Looking over the lessons of my
fellow peers, one instantly caught my attention. Not only was the lesson
planned to incorporate technology into the classroom but it also allowed the
students to create an experiment as well as incorporating a game into all this.
The lesson plan was brilliantly thought out and broken off into different parts;
building protein knowledge and setting up/running an experiment.
Students build a KWL chart on
proteins to see what they Know, Want to learn and what they Learned. This is a
great way to assess background knowledge as well as what the students learned
from the lesson. Reviewing proteins and the scientific method is a great way to
engage students in science and at the same time allow them to use technology. Imagine
walking into a classroom where you’re able to make the choice of what
technology you want to use to work on (computer, ipad, cellphone ect) and learn
from those experiences what works best. This was incorporated into the lesson. The
group (Grace, Meghan and Melissa) incorporated the BYOD idea into their lesson
plan. I thought this was a great use of technology because it allows the
students to see the differences between the devices and learn for future
reference which one helps them achieve the work. They get to experiment with the different
devices, record their findings and draw conclusions from them.
The game was a protein folding game
that not only allows students to see the visual representation of folding
proteins but it also helps science! (link to the website: http://fold.it/portal/). This incorporation
of having a visual aid helps the students in the classroom to be exposed to the
material in a different way. This helps reinforce what was learned in class and
play a game at the same time! Students learned about proteins, scientific
method and the use of technology all in the same lesson. I think it’s great
because they way these three concepts were incorporated was engaging and fun
for the students.
Having students run their own
experiment allowed them to see and do the scientific method rather than just
learning about it. In a sense, they were researchers themselves. Giving
students that researcher identity put them in the mindset of investigating. The
lesson was them concluded with an exit ticket where students answered questions
about what they learned, protein folding is important and how it relates to
their health. They get to think about protein folding outside of just a
scientific term! And this is why this lesson plan was an interesting and intriguing
one for me.
.
Is that a serpentine receptor on that comic? Get it?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm glad you liked our protein folding lesson. I noticed that biology students don't particularly enjoy studying molecules and cells and would much rather focus on animals and ecosystems. That being said, knowing how molecules and cells work is essential to understanding the ecosystem and animal physiology. Protein folding is difficult, and some researchers devote their entire careers studying ONE protein and how it folds, and it would be exceedingly difficult for these researchers to reach out to high school students just starting out and explain how proteins fold. This game, on the other hand, gives them an introductory lesson while students play games and earn points. I'm not biased or anything, but it's pretty awesome.
YES! I am glad you caught the joke :)
ReplyDeleteI have also noticed that as well, not only in my placement but in the classes I have taken. There is something about protein folding that seems to intimidate students (and researchers hehe.) I completely agree with you, making sure that students know the connection between the work of molecules and how they impact an organism and largely impact the ecosystem is important. I unfortunately was unable to play the protein folding game with my students during my practice teach but I did get to implement a game in the lesson. I actually had an arts and crafts moment and realized that pipe cleaners and beads were great at representing protein folding. I made the beads the amino acids and the pipe cleaners the bonds. They went through the four structures of protein folding and used the model to visualize, it was a simple game but even to today they still refer back to the game.