No boundaries

 How can boundaries be laid on thoughts, ideas and pursuits of the human mind?

Science Lesson Class IV Investigating Room Temperature

The lesson involved taking temperature readings of hot and cold water at regular intervals. Students in my class know that alcoholic thermometer is used to measure the temperature of air. They could either use an alcoholic thermometer or a data logger for taking temperature readings. However, my low ability students find it difficult to set up an experiment, use alcoholic thermometer to take temperature readings at regular intervals and create graphs to draw conclusions. I therefore chose data logger for this learning session. 
After putting one sensor in the hot water cup and the other one in cold water cup, students could observe the comparative change in the temperature from the data logger’s computer interface. If they take temperature readings through an alcoholic thermometer, they have to be very alert in taking the readings of both water cups at regular intervals. Using data logger, it was easier to measure minute changes in temperature and students were free from the hassle of taking temperature readings manually. 
Data logger helped students to better understand the procedure of scientific investigation. It handled the task of measuring temperature automatically and therefore students could use their free time to predict and compare the changes in temperature. Observing the graph created by the computer interface of data logger helped students in shaping their understanding about why temperature of the hot and cold water was changing and discussing the reasons behind it. 
Data logger is a user friendly tool that helps students observe, compare and analyze minute changes in temperature with the help of a graph. Connected to a computer, it can be used to display the results as they happen in the form of a graph. Thus data logger decreases the anxiety among the students about taking accurate temperature reading at regular intervals and creating graphs. Using the data logger, the issue of students losing their concentration and forgetting to take the temperature reading at the right time will not arise. Data logger also develops higher order thinking skills among students i.e., analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

Using Google Docs with learners for collaborative work

Google Docs and Learners:

Benefits: Google Docs captures learners’ interest and effectively promote collaborative learning. Less able learners are provided support. Learners’ writing skills are developed.

Limitations: Learners with no internet access at home can not use it after school. Low ability learners give less input and depend more on other class members. Some learners initially find it uneasy to share their ideas with their peers.

Google Docs and Teacher:

Benefits: Very less class time is required to demonstrate the working of Google Docs. Teacher can easily design differentiated tasks for learners. History feature of Google Docs enables the teacher to view the contributions made by each student in creating the document. Learners take more interest in homework.

Limitations: Online behavior of the learners needs to be monitored. Gmail accounts of learners below 13 years of age can not be created. Learners may get distracted with its chat feature so they need be guided to use it constructively.

Google Docs and the Institution:

Benefits: Using Google Docs promotes meaningful collaboration among teachers and learners with an educational purpose. Google Docs can be used to work in partnership with other classes and schools. Learners can use it from home and parents can also get involved. Teachers can use this tool to create lesson plans and other teaching resources collaboratively.

Limitations: School needs to be registered with Google Apps for Education to enable teacher controlled online facilities for learners below 13 years of age.

Conclusion:

Google Docs promotes the learning process by encouraging collaboration among learners. Both the institution and the teachers need to cater for learners’ safety and privacy when using this educational tool.

e-safety issues involved in using Google Docs with students to work collaboratively

·         Students under 13 years can not legally create a Gmail account needed for using Google Docs. To overcome this problem, the school needs to register with Google Apps for Education so that I can monitor the online activities of students.

·         Before the lesson, I took parents’ consent for creating Gmail accounts of learners. Since my school is not yet registered with Google Apps, I sent a note to parents that they can share the password of their child’s Gmail account and supervise them at home.

·         Parents of 3 learners did not give consent for creating Gmail accounts. Therefore, I gave learners the opportunity to contribute on Google Docs using my Gmail ID during the learning session after taking parents’ consent. Later, I sent a web link of students' work to these parents.

·         To ensure safe use of Gmail and Google Docs by the learners, I prepared and shared a handout outlining the e-safety rules for emailing and using Google Docs.

Science Lesson on Keeping Warm Class IV - Creating a KWL Mind map

My students began the science unit “Keeping Warm” with a range of understanding and experience. It was important to find out what they already know (and more significantly, what they presume they know) before I planned any lessons related to this unit.

