{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11932893","dateCreated":"1241899205","smartDate":"May 9, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"wpl1117","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/wpl1117","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1235764706\/wpl1117-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11932893"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Lab checklist","description":"This laboratory inspection was conducted at Niagara Falls High School. The lab that was inspected was a room used for regents physics. There were no chemicals or open flames (Bunsen burns, ect..) used in this room. This means that many of the categories on the checklist do not apply to the room. There were many strengths and only a few weakness.
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\nThe first weakness I noticed was that there was no fire blanket in the room. There were no showers and only one eyewash station located in the back of the room. The room had a fire extinguisher located in the back of the room. It was a little bit difficult to get to and it was almost hidden by boxes. I needed to be told by the teacher were it was. This fire extinguisher was the only means of putting out fixes unless you used water from the sinks. There was also no electrical shut off incase of emergencies.
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\nOther than the few weakness I mentioned above, the lab did very well on the expectation. There was a ton of working space for the students. The class had at least 6 big lab tables that students could work on. These tables were right next to the desks they used for class or even the lab if they needed more room. There was also a ton of electrical outlets for students to plug equipment into. The teacher also had a nice room in the back of his class to prepare experiments if he wanted. In general the room was very neat and clear of clutter. The back of the room was a bit cluttered with boxes but students did not work back there. The teacher also said he checked to make sure the eyewash station was in working order every week even though he has never had to use it.
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\nAlthough the room did not meet all of the standards on the checklist I feel that it did very good for a physics classroom. Many of the categories on the list did not apply to the room. There were no chemicals of any kind used in any of his labs. There were gas outlets in the room but the teacher had them turned off. Even though the teacher does not use any open flames, I believe that the fire extinguisher should be moved to a more obvious and accessible location.
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\n-Bill Lyon","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"11882269","dateCreated":"1241737821","smartDate":"May 7, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"akurian","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/akurian","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11882269"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"safety checklist","description":"This safety checklist was conducted at Gaskill Prepratory school. This is a middle school and is identified as a high risk school. The classroom that was inspected was for a grade 8 class, who does a lot of dry, hands-on labs. This classroom had many strengths and weaknesses when compared to the NSTA position statement safety checklist.
\nSome of the strengths of this grade 8 classroom were that there was good housekeeping available in this room and in the whole school. The floors and desks were clean and there were no signs of any problems of apparatus in the isles between chairs and desks. This school had a phone in the classroom near the entrance in case of an emergency. The class met the ADA requirements in terms of spacing; there was adequate space for storage, shelves, teacher\u2019s desk, student desks, doorways and wheel chair access. The class had plenty of electrical outlets for related activities and the light in the room could be controlled especially when presenting a power point or overhead. The class had toxic chemicals in the class which were locked away from regular access and these chemicals are disposed properly and checked regularly for expiration. These chemicals all contained hazardous and flammable warning signs which were also locked away. The class did contain a fire blanket, fire extinguisher and a second safety exit which is vital if a fire breaks out in the class room. All these help students to study in a safe environment.
\nSome weaknesses that this school posse was that there was no eye wash located in the classroom in case of an emergency and this is essential in a science lab when there are hazardous chemicals. There were also no fume hoods located in the classroom. Although the class had a fire blanket and extinguisher, there were not at easy access. The blanket was located under the overhead projector and book, and the fire extinguisher was on the floor behind the front counter. Apart from these two methods, there was no other means for putting out a fire. I also found that the safety goggles in this classroom did not look like they were sterilized and were all placed in a box on the shelf in the back of the classroom which indicates poor equipment hygiene. Another issue with this classroom was that there was a personal mini fridge present in the room under the teacher\u2019s desk where he kept his food. This a huge safety concern for this classroom as it is a fire hazard. There was also the issue that all the chemicals were stored in one cabinet. This is not a good practice because if any of the chemicals were to leak or spill and mix it could cause huge safety and health concerns. There are class emergency books available at this school, however they are located downstairs in the nurse\u2019s station but copies of these books should be present in the class as well as it only takes seconds for a serious injury.
