“Physics of Sound”
Online Science Content Training
And a website framework for the
Alum Rock School District
Science Center for Teachers
Providing Online Support for Science Instruction & Professional Development
Project Description and Rationale
v.05.31
Stanford School of Education
“Curriculum Construction”
ed208B Spring Quarter 2000
Project Team:
Jim Vanides
Yasuhisa “Yasu” Kato
Shirley Ota (Alum Rock School District – remote)
Janet Smith (Alum Rock School District – remote)
http://ldt.stanford.edu/~jvanides/AlumRockScience/
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“Physics of Sound”
Online Science Content Training
The Need ______________________________________________________________ 3
The Solution ___________________________________________________________ 3
Curriculum Rationale ___________________________________________________ 4
Intended Audience: _________________________________________________________ 4
Curriculum Approach: ______________________________________________________ 4
Understanding the Science – Online Science Content Training for “The Physics of
Sound” _______________________________________________________________ 6
Desired Results – ___________________________________________________________ 6
Enduring Understanding / Essential “Big Thoughts”______________________________________ 6
Big Questions: ___________________________________________________________________ 6
What else is important to know and be able to do? _______________________________________ 6
What else is worth being familiar with? _______________________________________________ 6
Acceptable Evidence of Learning ______________________________________________ 7
Self-Assessment: _________________________________________________________________ 7
Peer Coaching or Mentor Feedback: __________________________________________________ 7
Possible Activities/Questions for Assessment: __________________________________________ 8
Motivating and Rewarding Learners ___________________________________________ 8
On-Line Learning Experiences – “Guided Instruction” ___________________________ 9
Instructional Strategies _____________________________________________________________ 9
Special Strategies for Online Learning _______________________________________________ 10
Possible Activities _______________________________________________________________ 11
Waves: Ropes, Dominoes, Marbles and Slinkies _____________________________________ 11
Properties of Materials –Mystery Shakers and String Telephones ________________________ 12
Resonance – Basketballs, Swings and Bathrooms ____________________________________ 12
What's Vibrating? Goblets and Goo _______________________________________________ 13
Help Functions________________________________________________________ 15
Desired Results _________________________________________________________ 15
Acceptable Evidence of Learning _________________________________________ 15
Communication channel _________________________________________________ 15
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)__________________________________________________ 15
Discussion Forum _______________________________________________________________ 15
Live Chat ______________________________________________________________________ 16
Ask via Email___________________________________________________________________ 16
Appendix A – Alum Rock Science Center Website Structure ___________________ 17
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The Need
Alum Rock School District in East San Jose is in the process of adopting a new
science curriculum for kindergarten through 8th grade. The materials being
selected require that the teachers learn instructional strategies that support
hands-on, inquiry-based learning. As such, the district’ two science resource
teachers are beginning to create plans for ongoing professional development in
science instruction for its 710 elementary and middle school teachers.
Other districts with successful science programs have found that one-time
evening or summer workshops are insufficient for preparing and then supporting
teachers teaching science. In addition to an aggressive adoption and rollout plan,
the district is faced with a reasonably high staff turnover rate. As such, the
district needs to creatively address the need for additional professional
development capacity.
In addition, teachers’ schedules rarely allow sufficient “extra” time for
professional development workshops. In addition to hands-on experiences, the
teachers need a method to obtain support for science instruction and science
content background training “on-demand”, whenever they have a free moment,
whether they are at home or at school.
The Solution
This project will explore the use of online eLearning strategies that can provide
“anytime, anywhere” web-based training and support that is specific to the
district’s new science kits.
The project has two elements: A web site framework for the Alum Rock “Science
Center for Teachers” (ref: Site Outline, appendix A), and an online curriculum
designed for the “Physics of Sound” unit described in the Curriculum Rationale
that follows. The rationale used for this one kit can then be replicated and
tailored for the other science kits at a later date.
