Science Conference

2. Science Conference 22nd November Eureka Labs UCC Cork 9.30am -4.30pm

3. Overview of PDST Post-Primary Supports for Leading Learning in the 21st Century PDST Leadership Programmes Misneach.....New Principals Tánaiste.......New Deputy Principals Tóraíocht.....Aspiring Leaders accredited by Maynooth University Forbairt.......Experienced Principals & ALNs Spreagadh...NAPD & PDST collaboration • PDST Websites • www.pdst.ie • pdsttechnologyineducation.ie • scoilnet.ie (portal for resources) • teachercpd.ie (on-line courses) • ollscoil.net (ITE student awards) www.pdst.ie/schoolsupport School-Self Evaluation Teaching & Learning Framework; 6 Step SSE Process; gathering, collating & analysing relevant data; implementing the SIP for literacy, numeracy and any other area of teaching & learning. Literacy SSE & strategies for improving oral language, writing, reading comprehension, and the use of broadcast /digital media across the curriculum. Gaeilge Tacaíocht do mhúineadh & foghlaimnaGaeilge, FéinmheastóireachtScoilechomhmaith le tacaíochtlánGaeilge a sholáthar do scoileanna san airneállánghaelachagusGhaeltachta . Numeracy SSE & strategies for implementing problem solving, estimation, a common approach to maths language and a numeracy rich environment across the curriculum. Assessment for Learning (AfL) Learning outcomes/context of learning/success criteria; effective feedback; questioning; Bloom’s Taxonomy; self and peer-assessment strategies e.g. rubrics. • Subjects /Programmes & Generic Support • Health & Wellbeing – PE, SPHE, mental health, anti-bullying and promoting the welfare & protection of students • Junior & Leaving Certificate subject support & planning • JCSP, TY, LCA & LCVP programme support • School planning (policies) • Co-operative learning • ICT for teaching & learning • Differentiation/mixed ability teaching • Integrating ICT • eAssessments & ePortfolios – Mahara, Google Apps for Education... • ePlanning & Collaboration – Google Apps for Education..... • Tablet Technology Integration – Effective use, pedagogy...... • Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) – Google Classroom, Edmodo • SSE – On-line tools for gathering, collating & analysing relevant data • Visual - Visualisers, Animoto, Wordle, Tagxedo, Photo-story.... • Auditory – Audacity, Vocaroo, Audioboo...... • Reading comprehension – Freerice, Studystack, Quizlet...... • Kinaesthetic – Tarzia, Cube Creator...... Models of support: whole staff days (circular 002/2014), Croke Park hours, subject departments/groups of teachers/co-ordinators (circular 0043/2014) It is essential to fill out the on-line application form @ www.pdst/schoolsupport in order for your application to be considered

4. Biology Workshop Agenda • Outline cooperative learning strategies • Reading strategies • Jigsaw Technique • Improve learning in group work by • Including all learners • Provide Challenge to Very Able Students • Must –should – could cards • Motivating and engaging students • Relating biology to everyday life

5. What is Cooperative Learning Cooperative learning is the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their own and each other's learning (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1993). Within cooperative learning groups students discuss the material to be learned with each other, help and assist each other to understand it, and encourage each other to work hard.

7. IndividualismI am in this alone • Each student works alone • Each strives for his/her own success • What benefits self does not effect others • Each celebrates with their own success • Rewards are viewed as unlimited • Evaluation is by comparing performance to a pre-set criteria

8. CompetitionI swim, you sink • Individuals work against each other to achieve a goal only one or a few can attain • Each student works alone • Students want to outshine each other • What benefits one student deprives other students • Students celebrate their own successes or others failures • Students are ranked from best to worst

9. CooperationWe all either sink or swim together • Students share the same learning goals and work together to achieve them • Students work in small groups • What benefits one benefits all • All strive for each other’s success • Joint success is celebrated • Evaluation is by comparing performance to previously agreed success criteria

10. In every class, there is room for: • Individual Learning • Competitive Learning • Cooperative Learning

11. Rationale for Cooperative Learning • Weak students working individually give up when they get stuck; working cooperatively, they keep going. • Strong explaining and clarifying material to weaker students can find gaps in their own understanding and fill them in. • Students working alone tend to delay completing assignments or skip them altogether, working cooperatively they are motivated to do the work in a timely manner

12. Why Cooperative Learning

13. Cooperative Learning Think Teams not Groups According to Fortune 500 Companies: The Top Skills sought by employers 1970 • READING • COMPUTATION • WRITING 2010 • INTERPERSONAL SKILLS • PROBLEM SOLVING • TEAMWORK

14. What is a Team?Teams differ from groups because they include the following basic elements of cooperative learning: • Goals/Success Criteria / are shared • Information is circulated • Roles are assigned • Materials are managed • Teammates depend on each other to complete tasks successfully • Students gain respect for each other’s contributions to the team

15. Five Elements of Co-operative Learning • Positive Interdependence • Individual and Group Accountability • Group Processing • Social Skills • Face-to-face Promotive Interaction Taken from: Circles of Learning: Cooperation in the Classroom (Revised Edition) D.W. Johnson, R.T. Johnson and Edythe Johnson Holubec. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986

