A Halloween Podcast: The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

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Using a Wiki to teach about the Human Body systems

NERVOUS SYSTEM WIKI SAMPLE

Grade 7 Science: Human Body Systems Wiki

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills:

Science:

(12)  Organisms and environments. The student knows that living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. The student is expected to:

(B)  identify the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, excretory, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, and endocrine systems;

(C)  recognize levels of organization in plants and animals, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms

Technology:

(7)  Solving problems. The student uses appropriate computer-based productivity tools to create and modify solutions to problems. The student is expected to:

(D)  demonstrate proficiency in the use of multimedia authoring programs by creating linear or non-linear projects incorporating text, audio, video, and graphics

Students will be using the Wiki to demonstrate their abilities to access information on the Internet as well as to discern viable information to submit as research in a Science project. In this lesson, students will be using a classroom Wiki to demonstrate their understanding of the Human Body system that they were assigned to research. This is a collaborative effort, so student involvement with their final product can be monitored and assessed in this manner.

Students will be working in teams of three:

1)      Student one will access and provide information on the anatomy of the body system, providing clear graphics which depict the location of the body system and its various components with appropriate labels.

In addition, student one is responsible for all editing done to the final wiki submission (proofreading and editing of information).

2)      Student two will access and provide information regarding the physiology of the body system, providing clear understanding and explanations of how each of the components of their system functions, and how their system interacts with other body systems in order for the human body to function properly.

3)      Student 3 will access and provide clear information as to 5 different diseases and/or injuries that can occur to the system. Describe the type of physician necessary to treat the problems. Explain the prognosis for recovery and describe treatment that would be used on a patient. Is recovery possible or not?

Additionally, all members are required to cite their sources.  Show what websites were used and give proper credit to those sources.

Grading Rubric:

          4 = All components are present and work presented is exemplary.

          3 = One or two components are missing and work is well done with few errors

          2 = One half of the information is present and there are many errors in both information and editing

          1 = Project was submitted but is missing almost all components, or information submitted is very poor quality.

          0 = Unscorable

TPACK

After much introspection and after reading the articles as well as watching the video regarding technological pedagogy and content knowledge (TPACK), I have come to the realization that for 18 years, I have always utilized technology in some form or another. As I was entering education in 1994, my campus was chosen as a pilot school to begin implementation of the teacher laptop initiative, and my administration at the time highly encouraged all teachers to seek professional development to learn technological skills that applied (such as word processing, databases, spreadsheets, and keeping a grade book, but little else.) By 1998, I was one of the frontrunners on my campus to learn how to edit webpages using html editors and to import sound in the form of .wmv files (my webpage played the "X-Files theme song"). The poster above depicts what a student would have found on my teacher webpage. I also integrated the use of webquests by linking topics with working weblinks so that students could do active research rather than relying on antiquated books in our library. To this day, it amazes me how our library has books that are older than the children who read them, and yet, they use this information as scientifically valid information! Science evolves all of the time, it is not a stagnant pool of information.
Because I was eventually forced to shut down my teacher webpage in lieu of the district's own chosen web design, my students have little insight as to the teacher that I am. This is why I have so enjoyed learning about using the blog. I am currently using my blog for my Advanced Science students. They are working on Science projects until December 2, 2011. Since our district has adopted new curriculum standards (in the form of C-Scope) and the program allows for little to no deviation, I am working with my students online. I found out during class time that my students all have computers and access to the internet, so I gave them the link to my teacher website and my blog. Junior Knights Science. Students are able to use the information on the blog to find out about upcoming deadlines, they are able to download documents that they need for their project, and when necessary, links for videos used in class will be added so that students who are absent may still participate and not fall behind.
I am also using the blog to see what students think. They are able to post to me so that I know if there are problems. I respond as soon as a I receive a message. The blog has become a critical part of the class' responsibilities, but they appear to be enjoying the integration because it allows me to teach them other topics that might not otherwise be covered in class. For instance, through the Autumnal Equinox link, students could find out about what one is, and know when it occurred. This topic was barely touched upon in class.

Junior Knights Science blog survey

 Hello Everybody!  Please take a look at my student blog page and my survey, they are linked! Your opinions are greatly appreciated!

Junior Knights Blog Survey


Junior Knights blog page