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Curriculum Rationale
Intended Audience:
Elementary and Middle School teachers with one or more of the following
profiles:
A. Less than 2 years experience in teaching or “starting from scratch”
B. New to a particular kit, looking for a quick way to get started
C. Experienced but having little or no formal science background related to the
kit; desire to learn more about the science in their kits and the connections
between the science and its application in the real-world
Curriculum Approach:
The overall web-site will be designed to support science instruction AND deliver
professional development. In addition to generalized information about teaching
science, the site will contain specific instruction and training for each of the
district’s science kits. This project is focused on prototyping the training for one
of the kits, “The Physics of Sound”.
Although the teacher will learn some science along with the students during the
course of using the science kits, this alone is insufficient. Teachers have
expressed a need for time and coaching to develop their OWN science
understanding. Teachers are also in need of additional science content training
that provides more depth and is tailored for adult learners, providing extensions
and applications that can be used in the classroom.
Kit specific training will be designed to address the various teachers’ profiles,
offering various elements that are aimed at adult learners with different
interests, needs, time constraints, and learning styles. This project will develop a
web-site framework that can provide the following training elements:
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Training Element
Description
Target
Profile
Quick Start Overview
How to use the website and where the buttons take you
A,B
Guided Tour
Lesson-by-lesson summary, highlights of the nuts & bolts
“how to do it” and teaching tips (readings that enhance the
teacher’s manual; streaming video examples of Alum Rock
students in action; graphics & sound clips for examples)
A,B
Q&A Chat
Threaded discussion (asynchronous chat) area to post
questions and ideas for other teachers (monitored by science
resource teachers and supported by Science
Partners/technical mentors)
B,C
links to live chat-room for spontaneous discussions or
planned district-wide grade-level meetings between teachers
Student Gallery
Examples (graphics, text, video, sound clips) from classrooms
that provide ideas for other teachers and a place for
teachers to display their “science teaching portfolio”
B,C
Internet and
Community
Resources
Links to related internet sites that can be used by their
students, or provide reference material for the teacher;
B,C
Understanding the
Science
Provides science content background and training, helping
teachers understand the science in the kit
Contact information regarding community resources, field
trips, experts and mentors
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Science concept highlights and reference material
(reading, graphics, sound clips) designed for those who
want to “brush up” or learn by reading.
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Guided Instruction for “learning by doing”, for individuals
or small teams of teachers working together; uses
materials in the kit or additional materials that are easily
available (future enhancement: create a teacher training
supplementary hands-on kit of materials)
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Hosted, live “online workshops” (future enhancement)
C
“So What?”
Provides examples of how the science is applied, helping
students see how the science in the kit is related to real life.
A,B,C
Glossary
Quick reference guide to the science language in the kit, with
links to lessons and science content training
B,C
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Understanding the Science –
Online Science Content Training for
“The Physics of Sound”
Although this project will create the web framework for all of these elements, the
focus of this project will be the development of the last training element:
“Understanding the Science in the Kit”, using materials developed for the handson Physics of Sound workshop previously offered by BASEE (www.basee.org).
Desired Results –
Enduring Understanding / Essential “Big Thoughts”
 Sound is energy
 Elements of a Sound System (force, vibrating object, transfer of energy to a
medium, energy detected by a receiver)
 The sound you hear depends on the properties of all the materials involved
 The sound you hear depends on how the force is applied
 The “Touch Test”: identifying what is vibrating
 “Longer Lower Slower” (length, pitch, speed of vibration)
 “Sound Recipe”: The sounds you hear are complex, the sum of MANY
frequencies
Big Questions:
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Why do musical instruments sound different from one to another?
Why is my voice different than yours?
Can you hear in outer space?
How does a phone conversation between New York and California work?
What careers use “sound”?
What else is important to know and be able to do?
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What’s a compression wave? What does a sound wave “look” like?
What is “frequency” and how is it similar to “pitch”?
Pitch ~= rate of vibration = frequency
Resonance (when the force is synchronized with the natural frequency, making the volume or
amplitude of the vibration stronger)
Waves and modes of vibration (harmonics)
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listening for subtle differences in sound
describing sound (scientifically and qualitatively)
asking questions
developing experiments
graphing
What else is worth being familiar with?
