Virtually Dissected

After reading my classmate’s posts I know I run a risk by stating that I’m seriously on the fence about whether or not virtual dissection should completely replace actual in class dissection. 

Virtual dissection is a cost effective way to introduce the anatomy of any animal.  It gives students many chances to identify and “remove” various parts of the body much like a game of operation.  There is always a reset button so if a student misses something the first time he/she can go back and see it again.  No animals are harmed during this process and it’s easier for a student who is uncomfortable with blood or other bodily fluids to complete the assignment.

I just don’t feel like virtual dissection should be the primary experience a student has when dissecting animals.  There is a reason that teachers feel it’s important for a student to be exposed to the real deal.  There is a certain level of reality attached to actually handling an animal that was once alive.  It puts life into perspective for students.  In the digital age there is a ton of talk about how kids these days are detached from real life and don’t understand the gravity of certain situations because of things like video games.  This is a moment in the classroom that can introduce such students to how fragile life is and to how delicate we are inside.  Every muscle and organ has a different texture that with great patience and attention to detail (which is also taught in a lab situation) can be discovered by the students. 

I would support the idea of making virtual dissection an option for students are opposed to live dissection due to religious or personal reasons, but I don’t think replacing live dissections with virtual dissections is a good idea.  If anything the virtual dissection could serve as a supplement to the real thing sort of like watching a movie after the book has already been read.

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessments are ideal for students with disabilities who differ greatly in their ability to respond to stimuli, solve problems, and provide responses.  The National Center on Educational Outcomes provides multiple articles on how alternative assessments help evaluate how a school, teacher, and individual student is performing when traditional testing isn’t an option.

Bloom’s mastery learning is a great concept.  Each student masters a unit before moving on to the next.  This allows a student to move at his/her own pace and the teacher a chance to provide individualized education.  This type of learning caters to the various learning styles.  With the use of technology, a student can have the entire lesson presented in text if that student responds to reading better than listening to a teacher lecture.

Alternative assessments will help eliminate test anxiety and the need to stop class in order to make time for standardized tests like the FCAT.  The disadvantage to this type of assessment is some of the assessment is based on a teacher’s feelings and framework.  If a parent feels his/her student is being treated unfairly and has questions about the assessment it may be more of a challenge to defend an option than a list of grades.