“What is the definition of a homeschool lab science? - Examiner” plus 4 more |
- What is the definition of a homeschool lab science? - Examiner
- New tech model combines technology with education - Kokomo Tribune
- The sea is the limit - Bangkok Post
- Campus news - Daily Tribune
- Woodlands a valuable resource - Campus Times
| What is the definition of a homeschool lab science? - Examiner Posted: 21 Nov 2009 02:25 AM PST Why would anyone skip homeschool Biology Lab? What could possibly be more fun that dissection critters and peeping through a microscope? Sure Biology lab is a lot of fun, but it's also pretty expensive.
First, public universities sometimes have very different requirements than colleges as a whole. Some colleges requires that lab sciences be taught in a classroom with a certified teacher, for example. There is a difference between a public school requirement for something, and what your state law requires from homeschoolers. Homeschoolers tend to think that because a class is required for high school graduation that they also need to meet the requirement, and that often is not true. There is no national definition about what a lab science really is. No definition. Here is a snippet from an upcoming article I've written about lab sciences:
Most colleges do not require documented lab sciences. Some colleges do. The most important thing for parents is to research the schools where they plan to apply. Usually a college that has specific science requirements will also provide a method for them to achieve success. Perhaps they will allow the ACT science portion to meet the requirement, or they will accept an SAT Subject Test or AP exam in a science area. There are many colleges that don't require excessive math or science. Perhaps their emphasis is music or art or a specific trade, and general sciences meet their admission requirements. There is a very wide variety of colleges that homeschool parents choose. In general, when you look over the college preparation sites, they don't mention taking a lab science every year. Even the college board doesn't specifically mention a lab science. It mentions three years of science, but isn't specific about the lab requirement. Science Science teaches students to think analytically and apply theories to reality. Laboratory classes let students test what they have learned through hands-on work. Six semesters are recommended.
It's a good idea to make parents aware that the public university in your area has a greater emphasis in lab science. But I think it's good to remember that colleges are rarely specific about WHICH sciences, and it's OK for parents to have some delight-directed science courses along with the more ordinary biology-chemistry-physics choices. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| New tech model combines technology with education - Kokomo Tribune Posted: 21 Nov 2009 03:44 AM PST | Published: November 20, 2009 11:29 pm New tech model combines technology with education By Danielle RushTribune staff writer ROCHESTER — Rochester High School seems like an ordinary high school as you walk down its halls. Students crowd past each other between classes, arms loaded with books, and the crashes of lockers slamming shut echo through the halls. Posters cheering on the basketball team hang on the walls, along with signs for a winter running and conditioning club. Step inside a classroom, though, and you will see what gives this school its other name — Zebra New Tech High School. This week, teachers from Taylor High School and Peru High School visited Zebra New Tech, to see a new tech high school in action. When school starts for the 2010-2011 year at Taylor, it also will be a new tech high school. Taylor Superintendent John Magers said he has small groups of teachers scheduled to visit Rochester over the next few months. Peru Superintendent Andrew Melin said he is in the early stages of considering a new tech conversion, but if possible, he would like to implement new tech next fall. He plans to bring more teachers, as well as school board members, to tour Zebra New Tech. "We are going to be working very hard at seeing what is necessary both financially and in terms of training to make this happen," Melin said. A new tech high school is one that uses technology as a tool, and uses student-directed, project-based learning to teach state content standards. It also focuses on 21st century skills like collaboration, communication skills, problem solving, work ethic, critical thinking and technological literacy. It requires every student to have access to a computer in every classroom, on a one-to-one ratio. Classes are taught through student-directed projects that require students to use skills included in the state standards, along with communication and teamwork skills. Projects