Introduction
My career journey has transitioned from 14 years in nursing and histology to my true passion – teaching. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Science Education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, graduating in July. With this advanced degree, I aim to bring innovative strategies into my classroom. I have been part of the DCMS family for six years now, and I am currently the 7th-grade science department head going into year 7. I value every moment of guiding students through their learning journeys. At home, I am a proud parent cheering for my son at SNU and my daughter, a DCHS student, at local equestrian events. Outside of teaching, you will often find me engaged in hydroponic gardening or supporting the Antlers, Texas Tech Red Raiders, SNU Storm, and OKC Thunder. Additionally, I have a notable collection of 46 pairs of Crocs.
Connecting ISTE Standards and Middle School Science Standards
In this learning activity, students will engage in a project to explore and model ecosystems using collaborative technologies, aligning with the ISTE Standard Global Collaborator, indicator 7b: "Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints" (International Society for Technology in Education, 2016). Addressing the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science, particularly standard MS-LS2-3 for 7th grade, which involves developing a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem (Oklahoma State Department of Education, 2020), students will connect with peers from different geographical locations to compare and contrast ecosystems. The project involves several steps. Initially, students will form small groups and use digital tools such as Google Classroom or Zoom to communicate with peers in other schools situated in different ecosystems, like deserts, rainforests, or temperate forests. Each group will research their local ecosystem, focusing on the cycling of matter and energy flow. Students will then participate in virtual meetings with ecologists or environmental scientists via Zoom to deepen their understanding of ecosystem dynamics. Using tools like Google Forms and Sheets, students will collect and share data about their local ecosystem, including flora, fauna, climate conditions, and energy flow diagrams, and use Google Earth to create visual representations. They will collaboratively develop models using platforms like Google Draw or Google Slides and present these models in virtual meetings for feedback. The project culminates in a virtual symposium where students present their findings using Google Slides or another teacher-approved platform.
Kolb’s Triple E Framework
According to Kolb’s Triple E Framework, this activity is highly engaging because it connects students with peers from different regions. This fosters curiosity and investment in the topic (Kolb, 2017). The use of virtual meetings and interactive tools like Google Earth enhances the learning process, providing access to real-time data and expert knowledge. Digital tools enable hands-on modeling to improve visualization and deepen understanding. The activity extends learning beyond the classroom by encouraging real-world application of scientific concepts and utilizing global collaboration. Kolb’s framework supports the integration of technology to make learning engaging, enhance understanding, and extend students' ability to apply knowledge meaningfully, making this project an engaging and immersive learning experience (Kolb, 2017).
References
Iste standards for students. ISTE. (n.d.). https://iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students.
Kolb, L., & Kolb, L. (2020). Learning first, technology second in Practice: New strategies, research, and tools for student success. International Society for Technology in Education.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science. 2020. 7.PS1.1. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Oklahoma State Board of Education
Nice to meet you Mrs. Wade! I will be starting my first year of 8th grade science. I actually have a few questions:
ReplyDeleteHow did you realize that you wanted to go from being a nurse to being a teacher?
Have you executed the lesson that you talk about? If so, how do you get in touch with other classes around the world?
Hi Megan! Teaching has always been in my heart! It's kind of a long story. It was actually what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had a counselor tell me in high school that I was not college material even though I was taking honors classes and concurrent college classes. My guess is because we were poor, neither of my parents had gone to college, and we didn't know how to navigate the procedures. So I floundered for a while and ended up working at a daycare and teaching the 4-year-old class for about 5-6 years. The owner put me through the CDA program at our local community college. When I got married at the age of 30, then several months later found out we were expecting our 1st child, my husband and I decided I needed something that offered benefits and paid better. He put me through nursing school. I graduated when my son was 14 months old. I worked several positions as a nurse and my last job was for a private clinic owned by a female doctor. It was just her, myself, and an 18-year-old office manager. I was working very long hours, would rarely get a day off, and did not feel like I was a better person at the end of the day. After 3 years of this, I felt like I was missing out on my kids growing up and just felt like I needed to go back to my original passion - teaching! So many doors were opened when I made that decision and there was so much support from my family and friends. I am alternatively certified and so grateful that Deer Creek took a chance on me!
ReplyDeleteAs far as executing the lesson, I did do this in my first year of teaching. It was not perfect, but it worked. I have friends in the military who are stationed all over the world that we connected with through Zoom as a class and had questions prepared. I also had friends from high school that are teachers in different parts of the United States that I reached out to and they were willing to Zoom with us as well.
I have seen teachers reach out on FB asking for help with this type of lesson and so many people volunteer to help. One thing I recently found was an AI program where you can set up parameters and the students can get on and conduct an interview. You tell AI to answer questions in short format that allows for additional questioning, not to answer anything inappropriate, and to respond on a specific grade level. I played around with it and interviewed historical figures. It was pretty cool. Here is the website - https://schoolai.com/.
Good luck with your first group of 8th graders!
Holli
Hi Megan, I am Su Lin Haggerty. I have taught Anatomy and physiology for several years and histology was one of my favorite units to teach. I encourage my students who enjoyed the microscopy and histology portion of the curriculum to consider this as a career.
ReplyDeleteI like the global connection of your lesson in which students learn about their own ecosystem, then share their ecosystem with students from other regions. I can see them being able to compare and contrast two different ecosystems as well as the advantages and disadvantages inherent in each ecosystem. This would definitely provide students with the opportunity to experience in essence a different culture from their own. My school is in a suburb an hour from the beach. As close as we are to the California coast, I have students who have never experienced going to the beach. Your lesson plan would provide students the opportunity to maybe experience a different ecosystem on a more personal level by interacting with someone that lives within the ecosystem through video conferencing such as zoom that cannot be experienced through a textbook. Great lesson plan and hope that it proves to be a positive experience for your students.
Your transition from nursing and histology to teaching is truly inspiring. It's clear that you bring a wealth of experience and passion to your role as the 7th-grade science department head at DCMS. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation with a Master’s degree!
ReplyDelete