“Planting seeds growing minds”
WEB ADDRESS: https://blossoms.mit.edu/
MIT: stands for Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BLOSSOMS: stands for Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math Studies
Richard Larson is Principal Investigator of the MIT BLOSSOMS Initiative. He is Mitsui Professor of Engineering Systems and Director of the Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals at MIT. He is also the Founder and Director of MIT LINC (Learning International Networks Consortium), and MIT-based international project that has held four international symposia and sponsored a number of initiatives in Africa, China, and the Middle East. Professor Larson first became interested in technology-enabled education when in the early 1990’s he saw what a valuable addition it was to the education of his own children. From 1995 to 2002, he served as director of MIT’s Center for Advanced Educational Services (CAES) where he focused on bringing technology-enabled learning to students living on the traditional campus and to those living and working far from the university, often on different continents.
History
During a visit to a rural school in China, BLOSSOMS founders Richard Larson and Elizabeth Murray watched as a videotaped lecture enlivened an otherwise cold, bleak classroom. The teacher paused the lecture from time to time to engage with the class. The interruptions worked, but easily, prompting Larson and Murray to wonder what would happen if they created video lessons that were designed to be interactive. They envisioned video lessons merged with engaging activities for teachers to do with their students.
So inspired, Murray and Larson set out to create BLOSSOMS (Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math Studies), a series of freely available interactive lessons presented in a widely accessible video format.
BLOSSOMS
A BLOSSOM is not alone in this effort. It is part of a movement called STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education). The stem is a new way of thinking about how to best prepare high school students for post-secondary education and participation in the modern economy, which more and more often requires people to think critically, work independently, and apply a wide set of sophisticated skills. BLOSSOMS aim to improve these in-demand skills and to increase student interest in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Education
For free education it includes Spanning five schools, architecture and planning; engineering; humanities, arts, and social sciences; management; and science and more than 30 departments and programs, an education at MIT covers more than just science and technology.
Arts, business, global languages, health and more complete an education at MIT, and the Institute makes freely available its class lecture notes, exams and videos through MIT's Open Courseware and complete courses are offered through the new online-learning initiative, edX.
Schools with MIT
· School of Architecture and Planning
· School of Engineering
· School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
· Sloan School of Management
· School of Science
Initiative of MIT
The MIT BLOSSOMS Initiative is an online repository of open math and science learning videos contributed by educators from the U.S., Jordan, and Pakistan and hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. By using this website, student and teacher can easily clear their concept.
BENEFITS OF MIT
Video Summary: here you will find summary of video, what the video want to say
Biography: it’s about writer and editor who made this video
For Teachers: here, you can download lesson plan for video you are watching, dress format, teachers guide, getting dress, simple solution, graphical solution,
Additional Resources: here all web address and links and books are provided for more information
Transcript: here you get all written format of video words to words and, here is another good thing is to evaluate by clicking evaluate you get three question was material relevant, how you can use, better, activities, changes as u suggest, interest, comment
Download: Video easily downloads, but you can’t change format
Comments: you can freely comment their
Non-commercial: There is no advertisement and all content are free
Privacy: you can download material without any registration and personal information
Contact: you can easily contact through Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook
Phone: 617-253-3604
Outline of website
Home
· Here you will find, Notification, new videos, tips
About us
· Here is all overview of website
· The Video Library contains over 100 math and science lessons, all freely available to teachers as streaming video and Internet downloads and as DVDs and videotapes.
· Ten countries partner, Pakistan,
· Teacher duet pedagogy, 2 teachers at the same time can teach
· Focus not on me memorization or rote learning, but on developing critical and creative thinking skills.
Why we need an initiative like blossom?
· We are all affected by the competitive forces of expanding economic globalization, biggest resources in world knowledge to complete these task we need new technology and skills.
Approaches?
· Examine a topic from an unusual angle
· Connect math and science to real-world problems show what real scientist
· Make science fun!
· Blossom is not a lecture, a typical lesson from a textbook
· Approaches topic from a new direction
· Connect math and science to real world
· Active learning for student
The concept of blossom?
· A concept that is difficult to teach
· A coach widely misunderstood by students
· A concept with real-world applications
Goal of MIT blossom?
