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Online Science Labs

The other day my students used the school's laptops to complete several online labs. I would strongly encourage all science teachers (as well as other subject teachers) to look into online laboratories. Although I think there is something to be said for physically performing a lab, the computer based experiments were incredibly useful. The students seemed highly engaged and enjoyed being able to quickly change the variables and cover various labs. The company (the name escapes me at the moment) we used had every imaginable science laboratory you could think of. Students could analyze everything from quantum mechanics to stars and galaxies. Again, I strongly encourage anyone reading this to look into such a program, it will be worth your while. 

Clay Animation

MY students

I had an interesting experience the other day. On Tuesday (a day I was in my placement) my mentor called in sick. A substitute teacher and I ran the class and everything went smoothly. The students seemed to learn a great deal about the material and I learned a great deal about the students. At the end of the day my mentor called me to see how the day went and to inform me that he was still feeling ill and would not be in the following day. He asked me to put together a cheat sheet for the substitute teacher to follow for tomorrow's lesson and to leave general instructions for tomorrow's daily routines.

The following day I came in just for first hour to make sure that the substitute was able to get into the room and that she knew the events of the day. Soon, the students started streaming in for first hour. As they unpacked their stuff I began getting my things together to leave. However, I found it nearly impossible to leave them. I wanted to stay with them, hear about their evenings, and teach them the lesson for the day. Unfortunately I had other obligations and was forced to leave. The rest of the day I thought of my students. I worried about their days, about what they learned, and how they were feeling about having a substitute.

This was the first time I felt like THE students were MY students. I didn't realize how much the students meant to me. They really have become a central part of my life and I'm sure this feeling will only grow.

My First Day Without My Mentor

Today was the first time my mentor was gone and I was left in charge. My students were taking an exam and I thought today could be nothing but routine. How wrong was I! Let's take for example 5th hour. The students, nervous about the exam, quickly took their seats. They were focused, quiet and ready. The class was off to a good start. However, as soon as I began to hand out the exams a student's glass water bottle fell from her backpack, shattered, and spread water and glass all over the floor. The substitute teacher and I rapidly shuffled the surrounding students to new clean desks and began mopping up the mess. Upon restoring order to the classroom, the fire alarm was set off. Not knowing what to do I found a fellow teacher and asked for instruction. He advised using the method which my mentor often employed: attach the tests to clipboards and have them work on the exam as the vacate the building. Although this technique allowed students to complete the exam on time, it raised several questions about the validity of this resolution. How do you stop cheating? 2000 students left the building at the same time making it impossible to keep track of my class. And although they finished on time, was their quality of time adequate?

Despite these obstacles, today proved to be a great learning experience. It taught me to think on my feet, to adjust to any situation and to make the most of what is given. It also gave me great insight into what teachers do every single day.

A Long Day

The alarm went off at 6am. After a quick shower and breakfast I headed off to my first day as a student teacher at Huron High School. And what a day it would turn out to be. The first six hours went by quickly as the students were incredibly enthusiastic and I was running on adrenaline. However, things quickly turned after I realized I could not simply return home after a day of teaching. Instead, I quickly scurried over to the UofM for night classes. Finally, at 8:30pm I returned home, but the work was far from over. Upon opening my email I found my inbox flooded with emails from students with questions about their homework that was due the next day. Over the next hour I attempted to answer their questions as best as possible. Finally, the day ended with a quick dinner, preparation for the next day and a welcomed nights rest.

Needless to say, this was an eye-opening day. Although I was eager to help my students, I did not realize the amount of effort that goes into a single day. It was truly a day to remember.

Got Frustration?

In EDUC504 we were asked to share our thoughts on the use of technology in the classroom; specifically the use of blogging. We began this activity by breaking into small groups and sharing our feelings on the topic. As people in my class know, my group took a fairly negative outlook on blogging. Unfortunately, I believe our thoughts were misinterpreted and they eventually created a whirlwind of angry comments.

Foremost, I want to apologize to Jeff. I believe our class' comments turned into attacks and forced Jeff to take a defensive stance. But, if i can speak for the class, I would like to say that EDUC504 is one of the favored courses in the program and Jeff and Liz are some of the best instructors this program has to offer. With that said, I think people felt comfortable enough around Jeff to release their frustration from the rest of the course. So again, I apologize for starting these "attacks" in class the other day.

However, I do not think we can completely sweep this idea of frustration under the rug. We all knew that this program would be difficult at times, but these difficulties should not stem from inconsistencies between teachers or a lack on information (instruction) given to students. From my multiple talks with several of my peers, a reoccurring theme arrives. People feel that they are not learning as much as they should in a graduate program, they feel at time the instructors are unprepared, in disagreement with one another, and often not in tune with the student's concerns.

In summation, take this blog as you want. Everyone has their own experience and should create their own feelings toward this program. I just hope that we can keep a positive attitude throughout this year. We will have many more ups and downs but we are in it together. So find a friend, complain a little, but don't lose sight of all the great moments we have had. This year is going to pass by so quickly, we will all head our own ways and I'm sure we will miss the moments that have come and gone.

So keep your heads up class,
keep smiling,
and don't forget...hugs!

The other day my group gave our presentation on societal changes and how that affects education. In the presentation we included the use of newer technology (Skype and Twitter). Although the use of technology provided a "WOW" factor in our presentation it also added a side of nerves. Prior to the class, these forms of technology gave us a fair amount of headaches. Initially the video did not work. Next the sound went. Twitter was confusing. It didn't take long for the snowball effect to start and for our group to start questioning our presentation structure.

Finally, the day of the presentation arrived and the technology Gods must have been on our side. Everything went smoothly. The video worked! The sound came in clear! People were able to figure out Twitter. And yes, I believe people enjoyed our presentation.

With all that said, I encourage people to consider the use of technology in their teaching. However, I recommend caution when using such imperfect systems. They can be your best friend or your worst nightmare.

Science Is Fun!

So you want to know why I think science is the best subject matter to teach. Well, I think it's because we have the best opportunity to have the most fun. Take for example the videos posted below. In the first video (below) you can watch waves as their best. Take careful notice to what happens around minute two. In the second video, available here, you can watch the popular mentos and diet coke experiment. Enjoy!

MY IDEAL CLASSROOM...I think

To be honest, I'm not sure what my ideal classroom would incorporate. Based on my previous knowledge I would enjoy having the following items:

• a projector
• an impressive sound system
  
• a large white board
• computers for all my students
• an online homework system
  

However, more important than utilizing technology I hope to have a classroom with a lot of space. As a future physics teacher I want to begin every (or at least most) class period with a demonstration that pertains to the subject matter that will be taught that day. I think demonstrations are a great way to engage students and to bring the concepts to life.

SMAC!