Design Project: Introduction

        The Periodic Table is arranged according to Periodic Law. The Periodic Law states that when elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number, their physical and chemical properties show a periodic pattern. Students can discover these patterns by examining the changes in properties of elements on the Periodic Table. The properties that will be examined in this lesson are: atomic radius, first ionization energy, and electronegativity.
        The ‘Domain of Knowledge’ for this learning experience is the Periodic Table of Elements in general. The main concept for this unit will be discovering that this table does exist, why it is necessary, and how it can be useful. Specifically, this lesson will look at the trends of the Periodic Table of Elements.
       This lesson is important for everyone to learn because it teaches the student more about the world around them. It is crucial to learn science because one day this knowledge may be useful. For example, you’re a marketing major looking for a job and there’s an opening at a paint company you will be able to sell that paint much easier if you are able to discuss intelligently with the research chemist about the product you are trying to sell. Also it is important to learn about many different topics so that you are a well-rounded person.
     

  Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (1834-1907) was also known as the ‘father of the Periodic Table, started out by creating a card for each of the 63 known elements. Each card contained the element's symbol, atomic weight and its characteristic chemical and physical properties. When Mendeleev arranged the cards on a table in order of ascending atomic weight grouping elements of similar properties together the periodic table was formed. From this table, Mendeleev developed his statement of the periodic law and published his work On the Relationship of the Properties of the Elements to their Atomic Weights in 1869. From this periodic table, many trends in the chemical and physical properties of the elements are able to be seen based on column, row, and sometimes even diagonal trends.
        There are many projects that are able to be made from the periodic table, for example: Periodic Table bingo, presentation on your favorite element which could include making that element into a ‘superhero’ and creating a comic strip based on that character. Discussion is a key tool for this learning experience since these trends will be completely new concepts so after watching videos or reading about the trends in their text book, whole class discussions would initially benefit everyone the most. 

Design Project: Introduction

Design Project: TPACK

Design Project: Relation to Project Tomorrow

Design Project: Organization

Design Project: Conditions for Classroom

Design Project: Resources/Webliography

Design Project: TPACK

• How and why do the particular technologies used in this TELE “fit” the content selected?

The two technologies selected for the learning experience fit the content well since videos are great for action and moving parts.  The visual comparisons that are able to be made with the simulations aid in the students understanding of the periodic trends.  Since the three concepts being covered are in fact trends that means that things are changing and change is much easier to understand if it is seen rather than heard.

Fact-based interactive scenarios, where students are able to explore a problem, can assists with student problem-solving, decision making and interpretation of data or observations in a real-world context.

• How and why do the particular technologies used in this TELE “fit” the instructional strategies you selected?

These videos and simulations help aid the instructional strategies I’ve made because I know there are some students who find it difficult to learn from just listening to my lectures or reading their text. It is more straightforward for the students to understand electronegativity when you can actually see the two atoms interacting rather than just hearing me explain it to them.  The limitations of the videos is that I need to find the right video so that it truly relates to the specific topic at hand this is sometimes easier said than done.  Another limitation of the videos is the lack of interaction it allows the students to have, but this shortcoming is covered by having simulations and interactive websites.                                                           

• How and why do the content, instructional strategies, and technologies used all fit together in this TELE?

These three concepts: content, technology and pedagogy come together by making sure that the technology fits well with both the content I am trying to teach and at the same time it fits with the way I want to explain that information to my students.  The main point of this lesson is to enhance the students’ conceptual knowledge specifically. The students will do a handful of tasks throughout this learning experience.  They will watch videos, participate in online simulations, and also discuss their findings, all of which involve some aspect of technology.

Design Project: Introduction

Design Project: TPACK

Design Project: Relation to Project Tomorrow

Design Project: Organization

Design Project: Conditions for Classroom

Design Project: Resources/Webliography

Design Project: Relation to Project Tomorrow

         Modern students are very interested in using their own technology in class. Through my research with Project Tomorrow about cell phones I found there are many applications for cell phone use in a school environment.  Many teenagers today have their own cell phones, and most of those even have internet access which they use all the time outside of school.  If the students did have an I-Phone or an I-Pad they would be able to go to the interactive websites or videos at their own desk so depending on the number of students with this type of phone we would be able to potentially break into small groups and work on different but related concepts.  This increase in cell phone use can boost communication since it gives me, their teacher, another way of contacting them.  I can text them links to videos that they need to watch as their homework.  This use of new technologies helps with teaching because if the students aren’t able to understand a certain concept after I’ve explained it then by either visually seeing it played out in a video or working hands on in a simulation/interactive website the student are now given two new ways to potentially understand the information.  As we all know not everyone learns the same way so being able to incorporate new ways of presenting information is always helpful for the students.

Design Project: Introduction

Design Project: TPACK

Design Project: Relation to Project Tomorrow

Design Project: Organization

Design Project: Conditions for Classroom

Design Project: Resources/Webliography

Design Project: Conditions for Classroom Technology innovation

I can most relate to Anne and her story of trying to integrate technology through presentations in her math classes because she did not encounter any resistance from fellow teachers. In fact, some of her colleagues wanted to do her lesson plan as well.  This is very applicable to my learning experience since many science teachers today are already including interactive activities, simulations, and videos to support their lesson plans.  The distance from school culture in this case is very small which is similar to the distance from existing practice since the use of these technologies to demonstrate scientific concepts is regular.  The biggest obstacle I feel I will run into with this learning experience will be if the internet is down or if the sites I want to show the students are blocked by internet filters.  Another issue for the students for using videos is that while they make certain concepts easier to visualize they aren’t interactive so some students may not pay attention.  However, the interactive sites are great for students who are more visual and hands on learners.  It allows those students who are unable to imagine how atomic radii change over a range of elements to actually see the differences played out in a simulation. 

