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Lesson Plan Reflection: The Immune System
The topic of my lesson plan was the Immune System. The main focus was for students to learn the importance of this system in fighting diseases and how immunity plays a big part in maintaining the stability of your health and body. Another goal was to clear misconceptions by having students understand the difference between specific and non-specific immunities in fighting pathogens. Some pedagogical strategies used during the lesson included; lectures using PowerPoint, recalling prior knowledge by using KWL charts, using rubrics and timelines to guide completion of assignments, and working in groups to enhance collaboration. There were two technologies emphasized during the lesson. One was an Audience Response System, known as “clickers” and the other Weebly, an online webpage creating application. The clickers were used as formative assessment to measure comprehension during lecture and discussion; leading to reinforcement and re-teaching. Weebly was used as a Summative assessment to measure the overall learning of the content.
My Biology classes consist of freshmen and sophomores, with a few upperclassmen who are retaking the class. We have been studying The Human Systems for the last five weeks. Typically we begin with the Nervous System followed by the Immune System. However, after a department meeting, the sequence was changed. They had decided to push the Immune System towards the end, since they felt that Benchmark scores might improve if this part was taught closer to the testing date. For this reason, the implementation of my lesson plan was delayed. More days were lost due to the fact that re-teaching was needed for prior lessons. However, after a few hurdles, the implementation started smoothly. The clickers were a hit. All students seem to be responsive and highly interactive. Much to my surprise, I was able to quickly see how much my students were learning at any given point. It gave me a chance to further assist those who were having a harder time learning the concepts. At this point we are in the process of implementing the Weebly assignment. However, we still have one more system to teach and some students are anticipating that topic for their Weebly website. I have made one drastic change from my original lesson plan. I have decided to use this as their Final Semester Project. Students will be given extra time to complete this assignment. Hopefully with this extra time they will be able to submit some extraordinary projects. Most importantly, it will give me a chance to further teach them how to use Weebly.
The learning goals for this lesson plan included learning the role of the skin as a first line of defense against pathogens, also how antibiotics fight bacterial infections and vaccines prevent infections caused by viruses, and to comprehended how specialized cells fight diseases and build your immunity. An implicit assumption was that students would take prior knowledge and formulate critical thinking questions to further understand how the immune system works. A major affordance was that students would develop and improve critical thinking by using technology. However, the biggest constraint in the lesson was that some students could not continue the work at home because of the lack of technology. There were many aspects of learning. Most students who have not shown motivation to participate were enthralled by the “clickers” and were the first ones to ask if we were using them again in the future. In using a Cognitive Constructivist approach students were able to recall information they already knew and then use this prior knowledge to enhance learning. In modeling how to use Weebly, Behaviorism played a major role. I had to make sure I provided the correct information so that students can accomplish the project successfully. This particular lesson was used to use to enhance the curriculum and improve learning of content. It was also design to allow all kinds of learners to participate and learn. I am still working on the details on how to improve for next year, but an advice for other teachers would be to spend more time in explaining how to use the technologies and their purposes. To assess students, rubrics, guidelines, and timelines were used to maintain accountability. The technology part was crucial to help students grow as 21st century students. Many of them welcome the idea to make their own websites and plan to use it again for other classes. I truly believe that technology provides a positive affect and effect in learning new content and it is rewarding to hear they will continue to use it.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Lesson Plan
Learning the Immune System using clickers and Weebly
Content: Currently we are studying The Human Systems and we are just starting to introduce the Immune System. The biggest focus is that students need to learn the importance of this system in fighting diseases. The Immune system also plays a big part in maintaining the stability of your health. Based on the Science Content Standards for California Public schools, students need to know:
a. the role of the skin in providing nonspecific defenses against infection.
b. the role of antibodies in the body’s response to infection.
c. how vaccination protects an individual from infectious diseases.
d. there are important differences between bacteria and viruses with respect to their requirements for growth and replication, the body’s primary defenses against bacterial and viral infections, and effective treatments of these infections.
e. why an individual with a compromised immune system (for example, a person with AIDS) may be unable to fight off and survive infections by microorganisms that are usually benign.
f. the roles of phagocytes, B-lymphocytes, and T-lymphocytes in the immune system.
