photo credit: PhotoshopScaresMe.com via photopin cc

As a new school year begins, the most obvious answer to how my fellowship will impact my students’ learning is that they will learn all about biodiesel in my thermochemistry unit.  Of course, small tidbits of information will fall into various other areas of the chemistry curriculum.  Content aside, I’ve been reminded of life as a student.  I will approach working with my students differently, more compassionately and more patiently, because of this experience.  It was uncomfortable for me at first, but then, just like my students, the routine became familiar and I learned how to succeed and accomplish tasks.

But I believe the biggest impact is going to come from all of the resources I have practiced using this summer.   Since this fellowship began, I have a growing list of new resources and technologies for my classroom.  The resources don’t really change the content, but they change either the delivery or the assessment of the content.  I’ve also shared a lot of new ideas with my mentors and colleagues.  They have signed up for an animoto education account and are using it to make some recruiting videos for the bioengineering department at NC A&T.  And I’ve introduced my principal to Remind 101 and he’s interested in using it for our staff!  I have even volunteered to share all my resources with teachers at school who need some renewal credits with technology.  Here’s my list and how I’ll use them this year in my classes.  Keep sharing all the great ideas!

1.  gosoapbox.com – I am going to use this for some formative assessments in the classroom and to get feedback on some lessons.  I used it during my externship with a summer camp group and their feedback was positive.  Thanks Jason Lineberger.

2.  photopeach – I’ve made a video for my module (thanks Kimberly Sanderlin!)  These are so quick to make, I’m planning on making some to introduce a few other chapters and get the class talking.

3.  animoto – I’ve made several videos for my module and for my Kenan blog.  I’m thinking about incorporating this into a student project where they can create their own videos.

4.  QR codes – thanks Karen Martin – I’ve made QR codes for chemical lab equipment and my students will scan the code to learn about the piece of equipment and how to use it.

5.  Curriki – since we made our Kenan group, I”ve found a few new ideas for my classes.

6.  yola.com and weebly.com – I’ve made a website for my module!  I know, I can’t believe it either, but it’s very easy and it looks professional.

7.  screen cast-o-matic and scriblink websites – I’ve made a few flipped classroom videos for chemistry.  I’ll be curious to see how the students respond to them!

8.  Remind 101 – texting for teachers – I’ve set up my classes for the fall semester for communication.

Well, there have been many “aha” moments along the way, but I had a refreshing one today.  I looked at the calendar, and at my lesson plan draft, and I realized that I’ve accomplished a great deal of work this summer!  I think I got so wrapped up in day-to-day work that I hadn’t sat back to look at the entirety of it all.  And if I do say so myself, I like what I’ve done!  Working this week at the Hunt Library gave me the opportunity to get some valuable feedback from some other colleagues. I’ve worked hard to use some of the technology we learned at NCCAT and we learned even more this week.  I’m attaching an animoto video of my activities from the summer externship – so thanks to Jason for introducing me to it!

Marci’s Kenan Summer Externship at NC A&T 2013

As I continue to think about the “big picture” I also realize that I’ve spent a lot of time this summer looking at the whole scope and range of research going on with biofuels in North Carolina.  I knew nothing when I began, but now I have studied the research from many different sides of the issue.  For example, did you know there are scientists trying to grow algae in order to use its oil as a starting material for fuel?  Or did you realize there are places in NC where the most basic gases, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, are being synthesized into gasoline?  While I definitely don’t know all the details, Dr. Schimmel has given me plenty of time to go on these field trips to learn from researchers in the field.  The result is going to be evident in the classroom when I teach this module.  I’ll have some interesting stories to go along with the content.  I can’t believe we only have one more week left in the externship!

Do you think that the Common Core or the NC Essential Standards is more likely to positively influence the use of technology for learning or is it another impediment to implementing digital tools?

I believe the language in the essential standards for science will allow teachers to use technology to teach effectively.  There is a set of goals just for information and technology, so the writers made a purposeful effort to move students towards higher-level thinking using the most current technological tools available.  Even in the specific science course goals, the phrase “scientific inquiry, experimentation and technological design” is repeated several times.  Teachers of science are being directed to stretch students beyond simple experimentation, and even beyond inquiry.  Technological design is becoming an integral part of our instruction because it makes students learn WHY and HOW.  Using technology, they can learn how to process all the information they find on their devices.

Now that I’ve lent support to using technology to teach essential standards, let me describe what the reality of the situation will be.  Schools with abundant resources can integrate technology easier than schools with fewer resources.  I believe that teachers who already use technology will continue to find new, innovative ways to use it.  But there will always be a group of teachers who do not use technology in the classroom, because they are afraid of it or do not see the benefit in it.  My advice to these teachers is to find a “techie” teacher to mentor you.  Even if you’ve been in the classroom for years, this is a situation where your years of experience may not serve you well.  Often, newer teachers have the most innovative uses of technology because they have completed their education courses using technology.

So, bottom line, does common core and essential standards influence or impede learning with technology?  I believe the door is wide open for teachers to use technology now more than ever.  Is it going to be a stretch for many of us?  YES.  Is it going to take more time than usual to plan our lessons?  YES.  Will it be worthwhile?  YES!  Twenty-first century students learn and live with technology and schools should embrace the idea of using it productively.  It is our responsibility to teach these children how to responsibly sort through the infinite amount of information they have at their fingertips.

Does anyone else feel like there needs to be more hours in the day for this one?

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/7815007@N07/7152588453/”>Ken Whytock</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>cc</a>

I feel like there are many ways to write this blog.  I have found connections on many different levels.  The most obvious connection to my curriculum is the biodiesel and its connection to my thermochemistry unit in chemistry.  I had the opportunity to teach a group of research apprentice students this week at NC A&T and they were excited and interested to learn more about alternative fuels.  I realize they know a lot about the different types of energy we use in the world, but they have not considered the impact an alternative fuel source has on our economy, the environment and even our health.  One goal of this summer experience for these students is to give them confidence in their thinking.  They are learning, through research, that the answers are not always clear cut and printed in a book.  I think that should be the goal for students at all levels – to become independent thinkers.  Yes, learning the chemistry along the way is nice too, but I think I’d rather equip a child with the skills necessary to think through a problem instead of just giving them some information.

Research students making biodiesel

The other major connection I’ve had during this Fellowship is the feeling of being the student again.  I have worked at home in the evenings like a student with homework and I have worked in lab during the day like a graduate research assistant.  It’s a powerful reminder of the pressure our own students are under when they are seeing material for the very first time.  This week was a lot of fun because I had the opportunity to teach and to be taught.  I am working on making my own biodiesel in the lab and running some tests on it to see how the reaction worked.  And, just like my students, I feel the stress of wanting to “do it right.”  Only time will tell for my reaction, but I think that the stress of being a student will stay in the forefront of my planning for this coming year and I will work to make my lessons engaging but not overwhelming for those students who just want to “do it right”!

Crude biodiesel from soybean oil