Our Vision for Technology in the Classroom The High Achievers – MAT T&L students

Guidelines for Internet Learning Sites Has to be accessible by all the students Computer labs and libraries are the best choices Safe for students Students-only activities, monitored by teachers Must produce a positive learning experience

Has to be accessible by all the students

Computer labs and libraries are the best choices

Safe for students

Students-only activities, monitored by teachers

Must produce a positive learning experience

Why virtual environments can be beneficial to students? Allow for more interaction time between students Doesn’t have to be limited to one school Ability to experiment with technology not available at the school Ability to conduct extra study sessions or work on projects with classmates

Allow for more interaction time between students

Doesn’t have to be limited to one school

Ability to experiment with technology not available at the school

Ability to conduct extra study sessions or work on projects with classmates

How do we attain these goals? Schools could create their own sites or virtual environments Specific times, monitors, and guidelines would be established in order to keep it safe and productive Virtual labs are already available on the web Some are subscription based, but they are also safe for kids

Schools could create their own sites or virtual environments

Specific times, monitors, and guidelines would be established in order to keep it safe and productive

Virtual labs are already available on the web

Some are subscription based, but they are also safe for kids

Examples of virtual lab sites http://www.sciencecourseware.org/BLOL/ Various labs that use materials/equipment that normally wouldn’t be accessible to students Ex: Hemoglobin lab, Translation lab McGraw-Hill Online Labs A little less interactive but it provides real world examples of the labs being used Ex: Can cancer cells be starved to death?

http://www.sciencecourseware.org/BLOL/

Various labs that use materials/equipment that normally wouldn’t be accessible to students

Ex: Hemoglobin lab, Translation lab

McGraw-Hill Online Labs

A little less interactive but it provides real world examples of the labs being used

Ex: Can cancer cells be starved to death?

Don’t have the tools to measure mitochondrial activity… Biology Labs Online has the solution.

Additional Online Sites Science Daily http://www.biologylabsonline.com/ Howard Hughes Immunology Lab Virtual Frog Dissection

Science Daily

http://www.biologylabsonline.com/

Howard Hughes Immunology Lab

Virtual Frog Dissection

Moving forward… Online lab sites which require the students to input all the information Present a problem and allow students to work through it Sites in which multiple classes across the world can input results in the same lab for comparison Students will be able to replicate other experiments to test for validity and reliability

Online lab sites which require the students to input all the information

Present a problem and allow students to work through it

Sites in which multiple classes across the world can input results in the same lab for comparison

Students will be able to replicate other experiments to test for validity and reliability

The Ideal Virtual World Students enter a site which is safe for them and solely about learning via technology and inquiry-based labs, study sessions, projects Students are given virtual scenarios and tools/materials and are able to design and follow through on their own labs In addition to the resources in the classroom, the virtual world will also provide students a chance to be "doing science" This information will be accessible by all participating classes. Ability to create Podcasts, PowerPoints, videos will all be possible on the site

Students enter a site which is safe for them and solely about learning via technology and inquiry-based labs, study sessions, projects

Students are given virtual scenarios and tools/materials and are able to design and follow through on their own labs

In addition to the resources in the classroom, the virtual world will also provide students a chance to be "doing science"

This information will be accessible by all participating classes.

Ability to create Podcasts, PowerPoints, videos will all be possible on the site

Positive Results of Our Virtual World Students will be able to conduct and change labs to create different outcomes Acts like a worldwide Science Fair Students could teach their parents at open houses to educate them on the technology being used in the classroom Students will be able to manipulate the site to suit their needs as best as possible

Students will be able to conduct and change labs to create different outcomes

Acts like a worldwide Science Fair

Students could teach their parents at open houses to educate them on the technology being used in the classroom

Students will be able to manipulate the site to suit their needs as best as possible

Background Information Seth assembled a "rough draft" power point and emailed the file to team High Achievers. The group members met and discussed the slides thoroughly and were given an opportunity to give input. Based on the discussions and suggestions in Second Life, Seth made the changes. Seth emailed the file again to group members to receive more feedback before the final posting. The suggestions and changes were included in the final copy.

Seth assembled a "rough draft" power point and emailed the file to team High Achievers. The group members met and discussed the slides thoroughly and were given an opportunity to give input. Based on the discussions and suggestions in Second Life, Seth made the changes. Seth emailed the file again to group members to receive more feedback before the final posting. The suggestions and changes were included in the final copy.

Questions?