Click here to access my Technology Integration Plan for a
unit on Newton’s Laws of Motion.
The Access portion of the Integration Plan primarily focuses
on how new topics will be delivered by lecture. The first strategy, direct
teaching, can be supplemented with a PowerPoint presentation to present bullet
points, highlight key terms, and provide visual aids for certain concepts, both
in diagrams and videos. Internet access will most likely be necessary to
utilize video resources. The classroom discussion and problem solving time can take
advantage of a Smart Board coupled with online demos and virtual labs. This can
allow volunteer students to manipulate simulations in front of their classmates
to help me illustrate concepts and demonstrate certain phenomena and
relationships. Students will also be shown how to access other online
simulations and will be given worksheets to help them explore several of them
on their own.
All of these strategies and tools for the Access portion are
to support NJCCCS science standards for refining concept knowledge with new
evidence(5.1.12.C.1), and to begin to introduce the concepts behind Newton’s
second law, F = m A (5.2.12.E.4). The addition of the technological components supports
NETS-S standards 1.C, using models and systems, and 6.B, finding and using applications
in an effective and productive manner.
The Analyze segment delves more deeply into how I will have
my students take the information from lecture and begin to deepen their
understanding of the concepts through problem-solving. Like the lecture, much
of the in-class problem-solving time will be guided by me with questions and
diagrams displayed on the SmartBoard. Students will need their calculators to
help them quickly convert mass into weight and find cosine and sine values of
the components of angled force vectors. For homework, the students will still
have their calculators, but can also clarify instructions or receive the actual
assignments and clarifications through an online student portal. Finally,
within the context of a laboratory scenario, students can make use of available
probe sensor devices to get more accurate and straightforward measurements in motion
and freefall labs.
The strategies are to
support the science standards 5.1.12.B.2 and 5.2.12.E.3 - the scientific
practice of using mathematical tools and technology and new uses and
interpretations of Newton’s first law, motion only changes with the presence of
a force. The technology integration allows fulfillment of NETS-S 1.A and 3.D,
where students apply existing knowledge to generate new work or techniques, and
process data and report results.
I will have several methods for assessment. For these
lessons, I will be grading homework and keeping track of results with simple
in-class formative assessments. I can utilize Microsoft Excel to keep track of the
results of the simpler assessments, which can quickly aid me in identifying
gaps in knowledge. This can apply to certain groups or perhaps represent a
larger misconception by the majority of the class. Students can also assess
their own work and in certain cases apply for a chance to revise their work, identifying
what the misconception was that led them to incorrect answers or explanations.
The online student portal will allow them to keep track of the grades their
work is earning them and help motivate them to buy in to their own success.
This reinforces both the science standard 5.1.12.C.2 and NETS-S 4.D standard
which encourage the revision of work and prior thought patterns, and the
pursuit of alternate solutions. Science standard 5.1.12.D.2, which calls for excellence
in reading and writing to express the student’s scientific thinking patterns,
is satisfied through this process as well. More examples of assessment will be
discussed in the Production portion at the end.
Like many science classes, the physics classroom is a great opportunity
to encourage collaboration and communication. Labs in particular are a great
way to develop the skills for teamwork, as they will always be a group endeavor.
Beyond using tools like Microsoft Word and Excel to neatly write up results, answer
questions and organize data, students can use modern online tools to efficiently
manage the project. Google docs in particular makes it incredibly simple for
all students to instantly access all the resources and collaborate in its
assembly. Social media and other means of electronic communication, like text
messaging or chat, can also assist the students in communicating about their objectives
and allow for opportunities for everyone to participate from the comfort of
their own homes. The collaborative skills that are developed through this align
with Science Standard 5.1.12.D.1 and NETS-S 5.B.
Finally, the lessons will also incorporate opportunities for
students to produce work to express the depth of their understanding of the
relationships we’ve learned about. This can be demonstrated via written work in
answering open ended and free-response items, verbal responses to questions and
also through the solving of some of the higher-order problems. Opportunities
like this will be given through informal discussion during class time, through
homework questions, and, of course, quizzes and exams. Small projects and
presentations can also be used to demonstrate a concept, such as a student or
group of students doing a demo. With all of these, Microsoft Office
applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint can be used as a medium to organize, support
and/or deliver proper demonstration of the student’s thought processes. A
variety of internet resources can also be used by the student to clarify his or
her understanding of the subject or to research when gaps in knowledge need to
be filled. Proper and mature usage of these resources fulfills NETS-S standard
3.B, which says that students are expected to be able to locate, organize,
evaluate, synthesize and ethically use information from a variety of sources
and media. Science standard 5.1.12.A.2 also sets the expectation that students
should be able to interpret and manipulate evidence-based models to build and
critique their arguments and explanations.
