Icon for: Jenna Mercury

JENNA MERCURY

Science4Us
Public Discussion

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  • Icon for: Teresa Eastburn

    Teresa Eastburn

    Facilitator
    Digital Learning & UCAR Connect Lead
    May 16, 2016 | 06:54 p.m.

    This is a lot to develop! How long has the project been in the works? 28 two-week modules across K-2 makes me assume that teachers use the digital resources throughout the year for about 3 days a week or more if there is less time and if they intend to cover all the modules designed for a given grade. I like the fact that they are cross curricular and that they incorporate a 5E approach. How have students reacted to the curricula? You mention that it has a positive effect on motivation. Is this also true of students who use the entire 3-year curriculum? How have teachers responded to the curriculum? Has it enhanced their own STEM knowledge? You mention that it is digitally interactive. Are there any non-tech components and inquiry built into the curriculum. Do students work individually? How is discourse being used and fostered?

  • Icon for: Jenna Mercury

    Jenna Mercury

    Lead Presenter
    Education Specialist
    May 17, 2016 | 08:52 a.m.

    Hi Teresa!

    Our program was in development for 2 years. You are right, this is a lot of content! We contracted many local educators to assist in writing the content and we used both the NGSS and NSS for support. Our program has 28 different modules, but there are a lot of cross-cutting concepts weaved throughout. Teachers are LOVING the program— it’s ease of use, the student engagement. The added bonus is the pedagogy videos that help the teacher learn about the topics. Our program offers 350 online interactive activities and over 1,000 offline activities and can be delivered in whole group, centers or 1:1 (we also have an iPad app). The offline lessons that are more hands-on in nature or the offline investigations involve some component of an inquiry lesson. Each classroom or school is provided with a virtual webinar and support throughout the year, so questions can be answered easily! Local schools opt for onsite PD and this provides them with additional support including classroom demos and inservice workshops. Please let us know if there is something we missed! Thanks for your comment and questions!

  • Icon for: Lauren Allen

    Lauren Allen

    Facilitator
    Postdoctoral Research Associate
    May 16, 2016 | 10:21 p.m.

    It is great to hear about a project that emphasizes both the student and teacher support components equally. I am also curious if teachers have incorporated any physical explorations into their lessons to accompany the digital models (the example in the video about viscosity of liquids seems like it could be a fun hands-on activity, and would also be a great way to examine how students think differently about a demonstration on a screen when compared to a ‘real life’ demo).

  • Icon for: Jenna Mercury

    Jenna Mercury

    Lead Presenter
    Education Specialist
    May 17, 2016 | 08:54 a.m.

    Great question, Lauren! Yes, each of the online components has an offline component. So, the viscosity activity you saw has an offline investigation that is just as robust. There are also activities we call, “Take it a Step Further” which are simple hands-on activities in the Explore section that do not need major supplies and take less than 30 minutes but have a high learning value. Thank you for your comments and questions!

  • Icon for: Roger Taylor

    Roger Taylor

    Facilitator
    Assistant Professor
    May 17, 2016 | 09:26 p.m.

    This seems like it could also be effective outside of the traditional classroom – have you had a chance to look at it’s use in the home?

  • Icon for: Jenna Mercury

    Jenna Mercury

    Lead Presenter
    Education Specialist
    May 18, 2016 | 08:39 a.m.

    Hello Roger! It is certainly very effective inside the classroom and outside the classroom. All students are provided with a username and password that can be used at all times. Science4Us is digitally delivered, so teachers can assign assignments and students can login at home or at a local library on the weekends. We also have a free iPad app. Although we have many classrooms and schools that use Science4Us, we also have a very large homeschool community. Many parents use Science4Us due to the ease of use and reporting features. Their children can complete assignments and activities at their own pace and parents can use the hands on experiments just like teachers can in the classroom. We also have many parents looking to add a stronger science component to their K-2 child’s daily education. Thank you for your question!

  • Icon for: Jennifer Adams

    Jennifer Adams

    Facilitator
    Associate Professor
    May 18, 2016 | 12:20 p.m.

    Interesting project, what does teacher or facilitator training look like? Is this done on a digital platform or in person? How have teachers been responding? Also looks like it would be a good resource for home schoolers, any feedback from that community?

  • Icon for: Jenna Mercury

    Jenna Mercury

    Lead Presenter
    Education Specialist
    May 18, 2016 | 01:15 p.m.

    Thanks Jennifer! Training is provided for all accounts. Schools and classrooms in the US and global usually opt for virtual webinars. However, classrooms and schools can purchase additional educational webinars or even onsite professional development. Teachers love using Science4Us because it’s easy to use, the lessons are engaging for students and it doesn’t take much time to deliver a high quality science lesson. We have a large homeschool community that enjoys the interactive digital component of our program! Thank you for your question!

  • Icon for: Jennifer Adams

    Jennifer Adams

    Facilitator
    Associate Professor
    May 19, 2016 | 03:22 p.m.

    Thanks! It is a great resource!

  • Megan Smith

    Guest
    May 18, 2016 | 09:07 p.m.

    Hello! The Science4Us curriculum looks very engaging and exciting for both students and teachers! My favorite part is the ongoing support and for teachers, especially with content knowledge!

    My district has a limited amount of technology. Is this curriculum dependent on students being able to access the online curriculum each day?

    Also, since the curriculum is labeled as appropriate for Kindergarten through 2nd grade, are there certain lessons and content specifically labled for each grade level?

  • Icon for: Jenna Mercury

    Jenna Mercury

    Lead Presenter
    Education Specialist
    May 19, 2016 | 08:30 a.m.

    Thank you Megan for your comments! Technology is not necessary to deliver a powerful science lesson. Although there are 350 online, interactive activities, there are over 1,000 offline activities! We have many educators that chose to purchase for whole group only (teacher access) for that exact reason. As long as the teacher has a computer, they can review the offline content. In addition, most of the offline content does not need to be printed— you can simply use the lesson plans and ideas to create a wonderful activity. The online content is banded for grades K-2. The teacher guides give suggestions on how to make modifications for different grade levels and the offline content is specific for each grade level.

  • Megan Smith

    Guest
    May 19, 2016 | 08:53 p.m.

    Thank you! That’s helpful to know!

  • Icon for: Suzanna Loper

    Suzanna Loper

    Middle School Curriculum Director
    May 21, 2016 | 08:56 p.m.

    Thanks for sharing this project! I’m curious how you deal with the challenges of having young students log in?

  • Icon for: Jenna Mercury

    Jenna Mercury

    Lead Presenter
    Education Specialist
    May 23, 2016 | 08:37 a.m.

    Hi Suzanna, thanks for watching and your question! Each school can choose their students’ usernamse and passwords, so many times they will select something the students already use everyday, like their lunch number or student ID. Although it might not be surprising to you that due to the fun nature of our program, students memorize the username and password very quickly!

  • Further posting is closed as the showcase has ended.