This weekend, I posted a link to an international assessment test in response to a story about a school board member in Florida who tried taking that state's 10th grade assessment test and failing it pretty badly. I thought that maybe parents would like to try some of the questions being asked of their children.
Today The Washington Post actually developed two short quizzes, one in math and one in reading, from some of the published questions from the FCAT, the actual test that the school board member took. This allows us to try some of the questions from the test to see if we agree with the board member that the questions were irrelevant to the skills needed after graduation.
I took the reading quiz, and got all seven questions right, which I expected since English and the humanities were my strengths in school. All seven questions related to analyzing the words and the meanings of two poems, which, while valuable, probably a minority of people do after they complete their formal education. I would say that the questions related to vocabulary and interpreting literature in general, but they were not directly related to the reading skills most people need in the workplace. (Note: I'm not saying the test should necessarily be all about that, but I believe that was the argument that this board member was making.)
Then I took the math quiz, which was my weakest subject in high school, and was pleasantly surprised to get six out of the seven questions right (and the one I got wrong had to do with square roots, and I had no clue what some of the potential answers even meant). But I think I lucked out on the test questions, because so many of they were graph interpretations or geometry or other math areas that I'm better at than what I think of as hard-core math...like the square root business. I probably would have done much worse if there had been more questions. According to the Washington Post, the math questions were also easier as a whole than the reading questions. But because most of the questions related to ratios or graph interpretation, etc., I think most of these samples were the type of math people use in their post-school life. Square roots---well, I never use them in "real life" (other than helping my son with his math), but maybe other people have more need for them in their daily affairs.
So, personally, the samples I took seemed like they were appropriate to the age level and setting. But I would be glad to hear what other people think. I think it is really important that when we discuss assessment, we have some actual experience of what the assessment questions are like.
The Post also had links to some samples for the state assessment tests in California, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Maryland, so you can check those out as well.
Showing posts with label online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Starting Social Media Education in Middle School
From their 2011 survey of the top 500 college admission office, Kaplan Test Prep reported that:
In general, I'm not one to start the college preparation madness in middle school. It's bad enough how positioning oneself to be attractive to colleges can overtake one's high school education, so I would prefer we protect our middle schoolers from that as much as possible.
However, as I've been reading some college entrance preparation stuff lately, I've come to agree with what many experts say. I think students should be educated about the potential consequences of what they post online in such public places as their (non-school protected) blogs, Facebook pages, and other social media.
Current legislation has most places, including Blogger and Facebook, restrict accounts to people who are 13 and up. So they are aiming for high school and up, but most students turn 13 in middle school. In addition, many students establish accounts when they are underage, with or without their parents' knowledge or permission. (Full disclosure: I allowed our son to create a blog when he was underage, but with the agreement that his account was under my supervision as a legal-age adult and that I would review his posts and had the ultimate decision to remove any posts I thought were unappropriate.)
Typically, formal social media instruction is given in high school, but apparently students are finding that by then, it is too late. Students can delete regrettable posts and comments, but since at least one poll found that 75% of high schoolers "friend" someone they have never met, they often find that their most embarrassing items have been spread around the net and it is impossible to eradicate them.
So this is a matter that can vary tremendously among families and even individuals in the same family. However, if your middle schooler is blogging, or commenting on blogs, or doing Facebook or other public social sites, then I advise you to be having a conversation with your young adolescent about how these "funny" posts, photos, or comments could come back to haunt them in a few years.
- Nearly a quarter (24%) reviewed publicly-accessible webpages and social media sites of their applicants to get a complete picture of the candidates;
- About one fifth (20%) Googled their candidates;
- For around one eight (12%), things that they discovered online, including admissions of underage drinking, photos of inappropriate behavior, the use of vulgarity in blogs and comments, and evidence of plagiarism and copyright infringement, had negatively affected the admission chances of the candidates in question.
In general, I'm not one to start the college preparation madness in middle school. It's bad enough how positioning oneself to be attractive to colleges can overtake one's high school education, so I would prefer we protect our middle schoolers from that as much as possible.
