“On multiple occasions, I have witnessed how GlobalLab truly promotes a love of learning in both students and teachers.”
Scientists know the “what” and the “why” of science education; teachers know the “how.” The GlobalLab platform combines the two by helping to establish collaboration between scientists and educators creating a unique experience for students’ learning.
GlobalLab is a fully functioning global laboratory that fosters knowledge acquisition, skill building, and lifelong learning. The projects encourage students to advance from textbook-based curriculum to higher orders of thinking skills. Students gather real life data, learn to organize and interpret their findings, and generate insights and meaning based on not only their data, but also on the data collected by their peers around the world.GlobalLab is an excellent supplement for science and social studies curricula and benefits student learning in many ways. Based on my own experience, I have concluded that GlobalLab supports local and national standards in the areas of science, social studies, and ELA Common Core Standards. GlobalLab is especially timely now, when schools are moving towards tablets and handheld devices,
One of the GlobalLab’s projects that stand out in my memory is “Acid Rain.” As a young science teacher, I took my students for a field trip to measure the acidity of snow in different locations in our town. Students were expecting acidic pH, but instead discovered that the near a cement factory snow was alkaline; they became curious about acid-base chemistry. He project sparked interest not only in inorganic chemistry, but we also had many lively discussions on how human activities affect the environment. I saw my students engaged in science through a GlobalLab project. They began seeing science as relevant to their lives and the life of their community. They understood how collaborative science is.. They not only learned good science, but also became aware of their responsibilities to the environment. As a teacher and a GlobalLab participant, I have witnessed many times how GlobalLab catches students’ attention and sparks their curiosity. Through real-world, hands-on collaborations, it truly develops in them a love of learning.