My Blog List

Friday, September 24, 2010

Standing Out - In an Overcrowded Classroom


Classrooms are filled to capacity. Schools all over the United States are experiencing an increase in the student to teacher ratio. How can a middle or high school student stand out in this type of environment?



  • Move to the front of the class. Request a front row seat

  • Establish a relationship with the instructor

  • Email the instructor

  • Slip the teacher handwritten notes (because we get so many emails, it is a welcome change to get a handwritten note from the student or parent)

  • Meet with the teacher before or after class for extra help

  • Use email to ask questions about the lesson or homework

  • Use online support provided by the teacher, school district, or state

  • Visit the textbook publishers website

  • Join academic clubs or organization (i.e. National Honor Society, Future Teachers of America, or National Society of Black Engineers). This type of organization often provides field trips and instruction outside of the curriculum.

  • Visit your local library. Many libraries provide free tutoring.

  • Visit your local community college. Most provide a summer and after school programs for high school and middle school students

Fantastic Science Resources for Parents and Students

Resources
Science Resources
http://www.smithsonian.com/ - Science related website maintained by the Smithsonian Institute
http://www.mdk12.org/ - Maryland State Department of Education Website. This site includes helpful biology test questions
http://www.actionbioscience.org/- This is a science based website that contains a collection of science related articles.
http://scook.cuip.net/~speretz/wikiwebquest/t-webquest.htm- AP biology wiki created by Shelly Peretz
http://www.dnai.org/- Interactive DNA website maintained and created Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
www.dnalc.org/- Biology based website by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
http://www.k12science.org/currichome.html- Science based website Created and maintained by Stevens Institute of Technology - The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education
http://www.cellsalive.com/ - A website that describes the anatomy of the cell, and chemical processes that occur in every cell. It was created by Jim Sullivan
http://froggy.lbl.gov/virtual/- virtual dissection of the frog, and it is maintained by the Berkeley Lab
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ - Website sponsored by the National Zoo located in Washington DC. The website describes the organisms in the zoo, as well as, their native habitats.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/aas.htm - Ask a Scientist website sponcered by the US Department of Energy- on this site scientist answer questions, and students ask science related question.

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/ - General science website sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences and The National Institute of Health

http://www.billnye.com/2010/07/ - A science based website developed by renowned scientist Bill Nye.

Originally posted at http://www.scienceforme.com/

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Meters, Liters, and Grams - Oh my?


The beginning of the school year is always exciting and fast paced. An entire month has practically gone by with out a new blog post, but I have been busy teaching the youth and learning new things to fill this blog.


Science for Me - is now in the editing stages. I feel like I need more content; that's really unusual because during the summer (when I was not in the classroom) I felt like I had more than enough content. However, today I know I need to add more info.. I'm entertaining adding an entire chapter about the metric system.
The metric system is really simple, but American children struggle with the concept. I don't know why???? I grew up using the metric system (in Europe) so the fact that it remains difficult for my high school students boggles my mind. In science and math the metric system is used all over the world. It is the common system of measurement. Whatever happen to America converting by the year 1990 or was 2000? Many students struggle because this system is unfamiliar. This is definitely a disadvantage especially for minority youth.
Parents don't be afraid to review the metric system with your children. Even if you don't know it yourself, encourage your children to review the information that they learned in class