1) Earth Science students went to the library this week and completed some on-line review activities for the astronomy exam. They competed in this basketball review game: http://sciencereviewgames.com/srg/subjects/games.php?id=52, and they completed this crossword puzzle: http://www.reviewearthscience.com/subjects/es/review/crossword/Ast_Cross.htm. They also worked in partners to answer multiple choice Regents questions: http://www.reviewearthscience.com/subjects/es/review/topic-spec/chapt3and4.pdf. To start, I posted the directions to all of the assignments on my website: https://sites.google.com/site/corcoranscience/earthscience/homework-readings-1, and I passed out refresher instructions for finding my website. Students were engaged with the review activities for the entire block, and completed the work with purpose. One of the steps was to complete a 10-question on-line quiz, which I used as a formative assessment. Students seemed to have a good grasp of the content, and felt like this assignment was good practice for the exam.
Thus far, this post has included a perhaps excessive amount of URL links, but it is sometimes better to show "stuff" than to write about it. With that said, I want to provide one more link. This is just one example of a way in which my ESF (Global Environment) students have approached their first reflection assignment: https://sites.google.com/site/amandaaliviaeportfolio/science
2. As a form of differentiated instruction, Earth Science students took control of their own learning for two consecutive blocks last week. This was essentially a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Students were given a "tic-tac-toe" board with 8 options for astronomy projects and a free space. Each student was responsible for creating three separate products (3 in a row). For the free space, I provided 5 examples for students to choose from, but also gave them the option of developing their own project idea. Students took genuine ownership of their projects, and some of the more 'distractable' students reached unprecedented levels of focus. The two Shaqs produced exemplary products. I was impressed by the quality and creativity of many of the projects. In the gradebook, they were marked as a quiz grade.
3. I passed out a different part C astronomy regents question to each pair of Earth Science students. The students comleted the questions, and then used the document camera to present their answers and their processes to the class. I had only budgeted 25 minutes for this activity, and it felt rushed. It should have been alloted 40 minutes to allow for more thorough student presentations.
Unfortunately, some of the downfalls of facebook were exposed at Corcoran High School this week. Facebook has been a useful academic tool for me as an instructor (especially for sharing links and giving students reminders). I am friends with 70% of my students, which allows them to ask me questions about homework or catch up with work if they miss class. However, the distractions of facebook were illustrated with clarity this week. Several of my female students were involved in a verbal fued on facebook. This fued culminated with a physical altercation at the end of the school day, and resulted in several suspensions.
It is important for students to understand the appropriate ways to use technology (such as the internet and cell phones), and this should become a formal component of our curriculum. Maybe it could be implemented in a middle school or freshmen skills course? Students need to know that anything they put onto the internet can stick with them for the rest of their lives. It doesn't just disappear, and it can impact your adult life at any time. They also need to know that success is not achieved by portraying yourself as 'tough'. It is achieved by hard work. And obviously acts of violence are foolish and intolerable.
I plan to gradually transition facebook activities to my website.
4. We're having some family over for lasagna tonight. I'm getting hungry, and I have to help get everything ready, so I will end it here.
5. "Dear President Obamba,
We should establish a space colony on Neptune. It is the farthest planet in our solar system, and be a good place to launch missions farther into our galaxy..."
-excerpt from one Earth Science student's project (write a 3-paragraph letter to the president that proposes we use one of the planets for human settlement)
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