HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Here we are again. The start of a new (school) year! This year is setup to be one of the most exciting years of your academic career...and life in general. There has been a lot leading up to your 8th grade year. Think back...just two years ago, you were the little six grade munchkins with your own separate bathrooms, classrooms, and set of teachers. You looked up, figuratively and literally to all of the other students on campus. Then your 7th grade year came upon you and you were now in the middle...not rookies anymore, but not quite veterans. You had to share your lunch tables, bathrooms, PE classes, and some academic classes with 8th graders. But now, you are here...your 8th grade year! The culminating year of your middle school career! This year will definitely be filled with memories, some bad and some good, but all of which will shape you as an individual, and lead you to that ever-so-important day...PROMOTION!

Your assignment for this blog is to post a comment about what you are most excited about for your 8th grade year (please include your name and period within your post). It could be anything...academic, social, sports-related, family milestones, etc. There are no wrong answers, so feel free to write as much or as little as you want. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Future of Science Education

"Money, Money, Money, Money.....MONEY!!!" Unfortunately that is what it boils down to. The lack of it makes it very difficult to keep up with the rapid pace of evolving technology. The schools seem to be more than a step behind the culture. How do we make up for the lack of funding? Can we make strides toward advancing technology in our schools? How can we stay current with the rapid pace of technological advances? Answer: We need to find alternative ways to get funding to support the education taking place in our classrooms, schools, districts, and states.

Ever since the beginning of this school year, I have been on a hunt for opportunities to write grants. Anything from $50 to $1000. Any amount helps! Asking parents and local businesses to donate supplies and laboratory materials (disposables) helps a lot, and even asking administration for some resources can't hurt either. But to be actively searching is the key. We can stare at our televisions and computer screens and watch as the state of education continues to spiral downward, or we can get up from behind the newspaper and look for any opportunity to help fund field trips and other richly engaging activities that are sure to pique the interests of our students. As long as we continue to do what ever we can to improve our schools, we are on the right track.

Our individual voice may not be loud enough for America to hear, but a joint effort, along with fellow colleagues, parents, students, and administrators can make a loud statement that is sure to be heard. I am not much of a political activist, but I know that there are efforts being made to increase the amount of funding our schools get. Here in California, where the budget seems to be in limbo every year, there are propositions on the ballot that can help fund education. I know there are two-sides to every story, but I encourage educators to become familiar with these propositions and serve our country by participating in the democratic process. One of the goals we have for our students is to be able to make informed decisions about the future of our country. What better way to model this than by doing the very thing we encourage our students to do?

Is The Future of American Science In Danger?

This post is written as a response to the article by Thomas Friedman (2010) entitled, What’s our Sputnik? As we all know, the launch of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik I, in 1957 generated a spark in American science and education. There was a genuine excitement about what the future holds for science and technology. Although this passion and excitement still exists today, it does not seem that America holds the key to the future endeavors of science. In fact, it is the Japanese and Chinese markets that seem to benefit from the launch of today’s Sputnik, the Internet. The Chinese have already continued their investment in space technology by starting the process of setting up their very own Space Station that is set for completion in 2020 (Luscombe, 2011). With the retirement of the US space shuttle fleet this summer and the continued lay-offs of NASA employees, does this signify a shift in the space race initiated by the Soviets in 1957? Has the United States lost the edge on the global market for innovation and creativity? How will our nation respond to the emergence of Asian countries in science and technology? Do we need a shift in focus from the war on terror to science and education? These are just a few questions that surfaced as I read the fore mentioned article.

How do we get our nation back on track to compete with other countries in the development of technology? First, there needs to be a shift in focus with our spending as a nation and as individual states. The fact of the matter is America’s economic landscape is not as fertile as it used to be. The national debt continues to grow each second of the day, and the dollar is not worth what it was in the past. In other words, the spending out weighs the income. The costs of printing, shipping, implementing, and grading state tests seem to be an area in which most educators feel money could be better spent. I know that state testing does very little to help students in the classroom. In fact, we spend more time and resources preparing and implementing this one test than any other single unit in the curriculum. These state test seem to be the focus in education today, and not the preparation and development of positive contributors to our society.

