EDIM 508 u03a1 Theory of Knowledge

Share a classroom strategy (e.g., project, activity) that incorporates the use of digital resources in an interdisciplinary approach. Share a classroom strategy (e.g., project, activity) that incorporates the use of digital resources in an interdisciplinary approach.

Wow was one of the first words that came to mind after I read the focus of this week’s blog. I felt this task was daunting to begin with and was even more daunting as I read Gardner’s chapter on the synthesizing mind. I had thought that an interdisciplinary approach could mean students researching the topic of water. In their science classes students could test pH levels, hardness and salinity. In their English classes students could create poems about the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. In their geography classes students could look at the current demand for clean drinking water across the globe. Then all the students could get together for a potluck dinner and share their results. Interdisciplinary approach achieved, or so I had thought. “But these endeavors do not involve disciplines in any legitimate sense of that term. If no single discipline is being applied, then clearly interdisciplinary thinking cannot be at work” (Gardner, 2006, p. 55).

Gardner concludes his chapter with this comment:
“Yet, given the import of the issues that require interdisciplinary work, much effort will be devoted in coming years to nurturing of the interdisciplinary mind and to the delineation of experiences at school or the workplace that at least convey the power of interdisciplinary thinking. The Theory of Knowledge course, offered during the final year of the International Baccalaureate (IB), represents one promising effort in this regard” (p. 73).

I am lucky to have been an IB teacher for the past twelve years or so. I really do think that the Theory of Knowledge course that all students have to take when they are involved in this diploma program is a true test of students developing a synthesizing, creative, respective and ethical mind.

The course offers students and their teachers the opportunity to:

• reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge.
• consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world.

In addition, it prompts students to:

• be aware of themselves as thinkers, encouraging them to become more acquainted with the complexity of knowledge.
• recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world (IBO, 2009).

The Theory of Knowledge course is outlined in the diagram below. The course focuses on students being the knower and them becoming familiar with the ways of knowing and how this knowing is connected to the six different areas of knowledge.

One activity I presently use could easily be transformed into an activity that makes use of digital resources. In this activity students have to choose one of six different graphical representations of the growth of scientific knowledge. They have to defend their choice and also be able to explain why the other choices were not chosen. Traditionally I have gotten students to make oral presentations of their choice and have held a class discussion after each presentation. To incorporate digital resources students could create and develop a two-minute video in the style of a 60 Minutes news report where they create brief scenes that would correspond to the different parts of their chosen graph. Or they could easy create a media-infused PowerPoint presentation where they include still photos of various stages in the growth of scientific knowledge.

During the development of their arguments, the discussion of the growth of scientific thought soon connects with major events in history and literature. For example, did a decline in scientific knowledge occur during the Dark Ages? What role did the bloom of religion play in the growth of scientific though? If WWII did not happen would the growth in scientific thought been as great? What perspective should be used when viewing the graph – a Western, Middle Eastern or Asian one? What timeframe does each graph represent? These questions give evidence that this activity is truly an interdisciplinary one.

References

Gardner, H. (2006). Five minds for the future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

International Baccalaureate Organization. (2009). Diploma programme curriculum, core requirements. Retrieved June 30, 2009 from http://www.ibo.org/diploma/curriculum/core/knowledge/

EDIM 508 u02a1 Organic Chemistry...It can be meaningful.

Select a specific topic you teach, or will teach, and search Discovery Education streaming for a video segment about that topic. Think about your goals for presenting content about the topic you selected as well as the different ways you can use digital media to present content in a variety of forms and from different angles. Post a blog entry that presents your specific goals for teaching the topic and describe at least five different ways you can use that video segment in your classroom.


Having just finished the school year on Saturday, I am still in teacher mode and have been spending some time working on ideas for my courses next year and think this task to explore Discovery Education Streaming is a good opportunity. I will be teaching a second year of the two year International Baccalaureate (IB) course and am looking forward to teaching the same group of students again in the . After reading Chapter 2 in Gardner’s book, I am thinking of changing my focus of how I teach the topic of organic chemistry to these students. While I was in university, I enjoyed organic chemistry so much that I did it twice!! The focus of my chemistry professor was for me to memorize countless reaction mechanisms and to develop the ability to recite a variety of catalysts and reaction conditions. Although the IB organic chemistry syllabus does require some memorization of specific reactions and their conditions, the main focus is on the application of knowledge and applying understanding to new and novel situations. As Gardner explains these attributes are evidence of the development of a disciplined mind.

