Okay. . .so I normally don't assign extra credit projects, but I think I just had a "light bulb" moment. I stumbled across this blog about using Web 2.0 tools in science class. Perfect for me to find some inspiration for a blog tonight. This teacher, like me, is taking a class on Web 2.0 tools. She also teaches science and lives in my home state of NC. She has many blog entries on a whole "slew" of Web 2.0 tools and that's where I came across her entry on podcasts in science.
Some of her ideas include
- interviewing a famous scientist
- making a radio commercial for a new science discovery
- interviewing a Nobel Prize winner
- making and singing a science song
The list goes on with a few more that are equally exciting. This could be a good opportunity for me to test out these ideas. Give them as extra credit the first go around. After using Audacity this week to make my own podcast, I know with a little guidance the students could do it also. She also mentions a podcast hosting website called PodBean. I haven't investigated it yet but it sounds promising.
Now once September rolls around, I'll have to pick and choose which of these cool new Web 2.0 tools I want to try first. Right now I'm kinda feeling like a kid on Christmas morning trying to decide which present to open first!
Link to Web 2.0 Tips for Science Teachers:
http://mtoran.blogspot.com/
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Works Cited
Toran, M.
Podcast in the Science Classroom. Web 2.o Tips for Science Teachers. Retrieved July 16, 2011 from
http://mtoran.blogspot.com/2009/08/podcasts-in-science-classroom.html
Posts
I agree that the Web 2.0 tools offer a whole slew of ways that we can create exciting, interactive assignments for our students to use. I believe that I am going to incorporate them into my Yearbook and Newspaper classes as we have access to the computers every day. I would love to use these tools in my regular English 10 clss, but without computer access every day, I believe that it won't work out as well. I think that what is needed is a laptop / iPad in every student's hands. Once this happens, it will be much easier to incorporate the Web2.0 tools.
ReplyDeleteI too have found myself against issuing extra credit projects, but my reluctance has done little to dampen interest. I've often wondered what would happen if students invested the same level of effort on assigned work as they do on extra credit! :-) Still, though, if the stakes are kept low and the projects are as exciting as these are, it's an easy win-win situation.
ReplyDeleteI don't offer a lot of extra credit, since students tend slack and then expect you to give them extra credit. Nope, not happening! But I think this would be a great project to build their technology skills. Talking to colleagues in the high school, teachers expect students to be more creative with their assignments, so why not teach them at an early age?
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