Keystone
Weekly
volume 1, issue 17
February 14,
2000
This week's Key Points: *From the Director's Desk,*
*Kit Connections,* and *On the Lighter Side*
Scroll
for
details.
From the
Director's Desk
February 28th Colloquium:
Attendance for the Winter Colloquium (now only two weeks
away) looks like it
will be very high, with strong participation across ALL ten
sites. If you
are one of the few who have not yet responded (yes or no),
please do so
ASAP so we may lock in the count for food, etc.
Keystone Webspace Development:
The recent "Site Visit Journal" addition to the webspace
provides a peek at
some of the broader changes in the works for the Keystone
webspace. Alyce
Callison has joined our team as a content support
specialist, and things
are really starting to move forward on the webspace
development front as
she works closely with other project staff. Much of the
existing temporary
site is either now under revision or slated to be replaced
with new
components, and a new look and functionality will be
introduced at the
February colloquium. During time in the computer lab,
participants will be
invited to react to the changes and offer suggestions on how
to further
move the webspace development along in ways that effectively
support
teachers implementing inquiry science kits in
their classroom.
Cost-share Data Clarification:
I know there is some confusion regarding the forms you were
mailed
requesting you to provide cost-share information to the
project. (That's
why I had originally planned to introduce it to everyone at
the January
meeting we had to cancel.) For most of you, at this point
in time, it
likely represents time you have "contributed" to the
project's efforts,
such as time spent online or involved in local site planning
efforts
directly related to the project. It includes normal work
hours, as well as
contributed hours outside the normal workday--as long as you
were not paid
for the time by the project (i.e., stipends) or by any other
federally
funded source. Any work time paid by your school district
can and should
be included as a contribution. We realize that some of you
have had
limited connectivity to the web much of the fall, while
others have been
extremely active online participants. We need to "capture"
your
contributed online time, whatever it may be, and fully
understand that it
may vary widely across participants. Please take your best
pass at the
forms (they shouldn't require much time) and send them on to
me as directed
so I may compile a needed report to the NSF. Email or call
if you have
specific questions. We will field questions and get back to
individuals as
necessary at the colloquium.
[Back to
Top]
Kit
Connections
Electric Circuits: Diodes
Marie Hammond from Conewago Elementary of
Northeastern School District uses
the STC kit Electric Circuits in her fourth grade classroom.
Marie finds
that covering the activity on diodes in the unit poses
several problems for
her. First, understanding of electronic components for this
grade level is
very limited. In addition, most elementary teachers are
uncomfortable with
teaching more complex physics content. Marie treats this
dilemma with her
usual calm approach. In her classroom she simply introduces
the concept of
diodes as a device that only allows electricity to flow in
one direction.
Then Marie guides her students into a brainstorming
discussion about when
engineers and electricians might need to use the one-
directional diode.
For teachers like Marie who want to keep the lesson on
diodes at
appropriate level for her fourth graders and yet have more
background
information for her own understanding, try the last two
sites that are
listed below. Those who would also like to adopt Marie's
calm and
light-hearted approach may also want to check out the first
site in order
to lead the class in an amusing and fun song courtesy of
SchoolHouse Rock.
SchoolHouse Rock's Electricity song:
http://genxtvland.simplenet.com/SchoolHou
seRock/song.hts?lo+electricity
Background and Activities:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/g_knott/ele
ct12.htm
http://www.dl.ket.org/physics/companion/th
epc/compan/Current/index.htm
[Back to
Top]
On the
Lighter Side
Psychic Inquiry
A lonely frog telephoned the Psychic Hotline and asked what
his future holds.
His Personal Psychic Advisor tells him, "You are going to
meet a beautiful
young girl who will want to know everything about you."
The frog is thrilled. "This is great! Will I meet her at a
party?" he croaks.
"No," says the psychic, "in biology class."
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Top]
