Dale Basler has been a teacher of science in Appleton, Wisconsin since 1998. He currently teaches physics and physical science at Appleton East High School.
In 2004, Dale was elected President-Elect of Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) and served for four years on the WSST Board of Directors. For two of those years, Dale served as President of WSST.
Q: What types of digital tools or social media are you using in your classroom?
A: Nothing affects my classroom more than RSS feeds.
I follow a variety of sites and podcasts that I share with my students.
My news reader allows me to share information with the class and keep
up with current topics without spending valuable time searching for it–
the news comes to us.
I’ve also been trying to get my students to create more videos.
I just cannot see a future where my students won’t be asked to create
multimedia presentations in their careers. I want to push their
creativity and help them become comfortable using new tools– all while learning physics too!
Creativity requires feedback and encouragement. I’ve had my students
post their projects to a variety of online video sharing communities.
The teacher can comment on a student’s work but nothing motivates
students more than feedback from their peers.
I require my students to comment on their classmates’ work. Students
learn from both the comments their video receives and through the
process of critiquing others.
Last, but not least, is Twitter.
This seems to be the perfect tool for a teacher. It’s quick and easy to
use. I’ve used it to network with other teachers and as a way for my
students to journal (via their cellphone) during a field trip back to
the students in the classroom who couldn’t join us. Now that I’ve
convinced my school district to stop filtering it, I plan to use Twitter even more with my students.
Q: How have your students responded to the integration of technology into your curriculum?
A: Over the past two years I have been doing a podcast
for my students as a way for them to review and reinforce what we’ve
been learning in the classroom. However, not a lot of my students are
big podcast listeners. This was new to them. I started putting tips for
quizzes in the podcasts to get them into it. The reaction has gone
from, “What are you doing?” to kids coming in on Monday and asking, “Hey, where’s the podcast?”
Q: Why is Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) important?
A: There are many reasons to promote and encourage STEM education.
We can talk about the future competitiveness of our country if we slip
behind in STEM fields. Yet, I argue that STEM education is important
for all students– not just the ones who are heading toward a career in
this field.
A solid STEM education helps all students become better citizens. It
helps us become more aware of our surroundings, what our political
leaders are saying and what our stores are selling. I shriek when I
overhear customers at big box stores being bamboozled by the store
clerk because they are not technologically literate. Or when they’re
duped by fuzzy mathematics at checkout time.
What really gets me is when science is misused and misrepresented.
Magnetic bracelets, crystal therapy and all sorts of other quackery
take advantage of people daily. We need to improve STEM education for
all of our students so they cannot fall victim to such dubious claims.
Q: You and your colleague Brian Bartel
co-host NSTA’s Lab Out Loud, a bi-weekly podcast on science education,
news and technology. Who has been your favorite guest so far and why?
Lab Out Loud has been an absolute blast. We’ve had so many wonderful guests. One of my colleagues put it best, “Even if nobody listens, you’ve gotten to talk to some extraordinary people in science.” Fortunately people are listening too.
If I had to pick a favorite, it would be our most recent interview with Phil Plait, otherwise known as The Bad Astronomer. Plait’s website, badastronomy.com,
often discuss topics that are close to my content area so it was easy
for me to make a connection to what he was saying. He pointed out the
need for us to teach our students to be skeptical– a point I also agree
with tremendously. Plait was also quite funny which makes our job as
interviewers a breeze.
Q: Dark chocolate or milk?
A: As a proud resident of “The Dairy State” I have to say milk.
Q: Favorite Quote?
A: “There are all kinds of interesting questions that
come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and
mystery and awe of a flower. It only adds. I don’t understand how it
subtracts.” -Richard Feynman
Thanks Dale!
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