Essential Questions:
1. What is a pathogen and what is the difference between a virus and bacteria in relation to diseases?
2. What makes a disease infectious?
3. What is the difference between specific and non-specific immunity?
4. How do antibodies recognize antigens?
5. How does a vaccine help you immune to viral infections?
6. How does an antibiotic fight off bacterial diseases?
Pedagogy: With every lesson plan, I have learned that it is best to take a Cognitive Constructivist approach. It is necessary to recall information that the student already knows and then use this prior knowledge to build upon and then enhance their understanding. Other pedagogical strategies that will be used throughout the lesson will include; lectures using PowerPoint and Prezi, consolidating information in graphic organizers, modeling when teaching them about the new technology, providing feedback, using rubrics and timelines to guide completion of the assignment, and possibly forming working groups to enhance collaboration. Overall, the planning allows for all types of learners to be able to partake and have a positive experience. Furthermore, every student should be able to exercise his or her creativity and individuality.
Content & Pedagogy: Learning science requires inquiry and critical thinking. Students need to resolve their understanding of what happens in the Immune System when it is fighting diseases and trying to keep the body healthy. Students need to understand how do the specific and non-specific immunities fight pathogens. They also need to further think how the body builds immunity after it has been exposed to a disease the first time. Students must also conduct research to clear prior misconceptions and develop a deeper comprehension of the subject. Another pedagogical strategy to further make a subject understandable to learners is that they need to learn to evaluate information. In other words they need to find specific facts that can support their learning.
Technology: I will be using two technologies during the lesson plan. In order to monitor understanding of the subject throughout the plan, I will be using an Audience Response System or better known as clickers. This will be used constantly; first to measure student’s prior knowledge and later to further assess comprehension. Clickers are great to keep students engaged while also learning the material. It also provides the teacher with data that can lead to reinforcement or re-teaching. We have already covered two human systems and will be covering three more. Although, this lesson plan will focus on the Immune System, my final project will be for students to choose one of the systems and create a website using Weebly. Not only will they be learning new content but also will be learning a new technology. I have no doubt that both the clickers and creating a Weebly will definitely strengthen comprehension and provide students with a more satisfying learning experience. Can they comprehend the material without the clickers or Weebly? Possibly, but both add critical thinking, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the subject in order to successful.
Technology & Pedagogy: Weebly and clickers are interactive tools that if used properly could enhance the process of learning. As a technology, both also support many pedagogical strategies that can be effective when teaching a subject in science. First, students become engaged in the process while also learning how to properly use technology. They need to research, study, and recall the correct information to fulfill the requirements of the presentation. Along with following instructions on how to accomplish the final product, students will discover new information that will support their learning of the subject and also clear prior misconceptions. With any project or assignments we want our students to be creative and express their individuality. If the student chooses to do the presentation on their own, they will have myriad of options to make a creative presentation; if they decide to work in a group then, Weebly will give them a chance to learn to work collaborative and together learn about the Immune System.
Technology & Content: One of the best features of Weebly is that it can help you create pages that can help a student collect and organize information in one place, which in turn can improve learning of the subject matter. It can also help you see something from beginning to end. In the case of learning the Immune Systems, students need to learn how the body recognizes a pathogen and how it takes care of it and ultimately destroying it. This method by far improves on traditional teaching; students need to demonstrate comprehension and by creating their own representations of the subject they will benefit more than simply taking a multiple-choice exam.
Assessment: The goal is to have students understand the modes of killing a pathogen once it invades the body. Also, they need to demonstrate an understanding of the difference between specific and non-specific immunity. They must realize the importance of the skin as the primary barrier against diseases. Finally, they must also understand how the body builds immunity once the pathogen crosses over the primary defense and specialized cells, B-cells and T-cells, come to the rescue in fighting the disease. Typically I have used quizzes, unit exams, and benchmarks to assess comprehension. However, this time I will be using the clickers as method of formative assessment. I will be providing feedback to students as a whole if I notice that support is needed. There will still be a unit exam, but I will use the Weebly assignment as summative assessment to measure an overall comprehension. The technology used will require students to recall information and will help them master the subject.
Content: Currently we are studying The Human Systems and we are just starting to introduce the Immune System. The biggest focus is that students need to learn the importance of this system in fighting diseases. The Immune system also plays a big part in maintaining the stability of your health. Based on the Science Content Standards for California Public schools, students need to know:
a. the role of the skin in providing nonspecific defenses against infection.
b. the role of antibodies in the body’s response to infection.
c. how vaccination protects an individual from infectious diseases.
d. there are important differences between bacteria and viruses with respect to their requirements for growth and replication, the body’s primary defenses against bacterial and viral infections, and effective treatments of these infections.
e. why an individual with a compromised immune system (for example, a person with AIDS) may be unable to fight off and survive infections by microorganisms that are usually benign.
f. the roles of phagocytes, B-lymphocytes, and T-lymphocytes in the immune system.