However, as I've been reading some college entrance preparation stuff lately, I've come to agree with what many experts say. I think students should be educated about the potential consequences of what they post online in such public places as their (non-school protected) blogs, Facebook pages, and other social media.
Current legislation has most places, including Blogger and Facebook, restrict accounts to people who are 13 and up. So they are aiming for high school and up, but most students turn 13 in middle school. In addition, many students establish accounts when they are underage, with or without their parents' knowledge or permission. (Full disclosure: I allowed our son to create a blog when he was underage, but with the agreement that his account was under my supervision as a legal-age adult and that I would review his posts and had the ultimate decision to remove any posts I thought were unappropriate.)
Typically, formal social media instruction is given in high school, but apparently students are finding that by then, it is too late. Students can delete regrettable posts and comments, but since at least one poll found that 75% of high schoolers "friend" someone they have never met, they often find that their most embarrassing items have been spread around the net and it is impossible to eradicate them.
So this is a matter that can vary tremendously among families and even individuals in the same family. However, if your middle schooler is blogging, or commenting on blogs, or doing Facebook or other public social sites, then I advise you to be having a conversation with your young adolescent about how these "funny" posts, photos, or comments could come back to haunt them in a few years.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Curriculum Resource: WolfQuest, a Wildlife Simulation Game
I know I've been writing about the arts a lot lately, which is the area that has been the focus of our summer. However, we'll always doing other fun and interesting things as well. My son pointed out that I hadn't written about something we've been doing for our science curriculum: WolfQuest, an online game that teaches students about wolves.
WolfQuest, which was developed by the Minnesota Zoo and EduWeb, you learn about the lives of wolves by becoming one. NO, I don't mean the trendy thing about becoming a werewolf; rather, the game is a 3D wildlife simulation where you play the role of a virtual wolf. You set your own genetics--would you rather be stronger or faster? would you rather be reddish or greyish?--then try to survive as a wolf in Yellowstone Park.
There are two formats for the game. You can play the game by yourself on your own computer, where you must master such tasks as finding and hunting down food, attract a mate, find a den, and raise your cubs while protecting them from predators like coyotes and grizzly bears. Or you can play the multi-player version online, where you and up to four other players can form a pack and work together to hunt and raise your families. In the multi-player version, you can either hook up with other players in a public game, or you can establish a private game with people you know. This makes WolfQuest a great game to introduce students to multi-player games if you are nervous about Internet security and such.
WolfQuest has a variety of educational materials available on the website, as well as an active online community where students can ask questions about the species from actual wolf biologists. But the students I've seen play so far are mostly learning through the trial and error method of trying to keep their virtual wolf alive and reproducing successfully. And the multi-player pack version can also teach them some valuable lessons about working as a team--a great skill to have whether you are a wolf or a human!
Oh, and I forgot to mention--the whole thing is FREE! It's really well done, it conveys a lot of scientific content in a fun and engaging way, and the price is certainly right.
It certainly has been a big hit in our household.
WolfQuest, which was developed by the Minnesota Zoo and EduWeb, you learn about the lives of wolves by becoming one. NO, I don't mean the trendy thing about becoming a werewolf; rather, the game is a 3D wildlife simulation where you play the role of a virtual wolf. You set your own genetics--would you rather be stronger or faster? would you rather be reddish or greyish?--then try to survive as a wolf in Yellowstone Park.
There are two formats for the game. You can play the game by yourself on your own computer, where you must master such tasks as finding and hunting down food, attract a mate, find a den, and raise your cubs while protecting them from predators like coyotes and grizzly bears. Or you can play the multi-player version online, where you and up to four other players can form a pack and work together to hunt and raise your families. In the multi-player version, you can either hook up with other players in a public game, or you can establish a private game with people you know. This makes WolfQuest a great game to introduce students to multi-player games if you are nervous about Internet security and such.
