging transition.  Other students, it seems to open up a wonderful freeing creative process. I too agree with the speaker that often when I allow students to generate their own projects with minimal guidelines, much of the work I receive exceeds what I would have received with an extremely detailed rubric and exemplar. Students simply sometimes use resources and applications I am not up on.  Not only is there ownership and learning of content knowledge for the student, I often am able to learn from my students as well. Let’s face it, there is so much available in our digital age, it is impossible to be a true sage anymore.  In the present journey, I rather be a part of a community of learners where we are all learning from one another than one where I am a potential limit to who those in my classroom can become.

Happy to share the stage,

Mrs. A

Science and Math Review with Study Jams

Hello all,

There do not seem to be many tools to support students with the general science MAPS test.  There seems to be numerous resources available to students to improve their reading, language, and math scores. Beyond the MAPs test, it's nice to find additional study resources to reinforce concepts that go along with the science curriculum or from time to find resources that refresh students' memories of past science topics. I have found Scholastic's Study Jams fulfills both purposes of curriculum support and concept review from past years. Study Jams are available for both science and math. Many of the science Study Jams feature a video or slide show followed by test yourself questions. The questions are scored at the end and the reasoning for the correct answers is revealed by looking at feedback for each question.   Study Jams seems to be geared toward the 5th-8th grade crowd.  I've especially found it beneficial for the 6th grade reinforcement of topics. The test yourself questions work well for team trivia battles.

Happy studies,

Mrs. A

Happy Computer Science Education Week!

Hello All,

This week, Dec. 9-15, is Computer Science Education Week! Most schools offer a weak attempt to interest K-8th students in computer programming.  From what I have seen, a number of high schools lag in up to date technology offerings.  There's a class being offered at a nearby high school that causes me to reminisce of the old RadioShack Trash80s and early Apple IIs.  It even gives me the urge to introduce my own children to the version of  Oregon Trail that I recall playing on an Apple II. There are also many high schools producing quality courses with students well prepared to continue their technical education after graduation. Let's face it, the pathway for educators to receive a computer science license is fuzzy in many states and contributes to the issue of varying quality among K-12th tech programs along with funding.  Statistics seem to show there are many jobs available in computer science and the universities are not producing enough graduates to fill them.  If you would like to introduce a student to computer programming visit http://csedweek.org/learn. There are options to participate in the festivities this week and information on how to continue spreading the joy once the event is over.  If you are considering offering a class, there is also a free suggested curriculum. If programming isn't your strength, most offerings require the instructor to have little previous programming knowledge.  I can tell you both my children (late elementary and middle school) were able to easily manipulate Scratch without using the tutorials on the side.

Have you hugged a computer today{ }?

Celebrating tech time!

Mrs. A

MOSART

Misconceptions-Oriented Standards-based Assessment Resources 

for Teachers

Hello All,

Teaching and tutoring science and mathematics, I have learned students can have some interesting misconceptions.  Many misconceptions are fairly common, not necessarily tied to current or past instruction.  Sometimes it is easy to see how a student came to a certain way of thinking, other times it requires the teacher to question.   MOSART tests are distractor-driven multiple choice tests developed to assess understanding of science concepts within the National Science Education Standards (NSES) in grades K-12 in the areas of Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy/Space Science.  MOSART tests have the potential to be a powerful diagnostic tool for determining the level of understanding of each science concept along with determining where misconceptions may be hiding allowing teachers to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of a class or individuals.  At a later date, if desired, a parallel test could be administered as a post-test to check for students' growth during a course.  Teachers must take the short tutorials that explain how to use and understand the tests before being allowed to select tests.  After, the selected tests can be emailed to the teacher.  The key at the end of each test connects each question to a standard which may be used for more in-depth analyses.  This is followed by a list of common misconceptions for the grade level and subject.

