The content area in which I conducted my research on is the flow of electricity through a circuit. I enjoy teaching this unit because it is one of the few times I have my students conduct an open inquiry activity. The open inquiry activity has the students discover the elements of a working circuit. I would still have my students complete the inquiry activity first because it will set the stage to teach them the science behind their circuits.
The websites that I believe are powerful learning tools are:
1. NASA: The students can use this website as a reference page. This one page website defines parallel and series circuits. http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/text/kids/Problem_Board/problems/electricity/circuits2.html
2. Woodland Junior School: This is an incredible website. I cannot wait to use it with my students. This website provides about fourteen different games to explore. My favorite interactive game is called, Silicon Spies. This is a comic like story of an evil doctor. Dr Volt has an evil plan of destroying all the power in Silicon City. The city sends a group of spies to foil his plans. The student becomes one of the spies.
These two websites will prepare my students to be 21st-century scientifically literate citizens by providing them the knowledge and practice in understanding the basic of circuits. The only challenge that I can see is providing my students an opportunity to practice building circuits independently or in partners because of the lack of computers available.
Hollie,
ReplyDeleteYours is the plight of so many schools across the country, mine included. The push is on for students to use technology in the classroom and have access to it during lessons and yet the school districts are far behind on providing the tools students need to join the technological movement. Like you I often find sites or programs that my students would benefit from but are unable to utilize because of the lack of access to computers in the classroom and the assignment requires collaboration which is unsuited for the media center/library. I am left to wonder if all the talk about technology in the classrooms is just that...a lot of talk.
Hollie,
ReplyDeleteI also used electricity as my "big idea." It also happens to be the unit/module that I am teaching now. I cam across the same two websites as you did during my research as you did. As for me, I also like to have the students complete an inquiry experience prior to teaching the actual science behind electricity and circuitry.
Your insight into the dilemmma of integrating and infusing of technology is right on. With so many of us, districts are behind in providing the necessary tools to be 21st century learners. It could that districts have trouble in keeping pace with the advances of technology due to budget constraints or the physical capabilities of a particular school.
Hollie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the learningcircuits website that you discussed in blog. I think this website will defiantly benefit your students to explore this site so that they can gain a better understanding of how electricity flows through a circuit. Additionally, this is a great way to promote the 21st-century learning. Great post!
Hollie,
ReplyDeleteI really like the learning circuits site. One issue I could see with it though is that students could easily get too involved in creating the face and not have enough time to really get into the electrical information they are learning.
Lack of computers is always a difficult thing to deal with when teaching students. We know it's important to teach them, technologically. However, without the equipment it is just not possible to get it done.
~Charity
I really enjoyed the learning circuits site and I think your students would really enjoy it as well. I completely understand your frustration with the lack of technology. Everybody wants you to use it but they don't give you the tools to do so. My school recently bought some new programs that were the latest "best thing"...then they discovered our computers were so old they couldn't run the programs on them.
ReplyDeleteYou could have centers set up and have those websites be one of the centers/learning activities. Then only a handful of students would be trying to complete the online work at a time and they could all complete the circuit work.
ReplyDelete