Monthly Archives: February 2012

T-GEM (Technology – Generate, Evaluate and Modify)

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I would use the PhET States of Matter Basics simulator to teach the grade 7 about changing states of matter and the relationship to the particle model of matter. A basic lesson on the 3 states of matter would have already been covered with some group discursion on what might happen to the atoms when heat is added or taken away from a material. I would then demonstrate one of the scenarios with the students outlining the results together. They would then work on laptops in pairs or groups of 3 to determine (G-generate) what happens when heat is added or removed from matter.

PhET States of Matter Simulation

They could then come up with some generalizations from their observations and share them with another group.
We could then return to a class discussion and list their findings and see how they align with the particle model of matter. We could also discuss the processes used to change phases of a substance, including pressure. We would then review the particle model and discuss any additions that we could add to it (adding heat to a material makes the particles move faster).

Using technology helps the students visualize the particles that they could not possibly see with their eyes. The simulation is simple but allows for some extension for those that need it.

This simple activity follows the T-GEM (Technology-Generate, Evaluate and Modify) cycle outlined by Khan (2007 & 2010). Through using technology to simulate the effects of temperature on materials, in relation to the particle model of matter, students can view the results quickly and efficiently, without the materials and time needed for working through an entire lab or series of labs. We can use these simulations to easily teach concepts that would be much more difficult if carried out in our school labs. T-GEM strategies, including computer generated simulations, streamline teaching and learning.

References:

Khan, S. (2007). Model-based inquiries in chemistry. Science Education, 91(6), 877-905.

Khan, S. (2010). New pedagogies for teaching with computer simulations. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(3), 215-232.

LfU in Earth Science

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Edelson et al. (2002) explain how the Learning-for-Use model uses a 3-step process of motivation, knowledge construction and knowledge refinement. They specifically note, “An individual constructs new knowledge as the result of experiences that enable him or her to add new concepts to memory, subdivide existing concepts, or make new connections between concepts.” I agree that these experiences are what create lasting knowledge. Edelson et al. also explain that “In the refinement step, knowledge is re-organized, connected to other knowledge, and reinforced in order to support its future retrieval use.” This reinforcement solidifies the learning and allows for possible extensions.

Earth science is delivered from the view of what we know of our own planet, Earth. A challenge is how to transfer this Earth-based knowledge to other planets with their many differing characteristics. Some knowledge needs to be re-taught or deconstructed before being built on sound scientific principles due to misconceptions learned through misinformation (example: the sun is directly overhead at noon each day).
The project begins setting the stage by connecting prior knowledge of Earth to a similar planet X. The task is then set to explore the specific temperature characteristics of this new planet building on their prior knowledge of temperature zones. Teachers can choose to use a Progress Portfolio to record observations and reflections. Students then use the scientific method to investigate specific temperature factors for their planet. Through a hypothesis, procedure, data analysis, and reflection students are able to have experiences with the material being taught. I do not know that just by creating an artificial scenario the students will engage in the assignment. Some might even be put off by it, as they may struggle to grasp all the possible factors that go into deciphering temperature zones.

I like how Martha prepared her students by telling them that she was not going to tell them the answers but that they needed to discover them on their own, just as a scientist would. She even gave them the opportunity to recollect experimental data. I would use physical models as much as possible to show the angle of light and temperature zones. I would also use computers as an additional teaching tool specifically Google Earth views of temperature zones, online videos, and applicable controlled simulations. If possible, I would like to set up a working model with a heat source and varying temperature zones to monitor and show the relationships being tested.

I view WorldWatcher (Geode) as a good resource in teaching in a blended learning environment or TELE. I think this is what our students are looking for in science education. They are curious about the world around them and want to use technology to learn and discover new ideas. They would rather collect data using digital resources and reflect on their ideas through emailing and blogging.

Reference:

Edelson, D. C. et al. (2002). Learning-for-Use in Earth science: Kids as climate modelers. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.

