“Don’t Judge a Shell by its Cover”

by Colleen Worrell, Secondary Technology Integration Coordinator

Last week AP Bio students used an online activity, “Exploring Biodiversity,” to compare DNA sequences. As teacher Michelle Odierna explained to her students, like researchers, they could take advantage of the computer to do the hard work of comparing the complex DNA sequences in order to examine evolutionary relationships. Having gone through the laborious process of comparing sequences by hand on the previous day, students really appreciated the power of technology! Rather working painstakingly through long, tedious series of letters that comprise DNA sequences, students could use a digital application that enabled their laptops do the hard comparative work for them.

Students first ran a practice simulation with molluscs in order to confirm that tonnoids and cowries are more closely related to each other than to neogastropods. Then students were able to enjoy the inquiry-based portion of the activity when they compared the relatedness of several species of their choice relatively effortlessly. The app did the work to show that the more similar the sequence, the more closely related the species. It also was able to draw evolutionary trees to depict the relatedness that the sequences suggested.

Using laptops for the hard part of the lab made doing the analysis to discover various evolutionary relationships fun. Here are snippets of conversations from various class sessions:

Did you know the panda is more closely related to the silverleaf whitefly than to the ostrich?

What’s the scientific name for a Black Rhino?

Did you know that the Macaroni Penguin is more closely related to a flamingo than a Blue-Footed Booby?

Did you know there’s a Red Footed Boobie and a Nazca Booby? I love Boobys….

Did you know a Poison Star Frog is closer to a Tree Snake than a Moray Eel?

What third animal should we compare the Dumbo Octopus and the Blob Fish to?

Students learned that, as Ms. O put it, that you “can’t judge a shell by its cover”: it’s the DNA that counts the most.


Image credits: flickr.com, FDA website.

Smarter Searching

from duckduckgo.com

by Kirsten Fournier, HHS Librarian

Honors Biology teacher, Bryan King, and HHS Librarian, Kirsten Fournier, have been collaborating to identify and instruct students in the use of proper tools for research (both digital and print) and MLA citation of that research. Effective searching, the importance of using peer reviewed sources, and interpreting and understanding academic journal articles are all being addressed. Biology students have access to a class web page where they can retrieve course and library resources. Tutorials posted on the website include tips for effective Google searching and how to use student-friendly search engine alternatives to Google (in addition to all of those great library research databases!).

Check out these resources to see what students are working on and to learn that there are ways to search beyond Google....

Apple Security Patch for iPhone, iPad, & Laptops

Today Apple issued an update to fix a security hole for Mac computers.  It addresses the same security flaw that was found in the Apple iOS software that runs on all Apples mobile devices. Left unfixed, a user could gain access to information including emails, instant messages, social media posts, and online bank transactions. Students should take the time to follow this Updating OSX link to address this issue immediately. If there are any questions or problems with running this update, please visit the Tech Center at HHS for assistance.

Students should also be aware that on Friday, February 21st, Apple issued a security update for iOS 6 and iOS 7 devices due to a security risk. Users not running the latest "patched" iOS software may be open to attacks when connected to a shared network. This applies to iPhones and iPads only. Students with MacBook Airs will not be impacted by this development.

While there have been no confirmed attacks on users, experts are recommending that iPhone and iPad users backup their device and run the patch update (go to Settings> General>Software Update>Download and Install).

Please be aware that some users have experience issues when running this update on their iPads. Read this Slate.com article for more information on the patch: ALERT: How to Fix a Major Security Flaw in Apple Mobile Devices.

1:1 Laptop registration - Now Open for the Class of 2018!

by Ashoke Ghosh, Director of Technology

We have created online forms for the entire 1:1 registration process via the school district’s website. In order to register your student you must use the Schoolwires account you created to receive district listservs.  

Please click on this link to complete the 1:1 Laptop Forms for the Class of 2018 

Once you have completed the online forms please turn in a signed copy of the lease agreement to the middle school central office or mail or return a signed copy to Hopkinton Public Schools Administrative offices at 89 Hayden Rowe Street. Include your initial payment with the lease agreement or remit online using our online payment option: https://unipaygold.unibank.com/Default.aspx?customerid=693 

Please contact Ashoke Ghosh (aghosh@hopkinton.k12.ma.us) at 508-417-9360 if you have any questions. If you get stuck in the registration process and need technical assistance please contact Linda Henderson (lhenderson@hopkinton.k12.ma.us) at 508-497-9820.

Thanks for your cooperation!

Darwinian Snails and Evolution

by Colleen Worrell, Secondary Technology Integration Coordinator

AP Bio students kicked off Semester Two by using SimBio to get crabby. Teacher Michelle Odierna used the hands-on Darwinian Snails virtual lab to help her students understand the range of variables that influence the process of natural selection. SimBio is a digital tool, paid for by an HEF grant awarded to Science teacher Charlotte Shire in 2011. The app enables students “to conduct simulated experiments similar to those performed by practicing scientists, in fields of biology where live experiments are impractical or impossible” (SimBio site).

Students were put in teams to “become a European green crab.” As the lab explains, “You will feel especially crabby if you are not getting enough to eat, and the best snacks available on the coastline are these tasty looking snails. All you have to do is crack their shells by pounding on them with your claw.” The student teams manipulate variables in the population in order to determine how these variables affect the population’s evolution. They make predictions, create models, test hypotheses, and analyze data to explore and further their understanding of population genetics. Students collaborate each step of the way, going through exercises where the crab eats snails using the Claw tool and they try to keep the “Crab Happiness Score” high by eating their snails with the fewest clicks possible. Meanwhile, as the snail population reproduces, the student-biologists track variation in shell thickness as some snails die out and new snails are born. The final exercise asks students to consider bigger questions about “What Makes Populations Evolve," e.g., “What role did the predators play in causing the population of snails to evolve?”

A visitor walking into the classroom would find the AP Bio students hard at work, barely pausing as Mrs. Odierna visits each team to check in on their progress. “Awwww!” one group yells, when they let their crab overeat and too many snails are gobbled up. They laugh as they review the impact, noting that green snails, with softer shells, were eaten, whereas red and yellow snails, with harder shells, tended to survive. “Let me know if the red population goes down as I do this,” one of the trio exclaimed, as they continued on with the snail simulation.

During the wrap up discussion, students shared additional things they learned about natural selection and the factors that make it possible. For instance, one student added “selective pressure” as another criterion that makes natural selection possible. During their discussion Ms. Odierna and her students linked selective pressure back to their study of sickle cell anemia during last term. The students agreed that they liked doing this not only because the experience was more like a fun, video game than a traditional "lab," but also it helped them to experience and better understand how natural selection works.

Research on the Benefits of 1:1 Learning*

by Colleen Worrell, Secondary Technology Integration Coordinator 

 

As we prepare for Year 3 of our 1:1 Program, we wanted to share some benefits and research on learning in a one-to-one laptop environment with 8th grade families, as well as with our high school students and their parents: 

Benefits for Students 

• Increased Interest in Learning (Bebell & Kay, 2010; Cavanaugh, Dawson & White, 2007)
• Increased Engagement and Reduced Behavior Referral (Berry & Wintle, 2009; Corn & Mollette, 2011; Bebell & Kay, 2010; Bebell & O'Dwyer, 2010; Sauer & McLeod, 2012; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013)
• Better Organized, More Efficient (Silvernail & Lane, 2004; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013)
• More Self-Directed (Gulek & Demirtas, 2005)
• Higher Test Scores for Writing and Higher Quality of Writing (Sauer & McLeod, 2012; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013)
• Deeper Level of Comprehension in Science Learning (Berry & Wintle, 2009) 
• Enhanced Frequency and Quality of Student-Teacher Communication (Corn, 2009; Corn, Tagsold, & Patel, 2011)
• Increased 21st-Century Skills (Cavanaugh, Dawson & White, 2007; Corn & Mollette, 2011; Gulek & Demirtas, 2005; Sauer & McLeod, 2012)
• Access to Global Learning Opportunities (Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013)

Benefits for Teachers 

• More Student Centered Strategies (Bebell & Kay, 2010; Lowther, Strahl, Inan, & Bates, 2007; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013)
• Individualized Curriculum to meet Diverse Student Needs (Silvernail & Lane, 2004; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013)
• Movement toward Constructivist Teaching, Student-Led Inquiry, and Collaborative Work (Gulek & Demirtas, 2005; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013)
• More Creative, Customized, and Collaborative Lessons (Corn, Tagsold, & Patel, 2011; Corn & Mollette, 2011; Gulek & Demirtas, 2005; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013) 
• More Collaborative and Project-Based Instruction (Bebell & Kay, 2010; Walker, Johnson, & Silvernail, 2013 
• Enhanced Frequency and Quality of Communication Between Teachers, Students, Parents, & Administrators  (Corn, 2009; Corn, Tagsold, & Patel, 2011)
• Increased Job Satisfaction/Decreased Turnover (Corn & Mollette, 2011)

*NOTE: I modeled this on Waltham Public School's 1:1 Learning Initiative presentation, adding more current research and adjusting the benefits accordingly.

Our Students’ Digital Lives

by Colleen Worrell, Secondary Technology Integration Coordinator

This week we had the opportunity to host a visit from the Westborough Public Schools, since the district is exploring options for launching a 1:1 initiative. As part of this event we invited four HHS students to share their experiences and feedback on our program with the teachers and administrators from the visiting district. We were proud of each student’s ability to discuss their thoughts and experience so effectively and openly. While all four students readily admitted that the laptops can be a distraction, our students also addressed the fact that the program fostered more independence and the need for students to take greater responsibility for their own learning. As one student put it, “We have to learn when it’s okay to chat and play games, and when we need to pay attention.” While teachers have different strategies for monitoring and correcting “distracted learning” in their classrooms, one student voiced the opinion that it really comes down to the students themselves. After all, another student explained, “if we learn how to manage this now, we’ll be better off in college.”

Listening to our students reminded me just how central technology is to their daily lives. I wanted to share this video from Cyberwise, which provides insight on the student perspective on life in the digital age.




We hope to provide the school community with the opportunity to discuss our students’ digital lives sometime in the months to come. Until then, don’t hesitate to contact me (cworrell@hopkinton.k12.ma.us) with any concerns or questions you might have, or for more information on the 1:1 Laptop Program or HHS’ work on developing self-directed, responsible digital citizens.