So much Science, So little time...

Snowday #10.  Last night I lay awake watching the most recent snow event,  hoping to have school.  Any other year I would never have even considered these thoughts, but this year is one for the records!  It has been since before Thanksgiving that we have had a 5 day week of instruction.  That coupled with the fact that we have had 10 legitimate snow days means that I am a few weeks behind where I normally am in the content.




I thought that perhaps the powers that be would possibly understand this and push back the OGT.   They have decided to extend the time for the OAA's, OAA Extension but not the OGT. So unless some sort of act of enlightenment happens at the state level, it looks like March madness is about to come a few weeks early!  Let me make this my official plea to any of our elected officials, please consider backing up the OGT by 1 week, possibly 2. 




Strategy time: How does one cover 8 crucial chapters in just three weeks? I wish I had the cure all for any one of us in this situation.  But here are some important items to focus on.  We can deconstruct the new standards all we want, but the truth of the matter is this year's OGT is based off of both the old standards and the new standards.  Although, ironically, when I went to the link that was supposed to share more about this, the ODE web link was no longer valid.




If you don't know, I am high school science teacher.  My course load includes physics, physical science and biology.   Biology is the class I have to deeply focus on to ensure they have everything they need to pass this year's OGT.


How am I going to try to get this done? I have revamped my lesson plans about 4 times now, removing activities and labs that I usually include to help deepen students understanding.  I still need to cover Human Genetics, Natural Selection, Evolution, The history of the earth, Genetic drift, population ecology, population growth, Hardy-Weinberg (this could be on there this year), ecology, food webs, biomass/energy pyramids and succession.  Yikes!


Through out lectures + Through out lengthy labs and lab reports+  student buy in= customized curriculum  to the extremes.


I have taken the standards that I have not covered, and created an activity where the students are going to need to tell me their comfort level.  If they know it and they have it, then we are not going to be spending time on it.  They are first going to share with me how comfortable they are with those indicators, and then complete a couple of questions and mini exploration activity with it.  If they "ace" it, they can move on.  This could be a complete chaotic mess, but I have to try something to get them where they need to be.   If you have ANY tricks up your sleeves that might be able to help me pull of this Herculean effort, I would be happy to listen!


I will link the set up later once I get it completed if you are interested!  Here  are some other helpful links for OGT


OGT Science Workbook


Food Webs / Food Pyramids


The 10th grade science standards


Evolution concept map

The World:"Tag Your It!" Me: "You can't Tag Me, I'm On BASE!!"

The Conversation I have been Having Lately:

The World:"Tag Your It!" 

Me: "You can't Tag Me, I'm On BASE!!"

But what does it mean to be "on base" ?  Does it mean refuge?  Does it mean safety?  Does it mean that you are in a place where no one can get you, even if they try?  Who came up with the idea?

I certainly don't think it was adults.  I believe, from watching my children, that they have had this concept and we stole it from them.  Kids acknowledge the need to take a break from all of the craziness of the game, and therefore invented base.  They do this in their lives as well.  When my four year old is tired, and the world has taken all that she has to give: she just sleeps.  Children seem to inherently know when they've has enough and they are wise enough to listen to their bodies.  Do we do that?  Rarely!

There are some exceptions of people that I know who have learned how to say, enough world.. I'm on base.  My goal for 2012 has been to find a way to get on base and stay there as long as productively possible.  This is a very find balance.  First I had to determine where base it.  And I must say that I have two bases.  Jesus and Jim :)  My family is awesome, and they are the people that I go to all of the time, and they in their own ways are bases too.  But there is not other bases like the fore mentioned. 

Jesus is my primary base.  He is there for me whenever and wherever I am.  I can take his truths with me where ever I go, and they never steer me wrong.   That doesn't mean I always listen to them.. I am learning (still after all of these years).  This Lenten season I have reflected on the man of Jesus Christ, and how spectacular of a person he would have been to walk with in the flesh.  However, I do feel as if he walks with me and that is groovy beyond words! 

Then there is Jim.  I got the idea of this blog when I was having a brief conversation with him this afternoon.  Emma and Noah are both sick, and I wanted to call and update him on their status.  He was busy so the time wasn't there for the conversation.  I asked him to call me back, because " I just wanted to touch base" .

"I just wanted to touch base" is a phrase that I have said to Jim for years.  Pretty much since I was 16.  Even during brief period of not dating, we would always touch base.  Now this phrase is often said amongst friends,  family or even co-workers to  convey the very gist of what was happening.. a sort of briefing of events.  And I will be honest, there are times THAT is what couples conversations can easily become.  "an evening update,.. this just in, your daughter attempted to use her skirt as a parachute and we were able to stop her just in time"  also "In other news, we are out of milk, toilet paper and dog food" .  But then there is the moment when the world is getting ready to tag me...

Just when the world almost tags  me, BASE !  Jim is my base.. and I think that is why we are such an awesome couple, and have been successful at making farming work.  Its not perfect, but when I look back at the accomplishments we have made, I think we have done so well because we are each others bases.  Here's to keeping agriculture strong, and here's to my base on earth! :)

World:  "Tag your it!" Me: You can't Tag me, I have the best base you could ask for! 

Meeting Bill Nye

Yesterday I was given the opportunity to meet the man who has helped make science so available and understandable to so many of my students.  Bill Nye, the science guy, was a wonderful speaker, sharing so much of his background and his views of the responsibilities of the current and future generations.  He challenged us to "save the world" and yet did not give us the instructions on how to do this.

