Technology in the SciLab

WELCOME TO THE SCILAB

Hello Parents and Welcome to the classroom blog of the Science Laboratory (SciLab) of Super Cool Middle School (SCMS). My name is Ms. Hereford, and I will be journeying with your child through the wonderful worlds of Earth, Life, and Physical Science. During the course of our time together, this blog will be updated with important information regarding projects and assignments. Please check-in regularly to see pictures of experiments from the classroom, important information regarding field trips, and other Cool-2-Know (C2K) information pertaining to the topics we are discovering in the SciLab.  

PARTNER WITH THE PTA

With our very first post, I would like to make you aware of the Parent Teacher Association’s (PTA) focus for fundraising this year: technology integration in the classroom. Parent involvement is paramount with this task, not only with donations, volunteering time in the classroom, but more importantly to be a positive supporter at home, by assisting your child and encouraging them to utilize technology in efficient and effective ways.

I understand that there may be some concerns regarding the effectiveness of technology in the classroom, and as to why the PTA has chosen to focus fundraising efforts on this particular topic. Technology can be seen as a double-edged sword. I agree, that technology, when used incorrectly, can be a huge time-waster and over-simplifier. And yet, I also believe that with the right tech tools successful learning experiences can be more concrete and meaningful. Whether we like it or not, technology is apart of your child’s future for the rest of their lives. It is my hope that through positive exposure and experiences with various forms of technology throughout their three years in the SciLab at Super Cool Middle School, that your child will graduate with confident “tech-savvyness”* and the ability to meet and exceed the challenges and requirements of them in high school, at college, and beyond.

 

The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills website has more details about the technology objectives integrated throughout SCMS’s curriculum, and can be found here.

PLAY A PART 

Each family at Super Cool Middle School gives back to our learning community in different ways. Giving monetarily to PTA’s Technology Fund and volunteering your time to chaperon classroom field trips are two great examples. Let’s not underestimate the fact that we all are apart of various networks. By staying informed the needs of SCMS, and openly making them known to family and friends, this is a great way to provide someone an opportunity to meet the need through donating materials freely or with a deep discount.

Having said that, I implore you to stay informed about the many activities that take place on our campus by visiting the school calendar and PTA website for more information and updates regarding specific classroom needs and meeting schedules.

TOOLS FOR THE SCILAB 

In the SciLab, my firm belief that technology is to be used as a tool, not a crutch. It’s easy to just “let the computer do it,” whether it’s adding calculations or presenting data in a visually aesthetic way. Power Points with colors, music, and spinning graphics cannot substitute for rich content on the material assigned. As a coin has two sides, there is a careful combination of content and presentation that I strive to impress in my classroom.

Every year the SciLab is granted or gifted new technology. We use what we have and enjoy our lab learning experiences despite the tools. However, with the proper equipment, even more meaningful learning can take place! With that hope, the top two items on our “Wouldn’t It Be Cool If We Had This” List this year are a classroom set of FLIP video cameras, and a Document Camera.

• FLIP – Recording lab sessions, the start-to-finish process of student-created lab experiments, and chapter summary video clips are some of the great ways this technology can be utilized. Providing each student with a hand-held video device would enable more creative moments to be documented and created. I would also I would like to institute a borrower system, which would enable your child to have access to this technology 24/7, for science and all other core subject projects, as it may not be available in all homes.

o   Some examples of previous student work can be seen here.

o   The informative presentation "Many  Ways to Use Flip Video Cameras in the Classroom," includes other creative possible uses for the FLIP in the classroom can be found here/below.

• Document Camera - The Document Camera is an excellent tool that will enhance the learning experiences in the SciLab. With the ability to zoom in and project images in real-time, the document camera can specifically be used with dissections. Instead of everyone crowding around the center island, the projected image on the screen would display, in clear detail, each part of the experiment or dissection. The document camera would be extremely helpful in detailed dissections, where everyone doesn’t have to crowd around the center desk to see what’s happening.

• A great collection of other possible uses for a document camera can be found here.

LET THE “LOVE FOR LEARNING” BEGIN

The SciLab is a place of enjoyable inquiry, discovery, and laughter as we discover the inner workings of the world we live in. With the use of the most efficient technology available, and hopefully a classroom set of FLIPs and a document camera, our adventures will be even more potent and memorable this year. It is my hope not only to teach the core content, but to do so in a way that will ignite a passion in each of your children to want to continue learning about whatever aspect of life that fascinates them. I believe this can be done even more successfully when utilizing technology efficiently and effectively in a way that engages them to experience the material in a more meaningful way and encourages them to produce quality work with creative tools.

Thank you for taking the time to read a little about what we’re looking forward to accomplishing this next school year in the SciLab. I hope that with this new information, you will be more likely to consider donating to SCMS’s Technology Fund and or participating with the PTA in equipping our students with the best tools possible.

Again, this blog is an opportunity for our learning community to post and reply to pertinent information, comments, or questions. Please feel free to call, email, or stop by the SciLab at any time if you’d like to contact me directly.

To a LABtastic School Year!!

Partnering with you,

Ms. Hereford

Science Teacher

References

Byrne, R. (2010). Free Technology for Teachers.  http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/03/many-ways-to-use-flip-cameras-in.html

** California State Board of Education. (2011). Content Standards - Science. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss

Educational Technology Network [ETN]. (2009). Retrieved from   http://www.edtechnetwork.com/document_cameras.html

Hereford, K. (Producer/Proctor). (2010). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/himshereford

Partnership for 21st Century Skills [P21] (2011). Framework for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org

* “Tech-Savvyness” is the SciLab terminology for the skills acquired during the implementation of P21.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an

educational technology course at National University.

It is not a real fundraising blog.