W 11: Final Blog

'Final Reflection on the value and use of blogs in the senior Biology classroom.'

In the beginning of both semester I and II, the idea of writing out blogs honestly felt pointless to me. However, being able to reflect about what I was being taught and learnt each week, allowed me to fully grasp the concepts and content that I had learnt. Peer feedback has been great becuase it either reaffirmed my interpretations, understanding and perceptions of what I gained out of the content being taught or redirected my misinterpretation of the content taught and hence my reflective blog that I had proposed.

Blogs are necessary tools that are both valueable when used correctly and useful in senior Biology because it provides a safe environment where students are able to be reflective about their own learning and then be guided or reaffirmed with their understandings of the content taught in Biology. Peer assessment is of high value in gaining further understandings of the the content and concepts being taught. Blogs are also a great way for assessing students informally and diagnostically. Where a student may not understand something, as a teacher or as a peer student, everyone can collaboratively assist one another so each student is at similar level of understanding.

I now see the benefits of using blogs and will be using them when necessary to use as a guide on where my students are at and what they need more assistance in.

Week 10

Week 10: Describe the roles of the photoreceptor cells. (3 Marks)

The retina consists of two photoreceptor cells: cones and rods.

Cones have a light sensitive pigment called photopsin and rods have a light sensitive pigment called rhodopsin. They have different roles because the photopsin in cones when triggered by light (opsin) stimulate colour vision and acute (fine) vision. Rods when triggered by opsin stimulate night vision (or vision in dim light) and detection of basic movement.  The main role of the photoreceptor cells is to convert light energy into electrochemical energy for the brain (primary visual cortex) to translate the information. The photoreceptors collectively when stimulated by light have 3 main roles:

1. They absorb light energy (opsin)
2. They convert light energy (opsin) into electrochemical energy, generating a nerve impulse
3. They transmit this nerve impulse towards the bipolar cells of the retina.


Marking Criteria:

Criteria	Mark
Provides 3 characteristics and features of the role of the photoreceptors and is able to link these roles for the brain to interpret the information.	3
Provides 2 characteristics and features of the role of the photoreceptors	2
Identifies the photoreceptors: cones and rods and/or provides 1 characteristic and feature of the role of the photoreceptors	1

week 9: 9.4: The Search for Better Health

'Assess the value of mapping skills and outcomes in terms of summative assessment.'

Mapping skills and outcomes are there to help both the teacher and student visually show what skills they have covered, what skills need to be covered and what skills need to be revised. It helps with summative assesment becuase it allows the areas that the skills have already been taught to be assessed and further gives guidance to both the teachers and students as to where the next skills are to do done.

In regards to summative assessments, students are able to specifically pinpoint which skills and outcomes are being tested on if they follow a mapping skills grid. Teachers are also able to see which skills and outcomes have been tested for and which ones have not. The skills and outcomes that student's seem to lack in, teachers are able to work on those specific skills and outcomes in order to build confidence in that skill and outcome. The mapping skills and the outcomes, also allows for teachers to set different skills in the given timeframe of 4 terms for preliminary and 4 terms for HSC.

Week 8

Discuss how you could use STANSW Young Scientist Awards or a similar award system (e.g. CREST or BHP Awards) to assist teachers and students with open-ended investigations and apply holistic marking criteria. (May draw relationships to your MyScience project).

Open ended investigations and SRPs should allow students to start off with their own query and curiosity about something beforehand and then further build upon it by implementing the 5E's: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation.

An example would be a student from year 7-9 Biology (my Science project) that wanted to know what type of music would increase memory. This topic engaged the student to want to dwell further and do a SRP. The student explored different genre of music: classical, rock, no music, pop and heavy metal. Once the student was able to get results, the student was able to explain her hypothesis and whether or not it was right or wrong. The student was thenable to further elaborate and evaluate on this, giving reasons to why the hypothesis was not correct and the limitations and improvements of her SRP.

When marking this SRP even though this student's hypothesis was incorrect, the holistic nature of how she presented and came up with her SRP was very much more significant then if the hypothesis was correct or incorrect or if the results were correct or incorrect. To be a holistic marker, one must look at the whole picture. What was the aim/goal of the student's SRP did they meet this aim/goal. If so, how? If not, why not? Is the SRP logically sequenced (aim, hypothesis, equipment, method, reults, discussion, conclusion, limitations)? Do they have an understanding on the significance of the results when it comes to conclusion and evaluation of the SRP?