are evaluated by a team of community members. New tech high schools also include classes that combine school subjects, like the scientific studies class at Zebra New Tech, which is a combination of algebra II and physics. In that class, students work individually on their computers, completing their algebra work on a program called ALEKS. Many wear headphones and listen to music as they work, which student Sam Thomas says helps him focus on the lessons. He said school policy allows students to listen to music when working, but requires them to turn it off during discussions and when teachers are talking. Thomas likes the new tech concept, and working at his own pace, so "I don't have to listen to lessons about what I already know. ... It suits me. I think there are other kids who don't like it." He said the algebra program is "self-taught," but "the teachers are always here to help us." Another combined class, American studies includes U.S. history and junior-level English into one class, with two teachers. Junior Carly Shultz proudly showed her most recent project, in which students created historical documents for people living in the early 1900s, when many immigrants were coming to America. Shultz and her partner researched a person who immigrated during that time and created passports, newspaper articles, social worker reports and other documents for that person, and then "aged" them to appear authentic. They also had to write the first three chapters of a textbook, "Welcome to America," telling what they thought were the three most important lessons a new immigrant should know. She likes the new tech concept, but said some of her classmates do not because of the group projects. Shultz said there are people who don't contribute their fair share to projects, but those students' grades in work ethic reflect that. She added that a group has the option to "fire" a member who is not doing the work. In Amy Blackburn's biology II class, students work in groups answering questions from their textbooks, a more traditional activity. Blackburn said students recently completed one project and have not started another. When she begins a project, students receive an entry document explaining what they are to do, along with a list of what is expected from them and what is needed to earn a grade above a B+. Students also get a calendar of when parts of the project are due. Biology student Morgan Campbell, a junior, said she was in the first new tech class, and she has not liked it because she felt they were learning at the same time their teachers were learning how to teach in the new tech way. She said she would have liked to have had the option to choose between new tech and traditional education. Campbell said some classes, like foreign language, don't lend themselves to learning by computer and projects. Sophomore Lauren Mitchell, also in the biology II class, likes the group projects because she can split the work with other students, and they get both individual and group grades. She also likes being able to use computers in all classes. Mitchell said teachers are good about not scheduling projects so they are all due at the same time, and she's found them interesting. "I feel now I want to do my homework, not that I have to do my homework." Her classmate Taylor Showley also likes the projects, which she said make the subject areas more relevant. "I feel like there's a reason we're learning this. We're not just studying for a test," she said, adding that students and teachers whose schools start a new tech program should come in with open minds. "Just give it a chance," she said. Madison Benzing, a student ambassador and tour guide, said she likes working independently and then consulting with a teacher when she needs help. "We can have more of a one-on-one conversation if we're having difficulties," she said. She said the first year was the hardest, because teachers were also learning. The first nine weeks, she said, several teachers has projects due the same week, even the same day, but now "they've learned to work around each other." Benzing said sometimes teachers assign groups, while other times, they are allowed to pick. She chose to work with a friend on a recent project, but she would not have chosen that friend if she knew the friend wouldn't do good work. Being assigned to groups means she's met people she might not have talked to before, she added. "I think it's broken up the cliques a lot." She said the projects also help her remember what she's learned when she takes a test, like the graduation qualifying exam. "When I see a question, I can relate it back to a project we did," she said. • Danielle Rush is the Kokomo Tribune education reporter. She can be reached at 765-454-8585 or danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com. 