WolfQuest has a variety of educational materials available on the website, as well as an active online community where students can ask questions about the species from actual wolf biologists. But the students I've seen play so far are mostly learning through the trial and error method of trying to keep their virtual wolf alive and reproducing successfully. And the multi-player pack version can also teach them some valuable lessons about working as a team--a great skill to have whether you are a wolf or a human!
Oh, and I forgot to mention--the whole thing is FREE! It's really well done, it conveys a lot of scientific content in a fun and engaging way, and the price is certainly right.
It certainly has been a big hit in our household.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Sweet Search: The Search Engine for Students
Following on the heels of my recent post about social media that included networking sites designed specifically for the middle school and younger set, I thought I should also spread the word about a search engine designed for students. Sweet Search is a search engine that has been created by educational researchers specifically for use by students. Sweet Search produces results from only the 35,000 websites that have been personally "vetted" or visited and approved by actual humans with educational or research credentials, not search bots. That means that the results of the students information request will be quantitatively smaller (which is generally good for students learning to access and evaluate information they find over the Internet) but qualitatively better. Only links to sites with respected and appropriate information will be shown--sites like PBS, the Library of Congress, schools and universities, the Smithsonian and other museums, and the like.
For more details on Sweet Search, including a comparison of a typical search on Sweet Search with some other mainstream search engines, see this blog post on Why Sweet Search Is the Best Search Engine for Students.
Sweet Search is designed for middle schoolers and above. They have another site, SweetSearch4Me, that is geared towards elementary students.
For more details on Sweet Search, including a comparison of a typical search on Sweet Search with some other mainstream search engines, see this blog post on Why Sweet Search Is the Best Search Engine for Students.
Sweet Search is designed for middle schoolers and above. They have another site, SweetSearch4Me, that is geared towards elementary students.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Should Your Middle Schooler Be on Facebook?
Should your middle schoolers be on Facebook? Technically, the answer is no--at least, unless they are at least 13 years old. That is the minimal Internet "age of consent"set by a federal law known as The Children's Online Protection Act of 1998. That legislation makes it illegal for anyone to collect personal information or track the online activities of anyone who is younger than 13. Rather than writing special software to exempt users who are 12 years old or younger from such tracking technologies as storing cookies, most sites, including Facebook, simply forbid anyone younger than 13 from establishing an account.
But, of course, it's not that simple. Once children are old enough to be able to figure out how many years they need to add to their real birthdate to reach the minimal age, there is nothing stopping them from simply lying about their age and signing up anyway. And they seem to be doing that by the score! In June 2011, Consumer Reports estimated that there were about 7.5 million Facebook users who were 12 or younger. And a recent report by the Pew Research Center said that 46% of 12 year old who are online participate in social networking sites such as Facebook, compared with 62% of online 13 year olds.
So there are a number of reasons to be concerned about middle schoolers using Facebook. A major concern, of course, is the fear that predators may be targeting this young and naive age group, trying to entice them to reveal information or do things, including meeting their "online friends" someplace in person, that are dangerous, inappropriate, or otherwise creepy. There is the threat of "cyberbullying"-- mean messages, embarrassing photos or videos, or the intentional exclusion of certain people from desired groups of their peers, which can all take place online without any adult being aware of it going on. Plus, it creates a bad precedent of children lying online; if they can "fool" Facebook, they can transfer that technique to lying about their age to gain entrance to even more adult sites that require users to be 18 or 21.
Another issue that middle schoolers should be aware of is the fact that anything they post to Facebook can become part of their permanent record. Even if they delete information rated to embarrassing or illegal activities (underage drinking, illegal drug use, or other typical preteen actions that might show a serious lack of common sense), that entry may be kept by Facebook and shared with whomever Facebook chooses to do so--advertisers, college admissions, potential employers, etc. Control over any information posted is one of the things all Facebook users give up when they set up an account, usually without having bothered to read the long, boring legalese that basically gives Facebook the right to do anything they want with anything posted. And just this weekend, the Washington Post had an article about the increasing use of social media background checks as a routine part of the current job application process.
