Web Tool Activity

The past two weeks have been interesting ones!  First off, I have been at a teacher training in New Mexico (I am from Montana), for my new IB class I start next year.  For those of you who are not familiar, IB stands for International Bacclareate, and is similar to an AP program.  I will be teaching my first year of IB Physics next fall.  I am really looking forward to it and hope to use alot of the things I have learned while at my training.  Not to mention it was a fun vacation!

Secondly, I have started on this journey of researching and developing webtools that I can use in my classroom.  I considered myself pretty tech-oriented in the classroom and have encouraged using technology and the web as a resource in my classes, however, I have found I have alot to learn! Already in the first two weeks, I have discovered many new tools, such as Edmodo and this blog space, that I plan on using this upcoming year.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed by my schedule at first, but now that I am home, I think things will settle down a bit!

For theme three the past two weeks, I have been exploring (and playing) with many of the new things I have discovered online.  One of the real benefits of the web for science classes is the use of simulations that are free for students!  I discovered many new simulations that I plan to try next year, particularly in my biology and phyics classes.  I have linked four websites below that I think are very helpful, and if you don't use them in science classes now... after you see them you will! You also might want to carve out some time before you start looking through them... I found them addictive!

http://phet.colorado.edu/
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/  (Biology oriented)
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/index.html
http://www.learner.org/interactives/

All of those sites have great opportunities for you to get students using online resources in a meaningful way! 

For my project, I chose to design an activity that uses a simulation.  I teach a disease unit in my Biology classes, and I would use this activity to introduce the topic and have the students think critically about how diseases spread.  I will attach to my blog the link the activity worksheet that the students will use to guide them through the activity and also submit when they are finished.  I am have never attached a document to a blog before... so I think you can do it!  If not I will post  the document in a new post.  I anticipate that this activity will take a class period, roughly 45 minutes. I hope you all enjoy it and can use it!