Happy analyses,

Mrs. A

From the Classroom to the Garden

Hello All,

Seeing cucumbers and zucchini sitting on a counter recently led to some kids discussing their home gardens.  In our community, there are advertisements running to plant a row for a local food pantry.   Why not extend what students are learning in the classroom? Why not encourage students to start their own home gardens if some families are not gardening already?  Maybe it could turn into a service project to give back to the community? Why not use the grocery store as the source of seeds and recyclables as the source to start the new plants?  If going this route, it is best to select produce for home that is heirloom over hybrid if the intention is to save or plant the seeds.  We have had success planting the bases cut from celery and green onions.  Varieties of dry beans we have tried sprouted.   We even have had surprise extra tomato plants grow from our past garden compost.  There are many online articles and videos listing fruits and vegetables to try and information on seed and cutting care.  Depending on the zone one lives in, the options for what will do well and when vary.   Here, I have found the UW- Extension helpful in providing information about planting and harvesting.

Happy late gardening,

Mrs. A

Local Nature Resources

Hello All,

When my kids were much younger I enjoyed taking them to parks, state parks, and nature centers. I had the peaceful outdoor time I craved and they had vast areas to explore and run around.  As a science teacher, I have found state parks and nature centers to be a wonderful resource for pamphlets, guides, workshops and a valuable connection to other government resources.  Recently, I was able to score some guides on common forest trees in our state and pamphlets referencing invasive species in our area.  There were a few books available for review and purchase showcasing regional wildlife.  If your school is strapped for providing resources, it may be time to look for some low cost and no cost alternatives and training other places.  Great local places to check are nature centers, state park offices, museums, departments of natural resources/environmental protection/agriculture, and university extension programs.

Cheers to appreciating nature locally,

Mrs. A

On Standards

Hello All,

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

I haven’t taken the time to sit down and read the Center on Education Policy’s Year 3 of Implementing the Common Core State Standards: An Overview of States’ Progress and Challenges.  I made a quick scan of the 20 page report after reading the article, Admins Predict Changes in Rigor, Instruction Under Common Core by Laura Devaney in eSchool News August 8, 2013 that referenced it.  While there is no ground breaking information in the article beyond the link to the report, it does remind me that the CCSS have a direct impact on science education.  After all, I have spent time tying CCSS into a unit plan with state standards and local learning targets.  The CCSS have me paying more attention to where and how colleagues work literacy into their content areas, not necessarily science.  I’ve been much more aware of the role literacy plays in my own preparations.  I cannot deny the changes in rigor seeing the increase in Lexile range for grade levels and the writing emphases.  Being associated with some that provide professional development, I’ve been able to hear about the challenges and progress being made in school districts in our state.  I realize my thoughts are focusing more on the Language Arts side of the Common Core State Standards; I appreciate and value math in science education as well. It seems the math side of science has had more attention with STEM in the news for many years.  As an educator, I am thankful there has been effort placed in referencing the Common Core State Standards in the Next Generation Science Standards as I expect there to be a push to align curriculum with NGSS over the next few years.  I have to admit including that information may make the transition to NGSS move along faster coming out so close to the implementation of CCSS.

Happy reading,

Mrs. A

Sharing Works

Hello All,

By LuMaxArt

There’s much concern and conversation over how to protect one’s own work and how to know which type of permissions are allowed when considering the use of others copyrighted work.  As educators, there is a site that can remove some of the guess work for us and for our students. I recommend spending some time becoming familiar with Creative Commons.  If you are looking for media to use, Creative Commons allows one to search media through different search sites selecting certain permissions.   If you are looking for ways to protect or share your own work, Creative Commons provides a number of licenses to help clarify what the creator has allowed or not allowed.    

Happy sharing,

Mrs. A

Free Introduction to Web 2.0 Tools Mini E-course

Hello All,

Powerful Learning Practice is a site geared more toward paid for professional development.  There is an Intro to Web 2.0 Tools mini-course offered for free through the site.  The learner receives an email each day for two weeks highlighting a different Web 2.0 tool.  The mini-course introduces blogging, wikis, social bookmarking, Twitter, Ning, videos and so much more.  The course content is easy to follow and relevant. At the end, the learner receives a nifty badge like the one to the right to add to a site, blog, or other space determined to be worthy and of course to advertise for PLP. By no means do I consider myself a Web 2.0 Tools Master, I did gather some new ideas and resources during the journey.  In the store there are also two free resources under Free Stuff, the Connected Educator Starter Kit and the Connected Teacher: Powering Up. 

