Natural Romance

http://www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno/
I am absolutely enchanted by the most recent season of Seduce Me by Italian actress/model/philanthropist, Isabella Rossellini. It is the follow-up to the web series Green Porno, both produced by the Sundance Channel. Rossellini writes, directs, and stars in these charming and informative shorts about the animal sexual behavior with alluring wit and artistic romance. Using brilliant colored-paper costumes, she details the mating rituals of a variety of animals from bed bugs to dolphins. Rossellini explores the dynamic nature of animal sexuality highlighting homosexual, transsexual, bisexual, asexual, and hermaphrodite behavior. Highly recommended for nature lovers that appreciate the "adult" side of the animal kingdom.

They are used in some high school classrooms, but I think that teachers should choose wisely the videos they will show in class. Some videos are more physically explicit than others and some animal behavior is pretty wild (dolphins for instance--wow!). With good judgment, the series can elegantly capture the diversity and passion of animal seduction. Bravo!

Microscope Video

Here is a video I made on how to use a microscope. Unfortunately, the volume is terrible-- but hey, it was my first attempt at an iMovie.

Enjoy-- don't worry, you'll be laughing with me.

Technologize It.

This is a truly awesome time to be a teacher. Technology has simply blown away the stigma of the boring, four-walled classroom. Both students and teachers have an infinite amount of information available to them and we are still exploring how to best use it in an educational manner. Here are a couple of articles related to technology in the classroom.

This is a New York Times article about teacher's reactions to using technology in the classroom. It really underscores the revolutionary aspect of such technology and the effect it has on the learning process.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/from-some-teachers-excitement-about-classroom-tech/

This article highlights the use of blogging and Skyping in the elementary classroom. Students are able to interact with authors via Skype and blogs making valuable connections for both the authors and the students.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/from-some-teachers-excitement-about-classroom-tech/

I can't wait to try some of my ideas for technology in the classroom.

Blogs, Cells, and Learning

As a future teacher, I am constantly developing ideas for lesson plans and resources to offer my students. Blogs are a dynamic way to integrate technology in the classroom. The blog format allows Internet resources to be organized for easy access by students. Students can respond directly through comments or links to their own blog pages.

Perhaps my favorite area of science is cellular biology. This also tends to be a subject students consider terribly boring. The use of interactive resourses helps the students understand the dynamic, fluid nature of cells. I have been thinking about creating a blog scavenger hunt in which students can utilize the links to interesting games, websites, and research articles on cells provided under the Wild Lynx gadget. Once they have completed the hunt, they can reflect on their learning through posts on their own blogs. I can give them detailed feedback through comments on their page. Students can access eachothers blogs to compare experiences. It would be hard to simulate this project in a traditional classroom without the use of technology.

Let me know what you think and ideas you have for using blogs in the classroom.

Hello.

My name is Crystal Ransom. This is my science blog which is a forerunner to a classroom blog that I would like to create for my future students. At this point, I would like to feature interesting science tidbits, personal experiences, and science & education news. I would eventually like to have a classroom blog which acts as a hub for information diffusion and classroom communication including teacher/students feedback and ideas.

I am stretching out my blog muscles-- learning the ropes. My first blog attempt is featured under Related Blogs. It is fairly specific to the requirements of a class assignment and I would like this one to be more exploratory and personal. Any comments and suggestions would be appreciated.