While I feel as though I could tinker with this forever, here is what I have come up with so far: Wiki. Im sure that on one of the computers I regularly use I have many more resources to add, this is a pretty good start for the topics I teach. While the topics arent entirely "Physical Science", they are all covered in our state standardized tests, so I teach them, and have to find ways to make them interesting. Included are resources I have used in the past to demonstrate these topics, and to find real world examples. There will be many more to add! The biggest change in the wiki is the addition of "Special Assignments", where students will be required to find resources online relating to the current topic. Students will then post their findings under the appropriate "Discussion" tab, using the provided guidelines. The requirements will allow students of all abilities to find valuable online resources, and review other students' findings as well. Some of these resources may be valuable enough for me to add to the "official" Science Wiki, a collection resources intended for both teacher and students. This is intended to encourage students to learn to find information on the internet that explains the current classroom topics in a way that may not be covered in the classroom. Critiques, reviews, criticisms, etc, are encouraged, please let me know what you think. Thanks.
Signing Off
Nice wiki! Wikis seem to be a favorite with most of us.And why not? It is user friendly, simple and you can make changes whenever you need to. I like your homepage.It is simple and looks complete with all details. I am planning wikis for labs/discussions and also intend to make my year plan on a wiki.
ReplyDeleteJD, you've been very helpful to me throughout this class, and I appreciate your input--I'm sure you've made poignant comments about your insights on many blogs this summer semester.
ReplyDeleteYour wiki looks like a well-thought-out development. In discussion groups, most folks have decided that their final projects are wikis, as highlighted by Jayanthi, so it's not surprising to see yours laid out so carefully. I like the links pages showing off the tools we've used (maybe you've used them in the past as well), and your Special Assignments page is very clever; putting the learning back on the student and engaging them with new presentations seems to work well for you! As a former 8th grade teacher, I agree that it's not easy to get that particular age group excited about physical science, so bravo to you! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy the rest of your summer!