MSP August 16

Welcome Back!

Learn

Early birds get the worm. We

won't make it for breakfast. Omak is only fifty miles away, but it takes more than an hour to get there if one drives safely on the beautiful winding road through the Okanogan National Forest. There might be some data to analyze here on the Douglas Fir Tussock Moth Suppression Project. That would be a real project about which to learn. You can follow the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest twitter feed here: http://twitter.com/OkaWenNF

I think I learned about the "models" button in Fathom; that's a pretty slick trick to use, and I'm sure there's more. We were stuck on finding slope (we're short a math person right now), and the model let us figure it out. I'll need to play around with it more.

I also think I learned about r^2 in that model button -- that number tells you how valid the data is. Yay! I knew that 1.0 meant the points were probably right on the mark. (That fearful stats class from 25 years ago still haunts me, and still pops out ideas when I need them).

Since it's only the first day, I think I'm just thinking I'm learning, and tomorrow I will.

What I really liked about today: the technology was part of the process, used as needed, and not the focus. We're learning to apply the technology with our standards, not just use tech for tech sake. :)

Questions

I don't remember learning last time about the science 5E's+R we followed today:

Engage

Explore

Explain

Elaborate

Evaluate

Reflect, which could be the sixth e: envision

I'm trying to follow the STAR process, as recommended by our administrator, which could mean:

See -- Engage and Explore

Talk -- Explain

Apply- Elaborate

Reflect -- Evaluate and Envision

Question 1: What do you think?

Oh, I am so glad we have the science and math people together. Science is the forest, and math are all the needles. (Just kidding.) One math person said, "I'm just not a scientist." A mathematician is a scientist naturally! But:

Question 2: When will the math/science people work their schedules and standards to collaborate? Such a dilemma in education... separate, but equal...

Practice

Another local project is the Washington Pass Restoration Project, picture at left. I rather feel like I'm on the edge of knowing what to do, but taking that step...

We have so much pressure on us to meet AYP, to pass that test -- are some teachers wondering how to manage the time?

One of my favorite sites is Edutopia. It focuses on what works in schools, and project/problem based learning is one area that engages students to learn, grow, and apply. It includes those science 5Es. Projects like Voices On The Gulf developed from the PBL Summer Camp. They have an entire list of resources and lessons. Here's one on liquid density and oil spills from National Geographic Xpeditions (another one of my favorite sites when I taught science).

I think Jama and I will look at this site for some relevant ideas related to something that has touched all of us. Surely there is data just waiting for us to discover, and perhaps offer some sense and maybe help to the issue.

Perhaps, for a visual, look at:

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/disasters/bp

as food for thought...

Photo Credits:

Okanogan Forest and Washington Pass: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/

Duck by Flickr CC Adam Mela ncon

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Sheri Edwards

Reflect curiosity and wonder...

Go boldly and scatter seeds of kindness..

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