As markers, it is important not to be biased. If the student has used a graph that as a marker, we do not like then that should not be marked down. The marker should be asking, does the student have an understanding of the relationship between this graph and the results?

SRP and open investigations are student based and are a great way to allow students to be engaged in science, to be able to explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate something that they are curious and interested about and want to find an answer.

Wk 7: 9.2 Maintaining a Balance

Assess one useful web site that you would use for a practical activity for your Syllabus point

9.2.1.3.2: Gather, process and analyse information from secondary sources and use available evidence
to develop a model of a feedback mechanism.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa_pre_2011/homeo/homeosts.shtml

This website is very handy as it visually shows the process of how a feedback system works (homeostasis), its relevance and significance to everyday human life. The website does not really allow interaction where the students can pick and choose the answers in terms of stimulus, receptor, effector and response, but the students get a wholistic approach to how homeostasis occurs and not just the individual concepts. I would use this website at the end of the lesson to show the bigger idea of homeostasis.

W6: 8.4: LIFE ON EARTH

'Select any Biology website relevant to a column 2 content and evaluate it for reliability and validity using the Berkeley library resource.'

8.4: LIFE ON EARTH
8.4.2.3.2: Gather first-hand or secondary information to make observations of a range of plant and animal fossils.

Website: http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/australias-fossil-past : Australia's Fossil Past

This website I found particularly good to use to support Stage 5 students gather second-hand information to make observations of plant and animal fossils. It was easy to use and there was relevant information about plant and animal fossils but most importantly, the information was based on Australia where students can feel ownership and relevance to the fossils they are observing. There are many great images where students can relate the information read to the actual image of the fossil. Other information provided are details of the location the fossils were found, inclusion of Aboriginal history with relevance to the fossils and the era in which the plant and animal would have survived in.

When looking at whether this secondary source is of reliable and valid reputation, we need to ask ourselves "How consistent is this information compared to other reputable sources?" (for reliability) and "how was the information gathered?" (for validity). To test reliability, students should be encouraged to look for different websites or books using the same type of fossil and see if the information presented is identical or very similar. To test validity, students should be encouraged to do further research into how the information the website gives was obtained and do a little research using different websites and/or books to see if the results/information provided on fossils has been accurately obtained and if the inforamtion is accurate.


Reference:

Curriculum Support, Science, 2001 Vol. 6 No. 3
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/australias-fossil-past

week 5 8.5: Evolution of Australian Biota

 WEEK 5: Describe one assessment tool you would use in the Biology classroom- examples of good practice.

8.5: Evolution of Australian Biota

Any form of assessment is significant in order to obtain both objective and subjective information that a student understands the knowledge of the concepts and the content being taught and learnt. The standard of assessment should be of equal measurement to each individual in the classroom and should not stereotype one student over the other.

There are three main types of assessment: diagnostic, formative and summative assessment.
In the case for a preliminary biology class, diagnostic assessment will be necessary at the beginning of the unit to evaluate previous content knowledge from prior years and then to work on building knowledge and skills from there. Formative assessment is constantly occuring in the biology classroom and is significant to see whether or not a student is understanding the content being taught and learnt. Formative assessment can be both subjective (what the teacher observes) or objective (answering the questions the teacher has specifically set to see if the students understand the concept being taught). Formative assessment is also very significant becuase it allows direct feedback to the students which is critical in the learning process for a student becuase this is where their own misconception can be directly altered. Summative assessment is objective and its main aim is to assess student's knowledge with teh BOS syllabus dotpoints. It's main aim is to look out for what students understand about the question and how the students go about answering the question. Once this is established, it looks at giving students grades and reports of their acheivement.

One assessment tool I would use is formative assessment, this is because it will be most frequesntly used in teh classroom on a daily basis. An example of using formative assessment for a preliminary biology class would be 8.5.2.2.1: discuss examples of variation between members of a species.
Before any formative assessment is done, a goal should be first established and then the assessment can be thought of. Teh goal for this dot point is simple. It will be students will define variation and species and examples. During the class, the teacher may ask students what their knowledge of species and variation are. Instead of stopping with one student, the teacher should ask other students too to see if their interpretation of variation and species are unified or are slitghtly different. Once this is establisehd, ask students to provide some examples. 

Week 4 8.2: A Local Ecosystem

Describe one learning cycle activity you would use in a Biology lesson. Give reasons why you chose this for your particular syllabus point.

