LabLearner Podcast Blog 2

LabLearner in Philadelphia: What Does St. Denis School Think of the LabLearner Program?

In this podcast, LabLearner is used at St. Denis School in Philadelphia where the Principle, a teacher, and two students are interviewed to discuss their thoughts on the LabLearner program. This podcast was very helpful to further understand how LabLearner works and what the advantages are of the program. It's one thing to hear the founder of LabLearner discuss the program, but it's another to hear what schools actually think of the program.

My Thoughts

 I think LabLearner would be an excellent program for schools to use. I never liked going to my science classes because I always thought they were boring. Had I attended a school that used LabLearner, my previous statement would be different. I think it's very important for students to be engaged during class and LabLearner allows students to dig right in to the information and find things out for themselves rather than being lectured about new information. 

Thoughts from the Principle:

Jacqueline Coccia is the Principal of St. Denis' and is in her first year under the LabLearner Program. She discusses how she had to spend a lot of time researching the program and what advantages it would have over using textbooks. Textbooks are very expensive when they need to be replaced and can sometimes cause confusion for teachers when trying to interpret information to students. Mrs. Coccia says that when the school uses textbooks that every class learns differently based on the teacher. This is because everyone learns differently and one teacher might understand a topic better than another so it's most likely that the students of the 1st teacher will understand the concepts better than the 2nd teacher. This can cause problems when students are tested on the curriculum because they are expected to learn the information and apply it. But with the LabLearner program, every student is taught the same way and is able to comprehend the information better. Students are able to make complete thoughts when using LabLearner. Mrs. Coccia has noticed that the students have improved in their writing and math skills because of LabLearner. She says that LabLearner has helped in a number of ways and is very pleased in the program's success. The most important part of LabLearner is that the teachers must be 100% committed to the program so that the students get the best results from the program. 

{The  video below is from another Principal and her thoughts on LabLearner.}

Thoughts from a teacher:

Teachers need to be comfortable and well qualified to teach elementary science. But, they generally feel they don't have the expertise or confidence that they really need. With LabLearner that all changes. When the teachers are first introduced to LabLearner they must attend several workshops that explain how the program works and what they should expect. LabLearner experts discuss the program through a detailed powerpoint that helps train the teachers about the new program. Next, the teachers meet with their grade level and discuss what their grade will be working on in each cell of the program and the techniques needed to complete the labs. Angela, the teacher that was interviewed, said that she and the other teachers were very nervous at first but after the first year they grew very comfortable with the problem. Angela discusses that the program stresses the importance of the pre lab so that by the time the lab starts, students don't need help and are able to work in their groups to complete the lab. She also says that their is tons of support in this program. There is support through the program itself, a support number, and a binder to refer to. The materials are given so teachers don't need to spend their own money on supplies which all teachers can appreciate. Angela says that the step-by-step instructions in the lab manuals offers stress free learning for the students and teachers. it's a great teamwork system.

Thoughts from the students:

LabLearner wanted to get a 1st hand view on LabLearner results so they interviewed two 6th grade students, John and Paige, and asked them some questions about the program. The students agreed that getting acurate measurements in the labs are very important because even with the slightest change in number, the results of the lab would be incorrect. Paige discussed how she liked working in groups of 4 or 5 because when she couldn't find the answer to a problem in the cell, her classmates were supportive and helped her find the answer. John was constantly mentioning how math is apart of science and how in order to do one, you must use the other. The students exaplined that the program is made up of "cells" or lessons and in each cell there is 4 labs to be completed. Every cell experiment involves math. Before the cell starts, you muct complete a pretest and it doesn't matter what grade you recieve on it, it's more to see how much you know going into the lab. Next, you complete the labs and after that you take a post test. This is why the pretest is so important because the teachers are able to see how far you've come by just completing the cell. The students really enjoy LabLearner and look forward to attending each class. And don't forget,  there is something you do everyday that revolves around science!