16. Teams work best when they sit… Knee to knee Eye to eye

17. Roles in Group Projects

18. Benefits of Cooperative Learning • Increased Achievement • Increase in Positive Relationships • Greater Intrinsic Motivation • Higher Self-Esteem • More “On-Task” Behavior • Better Attitudes Toward Teachers and School Johnson & Johnson 2005 Newsletter Article on PDST website

19. Additional Benefits of Cooperative Learning… • Students take responsibility for their own learning • Students translate “teacher talk” into “student speak” for their peers • Students engage in “cognitive collaboration.” They must reorganize their thoughts to explain ideas to classmates • Students have FUN learning • Students social nature is used to their advantage

20. Bonuses for High Achievers • Higher levels of achievement • Even greater retention of information due to “cognitive rehearsal” • Development of key skills: • Social • Leadership • Communication • Decision Making • Problem Solving • Conflict Resolution

21. Ecology Positive interdependence Face-to-face promotiveinteraction

22. Cooperative Note-taking PairsCheck - in Directions in Brief • While teaching, stop periodically for a check-in. • Instruct students to skim their partners’ notes looking for: • information they missed • information partners have incorrectly noted 3. Students retrieve their own notes and make any needed changes.

23. Keys • Get students to work together to make their own keys • Good practice to clarify understanding of classification • Useful for introducing students to flora and fauna • Decide in your groups what roles you would assign to students

24. Try it in practiceMake a key – swap groups

25. Key Words to support Differentiation Ask Yes/No Questions • Number of Legs • Segmented Body • Wings • Shell • Antennae • Strips on body

26. Individual Accountability One member will be randomly picked to explain the group’s answers • CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSAcceptable answers on all questions • EXPECTED BEHAVIOURSChecking for understanding, encouraging everyone’s participation • INTERGROUP COOPERATIONWhen you finish, compare your answers with those of another group

28. Simulations Example: Predator Prey Simulations Get students to explain the graphs in pairs Ladybirds When using simulations – always give students questions Use cooperative groups to enhance learning

29. ROUND TABLE • Objective: to get students to recall, summariseor brainstorm • Directions: State the problem, topic or issue Distribute one sheet of paper to each group Give a time limit and ask students to begin to write

30. Round Table The table should summarise what has been learned about cooperative learning.

31. Follow me Quizzes Series of Activities • Follow me Game • Clock • PowerPoint • Homework

32. Follow Me Clock

33. Homework Q. What substance do plants possess that allows them to carry out photosynthesis? A: Q. What is a primary producer. A: A. Q. What are secondary consumers? A. Q. Explain the term consumer. A.

34. Q. What is a primary producer.

35. Ecology Resources • PDST Website • Equipment PPT • Abiotic Equipment Measurement PPT • Key identification ppt • Capture Recapture ppt

36. Station Outlines

37. Station 1 - Microbiology Focus - Inclusivity As teachers we don’t just differentiate by content we differentiate by process Cooperative learning allows all students to access information at a level suitable to their ability

38. Tasks for Station 1 • Complete the Diamond Nine bacteria Activity • Fill me in: • Bacteria Nutrition Revision • Structure of typical Bacterial Cell • Rhizopus Structure • Rhizopus Reproduction Revision • Activity on Diversity of Organisms • Antibiotic PowerPoint & Sort cards • Comprehension – • Scientists • Ebola • Bacterial Population Change

39. Microbiology • Divide into pairs • The group divides up the activities • In pairs take a few minutes to explore your activities using the evaluation sheet guidelines • When ready feedback to other members in the group how the resources could be used in the classroom

40. Question Discuss how each of these activities could be differentiated for your students

41. Station 2 Reading Comprehension Student task Read and answer the questions COOPERATIVE One set of answers from the group, everyone must agree, everyone must be able to explain the group’s answer INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY One member will be randomly picked to explain the group’s answers

42. Tasks for Station 2 • SMOG Test ( readability according to age) • Read and explain pairs to help gain meaning from text • My little book methodology • Comprehensions from exams and tips • Make your own differentiated questions from articles or from biology basher book

43. Station 3- Applied Biology Focus - Provide challenge for very able students Relate the syllabus to everyday life Engage students

44. Selection of Articles • NBSS newsletters • Online articles • Relating companies in Ireland and products to the biology course • Science in the news – relate it to course • Articles with questions • Articles without questions

45. Tasks for Station 3 • Adapt Articles that are provided • For articles without questions make “could cards” for your more able students • Look up websites to find articles related to the course to engage high ability students • Think of other ideas for could cards and write them on flashcards

46. Websites for Articles Sciencenews.org bbc.com/news/science_and_environment/ http://www.eurekalert.org/kidsnews/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ App that you can use as teacher ZITE for both android and apple

47. Problems with Research • A website that tracks retractions is: http://retractionwatch.com/ • If you browse this you will get a lot of information.  A few Irish entries are at: http://retractionwatch.com/?s=IRELAND • There is a Wiki article and a list of the top ten retractions: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/38743/title/Top-10-Retractions-of-2013/

48. Social Skills • Cooperative groups are developed over time • Students need to be taught how to collaborate and work together • They need to articulate what collaboration “Looks like” and “Sounds like” • Use T Charts as a teaching and learning methodology in the classroom

49. Key Social Skills for Cooperative Learning • Listening • Contributing Ideas • Checking for Understanding • Encouraging • Summarising • Asking Questions • Respecting Each Other

50. “What children can do together today, they can do alone tomorrow.” Vygotsky, 1965