· Critical thinking skills
· To learn a new style of teaching
· Science technology engineering math connect
· Increase student knowledge connect abstract concept to real world
· Engage student in observation experiment discussion enhance development for critical thinking skills
· All student need to be stem literate, Stem is not only for Ph.D. researchers. It’s for all of us
Videos
· Sort by different topic
· Suggest as you wish
· Videos by language
· Find a video, topic, language, and cluster
Languages
· Arabic,English,Farsi,Hindi,Japanese,Kannada,Korean,Malay,Mandarin,Portuguese,Spanish,Urdu
Resources
It include resources from
• MIT Resources
• Biology Resources
• Engineering Resources
• Math Resources
• Physics Resources
• Science Resources
• General Science & Math Resources
Partners
· The current partners of MIT BLOSSOMS include universities from several countries, along with government agencies and/or other organizations that these universities are working on bringing MIT BLOSSOMS to their countries
• Lahore University of Management and Science
• The National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
• Pakistan Virtual University
· Punjab University
News
Here all news is about it events, lecture, and feedbacks
QUESTION ABOUT WEBSITE:
Any Particular technology?
Ø There is no particular technology they used normal technology(laptop, internet, projector,digitalboard etc.), they mostly focused on activities and content, their purpose is to enhance critical skills and develop interest of science and technology and teach student use of technology
1. Simulation?
Ø Yes, this site provide simulation of real classroom, video are design in such a way that student can interact with video demonstrator, actively participate during class.
2. DOES MIT BLOSSOM PROVIDE OER?
Ø Yes, this website provide free open education resources for all, without any age limits and without any payment, its free of cost and every one can approach this by clicking it web address.
3. 4. Is it providing a virtual learning?
Ø Not, at some extent it provide virtual learning environment but completely it does not provide virtual learning environment, i-e
Ø Here student can only watch and comment, but can’t get face to face interaction and live feedback, secondly the topic and video content is based on new technologies and knowledge that is not the part of curriculum of the child.
4. Environment?
Ø Teachers are overburdened by testing mandates and crowded, resource-poor classrooms. Enrichment in math and science takes a backseat to rote learning and classroom management. Teachers feel frustrated. Students get discouraged. And all too often schools fail to prepare young people for their futures. In contrast; we at BLOSSOMS hope to inspire students from around the world and from all walks of life to get involved. Our lessons show students, in a hands-on way, how exciting and fascinating math, science, engineering, and technology can be.
5. Web-based content?
Ø The BLOSSOMS project is sponsored at MIT by LINC (Learning International Networks Consortium), a global consortium of educators interested in using distance and e-learning technologies to increase access to quality education worldwide. A BLOSSOM is an “Open Educational Resource,” a web-based collection of materials offered freely and openly for re-use in teaching, learning and research. OERs such as BLOSSOMS help make education a right rather than a privilege by providing schools around the world with access to quality educational tools.
Ø The content is mostly related to since, engineering, technology, mathematics, and BLOSSOMS aims to improve these in-demand skills and to increase student interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Ø You can evaluate the content by clicking on evaluation option and suggest them about the new ideas.
6. Elements do these sites have—such as animation, visuals, interactivity?
Ø These elements include animation, videos, you can order DVD and download all content and can translate into your desired language, generally, it contains 10 languages, another option can allow you to make your own video but for that, you have to follow rubric of MIT BLOSSOMS website.
7. Do students better learn through this site?
Ø BLOSSOMS lessons help prepare students for careers in the global innovation economy by teaching them to think. Each BLOSSOMS lesson connects seemingly abstract or dry concepts to the real world. More important, the lessons give students a real-world idea and the chance to play with it.
8. Design elements assist with learning?
Ø Yes, elements and design of web assist with learning, with brief instruction and explanation and with the help of different activities student can learn easily but it is difficult for student who belongs to backward countries can’t understand it properly, because most contents are available in 1o different language and Urdu language is not so developed as a result we can’t contribute much to this website, in my opinion this website is best for teacher ,they can easily download and implement this video lesson plan ,another good option is you can download transcript and all can visit all the resources from that the video is made.
9. Well do the sites they examined to meet the criteria for quality, validity, and accuracy and why?
Ø Yes, this sites meet the criteria for quality and accuracy of content, here it engage students in observation, experiment, and discussion. Problem-solving activities stimulate students to think critically and to make connections that lead to “Aha!” moments. As students develop a deeper and richer understanding and intuition—what we sometimes call a gut feel for a concept they gain the confidence and inspiration they need to continue their math and science education beyond high school.
