Moodles

I can see a lot of advantages to using moodles in the classroom because of its controls. I am however, frustrated by the technical difficulties I am having. I have been able to register as a "quest" on Prof. Weller's moodle but I can't get into it as a class member. Is anyone else finding this to be a difficulty? I think it's "Cookie" related. I know that there is a class discussion sometime this week but I can't get into the moodle to find out when.

Screen Recordings

I could see Screen Recordings being used in any classroom to enhance the understanding of a concept. This could be a powerful tool for concepts that are taught in class and require detailed instructions. The teacher could explain a worksheet or lab in his/her own words and post it for students to view. If a student is absent or just needs to see the explanation again a screen recorder would be the perfect tool.

In my classroom we currently do a computer lab activity in which the students work to balance chemical equations. This is an activity that is partially done in class and partially at home. If I had a screen recording of the proper way to balance chemical equations the students could refer to it anytime they got stuck. What a time saver!

Flikr in the a classroom unit

I currently have a chapter project that my class does dealing with Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion (action - reaction). The project is to make a Newton Scooter using Newton’s 3rd Law as it’s method of propulsion. This project is quite involved and takes several weeks to complete. The issue I have with this project is that I am sometimes not sure how the scooters get from the sketch on paper to the final product. Are the students doing them on their own or are they being built by someone else, possibly a parent.

If I had them take pictures of their scooters periodically as they were being built and had them post them on Flickr it might help to ensure that the students were actually involved in the building process. This would also be a record of their work that I could access to see how the projects are progressing.

Flickr

I could see using Flickr in several different ways. One way would be to show pictures of students doing science lab activities. This could be for parents to see, other students to enjoy or as an introductory tool for future classes.

Another way Flickr could be utilized is to show pictures of field trips taken by the class. This way you would have documentation of the trip and these picture could be used as teaching tools for future discussions about the trip.

Another possible way is to use Flickr for pictures taken at sporting events. My assistant coach currently makes a slide show after each track meet for all the students in the school to see. This helps to promote the sport and it gives those currently in the sport more recognition for their achievements. Flickr could be used in much the same way.

You Tube Classroom Videos

Mendeleev Project Song --- www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iviz0YI35c
This video was actually done by members of my classroom a couple of years ago. I still use it today as an introduction and example of the project.

The Element Song -- www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFIvXVMbII0
This is a very famous song about the elements of the Periodic Table. I like this video because it not only introduces the elements in a fun and musical way but it also shows the students where the elements are on the table.

Diet Coke and Mentos --www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM
This is a fun way to show students what can be done with Diet Coke and Mentos. We then discuss the reaction and how it works.

Podcasting

I can see podcasts being useful to give instructions for a sub. You could leave some instructions for a sub that you wouldn’t want left on your desk in hard copy form for others to see. Subs could also see the podcast even before coming to school.

In my class I begin each day with what I call “bell ringers.” These bell ringers could be put on a podcast for those students who are absent.

A podcast could also be in the form of a biographical sketch in a wiki. This way someone could also hear you and get a better feel for who you are.

As a science teacher I can also see applications in the form of lab safety instructions. Because students all work at different rates through a lab it might be helpful to allow students to view, and/or review, the particular safety aspects of a lab when they need to.

I can also see applications for podcasting for the purpose of ISTEP review. We do some of our ISTEP review in homerooms. This means that I am not with the majority of the students when they are reviewing science concepts. A podcast could be used to help with this style of ISTEP review.

Wikis and Blogs in the Classroom

I am a middle school science teacher and can see many applications to creating my own blog page and I can see how students could learn from creating their own blogs. From my own blog page students could be asked to comment weekly on a question that I submit. Not only could I see what everyone is thinking but they could see each others comments as well. From a blog that the students create they could submit answers to questions that only they and I could see. Blogging could be very useful for students who don’t like to speak up in class but who have very good and insightful thoughts to share.

Wikis are an excellent way to convey to the students the material they will be covering in class. It can also be used to improve their understanding of new material by giving them additional resources such as websites or videos to watch that can supplement what is going on in the classroom. You can have the classroom policies and grading scales available for students to view at any time, it would also be an excellent resource for parents for many of the same reasons.