My first recommendation is very unrealistic, but students and/or families should have access to the use of computers and Internet. Our IB students have access to laptops through funding through IB, but we have many students that do not have access to a computer in school and/or at home. When the students have their own personal laptops, it makes completing activities using technology easier, faster, and actually doable (webquests, labs using LabQuest, etc.). This prevents the need to sign out laptops, wait your turn, figuring out which laptops work, etc. Students are very self motivated when they work on the computers and with technology. If everyone had a computer many motivational sites and programs could be used on a daily basis (Make Believe Comix, Inspiration, Voice Thread, wikis, etc.). Kurzweill and other programs could be put on the computers in order to help meet the needs of our special education and ESOL population.

I also believe that the Interwrite tablets and smart boards are a great recommendation for motivating students, keeping students on track, allowing students to participate and become engaged, and allow for enrichment and/or remediation. Data can be posted for the class to review and evaluate, readings and websites can be projected, explained, critiqued, etc., papers can be projected for editing purposed, formulas and problems can be carried out step-by-step, and much more. I do believe that for younger students, students with hand-eye coordination issues, other writing disabilities, etc. that the smart boards are more student friendly. Many of my students still have a very difficult time using the Interwrite tablets.

There are many programs out there that allow students to interact live with members of the community, peers from other locations/countries, business leaders, scientists, etc. If students had accessed to computers, headsets, web cams, and the programs, they could be opened up to a world that they might never have access to. Students from different regions, countries, etc. can share experiences, weather details, literature, language, etc. Business men, colleges, doctors, scientists, etc. can come into your classroom through the web and have a seminar, digital lab, discussion, debate, etc. Students could get live data and images from all over the world to help them gather data and learn about enviroments and societies all over the globe. There are even some science programs that will allow the scientist to interact through a webinar and share images from outer space. There will be a privacy issue at times, students will have to keep personal data off the sites and there will be a need for constant adult supervision to ensure the safety of all students.

There are many Web 2.0 tools I can use in my science classroom.

Safari Montage has many videos that relate to physics and earth space science. Some are basic and explain concepts, while others help students relate science to the real world.

Graphsy is a tool that is very useful in physics fro creating online graphs. I often have students hand graph their data and then compare it to a graph the create online or using LoggerPro.

I use Brain Pops often as a transition or review. During the 90 minute blocks, these help to break up the time.

Google Earth is very useful when dealing with biomes, climates, global winds, etc.

I want to try Make Beliefs Comix. I think this will be a very help tool especially with differentiation.

5 E's in Science

Engagement
Videos from Safari Montage, youtube, recorded from students, websites, voice thread etc.
Webquest that introduces the basic concepts of the unit and/or activity.
Brain Pop
Use of Internet to connect past and present.
Students could act out and film a problamatic situation, record it on a flip cam and upload it to a wiki, class website, PowerPoint, or Edline.
Some already completed webquest can be found on Destiny Quest from the BCPS's library page.

Exploration
Webquest that explore the history and concepts of what is being examined.
www.physicsclassroom.com has explanations and animations
Phet has applets that show trends, activities and graphs
LabQuest, probes, LoggerPro can be used to collect, store, record, and compare data during a lab.

Explanation
www.physicsclassroom.com has explanations and animations
Phet has applets that show trends, activities and graphs
Students could explain their lab results in the form of a graph from LoggerPro, LabQuest or Excel. Hand graphs and data tables completed during the lab can be compared to the graphs completed on the computer.
Steps used to solve the problem could be explained and illustrated using digital storyboard.

Extension
Use a new technology piece, probe, equipment, set of procedures to resolve the original problem in a new way or to extend out a portion of the original problem and solve a new, but related problem. Labs and solutions could be compared using Excel, Inspiration or other software program.

Students could share and compare their data with one another on a class wiki page or discussion board on Edline.


Evaluation
Have students create a Problem-Based Investigation. Give them LabQuest, probes, access to Internet, etc. to create, research, and solve a problem related to the completed unit and/or activities.

Students could complete an online quiz on wiki or Edline.

Students can use Animato to illustrate the importance of solving their problem and how it relates to the real world.

Review the concepts of the unit/activity using a Turning Point PowerPoint with clickers.

Give the students a misconception or incorrect solution and have them research using the Interent and different sites given on the Library website and decide if the concept is correct or incorrect and how to fix the problem. Students then can use a variety of software programs to display and explain their findings. They could also debate the misconceptions on a class wiki or Edline discussion board.

Science in Content, Gale Reference Library and Opposing Views from Context from the database link on BCPS's library page can be used for some of the research.

Very often, we have webquests or other activities that suggest using the Internet. By the time we sign on and load the pages half of the class time frame has passed. Then it takes more time for some of the students to type in the correct websites. When all of the students try to log on at the same time it also will jam up our signals. Also, we have many times that multiple computers that won't sign in, they aren't charged, etc.

I plan for this to happen whenever I am working with the Internet, because it happens so frequently. I will print the pages they need, find pages that correlate in the book or have an entirely different but related activity.


I have often had a lab that utilizing probes, LabQuests, LoggerPro and/or computers. In case the probes or other equipment is not working, I keep low tech equipment available also.

I feel Baltimore County has a very large way to go before we are aligned with this vision. Many teachers still use very little, if any, technology in their classes. Also, the technology we do have is difficult to keep up to date and running. I still have a difficult time having my students and parents accessing and using Edline.

Challenge-Based Learning works to help motivate students, because they are all involved in creating a problem, designing an experiment, collecting and recording data, and analyze their findings. The students will take ownership in their experiments, therefore they will want to have a successful and good experiment. Also, students would feel the need to have pride in their work since individuals from the community and possible employers would be reviewing their work.

Challenged-Based Learning would work very well with my Honors Physics students. I will give my students materials, lab quests, probes, and they need to work together to create a problem that can be solved with the materials, procedures to solve the problem, work through the experiments, collect data, and analyze all of their findings. It would be very beneficial for the students to contact local scientists and engineers to understand how the problems relate to the real world and the materials they use in their fields.

This implementation requires a ton of preplanning. All of the materials and technology pieces need to be collected ahead of time and need to be signed out for a block of class periods. This could create a problem with other teachers that need to use the materials. Also, many of the websites, web videos, animations, etc. do not work properly or do not work at all in the school. Time would also have to be set up in advanced to work with the members of the community.

I foresee the students responding very well to the technology. Many of my students are working towards going to college for a math, science, or computer related field. Most of my students have computers at home, and some have laptops that they carry to and from school.

To what extent are his observations accurate for your classroom?your school?
This is very accurate for my classroom and school. Many of the students (most) can text, game, instant message, etc. as they go about their daily routines. Students choose to google or use another search engine to locate information and solve problems. They can load, unload, use, and manipulate many programs, computers, phones, Ipods, games, etc. Students do have a hard tiem working with the Interwrite tablet, but when I give them the chance to practice, they voluteer faster and more frequently.

Do you have any concerns with his observations and conclusions about 21st century teachers, students, and learning?
There are many teachers, including myself, that need to catch up with the computer age. I am pretty computer savy, but still have no programming skills. In order to produce an engaging educational game, I need to learn how to program, animate, and run exciting and active games and software. Students do need to learn how to access information in many different formats. I do remind them that the computer might not always be the fastest, and they need to know where and how to access the information (whether it is with books or computers). Technology is very expensive and time consuming to keep working and keep up to date.