This semester’s ed tech class was a great experience. I picked up a lot of useful tools and strategies for bringing technology into my classroom in practical ways. Getting to explore tools like NotebookLM was really interesting, and visiting PSII gave me a cool look at how inquiry-based learning actually works in a real school…
When I chose plants as my free inquiry topic, I wasn’t sure how it would go but, it ended up being one of the better decisions I made this semester. It gave me a real chance to learn something I’d been putting off for a while, and it felt less like an assignment and more…
A recent presentation by my classmates made a great case for using films and documentaries in class and it got me thinking about how underrated this tool really is. Films get students emotionally invested in the material in a way that lectures and readings often don’t. They show the subject matter as something real and…
Today in our Educational Technology class, we got to participate in an EdCamp! We broke into five different groups to brainstorm and chat about topics we are passionate about in our future teaching practice. I joined the Outdoor Learning group, where we talked about all the different ways teachers can bring learning beyond the classroom…
To wrap up our Tech Ed Inquiry, we have generated a video to summarize our research surrounding online lab simulations. Our primary findings demonstrated that simulations can be an exceptionally useful tool for molecular concepts or theories and can support in-person teaching of complex topics that require multi-day lab set up or extensive materials. While…
This week’s class got us thinking about how games can be used in classrooms. We explored how online games can go beyond a fun activity and actually serve as intentional teaching tools. I find when I play a game or do an activity based on the content I am learning, I am way more excited…
Welcome back to The Plant Project, with a twist! This week, we’re having a little fungi takeover. I know fungi are not plants, but they are something I’ve always been curious about and never really taken the time to learn, so here we are. Consider this a Plant Project expansion pack. I headed out to…
This week I explored Topic 7 on Assistive Tech & Intentionality in Technology Enabled Learning Design. It made me realize how important accessibility is in a digital space, as well as physical. Accessibility Practices We Often Miss The biggest practice I see missing is good alt-text for images. Many people add alt-text, but it’s often…
Okay, this week’s update on The Plant Project is about taking it slow! Everything is really starting to ramp up as we prepare for our upcoming practicums and things are starting to get more and more overwhelming. So, this week I was eager to take a break, go on my walk, and get outside to…
Our group is wondering how online lab simulations (like PhET Simulations) compare to in-person lab learning opportunities in science classrooms, and if they can be an effective tool in science and math classrooms. We are analyzing advantages and disadvantages of online simulations and comparing them to that of in person, traditional lab activities. We are…