CARP+meeting+Jan+31,+2011





The CARP meeting for Mon. Jan. 31st is scheduled for 9:45-11:30, place TBD. Our agenda items are: A couple Upper School examples brought. They are developing their use. Right now it seems more like they are using them as diaries rather than research notebooks. Notebook checks help them keep focused. Hard to teach them validity of a tool before they need it.
 * CARP Meetings - Jan. 31st; March 7th; May 2nd; June 9th or 10th**
 * Discuss uses of science notebooks

Will science notebooks be replaced with electronic software? Professionally this is not as accepted and not as credible.

Middle School students love the lab notebook- almost all work done in notebooks. This is evolving in Middle School over the last couple of years (since CARP visit).8th grade uses it for science fair (similar to US research use); 7th grade uses it for activities; 5th, 6th, and LS use it for everything. This keeps the materials from getting lost.

Powerpoint between Upper School (Science Research class of Sophomore Honors Students) and Middle School.
 * Share examples and come up with a template that can be used at different grade levels

1. We understand that there will be differences between grades. US continues to watch use in sophomore research use. US teachers thoughts include:
 * Some notes from class can be recorded electronically
 * Notes from research time-stamped on paper and show a progression (LS through US)
 * Old college notebooks - neatly done, show procedure/data and not as much observations
 * Discussion amongst pedagogues - full scale report of what is done in lab or application of information learned from labs?

2. LS including glossary at the back of the book.

3. This is a self-reflective process. The students can use it as a personal reference, but need to be able to go back to get the information. Is it usable? Purpose of the notebooks is so they can go back in the future to find something and extend ideas?

4. Benefit of lab reports- easier to carry home and assess when reports are typed and printed and carried home in one folder. Some US students sending electronic copies through the Moodle (electronic copies). When electronically submitted, sometimes we don't have to try to interpret handwriting.

5. Whether science notebooks could go digital is something we will really need to discuss. While recording things as they see it without changing mediums is necessary for lower grades, older students can be more reflective using digital tools. Using something like a tablet is definitely something easier for the LS students to record all information (pictures, writing, etc) than a regular computer. Eventually, technology that includes voice recognition will be able to assist very young science students.


 * Take a look at content, process skills, and critical thinking as they spiral through the grade levels, with emphasis on the 4th/5th, 8th/9th transition years.
 * Create a rubric with age appropriate vocabulary for evaluating notebooks

Because the different grades use the tool so differently, a rubric would have to be very general. 1. Are you using it? 2. How many entries? 3. Does it include vocabulary? 4. How organized? Include pictures/formulas/observations/conclusions?

Also, for Lower School Team Members, begin thinking about a goal that you might have that will benefit the Science Dept. Think too, about what should be included in the Science Dept. Head job description. If there is time on Monday, we will discuss these two items. Otherwise, it will be discussed at our Feb. meeting. If your grade level has not filled out the curriculum chart from the Oct. 18th meeting, please do so.