The first blog-type assignment that I would like to do involves finding chemistry in the world - or should I say, "their" world. They will need to search online weekly to find something somewhere that is linked to chemistry. Then, in a blog type entry on the Discussion board on Blackboard(R), they will have to link the articles, and explain where they see the chemistry.
I fully expect to get more science-related entries than chemistry-related entries in the beginning, but I expect it to go smoothly once everyone gets used to the assignment. Just think, I am giving them an excuse to cruise the web, and they can claim it as an assignment! That and the fact that I can link anything to chemistry makes this a jewel. (I actually had a teacher when I was in high school who did a similar assignment in Biology, so I refuse to take credit for this one.)
3 comments:
Your idea sounds interesting. But, are you a little worried about what you might get back from students? Or are you fairly certain most of your students would be appropriate with blogging as a classroom assignment. The reason I ask is because I am a bit scared to allow my students to blog an answer/reflection to me. I would be afarid of setting them up for embarrassment or ridicule. I would also worry about what ideas they would find while searching the web. I know we work with different ages, but yet you seem so at ease with this idea in your classroom. Is this true? Do you have concerns with this?
I will be sure that all students understand that all comments must be school appropriate, and I will expect them all to comply. I guess I really am the eternal optimist in that I firmly believe that if I share my expectations, the students will live up to them. If I have any violations, the consequences will be swift and fair, and the entry will immediately be remove.
As far as the embarrassment or ridicule factor goes, our school is such a small, close-knit community that I don't expect any ridicule - period. Our students are wonderfully supportive of each other, and the comments they make will be constructive. I am not the only teacher in our school who has seen it - and it IS a school wide phenomenon.
Also, I plan on starting this series after I introduce the Periodic Table, so I guess I kind of expect students to look specifically for elements or compounds. I eventually expect them to progress to higher order thinking (as in applying the fact that all humans are made up of elements and compounds) to take the series further, but I can't say that I am concerned. I can definitely say that I am curious to see where they take it.
And this is more of a discussion board than a blog, but certainly has students engaged in writing and reflecting - nice idea.
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