Of course, the other side of the argument is that if you look at the Pew data, it seems like when your middle schoolers tell you that "everyone else is doing it," they might be telling the truth! If their figures are right (they seem a little high to me, and I haven't researched the study methodology or anything), then almost half of online 12 year olds have a social media presence. Things like Facebook are becoming increasingly important as a means for socializing and staying in the loop about what is going on with friends and peers, even among the preteen set.
One alternative is to eschew Facebook for one of the social networking sites that have been set up specifically for the middle school or younger crowd. NPR recently posted the following sites as safe places for preteens to develop their social networking skills:
But, of course, it's not that simple. Once children are old enough to be able to figure out how many years they need to add to their real birthdate to reach the minimal age, there is nothing stopping them from simply lying about their age and signing up anyway. And they seem to be doing that by the score! In June 2011, Consumer Reports estimated that there were about 7.5 million Facebook users who were 12 or younger. And a recent report by the Pew Research Center said that 46% of 12 year old who are online participate in social networking sites such as Facebook, compared with 62% of online 13 year olds.
So there are a number of reasons to be concerned about middle schoolers using Facebook. A major concern, of course, is the fear that predators may be targeting this young and naive age group, trying to entice them to reveal information or do things, including meeting their "online friends" someplace in person, that are dangerous, inappropriate, or otherwise creepy. There is the threat of "cyberbullying"-- mean messages, embarrassing photos or videos, or the intentional exclusion of certain people from desired groups of their peers, which can all take place online without any adult being aware of it going on. Plus, it creates a bad precedent of children lying online; if they can "fool" Facebook, they can transfer that technique to lying about their age to gain entrance to even more adult sites that require users to be 18 or 21.
Another issue that middle schoolers should be aware of is the fact that anything they post to Facebook can become part of their permanent record. Even if they delete information rated to embarrassing or illegal activities (underage drinking, illegal drug use, or other typical preteen actions that might show a serious lack of common sense), that entry may be kept by Facebook and shared with whomever Facebook chooses to do so--advertisers, college admissions, potential employers, etc. Control over any information posted is one of the things all Facebook users give up when they set up an account, usually without having bothered to read the long, boring legalese that basically gives Facebook the right to do anything they want with anything posted. And just this weekend, the Washington Post had an article about the increasing use of social media background checks as a routine part of the current job application process.
Of course, the other side of the argument is that if you look at the Pew data, it seems like when your middle schoolers tell you that "everyone else is doing it," they might be telling the truth! If their figures are right (they seem a little high to me, and I haven't researched the study methodology or anything), then almost half of online 12 year olds have a social media presence. Things like Facebook are becoming increasingly important as a means for socializing and staying in the loop about what is going on with friends and peers, even among the preteen set.
One alternative is to eschew Facebook for one of the social networking sites that have been set up specifically for the middle school or younger crowd. NPR recently posted the following sites as safe places for preteens to develop their social networking skills:
1. ScuttlePad (2010) Age 7+
Social network with training wheels is safe but limited.
2. Togetherville (2010) Age 7+
Kids' social site connects to parents' Facebook friends.
3. WhatsWhat.me (2011) Age7+
Tween social network with top-notch safety features.
4. Yoursphere (2009) Age 9+
Kid-only social network promises to block dangerous adults.
5. Franktown Rocks (2009) Age 10+
Music and social networking combine in safe, cool hangout.
6. GiantHello (2010) Age 10+
Facebook-lite gets a lot right, but watch out for games.
7. GirlSense (2009) Age 10+
Safe, creative community for tween fashionistas.
8. Sweety High (2010) Age 11+
Fun, closed social network for girls is strong on privacy.
9. Imbee (2011) Age 10+
Safer social networking if parents stay involved.
10. YourCause (2009) Age 13+
An easy, fun, socially networked way to fundraise.
