Extra Credit Opportunity

This seems like a really cool tool. 20pts extra credit if you build one and donate it to our classroom.

Cells Song

I did not create this, just wanted to share since both my bio 1 and 2 kids are currently learning about cells. Watch it, get it stuck in your head, and remember the jobs of each organelle!

Thoughts on Learning

After spending my summer participating in 106 hours of professional development specifically designed for teachers, I feel the need to reflect on what I’ve learned this summer.

Modeling Learning for our Students

The Indiana Department of Education only requires 90 hours professional development over the course of 5 years for license renewal.

This requirement seems outrageously low to me. After 106 hours of course work, I still feel like there is so much I could learn and improve on. If we as teachers don’t strive to be lifelong learners and constantly try to gain knowledge and expand our understanding of the world, how can we expect the same from our students?

Teaching Styles and Tools

Technology is all the rage right now, but I found it to be the least motivating of all the tools I encountered. This summer I took three courses that followed three very different formats. First was a fully online course (Basic Moodle for Teachers), which included weekly notes, lessons, chats, and assignments. Second was an exploratory course (Introduction to Entomology), which included one long day of lecture/notes followed by 6 days of field work, and lastly was an immersive course (ASM Materials Camp for Teachers), which included 5 intense 8am to 5pm days of inquiry-based learning.

The ASM Material Science Teacher Camp group.

What I learned is that human interaction and personal discovery is far more motivating than anything that appears on a computer screen. Although I learned about Moodle in my first course, the course lacked passion. Despite an attempt to connect the students through chat rooms and discussion forums, the online format lacked that personal touch.

On the other hand, the ASM Materials Camp took me, and my fellow participants, on an awesome journey of discovery. We were not given commands or lists of goals to attain. Rather we had tantalizing supplies dangled in front of us with basic steps outlined to help us uncover their secrets. We didn’t sit and stare at a computer screen, watch someone else carry out experiments, or get told why science happens. We learned through exploration. Although mistakes were made and objectives were sometimes unclear, we soldiered on as a cohort of explorers. The interaction and cohesiveness of our group is what made the learning experience memorable and enjoyable.

Although my courses this summer focused on distinct subjects (Moodle, Entomology, Material Science), the most important thing I learned is the importance of human interaction in learning. No computer will ever be able to motivate and inspire a student quite like another human being.

Science Question of the Week

To get everyone a little more excited about science, this school year we are going to start a weekly trivia contest. The Science Question of the Week will be open to all middle school science students. Starting on Monday August 19th, a science-themed question will be included with the announcements. Students can submit their answers by writing their name and a response on a piece of paper and placing it in the trivia box in Mrs. Glade's room. The following Monday a winner will be drawn and will receive an awesome prize: a pass to cut to the front of the lunch line for an entire week!

Summer Professional Development

This summer is the first time I am not taking summer classes through IU or dealing with a move, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to spend my time doing whatever I would like. So what am I going to do? Take all the classes I can, of course!

I couldn't imagine sitting around and not using my time to explore. Due to lack of funds, I am limited to free/incredibly cheap opportunities only. Luckily, I have found 3 courses that should be both informative and entertaining.

Professional Development #1: Basic Moodle for Teachers via PRISM
I readily admit that I am not a tech savvy individual. Using online resources does not come easily to me, but I realize that they are an important part of the complete education of our students. This 5-week online course is helping me build a better online resource to use with my students. Instead of just using this blog to host links to online resources, I am hoping Moodle will help me create a more comprehensive classroom website.

Professional Development #2: ASM Materials Camp at University of Illinois-Champaign
I applied for this opportunity on a whim, and was lucky enough to be accepted and have the entire 5-day course paid for! I am super excited to travel to Champaign and learn about new and innovative ways to engage my students with physical science.

Professional Development #3: Entomology Workshop at Crane
$10 for a 7 day course on insects, definitely could not pass this up. Despite being completely terrified of creepy crawlies in my home or classroom, I think insects are fascinating and am looking forward to learning more about them.

Mastodon Matrix Project

This upcoming week, North Daviess 7th graders will begin working on analyzing sediments excavated from a paleontological dig in Hyde Park, New York. The Mastodon Matrix project is organized by Dr. Carlyn Buckler of the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), and is an amazing opportunity for students to participate in a real-life science project. We have received 8 bags of matrix (the rocks, dirt, clay, and plant/animal remains) excavated from the Hyde Park Mastodon dig. In the coming weeks, we will be combing through the materials in search of fossils, interesting rocks, and other interesting materials. Students will utilize the skills they have been learning all year to create a catalog of the plants and animals that lived during the Pleistocene Epoch. The results will be sent back to PRI and become part of a large-scale project trying to reconstruct what Earth looked like 12,000 years ago when the mastodons roamed the Earth. We are very excited to start examining the matrix and making our own discoveries.