the network for middle school math and science teachers
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Tom Jenkins's Groups
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Teacher Education
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Educational and Action R…
10 members
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"How's that working for…
20 members
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At the District Level
17 members
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Math
42 members
Tom Jenkins's Discussions
eTECH 2010 Conference Notes and Ideas
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Started this discussion. Last reply by Tom Jenkins Feb 4.
Tom Jenkins's Page
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Latest Activity
Hot Potatoes Testing Software
Ray Stewart
Completely Free
Integrates into Moodle seemlessly
Can turn quiz into an html to create an interactive webpage that students can use without having the Hot Potatoes program or any plug in on the computers.…
Moodle in the Middle School Classroom
(National Trail School) (Session I)
Why Use it?
Increase Efficiency
Free
Great Grading Software
Any Device with Internet Access
Keep Parents, Teachers, and Students in the loop
Can personalize
Link other…
Here's a cool site that is used by teachers in our district that has great content. That being said, the kids aren't going to mistake it for their PS3 anytime soon ;)
If you are looking for something a little more "gamey," then I would recommend th…
Hello,
I teach middle school and I think that this would be a very appropriate site. I haven't use this particular one, but have used other thematic based parts of the Field Museums site.
Take Care,
Tom
Members of this group are teacher educators - teaching the next generation of math and science middle school teachers.
Here's a couple of links to link link2 link3 to previous discussions on the ning.
As Mary mentioned, I use Moodle quite frequently with my 5-8th grades as a social networking tool. I prefer it to the alternatives because it is easy to use and allow…
Hey Kevin,
If you have access to a computer projector, computer lab, or some laptops, I would suggest building it virtually using Google SketchUp
Its a great (and free) program that I use with my students. They can either attempt to build it from…
Hello Nicole,
Here are a couple of places to get you started.......
- A problem based service learning energy audit of our building
- Early STEM lessons created by the Dayton Regional STEM Center. Many more soon to follow.
If you need equipment…
Hi Tom,
I would be very interested in the STEM activities. I teach both elementary and secondary math methods. We will be piloting joint activities with the math and science methods courses to have students design and peer teach integrated math/sci…
Hi Marcia,
Unfortunately, due to cut backs our school no longer has a full time school librarian. However, I use our school library to help support that activities that I do in STEM. Its a wonderful place for real life examples and extension activi…
Hi Ron. It is a great site. The best thing is that it will only get better as we grow. Thanks for your efforts. Happy Thanksgiving.
Hey Eric,
Twitter is blocked at our school, but I use Moodle to stay in touch with my classes when i'm out. An example: I went to UConn a couple years ago for LaunchQuest (A rocket project) and attended a conference with many speakers including an…
It's 2 weeks after NMSA09 and I'm here at the NSDL Annual Meeting in DC. This meeting is the gathering of folks who are leading program development and research in STEM, K-20. So, I'm crossing paths, once again, with all kinds of free resources for…
Hi Tami,
Thanks for sharing. I love when people post new new software and then I go and try it out. The kids in my class have definitely benefited from this thread. Let us know how everything goes.
Tom
Other grant opportunities geared toward K-8 teachers (from the Ohio Council for Elementary School Science (OCESS)):
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ohio-Council-for-Elementary-School-Science/155070986452
http://twitter.com/ocess
I was in this session as well and agree whole heartedly with Eric.
One thing that I will offer is that I am currently doing a Service Learning STEM activity as we speak. It involves reducing electiricty consumption in our building. Here is a link f…
Profile Information
- Which best describes your position?
- Classroom Teacher (preK-12)
- What discipline(s) do you teach?
