Web Tools for Education
by Brian Boutette
StarGenetics
The purpose of this tool is to teach genetic related concepts to students at the high school or university level.
This tool could be used to introduce key concepts of Mendelian genetics to students. Instead of showing the traditional cross–over technique with peas (found in most textbooks) students can create models and figure out concepts by actually choosing who needs to breed to acquire a specific in their offspring. Giving the student the ability to manipulate outcomes will help them to grasp the complexities of genetics. This tool would provide hands-on experience to students in real time to genetic outcomes, thus removing the traditional lag-time of experiments with model organisms in the classroom.
The purpose of this tool is to provide information on experiments and scientific topics from experts in the field.
This tool can be used to give the students real life applications to the components taught in the classroom or lab environment. Organizing a laboratory experiment with the end object to have students be able to apply what they have learn to a laboratory setting in a food factory, industrial chemical laboratory or a waste disposal plan for example would greatly enhance learning content. This tool is great for auditory learners and it provides multiple topics to allow for many variable student interests to be engaged.
TED-Ed
The purpose of this tool is to educate students on topics of interest based upon lessons learned in class.
This tool can be used to supplement material provided in the classroom and help bring in a board or specific field of view on a topic. The videos on TED- Ed provide numerous ways of engaging students on various topics in the curriculum. This tool is beneficial to visual/auditory learners and can bring up some great points for discussion. Information in a video can be used as a basis for a lesson or just to add on to the material previously taught creating a flexible way to convey professional knowledge to students.