Lesson Plan Supplemental Materials

In my lesson plan, Conservation Around the World, I am addressing the common core standard for Earth's Resources which discusses the "availability of Earth’s resources, extraction of the resources, contamination problems, remediation techniques and the storage/disposal of the resources or byproducts and the topic of conservation, protection and sustainability of Earth’s resources.” By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify various conservation organizations and what species they protect along with their prominent figures. Students will also recognize various endangered species discussed in class and their success or failed attempts to reestablish populations.

To begin, I will review previous lessons topics which link directly to the topics of endangered species and wildlife conservation by giving my students a Kahoot! on the Five Major threats to Wildlife (HIPPO acronym).

To assess students prior knowledge on the topic, they will complete one square in the first two columns of this KWL chart. At the end of the lesson, students will return to the chart to complete one square in the final column.

 Halfway through the lesson, students will be creating an informational .PDF to provide a quick insight into some of the most endangered species around the world, and the main threats to the populations. Students will then link their .PDF's to a QR code and submit on a Google Doc.

My Technology Lesson Plan

Conservation Around the World by Claire Sinard on Scribd

My Views on Technology in the Classroom

If I were to enter the field of education, I envision myself in a biology lab setting in a smaller private school. I really like being able to connect with the students individually as well as enjoy the variety of grades in one class and the numerous opportunities allotted by the smaller class sizes. I hope to have a projector in the classroom for presentation purposes, but would prefer students to take hand written notes, rather than electronic ones. The school itself would have computer labs for students to work on online assignments as well as laptops which students could take home so they have access to technology. These computers would all have the necessary applications, such as Google Drive, downloaded onto them so the students could still access documents and files while working offline. I hope to only have the students using their computers in class when working on projects or researching. I choose to do this because by having the students actively writing and participating in class they are more engaged and more likely to get the information into their muscle memory. Additionally, it makes it easier for students to move around to engage in kinesthetic activities whereas using a laptop makes the transitions longer and more complicated.

Ideally, I would be working with High School students, however I would also be happy to work with Middle Schoolers and be a guest teacher for Elementary School. With High School students, one of the biggest issues would be using the computer for the correct reasons and not accessing other sites such as Facebook, youtube, and other social media, recreational, and non-class related websites. Another issue is making sure the students are actually learning the information. Having access to an infinite amount of information at ones fingertips can be a dangerous tool for students because they can simply search the answer and record the information without having to really understand why it is the correct response to the question. The ever present mobile devices with internet access also poses a challenge because most students cannot go more than ten minutes without feeling the need to check their phone for any update on social media or notifications on their phones. Therefor, I would incorporate technology time into my classes and give the students a set two or three minutes to check their phones while I was gathering materials or changing topics. The return from this break would also give me the opportunity to do some formative assessments to see what information they retained from the lesson we previously were discussing two to three minutes prior. I think denying students access to their phones can be just as dangerous as allowing them to use it the full time. However, by giving them a set time during the class where they can use their phones, they are more likely to pay attention, knowing that they will be able to check for notifications after a certain time.

One of the biggest concerns I have for using technology in the classroom is really ensuring that all students have the same access. I like the idea of offering students both a hard cover textbook as well as access to an online book with online worksheets for two main reasons: the first is that by having two books they can leave the textbook at school so they always have a copy of the book at school, and the second so that while they are at home, or school, students can have the material read to them and they can use the online worksheets to quickly identify which areas they are having trouble picking up the material and what topics they are confused about. However, during the classroom time and setting, I am a firm believer in using paper and pens or pencils to take notes rather than typing. I want my students to feel comfortable using technology and to understand how to use it for the science courses I would be teaching, however I do not want them to become reliant upon its presence in order to succeed. Technology offers students with different learning preferences to be able to learn the material in whichever way works best for them. It also allows students to gain more information about topics which are very interesting to them. Additionally, technology gives students the opportunity to see people who like them who have succeeded in their dream careers. The most important thing I think we can teach students is how to use technology the correct way, and how to live without it.

