Digital Toolbox for Science Teaching and Learning

Wednesday 10th July, 11.45am, BG 115

Science, Maths and VCE Environmental Science Online teacher atHawkesdale P12 CollegeSW Victoria

Technoscience blog since 2008

Twitter @brittgow brittgow@gmail.com

How is it different?• Very fast – almost instant – sharing of audio, text and

images.• Much more data stored in smaller spaces.• Visual data are more prominent.• Global access – few restrictions to communication across

the world.• 24/7 – not restricted to 9-to-5 on weekdays ‘school’ or

‘working’ hours.• Anyone can publish – not just the ‘experts’.• Many more opportunities to find people of similar

interests.• Self-directed – not dictated by the producer.

Today’s Learners are:

• Multi-taskers• Digitally literate• Mobile and connected 24/7• Experiential • Social• Visual/spatial learners• Fast response times, short attention spans

© 2006 “Teaching the 21st Century Learner” http://depd.wisc.edu/series/06_4168.pdf

What do you really ‘suck’ at?

• Competitive sports?• Organizing photos into albums?• Making a pavlova?

Why? • Is it something you have never been ‘taught’?• Is it something you have no interest in?• You have never had the need to know how?

What are the rules for Learning?

• No talking?• No use of technology? • Time limits?• Groups chosen for students?• Specific product required?• Is there access to ‘experts’?

What does this mean for teaching and learning?

• Teachers are no longer the “font of all knowledge”.• Students don’t need to memorize facts.• Questions shouldn’t be easily ‘googled’.• Instead of rote learning; analysis, evaluation inquiry,

problem-solving and creation should be the focus. • Students need to be taught to evaluate the

reliability of information.• Opportunities for peer collaboration with like-minds

– “Collective Knowledge Construction”

CKC Model

• Connect – “Too Big to know” • Communicate – “The World is our sounding

board”• Collaborate – “Diversity trumps curation”• Learn Collectively – “Purpose binds us”

• Richard Olsen’s white paper from “IdeasLAB”http://moourl.com/ideaslab

Connect, Communicate & Collaborate

• Groups on Diigo, sharing Delicious links• Twitter• Padlet (previously Wallwisher)• Blogs – writing & commenting on posts• Creating and sharing slideshows, Voicethreads

and videos • Wikispaces• Shared documents/slideshows on Google Drive

Wallwisher is now Padlet

Padlet at http://padlet.com/

Students can create their own webpage in a wiki and use the URL to create a QR (quick response) code that

directs the user to the information in their webpage.

QR codes

• Treasure hunts• Mystery organs/systems/animals/plants• Link to student-created quizzes, videos, wiki

pages

Comics and cartoons

"Pivot" is software that allows creation of stick figure animations that can be

converted to video.

Learn Collectively“It’s like a group brain!”

• Curation• Synthesis• Collective meaning-making

Tools for curation

• ‘Scrapbooks’ that can be shared online• Digital ‘buckets’ for collection of resources• Diigo and Delicious• Pinterest• Scoop-it• Edcanvas• Thinglink

Edcanvas at http://www.edcanvas.com/

Add web pages, videos, images, text, quizzes and other digital content to a

single site and share the link. A digital ‘scrapbook’ or collection of

resources.

Edcanvas

• A “digital bucket”• For direct instruction/presentations• 1:1 and ‘flipped’ classrooms• Student assignments and PBL• Now includes “Add quiz” for formative

assessment and exit tickets.• Can be used for student surveys and feedback

http://www.thinglink.com/

Thinglink

• Create annotated images that contain links to websites, videos, cartoons, other images etc.

• Not just a static image, but a dynamic, interactive display.

• Use for student research projects, extension work and introductions to new topics.

Tools for synthesis

• Global2, Edublogs and Wikispaces - Blogs and wikis allow students to add content, reflect, comment, revise and discuss

• Voicethread can also allow conversations (asynchronously)

• Google Docs/presentations with input from multiple sources.

Your students can enter the 60 second science competition by explaining a scientific concept.

http://www.60secondscience.net/

Tools for collective meaning-making

• Wikis• Shared Google docs• Blackboard Collaborate• Twitter• Skype• Quizlet and Quiz Revolution• Google+?• Facebook?

Tagxedo for word clouds

http://www.tagxedo.com/

Quizlet at http://quizlet.com/

Quiz revolution at http://www.quizrevolution.com/

@genegeekCatherine Anderson, a geneticist from Canada.

@ScienceMagsMagdeline Lum, a

Metallurgist, photographer and science writer from

Perth

We use Skype and Blackboard Collaborate to connect with our Scientist in Schools partner, Melissa Toifl,

from CSIRO Land and Water Technologies, in Highett and Clayton.

Products for Assessment

• Blogs > global2 or edublogs• Slideshows > Slideshare• Animations > ToonDo• Cartoons > ComicLife• E-Posters > Glogster• Digital stories > Photostory• Team work > Wikispaces• Mash-ups > Windows Movie Maker; iMovie• Videos > You-Tube; Vimeo

Practical considerations

• Technology does not replace experiments• Does every student have access to devices?• Does every student have internet access?• Preferred learning styles?• Concentration span – mix it up!• Plan B and Plan C• Best tool for the job of learning

Thank you!Email - Brittgow@gmail.comTwitter - @brittgowTechnoscience blog - http://technoscience.global2.vic.gov.auDigital toolbox – http://digitaltoolbox.wikispaces.com