For my technology teach in assignment I would like to incorporate Prezi and Socrative. I currently just finished a unit on cells in my 7th grade life science class and we are moving into body systems. I plan to create a Prezi based on the digestive system. As I introduce each part of the system the Prezi will jump around and chronologically follow the order that food would be digested. Each organ will be described and discussed as a class. I feel that Prezi will be a great tool to use because it will enable students to see how food is digested in a visually appealing manner. Other platforms such as powerpoint will show students each part of the digestive system in a segmented way. By using Prezi I can show students a complete connected visual of the digestive process. I want to use Prezi because I feel students will have a better visual and understanding of the digestive process. I will have students take guided notes as I go through the presentation so that they have material to review on hand in the future. I will also share this Prezi with students via email if they would like to review.
After completing the presentation I will have students log into Socrative and they will participate in a space race that I create. The space race game will not only stimulate healthy competition and provide engagement, but it will also be used as an exit ticket to test students on knowledge they retained from the Prezi lecture and discussion we have in class. If anyone has any suggestions on the ways in which I can improve the use of these tools in my class please let me know because I value all of your advice!!
Sara,
ReplyDeleteI agree that a Powerpoint presentation doesn’t quite capture the interconnectedness of the digestive system. If I were doing this lesson, I also would use Prezi! However, I was wondering if you also considered having students watch a short video to learn about the digestive system? This tool also would fulfill the visual apsect that you wanted students to experience but I am curious why you think Prezi would be better for your class. I know you’ve successfully used Prezi for the lessons before, but what do think are its limitations? The inclusion of Socrative looks great! I know my 9th graders LOVE competition and finding ways to incorporate that into the classroom really makes learning fun for them. I’m very interested to see how your lesson goes!
Sara,
ReplyDeleteI agree that a Powerpoint presentation doesn’t quite capture the interconnectedness of the digestive system. If I were doing this lesson, I also would use Prezi! However, I was wondering if you also considered having students watch a short video to learn about the digestive system? This tool also would fulfill the visual apsect that you wanted students to experience but I am curious why you think Prezi would be better for your class. I know you’ve successfully used Prezi for the lessons before, but what do think are its limitations? The inclusion of Socrative looks great! I know my 9th graders LOVE competition and finding ways to incorporate that into the classroom really makes learning fun for them. I’m very interested to see how your lesson goes!
As we discussed the other day, Sara, this sounds like an ingenious and well-considered leveraging of two tech tools used with very specific pedagogical and student learning goals in mind. I'll be very interested to read your account of how you put your prezi together, and what informs your choices as you endeavor to use this presentation tool to more vividly portray the digestive system, and what kind of feedback you're able to gather about how effective the tool is in making things more palpable for your students. Best of luck, Sara!
ReplyDeleteAwesome lesson idea Sara! I want to reinforce your idea of using a Prezi. As a presentation platform Prezi would be much better suited for your idea of following food down the digestive path. If possible, I would suggest making it seem like the Prezi is actually going inside the human body as opposed to just sliding around on a anatomical map. It could be way cooler and I think it was done on an episode of the Magic School Bus. Come to think of it, if you had down time and the episode is how I remember it, it may be interesting to at least watch a segment in of the episode so that students could try to figure out where in the body the Magic School Bus characters are at certain points. It might be hard to fit it into your curriculum, but it might be worth looking into.
ReplyDeleteSara,
ReplyDeleteI feel like this would be such a great way to implement tech into a science classroom. I always loved science as a child but did not always have the best teachers making the subject more engaging. I feel your method would do just that. I am also a big fan of Prezi because it gives you a way to present material that would typically be "more direct/less engaging" in a more innovative and exciting way. I think mixing this activity with a hands-on artsy type activity could make this lesson even more memorable for those who enjoy art and science. My fifth grade science teacher had us create paper-mache aspects of the rainforest when we were learning about ecosystems. Our class was divided into groups which then was in charge of a specific part of the rainforest ecosystem. After dividing we used art to make trees, animals, etc. I remember this lesson so explicitly because of that. I know that they focus of this is to incorporate Prezi, bit imagine showing your Prezi then having students make paper-mache representations of the digestive system? :D Anyways, love love your ideas, wish I would have had more science teachers like you in high school to keep me engages with the subject!