TEACHING & LEARNING SCIENCES MORE EFFECTIVELY

This is a distance learning course, concentrating on uses of the Internet for teaching, learning and professional development. It also is intended to give you enough web sites and leads-in to more web sites to be a continuously useful resource for your learning and doing.

This is a PASS/FAIL course. Therefore, SELECT and BASE YOUR WORK on those areas that best match your current interests. You can return any time to areas that match future concerns and changing interests--one of the many advantages of on-line learning

Assessment is based on work you produce in series of essays/listings for each Essential Question or topic you "connect with," and with an annotated list of sites supporting your views and reflecting your web work. Note the Rubric for Course Portfolio Assessment.

For instance, you might write “The site XXXX [http://www.xxx.com] gave me a different perspective on how to help students learn _____. It also cleared up for me something I was confused about, and that is what educators mean by __________.” Certainly you would want to elaborate more.

This work may be emailed to me at ozpk100@aol.com, or snail-mailed to me at Chad C. Osborne 923 W. Mission St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101. If you email the work, you may wish to put it in a Zip file, which compresses text and makes it easier to send over the 'Net.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION 1: In what ways might I use the features of current ed. reform to help all students learn more effectively?

Teachers in this decade must keep an eye toward standards and frameworks. They need to discuss with each other how best to prepare students to take standardized tests, particularly the high stakes tests being required for high school graduation in many states. Web links in this section prepare you to work with colleagues and students on these goals. You also need to have your own copy of standards for the state where you teach, available from the Department of Education in your state.

  1. *1*Teaching in the Standards-Based Classroom Excellent, wise advice from and for science teachers on preserving an inquiry-oriented subject in an era of standards, frameworks and high-stakes testing. Great articles--a must read!
  2. *1* Massachusetts Frameworks,
  3. *1* Developing Educational Standards: Science
  4. California Science Standards and Resources {most textbooks are based on these}
  5. Rhode Island Science Frameworks -- Particularly well done; conceptually up-to-date.
  6. *1*The National Science Education Standards .
  7. National and State by State Standards are also on the Web.
  8. *1*Is Your School Ready for Standards-Based Reform? -- Anne Wheelock's "rubric" to help balance "outcomes" based reform with meaningful contexts from "best practices"
  9. *1*Preparing Your High School Students to Take Standardized Tests
  10. *1*Test Content and Tips for Preparing Your Students for Standardized Science Tests

ESSENTIAL QUESTION 2: Given the following content-based, multiple link sites for science teaching and learning, what are the "best sites" for areas I (will) teach, and for both me and students? How might I use the potential of the web as evidenced in these sites to enhance learning and meeting of higher standards?

  1. *1*ENC Science Topics The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC) is located at The Ohio State University, and is funded through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement. This site is one of the richest and deepest educational resources on the Internet. From this page alone there are links to multiple resources for each main and sub-topic. Be sure you put forth substantial time and effort to acquaint yourself with these resources.

  2. Teaching Science With the Internet(K-6) -- Demonstrates the power of the web in showing students scientific concepts
  3. Teaching Science With the Internet(7-12) -- These sites will make you wish you'd learned science using the Internet!
Essential Question 3: Considering the following BIOLOGY sites, how might you help students master key knowledge while building interest in Science as a way of viewing the world?

  • *1*Biology -- High School Hub's powerful site.
  • Lycos Directory of Biology Sites -- Well organized by areas of biology, with 100's of sites
  • *1*Biology Resources Extensive menu with many "gems"
  • Virtual Creatures
  • *1*Biology -- A simple title from a site that will blow you away with the range and depth of sites. Note the Web Quests in particular!
  • *1*BioChem Links -- Subject Guides, Learning Quizzes, and Featured Sites.
  • DNA for Dinner? -- An award-winning Web Quest
  • *1*ThinkQuest Biology Projects -- An amazing array of student-team produced Biology Web Quest projects!
  • Cell Biology -- Lycos Directory of about 40 interesting sites
  • Botany Resources
  • *1*Regents Exam Prep Center: Physical Setting/Living Environment -- Great overviews and study resources!

    Essential Question 4: Considering the following CHEMISTRY sites, how might you make the study of Chemistry more accessible to all students?

  • *1*High School Chemistry
  • *1*Regents Exam Prep Center: Physical Setting/Chemistry -- Overviews and study resources!
  • *1*Chemistry Resources
  • *1*CHEMystery
  • ThinkQuest Chemistry Projects-- An amazing array of student-team produced Chemistry Web Quest projects!
  • Lycos Directory of Chemistry Sites -- Well-structured, by categories within Chemistry. 100's of sites
  • Chemistry Software and Science Teaching Resources

    Essential Question 5: Considering the following PHYSICS sites, how might you help students overcome obstacles to learning and valuing Physics?

