Thing # 7

Having a school-wide never-ending problem with 5th grade science TAKS scores falling, I immediately start looking for video materials which will help my teachers in getting those science concepts to sink in. Since many of our kids are not the best readers, I immediately noticed Totlol, and tried it, but without much success. I filtered it as education and found a few science things, but any useful video material needs to be TEKS specific, or close to it.

Videos work well with our population in getting science concepts across.

Google video search was blocked by the district.

Success with Blinkx! It took some digging past all the pop stuff, but I keyed in mixtures and solutions and found this:

http://www.blinkx.com/video/mixtures-and-solutions/93Phq4P-I9agurRqAwNLeQ

I would use this as a library technology lesson in conjunction with 5th grade science TEKS.

One thing I noticed about Blinkx was that grade levels were not included. You would also have to preview and judge the quality and appropriateness of the video.

It’s also important to do technology just for technology. All the lessons can’t just relate to the TEKS and TAKS. The kids just need to explore what is there and discover to put them on the path of becoming life-long learners. My thoughts ran to a second grader I came across last year who was a gifted student and rather isolated in his class of definitely non-gifted peers. The boy was obsessed with oceans and all forms of ocean life. If I ever have a quiet moment and he is in here I will steer him into this site from PBS videos:

http://www.pbs.org/engage/live-chats/04-22-2009/fabien-cousteau

I have discussed Jacques Cousteau with this child and given him the biography.