Essential Questions:
1. What is a pathogen and what is the difference between a virus and bacteria in relation to diseases?
2. What makes a disease infectious?
3. What is the difference between specific and non-specific immunity?
4. How do antibodies recognize antigens?
5. How does a vaccine help you immune to viral infections?
6. How does an antibiotic fight off bacterial diseases?
Pedagogy: With every lesson plan, I have learned that it is best to take a Cognitive Constructivist approach. It is necessary to recall information that the student already knows and then use this prior knowledge to build upon and then enhance their understanding. Other pedagogical strategies that will be used throughout the lesson will include; lectures using PowerPoint and Prezi, consolidating information in graphic organizers, modeling when teaching them about the new technology, providing feedback, using rubrics and timelines to guide completion of the assignment, and possibly forming working groups to enhance collaboration. Overall, the planning allows for all types of learners to be able to partake and have a positive experience. Furthermore, every student should be able to exercise his or her creativity and individuality.
Content & Pedagogy: Learning science requires inquiry and critical thinking. Students need to resolve their understanding of what happens in the Immune System when it is fighting diseases and trying to keep the body healthy. Students need to understand how do the specific and non-specific immunities fight pathogens. They also need to further think how the body builds immunity after it has been exposed to a disease the first time. Students must also conduct research to clear prior misconceptions and develop a deeper comprehension of the subject. Another pedagogical strategy to further make a subject understandable to learners is that they need to learn to evaluate information. In other words they need to find specific facts that can support their learning.
Technology: I will be using two technologies during the lesson plan. In order to monitor understanding of the subject throughout the plan, I will be using an Audience Response System or better known as clickers. This will be used constantly; first to measure student’s prior knowledge and later to further assess comprehension. Clickers are great to keep students engaged while also learning the material. It also provides the teacher with data that can lead to reinforcement or re-teaching. We have already covered two human systems and will be covering three more. Although, this lesson plan will focus on the Immune System, my final project will be for students to choose one of the systems and create a website using Weebly. Not only will they be learning new content but also will be learning a new technology. I have no doubt that both the clickers and creating a Weebly will definitely strengthen comprehension and provide students with a more satisfying learning experience. Can they comprehend the material without the clickers or Weebly? Possibly, but both add critical thinking, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the subject in order to successful.
Technology & Pedagogy: Weebly and clickers are interactive tools that if used properly could enhance the process of learning. As a technology, both also support many pedagogical strategies that can be effective when teaching a subject in science. First, students become engaged in the process while also learning how to properly use technology. They need to research, study, and recall the correct information to fulfill the requirements of the presentation. Along with following instructions on how to accomplish the final product, students will discover new information that will support their learning of the subject and also clear prior misconceptions. With any project or assignments we want our students to be creative and express their individuality. If the student chooses to do the presentation on their own, they will have myriad of options to make a creative presentation; if they decide to work in a group then, Weebly will give them a chance to learn to work collaborative and together learn about the Immune System.
Technology & Content: One of the best features of Weebly is that it can help you create pages that can help a student collect and organize information in one place, which in turn can improve learning of the subject matter. It can also help you see something from beginning to end. In the case of learning the Immune Systems, students need to learn how the body recognizes a pathogen and how it takes care of it and ultimately destroying it. This method by far improves on traditional teaching; students need to demonstrate comprehension and by creating their own representations of the subject they will benefit more than simply taking a multiple-choice exam.
Assessment: The goal is to have students understand the modes of killing a pathogen once it invades the body. Also, they need to demonstrate an understanding of the difference between specific and non-specific immunity. They must realize the importance of the skin as the primary barrier against diseases. Finally, they must also understand how the body builds immunity once the pathogen crosses over the primary defense and specialized cells, B-cells and T-cells, come to the rescue in fighting the disease. Typically I have used quizzes, unit exams, and benchmarks to assess comprehension. However, this time I will be using the clickers as method of formative assessment. I will be providing feedback to students as a whole if I notice that support is needed. There will still be a unit exam, but I will use the Weebly assignment as summative assessment to measure an overall comprehension. The technology used will require students to recall information and will help them master the subject.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Digital Storytelling
Link to Digital Storytelling video
Video Transcript
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants take the sun’s energy and use it to make their food from carbon dioxide and water. The process starts by leaves collecting this energy during the day. Carbon dioxide comes from the air and it is mainly released to the environment by animals. Water is collected underground and is absorbed by plants through their roots. Two main products are produced by Photosynthesis. One is glucose, which is used by plants as a food source to help them grow and develop. The other one is oxygen, which is used by all living things to carry out cellular respiration.