- Technology, Other
- I need help with
- Instructional strategies, Integrating technology
- I can help with
- Assessment/Testing, Classroom management, Content knowledge, Gifted and talented, Instructional strategies, Integrating technology, Managing labs (including safety), Being a new teacher, Involving parents/caregivers, Science fairs/competitions, Special needs students, Standards, Student misconceptions
Tom Jenkins's Blog
MSP2 Tech Talk: Moodle II
On September 23rd, I moderated a Tech Talk on the use of Moodle in the classroom. During the session, we discussed some basic tips and tricks on how to use Moodle in the Middle School Classroom. Many of the attendees were already Moodle users and shared some of their experiences with the group. The session was meant to serve as a follow up to my original Introduction to Moodle session from this past August. Below are both webinars for your convience. If you have any questions or would like to ad… Continue
Posted on September 24, 2009 at 8:30pm —
Classes without grade levels…….Why not?
As the school year approaches, the science teacher inside of me wants to perform an experiment. Over the course of the school year, I would like my technology class to evolve into a class of choice and without limits.
Last year, I had a conversation with our districts director of technology. He mentioned that in his opinion, teachers would eventually become like doctors in which we would test each student and then write a “prescription” in the form of an IEP. The student would then use selected… Continue
Last year, I had a conversation with our districts director of technology. He mentioned that in his opinion, teachers would eventually become like doctors in which we would test each student and then write a “prescription” in the form of an IEP. The student would then use selected… Continue
Posted on August 24, 2009 at 9:59pm —
Session Archive: Tech Talk: Moodle for Middle School
On August 5th, I moderated a Tech Talk for MSP2 using Elluminate via LearnCentral.org. Over 50 people were in attendance.
Throughout the whirlwind session, we discussed some of the basics in using Moodle in the middle school classroom. Since we covered so much information, we thought that it might be valuable to those that were unable to attend or those that wanted a reference tool to post the slide show in its entirety. There are 2 links below. The first is the Elluminate presentation (with au… Continue
Throughout the whirlwind session, we discussed some of the basics in using Moodle in the middle school classroom. Since we covered so much information, we thought that it might be valuable to those that were unable to attend or those that wanted a reference tool to post the slide show in its entirety. There are 2 links below. The first is the Elluminate presentation (with au… Continue
Posted on August 5, 2009 at 4:00pm — 5 Comments
So, I'm Starting a STEM Course........
Over the past year and half I have served as a Senior STEM Fellow for the Dayton Regional STEM Center. As a Fellow, I have worked with professors from local universities, engineers from the AFRL, business leaders, and other classroom teachers to help develop STEM curriculum for our schools. This in itself started off as quite a challenge, due to the fact that we were initially stuck on what was exac… Continue
Posted on July 8, 2009 at 10:57am — 15 Comments
Geocaching in the Classroom
Hi All- It's Summer! I'm going to take off for a couple of weeks on a family vacation. While I’m on gone, I will be doing a little Geocaching. Some of it recreational- Some of it educational. When I get back, I will talk about how to use GPS receivers, Geocaching, Google Earth Geocaching KML, and Travel Bugs in an educational setting. If you have experience with any of these tools-please leave a comment or share what you do. If you have any questions, please f… Continue
Posted on June 2, 2009 at 1:56pm — 7 Comments
Comment Wall (20 comments)
- At 11:16pm on October 15, 2009,
Rebecca Lawson said… - Tom, Evelyn Abaygar- Erum just joined MSP2. She mentions that she needs some help with science fairs. I thought you might like to welcome her and give her some pointers.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Rebecca
- At 9:26pm on September 29, 2009,
Bernita Zhang said… - Hi Tom,
Thanks for the welcome. Right now I am involved in a graduate program and do not have a whole lot of free time but I will take some time soon to look around at the groups. I am excited by what I see!
Bernita
- At 7:05pm on September 24, 2009,
Caroline Hall said… - Hi Tom,
May be a moot point. I don't think anybody has signed up. Do these usually get late registration traffic?
Anyway, I will be practicing the presentation within the MS Portal Elluminate staging area. Kim is showing me the ropes Monday. I would LOVE for you to join me sometime over the next week in the "practice" venue and be my guinea pig. I can work around your schedule.Thanks so much!