This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| The sea is the limit - Bangkok Post Posted: 21 Nov 2009 03:08 AM PST feature Her suitcase has been dusted off. All her necessary winter clothes and personal belongings have been promptly prepared. Ready to set off, Suchana Chavanich is about to head for a destination that no Thai woman has ever reached. "I'm heading to Antarctica," said Suchana, an associate professor at the Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, in a humble soft tone. "I will be there during summer so the temperature will be around minus 30Celsius. But in winter, the temperature drops to minus 80." Suchana is Thailand's first female scientist to journey to Antarctica, the world's coldest, driest and windiest continent. She was chosen by the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) to join the four-month Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (Jare). She is the second Thai marine scientist to join the voyage after her colleague Voranop Viyakarn took part in a similar research adventure five years ago. Unlike the stereotypical scientist, who has thick glasses, a white laboratory coat and an obsession with scientific jargon, the 37-year-old on the contrary possesses a good sense of humour as well as, fortunately, an ability to translate complicated scientific concepts into plain, easy-to-understand language. Suchana would never be recognised as a scientist at first glance. But in conversation, her intellect is easy to spot. Suchana timidly walked 'Muse' to her office where the photo shoot was to take place. And it was indeed an office of a scholar. The room was quite a mess. The few cabinets did not seem big enough to store all her marine biology textbooks. Apart from all this literary proof, the flock of sea animal magnets attached to her cupboard's sliding door definitely confirmed that the sea is indeed her raison d'etre. "When I was a kid, my parents often took me to the beach. That's why I have always been familiar with the sea and have had the chance to be close to nature. I have liked water sports and scuba diving since I was young, and I was also my school's swimmer," recalled Suchana of her childhood fascination that lead her to study marine biology at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. After completing a master's degree in biology at the Central Connecticut State University and a PhD in zoology at the University of New Hampshire, both in the US, Suchana returned to her motherland and started working as a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. Her study has focussed on near-shore species in both tropical and temperate regions as well as on the conservation and restoration of marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. Her profession is obviously not a desk job. As a member of the Plant Genetic Conservation Project under the Royal Initiative of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Suchana is off to Sattahip district in Chon Buri, where she conducts her research almost every weekend. Also, as the project leader of Coastal Marine Biodiversity in the Western Pacific Region under Unesco's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the biologist travels from one country to another and work with researchers from several countries such as Japan, Korea and China. But in a few days, Suchana's workstation will be moved much further away when she and 79 other marine researchers, mostly Japanese, board the icebreaker AGB Shirase II in Fremantle, Western Australia. From there, they will head to Syowa Station, Japan's research station in Antarctica. The world's most remote continent, Antarctica is permanently covered by ice. The coldest place on the Earth, Antarctica has no permanent human residents. Creatures that survive there are penguins, seals as well as many types of algae and cold-adapted plants. No country is allowed to own this piece of land which is full of natural resources, and thus the Antarctic Treaty was drawn and signed by member nations, with the objective of prohibiting military activities and mineral mining on the continent, yet allowing scientific research. And because no human beings live there, the scientist continued, Antarctica is still considered a "virgin" territory where the impact of climate change can be measured. "Antarctica is still undisturbed to some extent. The ice sheet there is a couple of hundred thousand years old or more. This can be used as an indicator to see how the Earth and its temperature have changed. Looking at Antarctica today, we can see the past and learn more about animal behaviour." The Earth's southernmost continent seems so far away, yet it is not too distant. The impact of human beings' environmental activities such as greenhouse gas emissions ends there. And while the Earth rotates, all the invisible waste piles up at Antarctica. This is why scientists call it a "sink". "The purpose of this expedition is to conduct research, together with the Japanese team, on the impact of climate change so we can prepare for its consequences in the years to come. It also aims to build ties between Thai scientists and those from other countries so that, hopefully, Thailand will be able to send scientists there every year for further studies," said the marine biologist who won the L'Oreal "For Women in Science" scholarship award last year. She added that expenses from her coming journey will be covered by the NIPR while L'Oreal sponsored her necessary equipment. It will take Suchana three weeks on the icebreaker to get to Antarctica, where she will spend another two months doing research, before another three-to-four-week journey on the ship back to Sydney. If