\nAlthough this classroom had some strengths in making it a safe learning environment, it requires a lot more improvements in order to meet the standards. The teacher of this classroom needs to reorganize this room so that emergency kits are readily available, chemicals sorted accordingly, safety goggles are sanitized and the fridge is removed. If these are addresses majority of the safety checklist that are of great concern will be met. Although this is a high risk school, the district needs to focus more attention on making it a safe science learning environment b y ensuring that the classroom meets the safety checklist standards.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11929595","body":"Very thorough...nice job. You might want to share this with your teacher..many do not realize how important safety is until it's too late. Great analysis!","dateCreated":"1241877736","smartDate":"May 9, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11880085","dateCreated":"1241734070","smartDate":"May 7, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"wpl1117","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/wpl1117","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1235764706\/wpl1117-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11880085"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"lab reflection","description":"Overall I feel that the lab went well. Students seemed to have a good time and enjoyed doing the lab. They had fun running up a flight of stairs, which is kind of unusual.
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\nThere are a few things that I need to improve upon. One "rule" I should have stated would to be quite and respectful to not disturb the other class. When running through the notes on the projector I should have written out what each of the variables stood for. If I was teaching this to a grade 10-12 class I would have also repeated the equations at least one more time. I also believe that I should have varied my voice level and pitch more so it wasn't so monotone. I also noticed that I said "so" a little more than I thought I was. I also talked with my hands a little more then I should. I was also clicking my pencil towards the end of the video. That world be very distracting for students and I will be careful not to do that again.
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\nI believe that the students were actively engaged for most of the lab. They seemed to be laughing, smiling, and having a good time when running on the stairs. They turned the lab into a fun mini competition with no winners or losers. When doing the paper work, students were talking to one another and answering their own questions when I hesitated to answer them immediately. Students were thinking about the experiment and the world around them. The combination of running up the stairs and working with equations was the exploration.
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\nClass management was not an issue. This was mostly because I was teaching to a small group of grade students. Having them run up some stairs so that they did not have to sit still for 20 minutes was also helpful.
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\nI felt that the transitions were not an issue. I do think that the closure and deep understanding was a little weak. I think more questions could be asked about power. Students might possibly be allowed to work in pairs to answer these questions.
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\n-Bill Lyon","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11929661","body":"Nice reflection! I also like your use of humor in the beginning! It was very engaging and the students enjoyed it! SOme suggestions: Maybe have some intro review questions before explaining...prior knowledge! What is the formula for work? What's mass vs. weight?, etc. Also, reiterate answers and repeat explanations in a different way. Why is this important to know\/learn? SO they can relate the formulas to life.
\nNice job overall!!","dateCreated":"1241877973","smartDate":"May 9, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11874265","dateCreated":"1241725540","smartDate":"May 7, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"akurian","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/akurian","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11874265"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Lab Reflection","description":"Overall, I found that my lab on the peppered moths went fairly well. Students were kept on task and had a good understanding of what they were expected to do. I felt that the students were engaged and enjoyed the lab. I felt that they were able to explore and discover the expected results of this lab successfully. I found that I did a good job reviewing old material that would be helpful for the lab. As I was reviewing, I tried to get class participation by asking them questions to see how well they understood the material. I felt that a good method to have students participate and practice some science text was by having students read the introduction to the lab. I believe that I did a good job when explaining the directions for the lab as I made each step very clear, to minimize the risk of any errors. I had the directions printed in front of them, displayed on the power point and had students retell the lab directions. Although I almost forgot the safety rules, I had the students emphasize the safety rules that they felt would be important for the lab and had them write it out on their sheets. Maybe, next time I should have it highlighted when teaching in the real classroom, so I do not forget to mention it at the appropriate time. I noticed that I repeated a lot of directions and when the lab was due, which was a good thing because it helped the students to keep focused. I felt that I had the students under control because they followed my directions and when I asked them to stop and listen, they did. I felt that the transition from the review, introduction of the lab, procedure, safety rules and then actually doing the lab went very smoothly.
\nI found that when I was teaching, there were definitely a lot of areas that needed improvement. First off, I definitely need to improve with my use of idiosyncrasies. I must control myself from saying \u201cumm\u201d and \u201cso\u201d. The other thing that I need to work on is to provide stronger positive feedback to the students by saying things like \u201cgreat job\u201d and \u201cexcellent reading\u201d as oppose to just saying \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cthank-you\u201d. Although I improved a bit on waiting time for other students to answer questions, I believe that I could wait a bit longer in order for more students to get involved. I also felt the need to call on some students to make sure that they were following along and understood the lab due to the lack of their participation. I also believe I need to improve on walking around the class a bit more when especially when teaching the lab and not just when the students are doing the lab. This would only ensure that more students are paying attention and would help to promote more understanding. During this lab I definitely should have gone over one question as a closing activity because this would have let me see if students understood and did the lab and it would be a good opportunity for asking students some deep understanding questions.
