Get SEATed

I have a grant proposal to write with a maximum value of $750.  I have a few ideas on what I’d like to get, but there’s nothing that I desperately need for my classroom. 

If you were given $750, what would you want to get?  It is a science related grant, so it has to apply to either a physical science or environmental science class.  I like incorporating technology, but it doesn’t have to be tech stuff. 

Share your ideas and let’s get a big list of things going here.

I am an online tutor.  I’ve been doing this for about four and a half years now.  In that time, I’ve helped literally thousands of students to complete questions ranging from drawing an atomic model to geologic time scales and everything in between. 

Today’s students are natural multitaskers.  They have grown up in the computer age and are so used to using chat programs and surfing the web that they don’t have to give it a second thought.  It all comes very easy to them.  Why not take advantage of their interest in the online environment to provide a method of completing homework? 

For me, there are so many advantages to this type of work.  I can work from home, any day of the week.  I don’t have to use gas to get to a student’s house (neither do their parents).  I get to help students who really want to learn and are interested in trying.  The extra income is wonderful (and sometimes vital in these economic times).  So many times, I get into a session with a student who doesn’t understand a topic, but through questioning, we reach a “light bulb” moment when you can tell things start to click.  That is an excellent feeling.

Of course, there are some disadvantages, although they are far outweighed by the advantages.  It’s hard to get tone across a written chat, so you have to pick your wording carefully at times.  Also, you aren’t able to carry out hands on experiments as you would in a classroom, but most of the time, that is not really a problem since the students have the data already and just need to answer questions about it.

I plan on doing this for the foreseeable future.  Even after a long day at work, I enjoy coming home and helping out students online.  In an odd way, it actually helps me to relax because I know I’m helping out students from around the country to get their work done. 

Anybody else out there do online tutoring?  Share your thoughts and experiences please.

I’ve been looking for a new set of websites to peruse for science, education, and technology news.  One of the first things that I look for is the layout.  I want something that I can look at quickly and pick out the newest information. 

One such site that I’ve come across is Technology & Learning.  It includes a ticker section of current news.  There are also sections for tips, blogs, and forums.  All of these sections include the latest postings so that you can catch up quickly since your last visit. 

The “Put to the Test” section gives several reviews of various products that could be used in the classroom.  Reviews are added every couple of weeks or so. 

If you already know about and use this site, feel free to share your thoughts on some of the best features it has to offer for those looking to incorporate more technology into their classroom. 

If you have never come across this site, I hope that this quick review is something you’ll find useful.  Let us know what you find on this Technology & Learning site. 

I’m fortunate to have a mobile cart of 30 laptops that is permanently located in my classroom.  I facilitate the virtual school classes that some of our students are enrolled in, so they use the laptops every single day.  This also allows me to use them frequently in my science class.  I’ve had students doing small and large research projects at times.

What kind of technology do you incorporate into your lessons?  Computers, smartboards?  Let’s hear some of the unique and interesting ways in which you’ve brought technology into student learning.

In recent years, we’ve been hearing more and more about exoplanets – planets that orbit far away stars outside of our solar system.  In a place the size of our galaxy, there are bound to be a few planets out there and we’re getting better at finding them. 

Of course, the more planets we find, the more we wonder about whether or not these planets contain life.

Religious beliefs aside, it really is just a numbers game.  In just the Milky Way Galaxy alone, you’ve got billions and billions of stars.  If just a fraction of those have planets orbiting them, and a fraction of those are within the right distance and temperature, and a fraction of those…well, you get the picture.  That’s still a lot of planets containing some form of life.

An interesting article was written today on CNN’s website.  Entitled “Galaxy may be full of ‘Earths,’ alien life,” it reminded me of why I like looking up at the stars and wondering what’s really out there.  In the article, one study that is pointed out relies on technology to help answer the guessing game:

“Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland constructed a computer model to create a synthetic galaxy with billions of stars and planets. They then studied how life evolved under various conditions in this virtual world, using a supercomputer to crunch the results.

In a paper published recently in the International Journal of Astrobiology, the researchers concluded that based on what they saw, at least 361 intelligent civilizations have emerged in the Milky Way since its creation, and as many as 38,000 may have formed.”

Sure, these are just the results of a computer model.  We have trouble creating weather forecast models to tell us if it’s going to rain a few days from now, so how much credibility can we place in a model of a make believe galaxy?  Still, to have a computer model lead us to a conclusion that at least 361 intelligent civilizations are out there in the Milky Way is, at the very least, intriguing. 

On top of all this, keep in mind that there are billions of galaxies in the universe.  It’s impossible for us to fully realize the number of planets that are out there.

I’m not saying that little green men in UFO’s have come to visit us, but I do firmly believe that intelligent life exists somewhere out there.  Articles like this have always held a fascination for me and they always will.  My question is how long will it be before we find little green men out there?

You’re looking at a picture of a Promethean Activboard+2….and I want one. 

For those of you not familiar with this awesome piece of technology, it is an interactive board that can be used in your classroom to create presentations that get your students engaged in the lesson material. 

The board and projector provide an engaging display while the speakers allow your presentations to come to life with sounds to fill the room.  You can get accessories such as Activote “clickers” to allow students even more interaction and an Activslate pad to control the board from anywhere in your room. 

How awesome is that?  If anyone has one of these, I am officially jealous.

Don’t have one, but think you can convince your administration to get this for you?  Get more information about it here:  Promethean boards