Putting it All Together
How will Project-Based Learning and a Flipped Classroom facilitate deeper understanding and create an environment where students are truly thinking like scientists; explaining, interpreting and applying scientific knowledge?
It is my primary goal and objective to create students who are better problem solvers, willing to take risks and see ideas through multiple perspectives. I want my students to be able to think like scientists and have them truly “doing science”, not just learning about it. To this end, students will use project-based learning activities, online simulations and videos, create video recordings of their experiments and use computer applications and programs to compare data, compile results and present their findings.
Students are excited when they get to use newer technologies in the classroom. Amazingly, this is still out of the ordinary for many of them. When students get online and watch or participate in a simulation about the topic they are studying in class it helps to give them a better mental picture of the topic and broadens their understanding. As students take video clips and still images of their projects throughout the process of planning, building and testing and then review this footage, it can become an amazing tool for students to view what happened and critically evaluate their observations and the data collected. Students can even edit video footage to slow down the clips and get at critical details they may not have noticed in real-time.
Students are excited when they get to use newer technologies in the classroom. Amazingly, this is still out of the ordinary for many of them. When students get online and watch or participate in a simulation about the topic they are studying in class it helps to give them a better mental picture of the topic and broadens their understanding. As students take video clips and still images of their projects throughout the process of planning, building and testing and then review this footage, it can become an amazing tool for students to view what happened and critically evaluate their observations and the data collected. Students can even edit video footage to slow down the clips and get at critical details they may not have noticed in real-time.
Internet ActivityOur earth science textbook offers online resources for enrichment and assessment. Click here and enter the web code cfd-2021 to see a weathering activity we will use. Web code cfa-2030 links to a self-assessment on Erosion & Deposition.
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Classroom ActivityStudents will use the camera feature on the iPad to take pictures of examples of weathering and erosion from around our school building and the adjacent woodlot. Students will then use the Storyrobe app for iPad to narrate their image and describe what weathering and/or erosion is and how the image they chose is an example.
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Through hands-on inquiry and project-based activities the content comes alive and becomes so much more real to students. Students begin to talk like scientists and share in the learning process. The act of “doing science” fosters a deeper appreciation and understanding of the content.
Sample Project
Image: http://goo.gl/CMlSe
Students will design and build a dam in project teams. The purpose of the project is to introduce students to the concepts of building an earthen dam. Students will use an engineering design process and the scientific method to design the dam, conduct a permeability test of differing soil types, conduct an erosion study to determine how each of the materials erodes, build and test their dams and then present their dams and their finding to the class.
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When placed online, content also becomes more accessible to students on their own time. By providing the varied formats, from text, audio, video and simulations, it can also make the content more engaging for students. I hope to empower students to become more self-directed learners; determining which of the available resources online will meet their learning needs in the best way. It is my desire for students to find enjoyment in the process of learning, as well as enjoying the content being learned.
By placing content online for students in an easily accessible website, students are able to find the content material and utilize the resources available that they feel will best meet their learning style and thus ultimately they are able to better understand the content.
By placing content online for students in an easily accessible website, students are able to find the content material and utilize the resources available that they feel will best meet their learning style and thus ultimately they are able to better understand the content.