Reproduction

Project Rubric

RUBRIC: Genetic Counseling Session Presentation

Group Members:

 Assessments Compiled From CAT

I would use the focused listing technique at the very beginning of our unit to get the kids about all of the topics related to reproduction that we might cover. This could also help me as the teacher see what aspects of reproduction the students were particularly interested in. This could be extended into a sort of concept map like we created for our project. It would be interesting to see if the students came up with the same ideas and connections that my group did. It might also be informative as to what the students already know about reproduction.

The first classroom assessment technique I choose is the minute paper. I plan to use this at the end of the case study lesson. Class will be ended a couple of minutes short so that I can ask the students to write down their answers to a couple of questions. The questions are "What is the most important thing you learned about case studies?" and "What questions do you still have about case studies?" This technique will work well after this lesson because the students will be learning a great deal of new information. The paper will require them to analyze what they learned and then choose the most important concept. The minute paper will also address concepts that students did not understand or were not covered during the lesson. The papers will be read and the results discussed the next day.

I would implement the "Minute Paper" as one of my classroom assessment techniques. This technique would allow me to ask my students 2 important questions: 1) "What was the most important thing you learned during this class?" and 2)"What important question remains unanswered?". This is particularly valuable to me as teacher because it gives me immediate feedback on what I may doing right/wrong; and I may be able to address these issues during the following class period. I can also provide feedback on "minute papers"; and students can compare their statements with those of their peers in the class.

I would use "Classroom Opinion Polls" as one of my classroom assessment techniques. This technique would help me to discover/learn the opinions of each of my students. It would also allow me to prepare my students to discuss controversial issues such as evolution. I believe this to be an engaging way to involve each and every student in the activity; and this can also lead to very fruitful discussions.

I plan on using concept maps before, during, and after major concepts in the unit on reproduction. Before the major concepts are taught, a concept map will provide useful information about prior knowledge and the students conceptual understanding of the big picture. The concept map done during the middle of the unit can provide the students with self-assessment as well as provide feedback about how successful my lessons have been. Concept maps at the end of the unit could act as a quiz to assess student learning. Some topics for concept maps could include: Plant reproduction, meiosis, and bacterial reproduction.

I would implement the "Pro/Con Grid" as a classroom assessment technique. My unit --reproduction -- involves a few days of debate over some controversial issues such as genetic engineering. Of course, I would have to be careful in how I carry out something of this nature because not all issues have merely two sides. However, in a debate setting, I would have the students research pro's/con's about genetic engineering and on the day of the debate assign people either "for or against" the topic. This will force students who might not normally take the time to research something they are opposed to, to look more into it and learn about; maybe even change their views about a particular topic.

Problem Recognition Task could work well with the reproduction unit. Since the students will be reading case studies, this type of assessment fits in quite well. Students could be required to read short paragraphs and figure out what the problem is. If extended, the paragraph could allow students to determine why the problem exists. For example, the students could read a medical case about a patient with x, y, and z. The patient is x years old and has a family history of x. The information would be analyzed by the students to figure out what the problem is.

I would use the "Memory Matrix" as one of my classroom assessment techniques. This is something that I have used in the past and now in the present to help me learn biological concepts, such as reproduction. It allows students the opportunity to recall facts; and to categorize/understand the relationship among these facts. A biology course can be overwelming to a student and a memory matrix is a way to manage/organize/learn large amounts of information.

For our project, I would use the audio and videotaped protocol method to evaluate the culmination of our project in which the students will play the role of a genetic counselor and conduct a session where the teacher will play the roll of the "patient." During these sessions, the students will be presented with case studies in which they are asked to suggest testing and diagnose genetic diseases. Videotaping these sessions would allow for the teacher to reflect on how the student went about the diagnosis and could even be used as a tool to share with the presenting students about how their session went...maybe places where they went off course or interpreted something incorrectly. The teacher could also emphasize particularly good parts of the session. The video could even be shared with other teachers and students with the permission of the presenting students.

For the final part of our project, the students will assume the role of a genetic counselor. Genetic counselors must paraphrase very complicated genetic ideas and make them understandable to people that might not have a background in biology. The students will be asked to explain meiosis, fertilization, and genetic disorders in ways that are clear, concise, and not filled with "science jargon." The students will be allowed to use visual aids in their presentation.

Application cards would be a great way to get students to relate the science learned in class to how it is actually used in "real-world" type settings. After key lessons, the students will be given a card and asked how they think the science theory or technique could be used outside of class. Our unit includes a lesson on genetic technology, including electrophoresis. After learning the technique and science behind it, the students can take a couple of minutes to right down how they think it could be useful outside of class. The answers could be discussed with all the students.

I plan to implement "Process Analysis" as one of my classroom assessment techniques. This method can be used during class projects by helping students/groups pinpoint problems during the semester. My overall goal using this technique is to help improve the quality work of my students with respect to their semester projects.

Our unit involves science theories, technologies, and concepts available for us to study and exploit because of the hard work of many individuals and teams. In order to tie the history and philosophy of science into our unit, the students could write a short paper on someone they admire who contributed to an aspect of the unit. The students would be given a large range of topics and people to write about - anything from the invention of PCR to the theory of evolution.

I would implement: Teacher-Designed Feedback Forms as one of my classroom assessment techniques. I would do this at the end of each school week to see whether or not I am achieving my instructional goals. Their feedback, either positive or negative, will help me to make the necessary adjustments to improve my teaching; especially over our unit of reproduction. I would probably have a list of questions posted a day before I collect them so that they could look over and think constructively about what I could do to improve my teaching. If the students see that I am following up on their suggestions for improvement, I think they will have greater respect for me not only as a teacher, but as a person because I am willing to listen/learn from their opinion/criticisms. It is critical that the information covering our project (reproduction) be taught carefully and in a way so that the students are able to take on the role of a genetic counselor at the end of the project calendar.

I would include the interest/knowledge/skills checklists at the beginning of the semester to get an idea of what the students are interested in as well as what they are knowledgable about. Even though this is recommended for upper-division classes and electives, I still think it could be used in a freshman bioloby course to help design curriculum. If students indicate that certain areas do not interest them then this means that more engaging lessons should be sought out and used. Also, this type of assessment lets the teacher know what skills they will need to teach the students.

I would implement Directed Parapharasing as a classroom assessment technique. This technique is useful for assessing the understanding of the material covered so that later on they can explain it to others. This is particularly important for my project because I plan to have each student take on the role of a genetic counselor at the end of the 6wks. They will have to understand important concepts of reproduction and errors that happen during this process in order to successfully explain it to another person. Overall, this technique "builds up the students' skills in actively and purposefully comprehending and communicatin information learned in the course." (p.235)

I would have the students use the process analysis technique during some of the investigations, especially ones where many steps are taken. Some labs require the student to do many things in a short period of time. The students might focus on getting all the steps done and not the science behind the steps. This technique could help them write down the steps of the lab and also the science behind each step.