Tonia's Web Page

Introduction
CLTW Description
Professional Development
Impact on Student Learning
Class Activity
Links to Websites

Introduction

Tonia Lyman
South Middle School
12310 E.Parkview Dr.
Aurora, Co. 80011
Aurora Public Schools
Science Multi-Grade Classes of 6,7,& 8 grades

CLTW Description

CLTW is the Center for Learning and Teaching in the West. It is a combination of five universities;Colorado State University, Montana State University, Portland State University, University of Montana, and University of Northern Colorado, working with teachers from all levels of education in Colorado, Montana, and Oregon. The Center was formed to better serve students who have traditionally not benefited from Science, Technology , Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educational reform. CLTW also provide teachers learning opportunities and to help teachers design and deliver exciting curriculum.

CLTW has given me the opportunity to talk and see how other teachers in the state of Colorado present the same curriculum. Many of the teaching ideas have been the same but there has also been several different ideas on the projects that students have done within the various classrooms. The topic I see that has made an impact comes from the articles that the Aurora group has been reading on the ELA subject. The ideas and strategies will not only assist the ELA population but also help all students. The topics we covered within CLTW, genetics,ecology and Wisconsin Fast Plants, will be helpful since these will be a part of the curriculum I will be addressing during the next school year.

Professional Development

Communicating Scientific Information
The activity that I used from the CLTW's Professional Development workshop was the activity we did at NCAR on communicating data. I really like this way of showing students that even though scientists may collect the same data, they can present that data in many different formats.

The activity is to design a question about the area outside of South Middle School,collect data and then communicate their findings in the form of a visual aid.

The State Standard:
Standard 1: Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigation.

The Learning Objectives: Have students understand that data can be presented in many different formats.

Resources: The use of the canal behind South Middle School or an open space where students can collect data.

Assessment:

1. Ask a question

2. State a Hypothesis

3. Students able to identify the variables

4. Graph results using correct labels

5. Apply scientific titles

Impact on Student Learning

The impact that communicating scientific information had on my students was that it showed the students that the same information can be looked at in many differents ways. They realized that we are not all alike in the approaches that we take and how we each can look at something and see that object in an entirely different perspective. The method(s) used to talk about an object or an idea can be shown in multiple ways. One way is not any better than another(except when you are required to use a certain format).

Class Activity

With the subject of Physics this year, I did not have the opportunity to use many of the topic ideas that were presented at the CLTW classes. The final project for the class was to build a 24 foot roller coaster out of 1/2"X 3/4" foam pipe insulation. The criteria established for the roller coaster required it to have 2 arches and 1 loop. The marble needed to come to a stop within the last 4" of the tube to qualify as an an "A". Students could not add any stopping aids to slow the progress of the marble. The marble had to slow down by friction, gravity and air resistance. To receive a "B", the marble needed to stop within 8" of the end of the tube, and for a "C", 18". Here are a couple of video clips of the students working.
Video Clip
Video Clip

Link to the Websites

CLTW Website
Aurora Public Schools
United Streaming
DNA Interacive