My World and Learning-for-Use (LfU)

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Timer

Edelson (2001) decided to research technology-supported inquiry activities in response to teachers’ need for more class time, in teaching science content and processes. Traditionally, these two skill shave been taught using different activities. I have seen this transition take place in my classroom as we slowly add technology to our school. I have also seen a great deal of technology integration throughout my education over the past 30 years, or so. I feel we can do more to add to the user experience and constructing knowledge through technology enhanced learning experiences. We cannot take our students around the world to live the many different scientific discoveries but we can bring the world to them through increased use of technology, specifically the world wide web and all its capabilities.

Edelson suggests using inquiry-based learning to combine both process and content skills. Technology assistance can shorten the time it takes to accomplish inquiry tasks. The author presents a Learning for Use (LfU) model to assist students in making the transition from traditional science learning to meet the current needs of students and teachers. The LfU model’s goal is to “overcome the inert knowledge problem by prescribing how learning activities can foster useful conceptual understanding that will be available to the learner when it is relevant.”
According to Edelson, technology-supported inquiry learning (TSIL) is needed for the following reasons:

1. Technology is used more and more in scientific inquiry worldwide
2. Computer are beneficial in making processes faster and more efficient through their ability to store and provide various types of formatting
3. Computers are being integrated into school and TSIL will support information and communication technology (ICT) outcomes

TSIL is based on the constructivist learning view where knowledge is built through scaffolding and goal-oriented experiences. Edelson explains, “The LfU model characterizes the development of useable understanding as a three-step process consisting of motivation (create a demand and elicit curiosity), knowledge construction (observe and communicate), and knowledge refinement (reflect and apply).” I see the LfU model as a natural fit with the scientific process, where students create knowledge through problem-solving experiences.

Technology “brings the power of scientists; computational tools to learners” (Gordon & Pea, 1995) as well as a forum for creating a portfolio of work and thought. It assists in visualizing problems and situations, interacting with data, investigating problems and presenting observations. I see it as a window to the world where a teacher with an entire class or an individual student can see beyond their classroom walls to the many wonders of the world.

The design strategies create TSIL through the scientific process in conjunction with technology use. Students are presented with a real-world problem to solve, use prior knowledge to construct a hypothesis, develop a plan, carry it out and then reflect on and present their findings. They are also challenged with different scenarios and what if questions which are transferable life skills. The LfU model aligns with what I call natural learning: it happens naturally through life`s experiences. Through the creation and execution of various curriculum directed experience the learning can be deep and focused. I strive to foster this type of learning in my classroom and in my life.

References:

Edelson, D.C. (2001). Learning-for-use: A framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities. Journal of Research in Science Teaching,38(3), 355-385.

Edelson, D. C., Salierno, C., Matese, G., Pitts, V., & Sherin, B. (2002, April). Learning-for-Use in Earth science: Kids as climate modelers. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA.

Gordin, D.N., & Pea, R.D. (1995). Prospects for scientific visualization as an educational technology. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 4, 249-279.

WISE and Plate Tectonics

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Feb. 10th

Gobert, Snyder and Houghton (2002) studied the effects of “What`s on Your Plate?“ in WISE (Web-Based Inquiry Science Education). WISE is an inquiry-based framework that allows users to create and edit science lessons for technology-enhanced learning experiences (TELEs). It encourages content knowledge as well as process and inquiry skills. Information and communication technology outcomes are to be embedded throughout curricula. WISE use accomplishes this as well while covers many specific science learning outcomes. According to Linn (1999), the WISE creator at UC-Berkeley, WISE is based on four principles:

1. Make science accessible for all students
2. Make thinking visibale
3. Provide social support so that students learn from each other
4. Promote autonomy and lifelong learning

WISE was chosen as a platform as it enables students to build models as well as its attempt to make learning visible (so it can be measured). Students from the east and west coast were asked to draw and explain a model of plate tectonics on their computers in the WISE program and then share their work with a partner from the opposite coast. Upon completion of the assignment they were to reflect on the use of models and learning. They were then given the opportunity to revise their models and share again, explaining their modifications. In general the exercise improved student knowledge on plate tectonics as well as model construction. I don`t know that the authors could conclude that the use of this one model shows a “deep understanding of the nature of models“ but I believe their knowledge of them improved. To show a deep understanding there would have to be more evidence than an edited drawing. There are many possible projects that could come out of an assignment like this and poor quality web-based drawings are only one option. I would lean towards using physical models instead of web (Paint) drawings to show the students understanding of plate tectonics as movement is involved as well as multiple effects.