In our house, this whole thing is a non-issue. My 12 year old son has NO desire to be on Facebook, and I have no desire to allow him to be. In fact, I refuse to establish a Facebook account for myself, mostly because of privacy concerns. This is not to say that I have anything to hide, but because I am concerned not only about Facebook's policy of retaining the right to use my personal information in any way they want (and can make money from), but also about the close ties between Facebook leadership and funders to government intelligence agencies. I still have friends in DC who are high up enough in various governmental agencies to know who tell me that the following video is not just something cooked up by some conspiracy theorists:
The bottom line is, middle schoolers need to realize that the whole thing is a lot more complicated than just swapping the latest news and pictures with their friends. Facebook is a great example for this age student to think through the old adage that "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Maintaining the Facebook network is a huge expense, and someone is paying for that expense somehow. Your middle schoolers may not care that the price they pay is a loss of privacy, but then again, maybe they will. At the very least, it is a good opportunity to demonstrate to them why you really do need to read through all those boring legal clauses we all want to click through on almost every site we use on the Internet.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
FREE Online Spanish Curriculum for Middle School Teachers
Language Treks has a special gift for budget-crunched middle school teachers. They are offering any public or private school 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th grade Spanish teacher a FREE school edition of their online Spanish curriculum, Discover Spanish (which normally costs $229.95/year). The curriculum consists of 36 interactive lessons, each with a cartoon-based everyday scenario that are spoken and written out in Spanish and/or English. Students can practice their pronunciation of the words and phrases for that lesson, then test their recall with a game.
You can check out the program with a sample lesson here, or request your free subscription here. If you aren't eligible for the free program, you can buy an individual 12-month subscription for only $54.95 here.
You can check out the program with a sample lesson here, or request your free subscription here. If you aren't eligible for the free program, you can buy an individual 12-month subscription for only $54.95 here.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Curriculum Resource: Freedom RIders
Tomorrow starts a new series on PBS about the 1961 civil rights activists known as the Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders were challenging the laws regarding segregated travel by having interracial couples sitting together on buses, as well as having black people ride in the front section of the bus, which was reserved for blacks. Altogether, 436 Freedom Riders--75% of whom were male, 75% of whom were under 30, but even split between blacks and whites-- participated in 60 different rides within the South, despite the fact that they faced mob violence and arrest during their travels. Their courageous stance not only awakened public awareness of civil right issues, but provoked the Kennedy administration to find a way to end the segregation of buses and trains and terminals involved in interstate travel.
There are several resources for using these programs with middle and high schoolers. There is a study guide entitled Democracy in Action that has background information, discussion questions, and additional online resources for each of the shows. There is a website from which you can download short clips from the entire show, along with some information and thought points. There is also a blog where 40 college students spent 10 days in May tracing the Freedom Riders routes and recording their thoughts and perspectives comparing their ride to the ones the Freedom Riders faced in 1961.
So if you would like to turn these programs into an opportunity to have some fruitful discussion with your tween/teen children or students, check out these resources.
There are several resources for using these programs with middle and high schoolers. There is a study guide entitled Democracy in Action that has background information, discussion questions, and additional online resources for each of the shows. There is a website from which you can download short clips from the entire show, along with some information and thought points. There is also a blog where 40 college students spent 10 days in May tracing the Freedom Riders routes and recording their thoughts and perspectives comparing their ride to the ones the Freedom Riders faced in 1961.
So if you would like to turn these programs into an opportunity to have some fruitful discussion with your tween/teen children or students, check out these resources.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
How to Search On Google--Advanced Tips
I don't know about you, but I would be lost without Google. I truly can't imagine what it was like for parents to homeschool before Google and the World Wide Web. And my son has grown up with an idea of Google as an omnipotent information source. I think he was only five when, after asking me one of those questions that has been pondered for ages (like "which came first, the chicken or the egg?"), he responded to my answer that I didn't know with a sigh and a disgusted face and said, "Mom, just Google it."
That said, I've only recently realized how much I had been missing about how to use this powerful tool. Here are a few of the features that I've only learned about lately:
That said, I've only recently realized how much I had been missing about how to use this powerful tool. Here are a few of the features that I've only learned about lately:
- Did you know you could use Google as a calculator? It serves as an advanced math calculator, in fact, since it can give you the answer to math equations with symbols that I've long ago forgotten what they stand for.