\nOn the whole, I felt that I did a much better job teaching the lab lesson as oppose to the first lesson. I did a better job on keeping track of the time which still needs a bit of improvement. I also feel that I provided a good set of directions for the lab. Hopefully this will only get better with practice!","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11929571","body":"Excellent reflection!! I agreed with your reflection..some additional things I thought you did well: great preparation and organization! Great job working the room and using multiple learning styles. A couple of suggestions: be a bit louder and more commanding, while reading, summarize and repeat to make sure everybody understands. Maybe put some pre-lab questions in to make sure they DO understand before the activity.Lastly, ask students to repeat back the procedures to make sure they understand what they are doing.
\nNice job!! You were right on...","dateCreated":"1241877595","smartDate":"May 9, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11836345","dateCreated":"1241668180","smartDate":"May 6, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"eppeterson23","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/eppeterson23","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11836345"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Safety Checklist","description":"I chose to look at Tapestry Charter school lab saftey. Prior to siting down to discuss the saftey issues with my teacher I would have said that the labs were well under regulation. No safety rules or procedures are posted for the students or teachers as a guidline. Though the science room we are in has two sinks there are no eyewashes or shower or fire blankets in the classroom. There is a fire extinguisher outside of the classroom door but it is not very acessible to the teacher or students should an accident occur. There also appeared to be no storage areas for chemicals. Finally the tables in the class are not conducive to a lab set up as they are normal one person dests. The surface of these desks are not up to standards.
\nThough there are many concerns about Tapestry's safety standards there were some features that were up to code. The room has two doors and three fire windows so there are plenty of exits should an accident occur in the classroom. The class was also well organized so that there were no obstacles that could cause students to trip or cause problems should an accident occur in the class during lab.
\nAfter discussing my concerns about the classroom with my supervising teacher my fears about the student safety were removed. Since they are in the process of getting established as a school and are in a facility that is not suited for the science classes the teachers are not allowed to conduct any labratory classes that have dangerous or hazardous materials as a part of the lesson. Due to this fact the students are not able complete any labs besides pen and paper labs. The students are also not able to have a Chemistry class because of the labratory requirements to teach the regents course. Tapestry is building a new school building with new state of the art labrotories so their safety concerns should be relieved shortly.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11929517","body":"Excellent! I am glad you talked wiith the teacher!! Great job!","dateCreated":"1241877277","smartDate":"May 9, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11835951","dateCreated":"1241666547","smartDate":"May 6, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"eppeterson23","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/eppeterson23","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11835951"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Lab Reflection","description":"I believe that I did a fairly good job at engaging the students in the activity. The students were working through a hands on activity to create a product. The students were forced to understand the concept of genotype and phenotype in order to complete the activity. The activity was a way to engage the students to discover what these terms mean to an organism.
\nExploration took place because the students had to do an activity that created some sort of product. They were using coins to determine the traits of the organism. Understanding what the key terms in the lab was the most important form of exploration in the lab. This lab failed to encourage deep understanding because it was more of a cook book lab. The students didn't really have to think about what they were looking at. Two of the questions that were asked did make the students think about the topic more in depth but it really didn't encourage deep understanding of the topic as a whole.
\nThe classroom was under control but there were only four students in the class. With a lab like this I think that there could be control issues if more students were present. I think that I did do a good job encouraging students to do their work instead of just goofing around in the lab.
\nThe transistions went fairly smoothly from one part of the lab to the next. There wasn't any real closure to the lab but in the full lab period I would have actually went into the discussion about turning genes on and off in an organism.
\nI used a lot of voice pauses, such as ah and um, that were really noticable in the video. It will be beneficial to my teaching to remove those from my teaching.
\nConsidering the set up of the room I thought I did a decent job of working the room instead of being a central figure at the front of the classroom. I also think that I did a good job intervening when students had questions and concerns about the lab. I also thought that I projected my voice well. I also thought the use of a time left countdown was an effective tool for the classroom.
\nOne of the things I need to work on is to be more consious of the time and use better time management. I need to have a way of looking discretely at a watch or clock instead of asking my supervisor how much time is left. Though I did better than the first lesson I taught I also need use better chunk directions and repeat directions numerous times to ensure the students understand them. I also need to make sure that I guide don't do when students ask for guidence. Finally, it will be important for me to model the excersice to the students in my actual classroom.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11929507","body":"Eugene..nice reflection!! I thought you had a great rapport and good job with the safety procedures. I agree with your reflection..spot on!! I wouldn't talk about male\/female nailpolish color..might disinfranchise some. Review phemotype and genotype BEFORE the lab. Watch your "guys"..not all the people in the room are males. Watch comments like "boys today look like girls"...and even if you run out of time, try to get c losure.
