Elyssa Toubail

EDU 5611-Computer Awareness for Teachers

Opinion Paper

There are an endless number of uses for instructional technology in the classroom. Science and technology go hand in hand in the real world and in the classroom; they were made for each other. When you consider that technology is so much more than just computers, your collection of resources for scientific learning can grow enormously by using available technology (Western, 1999). The technology can be as simple as a tape recorder or as complex as a multimedia presentation, the technology in between includes word processing, painting or drawing programs, CD-ROMs, the use of standard, digital, or video cameras, spreadsheets and graphing programs as well as the use of the internet. Computers are also useful offline. There is a wealth of software available now at that can give accurate science information (Western, 1999).

In the classrooms of the past, and in many classrooms today, limited money or distance might prevent a school from bringing a human expert into the classroom or from taking students to visit the "real thing" in a nearby science museum. With technology, this is no longer a problem; the humans and museum exhibits are delivered via video or modem right to the classroom door.

The amount and uses of technology available to teach about butterflies is never-ending. Video can enable you to show students a world otherwise impossible to envision. There are websites that allow you to view butterflies in their natural habitat, hold live discussions with butterfly experts, work alongside scientists to find explanations for the questions you have. Technology erases every variety of distance – geographical, financial, and time – making knowledge accessible to everyone within its reach. Students can take field trips to science museums, converse with researchers, and take close-up photos of distant butterflies.

Through technology, students can have direct, unfiltered access to information. This is the most efficient, engaging way to absorb, sort, and draw meaning from information (O'Brien, 2002). When human beings seek and find information for themselves, and when they use more than one of their senses to obtain it, they retain more of what they have learned. By allowing students and teachers to interact with the subject areas in more than one way, technology can move learning ahead one step further.

For students, learning some science through technology feels like part of a natural progression. They, after all, are far better versed in the use of technology than the average adult is, and they are already accustomed to engaging senses other than their ears in science labs and projects. From the beginning, science is as much about doing stuff as it is about listening to stuff – the perfect breeding ground for a student-centered experience (O'Brien, 2002).

The research we have to prove the positive impact of technology is compelling:

v Technology can help engage students and address different learning styles.

v Technology erases barriers of time and geography

v Technology encourages students to use information the way the will use it in the real world and offers instant feedback and reinforcement of what students are learning

v Facilitates collaboration among teachers, among students from different

v classrooms, and between teachers or students and subject experts

There are many challenges also incorporated with the use of technology. Most teachers don't use the Internet in class or create assignments that exploit great Web material. Teachers used the Internet "like a textbook – go to this site, look up this information, and I'll quiz you on it tomorrow." Results that are real and convincing prove that education technology is actually helping boost achievement and expanding learning experiences, can turn the tide.

Although there are so many positive aspects big questions still remain:

Ø Does technology help anybody learn anything more deeply or more effectively?

Ø Does technology ease the burdens on new teachers, connecting them with colleagues and information that might encourage them?

Ø Does technology help teachers and students meet high standards and raise test scores? Should it?

Ø Does technology help deliver high quality professional development?

Ø What are the underlying criteria for effective use of technology?

As you can see, technology can really enhance your students’ learning. They can use it for information gathering and research, for collaboration, for comparing and contrasting information. But NEVER use it to replace hands on experiences!!

I have and will continue to use technology in my classroom. Below you will find an example of the various uses and instructional technology tools I have used in my classroom to teach about butterflies.

Suggested Technology Tools

Word processing	Painting or drawing	Digital/other camera
Spreadsheet/graphing	Internet access	Multimedia
CD ROM	Video Camera	Tape Recorder

Butterfly Activities to Consider	Tools
Mathematics
Display pictures of different butterflies; allow students to graph their favorite butterfly
Introduce Life Cycle of Painted Lady Butterfly Calendar Predict how many days it will take for the first butterfly to emerge Graph predictions
Use a string held on outside of container to measure caterpillar monitor its growth record observations on graph or in journal
Create a time line of how they have changed since they were born
Language Arts
Brainstorm problems caterpillars might have living in a classroom; make a chart or write in science journal
Create a list of vocabulary as it emerges
Research preferred food source plants for Painted Lady caterpillars; make a chart /write/draw in science journal
Name your caterpillar; make a class list of caterpillar names; put in ABC order
Brainstorm and research "How does a caterpillar get shelter in the wild?"
Draw and label parts of caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly
Make a big book of the parts of the caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly describing their functions
Extensions
Plan a nature walk on school grounds to locate additional food for caterpillars and butterflies
Observe caterpillars; list ways you know that they are alive
Make models of caterpillars and butterflies based on observation
Illustrate and produce a film on The Life Cycle of the Butterfly