While all of these websites were very interesting and provide students with great learning opportunities, two stuck out in my mind as being extremely useful as tools to help teach students. The first is real-time conditions in Long Island Sound data run by researchers at UConn. These scientists place buoys in the water which measure the salinity, temperature, wave heights, and dissolve oxygen. These measures provide the researchers with information about the water quality in real-time so that they can constantly monitor changes as they happen. This information is then used to understand how the water quality can impact the marine life living in the Sound, as well as any implications it may hold for us (University of Connecticut, Marine Sciences,1999). I would use this website in my classroom to get students focused on the biology topics that are happening in our neighborhoods. They would realize that there is more to just water than just having a physical presence. Students would also learn about the concepts of salinity and temperature, and what factors effect these conditions and what impact they can potentially have. I would then have students perform their own research by taking a field trip to a local pong or stream and obtaining water from the sound. By measuring the salt content and pH of the different waters, students can identify the differences in water sources and how they impact the life that thrives in them.
A second website which I found really fascinating was the live operating room table website. I have always enjoyed anatomy and am hoping to teach an anatomy and physiology class in the future. This website, while graphic, is an opportunity which most people would never get to experience if it wasn’t for the internet. The site takes you directly to the operating room where you can watch as they first describe the procedures that will be taking place as well as the reasons the person needs the surgery. Next, they begin the operation as you get a front row seat to some of the most innovate procedures around. They currently have a hip replacement scheduled for June 28th at 7:00pm (ORLive, 2010). In an anatomy class, I would use this website as a chance for students to do assignments or earn extra credit as they watch a surgery take place and write a response about not only what they have seen, but what some of the reasoning’s the doctors explained for doing it that way. This site gives students an in-depth view at what the human body looks like, which often diagrams can’t begin to explain. From these assignments students will learn about the role of the skin, the connective tissues, the bones or muscles being operated on, but they will also gain a visual as to how it all comes together to form a human being. I would also like to use clips from these videos while exploring concepts. For instance, as I review the muscles and nerves that make up the eye, I could show a brief clip from the video so they can see the structures I am referring to. This would help supplement my lecture by providing another way of learning the information.
References
ORLive. (2010). Online surgical and healthcare video and webcasts. Retrieved from http://www.orlive.com/
University of Connecticut, Marine Sciences (1999, April). Mysound. Retrieved from http://www.mysound.uconn.edu/
Excellent job this week! I enjoyed reading through your detailed explanations as to how you would integrate these sites into your classroom. You touched upon an important concept, and that is how some web resources allow your to take your classroom to "places" that they could not have otherwise gone (e.g., surgery room). Great learning experiences!
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