The first assessment is done. To teach the students the blog software, the first assignment is a post (with image + live link) and a comment (with live link). In the posts, each student has to explain why they are not science majors and why they are doing this course.
Almost all the students are doing the course because they need the GenEd Natural Science credits (memo to self: never forget they are a captive audience). And most aren’t science majors because of their experience of science at school. Tragic. The philosophy of K-12 science teaching needs a serious rethink. Science classes for geeks, and then broad-minded science classes for everyone else (the majority)? We need to actually educate kids, not turn them off.
Most students did the posts and comments well (the most common problem being failure to do live links in all the right places). So the majority of the class is running an A average right now. The first class test should fix that.
I love this introductory task. I learn so much about the students. I laughed a lot, contemplated a bit and occasionally got sad. I also developed a real sense of responsibility. This is likely to be the last science they do, and some are so optimistic about what I can deliver. I marked the assignment listening to Adele – someone the student posts introduced me to. My 16-year old son hates it: “Chick music Dad”. I fired back with two ‘chick’ videos the students led me to (1, 2) which even my son found thought provoking. Thanks Deaven and Nadine. Go girl.