Second, we need to set aside time to implement science inquiry in today’s elementary classrooms. With the emphasis on high stakes testing results, teachers in our district are mandated to teach at least one and a half hours of Mathematics, two-and-half hours of English Language Arts, and a half hour of Physical Education. In a class day that allots for five hours of instructional time, science is forced to share half and hour a day with social studies, art, and music. Some teachers choose to skip science completely and leave the science unit until after state testing has passed. Others “fit in” science while teaching writing. That simply is not enough time to implement a lesson that develops students’ higher level thinking skills. These skills are vital for the future of American science and technology.

Unless our focus changes as a nation, we are unfortunately looking at the slow, but eventual decline in science and technology in America. We are already beginning to see the advancement in space technology by the Chinese, and their rapid advances are sure to be the forecast of a shift in the leader board of the space race. In the last 8 years they have successfully accomplished what initially took us over 20 years to set up our first space station, Skylab in 1973 (Luscombe, 2011). At the rate at which we are declining, and the rapid increase in scientific technology in Asia, it is only a matter of time until we are staring at their backs as they leave us in their wake of advancements.

References: Friedman, T. (2010). What’s our Sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8. January 17, 2010. Luscombe, R. (2011). Chinese space station signals shift in space race. The Guardian. Retrieved May 13, 2012 from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/30/china-space-station

Lesson Reflection: Plate Tectonics

This week I was able to implement a 6th grade standards lessons to a group of 8th graders. I was pleasantly surprised by their ability to recall detailed information about plate tectonics acquired over two years ago. I have to admit, that it is one of the worries I have as an educator... to find out that students have forgotten everything I taught them. Kudos to my student's 6th grade Earth Science teachers for helping them remember concepts taught a couple years ago.

I had my students create flip books to illustrate the movement of Earth's plates starting from Pangaea 225 million years ago to their current positions. The students were engaged the entire time and genuinely enjoyed researching about how the plates collide and diverge. Students were able to share their findings with each other and show how the boundaries continue to change over time. Below is a picture of one of the flip books created by the students.

The students also had the opportunity to become the "experts" for a particular plate boundary. The two boundaries chosen were the North American/Eurasian Plate and the Indian/Eurasian Plate. The students were most interested by these boundaries because of the natural formations found at each location. The NA plate is diverging from the Eurasian plate to form the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, but the area that most students found interesting is the boundary in Iceland where many active volcanoes are found. The Indian plate caught the students' eyes from the flip book activity. They noticed the movement from the Antarctic all the way north into the Eurasian plate. They realized that the collision of these plates formed the Himalayas, the highest points found on Earth. They were intrigued by the number of earthquakes reported in that area and where able to connect it to the movement of the plates.

The highlight of the lesson had to be the predictions of what Earth would look like in the future. One student calculated that if the Indian plate continues to move at a pace of 1.5cm/yr. and the Himalayas increased in height 5 mm/yr., then Mt. Everest would be over 13,000 meters tall in the one million years! The students also shared a photo they found that depicted the Earth in 50 and 250 million years in the future.

Using models seemed to make learning more enjoyable and easy for the students. They were fully engaged in the lesson and kept finding different pictures to include in their flip book. Using models appeals to a wide variety of learners and helps the EL and RSP students as well. They can serve as tangible and visual examples for the content being discussed that lectures can not provide. The hands-on aspect of the activity also brings about another dimension to the lesson. Students are creating products that show them what has happened in the past, and the fact that they are able to see and touch these products gives them much more buy-in to the lesson. Students who feel they have been an active part of an activity are more likely to remember and recall the information presented in class.

Natural Disasters

In this week's discussion post, we debated over which natural disaster is most devastating. Although there was not a unanimous consensus, what we understood afterward was that all natural disasters have the potential to cause devastation, locally and globally. One of our responsibilities as science educators is to not only teach our students to be scientifically literate citizens, but also to be advocates for social change and compassion. There are many opportunities to teach our students how to get involved in humanitarian efforts that stem from disasters arising all over the globe. This post is set up to give ideas on how to involve our students in the education of natural disasters and to involve them in the search and participation in efforts to help victims affected by such events.

The internet is full of simulations that would engage students in learning about natural disasters. One of the main motivators for students is being able to control variables in experiments and simulations. The following link is to a website that can be manipulated to simulate conditions primed for a tornado. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/forces-of-nature.html?section=t There are many interactive websites such as this one that can be found online to simulate almost any type of natural disasters. If we can make these available to our students, it is almost guaranteed to increase engagement in student interest and participation.