- Did you know that they have a special search engine, called Google Scholar, that is geared to searching through scholarly literature? This search engine attempts to rank the responses to your quest the way an academic researcher would--that is, looking not only at the text of the article, but weighing factors such as the author, where it was published, and how many times it had been cited in other scholarly journals, before ordering the responses to your search request.
- Did you know that if you are looking for something within a particular website, but it doesn't have its own internal search engine, you can make Google do a site-specific search?
- Did you know you could use Google to give you conversions, like changing dollars into English pounds, or degrees Farenheit into degree Centigrade, or other metric conversions of distance and weight?
- Did you know you could use Google as a dictionary?
Well, maybe you did, but I didn't. But Google Education is here to the rescue! They have recently developed a series of posters for teachers to post in the classroom to educate students about search engine terminology, symbols, and best practices. You can download them here, and even if you don't print them out as posters, you can keep the documents on your computer when you need a quick reminder about how to search for, say, Martin Luther King Jr. quotes ONLY during the Kennedy Administration, or gathering information about twilight without venturing into vampire territory.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Curriculum Resource: Dimensions
Dimensions is a great web resource that I've discovered lately. It is a website developed by the BBS that helps us actually visualize the size of events or sites in recent (the Twin Towers that were destroyed by terrorists), modern (the Gulf Oil Spill or the Exxon Valdez Spill), historic (the blast radius of a World War II bomb), or Ancient (the length of the Great Wall of China or the destructive range of Mount Vesuvius) by superimposing the distance over modern maps. Even better, it allows you to put your zip code in the epicenter of these events.
This allows you to present the information to your children/students in a way that is extremely personal. So, for example, when I was teaching about the Civil War, I could tell my students that the average size of a 19th Century slave plantation in Alabama was about 1,000 acres. But do they know what that means? I doubt it, since I don't know what that means (I'm not great at distances, so some of them may have been better than I am). But with this website, I can tell them that the average slave plantation stretched from close to the intersection of High House Road and Chatham Street to Coronado Village off of Walnut Street on one side, and from almost Cary Elementary School to Wake Med Hospital in Cary along the other dimension. THAT, I think, will mean something to them.
This allows you to present the information to your children/students in a way that is extremely personal. So, for example, when I was teaching about the Civil War, I could tell my students that the average size of a 19th Century slave plantation in Alabama was about 1,000 acres. But do they know what that means? I doubt it, since I don't know what that means (I'm not great at distances, so some of them may have been better than I am). But with this website, I can tell them that the average slave plantation stretched from close to the intersection of High House Road and Chatham Street to Coronado Village off of Walnut Street on one side, and from almost Cary Elementary School to Wake Med Hospital in Cary along the other dimension. THAT, I think, will mean something to them.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Curriculum Resource: Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Dangers in Japan
It is a scary thing for all of us to be hearing about the recent disaster in Japan. However, I think that information always helps. So here are some resources you can use in helping your early adolescents understand what is going on with the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear dangers in Japan.
The US Geological Survey maintains a website called "Earthquakes for Kids" that has a lot of good resources for learning about the initial problem, which was the earthquake. They have an entire page of animations to help students visualize the technical terms used to explain the quake.
PBS Online has a great page on tsunamis as part of its Savage Earth series (which also includes information on earthquakes). The page includes a good animation on the cause and effects of tsunamis. The whole site is good if you decide to make this into a larger lesson on geology.
The current problem now, however, is that the disruption of power to the area is endangering the ability of five power plants to keep their nuclear fuel rods cooled down enough to avoid a partial meltdown, like what happened in the US at Three Mile Island in 1979.
Here is an animation that can help students visualize the problem. It is supposed to be a game to figure out how to stop the rods from overheating and melting down, but I haven't figured out how to do that. But it does demonstrate how a disruption elsewhere in the plant can cause big problems for the fuel rods.
