Web 2.0 Tools

Web 2.0 Tools

A brief overview of three different web tools that evolve the way students learn

CAST Science Writer

This tool is a step-by-step guideline for how to write a scientific experiment

It would be useful in a science class, to build their skills on how to write a scientific procedure for a lab. You can have the students read the general procedure of the upcoming lab in the textbook, and have them create a science experiment that includes the procedures, thesis, experimental methods, conclusions, and so on. After they have completed this, they will use their own scientific procedure for the lab.

The website includes "coaches" that gives examples on what they wrote in each section for the student to compare ideas to, and also another coach that gives tips on what is expected in each section, as seen in the areas boxed on the screen shot.

Once the sections included in the report are selected, there are "draft, revise, edit" tabs for each section, and also tips on the side for students to go through as a checklist.

This is great to use in the classroom since it builds the student's writing abilities, enhances their knowledge on how to create a science experiment, and allows them to work independently, but also collaboratively.

It would have an independent factor to it since they make their own unique lab procedures, but also it can be collaborative, since they can share ideas with other students.

This website allows for linguistic and written learners to excel, but also helps students that struggle with following steps, or if they are not entirely sure how to make a science report.

This would be aimed towards the junior high and high school level, since students are introduced to making their own scientific experiment in those grades.

An example of a science experiment they would make is to dissect a frog in Biology class.

The website for this tool is :

http://sciencewriter.cast.org/welcome

BIO LAB Software

This tool is a virtual dissection software. Although it is not free, it could be an alternative choice for schools that cannot afford real animals for a lab.

In our example, we would be doing a dissection of a frog. BIOLAB is realistic enough so the students feel like they are actually dissecting a real frog, and allows for a hands-on approach to relating the parts of the frog that are similar to humans, which is part of the high school curriculum.

This allows for more engagement, which is a benefit for kinesthetic learners.

They would also be using their science lab reports to walk them through the dissection.

The website for this software is:

http://www.biolabsoftware.com/

Debut Video Capture Software

The last additional task I would add to the dissection project, is for the students to record the screen while they are dissecting the frogs, and explain what they are doing as they are going through their written procedures. I would also have them point to the parts of the body that are similar to human parts to show understanding of the application of the dissection.

This is a free tool available for all computers, that records the screen of a computer while the student is talking.

Using the same program, they would take their screen recordings and put together a movie of the dissection, the parts they identified, and a reflection at the end of how they can improve their scientific procedures to make it better. They could go over what worked with their procedure and what didn't work.

This way, the creative learners have a chance to create a movie and be intrigued in the lesson in a different way.

The website for this tool is:

http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html?gclid=CMi3veiS97wCFcURMwodTnQAtg