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.