Module II: Natural History

Essential: How does digital information change our understanding of natural systems?

http://www.macmillanmh.com/tlxnews/2011/09/classroom-technology-over-time/

I can remember learning about natural systems in my Middle School science class.  We read from a hardcover textbook, watched outdated, poor quality videos, and occasionally watched an in class demonstration.  Digital information has allowed students and teachers opportunities to explore natural systems in a way I never thought possible.   

The abundance of accessible resources alone is astonishing.  Students can now learn about natural systems from interactive resources, engaging videos, Global Information Systems (GIS), as well as traditional textbooks, demonstrations, and field trips out the front door.  As a teacher, the amount of resources available can be overwhelming at times.  Is it really that important to put in the effort and take the time and to find good resources?  The answer is simple.  Yes.  

Students benefit from using digital information in the classroom.  According to the U.S.  Department of Education, “technology use allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons. Moreover, when technology is used as a tool to support students in performing authentic tasks, the students are in the position of defining their goals, making design decisions, and evaluating their progress.” 

While I was reading through this module and exploring the videos and interactive resources I enjoyed the learning process.  Even though the majority of the material was not new information for me, I had not previously been exposed to the information using digital technology.  The information was given to me in a fun way and I am sure I will remember more of it.  Natural systems can be hard to understand, especially for the first time, but fun, new ways to learn about the world can make it easier and more exciting.  

Examine:  Relative Locations vs. Absolute Locations

Where on Earth is Alaska?

Alaska from Space. Orthographic projection.
http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=121

According to General Billy Mitchell, Alaska is the center of the world (Alaska History & Cultural Studies).  When first reading this claim, I thought he was a bit silly and uninformed.  However, after reading on I started to understand General Mitchell’s statement.  I even like it!  He looked at a globe and noticed that Alaska was about the same distance from all the major industrial centers of the world.  This is going to sound silly, but I never noticed how much closer I am to other countries now than when I lived in Wisconsin.  Generally, I feel much further away because I cannot get in my car and drive a few hours to a city.  In a strange way, I found comfort in being at the center of the world.  

What are the physical dimensions of Alaska?

Alaska is huge!  This one state accounts for 16 percent of the area of the United States.  Alaska contains an astonishing 589,194 square miles.  It also has 6,640 miles of coastline which is more than half of the coastline in the United States (Alaska History & Cultural Studies).  

Furthers points East, West, North and South?

Earlier I mentioned the relative location of Alaska, but what is its absolute location?  Alaska’s furthest point North is at Point Barrow (71° 23’ N) and it’s most Southern point is at the tip of Amatignak Island in the Aleutian Islands (51° 13’ N).  Cape Wrangell on the Attu island is the farthest point West (172° 27’ E) and Cape Point in Southeast Alaska is the farthest point East (129° 59’ W).  I found the information about Alaska to be fascinating, I hope I can remember it all for the next time I participate in a trivia night. 

Extend: In Google Earth, try placing a Yellow Pin at each landscape you visit.

Created in Google Earth

 While exploring Google Earth I observed many different landscapes for each region.  It was neat to see all the little communities, the way they are arranged, and the landscapes that surround them.  In Juneau I could use the “Street View” feature of Google Earth which made me feel like I was standing in the street of the city.  I also found a few places I could use the “Oceans” layer and dive below to see the ocean floor.  I had a lot of fun and I am looking forward to learning ways to effectively use Google Earth in my classroom. 

Evaluate: Please write a brief paragraph reflecting on the content, style, and usefulness of this first module.

I found Module II to be packed full of entertaining information.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Alaska’s Natural History.  While watching videos in Teachers’ Domain I created several folders to save the videos so I can show my students when they are learning about global warming, glaciers, and plate tectonics.  I also had fun exploring the world in Google Earth.  I was imagining all the ways I could use it in my classroom.  I think it would be really neat to put a push pin in all the places we talk about over the course of the year and then create a trip at the end of the year connecting everything we did.  Overall, I enjoyed the content and found Module II to contain a lot of useful information.  

Resources: 

Alaska History & Cultural Studies. (2012). The Geography of  Alaska: Alaska’s Location.  Retrieved from http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=121

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d). Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/index.html

Colleague Blogs:

Explore Alaska Class: Niki shared a link to a wonderful website about the interconnectedness of Alaska’s natural systems.  I could see using that in my classroom to help my students visualize the connections.  She also used several beautiful pictures throughout her post.  

Gary’s Alaska Blog: Gary wrote about how digital information makes it much easier and faster to learn about things happening all over the world.  I liked his local example of everything being interconnected; he wrote about how Yellowstone geyser are impacted by Alaska earthquakes.  

Peter Explores Alaska: Peter wrote about how essential it is for educators to understand natural systems and cultural systems of their community.  He used fishing as an example; fishing is also extremely important for many people in our community.