Our group is: Tzveta, Khaula, Michael, and Paula
Our context and topic: High school environmental education.
Here are our resources:
Tzveta:
http://powermylearning.org/educator/findnew
I think you have to register here, it’s free and I did it. Here there are activities, games, etc. I’ve tried some of them in the category of environmental science. For example, there is a game called Citizen Scientist where you are person and you have to interact with different characters, ask questions, make some actions, and the aim of the game is to restore the health of Lake Mendota by focusing on the ecological needs of the surrounding community.
I also tried an activity that explains what glaciation is. They use text, pictures, videos, and it’s very appealing for students.
There’s also the possibility to create a classroom, lessons, and assignments, but I haven’t used these tools. I’ve focused on the existing activities on the website.
This website seems to be useful–it provides free and paid lesson plans for Global Sustainability Education. The problem was that when I tried to download a pdf, it gave me an error message. I’ll just leave it on this list so you can try it, but if it doesn’t work we can delete it.
This website is focused on global warming effects around the world. It’s divided into 4 sections: Hot spots, Hot map, Impacts and Solutions. The hot map is interactive and there are points where you can click and get more information. The impacts of the climate change are divided into different categories: People, freshwater, oceans, ecosystems and temperature.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment
I think National Geographic is a good source of information and is very reliable, although some articles or information could be difficult for students because they are too technical. However, some could be used and the material is realistic.
Khaula:
Grades: 9–12
This lesson plan offers discussion questions about public policies affecting the environment. Kids explore how to best manage land and natural resources, protect the environment, and respond to the needs of the ever-growing U.S. population. We can use this questionaire for a discussion forum or for a synchronous part of the assignment.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6533180_environmental-science-lab-activities.html
http://www.ehow.com/info_7973047_environmental-science-projects-912.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6527659_environmental-science-project-topics.html
These websites have a wide variety of ideas for projects which high school students can carry out. Most of them are very interesting and I think we can incorporate a couple of these activities in our facilitation plan in order to provide students with the opportunity to research on a topic of their choice which is totally learner centered and self- directed.
http://www.ehow.com/how_8249388_conserve-ecosystems.html#ixzz2ueAV2ZqO
http://www.ehow.com/how_8249388_conserve-ecosystems.html
Conserving ecosystems is not a luxury anymore. It’s an absolute necessity if the next generation is going to inherit a world that’s livable. Simple things we can do to protect our ecosytem.
Paula:
Morrison, Debbie (August 31, 2012). How to motivate students in the online learning environment. Accessed February 28, 2014 at http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/how-to-motivate-students-in-the-online-learning-environment/
Article is second in a series that describes some ways to motivate and encourage students in different phases – this one being the “not-so-needy” student. A variety of strategies are briefly discussed including timely feedback and response to questions, constructive and personalized feedback, weekly messages, and strategic comments on discussion boards.
Cull, Selby, Reed, Don, and Kirk, Karin (2010). Student motivation and engagement in online courses. Accessed February 28, 2014 at http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/online/motivation.html
Article outlines some of the challenges in motivating online students and then makes suggestions to increase motivation and engagement through pedagogic design and instructor behaviour in setting expectations, communication, and assessment. Many of the suggestions are accompanied by links to examples of suggested techniques. While these examples are usually specific to a subject area (Geology), they provide ideas that can be implemented in other disciplines.
Michael:
I think that we are all on the same page when it comes to our understanding of Good Practices. When it comes to motivation, especially for High School students, I like the idea of Case Studies, particularly applicable to the environment. I can see the students having fun finding different solutions to the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle.
A. Seven Principles for Good Practice in the Online Classroom, Oliver Dreon, PhD, http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/applying-the-seven-principles-for-good-practice-to-the-online-classroom/
1. Encourage contact between students and faculty.
2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students.
3. Encourage active learning.
4. Give prompt feedback.
5. Emphasize time on task.
6. Communicate high expectations.
7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
B. Brain-Based Online Learning Design by Abreena Tompkins http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/brain-based-online-learning-design/
IGNITE:
Intervals: 15 to 20 minutes followed by a two- to three-minute break.
Grouping: Present information in groups of three or five.
Novelty: Tompkins recommends injecting novelty to prevent boredom.
Interconnectedness: Connected to students’ reason for taking the course.
Technology and time: Appropriate technology enough time
Environment: Affective aspects Welcome student emails.
C. Guiding Students to Think Critically Using Case Studies by Laura Trujillo-Jenks, PhD in Effective Teaching Strategies. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/guiding-students-think-critically-using-case-studies/
1. Elaborate Case Study
2. One- to Two-Sentence Case Study
3. Video/News Story Case Study