Classroom Design

My classroom is a high school biology/zoology classroom. The school in which this classroom would be placed is a small, private school. The various classes I would teach in this room would be Freshman Biology, AP biology and labs, Zoology, Anatomy and Physiology, Animal Nutrition, as well as independent study classes for students with particular biology based interests. The desk formation is set up in a semi-circle allowing easy manipulation of the desks to create learning groups, as well as promote more classroom discussions. The long tables are necessary for various laboratory experiments. Additionally, because of the chemicals and various fluids that are used in biology labs and classrooms, there are not carpets or "comfortable" chairs to prevent contamination from spills.

The walls would be a shade of light blue since studies have shown that students who studied in a classroom with light blue walls showed an increase in overall health and attentiveness, and a decrease in fidgeting and aggressive behavior. The blue walls would also be decorated with the student’s projects, to encourage them to push themselves to do their best (since it would be on display), and offer visual reminders of the students success to increase confidence levels. The bookshelves behind my desk would be filled with books the students could checkout at any time, for their own personal use, or for homework purposes, thus offering them the resources to initiate their own learning. Finally, the other pictures on the walls would be of teachers who guest lectured in on the classes. These would be video-chat classes where students had the opportunity to learn from other teachers who do not look, or teach, like I do, but might reflect more of what the students benefit from. By combining the wall color and decorations, as well as resources available to the students, I hope to increase student’s health, confidence levels, and overall learning experience.

In my classroom I have numerous opportunities for students to explore their interests. Attached to the classroom is a greenhouse. This greenhouse allows students, who have an interest in horticulture or plant based science can participate in hands on experience starting in their eighth grade freshman biology classes. For the same reason, there are also numerous animal enclosures so students with an interest in pursuing a career in the field can have basic experience caring for birds, mammals(rat), fish, and reptiles (snake, amphibian, turtle, and bearded dragon). These animals would also be used for the Animal Nutrition class; students would be able to prepare/create diets for certain animals and compare the various animal diets to each other, as well as their own diets. 

The animals, mainly the rat would also be able to be used as test subjects in science fair projects, assuming the experiments were humane and the students could provide multiple test subjects, mainly the rats. The use of these animals, as well as the greenhouse, create a vast number of possible experiments students could perform, and with an increased accuracy. This would not only offer students with the means to have higher quality results, and presentation, but also increased chances of higher ranking in competitions, which open the door for scholarship opportunities, as well as resume builders for college and career applications.


My hopes for my classroom is to provide a safe, healthy, and beneficial learning environment for students. I want them to be able to enter into the classroom and feel welcome, and be excited for the day. I hope that the opportunities my classroom would allow them, would be the first stepping stones into allowing those students to actualize their dreams, and to instill in them lessons that will carry on with them through all aspects of their lives.

QR Code

Tech Tool Review

PINTEREST in the Classroom

Let me start off by saying that I love PINTEREST. I think it's a fantastic way to share ideas, photos, recipes, etc. easily and efficiently. I love being able to sort the pins when saving them, as well as being able to describe them when initially finding and pinning them, so you can leave a reminder for yourself about why you liked it or when you wanted to use it for; definitely a strength of the website. As a teacher, I would use PINTEREST to find different Lesson Plans as well as innovative and creative ways to display or teach materials. Some of the challenges that people who are new to the website face might be becoming familiar with navigating the site and figuring out the best way to type in what they're looking for. I have been using PINTEREST for myself for the past several years and I love it. When looking at a pin, some of them have a "Try It" button which allows you to read what people who have tried it have thought about it, and any alterations they would recommend (great for recipes and crafts). I, myself,  am a personal fan of PINTEREST.

Khan/Koller Review

When I was in high school, I took several science courses ranging from AP Biology to Forensics. In all of these classes, at some point the teachers gave us educational videos to watch. In my AP Biology class, my teacher would usually direct us towards the YouTube channel of Bozeman Science with videos created and narrated my Paul Anderson. When I visited the Khan Academy website, I was instantly reminded of Mr. Anderson's videos. Khan Academy had an easy to follow layout which allowed the viewer to select lessons and subjects based on grade levels or specific topics. I liked how the videos were short and to the point, so that students watching would know what the key points and steps were, rather than being distracted by "other" information. My experience using Mr. Anderson's videos was incredibly positive, and helped me pass my AP Biology class with an A, and I can only imagine what using videos from Khan Academy would have done.

