the boisphere essays

the boisphere essays The biosphere is part of the earth in which life exists. It is 20 km thick from the bottom of the ocean to the lower atmosphere. It consists of three layers: the lithosphere, which is the land on the surface of the earth; the hydrosphere, which comprises of the water on the earth as well as water vapor in the air; and the atmosphere, which is made up of the air that surrounds the earth. The living organisms in the biosphere interact and affect each other in many ways. This is called a biotic factor. Similarly, there are nons of abiotic factors are air, temperature, water, soil, light, and minerals. In a biosphere, organisms live in special groupings. For instance, a population consists of all individuals of a species living in a general area. A community is a population located in a certain area living among different species. An ecosystem is yet a larger conglomeration of a population, a community, and abiotic factors. Ecosystems can be aquatic or terrestrial. The earth's aquatic ecosystem makes up about 75% of the earth's surface. This aquatic environment is divided into marine and freshwater environments. The earth's terrestrial ecosystem is mainly made up of forests and deserts, which make up for 25% of the earth's surface. The role or function of an organism in a community is that organism's niche. An organism's niche is an area picked by that organism based on physical factors such as temperature, light, oxygen and carbon dioxide content and biological factors such as food, competition for resources and predators. This niche provides the organism a place to live in. A habitat remains consistent with an organism's niche as well as provides the organism with a place to reproduce. In this case, organisms may have the same habitat, but different niches. ...

An Effective Teacher Evaluation Includes Questions

An Effective Teacher Evaluation Includes Questions The most effective method for evaluating a teacher effectively is dual, mutual involvement and ongoing collaboration in the evaluation process.  The teacher, being guided by the evaluator, is consulted and involved throughout the evaluation process. When this happens, the evaluation becomes a tool to springboard true growth and ongoing improvement.  Teachers and administrators find authentic value in this type of evaluation process. The biggest drawback is that it is a time-consuming process, but ultimately it proves worth the extra time for many teachers. Many teachers feel like there is often a disconnect in the process because they are not involved enough. A first step in actively involving teachers in the process is to have them answer questions about the teacher evaluation. Doing so before and after the evaluation gets them thinking about the process that naturally makes them more involved. This process also gives both sides some critical talking points when they meet face-to-face as some evaluation systems require the teacher and evaluator to meet before the evaluation takes place and after the completion of the evaluation. Administrators can utilize a short questionnaire designed to get the teacher thinking about their evaluation. The questionnaire can be completed in two parts.  The first part gives the evaluator some prior knowledge before they conduct the evaluation and helps the teacher in the planning process. The second part is reflective in nature for both the administrator and teacher. It serves as a catalyst for growth, improvement, and future planning. The following is an example of some questions you can ask to improve the teacher evaluation process. Pre-Evaluation Questions What steps did you take to prepare for this lesson?Briefly describe the students in this class, including those with special needs.What are your goals for the lesson? What do you want the student to learn?How do you plan to engage students in the content? What will you do? What will the students do?What instructional materials or other resources, if any, will you use?How do you plan to assess student achievement of the goals?How will you close or wrap up the lesson?How do you communicate with the families of your students? How often do you do this?  What types of things do you discuss with them?Discuss your plan for handling student behavior issues should they arise during the lesson.Are there any areas you would like for me to look for (i.e. calling on boys vs. girls) during the evaluation?Explain two areas that you believe are strengths going into this evaluation.Explain two areas that you believe are weaknesses going into this evaluation. Post-Evaluation Questions Did everything go according to plan during the lesson? If so, why do you think it went so smooth. If not, how did you adapt your lesson to handle the surprises?Did you get the learning outcomes you expected from the lesson? Explain.If you could change anything, what would you have done differently?Could you have done anything differently to boost student engagement throughout the lesson?Give me three key takeaways from conducting this lesson. Do these takeaways impact your approach moving forward?What opportunities did you give your students to extend their learning beyond the classroom with this particular lesson?Based on your daily interactions with your students, how do you think they perceive you?How did you assess student learning as you went through the lesson? What did this tell you? Is there anything that you need to spend some additional time on based on the feedback received from these assessments?What goals are you working towards for yourself and your students as you prog ress throughout the school year? How will you utilize what you taught today to make connections with previously taught content as well as future content?After I finished my evaluation and left the classroom, what immediately happened next?Do you feel that this process has made you a better teacher? Explain.