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Decibels and “orders of magnitude”
The difference in magnitude between the speed of sound and the speed of light
How light & radio waves are different from sound waves
Acceptable Evidence of Learning
Unlike hands-on workshops hosted by an instructor, web-based learning does
not (yet) provide a way to “observe” the learner and quickly interject, coach,
question and guide. As such, assessing learning requires active coaching and
feedback of a different type. Proposed approaches for confirming that learning
has been achieved are described below.
Self-Assessment:
Prior to starting each “guided lesson”, the learner would be “shown” a sound,
graphic or video clip that poses a “physics of sound curiosity”. From that point of
engagement, the learner would be asked to fill answers to the classic “K-W-L”
questions: What do you KNOW about ____? What would you WANT to know
about _____?
Their response, entered into a web-based form, would be emailed to themselves,
with instructions to have this and subsequent responses “filed” in an “email
portfolio” folder for future reference. (Answers to “what did you LEARN?” will
be filled in at the end of each mini-exercise). Ideally, the teacher inputs would be
stored in a database for automatic storage and easy retrieval.
At various points during the readings or after guided experiments, the learner
will explore various embedded assessment tasks or questions. The learners will
post their replies in a web-based form, and then receive in response a rubric,
which they will use for evaluating themselves. Their response, the rubric and
their self-evaluation can be emailed to themselves, which would then be “filed” in
their “email portfolio”.
A summative self-assessment would use an over-view rubric and an exercise that
asks the learner to refer back to the formative “K-W-L” reflection and update
what they now know, want to know next, and learned from the experience. This
too would be sent to their “email portfolio”.
Self-assessment could also include some selected-response questions, but
would probably be limited in use so as to not over-emphasize science factoids.
Peer Coaching or Mentor Feedback:
The email portfolio approach could also include the capability to specify more
than one email address for sending responses. This would allow the learner the
choice of submitting their work to a peer coach or mentor for further feedback.
Future enhancements to the web-site could include the development of an SQL
database that automatically captures learner work and creates an instant
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“portfolio” and a way to track learner progress (or non-progress!) through the
training materials.
Possible Activities/Questions for Assessment:
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“What’s wrong with this picture?” – a graphic whose sound is “broken”. Why?
“Scavenger Hunt Challenge” – a listening and explaining exercise that can be
shared in an online forum (school teams, grade-level “contest”?)
“Design an activity for your class” – and have it evaluated by your peers and
a science coach
“Draw and Explain” – post scanned (upload or fax to science center) drawings
that describe familiar objects (musical instruments?) in terms of their “sound
system”
“Evidence that sound travels slower than light”
Motivating and Rewarding Learners
Although most teachers recognize the importance of professional development,
experience has shown that the current structure of most teachers’ workday does
not accommodate training “interruptions”. With non-stop, high-energy time with
children, there is often no energy left for “evening workshops”, and learning
cannot always wait until “summer institutes” are made available.
Online learning is more convenient, but still competes for teachers’ limited time.
In order to encourage teachers to pursue professional development online, it is
likely that a reward system should be instituted to recognize the extra effort
taken to pursue online training. A reward system may also be critical to engaging
teachers in simply taking the risk and trying the online learning resources that
will be developed.
Ideas for rewards include:
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Science Center Gift certificates offered for completing a course of study. This
certificates would be redeemable at the district science center for items that
will enhance their classroom’s science learning experience
Science “frequent learner” points or “green-stamps”, given upon the
completion of each portion of their training. Points could be accumulated for
larger and better prizes.
College credits or continuing education credits
On-Line Learning Experiences – “Guided Instruction”
The Guided Instruction portion of the online learning experience is aimed at
“learning by doing”, for individuals or small teams of teachers working together.
The activities will use the materials in the science kit and/or additional materials
that are readily available. Future enhancements could include the creation of a
teacher training supplementary hands-on kit of materials that can be borrowed
from the district’s science materials center.
