I teach in a 1:1 class so having a class homepage is essential. Check out what we do here"
21st Century Skills
In a world where the collective knowledge of humanity is carried around in your pocket, I want my students to know what's factual information and what is opinion. Using Alan November's get REAL method from the book Web Literacy for Educators, I created the infographic at the left to guide students through the process of evaluating the reliability of a website. When they found a website they thought to be reliable, they filled out this Google Form. The form served two purposes: (1) if the website they found did not meet the criteria for a reliable resource it would redirect them back to the beginning so they could find another and (2) it created a compilation of reliable web resources for their peers.
Labs and Activities
Having a background in academic research and pharmaceuticals, I want to ensure my students develop the skills of a scientist, in particular how to design an experiment. I developed the document below using Google Docs to guide students in experimental design. With each lab I provide the experiment title and the problem to be addressed. I use Doctopus to share a copy with each lab group. The students then collaborate to design an experiment that addresses the problem. Other experiments students have designed include finding the best ratio of hydrogen and oxygen gases to use as rocket fuel and identifying a "sample" of the mysterious white powder from the 2014 Super Bowl.
Below is a lab activity where the students tested the pH of previously found household acids and bases using indicators and pH paper. The students used their knowledge of acids and bases in addition to their measurements to determine which pH values are acidic and which are basic.