The following website is a great interactive site that allows students to prepare a city for a natural disaster. It teaches students the important factors that go into preparation. Making sure houses, apartments, and buildings in general are retrofitted to provide adequate protection against natural disasters are decisions governments have to make. According to an article in Time World, Chile was more prepared than Haiti during the time of their respective earthquakes, and even though Haiti's earthquake was 500 times weaker, it caused an exponentially greater effect and left over 200,000 Haitians dead as opposed to hundreds in Chile (Padgett, 2010). Governments have the responsibility to take care of the livelihood of their citizens. Allowing students to the play that significant role in this manner gives them a sense of what real world politicians have to go through.

http://www.stopdisastersgame.org/en/home.html

A great way to make an emotional impact on the students is to show them the effects of natural disasters on human and animal lives. It would be advised to use caution in showing any devastation pictures or videos because it could bring up past memories in student lives that may be disturbing and/or fresh. Students with experience in disaster relief may be a great tool to utilize to help give perspective to other students in class. Providing websites and videos for students to watch gives them opportunities to make a connection with the various efforts currently going on to help victims of natural disasters.

Starting a donation jar, donating canned food and clothes to the red cross, or preparing emergency packets for families in the area are great ways to get students involved in the effort to help and prepare families for natural disasters.

References:

Forces of Nature: National Geographic. (2012). Retrieved from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/forces-of-nature.html?section=t

Padgett, T., (March 1, 2010). Chile and Haiti: A Tale of Two Earthquakes. Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1968576,00.html

Stop Disasters: International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. (n/a). Retrieved from http://www.stopdisastersgame.org/en/home.html

Ask A Scientist - Review

With the death of the former heavyweight-boxing champion, Joe Frazier early last week, many questions surfaced about his condition and how much of it was due to his prolific career as a hard-punching athlete. One of the major accomplishments in his illustrious career was his victory over the very flamboyant Muhammad Ali, who is currently suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Both athletes were known for their powerful punches, but more importantly, their ability to take numerous blows to the head.

The question I submitted was based on the inability of brain cells to regenerate. Brain cells are one of the only specialized cells not able to repair or replicate after a person is born. According to Bryson (2008), a person is born with 100 billion or so brain cells at birth and that is the most they will ever have. I have heard that brain cells never complete the cell cycle and that they usually stay in the interphase stage of mitosis for the duration of their lives.

What differentiates a brain cell, specifically the neuron, from other body cells (skin, hair, fingernails, etc.) that make it unable to complete mitosis?

I have yet to hear back from the scientists at Ask a Scientist and I am looking forward to their reply and explanation. Several questions surfaced during our discussion session in class that prompted me to do further research. Dr. Lyman posed a very interesting question linking dementia and Alzheimer’s disease to boxing related injuries. Here is what I found:

According to the American Academy or Neurology, boxing related injuries are common triggers for dementia and Alzheimer disorders (among boxers with more than 12 professional bouts) , but little information has been found that links Parkinson's, the disorder that Muhammad Ali is stricken with, with boxing. The reason stems from the location in the brain where these diseases arise. Parkinson's results from damage to the mid-brain, while dementia and Alzheimer's derives from damage to the temporal and frontal lobes respectively (Clancy, 2006). The research goes on to imply that Muhammad Ali would have been fated with his disorder even if he had been a lawyer. Despite this claim, there appears to be a genetic link between Alzheimer's and traumatic brain injury. One common gene variation known as ApoE4, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's, has been linked to an increase in the severity of brain damage experienced by boxers (Clancy, 2006).

I initially had two questions when I started the search for answers, but was not willing to wait for a reply. I took it upon myself to research and find the answer to my question. The other question that stemmed from my study had to do with the size of our brains and heads. This may seem like a silly question, but I had a genuine curiosity about it. Effective learning requires that students take control of their own learning (BSCS, 2005).

An adult’s brain case is much larger than a newborn’s. If neurons do not regenerate, then what fills in the space?