Frustrating?  Not at all!  It is right in line with everything that we, as science teachers and scientists, preach.  THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD!!!!  Remember all of those posters you would see in the science classrooms about the scientific method?  Observations, problem statement, hypothesis, background research, observations, experimental design, experimentation, more observations, analysis, conclusion and then share with everyone and "SAVE THE WORLD" !!

Among his captivating stories of his family's background, his personal journey and lots of sundial references, the theme that overtook the evening was:  "its up to us".  This seems so cliche, but in reality it is the truth beyond truth. 

Projections show that our population with be at 12 billion in less then 50 years, that is a lot of people to feed, and enormous about of energy to be spent and an unfathomable amount of diapers (sorry.. gotta remember that I have small children).  How do we deal with the needs of the people, the needs of environment and the needs of the Earth?  Well, as Bill put it last night, the earth will be just fine.  Actually the way the earth is going, it will become quite nice for cockroaches, rats and jellyfish.  The problem is, I really want humans to have the opportunity to hang around a long while.

Therefore, I challenge you, come up with a way to reduce our energy usage, research it, and then.. SAVE THE WORLD!!!!

Ohio eTech Adventure

Well, this year like every year finds me on Sunday night unable to sleep! Why? Because I am so incredibly excited to share with my fellow teachers of Ohio what we have been doing in class.  There is so much more that I could be doing (which is why I am so excited to learn as much as possibe from everyone else)  That being said.. I think I have stumble onto something really good.. and easy.. and life applicable.  So, I am sure that I should organize my links for my presentation in some format of ease.. which is the reason for this blog.  Here are the links that I used, and/or referred to within my presentation.  If you have any questions, suggestions or comments for me please feel free to email or tweet.

My email: n.gordon-coy@svlocal.org

The starting video: The Social Media Revolution is an excellent video to get people pumped about using social media.  Granted.. it is targeted for marketing.  But the way I look at it, education is a highly specialized for of marketing.  The link for that is Social Media Revolution  I have a student who, after seeing this.. said he felt that he had was in an African village where water had just been delivered... :)  I agree.. social media can be very revitalizing!

I don't think I need to list the twitter address, but for the sake of spelling it all out, just go to twitter.com and create an account. 

I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to talk much about google + but, here is a great quick video that explains the differences between facebook and google +  Google plus video

The main source of my presentation is the Ohio Farm Bureau's Social media Guide.  This frequently updated document has been a huge help to me as I learn my way through all of the different Social Media's out there.  OFBF SM Guide

I am looking forward to sharing and talking with you if you stop by! :) 3:45 Monday, Feb 13, 2012 Union B :)

The stress of stress :)

I am sitting here in my teacher desk, observing my students take their midterm exam.  I will be the first to admit that I am not what I would consider a difficult teacher.  I try to listen to my students, understand the stresses that they going through and set them up for a situation where they can be successful.  That being said.. it is exam week and students are under an extreme amount of stress.  Why?  The exam I am giving is not hard in my opinion, but fair.  They are given a 5 question curve off the top to account for questions that they may not know, and the mother of all gifts: ITS OPEN NOTES and TESTS!!!!   This all being taken into account, what result to I get?  Well.. They are still taking it so I cannot tell you, but I can say that the students are all focused, I haven't seen any wondering eyes, and the best part: 45 minutes into the exam and no one has turned it in yet.  I generally always have 3-4 students who fly through it, not caring about what their score is in the end.  I think this is because they feel like they don't have a hope or a prayer.  But allowing my students to use their notes (a product of their efforts through the semester) and their former tests (if they took the time to correct them, they are smiling right now)  has empowered them in a way that I have never seen.  I am not saying that all teachers should make all exams open notes, open former tests or let them know there is a curve right off the bat.. but for my students it has allowed them to get rid of "the stress.. of stress" and settle into a true assessment of their character and ability.   I love my job! I may not be the most conventional teacher on the block, and some may ridicule my strategy.. but if each of their parents could see them right now.. and effort that they are putting into this exam, I think they would be proud.

The Man Who Fed The World - Norman Borlaug

In AP biology we have been doing a book study to add to our view of where we fit into the ever-expanding food production chain.  In class we have learned a great deal about the "chemistry of life" and what that means to the growth of plants and animals.  This is all well and good, but without deeper meaning, I feel at times this information would be fruitless.  My hope is that in this book study we can follow the life of Norma Borlaug, and find inspiration in his humble beginnings, and find direction with his life story. 

Its hard to know just what you want " to do with your life" as it is often asked.  "Ali, what do you want to do with your life?", " Adam, What do you want to be when you grow up?"  I am often the one asking these questions of my students.  I can see this as the pot calling the kettle black, because I do not know yet what I want to do "when I grow up".  I believe we are all on a path and that we are not finished with our grooming for a very long time, if ever.

Do we have a vision for our future?  Can we envision a future for the world, made better by our being here? That is what we are trying to uncover on this adventure! :)

Being Content Providers

As we have adventured through the the scientific process, my students have been sharing articles that captured their attention and imaginations.  Next week they will start rolling out their research papers.  These research papers will be the preface of their independent laboratory studies.  I am very proud of their accomplishments and the knowledge they have gained from the use of social media.  They are becoming quite the content providers and will be able to carry these skills far into the future!   If you would like to follow along with their research, some of the students blogs are linked to at the right of this blog.  Also, I encourage you to follow the hashtag #svscience for more of their links and thoughts!  Here's to the new adventure of backyard and basement scientists!