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
Posted by David Wetzel
Google Earth View of Sicily's Mount Etna Eruption 2002
Almost everyday a natural disaster occurs somewhere in the world. These disasters include volcano eruptions, flooding, hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, and more.
Most students rarely have a personal encounter with the effects of natural disasters, during their school years. However, almost all will have an encounter sometime during their lifetime.
The most common encounter for everyone with a natural disaster is by watching TV or reading about them on the Internet. This leads to little personal interaction and understanding of the causes of the disaster.
There is one technology today which allows students to watch natural disasters unfold or see the effects after they have occurred — Google Earth.
This free technology provides students with a bird’s eye view of a natural disaster area with remarkable high resolution. Students and teachers have access to this technology and they can investigate the cause and effect of any natural disaster in the world.
Project Based Learning: Studying the Effects of Disasters
When word of a natural disaster is spreading from somewhere in the world or announced on the news, students can use Google Earth to conduct an investigation of the disaster’s effect.
If enough warning is given, for example a hurricane or typhoon; students can view the expected land fall areas before the storm strikes. Then they can view the effects after the hurricane or typhoon passes through the area.
Other natural disasters students can investigate include:
- Volcano Eruptions – investigating lava flows, impact on surrounding vegetation, impact of surrounding region, and if there will be a global impact.
- Earthquakes – investigating the impact on cities, human development activities, and land masses.
- Major Floods – investigating flooded regions, along with impact on watersheds.
- Tsunamis – investigating the destructive power of Tsunamis, by comparing before and after images of a seashore area and surrounding landscape.
Problem Solving: Studying the Cause and Effect of Specific Natural Disasters
Students develop and create a variety of questions to guide their investigations related to a natural disaster. Then use Google Earth, Online Media, News Reports, Twitter, and Skype to follow through on their investigations. Examples include:
- What is the impact on local residents?
- What is the impact on the stability of man made dikes that hold back flood waters?
- What continents are likely to be affected by the ash fallout from the volcano eruption?
- What protection measures did the region have before the Tsunami struck the coast?
- What type of plates make up the San Andres fault in California?
- What other volcanoes are in the area and are they likely to erupt?
Additional Science Projects Using Google Earth
Google Earth and Global Warming Projects
Thematic Units Using Google Earth
Posted by David Wetzel
Project Based Learning and Math
Estimates are about 80 percent of Math Education at the K-12 level is strictly focused on solving math problems without any real-world context (Computational Thinking and Math Maturity: Improving Math Education in K-8 Schools, Dave Moursund, 2007). Students’ math learning strategies are narrowly confined to written and mental skills, speed, and accuracy in solving problems.
The weakness of this approach is there is not enough emphasis on placing math problems within a real world context. This is often referred to as the root of students constantly complaining – “Why do I need to learn this, I will never use it!”
Math Teaching Framework
The following is a framework for teaching math for conceptual understanding and making real world connections.
- Math Problems – these comes in form of numerical and word problems for developing a reasonable level of speed and accuracy in performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on integers, decimal fractions, and fractions. This also applies to knowledge of basic algebra, geometry, statistics, probability, and other higher math topics.
- Solving Math Problems – emphasis is on learning course material through rote memorization of steps and procedures in preparation for the next course. This strategy does not prepare students in developing the skills necessary to transfer new math knowledge and skills into other subject areas or into situations requiring the use of math outside the math classroom.
- Real World Math Problems – students need to be taught math is the foundation of product purchases, engineering, culinary arts, medical fields, sciences, geography, sports, and more real world applications.
- Solving Real World Math Problems – the ideal approach for integrating real world math into math classes is through the use of project based learning. Other titles for this type of teaching are problem based learning or inquiry based learning. Whatever you want to call it – students are solving basic math problems with the context of real world math.
Project Based Learning
For teachers new to project based learning, the following are recommendations for helping you integrate this strategy and helping students make math connections to real world applications.
- Start Small – do not try to completely reinvent your teaching strategies and techniques all at once. Integrate project based learning into one chapter per unit at a time. This will help you work out the kinks and become more comfortable in later units.
- Train Your Students – you will often find students may not be used to this style of teaching and learning. Just like you are transforming your teaching strategies, your students need to learn how to transform themselves into self-directed learners, presenters, and problems solvers.
- Use Interdisplinary Projects – work with teachers in other subject areas if possible to create and begin projects. This helps you in getting feedback from colleagues and also helps students make those all important connections outside the classroom.
For teachers who are veterans with project based learning integration, try using the following strategies:
- Mentorship – become a mentor for a colleague who is striking out into the world of project based learning. This helps you by becoming stronger in using this strategy and you also have the opportunity to gain insights into new project based learning activities through this collaboration.
- Technology – try integrating new technological tools, especially Web 2.0 tools, into your students’ projects. Other technology tools include the use of interactive whiteboards, global-positioning-system (GPS) devices, digital still cameras, video cameras, and associated editing equipment.
- Collaborative Projects – if projects do not currently rely on collaboration with other classrooms or schools, try a multi-classroom approach. This can be accomplished by contacting colleagues in your within your school, colleagues in classrooms in other schools in your district or state, or other classrooms in schools in other countries.
Using these strategies help your students make connections to the world outside their classroom and most importantly build bridges to higher levels of learning and math understanding.
The road in mathematics can take many paths; however, solving real world math problems must move beyond its current estimated of only 20 percent application in math today. This approach will alleviate the inherent weaknesses in mathematics teaching and learning today.
Additional Resources
6 Steps to Creating a Project Based Learning Activity
Project Based Learning - Chemistry or Physical Science
Pythagorean Theorem - Real World Context
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Filed Under: Math
