NEW write-in Textbook

FEB 15th

BC Science PHYSICS 11 

Lionel Sandner

Gordon R. Gore

INTRO OFFER - $17.50

NEW Sample Chapter

 Ch 8: Special Relativity

Ch 4: Newton's Laws of Motion

 

BC Science CHEMISTRY 11  

Student Assessment Bank (beta)

 

NEW- Chemistry 11/12 Survey

 

Development Team  

Gary Davidson - formerly Clarence Fulton Secondary, Vernon SD

Megan Ryan - Walnut Grove Secondary, Langley

Cheri Smith - Yale Secondary, Abbotsford SD

Chris Toth - St Thomas More Collegiate

Lionel Sandner - Edvantage Interactive

 

Special thanks to the 72 Field Test (Test Drive) schools for providing feedback

 

BC Science Biology 11 and BC Science Physics 11 Survey

Executive Summary

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey over the past couple of weeks. I appreciate the time each of you took to provide us with a sense of the world in Science teaching throughout BC schools. While I’d like to summarize some of the key findings, you can view the results of each survey at:

Physics Survey 

Biology Survey 

As a methodology I reviewed the responses for each survey and pulled out key trends that the majority of folks responded to for various sections. In some cases, there were similar views like the biggest change in Physics and Biology 11 was the access both students and teachers had to technology and half of the respondents maintain their own website. In other contexts there were differences. 56% of Biology teachers felt they needed access to the Internet to teach their courses. Biology teachers were also not as satisfied with the existing curriculum and would like to see a better alignment between grade 10 and Biology 11. Namely, this was identified as removing Ecology from grade 11 as it’s covered in grade 10.

 

As you review the results, I don’t think it would a surprise to say that how we teach science is shifting. There is a greater focus on technology and assessment. But, equally important is that the need for hands-on lab activities has still remained a strong focus. I am very encouraged by the continued focus on developing inquiry skills in conjunction with the required knowledge required to develop a scientifically literate individual.

Two areas that need to be addressed are the dissatisfaction with the present Biology 11 curriculum as discussed above and the extensive use of the photocopier. For Biology teachers, a third (32%) of all respondents photocopy 50% or more of their materials. In Physics a quarter of all respondents reach this level of photocopying. I see this as a response to a curriculum that was implemented without sufficient support for resource development. While the reader will know I carry a bias towards making high quality resources for BC teachers and students, perhaps it’s time to convert those photocopying costs into the development of customized resources that support teachers and students.

Again, thanks everyone for your support.

Lionel Sandner

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Lionel Sandner

President

Edvantage Interactive

website: www.bcscienceinteractions.com

email: lionel@edvantageinteractive.com

blog: http://gravitationalideas.blogspot.com/

twitter: LionelSandner

CHAPTER 4 - Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations (D1, D2)

Available in the Wiki

Here at Edvantage Interactive we’ve started an exciting new project around delivering BC Science Chemistry 11 online. In the Wiki you’ll find chapters 4 to 8 posted using a new e-reader we’ve discovered. Chapters 1 to 3 are posted in the traditional pdf format for comparison.

 

This e-reader allows you to access the worktext simply by logging into the Wiki and selecting the appropriate chapter. Each electronic chapter is located in the first section of the chapter. For example, chapter 4 can be found by clicking on section 4.1 in the Wiki Table of Contents.

 There are many options in this e-reader that we have not enabled including links to video and other support material. Over the next couple of months I’d like to encourage you to try this e-reader in your class and decide what features you would like added to the e-reader. Then over the summer we’ll make the necessary adjustments based on your recommendations.

 Until June we will keep the Wiki available to all teachers in the community. You just need to register for access. Directions for this can be found HERE. The Table of Contents for the Wiki can be found HERE.

It doesn't matter whether you are one of the 100+ schools or teachers trying the WorkText 2nd semester or not - its available for everyone to try & hopefully give us some feedback, so everything - both print & digital is ready for fall 2011.

Hope all is going well. Hard to believe that it will be June before we know it!

 

Lionel

A New Day for Chemistry Teachers in BC

 

Hello all. I hope the second semester has started well for most folks. Hard to believe we're already halfway through the school year. Even harder to admit a year ago we were watching the 4th pillar of the Olympic flame fail!

 

Here at Edvantage Interactive we're excited to announce our new BC Science Chemistry 11 is at the printers. The first in a series of new resources for the Senior Science courses in BC. Customized specially to meet the PLO's, this and future work texts are long overdue for both our students and for you. I encourage to check out the first three chapters of this exciting new resource.

 

DIGITAL FILES - Chapters 1-3

Ch 1: Skills & Processes of Chemistry

Ch 2: The Nature of Matter

Ch 3: The Mole - The Central Unit of Chemistry

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

As always, any thoughts or comments are welcome. Let me know what you think in this Discussion Forum.

Lionel

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Lionel Sandner, B. Ed., M. Ed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As President of a new Canadian publishing company Edvantage Interactive, Lionel brings 20+ years of science teaching, curriculum and resource development to science education, schools & teachers across Canada. Born in Kamloops, Lionel settled in Victoria &  taught Science for 18 years. A Prime Minister’s Award winner, Lionel has also worked for the BC Ministry of Education, including acting as the Lead Coordinator for the Pan-Canadian Science Project,& was the Canadian Director for the National ScienceTeachers Association (NSTA). Lionel has also taught Science methods and first-year Physics at University of Victoria.

 

Over the past 12 years, Lionel has been lead author and senior consultant on numerous Science resources across Canada, including Addison-Wesley Science & Technology 3–8 , Addison-Wesley Science in Action 7–9 , Addison-Wesley Science 10, Pearson Physics, BC Science 8–10 (McGraw-Hill Ryerson), Science Foundations 10 (Edvantage Press).

Most recently, Lionel (Edvantage Press) partnered with Pearson Canada to develop new Ontario resources - Investigating Science and Technology7-10, as well Physics Source 11 & Biology Source 11.

In 2009, Lionel formed a partnership with Don Franklin to develop & market secondary science resources in Canada, engaging & supporting teachers through online communities, & collaborating with the communities to develop innovative “write-in” WorkTexts & digital, community-based teacher support.