In some of my other classes in high school, as well as now, in college, most teachers are doing a flipped classroom, of sorts; teachers assign reading to be done that night and then students come in with questions and work on the homework in class. The biggest challenges I face when attempting to complete these assignments are how do I know what's important and simply focusing on reading these large chunks of text. As I previously stated, I like how the Khan Academy videos are short and to the point, thus offering a solution to my two greatest challenges; the videos offer no room to get distracted with "random" information and because it is something which stimulates both auditory and visual senses, the viewer is more likely to remain engaged enough to complete the assignment. Therefore, I would use this in my classrooms to help students get the main ideas, then branch off of them in the classroom.

I do believe that there has become a push to change the way in which we determine an individuals ability to perform a job based on their credentials rather than overall education. By offering more online courses, students are able to continue to gain their general education, while also engaging in various other activities, jobs, internships, etc., where they are gaining more hands on experience of working in their field of choice, rather than those who are sitting in a prestigious classroom. I do think that this style of education makes learning more accessible for students because it allows them to freely access information to further their education so they can possibly apply for a college or job, and be able to learn the information at their own pace, in their own times. Unfortunately, many lower income families do not have college or even high school educations and cannot complete their education because of lack of funds or because they have to take care of children or work during the traditional classroom hours. Therefore, I think online courses have the ability to fill an educational gap which, until now, has been gaping open.

When I first logged on to Coursera, however, I began exploring the various courses offered, and the one which stuck out to me, personally, was the Animal Behavior and Welfare course, taught by a professor from the University of Edinburgh. Columbus State does accept transfer credits from a variety of institutions if the courses were college level, or higher, and completed after 2005. For full terms of transferring credits at Columbus State, please see here. I think the Coursera courses are more challenging than other courses in that, if you aren't understanding the concept the way the professor is asking it, you have to wait until someone else offers an explanation, rather than having the immediate response of the professor. I believe it all has to do with the way in which the professor teaches the course. I am currently taking my fourth online class at Columbus State and none of them are the same as the other; in some I like the way the professors have designed the course, whereas in others, I longed for the weeks where we had an exam because it meant no other homework assignments. I think MOOCs are a step towards offering more equal educational opportunities for learners at all stages of life, however, from my experience, I would always prefer to have an in classroom course.

Exploring Standard Based Lesson Plans

I will be teaching grades 9-12, primarily Biology and the variations off of it: environmental science, zoology, etc. In this lesson, students will be given formative assessments in the form of worksheets,
 which will cover the information discussed in class lectures. The Ohio Standards for Science describes what the goal of students understanding of knowledge is, as depicted in the image on the right.

On of the standards I will be teaching to states that students will "learn the difference between producers and consumers and study how these organisms function within their communities as participants in various food chains." They will expand on this idea and be able to link multiple food webs/chains together to see how an entire ecosystem works together. This lesson involves a worksheet in which students apply the knowledge and concepts learned towards answering "real world" questions.

I would implement this lesson into the classroom when we began discussing the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem. It is important for students to grasp how organisms are directly and indirectly related, and how they rely upon one another. A key part where I think students could get puzzled would be the concept of energy loss in the food through heat. Therefore I think they will be challenged by attempting to identify the true amount of energy in each organisms in the various stages of the web.

Resources

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/van_biomimicry_less2
https://www.teachengineering.org/content/van_/lessons/van_biomimicry_less2/lesson_1_and_2_ecology_lecture_supplement.pdf
https://www.teachengineering.org/content/van_/lessons/van_biomimicry_less2/energy_through_an_ecosystem_worksheet.pdf
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohios-Learning-Standards/Science/ScienceStandards.pdf.aspx (pg 288)

Assistive Technology for Students with Traumatic Brain Injury

The term Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is defined by the Center for Parent Information and Resources as, "an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance." In other words, a student with a TBI experienced a head injury which has altered their ability to function and/or engage socially, and thus hinders their ability to learn/perform in an educational setting. In any case, no two students or injuries are the same and thus must be constantly reassessed to ensure the best care is provided. An analysis performed by Julie M. Bowen showed the degree to which a TBI could impact a student range from, "alterations in cognition, physical mobility, self-care skills, and communication skills as well as changes in emotional and behavioral regulation, which may significantly affect school functioning (Fletcher & Levin, 1988)."