Caroline
- At 2:20pm on September 21, 2009,
Caroline Hall said…
- Hi Tom,
I'd like to ask if you would be a panelist on the webinar. Kim and I both feel that your expertise in the classroom would add a great dimension to this event. The date has changed: it's set for Thursday, October 8, from 4:00-5:00 ET.
The plan is that I will spend about 10 minutes introducing ComPADRE and The Physics Front. ("Why would a middle school teacher use a web site called "Physics" Front? I don't teach physics." "What kind of stuff do you have on the web site?" "Is it free?" "Can I comment or contribute?", etc.) Then, I will show them the two model units for middle school: "The Nature of Light" and "Light, Vision, and Color". I'll briefly cover the new AAAS Benchmarks on light, some common student misconceptions on the topic,and the need to address light as a wave in the middle grades.
I would be honored if you would join in as a panelist. Thank you for everything!
Caroline
- At 6:17am on September 14, 2009,
Caroline Hall said…
- Tom,
Thanks so much for the kind words! Could I ask you a few questions?
Do you teach a unit on light, and if so, at which grade level? What have you found to be typical misconceptions held by your students about the nature of light?
Did you feel adequately prepared in your degree program to teach this topic (I ask because I was not prepared......my two physics courses focused on force, motion, and electricity). I really had to beef up my own content knowledge.
If high school teachers include a unit on light/optics, they often cover only geometric optics, which doesn't account for phenomena like diffraction & polarization. The physics education research is indicating that even gifted kids are coming to college without a mental model of light as a wave. Consequently, it's really hard for them to transition into modern physics. Tom, do you think we should be introducing kids to these concepts as early as middle school to lay foundations? Thanks so much for the help!
Caroline
- At 12:59pm on September 10, 2009,
Caroline Hall said…
- Hi Tom,
Here is a link to the unit elements for middle school science on the broad topic "Nature and Behavior of Light":
http://www.thephysicsfront.org/static/unit.cfm?sb=13&course=1
Here is a direct link to the model unit we compiled for grades 7-8 titled "Nature of Light":
http://www.thephysicsfront.org/filingcabinet/share.cfm?UID=3404&FID=16729&code=3B9D7499DA
I have not quite finished the standards alignment for the model unit, but all the resources are there. It is a multimedia approach that explores the essential nature of light, how it travels, and some of its special properties. It is intended to give middle-grade students a foundation for understanding the wave nature of light and the electromagnetic spectrum: essential to a later understanding of modern physics. Thank you so much,
Caroline
- At 8:44am on September 9, 2009,
Caroline Hall said…
- Hi Tom,
Kim Lightle invited me to present a webinar October 6 to introduce middle school teachers to The Physics Front digital resource collection. I've followed your posts, and would really like to get your feedback as I plan this web seminar. Primarily, I'll be showcasing the features & tools of The Physics Front, and highlighting a model unit on the nature of light, specifically developed for grades 7-8. Would it be possible to talk about this sometime? I'm located in Centerville, Ohio, and the best number to reach me is (937) 567-0085. Many thanks,
Caroline
- At 8:50pm on August 10, 2009,
Glenys Martin said… - Tom I am intregued by your picture. We have mini donkeys and that sure looks like one, but it also looks like it is on a hardwood floor, that is not something we do with our donkeys.
- At 1:17am on August 3, 2009,
Ron said…
- The shield you see was actually designed by members of the Chinook Tribe from Southwest Washington. After consulting them about naming our school after their tribe, they created the shield that shows the "Warrior" honoring the Chinook Salmon with the life cycle of the salmon on the outer ring, the watchful eyes of the Chinook Nation and the beloved eagle, and somewhere there is reference to a peace pipe. My students are fascinated every year when I describe to them the attributes of the shield. Thanks for asking!
Ron
- At 9:37am on July 29, 2009,
Dr. Pam Bernards said… - Thanks Tom. I look forward to learning from those in the community. Looks like you are visiting East Tennesse during the one week this summer when it is supposed to rain every day. Enjoy your visit in spite of the rain.
Pam
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