Assignment 4

I chose this lesson plan because it met the requirements for the assignment while also teaching one of the core topics in biology. Usually human cells and DNA is taught with a straight lecture and a video or some kind of technology supplement but this one was solely technology and inquiry based. The lesson relied heavily on technology and worksheets to get across the material and I felt that it was missing an introduction piece of the lesson and an assessment at the end. I added these to my spreadsheet in blue. Since the students were just filling in worksheets all class, they need to show me that they actually understood the material that was presented. That’s why the exit ticket assignment is in place, so that I know to go over the lesson again or move on to the next one. The technology in this lesson is definitely the main mechanism to get the material across to the students. It outlines the topics at hand and provides useful information for the completion of the lesson. Whether the students learn from the video and online activities or not is up in the air, but it is definitely a new approach to teaching human cells and DNA.

 Link to Spreadsheet

Assignment 2

Teaching in the field of biology requires a great deal of technology. It’s hard to understand and explain something that you can’t see. Technology has offered us the chance to blow things up and display them on giant screens. Overhead projectors first offered us the chance to show images on a large scale but also write on them. Writing on an overhead projector has helped teachers clarify specific diagrams that the students may be having trouble understanding. Later with the incorporation of computers in the classroom, this evolved into PowerPoint presentations with the aid of LCD projectors. PowerPoint offers us a chance to show .GIF images to demonstrate a process and gives us the chance to spruce up a boring lecture. SmartBoards have merged the overhead projector with the LCD projector and they allow us to write on whatever is on the computer and is being displayed on the screen.

Smallest unit of life but the most complex unit of life.

Assignment 1

Technology has shaped not only me and my peers, but also the way we function as a society. I know for myself, technology has changed the way I do research, communicate, and spend my free time and I'm sure that most people my age would agree. In the first video, Olivia is attached to technology even though she doesn’t have her own computer. She finds ways to access the internet and spends hours on end on it. She uses technology as a means of communication and being that she lives in not the safest neighborhood; it allows her to talk to her friends without going out at night. Being that Olivia does not have her own computer but taught herself the skills necessary to use a computer shows that she is very bright and learns quickly.

                My 3 communication technologies that have influenced me the most have been the internet, television, and cell phones. These technologies allow for more convenience in communication. Gone are the days of driving to someone’s house to talk to them or picking up a land line telephone to talk to someone. Now you can be walking to McDonalds and talking to someone or texting someone while sitting at home. I know that I have fallen victim to these technologies and the convenience that they offer. I hate talking on the phone and I would much rather text someone than call them.

                The students in the second video clip all showed similar connections to technology that I have seen in myself. They all have cell phones and laptops. They all use Facebook or twitter to communicate. And they are within a similar age range. I think the second video showed that students nowadays would rather do something on a computer than by hand. They said that a computer allows you to change things and make them unique to you.Communication technologies also allows modern students to exchange information easier and collaborate in a more convenient way. With these modern technologies, finding information is as easy as hitting Ctrl+F and finding the exact phrase you're looking for.

                Technology is a powerful tool and can be used for great things and can also be a complete waste of time. As teachers we need to show students how to use the computer and all of these new communication technologies as a means to learn and not a way to get away from learning. Students like things that they can interact with like smart boards and online demonstrations, so by incorporating these things into our lessons and classrooms we can help make modern students more excited about learning.