Procedures and Expectations
Students in this course participate in classroom, laboratory, and field experiences. These experiences, activities, and their accompanying assignments allows the student to explore and determine which appropriate models and methods to use in science classrooms. They will participate in individual and group activities and use online assignments to reflect and explore further that no one model fulfills a teacher's repertoire, but rather each in its own way supports science instruction.
Gmail Account
Announcements will be provided using emails through Gmail. Students must sign-in to Blackboard to access the course syllabus and instructor curriculum vita (RESUME). Gmail accounts provide access to blogs, email, and communication with one quick and easy to remember account.
Announcements will be emailed to students. These emails provide course updates, meeting times and meeting places, assignment deadline updates, changes to course assignments, and other important reminders.
Use of Technology
Having access to technology is critical in this course since it relies heavily on documenting field experiences and accessing applications that provide a venue for virtual conversations and storage. It is advisable that students have access to a smartphone with a camera, electronic tablet, or laptop. Computers will be made available for work that requires specific programs. All devices should be able to record audio, video, still photographs, and access the Internet. Students are responsible for obtaining access to the university Wi-Fi network.
Google Products
To accomplish documenting and reflecting on the readings the students will use and apply technological applications through a variety of Google products. Students are REQUIRED to obtain a Google (Gmail) account. The students may use cameras, smartphones, and tablet devices (personal or grant provided) to accomplish the development of project artifacts.
Google products will include Google Plus, Google Drive, Blogger, and Google Chrome. These programs provide the virtual storage for most of the project documents. Google Plus (Google+) is the foundation for dissemination of documents such as photographs, reflections, and blogs. Google Drive is used to store and create word-processing, data/graphs/charts, presentation, and other graphics. The students are expected to create folders and make the folders and artifacts available to the instructor and other students. Information on how to create and structure these folders will be provided during an orientation session.
Videos will be provided using Youtube, TeacherTube, Vimeo, or other services to help the student understand various environmental concepts. Include your thoughts about what you believe fits your experiences to the videos provided.
Students in this course should be familiar with creating video lessons and be "Flipped Classroom Certified". To get certified they should create an account at Sophia.org and have received their certification. Additional certifications (e.g., Tablet) will be part of the online course assignments.
Reporting Summary Format
All reports will be written using the following Report Summary Format (E/RSQR):
- Experience/Read
- Summary
- Reflect
- Question
Assignments
August 23, 2014 - (Mastery Learning) Google the instructional model developed by Benjamin Bloom (1976) referred to as Mastery Learning. Read and develop a lesson to provide teachers on your campus insight into the model. Identify weakness and strengths of the model including the ease in which it can be implemented and the potential for increasing student achievement. Prepare your lesson using Sophia.org as your delivery system. Provide the link and access to the instructor.
August 30, 2014 - (Cooperative Learning) Explore different strategies to use "Cooperative Learning" by completing an Internet search. Choose one of the models and develop a tutorial to help support teachers wanting to incorporate cooperative learning in the classroom. Use Sophia.org to develop your lesson. Include both summative and formative assessment in your lesson. Provide the link and access to the instructor. Try this link for the Johnson & Johnson article HERE.
September 6, 2014 - (Introduction to Technology) Students will explore the use of tablet and mobile devices to deliver instruction. During this period they will download Google applications that will be used to communicate with each other both through synchronous and asynchronous methods. The following applications will be downloaded: Gmail, Google Plus, Google Hangouts, Google Drive, Google Slides/Presentation, and Blogger. The student is assigned to create folders in Google Drive. The first is "EDCI 6342 Course - Student Name". Here the student will add the following folders: Reading Summary Folder; Activity Summary Folder, Video Summary Folder; and Artifact Folder. These folders will be used throughout the course and the instructor MUST be given access. Read the article, "Using the Internet to Improve Learning" and summarize to include in the "Reading Summary Folder."
September 13, 2014 - (Inquiry) Read and reflect on what is written in the webpage from the Exploratorium at the Lawrence Hall of Science about “Inquiry Based Science: What does it look like?” Read and reflect on the article discussing the many views of inquiry in the science classroom. Science Teacher Article, "Using Inquiry in Science Instruction, Teaching Today ..." 2004. 18 Aug. 2014 submit a report in the "Reading Summary Folder. View the TEA video about Inquiry and submit a summary in the "Video Summary Folder".
September 20, 2014 - (Project Based Instruction) In a group of three students, create ideas for a PBI lesson and develop assessment instruments to assess projects. Submit the project in each individual’s “Artifact Summary Folder”. Read pp. 4-8 and the first three projects (pp. 10-18) from the PBL Starter Kit (2009). Write a summary and add to the "Reading Summary Folder". Visit Edutopia.org and browse through what is available on the website. Write a summary and add to the "Reading Summary Folder". View the video "Building Rigorous Projects that are Core to Learning". Click HERE.
September 27, 2014 - (Didactic/Lecture Techniques) Didactic teaching has been a staple method for many teachers, but can it be exciting and done right. Video this video and provide a summary explaining what didactic instruction is and how didactic instruction can be engaging. This is one of my favorite talks by Sir Ken Robinson. In your summary explain how this lecture kept your attention and how it might work in our middle and high school classrooms? View the films "Do Schools Kill Creativity" at http://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY or Click HERE and "Bring on the Learning Revolution TedTalk at http://youtu.be/r9LelXa3U_I or Click HERE. Use the E/RSQR method to provide a summary of the video and add it the "Video Summary Folder". Provide access to the instructor.
October 4, 2014 - (Sketching/Writing/Journaling) The class will be invited to participate in professional development activities at the Rio Grande Valley Science Association conference. Write a summary of the different sessions and add photographs of the session. Include the summary in the "Artifact Summary Folder". This is your reintroduction to the use of blogs. If you have a blog, continue to use it. If not then use Blogger to create a blog. Read the article "Using a Journal for Personal Development". Click HERE. Write a summary and add it to the "Reading Summary Folder"'.
October 18, 2014 - (Experiential Learning) · View and summarize he following videos. Add the summaries to your "Video Summary Folder":
- Defining Experiential Education
- John Dewey’s Influence EL
- Kolbe’s Requirements for EL
- Chapman’s Adaptations of Kolb
- Combining EL Models
November 1, 2014 - Exploring Middle School Chemistry - Participate in a workshop that continues to provide content knowledge and pedagogical strategies to teach chemistry concepts to middle school students. Provide a summary of the activity in the "Artifact Summary Folder".
November 8, 2014 - Online Assignment (Games and Simulations) - Read the explanation that the posted articles give about the use of games and simulations in education today. Write a summary of each of the articles in your "Reading Summary Folder".
- Best Practices for Using Games and Simulations
- Games and Simulations (Balasubramanian & Wilson)
- Simulations and Virtual Labs from the Center for Implementing Technology in Education
November 15, 2014 - Online Assignment (Formative Assessment) Read the following articles that provide a how-to on applying formative assessment and also give the teacher Google Resources to implement formative assessment in the classroom. Write a summary for each of the articles and applications and add them to the "Reading Summary Folder".
- How to Create Self-Correcting Quizzes in Google Docs by Richard Byrne via Free Technology for Teachers
- Why Formative Assessments Matter by Rebecca Alber via Edutopia
- Connecting Formative Assessment Research to Practice by Learning Point Associates
- Formative Assessment: Why, What and Whetherchapter 1 excerpt by James Popham via ASCD
December 6, 2014 - Reading the Landscape - Read the article “Reading the Landscape” prior to
class. Participate in a field activity that applies taking
field notes, drawings/sketches, and photography as evidence to determine the
past, present, and future of a particular location. Project Paper
Due. Submit your summary of the “Reading the Landscape” activities in the “Artifact Summary Folder”. Prepare presentation about a selected location and add to the "Artifact Summary Folder".
December 11, 2014 - Final Project Presentations Due.
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