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Science Teachers Chatboard

Using technology effectively in the classroom

by Carley

Sep 2, 2012

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make lectures more interesting? Any tips for using power points, or a smart board? How can I get students to be less sleepy, and more engaged in the lesson?

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Sara On 10/10/12, Sima Mathew wrote: > On 9/02/12, Carley wrote: >> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make lectures >> more interesting?

Why are you lecturing at all?

Any tips for using power points, or a >> smart board? How can I get students to be less sleepy, and >> more engaged in the lesson? ...See MoreOn 10/10/12, Sima Mathew wrote: > On 9/02/12, Carley wrote: >> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make lectures >> more interesting?

Why are you lecturing at all?

Any tips for using power points, or a >> smart board? How can I get students to be less sleepy, and >> more engaged in the lesson?

Make it a discussion-based class - unless you're a fantastic speaker - and there are few of those - you can't engage students day after day, week after week, with a lecture even if you base it on a powerpoint.

Observe other teachers in your building - are there are good ones? Go and obsesrve whether they teach science or not. Your classes sound as if your students are to be totally passive -just listening.

Science is fascinating and it's controversial and in constant flux. You have to work some to make it boring. Go on youtube - watch other science teachers. If you have to, show them mythbusters - kids love mythbusters but - why do you teach science? Was it taught to you as a lecture class? What fascinates you about science? What intrigues you?

How can kids be sleepy in science? It's the veritable frontier of knowledge and humankind looks to science to save the human race and - your students are put to sleep by it??

The front page of every newspaper relates the latest controversy in science - these kids are going to be voters. What are their opinons about these controversies? > > > I would stop presenting information TO students using PPT and > smartboards. I would have students use the smartboard by > creating drag and drop actvities that follow small chuncks of > explanation. > For example if students' objective is to be able to describe > the steps of mitosis, they need to: > 1. explored and described the stages in their own words > 2. watch a quick film on the stages > 3. get a SHORT, concise explanation from the teacher who adds > the correct science words to match their own words. > > Then, to check for understanding, I would use a smartboard to > create a drag and drop activity which requires the volunteers > to match up the name of the stage with the correct description. > The type of interactivities you create really depends on what > software is available to use with your smartboard (i.e > Promethean boards use ActivInspire, Eno boards use EasiTeach, > etc.) > Hope this helps. Good luck.

Oct 29, 2012

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Dave On 10/29/12, Sara wrote: > On 10/10/12, Sima Mathew wrote: >> On 9/02/12, Carley wrote: >>> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make lectures >>> more interesting? > > Why are you lecturing at all? > > Any tips for using power points, or a >>> smart board? How can I get students to be less slee...See MoreOn 10/29/12, Sara wrote: > On 10/10/12, Sima Mathew wrote: >> On 9/02/12, Carley wrote: >>> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make lectures >>> more interesting? > > Why are you lecturing at all? > > Any tips for using power points, or a >>> smart board? How can I get students to be less sleepy, and >>> more engaged in the lesson? > > Make it a discussion-based class - unless you're a fantastic > speaker - and there are few of those - you can't engage students > day after day, week after week, with a lecture even if you base > it on a powerpoint. > > Observe other teachers in your building - are there are good > ones? Go and obsesrve whether they teach science or not. Your > classes sound as if your students are to be totally passive -just > listening.

Dont be passive of serjestive thought, use what you were born with your > > Science is fascinating and it's controversial and in constant > flux. You have to work some to make it boring. Go on youtube - > watch other science teachers. If you have to, show them > mythbusters - kids love mythbusters but - why do you teach > science? Was it taught to you as a lecture class? What fascinates > you about science? What intrigues you? > > How can kids be sleepy in science? It's the veritable frontier of > knowledge and humankind looks to science to save the human race > and - your students are put to sleep by it?? > > The front page of every newspaper relates the latest controversy > in science - these kids are going to be voters. What are their > opinons about these controversies? >> >> >> I would stop presenting information TO students using PPT and >> smartboards. I would have students use the smartboard by >> creating drag and drop actvities that follow small chuncks of >> explanation. >> For example if students' objective is to be able to describe >> the steps of mitosis, they need to: >> 1. explored and described the stages in their own words >> 2. watch a quick film on the stages >> 3. get a SHORT, concise explanation from the teacher who adds >> the correct science words to match their own words. >> >> Then, to check for understanding, I would use a smartboard to >> create a drag and drop activity which requires the volunteers >> to match up the name of the stage with the correct description. >> The type of interactivities you create really depends on what >> software is available to use with your smartboard (i.e >> Promethean boards use ActivInspire, Eno boards use EasiTeach, >> etc.) >> Hope this helps. Good luck.

Dont be passive or serjestive of thought, use what you were born with your hands to wave to get there attention, your eyes to make contact, your voice to seal the words you speak, your legs to move about as you are the only thing they should be watching, when all the above are sorted then they have learned what you have tort, you do dont needs toys, the truth is hidden within them, you will only collect dust an will only leave you behind, if you are for whom you are then you are an need no other. this is the truth 1.0.

Nov 15, 2012

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Science in the classroom

by Carmelina Puopolo

Sep 2, 2012

How can science be implemented in the classroom using a smart board?

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Dan Gray On 9/02/12, Carmelina Puopolo wrote: > How can science be implemented in the classroom using a > smart board? What science are you teaching?

Sep 15, 2012

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question for eclipse

by nur najihah suhaila

Sep 3, 2012

can i speak in malay?

okay.now.macam mana nak buat eclipse yang muke surat 48 yang eclipse tu menyusahkan jer...buku practical science.

