Posted by David Wetzel
The following is a common question heard around teacher workrooms, teacher lunchrooms, faculty meetings, and science or math conferences.
“Why use web 2.0 tools when teaching science or math?”
The answer is both simple and complex at the same time. The answer to this question is:
Online tools facilitate input and interaction by students as they use the four skills of the language (reading, writing, listening and speaking).
For example Wikis, Forums, Twitter, and Blogs provide opportunities for reading and writing. While podcasts, online videos, video blogs, Skype, webcasts, and screencasts give access to spoken language.
Also the use of web 2.0 tools makes it easier to address individual student learning styles.
Advantages for Teachers: Answers Part of the Question - Why?
The advantages are tremendous for using Web 2.0 tools for teaching science and math. The following are a few advantages for teachers and include:
- only needing a computer and no special software programs or skills, because software is hosted on somebody else’s server.
- most online tools are free for educational purposes.
- user-friendly tools, along with many offering video tutorials; eliminating or reducing the need to seek help from an IT person.
- access to these tools only requires a computer and access to the Internet anytime and anywhere.
- the ability to update, edit, or delete information during a lesson, if needed.
- ease of integration of web 2.0 tools into other tools. For example embedding a TeacherTube, Animoto Videos into a Wiki, Blog, or Glogster poster.
- autonomous learning for students as the become more involved in the process of learning science or math, especially helpful during project based learning and problem solving activities.
Learning Online: Another Answer for the Question - Why?
Once a teacher has developed a lesson or set of lessons using web 2.0 tools, the lesson or lessons are easily saved from class to class or next year.
Both teachers and students learn:
- how to use these online tools for learning and also the ability to transfer this knowledge to their personal lives and careers.
- up-to-date information regarding science and math. (i.e., Digg, Delicious)
- how to use RSS feeds to focus information gathering and research. (i.e., Digg, Delicious)
- by using podcasts and video podcasts for studying, reviewing, and tutoring outside the classroom. (i.e., Wikis, Blogs, Flickr)
- to collaborate with colleagues and follow students on projects both in and out of a classroom setting. (i.e., Google Docs, VoiceThread, SlideShare, Glogster)
Collaboration: A Final Answer for the Question - Why?
Ease of collaboration has always been an issue in K-12 science and math education. Lowering classroom walls using web 2.0 tools fosters learning autonomy for students as they have greater opportunities to collaborate with classmates and other students around the world.
Also these collaborative efforts are further realized as students can collaborate with each other from anywhere they have access to the Internet. Examples include students:
- collaborating on project reports, presentations, database management, and conducting online surveys. (i.e., Google Docs, OpenOffice, Zoho)
- creating group presentations. (i.e., SlideShare, Glogster, VoiceThread, Animoto, Vimeo, Wallwisher, Flickr)
- collaborating with students fro other schools around the world for collecting science or math data and research. (i.e., Skype, Twitter)
These examples answer the question - Why should web 2.0 tools be used to teach science and math?
Online tools promote authentic communication and collaboration between teaches to students, students to students, and students to teachers.
Also, web 2.0 tools provide authentic inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, and problem solving situations.
Posted by David Wetzel
Learning algebra is difficult for most students. Ask any student what they are learning in algebra and you will probably receive an answer similar to this (after - Why do I need to know this?).
“Using Xs and Ys a lot, a bunch of numbers and symbols, and memorizing a lot of rules.”
This often comes with learning algebra without connection to anything students can relate to. When students learn basic math, they can make a lot of connections.
For example - If the sales tax is 10%. How much tax will you pay when you buy an new MP3 player that costs $135.00?
Slope: A Definition
Lets take a look at another concept students study in algebra. The properties of lines such as slope, y-intercept, and their interactions.
This is a definition they typically find in an algebra textbook:
“The slope is defined as the ratio of the rise divided by the run between two points on a line, or in other words, the ratio of the altitude change to the horizontal distance between any two points on the line.”
Once they are able to get beyond the definition and understand how rise and run are connected to the term slope, then we start throwing positive and negative slope at them.
Equations: Negative and Positive Slopes
Start with the following graph to help students develop and understanding of negative slopes.
Now ask the students to find the slope for each line.