everything goes as planned, she is scheduled to be back on Thai shores in March next year. While on the ice-breaking floating vessel, Suchana will investigate the water quality along the way. But as soon as she disembarks at the frozen desert, her job is to collect samples of soil and dregs for further microorganism analysis and to observe animals' behaviours especially penguins'. For Suchana, the trip is definitely going to be a tough one. Prior to setting off, she was required to undergo a thorough physical and mental examination. She was trained to survive extreme weather and tough terrain. It is not just freezing cold weather and thick ice sheets that await her but also life on the ship, big waves, sea sickness, unpredictable circumstances and all the hard work that she must accomplish. Nonetheless, her underlying goal is for people in general to have a better, clearer picture of Antarctica and to raise awareness of global warming and its unwanted effects that are going to harm everyone if further environmental deterioration is not prevented. "I remember back in 2003, the use of cloth grocery bags instead of disposable plastic bags was considerably promoted. But at that time people didn't like this idea as they said it wasn't convenient. Fast forward to 2009, today cloth bags are fashionable and those who don't use them are out of trend. So propaganda is not the best way to save our world. We have to do it, not just say it." When asked about the role of women in science, Suchana said she has noticed the emergence of an increasing number of female scientists. Several countries including Thailand have started to encourage females to work in scientific fields. However, when it comes to marine biology, this particular area, she commented, seems to be less attractive to women when compared to other specialties. "This is because of how we women are," she said with a big laugh. "We are afraid of our skin getting dark. If we go out to do fieldwork, of course we will be exposed to strong sunlight. Especially in marine biology, we might have to board a ship, go out to sea and carry heavy stuff. And a lot of women do not like that. They prefer working in a laboratory, making drugs or focusing on microbiology." But for Suchana, all these physical barriers are not stumbling blocks. This is because to her, the sky, or in her case the sea, is the limit. "In my work, particularly in Thailand female scientists often receive more attention than their male counterparts. People help us, for example, carry heavy luggage when they think we are not capable of doing it. But in several other countries such as the United States, women and men are equal. Men sometimes refuse to help us because they are afraid that their offer to lend a hand might be thought of as condescending. But personally, I think women in society today are as smart and strong as men. Women play a better, bigger role. More possibilities are out there for us. We, women, can do anything." Relate Search: Suchana Chavanich, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, National Institute of Polar Research, Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2009 01:42 AM PST Falk earns master's degreeAdam Falk of Wisconsin Rapids earned a master's degree in sport management Aug. 8 from Northern Illinois University in De Kalb, Ill., at the conclusion of the school's summer session. Schumacher on dean's listKatherine Karis Schumacher of Wisconsin Rapids has been named to the 2009 spring semester dean's list at Ripon College. A daughter of Kevin Schumacher and Ann Schilling, both of Wisconsin Rapids, Schumacher is majoring in economics and mathematics. To qualify for the dean's list, students must achieve at least a 3.4 grade-point average and complete at least 12 credits of regular letter-graded work. Carlson enters honor societyJeremy Carlson of Wisconsin Rapids recently was initiated into the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. The Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society is the national leadership honor society for college students, faculty, staff members, administrators and alumni that recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character. Stelzer earns biology degreeAmy Stelzer graduated summa cum laude in August from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a bachelor's degree in biology, with an emphasis on marine biology and freshwater ecology, and a minor in chemistry. She spent her senior year studying abroad at Deakin University in Australia. She is the daughter of Jerry and Deb Stelzer, Wisconsin Rapids. Kochanowski earns scholarshipAmnesty Kochanowski of Junction City, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, has been awarded a $10,000 Erma Byrd Scholarship from the U.S. Department of Education. The scholarship provides up to two years of scholarship funding to students who are obtaining a degree in a program of study that will lead to a career in industrial health and safety occupations. Kochanowski, who has worked for the National Park Service as part of the Student Career Employment Program, hopes to become an occupational health and safety manager for a Western national park. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Woodlands a valuable resource - Campus Times Posted: 20 Nov 2009 11:55 PM PST Under rain and dreary skies, Professor of Biology Robert Minckley's Ecosystem Conservation and Human Society class trudged through UR's Woodlands near Whipple Park in Brighton. Teaching Assistant and sophomore Margaret Ball gave instructions to the students from the front of the line, asking them to consider the function of each individual part of the woodlands as a part of the class assignment to measure the woodlands' dollar worth. Part of UR's master plan involves an extension south into this very spot — the Whipple Park area. UR, under the leadership of Chief Financial Officer Ronald Paprocki and Director of Facilities Richard Pifer, is exploring options for housing, research and renovations to existing buildings in the woodlands area. The woodlands may be threatened by development. The area contains various plant and animal species that are rare within upstate New York. The fact that the woodlands play host to many stages of natural growth increases overall diversity — some of the land can be categorized as mature woodlands, which occur on sites that were never converted to agriculture and are over 150 years old. The area includes over 90 bird species and 40 tree and scrub species, several of which (American chestnut, Freeman's maple, black cherry) are quite rare in upstate New York. Students and classes currently use the woodlands as lab space, such as to evaluate ecosystem services — that is, quantifying what the woodlands provide for humans and determining the costs and benefits of converting it. According to Professor of Biology Tara Ramsey, the area's proximity to the River Campus increases its utility. "It's close by — we take classes there," she said. About 14 undergraduates have independent projects in the area as well. Ball, who completed an independent study in the area, now uses the space for research. "The value of it is tremendous because there is no other opportunity for students to see a natural area like that and study it," Ball said. "And it's so close to campus. There's nothing else like it... I think it's a great resource for the University." Minckley had students value ecosystem services for the woodlands, such as the wetlands' role in cleaning water. "Some people were really blown away that there was a big old forest so close to campus," he said. "There's a little more traction when you actually see the place. It shows [students] the complexity of [valuation]." Human interference raises other concerns, particularly for liability. "If people are doing stuff in there and get hurt, the University could be sued," Ramsey said. The biology department has proposed to put up signs and trail maps. Many trails already exist in the area — the issue is codifying trails that the University wants people to use to incur minimal environmental damage. "We want to get people on individual paths rather than wander aimlessly," Ramsey explained. Invasive species, as well, damage the woodlands' ecological health. Oriental bittersweet, honeysuckle, buckthorn and garlic mustard all comprise threats. With development, the area can be better maintained by the University, and the spread of invasive species can be curtailed. The goal is not only to make the area accessible to people, but also to protect the natural ecosystem. "It should be possible to make it so that people can go and have a good time and use it while also protecting it in the long term," Ramsey said. "The worst thing that can happen is that they tear it down and put a building — that would be worse from a sense of preservation. It would be better to have it be used more by people in an appropriate way than be lost entirely." There are other concerns in addition to the environmental ones — water drainage from the wetlands could be a major issue for nearby Brighton residents. "The woodlands on the South Campus probably play a pretty big role in buffering water," Ramsey said. "And I think this will actually be a big issue in getting any more buildings…if it was altered, it could lead to that water going elsewhere including places that people don't want it to go, like their backyards." The Town of Brighton conducted its own master plan a few years ago to rezone UR's land on South Campus into an Institutional Planned Development Zone. The University has attempted to allay Brighton's concerns by building for residential purposes near private properties and leaving buffer zones between it and Brighton. The administration believes that its plan is viable for both Rochester and Brighton, according to Pifer. "Now it's completing the administrative process to get final approval for both of the rezoning efforts," Pifer said. The University's rezoning has already been approved by the State Environment Quality Review Board. "The town has to issue a negative declaration — that is a statement declaring the University's proposed development — has no adverse effects," Paprocki said. This declaration will probably be made in the coming year. Then, when UR finalizes definite plans many years down the road, the plan will have to return to the Brighton Town Hall for approval. Members of the Biology Department are in general agreement over plans for the woodlands. "What their concerns and interests are, are really compatible to what we have planned," Paprocki said. Biology Department Chair Tom Eickbush agreed. "It seems that everybody seems to be on more or less the same page," Eickbush said. "It's kind of a remarkable resource very close to campus and we need to preserve it." "[The woodlands] could potentially be a focus for fund raising," Ramsey said. "In the West, they'll actually name a grove of trees or a path after the donor. In theory, you could do the same type of thing here." This is part two of a two part series. The first article can be found here: http://www.campustimes.org/migrating-south-1.2063572 Otis is a member of Be the first to comment on this article! Log in to be able to post comments. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
| You are subscribed to email updates from Biology - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment