Lesson 7 WebQuests

This week we learned about webquests. These were new to me but I found them quite interesting. I think I could find some new ideas to use in my instruction. This is a great way for teachers to share ideas and use them to create their own projects.
We were instructed to go to the website QuestGarden.com and sign up for a free 30 day trial. We were then instructed to create a webquest that we could use in our classroom. The site was set up so it walked you through the process. It also gave suggestions and examples to follow. Using this tool, I created a webquest on nuclear power plants since I teach chemistry.
In the webquest I instructed the student to imagine that their community was being evaluated as a potential site for a new nuclear power plant. The idea was for them to learn about nuclear reactions and nuclear power plants. They were to evaluate the pros and cons of the plant coming to their hometown. By using this information, they were to form an opinion on whether they would be for or against the new addition to the neighborhood.
The students were instructed to look at radiation and the effect it has on the environment. They were also instructed to look at the safety precautions that these plants take to protect the surroundings. Basically, the students were instructed to determine if the benefits outweigh the risks. The stakes are higher if you take the position of someone who would be living in the community. I wanted to see, if put in this situation, if they would feel protected or not.
There were several things I hoped the students would learn from this webquest. Of course the first was about the nuclear reactions. Second, I wanted them to learn the good and the bad of nuclear energy. I wanted them to be able to make informed and educated decisions based on facts. I also wanted them to look at alternative energy. With the world concerned about global warming and environmental issues, the students will be exposed to new energy sources. I hope through this webquest, they would realize the importance of learning more about a new energy source before judging it. Lastly, I wanted them to make an informed opinion based on facts and be able to defend it. This can be applied to several areas of their lives.

Lesson 3

As I reviewed the documents I had one stood out that I should spend some time on to improve. I hand out this packet to the chemistry students when I go over ionic bonding. I love the cartoon and I think the students also like it. It helps them remember what ionic bonding is about in a new way (even if it's funny). It explains the concept that is common in everything. That is that opposites attract. The catoon also plays on how easily students can be distracted by something outside the classroom especially the opposite sex.

The thing that was distracting about the picture was the font and the font's color. Originally, all I had was the caption in basic black. I felt it somewhat blended into the picture and was not as noticeable was I wanted. I also felt that I should have a discription at the bottom to add to the explaination of what ionic bonding is and how the picture represents it.

Another thing I changes was the size of the picture. Initially, it took up almost the entire page. I felt that the colors and images were a bit to "busy" for the document and distracting. I keep the image the same except I shrunk it down to allow more room for additional text and explanation. The smaller picture and additional text allow the document itself to be more concise and more appealing to the eyes of the reader.

I really do not use flyers or newsletters often. This is a new experience for me. I can see the benifit of sending a newsletter home but I wonder how many would make it home to the parent. Handouts I give the students are found all over my classroom at the end of the day. I have had a few parents interested in what we are doing but I find a lot of the students do not want their parents to know what is going on in their school life. In high school the "privacy thing" is really important to many students. They like to keep their life outside home to themselves. Even with handouts I give them, several of them do no think twice about leaving them in the room for the custodians to throw out.

Parents with students at the high school age seem to be less involved than they are when the students where in elementary school. They are allowing their students to become adults. When students are younger, I see the need for flyers, newletters or calenders. I also see the need for them in certain high school classes such as band to allow the student to keep track of practices. As for what I teach, I may try a newsletter next year or a calender for the students so they know when subjects will be taught. I really do not think that many newletters will not make it to the parents but I could try it to prove myself wrong.

Lesson 2

I am so excited about what found! I found 2 website (so far). One talks about databases and their use in Chemistry. That one is http://www.rsc.org/education/teachers/learnnet/pdf/LearnNet/rsc/thatschem-ict.pdf. It talks about how to use speadsheets for manipulating data from lab experiments. I guess I had never really thought about using a spreadsheet in order to understand the data better. The problem is that we do not have computers readily available. We have a few computer labs and some laptops we can bring into the room but you have to sign up to use them about a month and a half in advance.
I have used the computers before to let the students research information before we begin a lab. They really enjoy exploring about the lab on their own. I wish I had more available access to computers to allow them to do this more often. I feel they get more out of the class if they are able to research on their own more.
The best website so far is
http://www.martindalecenter.com/Calculators3B_1_AD.html#CHEM-CHEMLAG.
This website is a database that has a collection of sites with lectures, models, experiments, virtual labs, demonstrations and more. There is so much information I could use from this website. I have the problem of teaching Chemistry in a classroom with no water, no gas for burners and no fumehood. This really puts me at a disadvantage for doing labs. I can't do too much with chemicals do to safety concerns. If a student spills something on themselves, we cannot clean it or them up easily. Depending on the chemical, this could do serious harm to the student. I have been looking for alternatives for the actual labs I'd like to do in class. With this website, I could find virtual labs or demonstrations. Virtual labs are labs that are shown so the students can see the reaction without getting exposed to anything harmful. They are shown the lab via video. It's not as fun as doing an experiment but it is safer.
Another thing I like about this site is it provides a source for me (as a new teacher) for additional notes, lecture ideas and models. Chemistry is a hard concept for some students and any additional information I can have to help me teach better I could use. Models would also help out because the students could actually see what is happening or how a molecule is shaped. There are a lot of students who are visual learners and these models can help them better understand.
In the future, I plan on using these and additional websites to help me become a better teacher. I know some of my co workers use other websites. Until this class, I had not check out any to see what was out there to use. I'm glad this class had me do this.

EDOL533 Lesson 1

I learned many things that surprised me. I guess I just really didn't think about the word "technology" in a broad scense. The first thing I thought of was computers and software. I hadn't even considered things like books, tv's, handhelds, and all the other types. When I read chapter 1 and saw the figure on page 6, it made me realize how many things fit into that category. Technology can be old or new. I generally think of the latter.
The ideas of all the different associations, societies and standards are somewhat confusing. What I basically got from all of it was they wanted constistencey thoughout the educational system to ensure the same standards were being met and training was done the same way. I am surprised that the states can either adopt or refer the national standard. It would make scense to me to get more uniformity between the states. We all want the students to recieve the best education. More uniformity between states may help keep the states equal in what they provide.
I think it is a good idea to have both the technology standards for teachers and students. Each need something different in order to achieve that education goal. Students need to be kept up to date on what is available for them to use to better themseles. I am surprised to see in my class the number of students that are only exposed to the internet at school. They do not have internet at home or something like powerpoint. These are necessary things they need to know in order to continue their education. In this time, they are as necessary as pencil and paper.
Teachers should be able to model for students. Teachers pave the way for students in many ways. From us, they can learn more that just what is taught in books. If their "old" teacher can learn something technologically new, it may challenge them to learn more themselves. This is why teachers should model new technology. It also exposed the students to what they may see in college or a better way for them to learn or get more information.
In chapter 2, learning styles were described. At my school, we have discussed this. At the beginning of the semester, the students are asked to fill out an index card describing interests they have, favorite subject or books, and how they like to learn. We ask if they like to study by themselves, with one other peron, with several people, or with a group. They are given a sheet with some statements they can agree or disagree with. They count the group where they agreed with most of the statements, and it tells use how they learn(auditory, visual or kinesthetic). We can use these cards to group them into learning groups and to see if we have a majority of one style in our class. It helps us with our teaching style to better serve to students academically.