For the Green Line: y = 6 and x =6
For the Purple Line: y = 2 and x = 10
Now ask the students to find an equation for each slope.
y = rise/run times axis crossing point
y = -6/6 x 6
y = -2/10 x 2
Use the following graph to help students develop and understanding of positive slopes.
Now ask the students to find the slope for each line in the second graph.
For the Green Line: y = 0 and x = 10
For the Purple Line: y = 0 and x = 8
Now ask the students to find an equation for each slope.
y = 10/4 x 0
y = 8/6 x 0
This helps students with a fundamental concept:
“When lines go down from left to right this is a negative slope and when lines climb from left this a positive slope.”
Extension: Opportunity for Students to Demonstrate True Understanding
Now lets provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate true understanding with the following graph.
Now ask the students to find the slope for each line on this third graph.
From Quadrant I to Quadrant II: The “y” intercepts actually don’t change, and neither do the ‘run’ values. In fact the only thing different is that now the lines go up (positive slope). These five equations are the same as the first quadrant with the sign of the slope changed.
From Quadrant I to Quadrant III: The signs of the slope now stay the same (both negative), they can form the 3rd quadrant equations by simply changing the sign of the “y” intercept.
From Quadrant I to Quadrant IV: They need to change both the sign of the slopes and the “y” intercepts.
After completing these exercises the students should be more comfortable with translating equations of lines into corresponding lines on graph paper and vice-a-versa, along with using the slope-intercept form of linear equations.
Real World Applications: Additional Extension Activities
Additional extensions for finding the slope: students apply these concepts to a slide on a playground, schools stairs, non-flat drive ways, football field stands, any area of the school grounds which has a rolling or hilly terrain, etc.
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Filed Under: Math
Posted by David Wetzel
What is Wallwisher and why use it? Its a Web 2.0 application which allows students to express their thoughts or share information on a science concept.
This online application allows the author (teacher or student) to add information as post it stickies, it also allows others to add comments or information to wall - subject to the author’s approval.
Advantages of Wallwisher
The advantages of this Web 2.0 tool include:
- Ease of use by teachers and students
- Collaboration between students during projects
- Ability to use this tool from anywhere with Internet access
Using Wallwisher
When a teacher or students creates a wall for posting (called stickies) information, they are allowed to assign the wall its own URL.
Options include:
- Selecting from 12 color themes
- Controlling who can post or edit notes
- Adding videos
- Adding images
- Adding comments
- Adding links to websites
- Embedding a wall in another website, Wiki, or blog
- Allowing the relocation of stickies - permanently by those with author access and temporarily by others
Teaching Strategies for Using Wallwisher in Science
Concept Wall - this strategy provides an opportunity for students to add comments, images, and links to websites related to a specific science concept such as matter, velocity, wetlands, deserts, insects, recycling, earth day, solutions, etc.
Interactive KWL - displayed on an Interactive whiteboard as means of collecting students’ Prior Knowledge and Experiences regarding a specific concept prior to studying the concept, along with what they want to know about the concept. This wall is then saved and used for comparison as a post analysis of what they learned about the concept.
Interactive Science Games - teacher places facts about a specific science concept or idea in random order. Students are then required to place the facts in correct sequence to demonstrate their understanding. Examples include:
- Biological Taxonomy - Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
- Planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (Pluto?)
- Rainbow - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet
- Metric - Kilo, Hector, Deca, Units, Deci, Centi, Milli,
- Material Hardness - Talc, Gypsum, Calcite, Fluorite, Apatite, Orthoclase, Feldspar, Quarts, Topaz, Corundum, Diamond
Project Based Learning Activities
Students can use this Web 2.0 tool as an organizational tool in project based learning by:
- Presenting their open-ended driving question, along with supporting information which was used to develop the question.
- Presentation of what they expect to learn or create from the project.
- Communicating how they will collaborate during problem solving activities related to the project.
- Present student roles during project.
- List of final products developed from the findings of the project.
Students can then embed each of the walls they created in a Group Project Wiki,, Google Doc presentation, or Blog.
Sample Science Wall
Click on this image and try out a sample wall about the science concept - States of Matter
States of Matter Wall
