Generating+and+Testing+Hypotheses

Educational Strategy: Generating and Testing Hypotheses

Students preparing to live and work in the 21st Century must be able to use logical thinking processes to solve problems that are diverse in nature. Teachers in every subject must provide opportunities for students to harness their curiosity and put it to practical use. Guiding students through this complicated process means teaching them to ask good questions which lead to the prediction of sensible outcomes. Then students must be able to actively participate in collecting data, making observations, or conducting research to support their guess. After gathering the facts students must be able to organize their findings and analyze what they have collected. The last step is to communicate any new knowledge they have discovered and create new hypotheses based on their findings. It is through these active learning experiences that students acquire a deeper understanding of core academic concepts.

Technology Resources · Digital Cameras · Waveport Software: Seeing Light and Sound · Sensor Science: Temperature, Light, and Sound

Digital Cameras

Digital Cameras provide a way for students to record observations in a visual format instead of a written format. It can also provide students with the opportunity to record visual data over a period of time with greater accuracy. In a classroom, students may be recording data about plants over time. Instead of just writing an observation, students or teachers would be able to take pictures of the plant on a daily or weekly basis. The images can be developed or cut and pasted into a document creating a lasting piece of evidence. In this way students would be able to see the change in the plant over time and create accurate observations based on concrete evidence that lasts. Using images with written observations gives teachers a window into the student’s brain. This window provides an opportunity for teachers to uncover misconceptions and point out strengths and weaknesses in student’s written observations based on the image.

** Technology **
· Computer with Photoshop and Internet Connection – School has Photoshop installed in every computer along with internet connections. · Digital Cameras – Approximately $250.00 a piece. School library media center has a set of 10 that can be checked out for projects. The set also comes with a card reader to upload the images to the computer. · Online Photo Center – Prints cost about $0.10 a piece to be developed

Waveport Software

Many concepts in science are abstract and often cannot be understood even by students who have curiosity about the topic. It is impossible to generate a hypothesis about a concept when there is no understanding of the way it works. Many students need to actually see and practice these concepts instead of just theoretically discussing them. Waveport software is a program that allows students to manipulate attributes of sound and light then directly see the effect of the change. A student who is having trouble understanding the relationship between frequency and pitch could change the pitch of a real or virtual instrument and then observe how the waves change as the pitch changes. This software could be used for individual, group, or teacher lead discoveries about sound and light properties. It gives students concrete ways to view abstract concepts therefore allowing them to fully understand how light and sound travel and behave in our environment.

**Technology **
· Computers to run Waveport software- all computers in building meet the specifications to run the program. · Waveport software – Purchased from PASCO for $250.00 for program and needed accessories

Science Sensors

Science sensors allow students to collect real world data in an accurate manner for temperature, light, and sound. Often students in middle school are asked to collect data using outdated instruments that a real scientist would never use. Today’s research requires very precise measurements to lead to new discoveries that old instruments cannot provide. The use of old equipment often leads to student frustration in a classroom because it is difficult to use, confusing to read, and does not provide the most accurate measurements. Time is essential in classrooms today and too much of it is wasted on teaching students how to read outdated equipment and getting inaccurate results. The science sensors solve this problem by allowing data collection to be quick and easy giving more time for students to analyze the data and draw conclusions. It allows students to explore and compare the properties of sound, temperature, and light with easy to use electronic sensors. The sensors also come with software to further explore the data to make charts and graphs. Time is no longer wasted on trying to teach students how to read outdated equipment instead it is spent actively collecting, organizing, and applying data.



Technology
· Computers to run sensor software – all computers in building meet the specifications to run the program. · Sensor Science: Sound, Temperature, and Light kit - $98.00 per kit comes with Xplorer Datalogger, Temperature/Sound Level/Light Sensor, Stainless Steel Temperature Probe, Data Studio Lite Software

Educational Challenges

Digital Camera - English Language Learners The English Language Learner population is rising in our schools every year. ELL students are faced with the seemingly impossible challenge of learning a new language while keeping up with core academic understanding. ELL students as a whole achieve lower grades and scores on standardized tests. This challenge can be one of the most frustrating experiences to a teacher because verbal and written communications are not understood by the student. Teachers must strive to accommodate these students using nonlinguistic measures. The use of a digital camera to complete projects focuses on visual representations of academic content. Using such a technology allows our ELL students to understand and process content without language being a barrier.

Waveport Software – Differentiated Instruction Every student is unique and processes information in a variety of ways and levels. Differentiated Instruction is learning the same academic content in many different ways so that all children succeed. Waveport Software does this by giving students multiple options to explore light and sound. Advanced students can create their own exploration while students at a lower level can be guided through an investigation. It also allows students to choose which properties they want to compare and learn more about as they investigate light and sound

Science Sensors – Student Motivation Students’ perception of school and achievement is directly linked to their learning experiences in and out of school. It is a challenge to keep motivating students to get to the next level. Science sensors give students the tools they need to experience success in the science classroom. Often students can become unmotivated because the process is just too much for them and the tasks seem overwhelming. These sensors allow students to collect accurate data quickly so they do not get bogged down in the process. Students feel successful because they accomplish a task and can move on to the critical part of an exploration.

References Focus on Effectiveness: Integrating Technology into Research-Based Strategies. Retrieved July 10, 2010 from []

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