Science And ICT - Recently Updated Pages

Hypothesizing

mrpbps — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:21:18 CDT

Questions by Marcus Ramberg	Once children have selected their scientific investigation they need to consider the detail of the investigation. Providing children with investigation templates prepared on a word processor can serve to highlight the important aspects that need to be covered in their investigation. There are a number of online options that teachers and students are beginning to use to enable students to make hypotheses including Google Docs, Zoho and blogs or wikis, (see Communicating section for more discussion of these tools). Word processing also enables more efficient sharing of ideas between children and groups especially if you have access to an interactive whiteboard where you can manipulate the entries. Hypotheses are always subject to change so allowing the children to complete planning templates using a word processor can make it that much easier to change material and still end up with a very attractive and useable investigation guide.

Questions by Marcus Ramberg

Once children have selected their scientific investigation they need to consider the detail of the investigation.

Providing children with investigation templates prepared on a word processor can serve to highlight the important aspects that need to be covered in their investigation.

There are a number of online options that teachers and students are beginning to use to enable students to make hypotheses including Google Docs, Zoho and blogs or wikis, (see Communicating section for more discussion of these tools).

Word processing also enables more efficient sharing of ideas between children and groups especially if you have access to an interactive whiteboard where you can manipulate the entries.

Hypotheses are always subject to change so allowing the children to complete planning templates using a word processor can make it that much easier to change material and still end up with a very attractive and useable investigation guide.

Tentative statements eg "What Happens Inside Me?" can be recorded by individuals and quickly assembled either by the teacher or children. Statements can then easily be shared between the group and commented on by individuals.
With word processing, information can be added to, highlighted and almost infinitely categorized and reorganized as children's understandings grow.

Science And ICT Home

mrpbps — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:29:16 CDT


Lunch Time @ NSTA by *derekb**

Lunch Time @ NSTA
by derek*b

Some years ago I was approached to write a chapter in a book for beginning teachers on the use of ICT, (Information and Communication Technologies), in science. As I began to ponder on how I should structure the chapter I came across an article that noted that there was quite a lot of commonality in the terminology of both these pursuits. Accordingly I decided to use these terms to structure my chapter.

Having committed my thoughts to paper I soon found that much of the ICT content, (and indeed some of the science), was soon quite dated. Over time this process has continued apace. In order to accommodate these changes and also enable easier access to the hyperlinks I have now decided to revise the content of these original musings and create this wiki based presentation.

The original chapter headings are used as the wiki pages around which the content is organised. Some of the hyperlinks contained in the wiki take you off-site whilst others link to original documents. Many of the links will take you to an online storage space. These documents can be downloaded for use.

Planning

mrpbps — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:25:04 CDT

The Internet provides teachers with an increasingly diverse and reliable alternative to traditional print resources for planning purposes

To encourage children to do their own searching then specific child-oriented search sites such as AskKids , Yahooligans, StudySearch plus Google with safesearch turned on are recommended. To get the best out of Google make sure that you read the Search Tips and learn how to use the Advanced Search function. You might also like to use the Goolge Guide cheat sheet.
Another two visual search engines worth considering are SearchMe and Kartoo. A search using Google on "Kid Pix Tutorial" brought up 10 pages of links from basic tutorials through to teaching ideas and more.
Phil Bradley provides a great summary of what different search engines can do at http://www.philb.com/whichengine.htm
Once on the net great examples of sites that are easily accessible are Energy Quest , Rocky the Rockhound and How Stuff Works .
To provide a great method of storing all you most favorite websites in a manner that allows you to easily search them by category as well as access them from any other internet connected computer then you need to start up your own Social Bookmarking site such as Diigo or delicious. To see Diigo in action go to mrpbps' Diigo Bookmarks. To see delicious in action go to mrpbp's Bookmarks.
To get science news and a science-based investigation idea in your email inbox each week consider joining: CSIRO Science by Email, PlanetScience and Robert Krampf's Experiment of the Week
An excellent collection of science based activities plus the science underpinning them can be found at Science Playwiths
You should also consider joining email based listserves such as Oz-teachers where any valid teaching enquiry will be dealt with by the very caring Oz-teachers community
Subscribing to services such as EdNA Online, (which is Australian based database of web-based resources useful for teaching and learning) provides weekly updates to some of the best opportunities the web has to offer

Recording

mrpbps — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:03:02 CDT

Science in the real world is very much about establishing understandings that can be repeated and analysed over and over again. Digital imaging is one very powerful means of capturing an experience so that it can be analysed over and over again.


