Week+10+PLE+Submission

In the Junion High, both Science classes have ceiling mounted projectors and a screen. The teachers have the ability to link their computers into the projector by an connection in the wall. I asked the 7th Grade instructor how well it worked for him. He told me how he uses it every day. Each class period opens with a quiz. He then uses it during lessons to show examples of earth features he is lecturing on. He uses a lot of the videos available on UEN that are brief, well designed instructions on each subject.

His hope is to have clickers for quizzes so he can really know how well the class is learning, so that correction is immediate without singling out anyone who is uncomfortable with telling how they did or admitting that they just don't get it.

He would also like a smart board which would allow him to do simulated experiments with the students all participating.

I have not taught in a classroom all year in the junior high and the elementary students do not even begin to have this advantage at this time. But I have worked briefly with the smart board and been well rewarded with the experiences we had with it. The students in the 10th grade biology class spent all period gathered around the simulated experiment, trying out different options and working on what would be the best combination of choices. I was able to use it to have power points for my lectures in the 7th and 8th grade classes and that was really cool. The ELS students had a hard time with it, but it was better than the rough time they were having with lectures that they were trying to take notes on.

I would like to see the lessons on Force and Motion that are being taught involve some of the simulated experiments for all the grades. I am going to try to bring the motion detector and force detector in to a lesson with the 3rd grade. I would also like them to be able to write a wiki page that will share what they have learned.