EDEL594 FINALPROJECT BLOG

Final WQ Update

Week 12 was a busy week right before many projects are due. For the WQ project the last finishing touches are lining up the text and looking for better images. The images i had before were not as eye catching as i would have liked. For the most part I think it's all done. With these big projects, im not sure if im ever done when i turn them in. I just need to be satisfied with what i have otherwise i can keep picking at it the whole day and end up with what i already had because it works. Thats about it for me.

4/17 WQ Update

So far the basic page is up, in other words to mock-up. I'm still figuring out the aesthetics of how I want things to look. Since it is for a 6th grade class I need to try and make it look fun and interesting without making it look "corny". I decided to change a web page from the original layout because I found a better site with more information. I am engulfed in work with my other 3 classes and the end is closing in so I'm just trying to figure everything out, but I think it is going well.

WQ update 4/8

This week unfortunately i have not done anything. I have been sick and it is hard to do much work. What i plan to do is start setting everything up. I have all the information ready and will be shortly plugging everything in.

WQ update

This has been a busy week so i did not do as much as i wanted on the WQ. I have changed my idea for the format and i might end up doing a website rather than a power point because on a website the user will already be on the net which will allow them to use the links that i upload. I need to remember that it cannot be a linear project. Since i am not use to this, i has been a bit of a challenge, but it's coming along. I need to find websites to link the information that relates to my topic. That's about it this week.

WebQuest

This assignment, before even reading about it, seemed to be a lot of work. The reason I figured this to be true was due to the amount of points that was based on this project. From my understanding, we have to create a type of web-page that is targeted to students learning a certain concept. This can range from art to music, to science and maybe physical education. I plan to make this project geared to elementary children. Students at this level need to have as many resources available to them and having something like this can benefit them. This will allow the students to have access to it without having to look for other resources on-line. As a child I always enjoyed science and math. Since I have done math projects, I am becoming a bit overwhelmed with math so I want to try something new and steer this project towards science. I still have not looked for resources, but I plan to look at a grade level science text just to get an umbrella idea of the concepts and ideas that students at the level I will focus to are learning. I need to remind myself to get a partner because this can be more fun, or at least less work if I have collaborators. Lastly, I want to say I need sleep, rest or anything that involves me doing nothing. I am tired. Have a great weekend, or whats left of it.

The Griffith Observatory

The Griffith Observatory has been a great place to go whether you like or don't like the sciences. As a child I came with my family before the large renovation, and now that is has been a while I returned and it is better than ever. This place does not hold to just one type of science, it embodies many different types. Chemistry, astronomy, physics, and many others are all represented in this place. Coming here during the day is a great trip, but there is no better view of the Los Angeles skyline than from the Griffith Observatory.

Visiting The Griffith Observatory can be an enhancement of the ideas being taught in class. Students will benefit by having exhibitions become visually represented. Many science ideas are present in the observatory. There are many visual aids that help students make the connection between what they read about during class and what they see in this area. One exhibit that would be great for students is the moon phases. This exhibit plays to the students’ visual and auditory senses when exploring the moon phases.





Before visiting The Observatory, students can be prepared by giving them an objective. Some of the exhibits might not relate directly to what they are learning, but it is helpful in creating background knowledge which they might use later. Having some type of scavenger hunt in groups can be entertaining for the students because they have fun while they learn about the different parts of the observatory. Having these preparations can be useful for EL and special needs students because the teacher can place the students in certain groups depending on their performance and even behavior. Maybe some students might need pictures or translations on their paper.


When teaching certain areas, websites to the Griffith observatory can be used as a tool. If a teacher plans to teach by a certain exhibition, using these areas a specific teaching plan and fieldtrip plan can be made so that time and energy is used efficiently during both activities.
http://www.griffithobs.org/






After finalizing the fieldtrip, students can be debriefed using the scavenger hunt papers they used to visit the observatory. Depending on how this is used it can be done different ways. One way can be to focus on the main topic that was meant to be explored by asking what was learned. What did they find interesting? More specific questions can be asked to check for understanding and connection made between the classroom study and the fieldtrip. After the teacher has exhausted the students ideas, if some were left out, the teacher can make connections and ask if they now see what connections have been made.


The Griffith Observatory provides plenty of different areas to keep you intrigued. Ever wonder how much you weight at the moon? There's no need to wonder any further with the planetary exhibition, you can see how much you weigh on the different planets. If you get tired you can have a seat next to Albert Einstein and ponder about his ideas. You might just get pulled into the excitement.





One of the most interesting things that I saw at The Griffith Observatory was the life size periodic table. I loved how each element had its own physical representation. It's great to visually see how some of the elements look. This place has many areas where anyone can learn and be entertained at the same time during the different exhibits. There is also a place to watch a presentation about astronomy in a theater type setting.

The Griffith Observatory is also next to the Hollywood sign that has a hiking area that can be fun for the family, but maybe to dangerous for students that are not being constantly watched. It also has an amazing gift shop that carries many peculiar items where you can get a memento to remember your visit always.