Useful Links:

• Read about a North Dakota School District adopting the LabLearner Program here.
• Download the LabLearner Podcasts on iTunes here.
• Read what Nativity BVM School says about LabLearner Program here.
• Read about 5 schools in Arlington, VA adopting the LabLearner Program here.

LabLearner Podcast Blog 1

Background Information on LabLearner: 

"Designed by scientists and teachers, LabLearner is a 100% hands-on science education system that includes a fully equipped in-school laboratory, complete curriculum, lesson plans, assessments, and teacher professional development." 

The LabLearner website is very easy to manipulate through with lots of options to explore. And of course it's very teacher friendly. LabLearner was founded by Dr. Keith Verner and targets students in PreK-8th grade. Students are able to learn science through hands-on activities because after all, science is learning. 

What you get with LabLearner:

When you purchase the LabLearner system, you also gain access to our national network of LabLearner teachers. Through LabLearner Teacher, you will be able to connect with teachers, discuss ideas, and get constant updates/support from LabLearner!

What’s Included:

•  In-school laboratory with authentic science equipment and supplies. (The LabLearner laboratory is set up by LabLearner staff. LabLearner students use the same equipment used in university labs.)

•    CELLs (Core Experience Learning Labs), which are used as the science curriculum. 

•    Teacher and administrative professional development with ongoing personalized attention.

•    Access to the LabLearner Teacher network.

•    A simple replenishment ordering system with minimal costs to completely replenish all CELLs.

•   Consultation on funding and payment options to make LabLearner a reality for your school or district today! 

{Information was taken from LabLearner website.}

LabLearner in Action: 


Science is made up of questions that can be answered with more questions. Students should be asking questions and engaged during science so that they are learning. In this podcast that I watched, students from the Gesu School in Philadelphia were learning science through the LabLearner process. Teachers go through and teach the vocabulary first and then set up the lab so that the students can use and understand the vocabulary while they are completing the lab. The teachers and LabLearner agree that science must be hands-on so that students are engaged. Teachers and parents need to teach children at an early age that science is everywhere, not just in the classroom. Students need to learn to ask questions and apply their previous knowledge to this new learning process. Teachers need to ask students questions and observe students' work to make sure students understand what they're doing and to see if they are learning. Science is much easier "to do" rather than read. It's one thing to read a chapter about a science topic and then complete an experiment based off the topic then it is to try and understand something just through lecture and reading.

I think LabLearner is a great tool for schools to use if they can afford it because they make science fun and students look forward to science because they know they will be tested on information that was previously taught all while doing experiments with their classmates. 

The Science of Learning: 


In this podcast, Dr. Keith Verner introduces the importance of the "Information Processing Model." Dr. Verner believes in teaching students through cognitive learning systems. When students are taught new information, it's all about what goes in to the brain and stays in long-term memory. But, unfortunately most information that is taught is constantly leaving our brain and is forgotten knowledge. This is why homework and a quick review the following day is so important. No new information can come in without being compared to information we already know and stored in our long-term memory. Most short term memory doesn't make it to long term if it is not consolidated, it's lost and forgotten. For information to remain in long-term memory, new connections between nerve cells and the brain or neurons have to be made. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise all help with learning and the physiological process of how we learn. We must remember that learning is science. Teachers mold the shape of learning for their students so they must be certain the information they share is important so that the correct information is stored and not lost. Executive functions oversee the handling of new information. An example of this is when students re-read information to understand it better. Attention is required through the whole process of learning. Inputting information into the brain does not mean learning is going to happen. This is why teachers need to make the students engaged through the whole lesson so that they are concentrating and taking in new information.

Dr. Verner stated, "A major goal of education is to facilitate through information processing, the accumulation of important memories in the long-term storage of students."

Students must use stored information to solve problems and hypothesize to create new information and knowledge. Hands on science experiments help with this type of learning.

What to Find Out More Information on LabLearner?

Go to their website. 

Check out their blog. 

Follow them on Pinterest. 

Subscribe to them on Youtube. 

Subscribe to their podcasts on iTunes: LabLearner 

Like them on Facebook.