When creating classroom accommodations for students suffering from a TBI there are many small things you, as the teacher can do: have a calculator present, use labels around the classroom, recording devices, computers, etc. My favorite, however, is a "Memory Notebook." In this notebook, the student can record their feelings and memories, store maps, checklists, and contact information. By holding all of this important and helpful information in one place, the student has an easier time organizing the information to help restore memory and routine.

When using a checklist, which could even be in the form of post-it notes, the student can assess their own progress by observing their own growth in completing a series of tasks. After the student completes all the tasks they remember, they can double check their own activities by going through the checklist and noting which tasks they forgot to perform. This offers encouragement to the student as often, during times of recovery, it is the small  victories which are  the most encouraging and motivational for the patient. The use of the checklist also offers flexibility for the teacher to add, or remove, tasks based on how the student is progressing. By reviewing the Memory Notebook, the teacher can compare the students reported actions, the students perception of their own recovery, as well as the teachers own observations and records of the students progress. A Memory Notebook is a perfect way to collect the students thoughts and information for both assessment purposes as well as personal motivation.

As far as future treatments and tools of assessing and treating TBI, many new studies have been performed to utilize technology in order to perform a better diagnostic and assessment of TBI patients. Some of these include upgraded neuroimaging, structural/chemical imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, functional magnetic resonance, functional near red spectroscopy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, magnetoencephalography, and stem cells. All of these techniques aim to help better identify the extent of an individuals TBI, as well as offer means of possible treatment, for example, using stem cells to help reconstruct damaged brain cells. By identifying the extent of the damage, and the specific locations where it is located, only then can we hope to properly make advances in treatments. The future for individuals suffering from TBI, however, is looking hopeful, as every day, new advancements are made.




References
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/categories/#adversely
https://www.brainline.org/article/classroom-interventions-students-traumatic-brain-injuries
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626927/
https://www.naset.org/traumaticbraininj2.0.html

DL School Choices

Currently I am enrolled in two colleges/universities, Otterbein and Columbus State. I initially applied for Columbus State because I wanted to get a lot of my General Education courses out of the way, so I could use the credit hours I'd be saving to take classes for my Educational Studies Minor. I ended up taking my Intro to Education class at Columbus State, this past summer, while taking three courses online through the same college. Currently I am taking Educational Technology online from C-State, as well. This is, essentially, the extent of my e-school experience. My diaper-hood friend, however, was homeschooled and enrolled in e-schools all the way up through her Senior Year of High School. However, educators need to be aware of the upcoming methods of educating, so I've taken some time to look into a few E-Schools.

After looking at the Ohio Distance and Electronic Learning Academy (OHDELA), Ohio Connections Academy (OCA), and Ohio Virtual Academy (OVA) I would enroll my hypothetical child in OHDELA. From a first impression view point, the website was easy to follow and utilize, information was easy to locate and understand, and provided easy means of connecting with staff and current students. OCA also had a rather user friendly website, however it was also very brief in its descriptions, and left me wondering. Even when comparing the videos, OHDELA's video provided a rather clear and accurate depiction of what being enrolled in the school would be like; OCA left me with questions.

I would not enroll my hypothetical child in OVA. I personally was not impressed with the curriculum or opportunities, or rather lack-thereof, to engage my child with other students in their class. Part of the learning process of school is forming connections with other students. Online schooling removes most of that, but with the use of field trips and other opportunities for students to engage with one another, they are still able to form those connections. OHDELA also has an entire page dedicated to how they can service students who have different disabilities and reasons for choosing online schooling. OVA merely offers various coursework at different levels. My child is being homeschooled, but that doesn't mean I want them to be valued less than they would be if they were in a traditional classroom, if anything, I would hope for additional opportunities and resources for my child to be given the same opportunities as students in regular Public Schools. If I had a child who I was enrolling in an e-school, I would pick OHDELA.

Why Animals? A Prezi Production

As you can see from my Prezi, this post goes into a bit of detail about my history and experience of working with animals and other organisms in a Zoological setting. I love teaching young children about animals, the environment, and lifestyle choices which can help both. However, I also love talking with older students, middle and high school, about the more in-depth aspect of animals, conservation threats, husbandry, etc. In my ideal profession, working at Disney World, I will be able to do both, introducing younger children to animals and conservation lifestyle choices, as well as older children and adults about the challenges these animals are facing. If I were to teach in a classroom setting, I would be more middle school and high school focused, while also being an occasional guest speaker to elementary classrooms. That way, I can create a connection with the younger students, while still being able to educate with more detail to the older students.

