This past year has been hectic. I have helped write and rewrite math and science lessons for teachers during Covid and while we have been in transition with our elementary science kits- this includes hours working in the FOSS/STEM center creating hands-on science kits from scratch to align to NGSS and elementary science resources. I have helped create a scope and sequence for elementary math and science, and secondary math through Geometry. I have helped acquire invaluable teaching resources for math and science and helped teachers integrate into their classrooms (Dreambox, iXL, InnerOrbit, Mystery Science, Pivot Interactives, and more!). I have given feedback on assessment structures for the district. The things I am most proud of is my leadership on getting more equitable accelerated math opportunities at elementary schools with limited resources during Covid, the STEM programming (6 pilot schools- integration of Robotics and Coding), took on IT and software management (trainings and helped resolve issues) due to the district eliminating Ed Tech, developed an interactive platform for BVSD teachers to get access to trainings, resources and important opportunities and news (Schoology Groups), and ran the Corden Pharma BVSD Science Fair (Fair Director, SRS liaison, and SRC chair). Running the Science Fair was particularly challenging due to Covid restrictions, but we were able to offer mentorships and quality programming virtually and eventually face to face again. As the district shifts yet again with a third reorganization, STEM has been discontinued. While this breaks my heart, I understand the need to focus on DDI and the basics. That said, I am excited to go back to the classroom and work with students who are nontraditional. The career pathways focus at Arapahoe Ridge is exciting to me as it centers around Convergence Education (something a colleague of mine recently learned more about at the PAEMST Ceremony): "The US National Science Foundation defines convergence as the deep integration of knowledge, techniques, and expertise from multiple fields to form new and expanded frameworks for addressing scientific and societal challenges and opportunities." I am excited to go back to my roots of PBL and phenomenon based science teaching, while focusing on standards mastery learning and career pathways. I will share more of the lesson development as I progress in future blogs.....stay tuned!
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It has been a while since I have posted and many things have occurred that have changed teaching and learning. The most significant are my job description (now Director of STEM for the NW network in BVSD and the pandemic. I decided to post some resources that may be helpful for teaching and learning during these challenging times.
STEM resources Cult of Pedagogy (One of the best blogs/podcasts out there in the field of Education! by Jennifer Gonzales) Shake Up Learning Google Classroom Resources
1. The Google Classroom Master Class (Online Course) 2. 5 Things to Know About the New Google Classroom 3. 6 Tips for Getting Started with Google Classroom 4. Back to School with G Suite (6 Activities) 5. What is G Suite for Education? 6. 50 Awesome Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom 7. How to Package Your Digital Assignments 8. 4 Must-Have Google Classroom Skills 9. Infuse Google Classroom with the Power of YouTube 10. 3 Chrome Extensions that Make Google Classroom Even More Awesome 11. The First Day of Classroom 12. 20 New Ways to Use Google Classroom 13. Digital Differentiation with Google Classroom 14. Create Interactive Lessons for Google Classroom with TES Teach with Blendspace 15. Google Classroom Comments: All You Need to Know 16. How to Create a Google Classroom Custom Header 17. The Share to Google Classroom Chrome Extension 18. Google Classroom Pinterest Board 19. All Things Google Pinterest Board 20. Google Classroom Resource Page 21. Google Resources from Shake Up Learning 22. Shake Up Learning's Google Classroom YouTube Playlist The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast Episodes About Google Classroom 23. Differentiating Instruction with Google Classroom 24.Unpacking Google Classroom for the 17-18 School Year 25. Google Classroom Time-Savers Season 3 starts in September 2018! Be sure you subscribe to get the latest episodes in your inbox. Google Support: 26. Google Classroom Support Center 27. The First Days of Google Classroom Resource Page 28. Google Teaching Center 29. Google Edu in 90 (YouTube Video Series) Books: 30. 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom 31. 50 Things to Go Further with Google Classroom 32. The Google Infused Classroom 33. Google Apps for Littles 34. The Hyperdoc Handbook 35. Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning From Static to Dynamic Here is a great video on AR and VR of the future
Zappar is a company that is creating cheaper AR/VR tools and experiences! They also have an app to create your own experience: https://zap.works/ Great article on AR education apps (note you may need to google some of the apps as links don't function) and Edutopia article This BioInteractive newsletter features a new CRISPR animation, a Central Dogma card activity, and a fantastic educator tip!Email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser. APRIL 25, 2018 Find and Replace First described in 2012, CRISPR-Cas9 generated interest both for its exciting potential for treating genetic disease as well as for potential ethical and safety concerns. In this new interactive, explore how CRISPR-Cas9 works and hear from leading scientists like Jennifer Doudna and David Liu about its discovery and applications. Spotlight on: The Central Dogma Express Yourself Understanding how the information in DNA becomes flesh and blood allows researchers to intervene in this process to treat monogenic diseases. With these new activity cards, students order the steps of the central dogma and then apply what they’ve learned to different disease scenarios presented in an accompanying handout. Image of the Week Friend and Foe We normally think of bacteria as harmful. But researchers are using Wolbachia, bacteria that grow in arthropod and nematode hosts, to fight diseases like elephantitis and Dengue fever. Featured Collection A Multitude of Videos Our bodies are hosts to complex microbial ecosystems. Explore more about the microbes on and in us with our ‘I Contain Multitudes’ Collection, produced by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios in partnership with PBS Learning Media. It features short, classroom-friendly videos and supplemental resources. Events and Announcements 15 for 15 National DNA Day commemorates the 15th anniversary of the Human Genome Project. HHMI