I am trying a new VOKI

Voki was introduced to me about a year ago. And because it took a while to be compatible with my system. I put it on the back burner. But this is cool. I will try to download it for your enjoyment.

Bright Solutions

On November 1, 2008, three bright student tested the H2O of Lake Surprise. We tested the pH, DO, and the temperature. The students are registered with the Global water group. They are testing the quality of the local water. We will try to test a few times more before the bad weather sets upon us. The weather has been beautiful out here on the East Coast.

Here Is a Very Nice site for good video clips

Here is a video on cardiovascular system. It can be found on the following site\: http://www.neok12.com/

<object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/D3ZDJgFDdk0&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1″></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowScriptAccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/D3ZDJgFDdk0&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object>

Project-based Inquiry

Students could help by doing research about the Everyglades. Students who do not live inFlorida can use the images on the Everglades from the internet and also from textbooks. Using this information, students can come up with a Info-mercials, Public Service Alert, Enchanced podcasts, slide shows, and movies about how we can help save the Everglades. Just because we don’t live there doesn’t mean thatw e don’t have a responsibility to learn as much as we can.

Stidents without the media tools can create ejournals, write to their represntatives, and write articles to the newspaper. They can create their own braodcast and send it into the local media stations.

This is teaching  students not only science but how to organize their thoughts and words in to a variety of expressions.

The strategies for instructon will cove writingl language arts, math, charting :  comparison and contrasting. Performace task assessments are just as valid and reliable method to evaluate the learning process. It is increasing knowledge content and it application.

MJ

Everglades in Trouble

The Everglades is being placed back on the UN endangered list.  Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar is meeting with a task force charged with overseeing the restoration of the Florida Everglades this week. He intends to tell them that the Obama administration will ask the United Nations World Heritage Committee to put the national park back on its endangered list when the committee meet in Spain this week.

Two years ago, in what has been viewed as a controversial decision, the Bush administration requested that the U.N. remove the Everglades from the list. At the time, the Department of the Interior defended the decision by citing progress being made in protecting the region and the species that lived there, despite the fact that the restoration program had failed to meet milestones, and was billions over budget.

The current administration believes restoring the Everglades National Park to the list of endangered places will send a strong signal to environmentalists that they are committed to the protecting the environment. If restored to the list, the park will join the Galapagos Islands, the Old City of Jerusalem and Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley as the other World Heritage Sites considered to be in danger. The Everglades were originally added to the list back in 1993 when the area was damaged by Hurricane Andrew and the effects of prolonged exposure to water pollution became known.

Despite the issues effecting the park, the Everglades remains a popular tourist destination. There are more than 156 miles of canoe/kayak and hiking trails, with 47 designated campsites, inside the 2500 square miles of subtropical forest that define the parks boundaries. The Park Service reports that over one million visitors experience the Everglades each year.

Internet site retrieved on July 3, 2009  : http://www.gadling.com/2009/07/01/everglades-to-be-put-back-on-u-n-endangered-list/?icid=main|main|dl4|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gadling.com%2F2009%2F07%2F01%2Feverglades-to-be-put-back-on-u-n-endangered-list%2F

This is so important because no other country has such a beautiful natural site. There is only one Everglades in the world..

MJB

Ideas for Vincentian Biology Students using computer technology

Long title but that is what is bothering me.

I want to employ a novel approach for these students who are considered the “creme al creme”. I was thinking that they could create a semester projects based on biological themes.  One of the projects could be creating comic books. I want to make this a year long project beginning in September to the end of May.

MJB

I am trying to think of a project that will help me with teaching these Vincentian Biology students

Long title but that is what is bothering me.

I want to employ a novel approach for these students who are considered the “creme al creme”. I was thinking that they could create a semester projects based on biological themes.  One of the projects could be creating comic books. I want to make this a year ling project beginning in September to the end of May.

MJB

Back again

I am trying to keep up this blog, but it is difficult. I have joined “Classroom 2.0″ That is a very excellent site to exchange information and also make friends and even set up classroom exchanges. Already I have been guided to a site that is safe and I can set up my online classroom. I can’t wait to use it during the year with my classes.

I am also going to set up a blog site for my students in order for students to exchange questions and ideas.  Did this in NYC when I  was involved with the water project that I wrote. It worked out great and I did get the results that I wanted.

I also want to use more wikis with teachers and students as well.

I think that prioritizing would be better for the new school year. I will miss Linda Martinelli. She is one of the most unusual and finest media specialists that I have had the great privilege of knowing  and working . She is so talented and she is a great researcher. She has provided me with some many wonderful places to use in my teaching.

 I remember the former head of library services at RC.; how we discussed how important to have students use the internet effectively and efficiently in educational endeavors.  I came to DePaul and found the right person to work with. Having a masters in educational arts and distance learning has opened so many doors for me but I still find that many teachers like the children still regard the computer as an entertainment tool. It is more than that

I was teaching this past winter Biology to elementary school teachers to help them implement science into their classrooms. They were not science majors and had decent computer skills. I used Quia. com to help them keep up with information and also with testing. I was able to test on line with excellent security.  It was great because the computer program did the scoring and it was great. I was able to make it as long as possible and used different assessment questioning techniques.

 

Be back again,

MJB

Coral Reefs and Bacterial Pathogens

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120074629.htm

This is a great story on the environment. The coral reefs are so important to the health of the ocean community and its many populations. This affect the healh of other ecosystems.

Great article for students to read about how our workd is changing and the necessary actions that may need to take place to save it.

<p><strong><a href=”http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120074629.htm”>Bacterial Pathogens And Rising Temperatures Threaten Coral Health</a></strong><br />
ScienceDaily (2009-01-23) — Coral reefs around the world are in serious trouble from pollution, over-fishing, climate change and more. The last thing they need is an infection. But that’s exactly what yellow band disease is — a bacterial infection that sickens coral colonies. Researchers have found that YBD seems to be getting worse with global warming and announced that they’ve identified the bacteria responsible for the disease. … <em>&gt; <a href=”http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120074629.htm”>read full article</a></em></p>

Bacterial Pathogens And Rising Temperatures Threaten Coral Health

Bacterial Pathogens And Rising Temperatures Threaten Coral Health
ScienceDaily (2009-01-23) — Coral reefs around the world are in serious trouble from pollution, over-fishing, climate change and more. The last thing they need is an infection. But that’s exactly what yellow band disease is — a bacterial infection that sickens coral colonies. Researchers have found that YBD seems to be getting worse with global warming and announced that they’ve identified the bacteria responsible for the disease. … > read full article

Great article for students involved in environmental science

Pixton

I am introducing this software to my students. I think that it will get them more involved in their learning. Biology can be so daunting a topic. so I am introducing this free software.

I am looking forward to how my students will use this.

Here is the site and it is free. http://pixton.com/