http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SupercoolSchool/~3/373704651/helping
BONUS SPEAKER: Alexa Joyce - Communications & Development Manager, European Schoolnet (www.eun.org)
Many kids find learning science dull and boring - but research (for example, the Rocard report)
indicates that hands-on science, where kids "become" scientists in the
classroom through inquiry-based techniques helps overcome this
perception. By inquiry-based science education, we mean processes where
children are investigating issues that they find interesting, and even
designing their own experiments to help them verify hypotheses.
At the same time, there are two great trends colliding right now:
science is becoming more open and participative (the UK's Gardenwatch
for the public schools
is a great example), while the the technical tools for carrying out
scientific work are getting cheaper and cheaper (for example, MIT's Scratch and Xplora's web experiment). Open source software, freeware and free online services, and open content for remixing
are all contributing to this, along with the arrival of cheap
electronic sensors and remote-controlled laboratory tools. These trends
can only help in getting inquiry-based learning into schools, and help
to create the next generation of scientists.
Here are some examples of interesting "cool tools" for science
education.
a)
Climateprediction.net is
"the largest experiment to try and produce a forecast of the climate in
the 21st century." It's a downloadable client based on BOINC, the same framework that was used to build the famous SETI@home
tool. It's a British project from the University of Oxford. Schools can
download the client, and run the global climate model. There are
teaching resources for all kinds of levels a available and a discussion
forum for school participants. The visualisation tools are great!
b) Concord consortium probeware
Concord provides a wide range of exciting science methodologies and projects. Their probeware
tools combine low cost sensors with analytical software, so that
students can run experiments, and track their results in real time.
Even a basic temperature probe can be used to run a huge variety of experiments and investigations,
on thermal conductivity of skin, thermodynamics and more. Once kids get
the hang of the tool, they can come up with their own ideas to
investigate.
c) Sustain.no
On this Norwegian site, teachers and students can join running
experiments that other schools are involved in. Together, schools can
collect and share data, and compare their results. There are lots of
different projects available to join. An interesting one is Global POP. 31 schools so far collected data on the level of environmental pollutants in fish.
These are just a few examples of tools that combine technology with
science to make the learning process more authentic and motivating.
What other tools are out there that can help kids get more enthusiastic
about science, and play the role of researcher while in the classroom?