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Elem. Science

by Laura Jackson

Sep 5, 2012

lease give me ideas or links for integrating sound/motion or other science topics with core subjects (reading, math,social studies).

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LS On 9/05/12, Laura Jackson wrote: > Please give me ideas or links for integrating sound/motion > or other science topics with core subjects (reading, > math,social studies).

I'm not sure if you are interested in literature to use but I'm giving you a link with numerous book titles to use with science.

Sep 9, 2012

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Feeling stuck in the middle....

by Bill T 6 nc

Sep 12, 2012

A parent of a former student (from last year) copied an email to me that she sent to her daughter's 7th grade science teacher, lambasting the teacher for her daughter's low grades and for her "teaching" methods and comparing her ways of "teaching" to mine, last year. She pointed out that I was a very "hands on" teacher and her daughter "loved" scie...See MoreA parent of a former student (from last year) copied an email to me that she sent to her daughter's 7th grade science teacher, lambasting the teacher for her daughter's low grades and for her "teaching" methods and comparing her ways of "teaching" to mine, last year. She pointed out that I was a very "hands on" teacher and her daughter "loved" science for the first time, last year.

I understand the mother's concerns, but I kind of wish she had not involved me in this dispute. Not sure, exactly, why she did, but suspect it might be two fold: she wanted me to know she had used my name and also, I think, believes I might have some influence.

The teacher in question is quite young, only in her second year of teaching, first in science (math last year); she has a biology degree, so she is no novice to the sciences, but, as many know, it is often one thing to be knowledgeable in a subject matter and quite another to be able to impart that knowledge to others, particulalry 7th graders.

In defense of the young teacher, I will say that my school system is pushing this reading literacy thing (across the curriculum) and has been pressuring our science and social studies people to use the "methods" (old, outmoded and tried before) in our classes. Some teachers have totally caved, in order to avoid the wrath of the district office, and all they use in class are these "methods." They put "notes" on the board, have the students copy them and give quizzes and tests every few days.

Please understand, I am NOT opposed to literacy. Why would I be? And I do use reading assignments, in class, with our science books, but always supplement them with activities, videos and, sometimes, outside speakers. It is my intent to make the sciences "come alive" for my students.

Some of the science "teachers" in our building already resent me, partly because students do tend to "love" my science classes (nuts...I love science classes too) and they always get compared with me.

I have no illusions. I am NOT the Bill Nye of our school or school system. But this is year #30 for me and the way I DO science is how I started out doing it, way back in the 80s. It's always been more than just a "school subject" for me.

I feel stuck betwixt the rock and hard place on this....

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Muinteoir On 9/23/12, Bill T 6 nc wrote: > On 9/23/12, Muinteoir wrote: >> Disengage from the drama, my friend. That's been my >> mantra for the last several months, and I feel a LOT >> better. Easier said than done, I know. >> >> ***************************************************** >> ********************** > >...See MoreOn 9/23/12, Bill T 6 nc wrote: > On 9/23/12, Muinteoir wrote: >> Disengage from the drama, my friend. That's been my >> mantra for the last several months, and I feel a LOT >> better. Easier said than done, I know. >> >> ***************************************************** >> ********************** > > Solid advice, Muinteoir....I was hoping you'd show up.

I don't drift over this way much any more...too much to occupy me elsewhere I guess. You can always catch me on FB though.

> > I'll not change anything I do. Count on that. And thus > far, there has been no open "drama," as my > detractors choose to operate in the shadows, rather > than speaking to me directly. >

Weasels.

> Nuts....what would they say anyhow....STOP making your > students love science? How dare you make us look bad?

LOL. Yeah, and then what could you say? "Sucks to be you?" (sorry for the unladylike-like language)

> > I find the whole mess rather sad, anyhow.

True, but it's their mess, you don't have to own any part of it.

> > It's painfully ironic, because in retrospect, I really > should not have come to my current school. Had I known > it was being run like it is (like a little high school > and NOT a middle school) I would not have. There is > always some level of "territoriality" in > schools, but never seen it like I have there. > > No matter. Even if I don't choose to retire at the end > of this school year, as I nearly did last May (came > within 24 hours of signing the papers), this WILL be my > final year at this particular school. Jealous women > scare the he** out of me (that remark will likely earn > me a lashing for sure); I have been on the receiving > end of some of their vindictiveness before and it > nearly ruined my career once. I guess that is what I am > really scared of the most.

I get that. I've seen vindictive behavior drive good people out of schools. I hate that it does tend to be women, but maybe that's because there are more of them in education.

You have to protect yourself.

> > If I do end my career here in North Carolina, I might > just go about 30 miles, across the state line into > Virginia and see if there are any surviving middle > schools (real ones) there. Who knows?

I'd invite you to Texas, but the whole state is so messed up, I couldn't do it in good conscience. Not just education, everything. Education is at the top of my list though.

Sep 23, 2012

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A Few Years From Retirement On 9/12/12, Bill T 6 nc wrote:

I thought you taught history. The good news is in a year you're out of this. There are incredible pressures on us to do things in one way and there are few young teachers brave enough to buck the system particularly when they're not going to be out of it in a year. The e-mail the parent sent was an unknowing...See More

Oct 9, 2012

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Green City Challenge - Robotics

by SD

Sep 13, 2012

Hello! Wondering if anyone has experience using the Lego Green City Challenge Robotics materials? I am looking for complementary lesson plans to go with this unit.

Thanks!

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New Science teacher looking for help on motion unit!!

by S.B

Sep 13, 2012

I am a new science teacher. I'm currently teaching grade 10 science in french. Looking for some units/lessons on MOTION. It's not my area, so am feeling kind of lost! Any help = great!!!If it's in english that is completely fine; I will translate it all!! Thanks!

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