rmliechty
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rmliechty
ParticipantHelp Make this In-Person Activity Virtual
I have students write and illustrate a children’s book explaining a biology concept in a way that a 7 or 8 year old could understand. I really enjoy seeing their creativity and seeing the physical books. I’m sure there is a tool where this could be done virtually, but I’m not familiar with one off the top of my head. Suggestions?
ParticipantI think this could happen in break out rooms.
ParticipantStudents could to the drawings and then take pictures and turn them in at the end of the week.
ParticipantI teach high school biology – mostly freshmen. I have never exactly had a classroom meeting, but I do like to get student input on how my classroom is run. I ask students questions like, how do you learn best? Do you like hands on projects or reading assignments? Do you enjoy online simulations? Would you rather do a project or take a test? As I get ideas from students, I try to plan lessons and activities that incorporate the different suggestions that I receive. If a student complains about a task, I can explain to them that although it might not be their favorite, there are other students for whom this method works, and then remind them of the lessons where I used their suggestions, or let them know that I plan to use their idea in the future. It is difficult to cater to all learners in one lesson, but I hope that as I use different methods throughout the year, I am reaching each of them at some point, and helping them learn to value different ways of learning as well.
ParticipantI really like the top ten idea. I might try that in future classes. I like the bell work asking about them as well. Sometimes I add a question to the end of a quiz or test asking something like “What should I make for dinner tonight?” or “Which is better Subway or Jimmy John’s?”, just to add some light-heartedness to what may otherwise be stressful for students.
ParticipantI like finding out about jobs, and then, if they seem open to it, sometimes I show up where they work (if it’s a restaurant or something like that)! Seeing them outside of their school environment helps me to see another side of them, and usually they seem to think it is fun.
ParticipantBuilding relationships with my students is my favorite part of teaching. I ask questions about their lives and try to show an interest in them beyond their performance in my class. I don’t love ice-breaker type activities and find that many high school students don’t either, but there is one “getting to know you” activity that I have seen a lot of success with. Students write down three things on a sticky note – one thing that is true about them and everyone else in the class, one thing that is true about them and some people in the class, and one thing that is true about only them. As we go through these in class, I learn things about students that I probably wouldn’t learn otherwise. This is something that I could do in an online teaching situation as well as in person. I also try to remember the activities they are involved in and ask them about how things are going in those areas. I have also found, especially with some of my quieter students, that if I check in with them every day and ask if they need help with work, they become more willing to reach out to me.
ParticipantParticipantI always appreciate a good PhET simulation. Thanks for the link to this one!
Participanthttps://docs.google.com/document/d/18Q1s6SZFedSO5OAYouAvMl5jz5UjBpHXHpi-Qw_77-o/edit?usp=sharing
A brief description of your lesson
A description of one of the engaging resources you included in your lesson.This is a lesson on the properties of water to introduce my Chemistry of Life unit in Biology 1. It begins with an online simulation where students can manipulate water in a virtual lab setting. Following the simulation, students explore various properties of water using common household supplies. They watch a video lecture where I explain the properties using slideshow, and then answer questions about why water behaved the way it did in their experiments.
I feel like the exploration of properties of water using household supplies is an great way to engage students. Among other things, they add drops of water to a penny to see how it forms a dome, observe capillary action by holding a paper towel in water, and try to get a paper clip to float. They have probably observed some of these properties before in their life without understanding the science behind it.
ParticipantLink to my Live Lesson Plan:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jlO2FBg0n4dXhTTuWm_HlqF9XmBUnM0pCnr-beW6yv8/edit?usp=sharingWhat went well: Students were engaged and enjoyed the activity itself because it is active and they are not just sitting and listening.
What could go better: Even after instructions, there are lots of questions about how to complete the activity. I could take more time and go step-by-step through each part of the activity, checking in with students before proceeding, even if that means stretching the activity out over two days.
Areas for improvement: As suggested above, take more time with each step. I also would check in with each student on the knowledge check and if it does not appear that they have a complete understanding of the significance of the allele frequencies, I would ask them to explain, and coach them to a complete understanding.
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This reply was modified 1 week, 1 day ago by
rmliechty.
ParticipantThe tech tool you found most engaging or fun to use
One challenge you had while developing activities using the tech tools
A link or screenshot of an activity you developed using one of the tech toolsI used Blooket, Kahoot, and tried out Loom and Powtoon. My students really like Blooket, but for teaching purposes, I like using Kahoot because it allows me to see misunderstandings and address them right away, rather than waiting until the game is over. Loom and Powtoon looked interesting, but I found they did not seem to be as user friendly as other tools I have used. I used the AI feature on Powtoon, which generated a good script, and had a description of the slides, but when it played, it did not show any images on the slides. It would take some research to learn them, and it appears that one would have to pay to get the most use out of both Loom and Powtoon. It was not part of my 3-in-a-row, but I also tried out Formative. I think it has potential for real time feedback, which I really liked at a previous district that paid for the full version of Pear Deck.
ParticipantShare a link to or a screenshot of your digital home base, briefly explaining what resources you included and why. Your post should include:
A link or screenshot of your digital home base
A description of at least two resources you included
An explanation of how these resources help improve distance learning and student successI created a Google Classroom page at the following link:
https://sites.google.com/d/1eWJLyhxYrySkZa4cIv4XK14oFpFjjhXr/p/1nyx2hD1Ghy8xZsVejqJ9SjQl6S8Pk69D/edit?pli=1I include a links (not live at the moment) to daily warm-ups related to the current content, as well as access to the class schedule, assignments, and resources (websites, videos, notes, articles) that will help with understanding content. These resources can improve distance learning by helping my students stay up to date with our schedule and will give them multiple ways to access content. They can choose which options work best for their personal learning style.
ParticipantA description of what you find most challenging about online teaching
A possible solution to your challenge, using a tool, tip, or strategy you learned
A link to the tool, if applicable
An explanation of how this tool, tip, or strategy can help you improve your experience as an online teacherI have not actually taught digitally yet, so I’m going to discuss what I imagine would be a challenge for me. I think that I would find myself spending a lot of time answering emails and responding to student questions. So often, even in the classroom, after I’ve given what I feel like are concise and straightforward instructions, I find myself spending much of the class repeating instructions to students. In person, that time is limited to the 55 or so minutes I have in class, but with digital instruction, I can see that those questions could take up so much more time. I like the idea of establishing office hours and providing a list of FAQ’s. Then I could direct students there, and if their question still isn’t answered, they can join speak with me during office hours. This would encourage students to take responsibility to find their own solutions, and then come to me if they still have questions. This mindset could probably help me in my in-person classroom as well.
ParticipantA description of a specific organizational tool or tip that you use
An example of how you’ve integrated this tool or tip in your own teaching workflow
A link to the tool, if applicable
An explanation of how this tip can help improve instructional or student outcomesI have my email organized into several different folders. Among others, I have a folder for email to and from parents, a folder for technology tips and information, and a folder for curriculum resources. If I am planning a lesson and want some new ideas, I go to my “biology resources” folder and there is usually something there that I came across previously and stored there so that it wouldn’t get lost in my inbox.
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This reply was modified 1 week, 1 day ago by
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