Blog #8

Using PowerPoint to Support Student Learning 
Bloom's Taxonomy is meant to organize and clarify objectives for teachers and students. To apply this to a PowerPoint, I would first include definitions and lists of important terms on one slide. Then, I would use the next slide to describe the listed terms and  provide space for further explanation and discussion of definitions. On the next slide, I would either have instructions for a quick in-class assignment or would have a prompt for students to answer. Both would engage students in solving some problem or otherwise applying the knowledge to a given situation. After this, I would use the next few slides to compare and contrast different terms and to relate them to other subjects or material. Next, I could have a video on a slide that the students watch and then critique based upon the information they just learned. Finally, I would use the last slide to provide instruction for a project that is meant for them to investigate the subject further and to design a model and make conjectures.


For instance, on our classification unit, I would use the first slides to define binomial nomenclature. Then, I would describe this concept further, specifying which level of classifications are used in the nomenclature and having students answer why broader classifications aren't used. Then, I'd have them do a quick activity on nomenclature. After this, the next slides would contrast binomial nomenclature with layman's or conventional names. Next, I would provide examples of binomial nomenclature and relate it to Latin and Greek, in order to show that knowing these languages could help you determine specific qualities of a species just based on its name (and vice versa). Next, I could show a video on binomial nomenclature and how it's used in the scientific community, then have students discuss it. Finally, I could use the last PowerPoint slide to give students a rundown of their classification homework/project.


WebQuest Assignment 
I really enjoyed the WebQuest assignment, as I felt I could really role play as an environmental science teacher in this assignment. And while I have had experience building websites before (using Wix and WordPress), I've never used Weebly before, so I enjoyed figuring out to use this platform and to create a class page WebQuest. I can say that Weebly is a bit more limiting that the other platforms I've used, but it is very easy to use and creates good websites. Next time, I could probably improve it by taking a bit more time to play around with alignment,  coloration, and font. 

Commented On: 
-Morgan's EME 2040: "Blog #8"
-Mallory's Blog: "Blog #8"