I feel that technology should be used in the class room if for no other reason than to make learning more fun/interesting for students.  I feel very confident in my ability (as the innovator) to use technology successfully in the classroom.  I think with chemistry it would be most useful to incorporate videos (animated) which are able to show moving parts of an atom which are unable to be seen with the naked eye. 

I think it would be a great idea to take the students on a field trip to tour a local business’s lab so they would be able to see how chemistry knowledge is applied in an everyday work setting.

Design Project: Introduction

Design Project: TPACK

Design Project: Relation to Project Tomorrow

Design Project: Organization

Design Project: Conditions for Classroom

Design Project: Resources/Webliography

Design Project: Resources/ Webliography

The Periodic Table of Videos. http://www.periodicvideos.com/. 6/12/2012.  This website is both interactive and has a video on every element.  In which it describes how that specific element relates to those surrounding it creating the trends we see.

Dartmouth College Periodic Puzzle. Dartmouth College Periodic Puzzle. 6/12/2012.  This interactive table displays trends through colors. It is also a puzzle so that you have to put the periodic table back together.

You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGM-wSKFBpo 6/12/2012. This video is a fun way to introduce the periodic table in general before staring to talk about the specifics.  Plus it's a little funny.

You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywqg9PorTAw 6/12/2012.  This is a wonderful informational video specifically on ionization energy.  It explains the concept in a way that is easy to follow.

A Brief History of the Developement of the Periodic Table. http://www.wou.edu/las/physci/ch412/perhist.htm. 6/12/2012.  This was the resource used for the history of the periodic table.

Harris, J and Hofer, M. (2009) Instructional Planning Activity Types as Vehicles for  Curriculum-Based TPACK Development.  This paper was used to analyze the learning experience based on the technology, content, and pedagogical implications.

You Tube. http://ww.youtube.com/watch?v=XMLd-O6PgVs. 6/12/2012.  This video explains the rest of the periodic trends: electronegativity and atomic radius. 

Zhao, Yong.; Pugh, Kevin.; Sheldon, Stephen. “Conditions for classroom technology innovations.” Teachers College Record, v. 104 issue 3, 2002, p. 482-515.

Periodic Table Trends. http://www.lynchburg.net/hhs/chemistry/trends/. 6/12/2012.  This is a great website for displaying IE, Electronegativity, and AR trends through graphs.

Design Project: Introduction

Design Project: TPACK

Design Project: Relation to Project Tomorrow

Design Project: Organization

Design Project: Conditions for Classroom

Design Project: Resources/Webliography

Design Project: Organization

The classroom is a typical one, twenty or so students sitting at their individual desks facing the front of the class.  At the front the teacher is describing their goals for the week.  This week’s lesson is periodic trends. The goal of today is a short lecture to introduce the topic followed by a few videos, and finally end with a discussion on the concepts covered in the videos. The students all pull out their notebooks and pens in order to take notes during the lecture and videos; they were instructed to write down any questions or comments they have during the video presentation.  After the brief intro describing the ideas being discussed in the videos, the teacher begins the show.  As soon as the lights go off some of the students are looking attentively at the screen while others look as though they are preparing to take a nap.  The teacher circulates around the room and tells these students to pay attention or their notes from the films will be collected for points.  The links for the videos shown in class can be seen here:

http://ww.youtube.com/watch?v=XMLd-O6PgVs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywqg9PorTAw

After the video a discussion followed where some students who were still having trouble visualizing the concept of ionization energy asked questions.  Some of the other students were able to answer their questions.  The teacher ended the day by assigning homework.

The second day of the TELE there is much more freedom for the students.  The class is given a handout with questions on the periodic trends which they need to answer by visiting specific websites the teacher has given them.  The IT department brought over a labtop cart so that each student would have their own computer to work at.  The students move their desks so that they work in small groups.  As they work, the teacher circulates around the room to make sure the students are visiting the allowed sites as well as to answer any questions that arise. The website links can be seen here:

Dartmouth College Periodic Puzzle.

http://www.periodicvideos.com/.

http://www.lynchburg.net/hhs/chemistry/trends/

One of the websites that the teacher gave to the students to visit isn’t working.  It is being blocked by the school’s internet filter so the teacher called IT and asked for someone to add the website to the allowed school sites.  After a few minutes the students were permitted to peruse the simulation.

On the third day of the lesson, the topics are reviewed by the teacher and she posed questions to the students to measure their level of understanding.  The teacher also asked them which form of technology they felt best help them understand the content, her initial power point introduction lecture, the videos, or the websites/simulations.

This lesson is specific to chemistry so it is single disciple; however, this teacher expressed her openness to having interdisciplinary lessons.

Design Project: Introduction

Design Project: TPACK

Design Project: Relation to Project Tomorrow

Design Project: Organization

Design Project: Conditions for Classroom

Design Project: Resources/Webliography

Project Tomorrow