Lessons of an online teacher: support for phenomena -based learning

Key points:

I have worked in many different states and in many different learning environments throughout my 19 -year -old career as an educator. During the last 13 years he has honored me at the cybernetic cybernetic school of Agora.

Established in 2005, the Agora Cyber ​​School is an online public school for Pennsylvania students in Kindergarten up to 12th grade accredited by the Association of Midros states. Our The rigorous curriculum is taught by teachers certified by Penylvania trained to provide real -time virtual instruction and focuses on providing all students with educational resources and experiences outside the class they need to become successful students in a lifetime.

Teaching in the cyber environment can sometimes present obstacles to presenting content in a way that students get involved and want to participate during classes. This feels especially in 5^th Science and Mathematics classes that I teach. With most states throughout the country, advancing towards an approach based on phenomena for learning in science, it is especially important that integrates high quality online resources in instruction, the resources that students can relate, apply prior knowledge and that quick questions about their curiosities.

Creating lessons based on phenomena, attractive to students, and that Spark Curiosity is my goal as a teacher online, but really, that should be the goal for all educators. I try to make sure that each student has that “ah-ha” moment during one or more (hopefully more) science classes.

In recent years, I have found several attractive resources to help in the development of my lessons. Based on my experience both in the online environment and a traditional class environment, I think these resources are useful for all teachers.

Below are three resources to support scientific learning based on phenomena in any teaching environment, as well as why they are so useful.

AZ science

Science Az is an online program for primary students that gathers science and literacy. It offers lessons, resources, a digital library and practical activities. It covers the four scientific domains of the science of life, physical science, the science of earth and space, and the science of processes. Science Az is a paying subscription that your school can buy, or a teacher can buy a subscription for one year. There is also a free test. I enjoy using AZ Science is because it is based on research with a problem -based learning approach.

Science Az is an excellent tool to help educators increase commitment due to all incredible models, process diagrams and images integrated in all different lessons. Some lessons also have virtual laboratories that students can complete on their own to promote their exploration. This program also provides the educator with the ability to assign the same science article to students to read, but at their reading level. Make students work together in partners and/or groups with virtual laboratories, models and other resources provided have helped increase the commitment in my classes, as well as help with teamwork.

In my lessons, I have used a multitude of the components available in the world of cyber education. All resources are attended to facilitate use, as well as provide students with knowledge, support and skills to succeed in their scientific education. Seeing the critical thinking skills of my students, scientific knowledge and curiosity flourish is the time when I know that connections are being made, not only in science, but also with literacy skills.

Explore Gizmo learning

Explore Learning Gizmo is the “Golden Ticket” that I was looking for to provide students with first -hand laboratory experiences and demonstrations that you can see at home. In a cyber school, making students perform experiments can be complicated. Not all students would have access to the necessary supplies. I have students who complete laboratories with articles within their homes, for example, kitchen chemistry, but growing plants with various types of light sources is not something that most of our students can complete.

This is where Gizmo's learning explores comes into play. Gizmo is an interactive learning experience Stem for degrees 3-12. It also offers a younger version for K-2 degrees called Science4us. It is a paid online school program, but offers demonstration accounts. There are wonderful resources, including lessons plans (teachers' guides), student exploration sheets and response keys, vocabulary sheets and some supplementary materials (task cards, a literacy component, additional resources). They have begun to design lessons with alternative languages ​​and most resources are customizable. Gizmos also offers mathematics programs: reflex and Frax.

Explore Learning Gizmo is really easy to use for teachers and students equally. Once the teacher assigns the Stem activity to a class, students can access it immediately. Students will use the interactive gizmo to complete the laboratory sheet or exploration sheet provided by the teacher. Students can also complete the evaluation questions attached to Gizmo interactive. Without these tools at their disposal, students would lose many aspects of science.

I have used Gizmo during a lesson after generating the curiosity of the students with a phenomenon provided. The use of Gizmo in partners or groups has really helped provide students with a voice, trust and an eagerness to learn more. They are ready to share their group work with the other students, and their discussions bloom. Students begin to make connections with previous lessons within the unit, together with previous units. Then, students will begin to see the connection with the phenomena presented as well. There is that moment “ah-ha”!

Mystery Science by Discovery Education

With the new standards of steels in Pennsylvania, Mystery Science by Discovery Education has been a game change. It aligns with the NGSS standards and teks standards, which helps greatly. It is a paid online school program, and there are discounts available for school and district memberships. Activities can be used as impressions OA through Google Classroom. Mystery Science can be used in kindergarten to fifth grade, and each level of grade has four to six available study units.

Each of the units includes attractive videos, practical activities, actions of actions, evaluations, discussion questions, brochures and extensions of lessons. Each Mysterious Sciences Unit begins with an anchor phenomenon, which students expect. This causes its curiosity about what will come in the new study unit. The videos are wonderful components that really make students think, listen to the ideas of others, work together to develop arguments and present their reflections to discussion questions.

This not only helps strengthen your teamwork, but also helps develop your individual confidence. This year I have had more volunteer students to ask and answer questions, complete tasks and explore more on their own outside the classroom. I think this is partly thanks to Mystery Science. Other aspects of mysterious science that are beneficial are the mini lessons that are provided as extensions, literacy components and adaptability for instruction in the classroom versus the instruction of the cybercaking classroom. They also offer Spanish narratives and brochures.

The emotion I see and listen to in my students when they use this program is contagious. More recently, I have seen and listened to chemistry connections when I discussed chemical reactions and why/how gargoyles are transformed over the years. I can't wait to listen to the gasps when we finally finish the unit and join everything.

Tip: jump to the bottom of the pool

I know that phenomena -based learning can be a difficult transition. It will take time to adapt and modify the lessons, make students learn in a unique way and even address learning with the lens that a lesson can take several days. I just know it's fine!

Start with the construction of a unit first and remember to always start with a phenomenon. Have students “see” and observe what they observe. Then, make “think” and identify what they think about the image, video or artifact that presents them. Finally, ask them to “wonder” about three questions to which they hope to find the answer at the end of the unit. Believe me, students will begin to shine brilliantly in their thoughts, questions, conversations and answers. The commitment will increase. It only takes time! You can do this! Dip your foot in the “Science Group” and get ready to be amazed.