iPod Touch
The iPod Touch brings a new dimension to teaching and learning in the science or math classroom – Mobile Learning! No longer are students required to only learn within the confines of their classroom when using this digital tool.
One advantage of these digital devices is portability. This advantage supports the basic tenant of mobile learning. Students explore, investigate, problem solve, and complete assignments from anywhere within or outside the classroom.
A second advantage for using an iPod Touch in science or math classrooms is the motivation students experience when using these devices to learn. This is primarily due to the personalized nature of the device through independent learning, self-expression, and creativity.
Teaching Strategies: How to take Advantage of this Digital Tool
These four teaching strategies take advantage of the power of an iPod Touch to address multiple learning styles in science and math.
- Engage students in active authentic, real-world tasks about content issues which are of interest to them (i.e., project based learning, problem solving, or inquiry based learning).
- Link the processes of student creative media work and critical analysis (i.e., Digital Storytelling, Screencasting, Podcasts, etc.).
- Teach students abstract concepts through the regular connection of observation, experience, and discussion (VoiceThread, Skype, Glogster, SlideShare, iPod Apps, etc.).
- Routinely use of visual, print, and aural for learning and expression (i.e., Vimeo, Animoto, SlideShare, Flash Cards, Teacher Tube, iMovie, Flickr, etc.)
Learning Strategies: Using Web 2.0 Tools with the iPod Touch
Learning strategies which use web 2.0 tools support the basic tenant of mobile learning with an iPod Touch. Students can use this digital device to create, view, or investigate concepts using the following strategies.
- Digital Storytelling – linking project based learning, problem solving, and inquiry based learning with digital storytelling is natural. The integration of digital storytelling technology motivates students, allows them to easily share their work, and encourages collaborative learning. Students can create digital stories with their iPod Touch to explain their problem solving procedures, investigative findings, answers, and conclusions.
- Online Learning – the iPod Touch comes with Safari internet browser for searching for science and math online learning resources. Students can access search engines for finding images, Google, and simulations for learning concepts. One neat tool helps adapt websites to the iPod – Skeezer.com.
- Podcasting – is as an alternative to digital media such as videos, voice, or images. Podcasts created by students provide a digital medium for student expression of concepts, projects, and related themes. Students can use their iPod Touch to record the audio portion of a podcast and then link their audio with videos and images.
- Multisensory Learning – integrating videos, podcasts, and pictures in lessons help students through the use of multisensory learning. These tools allow the use or online resources which are not typically available in any classroom. Students can use their iPod Touch to access these online resources in wireless classrooms, in their home, or anywhere else they have wireless access to the web.
Why use the iPod Touch in science and math is evidenced by its connectedness with teaching and learning. This is confirmation is based on the idea of Bloom’s Taxonomy for the digital age, which focuses primarily on the use of digital tools (such as the iPod Touch) to support higher order thinking skills.
Wolfram
What is Wolfram Alpha? It is a supercomputing brain. It provides calculates and provides comprehensive answers to most any science or math question. Unlike other search sources, you and your students can ask questions in plain language or various forms of abbreviated notation.
Contrary to popular belief, Wolfram Alpha is not a search engine. Unlike popular search engines, which simply retrieve documents based on keyword searches, Wolfram computes answers based on known models of human knowledge. It provides answers which are complete with data and algorithms, representing real-world knowledge.
Teaching Strategies: Researching Facts and Information
Science and math teaching strategies with Wolfram begin with allowing students to search for information about specific facts and information. The following examples provide support for stimulating critical thinking using a digital lens.
Science
One example – physical property:
Another example – comparing a Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, and Polar Bear:
Math
One example – cylinder:
Another example – Quadratic Equation:
Interactive Activities: K-12 Science and Math Resources
The Wolfram Demonstrations Project (Education Portal) is a resource of thousands of ready-to-use models for your classroom. These demonstrations use dynamic computation to bring to life concepts in mathematics and science. They are designed to let your students visualize concepts. These models can be projected and run using a screen or interactive whiteboard. For students to interact with the models, the free Mathematica Player program needs to be downloaded on the computer they are using.
The following images provide a view of science and math resources by grade level.
Using Widgets: Mini-Apps for Specific Queries
One useful feature of Wolfram Alpha is their widgets. These widgets can be added to your teaching blog, class wiki, or interactive lesson when using an interactive white board. You can build your own or use pre-made widgets for both science and math. The following is an example widget – Earthquakes Today (GMT) which shows the location of all earth quakes during the last 24 hours based on a selectable magnitude range.
There is great potential for Wolfram Alpha in science and math classes. This online technological tool adds a new dimension to researching for information and not just finding information on the web. This search tool is that it is also available for the iPod Touch through iTunes.
Blogs in Science and Math Class
The primary purpose of blog is to facilitate interaction between a teacher and his or her students. This is possible because a blog is a dynamic tool which can be easily updated or transformed as necessary to meet the needs of a science or math class.
The integration of blog technology in a class requires an investment of time. Because of this commitment, additional evidence is needed to support the integration this technology in a science or math class curriculum.
Why Create a Class Blog?
When a blog is driven by the curriculum and not the opposite, the benefits of a science blog or math blog include the following:
- Blogs are interactive tools which foster debate, problem solving, and critical thinking in students.
- You can post PowerPoint or Keynote presentations, pictures, homework assignments, study guides, videos, links to supporting websites, journal entries, and discussion questions.
- Students can respond to discussions using VoiceThread, guiding questions, or submit their thoughts regarding discrepant events in science or challenging math questions.
- Students writing and reading comprehension skills are improved.
- You promote an attitude of student-centered teaching and learning in your classroom.
What are the Advantages for Teachers?
The greatest advantage for you is the ease of use and minimal or no cost options. These two things alone make integration of this technology viable for all teachers. Additional advantages include:
- No special software or technical knowledge is needed to create or maintain a blog.
- You can embed stories, example problems, videos, podcasts, or images easily using any of the three main blogging tools used by most teachers. These are WordPress and Blogger, which are both free. The third most popular option is EduBlogs, which offers both free and minimal cost options.
- You control the information on the class blog.
- Comments by students and others must be approved by you prior to posting in the blog.
- Ideal for parent communication through online newsletters, updates of current and future events, class assignments, project details, and more.
- Easily updated from anywhere you have internet access.
- Google Reader, Delicious, Diigo, and similar resources can be displayed or accessed directly from the blog.
What are the Advantages for Students?
Students enjoy using blogs because they are engaged in the learning process. For example, students are able to:
- Think outside the box, when it comes to problem solving and project based learning activities. This comes from online resources provided or they found on the internet to support the views, research, and findings.
- Collaborate with other students on projects, along with sharing of thoughts and ideas.
- Learning from other students, by reading their thoughts and processes when responding to assignments posted on the blog.
- Access science or math classroom resources from home, their local library, a Smartphone, or even their iPod Touch.
- Develop a sense of self-confidence about their ability to learn science or math. This happens as make connections with other science or math concepts, theories, and laws governing.
Example Science and Math Blogs
These two blogs are exemplary examples of how blogs can be used to facilitate science or math classroom teaching and learning.
- Extreme Biology – challenges students through creative strategies and techniques in this science blog. Students discuss topics, study current research, and collaborate with other students.
- dy/dan – challenges students to use their problem solving and critical thinking skills using a “What Can You Do With This” approach in math.
To Blog or Not To Blog in Science or Math Class – the evidence is overwhelming as to why you should use this technology. Blogs have been around for several years, they are not going away, and you may find many of your students have their own blog. So why not take advantage of this tool to support you teaching and your students’ learning.
Resource
Learning About Blogs FOR Your Students