The Southern Power company has an interactive animation of an entire nuclear power plant. This allows students to click on different parts of the process and understand how nuclear fuel is converted into electrical energy--and the safety components that are needed along the way.
NeoK12 has developed a series of short videos that explain nuclear power and nuclear power plants.
So that's a start, at least, on some materials you can use to help explain what is going on to your kids. But if anyone else has some good resources to add to the list, please put them in the comments below.
The US Geological Survey maintains a website called "Earthquakes for Kids" that has a lot of good resources for learning about the initial problem, which was the earthquake. They have an entire page of animations to help students visualize the technical terms used to explain the quake.
PBS Online has a great page on tsunamis as part of its Savage Earth series (which also includes information on earthquakes). The page includes a good animation on the cause and effects of tsunamis. The whole site is good if you decide to make this into a larger lesson on geology.
The current problem now, however, is that the disruption of power to the area is endangering the ability of five power plants to keep their nuclear fuel rods cooled down enough to avoid a partial meltdown, like what happened in the US at Three Mile Island in 1979.
Here is an animation that can help students visualize the problem. It is supposed to be a game to figure out how to stop the rods from overheating and melting down, but I haven't figured out how to do that. But it does demonstrate how a disruption elsewhere in the plant can cause big problems for the fuel rods.
The Southern Power company has an interactive animation of an entire nuclear power plant. This allows students to click on different parts of the process and understand how nuclear fuel is converted into electrical energy--and the safety components that are needed along the way.
NeoK12 has developed a series of short videos that explain nuclear power and nuclear power plants.
So that's a start, at least, on some materials you can use to help explain what is going on to your kids. But if anyone else has some good resources to add to the list, please put them in the comments below.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Language Arts Resource: Etymologic
If you have a middle schooler who loves words in your household, like we do...or would maybe like to encourage one into developing...check out the online language arts resource, Etymologic. It bills itself as "The Toughest Word Game on the Web," which isn't too much of an exaggeration (although I would dispute the term game--it is just an online quiz). The page brings up a word or a phrase that is appropriate for a middle school vocabulary, along with four proposed explanations of where the term came from. All four options are reasonable, and none of them are obvious. However, you can sometimes dwindle the choices just through some knowledge of the language from which it is derived.
It's not easy. I'm fairly good on etymology, and I haven't done better than 7 out of 10 correct answers yet. But it is a great thing to do with your middle schooler and to talk through the word and the possible origins. And referring to my post earlier this week about Subtle Ways to Prepare Middle Schoolers for college, this is an interesting way to help them prepare for tests like the SAT or ACT, not only by improving their vocabulary, but also by practicing the skill of eliminating choices to improve your odds of getting the right answer, even if you end up guessing.
For real word nerds (student or parents or other interested relatives), there is also a neat function where you can submit your own question and proposed answer set for the question bank. We aren't there yet, but when we have a bit broader experience of ancient languages, I think my son will get a real kick out of making up his own questions and having them appear in the quiz. And, of course, having lots of people contribute words helps keep the answer bank big and interesting.
Over 100 million people have visited the site, so it must be doing something right! And let me know if you submit a word, and we'll keep an eye out for it.
It's not easy. I'm fairly good on etymology, and I haven't done better than 7 out of 10 correct answers yet. But it is a great thing to do with your middle schooler and to talk through the word and the possible origins. And referring to my post earlier this week about Subtle Ways to Prepare Middle Schoolers for college, this is an interesting way to help them prepare for tests like the SAT or ACT, not only by improving their vocabulary, but also by practicing the skill of eliminating choices to improve your odds of getting the right answer, even if you end up guessing.
For real word nerds (student or parents or other interested relatives), there is also a neat function where you can submit your own question and proposed answer set for the question bank. We aren't there yet, but when we have a bit broader experience of ancient languages, I think my son will get a real kick out of making up his own questions and having them appear in the quiz. And, of course, having lots of people contribute words helps keep the answer bank big and interesting.
Over 100 million people have visited the site, so it must be doing something right! And let me know if you submit a word, and we'll keep an eye out for it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)