Although the activities will be designed for adult learners, they can be modified
for children and used to supplement the activities that are in the FOSS kit. The
activities in this online curriculum will be adaptations of selected material from
the BASEE hands-on workshop for the Physics of Sound.
Whether they are doing the training in "self study" mode or as part of a "live
webshop", it will be recommended that teachers have a buddy to work with. This
would provide immediate support, collaborative synergy, and assistance in using
technology for online learning.
Instructional Strategies
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This curriculum design assumes, per the constructivist model of learning, that
the process of “discovering for yourself” is more effective than simply “telling”
the learner about science. Although the “guided instruction” is online, as
many of the learner’s experiences as possible in this curriculum depend on
the learner conducting “hands-on” experiments while online.
Assume the teachers have access to hands-on materials that will allow them
to do a hands-on “see it for yourself” exploration.
In addition to “hands-on” experiences, the teachers will learn from a
combination of online explanations (words plus online animations) plus
internet enabled “discussions” that use email, threaded discussions, and
comments posted in the gallery.
Assume that teachers will be working at their own pace, preferably with a
partner
The district will occasionally sponsor “live webshops”, where a “science
coach” will be online at the same time that teachers are working through one
of the lessons. These live webshops will be facilitated by phone conferencing,
NetMeeting application sharing, and online chat.
Start with something to wonder about (a challenge or a curiosity)
Always start with "What do you know? What do you WANT to know?"
Guide the learners to record “What did you see? What did you hear? What
did you feel?”
Reflect “What does this mean? What did you learn?”
Share (ask for feedback; discuss; challenge one another; compare)
Revisit “What do you know? What do you want to know?”
Special Strategies for Online Learning
The lessons in this project are adaptations from the hands-on, in-person
instruction that was provided at the BASEE Physics of Sound workshops. The
lessons that lend themselves for online learning are being redesigned for webbased delivery without the benefit of a “local coach/trainer” being present. As
such, each lesson’s instructions must be explicit and clear, with no reliance on
ad-lib, last minute compensation for the learners.
In general, the following considerations are part of the rationale:
Benefits
Convenience – professional development is available
whenever a teacher has the need and the time; travel
time to a workshop site is eliminated, because the course
can be taken from home or from their classroom
Low Risk – teachers are often intimidated by science
topics, but these courses may be approached “in private”.
An unintended consequence is that teachers can REPEAT
the exercises as many times as desired.
Self Paced – teachers can tailor the experience to fit
their interests, needs, and availability
Learn from Other Teachers – communication with
teachers across the district is facilitated
Multimedia for multiple learning modalities
Drawbacks
Instructor Feedback is Delayed – though email and
chat responses are available, the feedback is not as
immediate as a learner would receive in a live workshop
Difficult for instructor to “check for subtle signs of
misunderstanding”
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Provided by:
Web-Based eLearning
Desktop eLearning
24x7 availability; self-guided
instruction
Chat areas and the Student
Gallery provide
opportunities for teachers to
learn from each other
Words, pictures, sounds,
animations, movies and
simulations are all possible.
Ways to Compensate
Pop-up rubrics, hints, and
self-checks
Instant Messaging with
others who may be online
simultaneously
Use the web’s strengths in
communication, and
communicate often. Provide
plenty of email links; post
“office hours” for instant
messaging help
Possible Activities
The activities below are adapted from hands-on activities that have been
delivered in BASEE workshops. Where possible, they will be designed into this
curriculum as Hands-On elements (HO). Online activities (OL) and explanations
will be used throughout, including elements such as click-and-drag online
interactions, animations, automatically scored self-assessments, online sounds to
listen to, and written reflections. The online system also includes a way to submit
responses via email to “science coaches” and to the learner, providing a way to
create an “email portfolio” of the learning experience.