Although this definition can seem easy to grasp, the actual details of the photosynthetic process can be trivial, hair pulling, and unfortunately sometimes even boring to learn.
In my years of experience as a teacher I have encountered that the topic of Photosynthesis is simply complicated to understand and even harder to teach. To add to this dilemma students come to school with notions and misconceptions that can inhibit their understanding of an already difficult topic. I am sure we can all remember when we were young kids, our parents and even teachers telling us that all a plant needs to grow is water and soil. The problem is that students are misleading to believe that water and soil is actually food for plants. First of all, plants do not have the ability to eat. So it becomes difficult for them to recognize that actually plants have to make food internally by breaking down carbon dioxide and water by using the sun’s energy.
So what is the solution, the twist, for this learning situation? Well after much pondering and some hair pulling of my own, I recognized that visualization is an important part of learning Photosynthesis. I decided to have my students create a presentation using technology to show me their progress in learning about Photosynthesis. To help me with this idea, I realized what better technology tool to use than Prezi. Prezi is a free web-based presentation application that uses an interactive canvas where students can include graphics, video, and text. The final product is a visual flow of information that, in my opinion, can strengthen comprehension.
The idea of using Prezi also focuses on Piaget’s learning theory of Cognitive Constructivism; mainly on the fact that a teacher must build on the student’s prior knowledge, in other words they will construct on what they already know to improve understanding. Using this method of instruction will hopefully challenge the student to think critically and discover new information and eventually clear prior misconceptions.
I began the project by going over Prezi; this was in itself a challenge. About 80% of the students had never heard about it before. With some resistance to learn something new, they were finally convinced that maybe, if they gave it try, Prezi can help them with their understanding of Photosynthesis. Initially they did some research to find specific information about the subject by using the internet, discussions with classmates, their Biology books, and even went out to explore a bit on their own. Those who knew about Prezi already went ahead and started their presentations right away. They seemed really engaged and excited.
After some research, they began putting together their presentation. Some the requirements included to provide information as to where does carbon dioxide and water come from for the plant to use. They also had to explain how does the breakdown of carbon dioxide and water form glucose. More importantly they needed to add how do plants use “glucose” as a food and energy source to grow and develop. Lastly, they also needed to add what happens to oxygen as a product of photosynthesis and its importance for all other living things including humans.
After watching some of the finished presentations, I was overwhelmed to see how much effort had been put on them. Most students had gone above and beyond to make theirs the perfect one. They were colorful, included appropriate visuals, and had the proper flow of information. However, the main question is, have they fully comprehended the subject of Photosynthesis? To help me answer this question I decided to add an extra little twist. A day after they had submitted their Prezi presentation I gave them a quick-write assignment. The question was simply to use the equation of photosynthesis and explain what happens to the raw materials and products in the equation. It was a pleasant surprise to see that almost everyone in class was able to answer the question correctly. I understand that this is by no means an indication that the solution in teaching Photosynthesis has been found, but I truly believe we are heading towards the right path.
Video Transcript
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants take the sun’s energy and use it to make their food from carbon dioxide and water. The process starts by leaves collecting this energy during the day. Carbon dioxide comes from the air and it is mainly released to the environment by animals. Water is collected underground and is absorbed by plants through their roots. Two main products are produced by Photosynthesis. One is glucose, which is used by plants as a food source to help them grow and develop. The other one is oxygen, which is used by all living things to carry out cellular respiration.
Although this definition can seem easy to grasp, the actual details of the photosynthetic process can be trivial, hair pulling, and unfortunately sometimes even boring to learn.
In my years of experience as a teacher I have encountered that the topic of Photosynthesis is simply complicated to understand and even harder to teach. To add to this dilemma students come to school with notions and misconceptions that can inhibit their understanding of an already difficult topic. I am sure we can all remember when we were young kids, our parents and even teachers telling us that all a plant needs to grow is water and soil. The problem is that students are misleading to believe that water and soil is actually food for plants. First of all, plants do not have the ability to eat. So it becomes difficult for them to recognize that actually plants have to make food internally by breaking down carbon dioxide and water by using the sun’s energy.