\nExcellent lesson..very interactive and meets the standard!!","dateCreated":"1241877195","smartDate":"May 9, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11574859","dateCreated":"1241036235","smartDate":"Apr 29, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"louisnu6","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/louisnu6","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11574859"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Safety Checklist","description":"Louis Jacklin
\nSafety Checklist
\n
\nI observed a Living Environment classroom at Niagara Falls High School. Overall I concluded the classroom is a safe environment to hold class and lab, but there are a few safety issues that need to be addressed.
\n I\u2019ll begin by stating the positive safety aspects of the room. There are 10 wash stations in the room. Each wash station also has a gas faucet will a safety valve to make sure it is turned off. There is safety shower and an eye rinse in the back of the room as well. I like how there are no chemicals stored in the classroom. All of the chemicals used in this class are stored in the chemistry room under lock and key. The classroom also has a fire extinguisher and two exits (a door to the main hallway and an emergency window).
\n The problems with the room begin with the safety exits. There are two exits, but no clear directions. The procedures for an emergency should be clearly stated on the wall in plain sight, and reminded to the students on regular basis. If a true emergency broke out I feel it would be pandemonium. The classroom\u2019s desks and tables are arranged in a manner that would make a quick evacuation very difficult. Also, I don\u2019t know how useful the emergency window would be since we are on the third floor.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11583399","body":"Louis did you find goggle cabinets, eye washes, etc.? Just be a bit more explicit so I can get a handle on your understanding of the essential safety equipment and whether they meet, exceed, or fail.
\nThanks=)","dateCreated":"1241051281","smartDate":"Apr 29, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11574835","dateCreated":"1241036181","smartDate":"Apr 29, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"louisnu6","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/louisnu6","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11574835"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Lab Reflection","description":"Louis Jacklin
\nPeppered Moth Lab Reflection
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\nI did my lab on the Peppered Moth. This lab is going to be done on the 5th day of my Evolution Unit. This lab is tremendously critical to the unit because it clearly demonstrates how natural selection works.
\nI thought I did a nice job administering the Peppered Moth lab. I had a solid lesson plan which I followed. I have realized the most important part of teaching is good planning. If I put the time in planning than teaching is easy. When I am unprepared or shaky on the material (because I haven\u2019t planned properly) is when my lessons are not so good. This lab was well planned and therefore went well.
\n I was the last presentation of the day so everyone was a little tired. I gave a few loud claps to get everyone focused and settled. After that we got right into the lab. I started with providing background information about the lab. Students need background information about a lab before they begin, otherwise they don\u2019t even know what they are learning. After students were given background information we went over the safety procedures. The safety procedure was ONLY handle the tweezers while sitting. Now we were ready to begin the lab.
\n I passed out the necessary lab materials to everyone in the class, but told them not to begin. Whenever possible, I like to do experiments as a class. If we do experiments all together as a class it is easier to keep everyone on task and maximizes learning. I feel I did a good job chunking the directions, and keeping everyone on task. I even allowed the students to fill out one class data sheet. I think one class data sheet works best!!! This way if one student doesn\u2019t obtain the expected results at least they get to see what the majority of students data looked like. Then the student can even hypothesize why his\/her data was inconsistent with the class data. If the student with the incorrect data never got to see the class\u2019 data he\/she might remain befuddled.
\n At the end of lab we related the topic to a current issue. I asked the class to tell me a current species which is undergoing something like the Peppered Moth. Lydia came up with fish being affected by pollution. This was a perfect example. We discussed this as a class to further everyone\u2019s understanding.
\n Everything from the lab went exactly how I planned. I know this doesn\u2019t always happen, but it\u2019s nice when it does.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11583087","body":"Make sure to expand a bit to answer these questions:
\nLab Reflection Assignment: Use the rubric and these questions to guide your reflection: Critique yourself as your cooperating teacher would do \u2013 Did you engage the learners? Did exploration take place? How did you encourage deep understanding? Was the classroom under control? Was their transitions and closure? Do you have any idiosyncrasies? What did you do well? What could you improve on?","dateCreated":"1241050893","smartDate":"Apr 29, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11533429","dateCreated":"1240940953","smartDate":"Apr 28, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"emoreland","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/emoreland","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11533429"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Lab Reflection","description":"Erin Moreland
\nLab Reflection
\n
\n The lab I taught in class was my hook and my introduction into my unit on cells. The purpose of the lab, What is Life, is meant to stimulate interest and activate prior knowledge from the students. This lab addresses the misconceptions that students might have on defining life and the characteristics that is associated with living organisms.
