Day 3 reflection

I have learned that it is extremely time consuming, tedious and frustrating to create a flipped lesson. I couldn't imagine doing an entire year's worth of curriculum flipped. Oh my word! I'm brain dead after 2 days, what would an entire year do to me, ouch! I'm sure that once my lesson comes to life in the classroom I'll look back on today and realize that the excruciating headache was worth it.

I found on twitter a list of biology animations that I can use throughout the year on various topics. I also found a video of evolution using legos, pretty cool! I think the students will like it, or at least I would hope so. I also found more ideas on pinterest. I must admit though it can be overwhelming the amount of resources you find and the amount of time that goes by as you look through your PLN. 

The app I used to create my video was screencast-o-matic. The downloading of the app was fast and easy. The video was easy to use too. This was probably the easiest thing for me to use out of ever app I used. However if you want to edit your video, you must purchase the upgrade. I tried to follow Todd Nesloney's advice of leaving mistakes in, but being my first time using the app and recording myself, I couldn't help myself but to do the videos numerous times over. It was not hard to link the videos to my google site. My only concern is that I couldn't preview the videos because my java script was not updated so we will see how they turn out.

I hope my lesson will target the creativity, communication/collaboration, decision making and technology operations levels.
Creativity: Creating a monster from punnett squares, creating punnett squares on the computer versus pen and paper.
Communication/Collaboration: Students taking a quiz and poll to communicate to me of how well they are understanding the lesson. Sharing their work is a form of communication.
Decision making: Solving punnet square scenarios, deciding what alleles their monster will inherit
Technology Operations: Learning to use google site, google spreadsheet, gosoapbox.com, and awwapp.com

Day 2 Reflection

PLN time - what new resources did you find? I found resources on pinterest, such as activities using pool noodles to demonstrate mitosis and meiosis. I found a virtual lab on glencoe iscience through twitter that will engage students in how punnett squares work. I also found a WSQ form from Todd Nesloney.com

Flipped Classrooms - what did you learn from the webinar? That it is not easy and something that takes a lot of invested time but well worth it when you see the state test results and especially the students engaged in their learning.

Your lesson and student sample - what is the lesson that you are using for this course and what web tool will your students use in this lesson? The lesson that I will be using involves punnett squares and determining possible outcomes for various genetic combinations. I will be using awwapp.com, googledrive, googleform and glencoe virtual lab.

Crushing Barriers

Think about the barriers that you listed. As a leader, what can you do to help overcome these barriers? What resources can you tap into that can help you overcome these barriers? Include any websites, blogs, videos, etc. that you find with solutions or suggestions for overcoming or minimizing these barriers.

Even though science is primarily a hands-on subject, there are some great online lab activities, dissections and video tutorials that may not replace the hands-on experience but can reinforce it.  For example, http://www.cellsalive.com/mitosis.htm has animations to demonstrate both mitosis and meiosis as well as other science subjects. I think another great resources that will become available soon is the digital resources we will be receiving from the new textbooks. I have also found that pinterest has great resources for online activities as well as hands-on (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/129830401730347503/).

For overcoming the network crashing barrier, i think having back-up videos downloaded onto my laptop could help with those unforeseen internet glitches. Bozeman science on Youtube has excellent videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGVBAHAsjJM). I think also using google sites (https://sites.google.com/site/cisdtechacademy/course-overview/teks-vs-21st-century-skills) will help with internet-student-use glitches like them not typing in the address correct or they are taking 5 minutes to type in an address. I really like how in our tech academy you can add links so it directly takes you to where ever you are expected to go. Plus it opens in a new tab so that you can always refer back to the google site for reference. This will also help with those students who are not technology savvy compared to their counterparts. You can add videos, quizzes, and other web 2.0 apps as needed.

I think this will also aid in overcoming the issue of a student forgetting their netbook or the serving being down at that moment in school. The students can access it from home or even from their smartphone. Another immediate solution to a student forgetting their netbook is they can watch another student do the activites on the netbook and do it at home. This also exposes the student to the material twice, watching someone else do it and having them do it themselves.

Many of these issues with infusing technology can be overcome with some forethought and planning.

Day 1 Reflection

 What was new to you? How can you use some of the tools from today with your students? What lesson are you thinking about using this week as you infuse technology?


Everything that was exposed to me was new to me. Google Drive/Docs is what stood out to me today. I can invision using google drive this school year with my students. I also enjoyed using GoSoapBox for quick quizzes to be given.

I am thinking I will use a Mitosis and Meiosis lesson for comparing.

Infused technology barriers

What do you feel are the 4 top barriers you face that make the infusion of technology more difficult?

For one, science is primarily a hands-on content. Students can not feel the chemical reaction that occurs between two substances through the computer or ipad. Dissecting a rat is more memorable than watching on a computer screen someone else doing it or having a computerized version of a dissection. Secondly, as any person has experienced with the regrettable joys of technology, you never know when (and it will) fail. Whether it be the network crashing, the website not working or simply typing one wrong letter into the address bar. Thirdly, I find that even in this day in age not all students are very technology savvy. So not only do you have to manage students at a different pace concerning curriculum but also at a different technology pace. Lastly, resources are usually limited in the education world. In our district, we are lucky to have a 1:1 student to netbook but as a teacher you still have to prepare supplemental activities for that one student who forgot their netbook or has their netbook but their internet privileges are taken away. You still have to resort to books, paper, and pen even if technology is being infused.

Link

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_dTFQGP8tnD8NkmbS7sLbIgJZ2ZhKPZv_98OLF0QS9s/viewform?usp=send_form