1. Teaching Chemistry in the Digital Age What is Sapling Learning? Digital instruction Digital assessment if time allows Visit Booth 138 For more info

2. Disclaimers This presentation was used at CAST 2015 to showcase ideas on becoming a Digital Chemistry Teacher. The slides were made available to attendees for review. It is not intended to be used outside this purpose. Sapling Learning is NOT affiliated with any websites or organizations mentioned in this presentation.

3. Download the Presentation PPTX PDF

4. What is Sapling Learning?

5. Sapling Learning 2001 – Founded by UT Austin BioChem Professor Focused on higher education science 2010 – Launched HS program Based in Austin, Texas Owned by Macmillan Publishing

6. Sapling Higher Ed – Texas Angelo State University Baylor University Colin College North Lake College Rice University Sam Houston State Texas A&M University Texas A&M University at Galveston Texas A&M University at Kingsville Texas State University Texas Tech University University of Houston University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at El Paso University of Texas at San Antonio University of Texas at Tyler Sapling High Ed – National Arizona State University Boston College Boston University Case Western Reserve University Georgetown University Harvard University Purdue University College of William & Mary US Naval Academy University of Arizona Vanderbilt University Virginia Tech University Washington University in St Louis Over 1,000 Universities and Community Colleges use Sapling Learning, including Sapling Learning Higher Education

7. Sapling Learning High School Over 150 Texas School Districts use Sapling Learning, including Austin ISD Big Spring ISD Boerne ISD Bridgeport ISD Brownwood ISD Bryan ISD Calallen ISD Carroll ISD Center ISD Cleveland ISD Corpus Christi ISD Dallas ISD El Paso ISD Flour Bluff ISD Hereford ISD Kennedale ISD Lewisville ISD Marble Falls ISD McAllen ISD Montgomery ISD Pampa ISD Port Arthur ISD Red Oak ISD Round Rock ISD Temple ISD Wills Point ISD

8. Sapling Learning Supplemental Science Designed to provide first-rate instructional materials that engage your students and empower you as an educator. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, IPC

9. Sapling Learning’s Questions – Immediate Feedback

10. Sapling Learning’s Teacher Dashboard

11. Chemistry in the Digital Age Instruction PowerPoints Videos Handouts

12. PowerPoints Often get a bad reputation, but can be a powerful tool

13. PowerPoints Advantages –Engaging multiple learning styles –Increasing visual impact –Improving audience focus –Available later for absent students Disadvantages –Teacher-centered –Lack of feedback from students –Student inactivity –Can interfere with note taking

14. PowerPoint Tips Use simple animations and text Use section headers and callouts to organize info Press “B” on keyboard during presentation –Blacks out the presentation –Returns focus to you Use the keyboard’s arrow keys (  and  ) –More fluid movement Use a presenter tool –Move around the room while presenting Break it up –Ask class questions –Do a quick activity or demonstration –Introduce wonder or humor slides

15. “What is this?” slide Example of Wonder

16. Video Lectures Advantages –Empowers weak readers –Can be watched alone, at home –Can be re-watched as many times as needed Disadvantages –One speed –No help for students if confused –Needs closed captioning to be accessible

17. Video Lecture Tips Start slow –Use a mixture of pre-made videos and your own –Try just one lesson or two at first Capture audio clearly Provide text alternative –If possible, have closed captioning and/or transcripts Remember.. –Short – keep their attention span in mind –Interesting – use images, animations, videos –Meaningful – answer why students are learning this –Planned – stay organized and to the point –Learning – identify objectives and follow up with questions –Exciting – keep it fresh with variation

18. Sapling Learning’s PowerPoints & Power Lessons Suggested narration Transcript and CC Suggested narration Simple animation and text OR One per TEKS

19. Sapling Learning’s PowerPoints & Power Lessons Tales from a real classroom

20. Digital Handouts Advantages –Saves printing costs –Much harder to lose –Ensures students get accurate information Disadvantages –Might interfere with note taking skills Avoid “spoon feeding” –May need to teach students how to organize and annotate digital collection –Requires a device

21. Digital Handout Types TypeProsCons PDF -Most devices can annotate them -Available offline -Looks the same device-to-device -Can be made from Word or PPT -Can’t easily push updates (hosting helps) -Requires zooming to read on phone Wiki or website -Usually reflows well on phones -Can link files and other pages -Can update live -Students can collaborate -Usually not available offline -Requires more knowledge to create PPT -Easily made -Can incorporate mixed media, slide animations, etc. -Generally requires a paid application to open -Harder for student to annotate -May look different on different devices Try distributing with a QR code!

22. Sapling Learning’s Digital Handouts – Study Sheets or

23. Sapling Learning’s Digital Handouts – Study Sheets Tales from a real classroom

24. Rich Media – Virtual Labs & Videos Advantages –Engaging –Practice science without material costs Disadvantages –Requires a device –Hard to edit to fit learning objectives –Higher quality often come with costs

25. Rich Media Tips Overall –Ensure activity is time-efficient and meets learning standards –Provide goal for students to know when they are done –Have questions for students to answer –Try using as inquiry lesson starter –Test it yourself before assigning! Youtube –If blocked, download to play offline Warning: legal gray zone – do not distribute files, only links! –Right click to link to exact start time PhET simulations –New HTML5 simulations can play in browser, rest need application

26. Sapling Learning’s Media – Virtual Labs & Videos Platform agnostic Questions to ensure learning

27. Sapling Learning’s Media – Virtual Labs Created to the TEKS 17 included

28. Sapling Learning’s Media – Virtual Labs Tales from a real classroom

29. Chemistry in the Digital Age Assessment Formative Summative Reporting

30. Questions – A Reminder Formative –Monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning –Homework/classwork –Exit slips –First drafts of papers Summative –Evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark –Exams –Standardized tests –Papers

31. Digital Question Tips Same tips as paper and pencil questions –Clear question stems –Tie to learning objectives –Use a variety of question types Take advantage of digital –Provide instant feedback and grading to students –Incorporate media –Add questions with web links to promote critical thinking Ex: read a news article before answering –Pick tools that enable students to use any device –Use dashboard to monitor progress in real-time

32. Digital Question Avenues Your LMS –Might have a quizzing plug-in already Google Apps –Google surveys to administer the quiz –Use some basic formulas on the response page to automatically grade Clicker systems –i>clicker Various webapps –Sapling Learning –Socrative –Quizlet –Classmarker –See notes for comparison chartcomparison chart

33. Sapling Learning’s Digital Questions – Immediate Feedback

34. Sapling Learning’s Digital Summative Questions Feedback appears as students work

35. Sapling Learning’s Digital Formative Questions Feedback appears later

36. Sapling Learning’s Teacher Dashboard

37. Sapling Learning’s Questions & Dashboards Tales from a real classroom

38. Sapling Learning Supplemental Science Designed to provide first-rate instructional materials that engage your students and empower you as an educator. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, IPC