NYIT

Cindy Roter Queens School of Inquiry

Hui-Yin Hsu, Ph.D.Shiang-Kwei Wang, Ph.D.

Lisa Runco, Ph.D.New York Institute of Technology

Cultivating New Literacies Through ICTs: Using Photosynthesis as an Example

Grant # 1020091

2012 NSTA STEM Forum & Expo (Atlantic City)

NYIT

Collaborative Research—Cyber-enabled Learning: Digital Natives in Integrated Scientific Inquiry Classrooms (Discovery Research K-12)

NYIT and Utah State University

Prepare 45 NYC middle school science teachers to integrate ICTs in the classrooms

NYIT Personnel

Principal Investigator: Dr. Shiang-Kwei Wang, Instructional Technology

Co-PI: Dr. Hui-Yin Hsu, Teacher Education Co-PI: Dr. Lisa Runco, Life Sciences Teacher Leader: Ms. Cindy Roter (Queens

School of Inquiry)

NYIT Project Components

Scientific Inquiry ICTs (information and communication

technologies) New Literacies (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, and

Cammack, 2004, p.1572)

NYIT National Science Teachers Association Position Statement

Prepare students’ abilities to do scientific inquiry by facilitating students to:

1. Ask questions that can be answered through scientific investigations,

2. Collect evidence needed to answer a variety of questions,

3. Interpret and analyze data through appropriate tools,

4. Draw conclusions to create explanations based on evidence, and

5. Communicate and defending results to their peers and others.

NYIT New literacies components

Use digital technologies to “identify questions, locate information, evaluate the information, synthesize information to answer questions, and communicate the answers to others”

We adopted the term “new literacies” because it implies the fluency in literacy skills precedent to master technology tools.

NYIT New literacies components  Principles of scientific inquiryNew literacies components

Engaged by questions

Give priority to evidence

Formulate explanations

Evaluate explanation and generate alternative explanations

Communicate and justify the explanations

Identify important questions

X        

Locate information

X X X X  

Evaluate information

  X X X X

Synthesize information

    X X X

Communicate answers

        X

NYITScientific Inquiry

New Literacies(Identify question/Locate information/Evaluate

information/Synthesize information/Communicate information

Technology Proficiency

(Knowledge and skills of

hardware/software/network and elements of

ICTs

Literacy(Read/write/comprehend/communicate)

Cognitive Proficiency(Critical

thinking/problem solving)

NYIT Module 2: Photosynthesis

Standards Living Environment Scientific Inquiry New literacies Common Core

Use images and video as data collection tool to support scientific inquiry

Use social networking site to facilitate communication and scientific discourse

NYIT The Benefits of Using Social Media as a Learning Tool

Enhances collaboration and networking - between students, between teachers and students, and

even between teachers and teachers

Fosters New Literacies by : - providing a safe and secure forum for communication

- allowing students to engage in critical thinking skills when the share and evaluate content

NYIT

Allows students to chose their own learning materials so they can connect in their own way - thus self differentiating

Can be accessed 24/7- Materials are stored and can downloaded

anytime ( or just viewed-paperless)

Students think its fun! You may have other forums for posting downloads that your school

provides, however, atmosphere counts.

The Benefits of Using Social Media as a Learning Tool

NYIT Enter: EDMODO

NYIT Turn learning over to students

NYIT Empowering students to answer other students’ questions-transendance

You step aside and allow them to learn from each other and converse directly to each other… a Danielson criteria for distinction

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NYIT Achieving Distinction

NYIT Digital images in the science classroom

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Make comparisons (before and after, after treatment…)

Example: Banana experiment

Picture this!

NYIT The Effects of Competition on the Growth of Brassica Rapa

Cindy’s research Pictures Journal Results

NYIT Essential components of module 2

NYIT Another sample project

Lab report Research questions:   How are solar energy, carbon dioxide and water involved

in the process of photosynthesis?  What are the products of photosynthesis and how were they synthesized?  What the role of chloroplasts (chlorophyll) and the electron transport system in photosynthesis?  How does photosynthesis affect the growth of the plant?

NYIT Sample hypothesis

If I limit the amount of sun (reactant) needed by a plant, photosynthesis will not occur at its optimal level and the plant will not grow (when compared to the control plant.)

NYIT Methods

1. Prepared 3 containers for planting my seeds: Control, No Sun, No Air.  

2. Placed the same amount of potting soil in each container and placed 3 seeds in about 1 inch down into the soil.  Added the same amount of water to all 3 containers.  

3. Placed an opaque board over the container labeled “No Sun.”  Placed clear plastic wrap over the container labeled “No Air.”

4. Placed the 3 containers in the sun.

5. Watered the plants with the same amount of water once a day.

6. Documented the growth of the three plants each day.

NYIT Day 1

NYIT Day 8

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NYIT Sample observation journal Day 5:

Date:   9/22/2011Time:  7 AMMaterials Required:  Water, Camera, Planted Seeds in Cups with SoilObservations: GERMINATION was observed for all three samples!  It took 4 days from planting the seeds to germination. Control Plant:  Robust growth, about 1 inch from the dirt surface.Water + Minimal Air Plant:  Smallest growth, about ¼ inch from the dirt surface.Water + Minimal Sun Plant:  Growth equal to the Control Plant, even though the surface of the cup was covered, limiting sun exposure to the growing plant.  

NYIT Data

NYIT Result

The control plant grew above the rim of the container and will begin to bloom yellow flowers.The plant with minimal air is no longer pointing towards the sun, but has collapsed and died.  The plant with minimal sun grew straight up, reaching for the sun, for the solar energy.  Instead of growing laterally, producing more leaves (like the control plant), it was just surviving, producing few leaves.  This allows for the plant to survive as a skinny, small plant, based on the amount of solar energy is collects, to support the size of the plant.  

NYIT Conclusion The more sun/solar energy provided, the larger the plant

can grow, because it has the energy resource to constantly grow.  The control plant grew robustly because it was kept happy with adequate amounts of water and sun!  The minimal air plant died because it was not provided with enough carbon dioxide to support photosynthesis.  The plant with minimal sun wanted to live and grow larger, but did not have the solar energy source to continue growth.  While the leaves were still green, the stem of the plant looked like it is suffering.  The stem was bent and starting to turn black and die.  Overall, carbon dioxide and solar energy proved to be essential parts of photosynthesis, to support the overall prosperity and survival of the plant.  In conclusion, I accept my hypothesis.

NYIT

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation, grant # 1020091. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

http://www.nyit.edu/cyberlearning