BioInteractive is partnering with the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH on the ’15 for 15’ celebration. Check out 15 days of exciting genomics resources arranged by topics from human origins to agriculture. Educator Tip A Doggone Good Resource I’ve used the BioInteractive Resource: “Mapping Genes to Traits in Dogs Using SNPs” with my students for the past few years. It’s a powerful way to have my students practice recognizing patterns, and getting them to understand that the presence or absence of patterns is an important indicator that something is a phenomenon! Students discuss differences between correlation and causation, allowing them see that identifying correlation is just the beginning of the search for causation. I pair this activity with the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science case study, “What Happened To Beau? How Amino Acids in Keratin Organization in Hair”, which engages students in an investigation of changes that occur in a dog’s hair type as it ages from puppy to adolescent. As part of the case study, students learn about how protein structure determines function and how DNA dictates protein structure – helping them understand causation! By examining heredity, my students cement their understanding of the connection between genotype and phenotype and that inheritance patterns hint at the molecular mechanisms involved in expressed traits. This case study complements the HHMI activity wonderfully; the two resources increase my students’ capacity and facility with the processes of science. - Katie Ward (Aragon High School, CA) Do you have a favorite BioInteractive resource and want to tell us how you use it in your class? Email us the tip at[email protected]. If we feature yours, we'll send you a T-shirt! http://sciencemoblog.blogspot.com/ Monarch Science Blog- Donley
http://mohied.blogspot.com/ Donley Education Blog- old site I wanted to share some student products from inquiry labs we have completed this year in AP Biology.
1. PGLO Outbreak Inquiry This project was a backwards lab in which they saw the results first and used plating techniques to figure out the arabinose operon system. We combined it with an outbreak zombie scenario. I used symbaloo to share the projects and a Google form to let people vote on their 2 favorites. 2. Osmosis Inquiry In this lab students picked a factor that affects osmosis, developed a procedure and carried it out. They produced a group presentation in which they shared in a "science symposium" fashion." 3. Cell-Y-Wood Students picked an organelle or cell part to create an educational video and study guide on. This week we are going to try and use the Swivl Robot to video a shark dissection. We will post updates and exemplars as we get them!
This month I want to share resources from Monarch High School's BYOD website of which I am the author. There are two links that may be helpful: 1) Technology Integration, and 2) Lesson Curation. Additionally, this month I am having students film their group experiences in the Forensic Science unit. Students are learning about Forensic serology, toxicology, entomology, DNA Fingerprinting, PCR, electrophoresis, microarrays, hair analysis, fingerprint analysis and Lip print chromatography directly in station labs. They are also using this site: http://forensics.rice.edu/index.html to learn as much as they can before entering a mock crime scene scenario. I plan on using the Swivl Robot to help students film their progress. The end product will be a film about the case, the evidence and how it works, and coroner and suspect interviews. Stay tuned for more on this!..... Exemplars from 2016 projects: Project 1- Case of the Missing Pathogens Project 2- Case of the Missing Pathogens Project 3- Case of the Missing Pathogens This past semester I was given a Swivl Robot to pilot in my classroom. The initial challenges were finding a filming device that wouldn’t shut off after 2-4 minutes and could handle longer length videos. My 5s iPhone was not a good match as it could only handle about 4 minutes of filming. It is good for short videos, but if one wants to film an entire lecture or presentation, another device is necessary. To handle the longer video lengths, we found that an iPad or similar device works very well in the Swivl Robot.
Once equipment issues are settled, the next challenge is to find creative ways to employ the Swivl Robot device. I have always maintained that whatever technology I have should be in the hands of students. Thus, I had students use the Swivl Robot to create videos of their laboratory experiments. For example, I recently had students conduct a lab on how various factors (i.e., temperature, pH, salinity, concentration) affect enzyme function. We tested how efficient over the counter lactase tablets are in digesting lactose in specific environments (i.e., different temperatures, pHs, etc…). After the exploration, students were asked to create commercials posing as a company that has learned how to create better over the counter lactase products. The Swivl Robot was a valuable tool allowing the students to move about when filming their commercials. We also used the Swivl Robot to document their lab skills as they conducted the lab. Links from these videos were placed in their laboratory write-ups. This example demonstrates how Swivl Robot can be used in a science class to document student work and help them make products that are more multi-media; thereby, honing their technology skills. (Example Commercials: Exemplar 1, Exemplar 2.... Notice students used WeVideo as well to edit their videos). Another example of how our community used the Swivl Robot to provide access to resources was in the taping of our Counseling presentations during the semester. Our counselors wanted to increase access to parents who could not attend the various college planning sessions they give during the fall. They employed the Swivl Robot to tape these sessions and then they put the links of the various presentations on the school’s counseling web site. We have received many compliments about providing access to these sessions, and, even parents who attended have watched a second time to make sure they understood all of the information given. All in all, Swivl Robot has provided our community with a way to provide increased communication and increased creativity based on the 4C’s by Mark Garrison, Google educator. I look forward to finding novel and creative ways to employ the Swivl Robot this coming semester…so stay tuned! For more details on Swivl go to: http://www.swivl.com/#top |
AuthorIn this Blog Curriculum and Lessons will be shared. Check out Old Blog site for past year's entries! Archives
June 2022
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