Happy exploring,

Mrs. A

I Still Don't Understand Chemistry!

Hello All,

After a vacation or illness it can be challenging for some students to get back on track.  Ugh, when some are stuck on a new concept it can be helpful to see information presented a few different ways.  I have found the Mr. Causey’s World Presents Chemistry site to be a useful resource for chemistry tutorials.   On Mr. Causey’s Video Academy YouTube channel the short videos, usually less than ten minutes, are well done and beneficial for high school chemistry students.  If one has time to explore further, Mr. Causey’s World and Mr. Causey’s Video Academy also cover other areas of science and math.

Happy exploring,

Mrs. A

LEGO Cells and the Virtual Microscope

Hello All,

I recently ran across a terrific introduction to cellular biology video, Cells - The LEGO Building Blocks of Life! by ExSciEd. As the title suggests LEGOs are used to introduce the basic building blocks of life, cells. Click below to see more:  
Still thinking of cells, there are numerous interactive microscope sites out there. Many are geared toward simply clicking on a slide to instantly view. Some allow zooming in and out. The most well known interactive microscope site for intermediate school to high school use is probably Bob Ketcham’s UD Virtual Compound Microscope. The simulation is a wonderful substitute if one does not have access to compound microscopes in the classroom.  It's also possibly a good way to cut back on damaged slides or objectives by having students practice before using an actual compound microscope.  The site offers a detailed interactive tutorial from the on-off switch to fine adjustment. Through the simulation, students are provided opportunities to view some of the more common curricula classic slides such as the onion root tip, bacteria capsule and cheek smear. 

Celebrating the cell,

Mrs. A

Wikispaces Classroom is PBL Friendly

Hello All,

I recently attended the webinar Wikispaces Classroom Tour through Wikispaces.  The features are quite impressive and I found Wikispaces Classroom easy to navigate and use.  With all the buzz about Project Based Learning (PBL) and authentic assessment in education circles, the one feature that stood out to me was Projects.  The teacher can create the project, add dates to the calendar, create teams, and view user activity.  Teams can be created by dragging and dropping member names, randomly assigning members using the team generator, or uploading members from a spreadsheet.  The privacy settings can be set for only the team to edit, for other members of the Wiki to view but not edit, or for other members of the Wiki to also edit.  Numerous pages for the project can be setup for the teams by the teacher or the teacher can allow permission for each team to add pages for the project.   Under the assessment tab, the teacher can view who is online and whether each person is reading, writing, or has saved.  This information can be accessed searching by users or by projects.  If you are curious about the other features available at Wikispaces Classroom, visit the About Wikispaces Classroom link here: http://www.wikispaces.com/content/classroom/about.

Happy potential PBL,

Mrs. A

It's All Elemental My Dear...

Hello All,

I absolutely love the setup of the Ptable, interactive periodic table.  My only complaint as an educator is that it references Wikipedia for in depth descriptions of each element.  There are many other positive notable uses for the site such as the properties tab for melting points and boiling points or checking electron configuration answers under the orbitals tab.

The Visual Elements Periodic Table is an interactive periodic table providing many of the features of the Ptable along with interesting short Podcasts about each element and short video clips of each element.  There is also an alchemy tab.  This could be a nice addition to a 'golden' penny lab, where students turn copper into 'gold'.  My preference is for a procedure that avoids NaOH. 

Here is something unique and fun, The Periodic Table of Comic Books.  Simply click on an element to find corresponding comic book pages.  Not all elements will have a referenced comic book page.  There is also The Photographic Periodic Table of Elements offering many photographs of each element or use of each element along with basic property information.

All of this online periodic table viewing leaves me wanting more.  I may have to spend the evening reading the book The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean.  I can’t wait to take in all the different ways the periodic table and its elements have been interwoven throughout history, good and bad.  It's been pointed out it is a great read, though it may contain a few scientific errors.