8.2:A Local Ecosystem

I will be looking specifically into 8.3.2.2.8 which states identify and describe in detail adaptations of a plant and an animal from the local ecosystem. One learning cycle from Kolbe's learning styles (experiencing, reflecting, theorising and experimenting) I would like to implement on this syllabus outcome is experimenting by using the method of PCK. The experimenting phase would be associated with PCK's deconstruct and construct steps which would allow students to firstly engage in a deconsructing activity as a pair or in groups and then construct the concepts in an individual manner. An example would be giving out a set local environment ie hot and arid environment and getting students to work in pairs or in groups, determine what type of adaptations would occur in animals and plants and getting students to draw and describe these adaptations for the individual animal and plant. The constructng aspect of this activity would be to get students to individually reflect on what they  have just done in pairs or in groups and then focus on one animal and plant and give detail reasons (cause and an effect) to why these adaptations have occured and their significance for the animal and plant.

I shpse this for my particular syllabus point becuase there are some syllabus points that do not maximise the use of a learning cycle activity or PCK, but this syllabus point allowed students to be able to truly experiement what they are learning in groups or pairs and individually.

Week 3: Stage 6 - 9.3 (Blue Print of Life)

Analyse and assess one aspect of programming by UBD (Understanding by design)

By applying UBD, there is an emphasis and focus on teaching for understanding and not a regimented and regulated program. In order for UBD to be a successful tool for teaching, major goals and big ideas must be the focus points which allows the concepts being taught to tie each part of the UBD programming together. In Blue Print of Life (9.3) the major goals and big ideas would be understanding how evolution fits in with the current student's life, understanding the importance of genetics and knowledge of inheritance which icludes chromosomal and DNA structure and current genetic and reporductive engineering which would potentially alter the path of natural evolution. Out of all these major ideas, I will be focusing more so on the basic understandings of evolution and relating these ideas to the student's current life and their society in which they live in. To use UBD as a teaching method, asking open ended questions such as  'how and when do we consider a human being to be called a human being? (looking at human evolution rather than bioethics)' or 'how do we know that there was life on earth before human beings existed?' These open ended focus questions will be answered as students understand, acquire and learn content, knowledge and skills throughout the UBD program. If the beginning of the UBD program is set in position properly and with enough depth for students to genuinely want to know the answers to the big ideas then the rest of the UBD program (assessment and learning) will run smoothly. Therefore the quality of the UBD program really does begin with necessary essentil questions to allow the teacher and students to tie the whole unit of work together whilst the units are bieng learnt and taught.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_by_Design

Week 2 Blog

Describe an opportunity to develop students' values of responsibility and integrity in Stage 6: 9.2 (Maintaining a Balance).

An opportunity in stage 6: 9.2 -Maintaining a Balance to develop students' values of responsibility and intergrity would be in 9.2.2.3.5 where the syllabus wants students to analyse and present information from secondary sources to report on progress in the production of artificial blood and use available evidence to propose reasons why such research is needed. This syllabus point would be good to develop students' understandings of what responsibility and integrity society has on developing and using artificial blood because discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of the production of artificial blood (without imposing the teacher's opinion and providing a safe environment for every student's contribution to this discussion topic) referring back to the responsibility and integrity we have for life (the power of a substance to move itself) can be raised.

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/biology-st6-syl-from2010.pdf

Week One- Syllabus 8.5 Evolution to Australian Biota

Contrast the rationale, aims and objectives in the Biology Stage 6 Syllabus to the current Stage 4/5 Syllabus.

8.5 Evolution to Australian Biota:

The rationale, aims and objectives are different from stage 4/5 and stage 6 syllabus because the stage 6 syllabus is specific to biology and aims at fostering and developing the knowledge and skills learnt from science stage 4/5. Example aims from stage 4/5 is about acquiring and developing knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to science, whereas aims from stage 6 is acquire, progress and develop knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to biology.

8.5  Evolution to Australian Biota, stage 6 syllabus looks at bringing all the acquired knowledge and skills from stage 4/5 (5.8.1b, 5.8.3a, b and 5.9.2a) and further developing and progressing knowledge of data and skills learnt to increase the student's understanding of specific skills and knowledge acquired from stage 4/5 to bringing all the information into one and understanding the individual concepts into one big picture (context). Examples are in stage 5, students are to discuss evidence that suggests crustal plates move over time, whereas in stage 6 students are to provide evidence for the rearrangement of crustal plates and continental drift indicates that Australia was once part of an ancient super continent whih include solving problems, identifying and describing concepts and contents and etc.

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/biology-st6-syl-from2010.pdf