Before each lab in my high school chemistry class, the teacher would hand us the instructions, we would read through them, and then we watched a video he had made of him doing the experiment. As we watched we could see the exact signs we were looking for and see the reactions we should get. This helped a lot for us to know what to expect and helped with different kinds of learners. I have tried to convince him to post the videos to youtube so his students can review them while writing their lab reports but he has not gotten there yet.
For another student in our group, her biology class used microscopes connected to a computer so the slides would be projected for the class to see. That way each student could compare their results with what the teacher had on their slides.
Each of these uses of technology in science classes assisted with our understanding of the material and helped us become more successful.
I think it is very important for students to have visuals on what their lesson is going to be about. Students may have a good grasp on the lesson they will be doing that day after they read the directions, but they will undoubtedly look around the classroom to see what their classmates are doing. Having the final result as a visual for the class, or in the case of a lab, having the specific steps students need to have successful results, is a great way to ensure that every student is on task. There will be less confusion and the teacher can move on to another subject in less time.
ReplyDeleteI really like having visuals as well when it comes to science classes. I'm a Biology and Environmental Science Teacher, and really like pushing visuals with my students when we're doing a lab or a hands on activity. I liked the idea of saving introduction videos, rather than physically having to demo for students each class period. I usually take the time and give them a brief overview, and now looking back, this video idea would save time and effort.
ReplyDeleteI think using visuals is a great way for students to understand what they are supposed to be doing. It's especially great in science classes where experiments and results are taking place. Therefore, if an experiment has the wrong results the student will not continue to believe the wrong information. Of course sometimes it could be bad to let the student know what to expect but at the same time I think that it really helps the student understand more.
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