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| Ryck Walbridge in class with laptops |
Videoconferencing boosts labs By Ryckman R. Walbridge, Philip Rogers Mallory Instructor of Science
Hill’s science curriculum builds students’ skills as scientific thinkers and analytic problem-solvers, exciting them about the field and preparing them for the rigors of college-level study. Teachers in the sciences here at the School have been making use of the latest technology to help achieve these goals. We are using Smartboard technology, an interactive whiteboard presentation system available in all science classrooms, which allows teachers to save notes and send them via e-mail to our students. By asking our students to bring their laptops to class, we encourage them to use graphing programs and PowerPoint presentations.
We use simulations in biology, physics, and chemistry to help our students better visualize and understand the material. Besides simulations, the sciences use many websites which specialize in problems or actual textbook material. We now are using videoconferencing to broadcast presentations to science classes at The Hill’s partner school in England, the Charterhouse School. Just as important as classroom instruction are weekly double lab periods, limited to no more than 15 students, which allow time for hands-on learning and working cooperatively in small groups. Here we also use laboratory software extensively. In biology, simulations in photosynthesis, cellular respirations, and molecular genetics help to better explain these difficult topics. We have an extensive library of dissection computer simulations used to augment — not replace — the actual hands-on laboratory work.
The newly refurbished Widener Science Building has a reading lounge that not only holds a number of science journals and magazines, but also has connections to the internet, making it easy for students to keep current with the latest news in science. In fact, teachers consistently provide students with a context for the concepts and principles they are learning by bringing in examples of current trends and discoveries in the field; instructors provide sites for reference on the web through the use of Academy, The Hill’s own intranet system.