The use of media available at Discovery Education Streaming provides a teacher with some of the tools necessary to develop greater insight in our students. I have chosen to examine a video segment that examines addition reaction in organic chemistry - Standard Deviants School Organic Chemistry: Addition Reactions. In the past, this typically has been a difficult topic to teach in my IB chemistry class. After reflection, I think this has been the case as I have taught this topic in a very abstract and non-linear fashion, I have concentrated on the facts and not on the connections that this area of chemistry has with other areas that my students have already learned. This isolated approach allowed the student who memorized to be successful. However the students who craved relationship and connections, the synthesizing mind, was not provided with a successful opportunity to learn the principles of organic additions reactions.

The arrangement of this twenty-five minute video segment allows for students to construct connections with several different topics that we have studied in the past and opens up the opportunity to develop a greater level of understanding in this topic. This video contains twelve individual segments which correspond to six main IB topics out of only eleven topics. More than half of the topics that a student studies in IB chemistry are covered in this video segment.

Video Segment/Corresponding IB Topic
Organic Chemical Reactions/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Covalent Bonds/Topic 4 and 14 – Bonding
Heterolytic and Homolytic Cleavage/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry and Option E – Environmental Chemistry
Anions, Cations and Polar Reactions/Topic 4 and 14 – Bonding
Organic Reactions, Nucleophiles and Electrophiles/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Lewis Acids, Bases and Review/Topic 8 and 18 – Acids and Bases
Reaction Energy Diagrams/Topic 5 and 15 – Energetics
Endothermic versus Exothermic/Topic 6 and 16 – Kinetics
Transition, Time and Energy/Topic 6 and 16 – Kinetics
Different Types of Organic Chemical Reactions/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Introduction: The Alkenes/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry
Naming Alkenes/Topic 10 and 20 – Organic Chemistry

I have several goals for teaching this topic – firstly, I want students to master the required subject matter by knowing the mechanics of organic chemistry addition reactions; secondly, I want students to be able to make the connections to other topics in chemistry; thirdly, I want students to position themselves to think like a scientist; and lastly I want students to enjoy the process of learning about the world they live in.

Ways to use the video segment in my classroom:
1. As an introduction to the topic of organic chemistry addition reactions. The segment provides a great list of definitions and reactions that will be a benefit to students about to study this topic.
2. As a review of the topic of organic chemistry addition reactions. The segment provides a comprehensive review of several key ideas related to this topic.
3. As a review at the end of the two year course before sitting for the international examination. Since the segment makes clear connections with so many other topics, this is a great way for students to review a variety of topics.
4. As a means for students to develop specific addition reaction examples. Since the video segment focuses on the mechanics of addition reactions, there are no examples of real-life addition reactions provided. By having this background knowledge of the subject matter, students will then be to research this type of reaction and be able to explain the everyday occurrence of this type of reaction. This should make their understanding more relevant and should make them take note of the world around them.
5. As a means for students to journal about how scientists are certain about this type of abstract chemical reaction. How can scientists be certain of their claims? Why would this type of reaction be important to the person on the street? Where would we be without this type of reaction? What would have been some limitations early chemistry would have been faced with?
6. As a means for students to discuss why learning such as this is important?
7. As an example for a class project on creating a science video for junior high science students. One of the best ways to demonstrate sound mastery of subject matter is to teach the material to someone else. By having students create videos that are fashioned after this video format, which will be used in junior high for the same reasons this video is useful for my students.

EDIM 508 u01a1 From BASIC to native...is it possible?

Hello everyone...
My name is Fiona Clark and I am a high school science teacher, primarily teaching chemistry with some physics and food science thrown in for extra fun!! I have been teaching at a rural high school in Nova Scotia, Canada since 1995 with two small breaks (back to school for a year and teaching in Bermuda for a year). I am very lucky to be involved with the International Baccalaureate program which really allows students to develop the skills that are necessary for them to become lifelong learners.

In my spare time I like to stay active, do yoga, play badminton and play volleyball, cook, drink wine and travel. I am getting rather excited about my trip to China on August 5th....so will be working madly to get everything done before then!! I am also doing the Digital Storytelling course at the same time so hopefully will find time to do it all and relax over the summer vacation:)

After reading the introductory readings I think that I have a lot to learn about all forms of media and how I can incorporate them into my classroom to make learning more realistic for my students. Technology has changed the science of chemistry immensely in the past one hundred years and media has changed the face of education over the past twenty years. I am really interested in finding practical ways to include media in my classroom to enhance my teaching. I definitely see the importance of changing my status from immigrant to native. My comfort level and understanding of media changed greatly since the time of getting the clock to stop flashing on the VCR and writing tic-tac-toe programs with BASIC and I cannot wait to learn more.

I see all three of the course objectives as being important ones to include in my teaching repertoire. They are also three uses of media that I am not familiar with at present. I look forward to learning lots and moving closer to getting my landed immigrant status!!