Jim's USF Tech Cert Blog

Hello Class, I really enjoyed applying what we learned last week to our actual curriculum.  I am already in the process of manipulating activities to be more PBL in nature and this project gave me another nice push in the right direction.  This week, we were to develop one of the lessons a bit further towards a true PBL for the students. I teach two courses, Biology and Anatomy.  However, in our Biology class we have an Anatomy unit.  One of my activities, Patient Files, for the anatomy unit in Biology got me thinking.... What if I applied that principle on one activity in Biology to my entire Anatomy class?  You guys still with me?? I am now thinking of actually starting off next year in my Anatomy course with a PBL that lasts the entire year.  Basically it will look like this: Kids will get 6 patient profiles that they are supposed to see as medical professionals. As they learn more about each patient and their symptoms it will give me an oppor...

Hello Class, For this module we were to head over to a website discussing different Professional Development opportunities for teachers.  What was unique about the website was that these PD classes were delivered online using technology instead of the traditional setting.  I was immediately intrigued because this could open the door for many more choices and opportunities to grow as an educator. Lets be honest, sadly most of us don't look forward to SIP days or Teacher Institute days for a variety of reasons.  For me, I have few choices of topics and they very rarely line up with something I want to bring into my classroom.  Also, the cost of going outside of the district can sometimes be high and get denied if you try to attend one outside of what is provided by your district.  Also, how many times have you come out of professional development and really feel like it was a valuable use of your time?  That is why I think the article I choose to read, "T...

Hello Class, This week we were to go deeper into PBL's, utilizing our resources page to hear real examples of how successful they can be in the classroom.  We also looked at the challenges and issues adapting your currently curriculum to be more PBL based.  I think all of us can relate to both, but it was nice to see other professionals take on their successes and failures. The first quote I like comes from the "What's working with PBL's" section of the article.  I attached the quote below: Michael Golden ( @Educurious ),  Educurious :  “We have developed ten design principles that start with positioning students at the center as authentic, relevant problem solvers on trajectories toward mastery. Teachers are positioned as activators, and they perfect their craft as they "Adopt, Adapt and Innovate" on problem-based projects and progress down the learning curve in a supportive professional learning community.” I really like Michael's take for ...

Hello Class, This week we are to discuss Learning Walks or Classroom Walk Throughs... This has been a big topic of discussion at my school, and along with learning lunches have been a real area of focus for teachers to learn from their peers.  I think there are a lot of benefits from getting out of your classroom and observing other teachers at their craft.  I also think it is valuable for administration to see their staff on a more regular basis than just during formal and informal observations.  I also think these interactions can lead to increased collaboration among your peers, and give you ideas or methods for improving your own teaching. One of the things we really focus on during our learning walks and lunches is the use of technology.  Especially during our initial intro to a 1:1 district, the focus on how teachers were using technology was a huge component of these learning walks.  As an administrator, I think it is important to informally monitor t...

Hello Class, For this discussion we have been given the opportunity to act as a technology lead for a district and chose the hardware that will be used for 1:1 instruction.  Our two choices were Ipads or Chromebooks.  I definitely come into this assignment with a bit of a bias as our district currently uses chromebooks.  Not only that, I am very anti-apple and purposely stay away from all of their products.  Even for my personal use I utilize an android phone, and a Dell PC computer.  I tend to feel that their technology and usability is inferior to other products out there.  As a technology leader though I need to put these biases aside, and choose what is best for the district.  I decided to use the following criteria to determine which tablet to pick for my district: Accessibility for all students, cost, longevity/ upgradeable/ repairable.  Accessibility for Students:  The most important thing to me is how accessible the product is f...

Hello Class, Our discussion this week surrounds the ideas of project based learning as well as aligning our curriculum to essential understandings.  When I first read the prompt I thought I would look over the resources for the week first, but then found myself searching through my google calendar to figure out whether I focused more on PBL activities, or more just assigning activities.  There really is a big difference between the two, and how they approach student mastery of the material.  I also think a healthy blend of the two approaches can be beneficial as well. PBL activities have been around awhile now, and even predate the acronym that is tossed around in "eduspeak" today.  PBL's differ from just assigning projects in that the students are coming up with the methods they reach mastery, ultimately promoting critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities.   I think they have a real positive impact, especially in science classes, making th...

Hello class, For this module we were asked to visit EdTech Update and choose an article that spoke to us, or one that we thought could help us in the classroom.  Wow, did one jump off the page for me... I chose the article:  Developing a “National Geographic Explorer” Mindset in the Classroom .  I am a biology teacher and a huge fan of National Geographic and everything about their platform and general outlook on Life.  Although, I will admit the technology is not what I think about when I think National Geographic Explorer.  Even the picture at the top of the article of kids using nets in a body of water reminds me of one of our fieldtrips we take in my biology class.  I always talk about how you can learn so much more outside of these four walls (classroom), and how important it is in a life science class to get outside and experience LIFE.  After all, Biology is the study of life by definition. So what did this article have to do with technology...

Hello class, My name is Jim Nielsen and I teach Biology and Anatomy at Waubonsie Valley High School. Teaching was a 3rd career change for me as I worked previously as a zookeeper at Brookfield Zoo, and did medical research at University of Chicago for 5 years as well.  I am currently in my 12th year of teaching and truly get excited to come to work everyday and spend time talking about the study of Life with young adults.  The two courses I teach are extremely diverse in learning levels as I teach freshman co-taught biology and Senior Anatomy.  It really creates a fun challenge to create material that works for all learning levels.  Because of this challenge, and our districts move to 1:1 instruction next year, I decided to enroll in the Educational Technology courses at St. Francis.  This semester I am taking my last two courses of 30 hours at St. Francis. My favorite aspect so far is that I am actually able to utilize many of the lessons in class. ...

Hello class, My name is Jim Nielsen and I teach Biology and Anatomy at Waubonsie Valley High School. Teaching was a 3rd career change for me as I worked previously as a zookeeper at Brookfield Zoo, and did medical research at University of Chicago for 5 years as well.  I am currently in my 12th year of teaching and truly get excited to come to work everyday and spend time talking about the study of Life with young adults.  The two courses I teach are extremely diverse in learning levels as I teach freshman co-taught biology and Senior Anatomy.  It really creates a fun challenge to create material that works for all learning levels.  Because of this challenge, and our districts move to 1:1 instruction next year, I decided to enroll in the Educational Technology courses at St. Francis.  This semester I am taking my last two courses of 30 hours at St. Francis. My favorite aspect so far is that I am actually able to utilize many of the lessons in class. ...