Most science educators are familiar with the 5E model as shown below. Until this year, I have not been able to fully incorporate blended learning techniques throughout the entire model. After much experimentation, and many learn-as-you-go classes, I have found how to successfully use technology not only for student engagement, but for data driven instruction.
ENGAGE: excite, hook, attract
Traditional Engage Activities | Engage Tech Integration |
KWL charts
Thought questions Polls Word sorts Demonstrations Do Nows |
Padlet: a digital corkboard, where students can post ‘sticky notes’ on a wall together.
Poll Everywhere: survey students current knowledge, create word clouds, etc Socrative: quick ‘spark’ question to grab students’ attention/curiosity. Exit Ticket: gathers and allows for teacher to access real time data on prior knowledge of topic. Tool for differentiating/forming groups. |
Most traditional engage activities have some platform that can generate that same information and excitement that you are looking to gain in the classroom. However, in my opinion, there is no substitute for hands-on demonstrations to hook students into an awesome science lesson. I have used each of these platforms in my classroom, but still find myself going back to traditional ways of presenting an engage activity.
Engage Spotlight Item: Padlet | |
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Overall thoughts: I really enjoyed the visual aspect of this program. I also found it really awesome that the posts were not just limited to text. Students really enjoyed seeing their answer projected for the rest of the class to see, and it kept even my wiggliest students engaged for an extended period of time. However, I did find this to be too complex for the simple brain dump of vocabulary words. I think this would be a great tool to use in professional developments or with high schoolers, but not necessarily in a 6th grade classroom.
EXPLORE: inquire, examine, ask questions
Traditional Explore Activities | Explore Tech Integration |
Experiments/Labs | PhET Simulations: students explore essential questions/topics like a lab, but as online demo instead.
Web Quest: an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. Glencoe Labs: students explore essential questions/topics like a lab, but as online demo instead. Go-Lab: online portal that contains inquiry labs and apps for all branches of science. It also allows for teachers to create their own inquiry learning based spaces for others to use. Gizmos: online lab simulations. Membership required after free trial period. Only some work with Chrome OS. |
While most of these sites cover topics presented 6th-8th grade curriculum, there is not one site has labs that can be presented to students without modifications. Most virtual labs and interactives comes with downloadable resources that allow you to modify the content to the needs of your students. I often times find myself using snippets of these labs in my classroom, mostly for standards that are highly conceptual or completing a traditional experiment would be too expensive.
Explore Spotlight Item: PhET Simulations | |
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Overall thoughts: I enjoy using this simulations when I am teaching an abstract concept, for example, conservation of energy. I have taught, and retaught this standard for the past 3 years, never seeming to be truly successful. The PhET simulation that allows students to explore conservation of energy has helped by investing students in their exploration of this topic, allowing for this conceptual topic to be shown in a tangible way, and allowing for reference points while explaining this concept during the explain portion of my lesson. I have found that this lab, as a whole, is too complex for my 6th grade students. I am only able to use the most basic part of this lab, which allows for only about 10 minutes of class time actually using a small portion of the interactive.
EXPLAIN: describe, make clear, give details
Traditional Explain Activities | Explain Tech Integration |
Notes
Introduction to new material Connecting observations from engage and explore to conceptual concepts |
YouTube: create notes video for each student to take notes at their own pace.
Educanon: create or use videos made by other educators and embed checks for understanding to assess student knowledge as new material is introduced. Teachers can access data in real time. Edpuzzle: create or use videos made by other educators and embed checks for understanding to assess student knowledge as new material is introduced. Real time data not available. Prezi: software that uses motion, zoom, and spatial relationships to bring your ideas to life. More advanced version of PowerPoint or Google Slides. NearPod: presents interactive lessons & assessments that students can access on any device. |
The way that I have presented the explain portion to my students has evolved over the past 3 years. I began with projected notes, moved to YouTube videos, and have found myself now using Educanon. I enjoy that my students are able to complete notes at their own pace and I am able to check for classwide misunderstandings by looking at the data gathered from the embedded CFUs.
Explore Spotlight Item: Educanon | |
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Check out my video on work & power!
http://www.educanon.com/public/113113/334723
Overall thoughts: This is a great way for students to take self-paced notes. It is great that teachers have the option of creating their own bulbs for the class or search pre-made ones. The only issues we experience are technological ones, computers freezing or having to get past the network’s firewall. My only personal issues with Educanon is the lack of engagement over time. If you want to keep your students on task and engaged in the videos it may be wise to have an outside incentive system to hold them accountable.
ELABORATE: practice, make habit, push
Traditional Elaborate Activities | Elaborate Tech Integration |
Guided practice
Independent practice Check work |
Exit Ticket: online program that allows teachers to upload/create questions. Provides real time data as well as a mastery breakdown per student. |
EVALUATE: assess, gauge learning, analyze
Traditional Evaluate Activities | Evaluate Tech Integration |
Exit Ticket
Quizzes Tests |
Exit Ticket: online program that allows teachers to upload/create questions. Provides real time data as well as a mastery breakdown per student. |
I have always struggled checking the independent work my students complete and therefore not really knowing if they are mastering a standard. I started using the Exit Ticket program for students to check their independent practice and exit tickets from science class.
Elaborate & Evaluate Spotlight Item: Exit Ticket | |
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Overall thoughts: I really like using this program to use hold students accountable for completing their independent work. I have found that this invests student in their science GPA. I have often times used this as a talking a way to address misconceptions in the moment (see image above). Often times I have students raising their hands to defend their answer or challenge one they believe is incorrect.