NSW HSC Online Professional Development Node

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Maths and Science Why use online teaching and learning in maths and science?

Cornelia Brunner and William Tally , authors of The New Media Literacy Handbook surveyed science education principles and examples of new media and concluded:

“... there are several key science-learning goals that media products can support:

making complex scientific representations interactive and understandable;
supporting students’ thinking process by making phenomena observable, repeatable, and measurable;
simulating complex systems and processes so that learners can engage in observation, prediction, and testing of their ideas about phenomena;
promoting conversation and debate about science;
helping students experience the connectedness of science to real-world settings, activities, and problems;
modeling of real-world uses of technology, not dumbed-down uses;
connecting students who are underrepresented in science education and science careers with adult role models who can support them as learners. (Brunner & Tally 1999, p. 208)

Websites

Access Excellence
Access Excellence is great source of biology and biotechnology material on the Web. There are lots of classroom activities written by teachers and regular mysteries which encourage student problem-solving and inquiry. You can actively discuss a variety of subjects through online seminars; join a teacher's discussion group; and read the latest news about science discoveries.

Cornell Theory Centre: Math and Science Gateway
This Gateway provides links to resources in mathematics and science for educators and students in grades 9-12

Explorer
Math and science lessons. Many of the lessons can be used to teach scientific methods of observation and analysis. Particularly beneficial are the activities on statistics and probability in the mathematics folder. Each activity was written by an educator and is labelled with the appropriate grade level.

Frog Dissection
Online tutorial for high school students on how to dissect a frog.

Human Anatomy Online
Overviews, descriptive labels, and animations of the body systems.

The Heart An Online Exploration - Franklin Institute of Science
Virtual exploration of the heart.

BioLogica

NASA Earth Science: Teaching Earth Science websites

The Observatorium

Exploring the Environment™

Exploring the Environment™: Teacher Pages

Earth and Sky

Exploring Planets in the Classroom

Cells alive!

Virtual Laboratory in polymers and liquid crystals