  • *1*High School Physics -- Great links and resources!
  • *1*Regents Exam Prep Center: Physics -- Overviews and study resources!
  • Lycos Directory of Physics Sites -- Check out the 90 sites for "kids," as well as the 100's of other sites on this page!
  • Physics -- Rich and varied resporces!
  • *1*HOW THINGS WORK: the Physics of Everyday Life
  • Pedagogical Resources on the Web for Teaching Physics -- Another list of great sites!
  • Building a Science of Teaching Physics: Learning What Works and Why

  • Astronomy/Space
  • High School Hub: Earth Science
  • Environmental Science
  • Geology
  • In-Sites for Earth Ecology
  • Windows to the Universe -- A fun and different Web site about the Earth and Space sciences
  • Classroom of the Future -- Exploring Science Using Real World Problems
  • Earth and Space Sciences: Evolution of the Universe
  • Amusement Park Physics
  • Aeronautics Resources
  • Space Sciences

    Essential Question 6: Considering the following GENERAL SCIENCE sites, how might you "bring science to life," that is make students see the real world value of science?

  • Science Snacks Online -- Amazing array of demonstrations and experiments with great motivational and inquiry value.
  • Frank Potter's Science Gems: Great links to Great Science Resources
  • General Science
  • The Myth of the Magical Scientific Method -- Real science vs. Textbook science
  • Explore Science -- Highly interactive science activities for students and educators.
  • Science Resources -- You'll find a multitude of GREAT Science links here...
  • Science Learning Network
  • Inquiry Resources from the Science Learning Network
  • Science Resources Online -- General Science, Science Fairs, and more
  • Science Sites -- Numerous!
  • Science Lesson Plans -- More than just plans
  • National Academy's Hub for Science Educators
  • Mad Scientist Network -- Laerning fun!
  • Kathy Schrock's Guide for Science Teachers
  • You Can With Beakman and Jax -- ...a science site for kids (and teachers) who love science; includes some neat science activities
  • Science Is Elementary

    Essential Question 7: Based on the following INQUIRY and SCIENCE PROCESS sites, what are the ways you would attempt to teach "science as a verb"?, making sure students get a chance to do some of the things scientists do? How is this reindforced by the National Science Standards?

  • Problem Solving
  • Observation
  • Measurement
  • Data Collection
  • Classification
  • Critical Thinking
  • Inquiry Resource Library
  • Providing Hands-On, Minds-On, and Authentic Learning Experiences in Science
  • Constructivist Teaching and Learning Models
  • Inquiry-Based Learning
  • Student Web Projects
  • Scientific American's Ask-The-Expert
  • Inquiry and Experimentation

    Essential Question 8: After considering simulations and demonstrations in the following links, which would you propose using with your students?

  • Simulations and Demonstrations
  • Modeling And Simulation Tools for Education Reform
  • Simulations and Learning

    Essential Question 9: Considering the following TECHNOLOGY and APPLIED SCIENCE sites, how might you relate science theory to applied technology, and make science more relevant?

  • Developing Solutions To Technical Problems
  • Transportation Technology
  • Industrial Arts and Tech Prep
  • School-To-Work Transitions
  • Telecommunications Technology; Light and Communication
  • Learning for A Sustainable Future

    Essential Question 10: Considering the following "EXTRA TOPICS" sites, how might you make science more relevant and reach more students? Particularly, through a) working with parents and families, b)using alternative assessment to help students learn more, c) confronting the dilemma of depth vs. coverage. d) teaching the gifted and talented, the learning disabled, and English Language learners likely to be in your classes via "inclusion", e) coping with challenges of (beginning) teaching, including mastering the dynamics of questioning, and f) helping students with career planning and transition to life after high school.

    1. Working With Parents: What Parents Should Do, What Is the Teacher's Role
    2. Teacher Web.com -- A fast and easy way to create a great connection to students and parents. You can use many of the links you find in this course!
    3. **Rubrics! Great site to help you evaluate students most fairly and to help them learn to self-evaluate in all the sciences!
    4. Science Rubrics
    5. **Alternative Assessment Resources
    6. **ASSESSING STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE--ERIC Digest
    7. **California Portfolio Assessment in Science
    8. Depth vs. Coverage in Teaching and Preparing Students for Standardized Tests
    9. Teaching Gifted and Talented Students
    10. Teaching Strategies and Techniques -- Matched to types of diabilities students may have
    11. Free Translation.com -- A site that can be used to translate handouts, tests, and texts into Spanish and several other languages
    12. Teaching English Language Learners
    13. Guides for New (And Not So New) Teachers
    14. *1*TEACHERS ON TEACHING Discussions by classroom teachers on what they wish they'd known when they started.
    15. *1*My Hero: Teacher Heroes Inspiring!
    16. *1*Teacher Tools Page -- On-line tools for making quizzes, puzzles, rubrics, webquests, and more.
    17. Custom Classroom -- Free tools
    18. SchoolNotes.com FREE! Easily develop homework assignments and class information, posting it on the Web!

      *1***Consider, too, the importance of WAIT TIME. Most teachers ask questions at an extremely rapid rate, and average only one second of wait time after each question and after each student answer.

      When teachers increase wait time by 5 seconds, the following results occur:

      1) Longer student answers;
      2) More appropriate answers;
      3) More frequent student responses;
      4) More answers on the analysis and synthesis levels;
      5) More questions and responses from slow learners; and
      6) More confidence by students in their answers.

      An excellent site to inquire further into the dynamics of questioning and wait-time is *1*Changing the Questions.

    19. Careers.org -- Resources for Job Seekers and links to numerous career information sites.
    20. Exploring Careers -- Note how many of these are science-related
    21. Career Paths Online