After some investigating, I found the answer to my question about brain size. There is no doubt that neurons do not regenerate after birth, but what I found is that there is another type of brain cell called glial cells that are used in myelination of neurons (insulation/transmission). These cells continue to reproduce well into adulthood and are responsible for the white matter in the brain. It is also the major cell involved in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Prompting discussion questions that are open to variations of interests allow students to “take control” of their learning. These discussion questions seem much more engaging because it allows us to search and study topics that pique our interest. Websites like “Ask a Scientist” allow students to connect with real scientists in the field. Being able to utilize this in the classroom can have major benefits to a student’s learning. Not only does it bring science to life, but also this communication between professional and student can turn out to have a lasting impact in the student’s pursuit of a STEM career. If the turn around on the replies were not too long, it would be a wonderful tool to use in the classroom.

Reference:

Bryson, B. (2008). A really short history of nearly everything. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

BSCS. (2005). Information about the process of scientific inquiry (pp. 1–3). Retrieved from http://science.education.nih.gov/Supplements/NIH6/inquiry/guide/info_process-a.htm

Clancy, F. (2006). The Bitter Science: Head blows from boxing can cause dementia and Alzheimer's. Can the same chronic brain injury also lead to Parkinson's?. American Academy of Neurology. Neurology Now. March/April 2006; Volume 2(2); p 24-25.

Evaluating Web 2.0 Presentation Tools

Educators, nowadays, have access to many different tools to showcase the content they are teaching. Just recently have I discovered presentation tools that were not named, Powerpoint or Keynote. In fact, there are a plethora of web based presentation tools available online...for FREE! Ones that allow us to share our presentations over the web with educators across the world. What better way is there to make a global impact in the educational community? With the help of these tools we can create, present, and share without leaving the comfort of our homes or classrooms! In this blog, I will evaluate 3 different presentation tools available on line and give feedback of the features and capabilities of each. Like many educators, most of my experience with presentation tools have come from Powerpoint. As I evaluate Zoho, Prezi, and Google Docs, I will often compare their features with the features available from Microsoft Powerpoint.

From my limited experience with Zoho, I have surprisingly gained a lot of knowledge about Web-based presentation tools. The more I "messed around" with creating a presentation the easier and more comfortable I felt. Although it is very similar to powerpoint, it seemed to offer a lot more background designs and features. It was very easy to use and I found myself experimenting with different backgrounds and tools. On their website they offered a tutorial video, but for some reason it did not work or load, so I'm not sure how much more knowledge I would have gained from watching it. The website if absolutely free, you just need to create an account with them. I used my existing google account information to log on to their website and utilize the presentation tool. Just like other popular presentation tools, Zoho is capable of embedding a wide variety of multi-media files into the presentation, including images, sounds, and videos.

Google sites or google docs was very appealing to me, mostly because my teacher website is a google site. Although I have never used the google doc presentation tool, it would probably be much easier to share the presentation on my website if I were to choose to showcase my project using google docs. Compared to Zoho, google sites, although free, did not come with all the bells and whistles. This site offered basic background features and, from what I gathered, there were no tutorials or training of any kind available. Due to the simplicity of the site, I could understand why a tutorial was not set up. I found it very easy to use and very similar to Microsoft Powerpoint. Sharing a presentation using google docs seems very easy, especially if you already have a free account and website.

Prezi, by far, is the most unique presentation tool I have had the experience to deal with. The concept map configuration is a brand new concept for me in terms of the way a presentation is set up. I am used to the slide by slide presentation offered by the tools mentioned above. Prezi offered a wonderful training video that allowed me to start creating right away. I found myself experimenting with different looks and configurations, and honestly, found it very easy to use. The grid allowed me to link different "slides" together and gave me full control of the design and look of the texts and images.

Right now it is a toss up between Prezi and Zoho for the presentation tool I will use for my course project. Although I feel very familiar with the set up of Zoho, there is something about learning a new way of presenting that is appealing to me. Prezi gives me that feeling. All three of the tools evaluate are easy to use and very reliable. The all work on the current browsers and operating system I use (Mac OS, Safari and Firefox). The best feature of these sites are there ability to share and collaborate via the internet. The accessibility from any place that has an internet connection makes it much more useful to create presentations. I often use a flash drive to transfer presentations from home to school, or at times, if I have enough memory on my account or my file is not too large, transfer files via email. With these web-based presentation tools, I no longer have to worry about having a file to big or enough memory on my flash drive. The fact that these tools can potentially make a global impact in the educational community is by far the best feature. Students and teachers can learn and benefit from presentations created anywhere in the world. Who knows? Your presentation may be educating students you will never get the chance to meet or know!