So what is the solution, the twist, for this learning situation? Well after much pondering and some hair pulling of my own, I recognized that visualization is an important part of learning Photosynthesis. I decided to have my students create a presentation using technology to show me their progress in learning about Photosynthesis. To help me with this idea, I realized what better technology tool to use than Prezi. Prezi is a free web-based presentation application that uses an interactive canvas where students can include graphics, video, and text. The final product is a visual flow of information that, in my opinion, can strengthen comprehension.
The idea of using Prezi also focuses on Piaget’s learning theory of Cognitive Constructivism; mainly on the fact that a teacher must build on the student’s prior knowledge, in other words they will construct on what they already know to improve understanding. Using this method of instruction will hopefully challenge the student to think critically and discover new information and eventually clear prior misconceptions.
I began the project by going over Prezi; this was in itself a challenge. About 80% of the students had never heard about it before. With some resistance to learn something new, they were finally convinced that maybe, if they gave it try, Prezi can help them with their understanding of Photosynthesis. Initially they did some research to find specific information about the subject by using the internet, discussions with classmates, their Biology books, and even went out to explore a bit on their own. Those who knew about Prezi already went ahead and started their presentations right away. They seemed really engaged and excited.
After some research, they began putting together their presentation. Some the requirements included to provide information as to where does carbon dioxide and water come from for the plant to use. They also had to explain how does the breakdown of carbon dioxide and water form glucose. More importantly they needed to add how do plants use “glucose” as a food and energy source to grow and develop. Lastly, they also needed to add what happens to oxygen as a product of photosynthesis and its importance for all other living things including humans.
After watching some of the finished presentations, I was overwhelmed to see how much effort had been put on them. Most students had gone above and beyond to make theirs the perfect one. They were colorful, included appropriate visuals, and had the proper flow of information. However, the main question is, have they fully comprehended the subject of Photosynthesis? To help me answer this question I decided to add an extra little twist. A day after they had submitted their Prezi presentation I gave them a quick-write assignment. The question was simply to use the equation of photosynthesis and explain what happens to the raw materials and products in the equation. It was a pleasant surprise to see that almost everyone in class was able to answer the question correctly. I understand that this is by no means an indication that the solution in teaching Photosynthesis has been found, but I truly believe we are heading towards the right path.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Audio Production
Audio Interviews
Charles Darwin was a naturalist who set sail on the HMS Beagle in 1831. It was on this voyage through the Galapagos Islands and other places where he began to collect evidence for his theory of evolution. In his book The Origin of Species, he established that all organisms descended or evolved overtime from common ancestors. He also proposed the scientific theory of natural selection. Natural Selection refers to the process whereby organisms or individuals who are better adapted to their environment will survive and produce more offspring. He also noted that these adaptations or characteristics would be passed on from one generation to another. Survival of the fittest does not measure how big, strong or fast an organism is, but measures its reproductive rate due to their adaptations. Genetics was at its early stages during Darwin’s time, but now we know that these adaptations, characteristics, or phenotypes, are simply an expression of the organism’s genotype or genes. In other words it is these genes that are passed on from one generation to another.
During my interview with these students, I wanted to find out how well they understood the concept of Evolution, Survival of the fittest, and adaptation. I also wanted to see if they were victims of the misconception that people believe that Charles Darwin’s theory says that we came from monkeys.
Charles Darwin was a naturalist who set sail on the HMS Beagle in 1831. It was on this voyage through the Galapagos Islands and other places where he began to collect evidence for his theory of evolution. In his book The Origin of Species, he established that all organisms descended or evolved overtime from common ancestors. He also proposed the scientific theory of natural selection. Natural Selection refers to the process whereby organisms or individuals who are better adapted to their environment will survive and produce more offspring. He also noted that these adaptations or characteristics would be passed on from one generation to another. Survival of the fittest does not measure how big, strong or fast an organism is, but measures its reproductive rate due to their adaptations. Genetics was at its early stages during Darwin’s time, but now we know that these adaptations, characteristics, or phenotypes, are simply an expression of the organism’s genotype or genes. In other words it is these genes that are passed on from one generation to another.
During my interview with these students, I wanted to find out how well they understood the concept of Evolution, Survival of the fittest, and adaptation. I also wanted to see if they were victims of the misconception that people believe that Charles Darwin’s theory says that we came from monkeys.
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