To create a KWL mind map, students could use a word processor, a mind mapping software or on an online mind mapping tool such as MindMeister available at www.mindmeister.com. I chose the online mind mapping tool Mind Meister for this learning session. After individually writing what they know and want to know about heat, students contributed to a whole class KWL mind map using Mind Meister (Appendix-2b). MindMeister gave students the opportunity to create, edit and revise their KWL mind map collaboratively. If this mind map was created using MS Word or Inspiration, then students would not be able to contribute to it at the same moment and thus valuable class time would have been wasted. MindMeister promoted visual thinking among the students. Using it, students could get the opportunity to share their experiences as well as post questions which were answered by the class as they progressed through the unit. This also helped me to stay informed about their learning difficulties and plan my lessons accordingly. MindMeister is an easy to use and free web application that facilitates students to brainstorm collaboratively. Its simplicity helps in retaining students’ focus on the task. In case of internet connection problems, students can continue to work on Mind Meister using the Google Gears offline library. The changes are automatically updated once the students are back online. Students were able to access this mind map from home and continually update it. This ease of access and collaboration would not be possible if students do individual KWL in their notebooks or on charts. Most importantly, it allowed instant collaboration which is not possible without using ICT. This consolidated KWL continually gave me a very clear picture of the learning process for the whole class.

ETAC: Essential Training for All Coaches

I never imagined how much work this course entailed. I thought I would learn about the different programs on the computer, do some worksheets and maybe take some tests. Wow, was I wrong! This course has been both a headache and a blessing to me. Knowing a bit about computers, I thought the ETAC would be good to take as my first course in BSS, hoping any newly acquired skills would help me in future classes. Little by little my skills and technology integrated lesson plans improved. It was starting to come together.

Each technology integrated lesson helps to build upon the previous one, and then adds new skills. I learned that integrating technology into the classroom is no easy task; I found some lessons to be more of a challenge than others. I learned that teachers can work as a team by brainstorming ideas. I sought out help from the colleague teachers and found them to be very cooperative and helpful. I am very proud of my lesson plans and the skills I have acquired. I look forward to making more lesson plans and using them in my classroom.

Podcast on Mirages

ETAC: A Complete 180 degree turn

The ETAC Course has been a miraculous experience for me. Before I had joined this programme I hardly ever thought about my ICT skills and their use in my classroom. During the programme when I learned the use of blogging, pod casting, digital microscope, discussion forums and much more, I realized that what I knew earlier was not at all sufficient. There was a whole world of technology out there waiting for me.

I learned the use of peripherals i.e., digital microscope, printer and scanner on my own.

There is a marked change in the way students think and communicate with me. Now I hear my students saying:

• I have enjoyed the term more because of the variety of ICT integrated lessons.
• You are the only teacher who has given us website addresses for games and revision practice.
• Can I e-mail you if I have any questions to ask?
• Wow teacher, you play the same games we do. (When learning about oxides of nitrogen as a pollutant, we discussed about NOS used in car racing and in the computer game called Need for Speed Underground)

At the end of this term, I asked students if they recall some lessons in which they learned and enjoyed a lot. There came a good list of experiences which was much longer than the list I got in the first term.

In short, this programme has taught me how to learn on my own and help my students learn how to learn on their own. I have really changed...

Have you?

Podcast experiment

Blogging technology and Student Learning

Blogging technology as a learning tool provides models that promote interactivity, student-centered learning and peer input. Blogs are able to promote student learning with the immediate publishing advantage of the web thus they serve to maximize a student's learning outcomes. Students being conscious that their work will be published make efforts to do their best and produce a good product. They learn through the feedback they get from their peers thus their learning outcomes are far more qualitative. Students who are shy public speakers can communicate wonderfully through blogging as they can organize their thoughts and write confidently.

Individual students can create their own blog to organize their information and reflect on their inquiry. Based on the teacher’s assessment criteria of student learning, which is made available to the students in the form of a rubric, students remain focused on the objective. They also assume responsibility and take charge of their own learning.

Blog is where the teacher may post videos, resource links, review of the class topics, assignments and additional information for students.

Using the blog as a tool for communication, analysis and reflective learning is not just possible, it is a reality.