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The ‘chair of ponder’ a place of casual reflection: What have I learnt during this course and how will it effect my teaching?.

Technology is a tool to enhance teaching if used in appropriate ways. When introducing new technology into the classroom their is both room for instructional practice and constructive meaningful learning. I believe as shown through this course that time is and indeed instructional approaches are needed to teach the use of technology to those minority of students that are not familiar or comfortable with it. Technology does bridge the gap, and connects people from all over the glob

However when students learn constructively from utilizing technology as a tool they learn ‘much’ better with better student outcomes.

As for technology and science  they go together. it is no longer good enough to be teaching for scientific literacy without incorporating the tools that make it ‘meaningful’. I could not begin to imagine science without technology, their is a inter – related web between the two you can not have one without the other. Technology leads to scientific ‘break through’ and Science leads to technological advances.

Takeaway Teacher references Lederman, L. M. (2008), and i fully agree that it has made me walk in the shoes of a student for a day, there is no challenge to the statement that the world in which we live is constantly changing, perhaps what is changing is the rate of change. We as science teachers need to adapt and change and embrace what is occurring in our world. Perhaps then we can better address the issues stated by Creative Cognition post , and focus towards bridging the gaps of isolation, collaborative editing will have its place in a network environment.

The issues of the libraries has become a hot topic, Monkey Scribbles poses this question as does Take Away Teaching.  Siting in the library to complete these assignments I agree with one of the responses, we need not ask if they will be come obsolete but what will they look like

Content free programs such as Web-spiration and other concept map programs enhance scientific learning by helping the learner structure and organize links and major concepts. Programs such as excel will chart, graph, compile, and compare data collected and give a professional result. This again shows that technology provides a medium in which students can not only used a a cognitive tool to learn with but also the outcomes of work can be presented in a professional manner, this gives students greater pride over their work and enhances motivation. In this example learners function as designers using the technology as tools for analyzing the world, accessing information, interpreting and organizing their personal knowledge, and representing what they know to others” (Jonassen, 1991, p. 82). We must as teachers do the same, our students are doing this all the time, they are actively engaged in learning both formal and informal.

“But to do all that, we educators must first own these technologies and be able to take advantage of these networked learning spaces.” I totally agree with this statement, it is so much easier to use and embrace technologies when we are competent and at easy with them. Through use and practice I hope this will occur, it is definitely an aim.

The potential for developing scientific understanding through the use of Web – based programs is only limited by on – site school resources and teacher imagination. These web based tools provide real life examples and give dimension, they increase student understanding, can be used for constructivist learning / teaching. Refer to http://phet.colorado.edu/index.php . This web site provides practical online learning, it is innovative, hands on and safe for students to learn by doing, they can working in groups or cooperatively to complete tasks. Other useful science education sites include:

Australian Antarctic Division

Classroom Antarctica

Nova - supplies updates of science in the news

BBC Schools - has information / activities / plans etc

Royal Society of Chemistry

learn net – chemistry

These are only a tiny proportion of whats out there but these alone can greatly enhance science learning.

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) supports and encourages the use of e-Learning experiences for students and science teachers. NSTA defines E-Learning in Science Education as the effective learning process created by combining digitally delivered content with learning support and services (Waller 2001). E-Learning can and should significantly enhance science teaching and learning. As Takeaway Teaching stated “there is no way of away from the emphasis for teachers to incorporate ICT into their teaching. Just check out any job description for any advertised teacher position”

A quick perusal of Annies site and I couldn’t help but respond to this: Digital Crusaders.  The statements in this post seem to describe how I feel about the whole process. I did not consider myself digital illiterate until undertaking this course and realising whats out there.   I feel a little like a mouse about to be mauled by a huge tiger. My only saving grace is that I will learn how to use the learning technologies out there as I accept the benefits that they bring to student learning, I am more happy to utilize everything available, once I learn how to use it!  I do feel as though I am blundering around in the dark, a least i am now more aware of it. Take away teaching has also been highlight the benefits of learning technology and new understanding

This is an excellent Teacher Tube cleverly put together with a great message: join in  and make technology your friend or you may be deleted.

I once stated that you could never replace nature with technology, however you may be able to better understand through the use of technology.

Technology can support all areas of science education, one key aspect of engaging in a scientific experiment or investigation is the collection, organisation and analysis, of data, content free soft ware can support this ( in previous post).

Scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity (Roblyer, 2003p 262). According to the National Science Education standards, a scientifically literate person will be able to ask, find, and determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. What better way than to fulfill this goal than by the use of technology. Technology can be a tool for extended investigations and provide the ‘space’ for grounding scientific concepts and processes to everyday experiences. Technology can support the aims for scientific literacy through to adulthood.

It can be utilized to create artificial environments that provide students with strategies and tools to engage in extended inquiry. Additionally technology can also help students to navigate and think through how processes are related, answering questions such as Where do I start?. What do we do next? And What does this mean?

Reference

Roblyer, M. (2003). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Merrill Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

I have just viewed Novak,J. and Canas, A., (2008). The theory underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use them. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/projects/ireport/articles/concept_maps/The%20Theory%20Underlying%20Concept%20Maps.pdf

 This paper examines the use of Concept maps and examines how when used correctly can greatly improve student learning. They are developed in the context of constructivism, group and cooperative groups. I have used concept maps as discussed in the paper to introduce new topics and find out students prior knowledge. I agree that when students construct them they are better addressing Blooms’ Taxonomy of higher order thinking as they are actively engaged in finding links between and within concepts. 

Concept maps can greatly enhance students meaningful learning of science, they can be constructed around the ’big ideas of science’  and better link these, they can also be used to link the ‘theory with practice’. Furthermore when constructed using computer software programs concepts can be easily moved and links structured and restructured. 

Concept maps can be used when employing different teaching methods right through from direct instruction to discovery learning. They can also be used for assessment of students and finding students misconceptions.  Concept maps are not only a learning tool but also an evaluation tool.

Scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity . According to the National Science Education standards, a scientifically literate person will be able to “ask, find, and determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences.

What better way to fulfill this goal than by the use of technology. Technology can be a tool for extended investigations and provide the ‘space’ for grounding scientific concepts and processes to everyday experiences.

When concept maps are produced using ICT both scientific literacy as well as higher order thinking is enhanced.