In order to make the lovely presentation you have just perused through, I used an online website Prezi.com. Prezi was very straight forward to use and is quite similar to PowerPoint. Some templates are more confusing than others, but deciding which one to utilize is quite simple because there are little bar graphs on the side, bolded to indicate difficulty. This one was of a medium difficulty because of the various topic and subtopic options. The most challenging part I found about Prezi was actually figuring out how to rotate the photos. When I first uploaded them, they popped up horizontal, even though they were vertical photographs. Anyways, I tried going through all the settings in an attempt to figure out how to rotate the photos, to no avail. So, begrudgingly so, I clicked on the "help" button and was given instructions on how to rotate the image (press and hold the command button then move the cursor to the corners). The help tab was very user-friendly, as was the site itself. Figuring out how to embed the photo was another challenging point, but as long as you make sure there is only ONE backslash (/)before the word embed in the code, then you are in the clear. If you are not a fan of PowerPoint or Google Presentation, I would recommend Prezi.

Three Great Teacher Blogs!

http://www.amybrownscience.com/

Amy Brown is a high school biology and chemistry teacher and uses her blog to offer tips and tricks to make teaching these subjects easier. She also provides a multitude of activities, lessons, and various projects to engage students in the classroom and on assignments. I really love how she has an entire column on the right hand side, titled "Labels," which directs the reader towards various articles, activities, project ideas, lessons, etc. to help make finding information very easy. Overall, her layout is very user-friendly and is full of helpful information.

http://crockettclassroom.weebly.com/teaching-reflection-blog/why-am-i-teaching-zoology1

Now, Mr. Crockett is a high school zoology and biology teacher. His blog is FANTASTIC because he posts a lot of his lesson plans or activities, as well as photos of his students at various events. I love that he posts his objectives on the blog; sometimes figuring out what overlaying concepts to cover is the hardest part, so having a template to go off of is incredibly helpful. Something else I love about his blog is how you can feel his passion for what he teaches simply pouring out of the screen. I also find it helpful that he has a tab for his AVID 9, to help students better prepare for college, particularly those who are on an organic science course. The blog is easy to follow and explore, but also very interesting and engaging to read.

http://katesclassroomcafe.blogspot.com/

Kate's blog is packed with helpful tools to pass on to students, such as the importance of visual note taking. Different from Amy Brown and Mr. Crockett's blogs, Kate's is directed towards science students of all grade levels. This site is full of hands on activities for students as well as tips for teachers to better manage their classrooms, and help manage the busy life of an educator. Her blog is very entertaining to read and I learned how to live a healthier lifestyle, something which we all know seems really hard to do. If you need an uplifting and helpful blog, Kate's is a great one for teachers.

Welcome to My Blog!

My first cup of tea was very intimidating; I had always loved the idea of tea, but was always too afraid to try it in case it didn't live up to my expectations. Those same feelings are present now as I write this, my very first blog post.

My name is Claire. I grew up in Powell, Ohio, in a lovely suburban neighborhood. I graduated from Village Academy, a small, Pre-K-12 private school; there were 24 students in my graduating class, and seven of us had been classmates since pre-kindergarten. Currently I am a double major of Zoo and Conservation Science and Biology, with a double minor in Dance and Educational Studies at Otterbein University, with a dual enrollment at Columbus State Community College. I love dancing, animals, and educating young children and hope to be able to combine these passions with a career at "the most magical place on Earth," Walt Disney World. And, in case you were wondering, my favorite animal is a Manatee.

As of right now, it is not my dream to become a teacher in a classroom. Instead, I hope to become an educator in a Zoological setting. I believe that children have an innate, earnest, and eager desire to learn and make a difference. It is my hope to inspire children and to provide them with the necessary tools to be able to take their first steps towards making a difference, and pursuing their dreams. I sometimes feel as if my generation is failing the next generation by not having the motivation to take care of the planet, and everything in it. Therefore, I want to provide children with the knowledge, tools, and drive to be able to take the next steps. My hope is to inspire children to pursue their passions, whatever they may be, so that no child feels they have not made a difference.