Camera Girl by hien_it

Camera Girl by hien_it

Digital images can be used in many ways:
1. To show the setup of an investigation
2. To show continuous change over time including the use of the time-lapse capture facility on webcams such as in this Cress Growing Experiment from Edelston Primary School
3. To review experiences via the digital video capability in most cameras today such as Cooking Eggs or Rice Crackles
Digital microscopes such as the QX5 or ProScope microscope allow children to easily capture images without needing extensive microscope technique. They can be used in a number of ways.
1. For looking even closer at things such as Getting Up Close and Personal With a Slice of Bread.
2. In a PowerPoint such as An Insect What Am I?

Classifying

mrpbps — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:54:15 CST


Sorted Modulex by Soren

Sorted Modulex by Soren

Most primary aged children also enjoy the challenge of organizing information. Children particularly enjoy using two software packages that can be used very effectively to classify.

Kid Pix with its inbuilt stamps enables children to paste pictures into prepared templates. Kid Pix does not have trial a version however you can watch an animated demonstration at the RiverDeep site. If you have a copy of Kid Pix 3 Deluxe, the Kid Pix 3 Deluxe tutorial may help get you started.
KidPix is also an alternative to PowerPoint for creating slideshows to demonstrate process such life cycles or how things work. KidPix slideshows can also be exported as Quicktimemovies
Inspiration, (tutorial), or the junior version Kidspiration, (tutorial), enable a range of classification activities including concept maps, flow charts and hierarchical diagrams
An online mind mapping tool that can be embedded in web pages and blogs is bubbl.us
The diagrams constructed with Inspiration or Kidspiration can be used in a number of ways:
1. To plan a Teaching Unit.
2. To identify what children might like to explore they can be asked to develop a map from what they know until they reach branch ends or relationships that they are not sure of. These points of uncertainty then become the point of investigation such as in Energy - can be?
3. To explain the order of events such as the Life Cycle of a Frog or in an investigation including feedback loops
4. To organise information such as in the Invertebrates Key. The information can be updates as it is being learnt with new understandings being added using alternate backgrounds or graphics
5. As a means of assessment children are asked to enter terms in template.

Communicating

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:02:22 CST


Ciber Cafe by larskflem

Ciber Cafe by larskflem

A key feature of ICT is the way it can facilitate communication. Children's understanding of scientific concepts are constantly evolving and being able to easily update their work is a real benefit. Having an easy means of revising and changing work to reflect these ever-changing "constructions" is a powerful reason for using computers in science.

Standard Microsoft Applications can be used in creative ways to communicate their knowledge, some ideas include:

Using PowerPoint to make a Quiz, or Alphabet Glossary. The tutorial on using action settings with PowerPoint may help.
Making a report on planetary conditions into a Publisher based, Solar System Gazette, Book Master, or a Postcard from Neptune. The tutorials on Making Books With Publisher and Newspapers in Publisher may help.
Using digital images to describe a Bicarb and Vinegar investigation in a text document or as a movie in the Chocolate Crackle PhotoStory. Other ideas for creating digital stories can be found at my DigiStories wiki.
Using prepared templates with embedded URL's to provide a focus for literacy groups such as Energy Quest.

Blogs, Wikis and a range of associated communication tools enable students to quickly and easily communicate via the internet such as Emily's Coeliac Blog and the Envirokidz wiki. For further examples of things Web 2.0 check out Bloggin' Furls et al.

Modelling

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:01:26 CST


NESIM @ Cousins Pau 5 by Daneel Ariantho

NESIM @ Cousins Pau 5

by Daneel Ariantho

Modelling through animation and simulation is where ICT can have enormous impact and teaching benefit. Even with the best available microscopes and good technique, it is difficult for children to see the desired processes much less understand the concepts and interdependencies. Indeed there are only a few scientific processes that we seek as teachers can show our students directly.