Waves: Ropes, Dominoes, Marbles and Slinkies
Key Concepts:
 A Wave is a transfer of energy
 The medium doesn't move very much
 Frequency is how fast the energy pulses come at you (cycles per second)
 The energy is transferred from one molecule to the next (the medium is
made up of molecules)
 The molecules themselves don't move very much
 Frequency is how fast the energy pulses come at you (cycles per second)
 Frequency is how fast the energy pulses come at you (cycles per second)
 The amplitude is how much energy is in the wave (more energy = LOUDER!)
Rope Activity (HO)
 Stretch a length (8-10 ft) of rope on the floor, attaching one end to
the leg of a table or chair (or have a buddy hold one end still)
 With the rope slightly taut, give the rope a vertical flick. What happens
to the rope? Describe the “wave”.
 What’s traveling from one end to the other? [the energy] Does the
rope itself move? [no, the rope is only the medium]
 …but sound waves don’t look like a rope
Dominoes Activity (HO)
 Line up a row of dominoes. Knock the first one over and watch what
happens to the others.
 What travels from one end to the other end of the line? [the energy]
Do any individual dominoes move very much? [no]
Marbles Activity (HO)
 Tape two yardsticks on the floor, parallel to each other but separated
by slightly more than the width of a marble. Place a row of marbles in
the gap between the yardsticks, with a small space between each
marble.
 Flick the first marble with your fingers so it collides with the marbles in
front. What happens? [the energy is transferred from one marble to
the next… sort of like air molecules carrying sound energy]
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Slinkies Activity (HO)
 Take a large slinky and stretch it slightly (about 3-4ft). Holding one
end still, give the other end a push toward the middle. What do you
see? [a compression wave travels down the length of the slinky! Sound
waves are compression waves, too, but they emanate spherically away
from the vibrating source]
 Push the one end of the slinky repeatedly. Start slowly, then do it fast.
How does it look different? [the space between the areas of
compression are closer together when the “frequency” is faster]
Properties of Materials –Mystery Shakers and String Telephones
Key Concepts
 The sounds you hear depend on the properties of all the materials involved
 The sounds also depend on how and where the force is applied
Mystery Shakers (OL)
 Listen to various sound samples and attempt to identify what’s inside
each “virtual” Pringles canister. Listen carefully to subtle differences
between each shaker sound
 Match the sounds to various possible answers… and explain WHY you
think it’s a good match [this develops listening and describing skills].
This activity uses an online drag-and-drop interaction, with online
sounds and pictures.
 Extra credit: make your own mystery shaker, record the sound, and
post the challenge in the chat area (future enhancement, when file
uploads are enabled)
Resonance – Basketballs, Swings and Bathrooms
Key Concepts
 Most objects have a "natural frequency" at which they like to vibrate
 If the force is synchronized with the natural frequency, then the object
"resonates" and the vibration gets (suddenly) more intense (louder,
stronger)… or, it takes very little energy to keep it vibrating.
Basketballs (HO)
 Describe what it takes to dribble a basketball (or beach ball). Try
getting a buddy to follow your directions, as if they’ve never bounced a
ball before. What does it take to keep it dribbling? [timing is
everything!]
 Compare dribbling the ball waist-high vs. ankle high. What’s different?
[the frequency changes! The longer the distance, the lower the
frequency]
Swings (HO)
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Tie a weight to the end of a length of string. Pretend the weight is a
child on a swing. What does it take to keep the child swinging so their
“feet” reach the some height every time? [timing is everything, again]
Bathrooms (HO)
 Find an architectural space that echoes. A tiled bathroom works great.
A shower stall works great, too. If you sing different notes, you may
find some notes are LOUDER than others are. These are the
“resonant” frequencies, where the “air molecules are bouncing in the
space in perfect timing with the force coming out of your vocal chords.