Enjoy the beauty of the periodic table,

Mrs. A

PhET Sims

Hello All, 

I imagine the PhET website has been reviewed ad nauseam.  I have been waiting for some time to share my enthusiasm over this resource.  PhET offers various interactive science simulations.  My interest there has primarily been chemistry; the other branches of science are well represented along with math.  One can search the simulations by subject and grade level.  Once a simulation has been selected a list of lesson ideas can be found below the simulation.  There are options for running the simulations either directly using the website or downloading to another device.  Under the teacher tab, educators have access to past workshop materials regarding how to integrate the simulations into teaching. Another exciting feature of this site is the materials can be translated using the PhET Translation Utility for another possible way to reach students where language is a potential barrier. The only down side I see here is that the simulations do not work with or do not work well with Ipad, Android, or tablets.  Most of the simulations require the use of a keyboard and/or mouse.  See the embedded Salts and Solubility simulation below if you are curious to see a sample of what the site has to offer.

Enjoy playing,

Mrs. A

Click to Run

Fun with Strawberries

Hello All,

Strawberries are in season and it is time for some summer fun!  There are many great resources online for strawberry DNA extraction.  Strawberries are easy to work with and offer plentiful DNA yields.  Students’ having a visible model to work with makes it easier to introduce certain genetic concepts.  I recommend Science Buddies: Do-it-Yourself DNA.  The setup is friendly to those that have more of a kitchen chemistry setting in their classroom.  Science Buddies is also a great site for science fair project reference and ideas. 

If you prefer a site with a thorough lesson plan written out to span 7^th-12^th grade, view the ucbiotech.org education resource Strawberry DNA Extraction.  It contains references to the National Education Science Standards from 1996.  Steve Spangler Science also offers a procedure video with access to the written online experiment, Strawberry DNA – Food Science.  The Steve Spangler Science site is an outstanding resource for the science classroom when searching for hands-on activities.

From here, you may want to search for DNA extraction explanation videos.  It may be interesting to experiment with other fruits or vegetables such as onion, banana, or kiwi.  This may also be a good time for students to isolate their own DNA from cheek cells or other skin cells.  In the summer, I'm partial to strawberries.

Happy extracting,

Mrs. A

The Chemistry of Fireworks

Hello All,

Fireworks by Anna Langova

Have you ever wondered how firework manufacturers test their goods to insure the desired height, color, and pattern are achieved?  Watch this great 3 minute video from Weird Science: I Didn't Know That Fireworks.

Balloon demonstrations are shown in the short video, Kid Guides: The Science of Fireworks using chemicals that produce various firework colors.  During the introduction, the proper packing for producing designs is discussed.

Still looking for an explanation with a bit more depth and a tad more chemistry, try reading Chemical of the Week: Fireworks!  The site is part of the Science is Fun in the Lab of Shakhashiri out of University of Wisconsin - Madison. If you are a chemistry teacher or soon will cover a unit on chemistry, I encourage you after reading through the information on fireworks to go to http://www.scifun.org/.  Dr. Shakhashiri’s site is an outstanding resource for the chemistry classroom.

Here is a well written blog article, How do Fireworks Work by Melissae Fellet.  It includes the video The Chemistry of Fireworks featuring Dr. John Conkling.

Often when I think of fireworks, I think of the classic flame test lab we performed in a college chemistry lab.  It’s easy to search and find many lab procedures for the flame test lab.  I like Lab: Flame Tests by Aaron Keller.  In addition to the basic flame test procedure, he integrated his own introduction video, a reference to the Nova Fireworks! video, and includes information about fireworks within the lab. Upon clicking the Nova link, I found 2 short video clips on fireworks.  The second, The Rockets Blue Glare is most relevant to the flame test lab.  

A little something extra, the anatomies of some favorite consumer fireworks can be found at PyroUniverse.com: How Fireworks Work.  Please read the disclaimer at the bottom of the site’s page.  The Nova link from the tab listed above also includes information on the anatomy of fireworks.

