Coursera is a very good resource for teaching
materials, as well as, for professional development of teachers and the best
thing about it is that it is free with certificate of completion given for
those who successfully passed. Different professors from esteemed universities
all over the world organize their video lectures in such a way that they are
engaging, updated and loaded with relevant examples. Although these on-line
courses are especially designed for adult learners, the courser staff actually considered
the fact that many high school and college students enroll in the courses.
Before enrolling at UPOU, I took several classes on Genetics, Evolution,
Psychology, Research and Critical Thinking and such experience really prepared
me for the modality of UPOU’s modality. Not only that, many of the web
resources, figures, and readings used in coursera can be used for high school
classes and so I got to use many of these materials in my own classes. For
those who are interested, the courser website is www.coursera.org. Khan Academy is another popular site for on-line courses but I
have not yet tried it. The website is www.khanacademy.org. For me the advantages of exploring these kind of web resource is
not only to gain additional instructional materials but participating in the
on-line courses, as a teacher myself, gives me a comprehensive perspective of
how education should be delivered in the 21st century. For instance,
in the on-line courses that I’ve participated, I got tremendous ideas as to how
instruction, lecture, and assessment are designed in other universities and so
I get to experience and understand what it means to be global. Another
advantage, particularly for science content which is updated at a very fast
rate, on-line courses is a very good platform to look at disciplinary
traditions at a different perspective, be clarified on new discoveries as well
as being able to enrich my repertoire as a classroom teacher. Furthermore, the
diversity of courses offered in coursera include mentoring, science teaching,
organizational development and many others that educators would find very
useful. In fact, I was able to get new materials for the NGSS, 21st
century skills and assessment through the e-links that are incorporated in the
coursea video-lectures. Probably the most useful course that I participated in
was two courses on climate change. The only challenge is the reliability of
internet access because although these on-line courses are free, if one would
really want to learn then the due dates for submission of assignments and
completion of on-line quiz must be taken seriously.
Television Programs and other Websites for Science Teachers
Aside from the usual youtube videos that are
linked to educational channels, I personally recommend the following as very
good source of instructional materials. Most of the time, when I come across an
educational video on youtube, I either search for the website of origin or institution
who sponsored the youtube channel. I personally prefer getting materials from
these institutionally-sponsored website that are more reliable rather than get
videos that are just made as a school project or personal blogs linked to
youtube.
(1) The National Geographic has a special webpage for education - http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/?ar_a=1 where teachers can have access to videos, worksheets, and even
lesson plans. There are also links for professional development including
access to on-line courses.
(2) Discovery Education whose website can be accessed from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ is part of the Discovery Communication conglomerate, the same
group that includes Discovery Channel. In this website, there are free
curriculum materials including lesson plans, worksheets and links to facts and
figures that can be used in designing activities and assessment.
(3) Resources provided by PBS Channel can be downloaded from http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/. What is good about this website is that you can search for
materials according to standards. There is also a link to webinars that can be
accessed as a personal initiative for professional development.
(4) Another good resource website linked to television program would
be http://www.bbc.co.uk/education of the BBC-UK. There are curriculum resources including
activities, quizzes, videos, and lab demonstrations classified according to
standards and grade levels.
Aside from the above mentioned, there are two
web-based resources that I find very useful in my personal practice. In fact, I
actually requested and received hardcopies of the modules and the accompanying
CD and DVDs for the institutions sponsoring the websites. For biology teachers,
there are two websites that are really very generous and up-to-date in terms of
the content and links although both are US-based.
(5) The Howard Hughes Medical
Institute whose free materials can be downloaded from http://www.hhmi.org/educational-materials. Many of these curriculum materials include an actual lecture of
a scientist or medical researcher that can be used as a springboard for class
discussion and activities. Each lecture is accompanied with a suggested lesson
plan, worksheets, teacher’s guides, additional videos/animation and
posters.
(6) Another excellent source is the website of the National Institute
of Health. Their Science Resource webpage http://www.nih.gov/science/education.htm includes downloadable curriculum materials – complete modules on
health and health related science topics from K to12. Their modules are also
good models for the 5E constructivist approach to instruction.
As additional resource that can be used by
both teachers and students, I recommend the http://www.ck12.org/teacher/ website. In this portal, a teacher can form study groups for
students and design review assignments according to standards and topics
discussed in class. What is good about this is that it is used both as a class
portal and as source of instructional materials. There are also free ebooks on this site.
We must not forget that our very own DOST
also has a number of resources that we can use such as facts and figures
accessible from the http://courseware.dost.gov.ph/ and http://noah.dost.gov.ph/
Some of the local television shows that can
be used in science teaching would be AHA! and
Ibilib of GMA7. However, the themes of each episode is varied and not as
comprehensive as its foreign counterparts. The Constel science video series are
still useful although they must be supplemented by faster-paced and more
in-depth application exercises. Excerpts from these series can be used either
as a pre-lab demonstration or as conclusion to recap teacher’s explanation.
Another way of using such would be to assess whether the students got the
correct explanation or conclusion at the end of an experiment; through which,
students can compare their ideas with that from the excerpt.
