4/30/08

Lesson Ideas

There are just a ton of resources to help with lesson plans online. I really like PBS for teachers. I am curious about creating a unit that uses an online simulation like River City to combine science and problem solving. I also like some of the shorter virtual "games" like those found at Edheads. Generally speaking, there are so many sites like Teachnology that provide extensive listings of lesson plans that I surely cannot list them all. This blog is a nice start, though!

Current Events

Staying up to date regarding the latest discoveries and research makes science a topic that is relevant and meaningful in the life of students. I would like to keep current events a big part of my classroom. Some sites that will keep me and my students up to date include the National Science Foundation, Nature, the BBC, and the Discovery Channel. These also have resources that can be incorporated into ppt lectures or online classrooms.

WebQuest Links

I really like the idea of webquests because they are an easy way for teachers that don't have a ton of in-classroom computer access. There are some great ones already out there:
Water Quality WebQuests
Best WebQuests for Science
Nature WebQuests
If searching available resources doesn't turn up what I'm looking for, I might try to create my own using WebQuest.org. My favorite thing about webquests is the possibility of creating content based on cutting edge information, which is pretty critical in the science classroom.

Tools for the Online Classroom

First there's Skrbl, the online whiteboard that allows mutiple users. Then there's Sketchcast. It allows you to create an animated drawing while recording your voice so you can create a drawing with explanation. I also like the potential for Bubbl.us which allows easy creation of graphic organizers. Online picture storage is also key so I like to use Picasa since I'm a googlehead. A great place to host podcasts for free is PodBean. Then there's the place to put it all. I have been playing around with the edu2.0 site and it seems to be pretty easy to navigate. I also have an account at Wikispaces which has free stuff for k-12 educators.

Quest by KQED

This is a San Fransisco Public Television station that produces awesome short segments that would be perfect for ppt or building a lesson around by using the educator guides. They provide useful links for teachers and students, talking points, background, and expansion ideas in the educator guides that go along with each segment. I am excited about this one!

4/28/08

iTunes U

iTunesU is a great way to hear all sorts of new and interesting things as told by professors and guest lecturers from various universities around the country. To access this information, you must have iTunes. Many times once you've found something you like, you can find a link to its other "home" on the web which is usually a university website. This would allow students to bypass iTunes and still access the information.