{note: this isn’t really something you can DO while online, but it would
be something interesting to discuss}
What's Vibrating? Goblets and Goo
Key Concepts
 Sounds come from a vibrating object
 The Touch Test can be used to see what is vibrating. If the sound changes
when you touch the object, then object is part of the sound system
 The mass of an object affects the rate of vibration. Adding mass makes a
vibrating system slow down
 SLOWER LOWER – a slower vibration results in a lower frequency (rate of
vibration), and hence, the pitch drops
 Some materials absorb sound energy and eliminate vibrations
Step1
(a curiosity) (OL)
Step 2
(what do you know)
(OL)
Step 3
(explore) (HO, OL)
Step 4
(predict) (OL)
Step 5
(test) (HO, OL)
Step 6
(predict) (OL)
Step 7
(explore) (HO, OL)
Step 8
(propose an
explanation) (OL)
Step 9
(explore) (HO, OL)
Step 10
(explore) (HO,OL)
Step 11
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Learner listens to an online sound [a .wav file of a set of goblets, each
filled with different amounts of water]
Learner writes an online response to the question, “What’s happening?
How did we make this musical instrument?”
Learner is instructed to pick up a glass goblet by the stem and strike
the cup portion. Learner then writes on online response to “What’s
happened? What do you hear?” [a help pop-up provides some science
words like “frequency, amplitude, duration” and some music words like
“pitch, volume, and rhythm”]
Learner writes an online written response to: “What parts of the cup
are vibrating?”
Learner is told how to use the Touch Test, and asked to write the
results of their exploration
Learner is asked to predict what will happen to the sound when water
is added to the goblet [an online written response]
Learner adds water and writes observations
Learner writes a response to “Why did this happen? What do you think
changed the sound?”
Learner “twangs” a plastic ruler and writes observations
Leaner repeats this, but with a rubber eraser “weight” on the ruler;
writes observations
Learner writes a proposed explanation.
(explain)(OL)
Step 12
(explain) (OL)
Step 13
(compare / explain)
(OL)
Step 14
(reflect) (OL)
Step 15
(summative
assessment) (OL)
Step 16
(reward) (OL)
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Learner tries to explain how the behavior of the rulers relates to the
behavior of the goblets
Learner compares their theory to the animated explanation
Learner writes reflections re: “What did you learn from all this?” &
“What do you still want to know?”
Learner uses an online rubric to self-assess understanding
Learner submits final questions/suggestions to the Science Center for
“Science is Rewarding” credits
Help Functions
When teachers are stuck or have questions, they may find it helpful to have
quick answers or feedback from others. In addition to specific science content
training, we will help teachers use their science kits by providing several types of
help functions as communication channels between participants.
Desired Results
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Teachers can easily post questions and find answers.
Teachers will receive a quick answer as soon as possible.
Some teachers will contribute by posting answers.
Teachers become familiar with several types of help tools, and are clear
about which forms of communication to use to meet their needs.
The help functions provide a forum for collaboration across the district.
Acceptable Evidence of Learning
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What types questions are coming from the teachers.
Teachers use appropriate tools.
How frequently teachers use the help tools.
Communication channels
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
The FAQ database enables novice teachers to become familiar with the use of
this web site in shorter time. Its search function is an easy way to find
appropriate Q and A. In addition, it gives the teachers a way of posting questions
and receiving answers from other teachers, enhancing collaboration within the
teachers’ community. The conversations within the community and the ability to
help each other will also motivate the teachers to participate. This FAQ database
is maintained by the science resource teachers and is supported by Science
Partners and technical mentors working with the district.
Discussion Forum
An asynchronous threaded discussion forum is also being provided. Teachers will
use this feature to post their ideas and thoughts, and reply to the postings of
their colleagues. This forum is monitored by science resource teachers and
supported by Science Partners/technical mentors)
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Live Chat
The site includes an area for a real-time chat, where teachers post their
questions and get quick answers from other teachers/mentors in real-time. It can
be used for pre-scheduled, district-wide grade-level meetings between teachers,
live “webshops” with science experts, or ad-hoc live interactions between
teachers.
Ask via Email
There are three ways to ask question by email. Emailing to Science Center Staff
is the fastest way to get quick answers, but the teachers may contact mentor
teachers or other colleagues as needed.
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Appendix A – Alum Rock Science Center Website
Structure
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