Social media, etc. as educational platforms
There are endless possibilities for social
networking sites as educative platforms. Allow me to share some of the things
that I explored with my students. Almost 95% of my students have internet
access at home and whenever I take a survey at the start of the semester, much
of their time on the internet is spent on fb, twitter, Instagram, and computer
games. In other words, internet is used for leisure and for casual
conversations. In order to encourage them to use the internet and appreciate
the value of social media for educative purpose I’ve tried on the following and
I am proud to say that these initiatives are very promising.
(1) Last year, when we discussed the important events in the history
of physics, I used a research article about the Atomic Bomb. My Grade 8
students made their own blogs to present their stand about ethical issues on
the use of science and technology.
(2) Also last year, I asked my Grade 10 and 8 students to participate
in an on-line interview about diet and lifestyle and then make a reflection
paper about the experience. Our lesson for this activity was on nutrition, BMI,
and diet-related diseases.
(3) Just recently, I uploaded on my blog an editorial about the
culture of responsibility discussed in the light of doing research experiments
involving ebola victims. I asked my students to post their answers to the guide
questions and comment on each other’s posts.
(4) In progress is the take-home unit test that my Grade 9 students
must upload in my class wiki. They are supposed to google a recent article or
upload an ebook excerpt, highlight the metabolic pathway and suggest practical
applications or possible research interest. I can’t wait to see their answers.
[visit our class wiki at
http://haynayan.wikispaces.com/]
There are a lot more possibilities for social
media and web-based portals. They are, in fact, good avenues to encourage civic
responsibility and intellectual curiosity. As educators, I think we must try to
encourage our students to use the internet, in general, as a tool to
communicate for the common good, to advance our knowledge, to participate in
advocacies, and to demonstrate social responsibility. Young people are so
engrossed with technology that we must channel their energy into something that
are more meaningful. I limit my internet-based activities into only 2 per year
because my school setting cannot allow special schedules for our computer
laboratory so students are forced to either work at home or bring their own
laptop in school. Another thing to consider is that a number of my students do
not have internet at home and they can only use the library computers for
limited time in the afternoon. Also, I do not want my students to use my
assignments as excuse for them to go to an internet shop, café or mall where
there is free wi-fi.
Perhaps in the near future, I can have the
opportunity to explore the following:
ü
Use the surveymonkey [https://www.surveymonkey.com/]
as a tool to survey misconceptions, assess prior knowledge and elicit feedbacks
and suggestions from my students
ü
Utilize the googleearth for
virtual field trips
ü
Use Instagram and twitter or any
other social media for a class advocacy such as environmentalism and promoting
green lifestyle
ü
Work with my students in tapping
the useability of social media, youtube, blog, wiki and other websites to
collaborate with other teachers and students in other countries – a sort of
global competency project
ü
Explore the Flipped Classroom
approach in my instruction
Some Points to consider when using web-based and non-print media
materials.
(1) We must remember that they are instructional materials and we are
the human teacher in the classroom. They should not be the be-all and end-all
of everything that we do as educators. These materials are designed to suit a
particular curriculum and in accordance to pre-set standards. We have our own
set of curriculum standards and content and therefore it is imperative that we
use the materials according to how it would suit our curriculum and how it will
address the needs of our learners.
(2) Regardless how comprehensive or how interactive these
instructional materials are, the teachers must still think about how to
customize their use. For example, a curriculum packet is designed with the
assumption that it address a certain set of standards and needs of a teacher.
However, it does not mean that it must be used as a straight-jacket. Common
sense would tell us that a teacher who knows her craft will find ways to use
these materials according to how she/he deems it appropriate rather than
following it like a recipe in a cookbook.
(3) We must use these materials to facilitate learning and to help our
students develop a value system that appreciates others, make connections, and
find educative usefulness of technology. For example, educational videos may
replace a teacher’s input but it means that the teacher must find ways to guide
the learners see different points from the lecture, ask questions, add
explanations, etc. There must always a pre-viewing, viewing and post-viewing
task to ensure that these materials are used tools for learning rather than
become the main subject of learning.
(4) The internet with lots of free access and downloads would be very
engaging and enticing. In fact, if the internet connection is excellent,
surfing and downloading would take up so much time and therefore a teacher can
have the tendency to just rely on the internet and once accustomed to easy
access may easily become handicapped when faced with just a simple technical
glitch. Technology can encourage laziness of the teachers. There is a great
tendency that library and media center resources can be put aside because
everything can be downloaded from just one click on the computer without
needing to get out from the faculty room. In using technology and in utilizing
ready-made curriculum material packages, the attitude of the teacher must not
be that of a mere consumer but more importantly that of an innovator. Once a
teacher come across with a material then he/she must be able to say “what if I
use such like such and as such?”. For instance, there are print materials in
the library that can be used to replace those that are downloaded – same
purpose and same technique but different tools. Another possibility would be to
use videos as example or to replace lab demonstrations. Students, guided by the
teacher, can go to the field or in the laboratory and design an investigation
inspired by the video.
(5) Lastly, as educators, end-user and creator of instructional
materials, we must always uphold the ethics of digital citizenship. Whenever we
present a video, distribute a worksheet, or present a powerpoint, we must
always make sure that sources are properly cited. Students are penalized for
plagiarism so teachers must be models of honesty and integrity.
References
http://edtechtimes.com/2013/11/06/top-5-problems-technology-education-today/
