Connectivities Lab

I like data; I like to play with it, arrange it, puzzle out the outliers. Data is fun . BUT students don't, en mass, share my sense of data-as-play. I appreciate that the data is out there, and I do use population statistics with my APES students. The Population Reference Bureau and their World Population Data Sheet are great resources. I generally have students design their won questions and generate their own messy (yes!) data whenever possible. If they don't make the inquiry their own, and find meaning in it, it doesn't matter how cool the data is. They work better when they feel that their work has value and makes a difference. (Okay, they are human.) I do appreciate those sites that appreciate 'citizen scientists' and allow participants to input into a wider database. The Roadkill data project that allows students to input data is something I could use; thanks PLN for finding it! Canada has many more projects that elicit student/citizen input. I was made aw...

Some pruning is needed in Twitterland; I have 3 tweeters who resend each others' tweets, and they are all copious. It is too much overlap. Are they really checking out their PLN's sites or just blindly passing the info downstream...not sure what I think about that. I will let some folks ride until school begins as once folks are teaching their tweets may prove more useful as they are running across ideas more frequently. I am scared of those who are tweeting and working on line while camping, 'being' with their youngsters....I hope they take a week off now and again. Most value is coming out of some of the blogs I've put in my Google Reader such as Free Technology for Teachers, as others have mentioned. Mr. Byrne here gives bites that are just big enough for me to make a decision about checking something out or not. I follow too many nonproductive twitter leads as the descriptions aren't there, and I haven't yet learned whose finds I am most likely to apprec...

This has been a frustrating week, hunting for simulations that may or may not be out there. My personal goal was to find forensic science materials suitable for 10-12 th grade students with decent science backgrounds. Simple 'match the fingerprint' activities won't work with my students. I find that the best sites are often part of a museum exhibit's education outreach (1, 4) 1) CSI : The Experience Web Adventure -- 3 interactive quests with increasing difficulty. 2) Bones and the Badge -- a series of webquests written at the high school level. 3) Forensic Files -- not a simulation, but lets students view short videos concerning techniques employed by various types of forensic investigators . Connected to the tru tv series. 4) Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body -- not interactive as the above sites, but cool photos and video of autopsy procedures. Not for the younger student. All in all I was disappointed that I haven't found good single sites usi...

You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. --Winnie the Pooh This going to them is not in my comfort zone. But this weekend I have pared a tweeter or two from my list. I do agree with KMP that it would be wisest to have a professional me and a personal me to do all of this 2.0 world with. At the moment, that would require even more time and re-educating part of my PLN to a different moniker. SO it is an idea that must wait for the time being. I added my name to The Synapse and I will putter around in this world of biology teachers; I like the flavor of what I've seen so far. I also subscribed to Forensic magazine as it was free and seems a good resource. A delicious benefit My biggest PLN event so far happened as I was trying to fulfill my assignment to ferret out simulations this week. I decided to hunt out simulations for forensic science as I am teaching this elective in the coming year and hadn't...

Well the learning this week... (1) Added more folks to twitter and appreciate the posts with links, the posts inviting folks to eat etcetera make me want to say 'just phone them', or ask them in person! This makes me wonder about using twitter with students. Yes, I can tell them I am in a good mood and there is no quiz to study for...but then a whole bunch of adults would discover that as well. Can one split one's tweeties into groups like I can with phone IM's ? If not, then all my students would think they had a cancelled quiz versus just my bio class. Worse, if my students are tweeting , then I will see all their inane tweets about their lives. This can't be a good thing. (2) Webcast . Tried an Elluminate session at the end of NECC , it wasn't good. Everyone was likely on their way home and not inclined to be involved in a session given in the hallway. I will try something more formal later on. As with in person sessions, much depends on the presenter, a...

I am throwing out two videos --- Tooter the Turtle is for Randy especially (his post regarding Stephen's original video of Mr. Wizard) and anyone else who remembers "Help me Mr. Wizard!!" These cartoons were post-Mr. Wizard the science guy and before Harry Potter's wizardry. This second video is rather like a teacher's '1984'. I think it shows everything we fear students may become.

Okay, I am having connectivity difficulties today and ran down to Starbucks for caffeine and access. Picnik is fun and easy! I cropped and sharpened these photos form my travels this last year. The tree frog is from the newly remodeled California Academy of Sciences as is the sea pen below it. The dancing shrew is (dead) from an Earthwatch expedition to Nova Scotia , and the pronghorn is two weeks ago in Bozeman , MT for a biodiversity course. I could see easily having fun with this collage feature to make a 'Sesame Street' one of these things is not like the others activity to get students thinking. I don this with words, but the photos is a novel way to play with visuals. Nice. What are others out there doing with photos ?