Recommendations
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Item name linked to the correct
page |
Rationale |
Listservs or
Forums
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Biology Support
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This assignment was extremely
difficult for me. I must have subscribed to 30 listservs and
got few responses. In addition, the assignment says to like
the listservs to their page, however I have found this impossible.
I have looked at some of the other students' pages and links,
but I never saw any pages when I was looking - just huge lists
of which I picked some that sounded good and subscribed. If
and when I got a response, they were only email responses. So,
I will link the addresses that I have for listservs and describe
them, but they don't have any webpages to link to. Just a quick
note about my choices - I am an undergrad biology major at UD
and am currently taking my final education class, methods, to
become a teacher. Therefore, my choices were all based around
biology to help me plan my unit and lesson plans.
Of the two responses I got from this listserv, they were both
teachers discussing the standards and the curriculum they were
dealing with in Kansas. Although the conversation between the
two of them seemed great, and they did say a few things about
how they try very diligently to add in activities to the state
required curriculum, the overall subject matter was pointless
to me. I didn't have any interest in the Kansas curriculum.
I do think, however, that the point of the listserv was great
- teachers collaborating with other teachers. I know from listening
to experienced teachers that is a huge problem. It was nice
to see this collaboration was positive, instead of the usual
moaning about their jobs, students, and administrations. They
were trying to help each other work with their standards to
run a successful classroom.
I think that if this site was a little more active, or the
subject matter related more to myself, I would have enjoyed
it more. I found that reading this posts were interesting, though
I would have been much more apt to respond if there was something
that I could have more directly used.
When subscribing by email link provided, the subject line should
read subscribe biosupport.
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Molecular
Biology |
This listserv was way over my head. I have been
studying biology for 5 years and have some research and class
experience with molecular biology, though I had NO clue what they
were talking about. The posts that I read via email were from
professional researchers discussing techniques that I had never
heard of. I do think that if and when I am teaching this topic
that I could revisit the posts and carefully dissect what they
were saying, sitting with some open textbooks. However, at this
point I was not ready to do that and didn't think it would help
me at all to teach basic high school level biology. However, I
did decide to comment on this listserv because it was very active.
I started to get tired of trying to decipher all of the emails
that I got from the host, since I was getting quite a few each
day. It would be great if I could find a listserv that would target
middle/high school level so I could use it in my future classrooms. |
NSTA |
I have used this National Science Teacher Association
website via my methods professor a number of times and decided
check out the listserv. Since you have to be a member to get
onto the site, she was kind enough to register for the lists
and forward the emails that she got to me. I received about
six emails from the week and a half that I was subscribed, dealing
with national standards versus state standards. Being that I
am first learning about the standards now, it was interesting
to read this emails. They were saying how national standards
often differ from state standards, and how teachers are left
to flounder as to which ones to address. I'm guessing it is
often difficult to reach all of the standards, especially when
they don't concur with one another. In discussing this situation
and the listserv as a whole with my professor, she said that
this is one of the many reoccurring issues that comes up with
this list. Some of the other big topic areas are alternative
assessment, inclusion classrooms, and professional development
opportunities.
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Search Tools
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Bio
Netbook |
To preface these search tools as I did with the
listserv links, all of these search engines provide science
based information, most specifically biology related. I have
found these sites useful, especially on creating activities
in the classroom in teaching an AP Anatomy and Physiology class,
a regular core Biology class, and an Ecology/Environment Science
Class and finding specific articles that will help students
read in depth about topics.
This site is set up similar to how library databases are set
up. I woudn't classify this as an easy to use site, as the site
just isn't as friendly as some others. I found that you had
to be very specific as to what you typed in to search for, and
it took some time to go through all the hits because many were
advanced journal articles or published papers that were PhD
level. However, it was a very comprehensive site, especially
when researching specific areas. This would not necessarily
be useful for broad topics such as Ecology, but would be great
if a very specific subject matter in ecology needed to be researched.
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Gateway |
Similarly to the previous, this search engine was
also for the advanced student. However, I thought it was very
comprehensive in that it searched a number of medical journals
for the entered words. I chose this site because many students,
specifically those in the AP Anatomy and Physiology class have
an interest in medical fields, and medical articles catch their
attention. I thought this would be a good site to find in depth
articles relating to the unit at the time that students could
read and relate to the basics of whatever system is being taught
at the time. |
BiologyBrowser |
What a great find! This was definitely the best
site out of all that I looked at. The site was all inclusive in
biology - everything from stem cell research to monkeys in the
rainforest to an up to date list of biology conferences. The site
was very easy to navigate and included sites when searched that
were very basic to quite advanced. I can't wait to use this one
for all of my future research! |
Scavenger Hunt or Simple Lesson
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Flower Dissection |
Check out my simple flower
dissection lesson! |
Virtual Field Trips
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The
Last Straw |
This site was so interactive - I had to stop playing with
it so I could complete my assignment! This website is a very
interactive way for students to learn about plant structure
and functions, as well as the important factors for their survival.
It also lets students experiment with plants as they are related
to the effects of the environment. For example, you choose the
variable conditions such as the amount of rain and the temperature,
and let the plant grow. Then, you get to analyze the results.
