Bp4_2010021_Web2.0Tools

As a science teacher, I am always looking for ways to reach students hands on, other than through labs. Some content seems difficult for student to grasp when introduced through lab inquiries. One such topic is cell division or mitosis. In theory, students may understand the concept, however they many need a transition lesson before attempting to point out each stage in mitosis. In the past I have had students create flip books to bridge the gap between theory and lab practices with cell division. Flip books are a great tool to use to help students individually learn the stages of mitosis. Through Sketchfu (http://sketchfu.com) students can create animated drawings for each stage of mitosis and demonstrate the changes a cell goes through in order to reproduce.




Learn how to draw cartoons, comics, and anime at Sketchfu!

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Sketchfu is a Web 2.0 application that allows people to communicate through their drawings. The drawings are saved and played back from start to finish. Sketchfu allows users to regulate the speed of the playback. Users can search people, drawings, or apps to find an animated drawing. Apps are essentially groups with a common interest. To apply Sketchfu to my class, I would create an app just for the class to ensure student safety on the Internet.

While students are creating a collection of drawings from the beginning of cell division to the end, they can identify the names of the stages and the cell parts that are visible. Once they have published the drawing, students can view other drawings and add to them by labeling the chromosomes, spindles, nuclear envelope, and other parts of the cell. Students will also be able to comment on the drawings. The comment section could be used to have students narrate each segment of the drawing.

To understand what goes on in a living cell, diagrams are used regularly in class. Students need to diagram life processes and Sketchfu would allow students to do so. In reality, life processes are not always synchronous. In an onion root, one cell may be in prophase when viewed under a microscope, while the adjacent cell is undergoing anaphase. Creating drawings that are asynchronous would prepare students for what they may see under the microscope; therefore Sketchfu would be a viable option to use for instruction for multiple concepts taught during the school year.

Sketchfu is very simple to use and requires the use of a mouse or touchpad. In my sample drawing, I used a Wacom board to produce my images. If this is available to students, they may see a benefit to allow much more precision in their drawings. Outside of science class, I often encounter students and parents that have questions about math problems. With a Sketchfu account, they can complete the problem in question and I can watch the replay. This allows me to see the step-by-step account for the problem and I can identify where to help. I can respond by adding to comments and marking on the drawing space. This is highly adaptable and would work very well with a Wacom or similar board.