Animations such as Earth Moon Viewer enables children to watch as the movement of the earth around the sun causes day and night. They can also view how the tilt of the planet effects the length of day and night.
The online Blobz Guide To Circuits is another useful simulation.
Balloon Car Builder downloadable from PBS Kids is another great little animation that enables children to make a model online before they investigate it offline.
There are many sites where secondary school teachers can find simulations including the PhET project at the University of Colorado
Animations can also help to convey meaning, check out the following good examples.
1. BrainPop presents information on an ever expanding range of topics.
2. EdHeads allows children to explore simple machines as well as look at compound machines and weather amongst other things.
3. ReviseWise Science from the BBC has some great Flash animations, which explain simply common processes in an easily understood way.

It is possible from both children and teachers to make their own animations using Macromedia Flash and other similar products such as Swish. I and other teachers have had considerable success teaching Flash to children in grades from 3 - 6.

An example of child created Flash animation is the Animated Lungs showing the breathing process.
How Electricity Works and Making a Paper Gyro are examples of two animations I have made for use with children.

Data Logging

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:27:52 CST


Stowaway Keyboard Equipped Newton by splorp

Stowaway Keyboard Equipped Newton by splorp

Often in scientific investigations, changes occur very quickly. Data-logging technology and computer based probes can be useful to assist observation of these changes.

A very simple yet effective investigation with dataloggers is to test the Light Permeability of a range of fabrics.
Tainlab, and Pasco now have support documentation written specifically for Primary Schools.

Primary classes can get by using only one set of equipment for the whole class if the children do some careful preparation beforehand such as in this Case Study.

When looking at the purchase of data-logging equipment, the most useful probe types for primary schools have proven to be:

Light probes	Sound level monitors	Voltage probes

Light probes

Sound level monitors

Voltage probes

Other probes that might be considered include:

Heart rate monitors	Conductivity probes	Force sensors	Shock sensors

Heart rate monitors

Conductivity probes

Force sensors

Shock sensors

Using these probes, a range of investigations can be carried out such as:

How to make things warm up or cool down

Which things warm up or cool down

making a hot drink cool down faster
the effectiveness of fans or
the effect of wetting materials

the effect of certain chemical reactions such as adding plaster of paris to water or vinegar to bicarb soda or
noting the effect of sun on mini glasshouses

The output of different light sources

The ways in which different materials stop or reflect light

how much light torches, candles and different globes including incandescent, fluorescent etc give.

how effective are blind materials or sunglasses in blocking light
how different surfaces reflect light

The output of different sound sources

The ways in which different materials stop or reflect sound

looking at different sorts of radios or headphones or string telephones made using a range of different materials
Monitoring the noise made from different machinery

looking at ear muff materials

About The Author

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:26:53 CST

The author of this wiki, John Pearce blogs at My Other Blog. At this blog you will find links to other online presentations.

He has also written a book, Technology Toolkit: Getting started with Web 2.0.

Click here to download an order form

Invertebrates Key

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:07:08 CST

Concept maps can be manipulated into dichotomous keys

Life Cycle of a Frog

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:05:01 CST

Concept mapping tools can be used to show process.

Energy Can Be

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:02:59 CST

Concept mapping tools can be used to to determine what students know prior to beginning a teaching unit.

Analysing

mrpbps — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:54:11 CST


Observing rat behaviour by jepoirrier

Observing rat behaviour by jepoirrier

Science investigation by its very nature generates lots of data, often more than children can make sense of in its raw form. Once children are introduced to graphical representation of this data they quickly begin to notice trends and make suggestions as to the reasons for these trends. Becoming proficient with spreadsheet programs such as Excel is well within the grasp of primary children.

One way to introduce spreadsheets to children is via the use of prepared templates such as How Hot, Barometric Pressure, How Big, Weight In Space, Electromagnetic Attraction that children can easily enter data into but can otherwise not change.
These can be embellished with images, different fonts and colours to enhance them such that the student doesn't even notice that they are working on a spreadsheet. A tutorial demonstrating how to make these templates is included.
Children can learn how to make their own templates such as Short Circuit.
Once the data has been collected, (or even as it is being collected), children can then analyse and comment on trends as in this Case Study.
Children can be given design briefs to construct spreadsheets to show trends also such as Population Growth in Bacteria.

Unit Planning

mrpbps — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:29:44 CST

A teaching unit plan developed with Inspiration software