A+look+at+Eleventh+Grade+Classroom

Soon after the bell rings, students begin filing in to class. Students first go to a the laptop cart and come back with a laptop for their group. Seven groups each consist of three or four students. The students are investigating the possibility of cloning of the human brain. After their investigation, the students present a multimedia report to the appropriate Congressional committee supporting or opposing funding for this type of research. The students first login to their computers. Their Science folder in their Documents area of their login contains an activity sheet that lists related group and individual assignments to be completed. The assignments include reading and answering questions, compiling research, designing an experiment, and developing a culminating report for the Congressional committee. They are starting to compile their findings by using an online wiki as well so they can all edit as they go. Their online calendar contains a schedule for the week of what the group will do. The group developed this schedule on Monday, deciding what they wanted to do on which days. Comments from Ms. Phillips for both the group and for individuals are posted. One student thanks Ms. Phillips for her response to a question he sent her last night on the class messageboard. Others agree it was helpful since everyone could see her response. At one round table, students are meeting as a group. Ms. Phillips begins a questioning session with the group: "Distinguish between a cloned human organ and a whole human being?” "What diseases could be cured by using cloning?" "Contrast the functions of an afferent neuron and an efferent neuron." As she listens, she records answers into her I-pod using I-talk. After about five minutes, Ms. Phillips congratulates the members of the group on their level of understanding. They review with her what they are doing for their culminating report--a hyperlinking multimedia presentation. One student pulls out a planning sheet with various screen representations and describes how far along they are and what problems they are encountering. Ms. Phillips suggests they check out her social bookmarking site since she has put up a few sites where they might find more information to help them, and a student checks out the sites on the wireless laptop. She suggests covering a few topics they had not included. Ms. Phillips then moves on and the group continues planning. In the videoconferencing corner, three members of a group are conducting an interview with a neurologist from a hospital across the country using desktop video conferencing hardware and software. Ms. Phillips had reviewed the interview questions with the group yesterday and made suggestions for further questions. One of her suggestions sent the students back to their books in search of the answer. After the interview is completed, she applauds the students for the attention to detail and their content knowledge. This interview was also recorded and will posted so others can have the information.

Two groups are designing and conducting experiments on reflex action in the lab area. Ms. Phillips spends time with each group, discussing their work, asking probing questions, guiding them, and focusing them on the rubric that will be used to assess their final experiment. At one point, a student asks a question to which Ms. Phillips does not have the answer. The student explains how she attempted to find the answer to the question but admits that she is at a dead end. Ms. Phillips suggests entering the question in an Internet science expert forum. Twenty minutes into the class period, Ms. Phillips holds a meeting at the interactive whiteboard with five students from various groups who were having difficulty understanding the transmission of a neural impulse. She had assigned them textbook readings and drawings to complete last night. She discusses the reading with the students to ensure that they now have a better understanding, using the whiteboard to illustrate projected diagrams. The students demonstrate a greater understanding by using a CPS system with a short quiz that Ms. Phillips had loaded and are pleased with their accomplishments. After 10 minutes, they return to their groups. One student is at the desktop computer taking an online quiz on neurons. After receiving his score, he works independently to complete a chapter reading and questions to fill in the holes in his knowledge. He sees that his friend Kevin is listed as an expert on neurons on the Peer Tutoring board, so he spends five minutes with him asking questions and receiving help. The room is filled with books, videos, computer resources, charts, models, and other resources to guide students' learning. A schedule posted on Ms. Philips online calendar informs students that on Thursday, Ms. Phillips will be conducting a benchmark lesson on diseases that affect the nervous system. It also states that a minilesson to review for the test will take place on Friday in preparation for the test on Monday.