\n The lab was broken up into two parts. In the first part, the students had to determine if the mystery object was living by using their knowledge and observations. The mystery object was glue in water. The object was supposed to be seen as a living organism because the glue drop was tiny, in a Petri dish, and it moved in the water. After five minutes, I led a group discussion about the mystery object and had the students share their answers. I thought the discussion went okay considering that I taught the lab to four graduate students. I am anticipating that when I teach this lab to middle or high school students that they will have many misconceptions on the definition of life and the characteristics that are common to all living organisms. I had trouble finding the right glue to use. I ended up using super glue that did not move in the water. A helpful suggestion I received was to use pencil shavings with the glue that way the object looked like it was engulfing particles.
\n For the second part of the lab, the students had to read a science fiction passage from the book The Andromeda Strain and answers questions that related to today\u2019s environmental issues. I tried to incorporate literacy into this lab by using the passage from The Andromeda Strain. The book is an interesting read with many though provoking questions. I decided to use this science fiction book it has been rated by California teachers to be one of the most interesting fictional books for students.
\n Overall, I think I taught my lab well. The lab flowed smoothly and the students participated. I was more confident in front of my peers. Since my lab was not very hands-on for the students, I tried to chunk and break up the lab. I gave the students opportunities in observation, written opinions, and ability to discuss any questions they might have.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11582981","body":"Make sure to thoroughly ansswer these questions after watching the video:Lab Reflection Assignment: Use the rubric and these questions to guide your reflection: Critique yourself as your cooperating teacher would do \u2013 Did you engage the learners? Did exploration take place? How did you encourage deep understanding? Was the classroom under control? Was their transitions and closure? Do you have any idiosyncrasies? What did you do well? What could you improve on?","dateCreated":"1241050793","smartDate":"Apr 29, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"11684657","body":" If I was a cooperating teacher, I would say that Erin started out strong but ended a little weak. Even though the lesson wasn\u2019t \u201chands-on\u201d, she still engaged the students by having them observe the mystery petri dish. The students had to use prior knowledge and observations to determine what characteristics define living organisms and whether or not the living organism was alive. Exploration did take place because the students were observing, discussing, and sharing their thoughts and opinions. After the students wrote down their observations, a teacher led discussion started to form. The students discussed the misconceptions about life and the characteristics that define life. Based on the student\u2019s definition of living, the class discussed if the mystery object was living.
\n Erin had nice transitions in between her lab lesson. Her lesson was broken up into two parts which scaffolded with one another. The first part of the lab talked about life, the characteristics that define life, and the many misconceptions about living organisms. The first part of the lesson led into the second part. The second part of the lab used the previous knowledge and information from the first part. The students had to evaluate and synthesize and article about the future. Students had to apply and interpret this knowledge to today\u2019s social issues.
\n The classroom was under control. The students were quiet and participated willingly. I believe this to be due to the fact that Erin taught to four graduate students. The students were smart and very knowledgeable. This made the discussion about what is life, very short. The discussion was suppose to last five minutes and it lasted about a minute.
