Vision-+Carl

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from Carl (as will be painfully obvious)

**A vision of a science classroom**

There are so many things that we would love to teach so many things to learn but lets focus on this weeks 8th grade objectives, //Cellular Processes//. Eventually students need to know the details of cell theory, the operation of a cell from energy gathering to waste disposal and cellular reproduction. I can teach that with textbooks and pencils and paper and mediocre student and teacher drawings. A chalkboard enhances these activities. In a more modern classroom I can teach that with overhead projectors and colored markers. Microscopes and prepared slides allow us to see actual cells and examine some of the processes. Assessment would entail a written lab report with drawings…

But imagine a classroom full of educational technology. After examining cells under microscopes students could photograph them with simple UBS microscopes saving the best to a shared server. They could search on line for comparable photographs or animations and videos of the cell and cell processes. [] might appear. Or they might find video of the processes at []. These could be stitched together as powerpoint or as google docs presentations by individuals or small collaborative groups. Or we might choose to blog about our research or create audio scripts would be recorded or make an original animated cartoon with the help of an art tech teacher but each student would be interacting continually with the concepts and details of the knowledge that we want her to gain. The complex and elaborate steps in the process become more and more familiar with each time the students examine them.

In order to authentically assess the learning we return to the saved microscope photographs and identify the stages of mitosis on prepared slides or using “clicker technology” show our knowledge based on presentations that we have created, shared and studied. Cells of plants can be compared to cells of animals (after all we have animal cells) and students will be on heir way to be understanding genetics, medical applications on the cellular leaves, virus contagion.

I could go on and on… Seventh graders are working with machines and energy transformations. With instant individual access we would explore [] and dozens of other information packed sites that would enable students to manipulate the concepts until they have mastered them but I’ll stop now.