Wicked Problem Project - Part A: Description of Need or Opportunity

Since I am not currently in a classroom setting, I have opted to help my wife in her 6^th & 7^th Grade Science classrooms.  Over the years, I have helped my wife, Carrie, with classroom dissections (with that age group and with sharp objects, it is always wise to have a helper in the classroom).  I have noted several issues with these dissections that I believe technology can assist with. 

First, there is the issue of having enough supplies for all students to perform their own dissection, including for the teacher to demonstrate on.  There is also the issue of students being able to see the teacher demonstration before the students try the lab on their own.  There are always some absences that occur during the labs which are then very difficult to make up.  And finally, students are sometimes sensitive to the odors that may accompany the lab.

So, how does technology save the day?  A video cast of the teacher performing the dissections would be a great asset in the lab.  A video of the dissection would use fewer supplies once the video is being utilized since the teacher would no longer have to perform the dissection for each class.  All students would have a better view of the procedure since the camera can get in close and zoom into areas of discussion.  With large groups, students are often looking over each other and not able to see detail.  A video of the lab also allows students who are missing or unable to do the lab because of the smells involved can view the dissection when appropriate instead of missing the assignment. 

While it can be argued that real dissections are no longer needed in education due to the virtual labs available, they are still part of the curriculum.  There are also videos already created and available online, but students would take the lab more seriously when they see their own teacher perform the dissection themselves.  This proves that the teacher, in fact, will still do the procedure and that he or she is not showing a video because they don’t want to do the procedure themselves.  I have personally heard student’s comments regarding their own willingness to do the lab because the teacher did it herself.

For this project, I would like to actually video my wife doing a dissection to be used in her classroom.  It may be a while before I get actual feedback due to the scheduling of curriculum, but I am already assured it will be a success for those students who missed the lab due to illness.