Montessori Method

On a completely different note from my last post, I'm curious as to how people feel about this.  Montessori schools focus on allowing students to learn their own way, allowing the child to find their own path to the objective.  While not exactly a technological application to the classroom currently, this could change with the increased reliance on gadgets in today's world.  How do you feel about this teaching method?

Here is a video explaining some of the ideas of the Montessori Method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2NjD65HrBA

Computerized dissections: For those who don't want to get messy, but still want to take things apart.

So, I was browsing the internet the other day when I came across this website: http://www.camcor.com/dissection.html.  Camcor offers a variety of programs which mimic the dissections completed within biology classrooms.  I found this to be an interesting concept, as it would cut down on expenses in the long run for many lab classes.  Students no longer have to worry about getting messy, or grossed out, by cutting apart an animal.  One would think this is a great innovation.


However, I have to disagree with that concept.  As a biology major I've realized that even if dissections are seen as gross, and in extreme cases barbaric, there's something more too them than just looking for organs.  The actual process, the exploration and hands on approach, is what helps you learn the anatomy of the specimen.  While I think a computerized option is a great secondary, I feel that I would not learn as much without the intimate level involved with a hands on dissection.  Don't get me wrong, I have complete respect for life itself and cannot stand people who do not take care of the specimens, but I think it's a necessary act for learning in biology.  Maybe it's just a bio major thing, or perhaps having a family of hunters, but I'd much rather work on a lab specimen than on a computer. 


In the end, I think this technology is a great way to get students involved in the process, to ready them for actual lab work.  However, I do not think it should become our new standard in regards to replacing actual specimens.  It may be archaic, and some may think it's barbaric, but honestly, it is something most serious students of science would mourn the loss of.


While a different company, here is a video of a virtual dissection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc8D5AQCklU

Interactivity #5

The teacher I interviewed works in Brick Township.  This instructor teaches both freshman and junior level biology classes.  When I first addressed the concept of NETS-S and NETS-T the teacher I interviewed had a few interesting things to say in regards to the topic.  While he had heard of both NETS-S and NETS-T, he told me that while he had heard of both, Brick Township barely implements them.  While the concept is an interesting one, and an aim that we should look to, it would appear that Brick Township has neither the funds, nor the training to properly administer lessons geared towards these standards.  This was made clear during my interview.  During my interview session, the teacher in question told me that while he would like to find a way to implement these standards, his classroom only has two computers in it, and only one of these computers actually works.  In a class of thirty or more freshman, one computer is simply not enough to go around.  Furthermore, the one computer lab in the entire high school only has ten computers, which is still not enough for one class, let alone the entire high school of over two thousand teenagers.  Having attended this high school myself, I can attest to the severe lack of technology that is available to students.  Another big issue with NETS-S and NETS-T is that there is a severe lack of NETS-A.  According to the teacher I interviewed, he had not heard a single administrator actually discuss the idea of NETS at all.  Instead, a few of the business teachers had taken it upon themselves to look into the standards.  While the teacher I questioned said that Brick Township claims to use NETS, they really do not.  While teachers and administrators are horribly lacking in knowledge of NETS, the main problem would still be funding.  While knowledge and proper training certainly is important, not having the means to carry out NETS is a hindrance.  In science it would be interesting to have computerized lab experiments, interactive videos and models, but without money to purchase the materials this is impossible.  As the budget for Brick has failed miserably the past few years the school district is hard strapped for cash, and has already closed down a few elementary schools to save money.  To be honest, I was not really surprised at all by the fact that my old school district does not implement NETS well, or at all.  Having come from Brick Township, I am well aware of both the financial issue involved, as well as the lack of administration support.  While I would openly discuss the standards and how to implement them in the future, I fear that ignorance and neglect from the administration would prevent proper implementation from occurring.

Google Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmZuP1NhqQzvdFpzaTRudXJUODI3TkRjQmwwUlpUMHc&pli=1#gid=0