\n Overall, if I was a cooperating teacher, I would say that Erin is on her way to becoming a great teacher. She still needs some more practice in the classroom. She did however, chunk and repeat her directions very well. Erin did not stand still but she kept moving between the students asking if they needed clarification. Her voice was loud and confident. She was always smiling and had a positive attitude. I think Erin could improve on her closure with the lesson. She had the students independently work on post lab questions for the remaining class time. Within the last two minutes of class, Erin should have got the students together and had a recap of the lesson. Erin\u2019s has some idiosyncrasies. She says \u201cum\u201d very often. Every now and then she brushes her hair out of her face.","dateCreated":"1241403992","smartDate":"May 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"emoreland","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/emoreland","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"11929459","body":"Nice reflection...VERY THOROUGH!!! I thought you did an excellent job of teaching! You have internalized suggestions from other lessons and have really improved. You used literacy, sontrusctivist strategies, and many strategies that we have talked about in class (chunking, re-focusing, re-iteration, etc.). Some suggestions: with the reading, how about a comprehension strategy? Like split page or boxes to the left to summarize? Your end of class...give exit slip and explain both before work time..overall great lesson and excellent reflection!!","dateCreated":"1241876832","smartDate":"May 9, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"11305447","dateCreated":"1240324156","smartDate":"Apr 21, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"emoreland","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/emoreland","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/monicabd.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/11305447"},"dateDigested":1532765251,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Safety Checklist","description":" The Niagara Falls High School has a safety plan that is very descriptive and detailed. Teachers are given the safety plan when they are first hired as a teacher. They keep the same safety plan unless it has been revised and updated, then the administration will hand out a new one. Every teacher is expected to read it and follow the guidelines. Many of the teachers have not read it. I could not find the safety plan in my science teacher\u2019s classroom and lab. My teacher remembers getting a safety plan but cannot recall any of the information in it. She has not read it and she does not know where her copy is. She says it is in her lab supply room somewhere. My teachers\u2019 classroom is her laboratory as well. The room is very crowded with lab desks and regular classroom desk. There are some wall cabinets on the left side of the room. There is a big closet in the back of the room as well. There is no available space for projects or continuing work. In the back of the room there is a safety wash station which contains a sink, eye wash, shower, and fire extinguisher. She does not have a safety blank in her class. There are no rules or procedures for an emergency posted anywhere in the room, not even near the safety station. The only rules I found was a tiny label on the fire extinguisher explaining how to use it. The fire extinguisher is an ABC one for all types of fires. I did not find a goggle wash station.
\n On the positive side, there are a sinks, electrical outlets, and gas for every set of work tables. There are 8 sinks with deep basins and working hot\/cold water. The maximum number of students working at a work station is 4. There is a phone in the room and two emergency exits. There is the door to the classroom and an escape window. My teacher is on the third floor! There is a hood with proper ventilation in the back of the classroom as well. There is proper lighting and technology too. There are two light switches which control the classroom lighting and there are shades on the window to keep out or let in any extra light. She has a labtop computer cart in her room at all times and a projector. My teacher does not keep any personal appliances in her classroom. She does not have a refrigerator or microwave in her room. She does not have an aquarium tank either so she does not need to work about plugging it into an outlet.
\n My opinion on the Niagara Falls High School lab safety policy is that it follows pretty closely with the NSTA regulations. The reason I think this is because the school was just built within the past ten years. The school is up-to-date and follows the safety procedures as best they can. The students are not well behaved so the labs they do are not that hands-on. The labs they do are not that dangerous. The students do the minimum number of hours and labs that are required for them to pass the curriculum. My teacher tries to do more internet labs that way the students are not fooling around with chemicals or throwing things. My teacher has a backroom for storage where she keeps her lab materials, goggles, and chemicals. She does not have any dangerous chemicals and she hardly ever needs the goggles for labs. The types of chemicals she keeps in the back room are glucose, starch, and iodine. Any dangerous chemicals are in the chemistry labs that have fire proof cabinets, separate waste bins, and proper storage facilities.
\n Overall the housekeeping for the lab and classroom is fair. The classroom is well kept and neat for having your classroom work as a lab as well. My teacher knows where everything is. She kept all papers and equipment away from the sinks and the safety wash station. There is no area in my teacher\u2019s classroom where the students cannot be supervised. In each class there are approximately 25 students but I don\u2019t think there is exactly 60 sq. ft. per student. The school has wireless internet access which allows each science room to have laptop computers and outlets. The classroom\/lab is an averaged room and it allows for wheelchair accessibility. There are two types of work benches, high and low ones. The benches are movable and set up on the outside of the room allowing for easy movement in the classroom. Everyone in the room has access and can perform experiments at one time.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"11583287","body":"Nice reflection Erin..you seem to have a grasp on the safety measures that are importnant and understand their importance!
\nHopefully you jogged the teachers memory about the safety guidelines. It is unfortunate that behavior prevents hand-on science. Do you think this is solely a problem in this class? Or is it an overall problem at the school?","dateCreated":"1241051131","smartDate":"Apr 29, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"monicabd","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/monicabd","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1220366901\/monicabd-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"11682189","body":"I think it is an overall problem in the school, more so in the younger grades. This class is a freshman clas. The students are not responsible as the juniors and seniors.","dateCreated":"1241398110","smartDate":"May 3, 2009","userCreated":{"username":"emoreland","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/emoreland","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}