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Susan Dorfman's picture

Critique of Biology Labs On-Line as Open Ended Inquiry

Submitted by Susan Dorfman on Thu, 07/24/2008 - 4:18pm

I chose to use a Biology Labs On-Line activtiy because I have used The Fly Lab in the past and the company claims that these virtual labs are inquiry based. Initially, the Fly Lab seemed exciting in that it was a virtual lab that permitted an investigation into the genetics of the Drosophila melanogaster without using the flies and in a time frame possible with our schedule. After several years, I noticed thet students were easily frustrated by the technical difficulties of doing a lab online and became bored with the tediousness of the activity. I decided to investigate another online lab, Population Genetics, according to the criteria we set in this Institute for open-ended inquiry exercises.

Videography as a Pedogogical Tool

 

Let's begin by listing the uses of videos in the Classroom:

1.) demos of things that are dangerous, complicated, novel/introduction - the hook!

2.) visiting places virtually

3.) reinforcement in a different medium

4.) assessment or archiving

journaling in a different medium 

student and student collaborative product, reflection, modeling

professional development

learning content 

as tool for making observations over time.

tool for mentoring

distance learning 

 

 

 

What are some of the pitfals and limitations?

Building a Watershed by Judith Odom

 

Click - here - for Judith's PowerPoint presentation.

 

Link for Building a Watershed Materials, Procedures and Extentions

 

Leaf Pack Network

 

Please place comments on this activity in the forum below.

Susan Dorfman's picture

Susan's Introduction

Submitted by Susan Dorfman on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 11:48am
Like other participants in the institute, I am an educator. I have enjoyed the teaching role all my life. I went to a K through 8 inner city public school in Phila and then to a large inner city high school, followed by matricultion at a large city college, Temple U. in Phila. I lived at home and spent my free time working to earn money at various jobs on and off campus. During all these years, from grade 4 on, I help other students in my classes. In college, I tutored and also volunteered as a reader for the blind. To put my husband through professional school, I worked as a technician in a research lab at UPENN. There, I developed a sence of myself as a capable scientist and teacher. When my hsband graduated, I began my graduate education. I

Introduce Yourself

Please post an introduction to yourself in your blog.

First sign into Serendip Exchange at the bottom of the right hand column. Sign in with Firstname Lastname, password = summer2008. Then click on your name below to get to your personal blog.

Let us know about yourself and include some thoughts on the following questions.

What is open-inquiry pedagogy?

 

In the model of open-inquiry, let me pose a the following questions to you:

  • What does inquiry mean to you?
  • How have you or how would you like to use inquiry-based education in your classroom?
  • What other concerns or thoughts do you have regarding inquiry and its role in education?

 

Post your answers in the forum below. (To post immediately, please sign into Serendip Exchange at the bottom of the right hand column. Sign in with Firstname Lastname, password = summer2009).

 

 

Exploring the Senses

 

Go to the following Friday's In the Lab web site for instructions on the Two-point discrimination, Olfactory Fatigue and Visual preception.

Jelly Bean Taste Protocol

 

RELATED LINKS:

Kimball's Biology Pages

A Sense of Taste - by David V. Smith and Robert F. Margolskee, Scientific American, March 2001.

Seeing with your tongue 

Diversity Puzzle

 

Link for the "The Organism Puzzle Pieces"

 

Exercise #1: Organize the puzzle pieces into any number of groups you see fit.

  1. How many groups did you have?
  2. How did you define your groups?


Exercise #2 : Organize the puzzle pieces into groups based on ______ (Fill in the Blank).

  1. How many groups did you have?
  2. What organisms changed groups compared to your first schema?


Exercise 3#: Repeat #2 as many times as necessary with different criteria.

Outdoor Activity Exploring Plant Diversity


plant diversity
ptong's picture

Comments and Experiences of K-12 Summer Institute

Submitted by ptong on Fri, 07/18/2008 - 11:27am

Coming into this institute, I had the impression that our weekly meetings were for discussing different approaches to education and how we can present this during the 2-week workshop. However, I was surprised to find that the workshop resembled very much like my 2nd semester course in Neurobiology and Behavior with Paul. I was very curious about how this lecture would relate to education since I had previously approached the course as solely a neurobiology class. I was astonished how approaching science as a “sum of observations” and a continuous loop related to education as well. At the same time I was wondering why I had not seen the connection earlier.

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Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

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