Mugans Biology Blog

Google Tools are impressive

2009-08-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

I just completely reconfigured the scheduling portion of www.mugansbiologypage.com

I am very pleased with the way it turned out. I believe that my schedule will be much more clear and understandable for the students. It will also be easier for me to update.

Google calendar is saving the day!

2009-08-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

August is always an interesting time of year for teachers. Once the first of the month hits, the excitement begins. Each year I feel as if I have the chance to get it right. To use what I have learned last year to be just a bit better. To revel in the opportunity for a chance to help, and an opportunity to learn. I set my chin knowing that the first few days can be awkward for some and unsettling for others - and I hope I can make a difference in someone's experience.

A school year is a microcosm of life. One of my students will accomplish something they have never done before. One of my students will fall in love. One of my students will fall ill. One of them will lose a loved one. One of them will look to me for guidance and support. One of them will drop out. One of them will gain admission to a college that they once thought was above them. Alot can happen in a school year.

Let us all look for those instances where we can share a smile and lend a hand. I have learned that most people are about as happy as the degree to which they help others. Perhaps by helping someone else's school year to get off to a great start, I will influence how my year goes as well...

Strive to be happy.
MUGAN

2009-06-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have been eager for the end of the school year. Perhaps it was last summer's challenges or this school year's issues... I am not sure. But I am glad it is summer time.

2009-05-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

The insect collection is rolling! Of course, they are never where you want them to be.

Hunting insects is not like hunting deer... Nothing says we can't bait them!!! So here are some tips. Set out some leftovers, some canned dog food, some sugary liquid like MtDew or syrup. Put a bit of any of these out underneath a tree, or a bush. Set it out off the beaten path a bit... Come back to check on it in an hour or a day and see what has been drawn to the bait!

Happy Hunting!
Mugan

winding down by winding up

2009-05-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

The end of the school year has been planned for months... Yet it always seems to sneek up on me. There is so much to finish and so many experiences that are left to be enjoyed.

In Mugan's Biology, we will take our final exam on May 19 and 20. This will wrap up the paper and pencil portion of the school year. It has been nice to take the final in this manner over the last few years. It certainly gives the students one less exam to deal with during finals week.

Once we have finished our final, it is time to GET BUGGIN!!! On the 21st, we will assign our field project - the insect collection. During this field experience, students will have the opportunity to collect, pin, classify and label insects from seven different insect orders.

The insect collection is a wonderful way to finish up our school year. We will regularly be outside collecting and enjoying great springtime weather. Our classroom atmosphere becomes more relaxed and laid back. Best of all, I get to spend a lot of one on one time with my students. OUTSTANDING!

Strive to be happy,
Mugan

Ma Nature is increadible

2009-04-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

"The earth is going to be just fine. The earth is going to shake off our species like a bad case of fleas..." Comedian George Carlin.

Scientists investigating the flow of blood-red water from beneath the glacier discovered the bacteria, which have survived for millions of years, living on sulfur and iron compounds, they report in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

This planet is so perfect for life that life has found a way to flourish in every possible place on it! I often wonder what life exists on Earth that we do not even know about. Blows my mind!

Strive to be happy!
Mugan

Shifting Gears

2009-04-15T12:07:00.001-07:00

The creative portion of our mulitmedia construction is complete. Next, we will be learning from the best of the student produced creations from the last three years.

I never cease to be impressed by what the students can do. Some presentations are different than I have ever seen before. It is something that given the same tools and information, that someone can build a different product that those that did the same project before them.
Our goal this spring is to add some more hands on activities to the animal kingdom investigation. I have ideas for incorportating flatworms, crayfish and maybe the fish from our room into new lab activities.
Strive to be happy,
Mugan

A student at the door to the world

2009-04-08T11:59:00.003-07:00

April in Biology class brings our multimedia powerpoint project. Students will work in small groups, or alone to produce a powerpoint project that details the structure and behavior of a group of animals that was assigned to them.
This changes the way class is being conducted. This effort will greatly increase the classtime spent on student creativity and in turn, reduce the number of pieces of homework. Therefore, grades will also change. To say alot is riding on the production of this presentation is an understatement.
Successful presentations have the chance to be published on www.mugansbiologypage.com for all of the students to learn from.
I find this to be a completely engaging method of teaching. Highly student centered and constructivist, this activity has evolved over the years into a well developed and expertly guided experience for my students.
Strive to be happy - Mugan

Mugan's Core Group to monitor IOWATER streams

2009-04-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Mugan's Core group will be using their time on service day to monitor the two streams that WSR has been monitoring for the last 8-10 years.

Current WSR math teacher Pat Fox and retired WSR science teacher Deanna Walvatne began monitoring these two streams some years ago. I got in on the action in about 2001, assisting with the evaluation of the Benthic Macroinvertebrates.

Efforts on these streams has evolved over the years. Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Walvatne originally combined their math and science classes, to create a small army of stream workers. After Mrs. Walvatne retired, my advanced biology classes took over the efforts, with Mrs. Fox still working by our side. Most recently, the Science Issues class, with Mugan and Mrs. Peth monitored both streams during the 2008 service day.

This year, we are going to try something different. Mugan's Core group will be learning how to monitor the streams in the Core meetings leading up to service day, and then actually going out to these streams on service day.

I am eager to get a chance to share something I love with my Core group. I hope they see the IOWATER program as something worthwhile to do on service day.

Strive to be happy,
Mugan

Mugan's Biology Blog... a renaisance...

2009-04-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Seems fitting that I am restarting this blog around Easter time... Perhaps spring and seeing all of the "unlocking" of winter has me feeling a need to reawaken.

I began this blog in January 2008 as a project for one of my graduate classes. After it had served that purpose, I let it go. Now I wonder what other purpose it might serve for me as an educational tool.