Find a site like this was such a gift, as in a regular high
school science classroom, there isn't time to construct and
follow through on an experiment like this. Discussing the reality
of variables on plant success only goes so far - but the ability
for students to do an online lab that takes you through the
whole experiment rather quickly allows the students to come
to their own conclusions as they watch what happens instead
of simply telling them what would happen.
This site is great for a regular biology class studying plants
as well as an environmental science class discussing the effects
of the environment on the success of organisms. |
Cosi |
I got to perform open heart surgery! This virtual trip takes
you to visit the human heart and see how circulation works,
allows you to read about patients with possible heart disease,
perform medical tests, diagnose them with disease, and treat
their medical problem. You get to perform a heart catheterization
and bypass surgery, and then read about prevention of heart
disease.
This site was so interactive. There are little "quizzes"
to make sure that you know the steps in circulation, the proper
sequence to prepare a patient for surgery, picking and placing
a new vein for bypass surgery, and making sure that you know
how to keep your heart healthy.
Though this site is not for someone in a medical profession
to learn about heart disease, I think it would be great for
my anatomy and physiology class, where many students are interested
in medical fields. I think this site would best be used in a
classroom by supplying students with a worksheet to fill out
as they follow through the field trip. There is a lot of information
and would probably be difficult for a student to remember all
of it, or pay attention to the important points for class without
a guide, such as a worksheet. |
Data Sets or
Online Tools
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Conversion
Tool |
This site is like a virtual calculator for weather
conversions. There are four different abilities for this site
- to convert temperature from one form (Celsius) to another
(Fahrenheit), to calculate wind chill and heat index, to calculate
dew point and relative humidity, and to convert the measurements
of pressure, similar to that of temperature.
This data tool is great for any science class studying these
areas of weather, for example, my environmental science class.
Though I believe it is important for students to know how these
conversions and calculations are made, I think that once they
are comfortable with that and can manipulate the numbers on
their own, this is a great tool for them to use. It's a great
time saver when students are asked for data in a measurement
that they don't have - it's a plug and chug equation that they
don't have do (so long that they understand how it is being
converted).
Again, I think it is important for teachers to be careful when
using such tools to make sure that students understand how these
conversions are being made by the computer. I think it is important
that teachers physically have students do these calculations
on paper before offering them a computer to do them. |
DNA
Sequence Translator |
This site allows you to enter in, or paste, a
genetic code and have the computer program translate it into
amino acids. This a great tool to have, instead of having to
read a genetic code chart, which is much more time consuming.
The site also gives you a few options as to strict or wobble
sequences and the size of the reading frame.
This tool can be very helpful in an advanced biology course
where the teacher is delving deep into genetics. There are some
definite prerequisites to using a site like this, such as having
the students understand how sequences of DNA are translated
into amino acid triplets, what a reading frame is, and the idea
of wobble.
This tool can be helpful to allow students to compare the protein
sequences of varying animals when trying to see how close of
a genetic relationship there is amongst them. |
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Telecollaborative
Projects
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The
Global Water Sampling Project |
This project allowed students to test water samples
in their school's area and discuss the hypotheses created, results
discussed, and theories decided upon across the nation of schools
that join the project. This project is recommended for high
school students, specifically those in an environmental science
course, due to the intensity of the tests that are required.
This project outlines the water tests that are to be done -
temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate levels.
In hypothesizing about the theories, student are involved in
a number of curriculum required activities - inquiry, population
dynamics, ecosystems, diversity, and adaptations.
This project offers an interesting addition to a classroom,
as students get to participate in extensive laboratory experience,
and then get to discuss and compare their results with other
classrooms of students that are participating in the experimental
procedures thousands of miles away.
This project also offers teachers extra activities to engage
their students in, to broaden their understanding of the curriculum
objectives.
The biggest precaution of this telecollaborative project, stated
in the project website, is that of equipment. All of the water
tests that must be done require specific tools and pieces of
equipment. If the teacher involved does not have this equipment,
the experiments cannot be done and participation is not possible. |
Shadow a Swan
Project |
This project allows students to experience the
real-life ecology, biology, and niche of the Tundra Swan. Students
use the information provided by scientists to create graphs,
interpret maps, investigate locations of the swans, and look
at their habitats. These ideas contribute to a student's better
understanding of the sawn's migration behavior and needs, and
extend those ideas to other animals.
In addition to getting more experience using the scientific
method, students are able to talk to scientists and other classrooms
that are participating in this research, asking questions about
what they are doing and hopefully finding answers to further
their knowledge and understanding.
I thought this site had a great addition to it, in that it
provides lesson plans for teachers to use in explaining the
curriculum concepts of niche and biomes. This project allows
many different aged classes to use this project. The parts described
above are outlined for a high school level class, again environmental
science preferably, but can also be used in different ways for
middle and elementary school students.
I don't believe there to be any precautions for use, as there
are no physical demands of this research project. However, it
is important for the students to have a good understanding of
niche and habitats, as well as the ability to create graphs
and interpret maps before this project should start in a classroom. |
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