I agree with Diana who wrote,”many of us connect with WISE as a teaching tool because it is continually evolving.” Teachers do not want to recreate the wheel on every assignment-there just is not enough time to do so. If we can have a collaborative evolution with best pedagogy in mind the WISE lessons will be current for years to come. I like how Berkeley has upgraded to newer versions of the program, as occasionally the supporting structure needs replacement, not just a fancy paint job. New buttons and affordances were evident in the newer versions mentioned. I can see WISE being used as a social platform for students to share their creations as well as discuss the concepts. I believe if we can use existing technology to create thoughtful discussion our students would benefit greatly from our efforts. The struggle is between having the time to properly construct knowledge, through real experiences, versus passive learning of facts and concepts by direct instruction or reading. Generally, there never seems to be enough time.

References:
Gobert, J., Snyder, J., & Houghton, C. (2002). The influence of students’ understanding of models on model-based reasoning. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, Louisiana.

Linn, M. C. (1999). Designing the knowledge integration environment: The partnership inquiry process. Created for International Journal of Science Education.

Linn, M.C.,Clark, D., Slotta, J.D. (2003). Wise design for knowledge integration. Science Education, 87(4), 517-538.

WISE: As a Valuable Tool

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Create Your Own Video Game

According to Linn, Clark and Slotta WISE creates a “technology-enhanced, research-based, flexibly adaptive learning environment…incorporating things like modeling tools and hand-held devices.“ WISE was created in response for the need of more technology-enhanced learning experiences in science. It teaches as students click through the short lessons on multiple science topics. The library is expanding as teachers add features, resources and lessons to it, which I see as one of its great features. It will evolve as long as it is used and supported by the designers who created it, as open-source projects do. It is driven through a knowledge integration perspective where the user learns concepts and facts as they are immersed in the lesson. WISE teaches through reading and models and then applying the knowledge through reflection and questioning. The goal of WISE is make learners inquire about their surroundings long after they graduate from school.

WISE lessons unfold through clicking through a set of web pages as you might look through a textbook, but the textbook is somewhat interactive. There are videos to watch (like the Jasper project), graphs to manipulate (not just read) and activities to complete throughout which are embedded into the site. The Jasper series used technology strictly as information. You were shown a problem then sent off to solve it. WISE teaches concepts and builds on them throughout the lesson steps.

I found WISE to be quite sequential, which is actually my preferred way of learning. The knowledge and concepts are very visual and somewhat interactive. It feeds the learner passively through clicking through the lessons. Some knowledge is gleaned but may be soon forgotten, similar to watching television or viewing a YouTube video. I see the value in it as a direct teaching tool. If a student was struggling with a specific concept they could look it up in WISE and try to get a better understanding from another perspective before moving forward. I would like to see what my students have accomplished in WISE as well as where they struggle. Trial and error will get them through many of the assignments, but may not be the  best way to learn the concepts. I think WISE is a useful tool for teaching but would not build a science unit around it as it presents information and offers opportunities for reflection but does not complete the constructivist model of learning.

 

Reference:

Linn, M.C.,Clark, D., Slotta, J.D. 2003). Wise design for knowledge integration. Science Education, 87(4), 517-538.

The Jasper Series 2.0

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The Jasper series was responding to the need for inquiry-based anchored instruction in math by using audio-visual technological advances to frame the problems for the students. The series encouraged student engagement and active learning. The design addresses the problem to a certain degree by creating problem-embedded videos. The issue that arose was that students needed to rewind or pause the videos to record information and facts. With only one laserdisc in the classroom it would make it difficult for students to rewind or pause when they need to. The the discussion threads it was evident that this problem could now be solved with YouTube and iPods.

The technology enhances collaboration through group problem solving. Once the necessary facts and figures are recorded from the Jasper videos the groups work on solving the multi-step problems. There is more than one way to solve some of the problems and group discussion can explore the various solutions.

Professional development for the teachers seemed to be a bit of an issue for the program as the teachers undertook a 2-week training session before implementing the program and then did not always find time to use the resource in their lessons. This created a gap in the scaffolding as some videos were skipped throughout the unit.

