Posted by David Wetzel
Successful Teaching
What does it mean to be a successful science or math teacher? The definition of success is an elusive thing and measured in many ways. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines success as – resulting in or gaining a favorable outcome. This, without a doubt, is your and every other teacher’s goal for their students.
Among the many ways of measuring teacher success is the ability to engage students in teaching practices which excite and encourage their natural curiosity for learning. When these best practices are used in the classroom, then all other measures of success follow suite. Thus, providing an indicator you’re a successful science or math teacher.
So what are the three best practices successful science and math teachers’ use in their classroom?
Project Based Learning
Teaching strategies which involve project based learning offer students the potential of gaining deeper insights into science and mathematical concepts. This strategy engages students to use critical thinking processes as they develop and answer their own questions.
This teaching strategy also helps students tap into higher order skills, which allows them to make those all important connections between one science or math concept and other concepts.
Other reasons why students are excited and encouraged by practice:
- answering open-ended questions
- drawing conclusions based on their findings
- working collaboratively with other students
Real World Problem Solving
Problem solving is the essence of scientific and mathematic investigations. Providing students with real-world problems to solve allows them the opportunity to use investigative processes which stimulate higher order thinking skills.
In science, problem solving relies heavily on the effective use of the science process skills as students complete investigations. Two strategies which support problems solving is the use of discrepant events and experimental design for exciting and engaging students.
In math, making connections within and between concepts is critical to understanding math. Unfortunately students are very good with math concepts when treated separately; however, these same students have difficulties when trying to connect the concepts. One strategy for problem solving is the use of cases studies in mathematics. They encourage connections between concepts, as students rely on and use their prior knowledge and experience in math.
Integrating Technology in Lessons
Using a digital lens stimulates critical thinking skills as students in explore, think, read, write, research, invent, problem solve, and experience the world of science and math. Integrating technology provides them the opportunity to investigate science and math phenomena the same way as scientists and mathematicians.
Digital Media follows the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words!” when it comes to science and math. The use of digital media is ideal for helping students construct background knowledge for developing a better understanding of science and math concepts.
The following are two examples of best practices for integrating technology in teaching and learning science or math.
- Podcasting – integrating podcasts in science and math classes is a good way to support student learning. This strategy leverages the use of digital devices as a means for mobile learning because students use them everyday – iPods, Smart Phones, computers, etc.
- Online Tools – facilitate input and interaction by students as they use the four skills of the language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) to investigate, inquire, hypothesize, conjecture, and explain their findings. Online tools offer enormous advantages for science and math teachers, in terms of helping their students learn using Web 2.0 tools.
These are three best practices for instilling curiosity in your students, while encouraging an atmosphere of student centered learning. Ignoring these and other practices which lead to teaching success and student learning risks diminishing, if not losing, the endowment of natural curiosity which all students have when they are born.
Posted by David Wetzel
Twitter
The value of Twitter for helping you and your colleagues stay informed of the latest trends, ideas, resources, and Web 2.0 integration tools has increased tremendously in the past year.
A Web 2.0 tool is available for exploiting the every growing information on Twitter to remove barriers and allow you to collaborate with other science and math teachers. This new online tool is paper.li – a source of daily Twitter newsletters in education.
This web site offers hundreds of newsletters which provide a summary of ideas, tips, and resources other educators are tweeting about in the previous 24 hours. The daily newsletters are based on hash tags educators to organize their information in categories for you and other teachers.
Web 2.0 Daily Newsletters
The following are a selection of paper.li daily newsletters which are of prime interest for science and math teachers of all levels.
- edtech Daily – provides a summary and links to articles and blog posts which concern the integration of technology in teaching and learning. This newspaper also provides a summary of posts under the #edchat hash tag in which teachers discuss issues, share tips, and resources regarding technology integration.
- elemchat Daily – a summary and links to article and blog posts concerning issues, tips, ideas, and resources for elementary teachers.
- mathchat Daily – a summary of discussions, articles, and blog posts regarding teaching and learning math.
- scichat Daily – a summary of discussions, articles, and blog posts regarding teaching and learning science.
- teachingscienceandmath – summary of tips, resources, discussions, and blog posts regarding teaching and learning science and math, along with technology integration.
- education Daily – provides a summary and links to articles and blog posts concerning current education trends and issues.
- edtech Daily – provides a summary and links to articles and blog posts which concern the integration of technology in teaching and learning. This newspaper also provides a summary of posts under the #edchat hash tag in which teachers discuss issues, share tips, and resources regarding technology integration.
Each daily newspaper provides an “alert me” button which allows you to enter your e-mail address to receive an a message informing you the newspaper was just updated with the latest news, stories, blogs, and discussions related to its topic in the last 24 hours.
These daily Twitter newsletters are ideal for every teacher who wants to take advantage of this powerful Web 2.0 tool and do not have the time to scan through all the tweets of the people you are following.
Posted by David Wetzel
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