Happy 4th of July,

Mrs. A

Common Core State Standards and Readability

Hello All,

With the implementation of Common Core State Standards, it occurred to me secondary science teachers are likely thinking more about the readability of materials chosen for the classroom.  If you are not familiar with Lexiles or the changes in the Lexile ranges for grade bands, a great place to learn more is The Lexile Framework for Reading.  The site allows one to search for books by Lexile measure or grade level.  The title of a book can also be entered to find the Lexile measure if the information has been documented.  The site further provides the option of a Lexile Analyzer to find the Lexile measure of text from other sources.  Personally,  I prefer Readability-Score.com for analyzing text since I can simply copy and paste the text to be analyzed.  The Lexile Analyzer from the previous site requires one to format the text a certain way before submitting for analysis.  Readability-Score.com also evaluates the text according to a number of readability formulas along with providing text statistics such as words per sentence and sentence count.  Word and Outlook utilize the Flesch Reading Ease formula, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula, and text statistics to determine the readability of the text.  

Readability Statistics in Word

In both Word and Outlook, go to the Review tab, click on Spelling and Grammar, go to Options, and check the Show readability statistics box – may also need to check the Check grammar with spelling box in order for the Show readability statistics box to allow a check.  

Feel free to research the various readability tests further on your own.  There is plenty of debate in the areas of literacy, Lexile, other readability tests, and education within the United States.

Happy analysis,

Mrs. A

Rader's Physics for Kids

Hello All,

There is a terrific site called Rader’s Physics for Kids.   Many physics concepts are introduced here without relying heavily on mathematics.  While the site name states for kids, it proves to be of value for secondary students who need to review or need clarification on material being learned.  Major concepts covered include motion and mechanics, electricity and magnetism, heat and thermodynamics, light and optics, and modern physics (nuclear, quantum, etc.).  Rader’s Physics for Kids also offers a number of quizzes for students to self-check for understanding.  The site relies heavily on text; reading comprehension may be a challenge for some students.  The content ranks mostly between a 7th to 10th grade level according to Readability-Score.com.

Andrew Rader with the help of volunteers created Rader’s Physics for Kids along with many sites including Chem4Kids, Biology4Kids, Geography4Kids (Earth science), Cosmos4Kids, and NumberNut.com.  All of these science sites and the math site can be found at Kapili.com.  The sites have received various recognitions since 1997.

Happy exploring,

Mrs. A

Clean Science Humor

Hello All,

I read a blurb about Pedro Martinez handing out Good Humor ice cream to Red Sox fans and for some reason it reminded me about the power of humor in teaching.  It also reminded me, sports references have aided me in the classroom with connecting students to content.  Here are a few references for science jokes.  Check out this video from Coma Niddy with some Really Bad Science Jokes at the secondary level.  Looking for something geared more toward all ages, try Science Kids Science Jokes.  Jokes and Science is a wonderful site with jokes divided into topics for use with students K-12.   There are numerous science joke sites out there, due to content or title not all are appropriate to be referenced in the classroom.
Hmm...perhaps a science-sports posting to come in the future.

May you laugh some each day,

Mrs. A

If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.  Proverb

The M in STEM.

Hello All,

Math and science are beautifully intertwined.  No surprise, I have a great appreciation for many things STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related.  The University of Cambridge NRICH is a wonderful resource for math and STEM activities.  There are elementary and secondary offerings for both students and teachers.  Curious, I clicked the lower level secondary link and followed the STEM link at the top of the page. This led to some interesting math based STEM activities under the Living World and Physical World.  I especially enjoyed exploring the genetics option.

Alcumus is another site that caught my attention in the online world of mathematics. If you are familiar with Math Counts, Math Counts Minis are available here. Students can compete with other students through AoPS for the Win, FTW!  FTW! encourages students development of skills for middle school level math competitions. Students can also take advantage of the adaptive curriculum that chooses questions based on the students previous performance.  There is quite the selection of short math videos.  If one prefers, there are math and programming courses that may be paid for as well.

Happy calculating,

Mrs. A