If I was to create a math or science adventure similar to the Jasper series I would use a current technology available to students such as YouTube and Web tools. The videos loaded on YouTube could frame the problems as well as give suggestions for searching background knowledge. Web tools could be used to compose a rational and create group discussion on the topic. The students would have to show the rationale for their answers as a web-based presentation, available to the rest of the class. It would be constructivist, problem-based technology embedded learning.

 

References:

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992a). The Jasper experiment: An exploration of issues in learning and instructional design. Educational Technology, Research and Development. 40(1). 65-80.

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1992b). The Jasper series as an example of anchored instruction: Theory, program description and assessment data. Educational Psychologist. 27(3). 291-315.

The Jasper Project- Initial Views

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The Jasper Project is based on problem-based learning. Short videos are presented which teach math and science concepts and then present a problem using the lesson. Specific skills are taught, exemplified, and then tested. Videos accompany the problems, creating a visual for the students to identify with. As a visual learner, I appreciate the videos that accompany the problems as well as the options for problems solving. People face these real-life problems on a daily basis. These videos attempt to answer the frequent student question of “When am I ever going to use this?”

I see the value in presenting a lesson on concepts that assist the students in completing the problems, as any good constructivist learning should do.

The videos help a student visualize the “real-word” problem and allows for further and tangent questioning. For example, the video of Lindbergh raises some history curiosity and may invoke students to research more on their own about Lindbergh’s flight, plane, ideas and technology of the time.

Unfortunately, some of the videos seem to solve the problems right in front of the viewer, which is sometimes useful, but it does not allow the viewer to solve the problems for themselves. The theory seems to be learning by viewing (passive) instead of learning by doing (active). I believe widespread television use has created this learn by viewing attitude which is a blessing and curse. It allows us to see what others are doing all around the world as well as the many things that are out there without leaving the confines of our homes. On the other hand, it may not give us the entire picture of what is really happening as much of the footage we see on T.V. is staged. A television cannot replace real experiences with real places and real people.

As a course designer, I would want to figure out how to use real-world experiences meaningful to students to assist them in solving problems. How would I create these experiences so they can have similar ones in their learning? Computers have made great strides in effective teaching as they can now provide instant feedback and interaction with the user and between users. How can we use this technology to help students understand concepts and then experiment with them in a technology-enhanced learning experience?

My Ideal Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment

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Kozma recommends that, “Designers should provide students with environments that restructure the discourse of …classrooms around collaborative knowledge building and the social construction of meaning” (Kozma, 2003, p.9).

 
Our computers

The ideal design of a technology-enhanced learning environment would include:

  • Unlimited, but supervised, access to technology hardware and software
  • Expert teacher knowledge with support for technology use and current professional development
  • Constructivist, project-based assignments linked to real-world problems with the ability to be marketed outside the classroom
  • Interchangeable working spaces which transform to fir the needs of the activities and students
  • Links to industry, high learning, and cutting edge development in the math and science fields

Through this technology enhanced learning environment students would be engaged, knowledgeable, current and excited about discovering and developing learning outcomes.

Reference:

Kozma, R.  (2003). Technology, innovation, and educational change: A global perspective, (A report of the Second Information Technology in Education Study, Module 2). Eugene,OR: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, ISTE Publications.

My Technology Definition

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Pyramids
 

I like how Roblyer (2004) simply describes technology as “us -our tools, our methods, and our own creative attempts to solve problems.” Technology’s evolution relies heavily on what was created in the past. History and archealogoy teach us about previous groups of people through their technology use and the tools unearthed over time. We are constatnly amazed at the complexity of knowledge of these people. The ancient Egyptians built massive pyramids for the pharoahs with elaborate and amazing intricacies. Roblyer makes sure to include that technology is not just the physical, but ideas that have evolved to make life easier and better. We live in a great technological time, with the invention of the internet and widespead ideas. Through this technology our world is becomming united and some would even say-smaller.

 
internet & tacos

Read more about the buildig of the pyramids in Science Daily:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328104302.htm

Reference:

Roblyer, M.D. (2004). Integrating educational technology into teaching, 3rd Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Merrill/ Prentice Hall.