Module+3

= 3.1 - Use of Technology in the Science Classroom = 

3.1.1 Teacher-Centered and Information-Sharing Technologies
**Attached Files:**   ** Wikis and moodle ** Read the listed below about wikis. View the attached pdf PowerPoint above about using wikis and moodle. While viewing the PowerPoint, you will be expected to create a wiki and invite all class members, explore a demonstration moodle site and complete a few activities on the moodle site. There are other free sites where you can create wikis as well (the site used in this PowerPoint is www.wikispaces.com ). Create your own wiki for a grade 11 science course at your school. Organize it so that you can input all of the unit plans, concept presentations and other resources from this AQ course. You should have folders for all of the units in the course and use the wiki as an ongoing organizational tool for the resources you gather. One of the most important professional development activities that teachers engage in is building a resource library. The folders in this blackboard course will only be available to you for a short period of time after the course, but the information you upload to a wiki will be there for the foreseeable future. Please invite all course members to your wiki and remember to update your wiki throughout this course. You will be evaluated on completion of your wiki. (Note: you can chose another free wiki site or moodle for this assignment but ensure that whatever you choose, all course members are invited to view your information). PowerPoint presentations are often a method used by high school teachers, university professors, businesses, statisticians and others to convey information. Why do you think they are used so often? Do you use them in your practice? Do you think they are more or less effective than another type of Socratic lesson where the teacher does a chalk and talk, why or why not? Find a research article that supports your views. Shareski, D. (2006). Are Wikis Worth the Time? Learning and leading with technology, 33(4), 6-7. __**3.1.2 Student-Centered, Inquiry, and Interactive Technologies** __
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** Gizmos TM ** Sign up for a 30-day free trial at this Gizmos website. View the webcast on gizmos. Pick one gizmo related to the grade 11 course and design a lesson that incorporates the gizmo. The lesson should include reference to the curriculum expectations and indicate what assessment/evaluation will be done to ensure the students have understood the concept. Submit your lesson design for gizmos in the submission box below. The first article explores how student response systems encourage student engagement, a constructivist approach to learning. Read the second article about SMALLab technologies. Langman, J. (2010). Classroom Response System-Mediated Science Learning with English Language Learners. Language and education, 24(2), 81-99. Tolentino, L. (2009). Teaching and Learning in the Mixed-Reality Science Classroom. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18(6), 501-517. __**3.2.3 Technology in the Science Laboratory** __  Probeware is becoming ubiquitous in the science classroom. Do you think the cost, the setup and the learning curve are worth the effort? Read the following articles and proceed to the discussion forum below. Trotter, A. (2008). "Probeware" on Increase in Schools. Education Week, 27(29), 1. Hisim, N. (2005). Technology in the Lab; Part II: Practical Suggestions for Using Probeware in the Science Classroom. The Science Teacher, 72(7), 38. =
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 * Emerging interactive technologies **
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3.3 - **Teaching Strategies: Problem Solving**  =

__3.3.1 **Problem Solving** __
 All science teachers will require their students to solve problems at regular intervals throughout the course. These problems may or may not be numerical in nature, may have a single answer or may be open to interpretation and discussion. They may require the student to do research or perform an experiment in order to derive answers. Whichever the case, all these questions are geared towards building the student's ability to take information and formulate answers to questions. Some students will have a more developed problem-solving skill set upon entering the science classroom, whereas others in the same class may still be novices when it comes to solving problems. Providing a structured approach to problem solving is paramount in helping students develop sound problem-solving strategies. For the purpose of this section, the focus is on problem-solving skills that do not involve research or experimentation. We are therefore only addressing a part of the total skill set needed to help students become strong problem solvers. There are several methods that are frequently used by teachers to teach problem-solving skills to science teachers. One of those is the GRASP or GRASS method (Given, Required, Analysis, Solution, Paraphrase/Sentence). A sample problem involving density has been solved using the GRASP method and is attached to this section. Have a look at this document and consider the following: One of the skills that students need to master is to organize the information contained in the question in such a way that further analysis is facilitated. Most students look for the numerical values in a question without truly reading all the text. When student fail to read a question in its entirety, they risk missing key information. The student response may then be incomplete even though the student may have the ability and understanding to tackle the whole problem correctly given a full reading and complete understanding of the information contained in the question. Once a student has read through the entire problem, the information should then be organized into the "Givens" and "Requireds". For shorter questions, a simple list may be sufficient, whereas for longer or more difficult questions other visual organizational methods may be useful. The second attachment titled // A Buoyancy Problem // illustrates the use of tables to help students organize further. Note the use of arrows to help students follow the flow of information. When looking at the solution for the buoyancy problem, note how the main variables have subscripts. Some teachers and texts use a variety of letters for the same main variable. For example, a force of tension is sometimes called // T //, however, // T //also stands for temperature and period, and // t // is most commonly used for time. It is therefore less confusing to use // F T //for tension. The // F // denotes that it is a force, the subscript // T // indicates what type of force. Another item to consider when introducing variables and equations is whether to write units inside the equation when entering the number. Some units and variables use the same letter. In the buoyancy question, // m // is used both to denote the variable mass, as well as the unit of meter. If one is strict about writing out the 'givens' with units, the check for correct units can be done (such as changing the // cm // to // m //), and units can be left out of the equation. Teachers have their own preferences with regard to unit analysis and whether units are part of the givens or part of the equations students write, teachers should ensure consistency and focus on student understanding of units. Problems that are not numerical in nature also benefit from an organized approach. Visuals that may help the students develop the ability to solve these types of problems include flow charts and checklists. A chemistry example of a flowchart is attached above (// A Solutions Problem //)//. // **__ 3.3.2 Practicing Problem Solving __**
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 * Students tend to get bored solving the same types of problems over and over. What has been done to make this an interesting problem to solve?
 * How does the extension allow for differentiated instruction?

 In order to become an effective problem solver, a student has to do many problems of a variety of difficulty levels. Some should be done as an individual and for example assigned as homework, but many should be done in a classroom setting with the teacher available to act as a facilitator of learning. Read the article on collaborative groups and reflect on ways to implement problem solving in your classroom. Think back on the lesson regarding student-centered learning in the last module, and use this as a basis to describe three different activities that would allow students to be socially engaged while working through problems. Create five problems that you could use in one of those activities. All problems should be targeting the same expectation, but be different in their approach. Cooper, M. (2008). An Assessment of the Effect of Collaborative Groups on Students. Journal of Chemical Education, 85(6), 866-872.
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