As I reflect on the question of how to engage science students through technology, the issues surrounding the topic are many and varied. The group interview process opened my eyes to many other issues that stand in the way of delivering effective constructive lessons integrated with technology. There were a number of recurring themes throughout the discussions and they are all connected to my topic of study.

Interview Themes

1.Training and Professional Development

John noted, “PD needs to be timely and at the level of the learner-not just ‘one size fits all’.” Schools should not prematurely push their staff into using a particular technology or program. The time and money will be wasted. A support network, including the board and administration, needs to be in place before expecting everyone to use the technology. Local support was a topic that surfaced a number of times. If there is a teacher close by, that can guide a learning teacher, it reduces frustration and encourages more technology use. This mentor teacher relationship is even more important to new teachers who do not have the experience coming out of university.

There is a need for consistent follow-up, not just a good presentation that stirs an initial excitement. Without a follow-up and regular support, the excitement turns to frustration and then a falling away, back to original patterns. It was suggested by, ________ that a 5-minute technology PD moment/training be presented at staff meetings to introduce what is new, what is working and what might need to we changed.

A reduced workweek came up a few times, which would allow time for teachers to collaborate, practice technology use and create new lessons. The general feel was that teachers and students would appreciate the time and effort but schools boards and parents would not support it.

2. Inequity of Resources

Some schools choose to make technology a required item on their school supply list and students BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).  Some of the devices may include smart phones, tablets, graphing calculators, or laptops. Of course there are issues surrounding the BYOD theory, which include, inequality among students, item repair and support, and remembering to bring the devices to class. Other schools choose to provide basic technology, signed out for in-class use. There seem to be a number of issues related to not having the technology readily available in the classroom. If it is not on-hand, it goes unused and students miss out. The cost seems to be the bottom line in this case. Can schools afford to buy the technology, have it installed, provide the appropriate training and professional development, and replace items that break, wear out, or become obsolete?

3. Direction

Educational technology has influenced our classrooms greatly, especially over the last few years with the introduction of the personal home computer and now the smart devices carried by many of our students. We cannot really predict what the best technology or computer programs will be in the next 5 years so we need to be cautious in our technology decision making. Darren mentioned that, “Maybe we need to be the anchor the holds the kids to the real, concrete world, as their digital world swirls around them.” I see no harm in this as the real world will always be there to greet them when they unplug. I believe that as we strive to find balance between concrete and virtual experiences we will find that the two can co-exist together to create a firmer understanding of concepts.

 Further Questioning

There is room for further insight into the topic of engaging students like:

1. How do students view technology integration in their classrooms?
2. What technology do students want to use throughout their educational experience?
3. What specific strategies create an engaging technological experience for teachers and students?

I do not see any easy answers to the challenge of engaging students through technology as both teachers’ and students’ backgrounds and experiences with technology vary greatly. I look forward to researching effective and proven strategies that engage learners and sharing them with the rest of the class and colleagues.

Dennis

What is a good use of technology in the math and science classroom?

I view technology as a teaching tool that engages students through access to information, inquiry based problem solving, and real-world applications.

Access to Information

With the internet as a tool, students have access to any information they need or want to assist them in their conceptual learning. It provides not just definitions and explanations, like a textbook, but pictures, videos, virtual tours, links, and interactive experiences with the content they are studying. The depth of a topic is not limited to what is printed on the page in front of them or the expertise of the instructor. It can go much deeper than either of these instructional tools allow. Access to this information is crucial in today’s learning environements.

Inquiry Based Problem Solving

With all the information available today there is a huge amount of personal choice for learners. They can pick what breadth and depth they want to learn about on any topic imaginable. Technology helps students embrace what they are passionate about and learn more about it. A good use of technology in math and science is to use it to motivate students to seek out their passions. It can be used as a reward for completing something they may not be so passionate about, as well.

Technology can be used as a collaboration tool to cut distance and time between learners and teachers. Online and blended learning is on the upswing, with more and more students choosing this route throughout their schooling. User-friendly applications can assist in group work and communication between students and teachers.

Real-World Applications

The internet provides students with real-world applications in visuals and text. They can complete virtual labs with little or no cost. They can observe live operations and communicate with astronauts in space. Technology opens the doors to the world if it is accessible in classrooms.

What would such a learning experience and environment look like?

An environment like this would need to have computer and internet access, one per child, to use as often as they see fit. The computer would have to be portable, as students may be in different groups at different times. The work would not end when they leave the class but continue at home or in the hall at lunch. I don’t envision the classroom setup as rows of desks but pods of tables or work stations where any number can join together to interact, share ideas, or work quietly on their own. There would still be the need to focus on a teacher as they instruct the whole class but this whole class instruction would be infrequent.

There are many things to consider when deciding on technology use in classrooms but in general, I believe there could be more technology integration in most classes. I see it as the way of the future, as force that will not be stopped.

I grew up during what I consider the beginning of the personal computer era. I learned how to type on an electric typewriter, but personal computers with floppy disks and black screens with orange or green text soon replaced the old machines. We had a computer at home, mainly for the family business and the occasional game of Pac-Man, but I never experienced any other software than what we purchased for the home PC.  One day I remember some friends asking me to go to the school library to check out the new computer and what it could do. I looked at it and remember not being too impressed. That was until a friend clicked on an icon that loaded a primitive search engine. He typed in the name of a celebrity and we waited for a few minutes. Up came a page of pictures and articles about that celebrity and I was blown away. To this point in time, I had never thought about networking computers outside our school with ours. I could feel the importance of this new invention and sensed that it would change our lives.

Within a couple of years, that same friend invited me to his house to see what he had set up on his computer. He explained that he had become the middle-man for a computer service. People would use their modems to dial his computer and get information or pictures that he had access to. They would then pay him for his service by sending a cheque in the mail. I saw the stack of cheques that my high school friend had accumulated that week and new that this could be big business. I saved my summer job money and bought a used Pentium 4 computer for $750 from a business that was upgrading their computers. This computer was my first look Windows and more simple games, but what I really spent my time doing was surfing the internet. Every page took about a minute to load but the information was endless and I was a dry sponge soaking it up.

In university, I was exposed to the Mac system as they provided subsidized or low-cost machines for higher learning. I was also taught how to do some programming in Pascal in order to solve simple math problems. I saw the value in programming but knew that some of my classmates were much better at it than I was so I never pursued it much. Once again, what I really liked was the access to the web through the university library. For some reason I have always seen the internet as the main onramp to the information highway and I want to ride on it.

Since than I am on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. I have multiple computers at home and handheld devices that all link me to the outside world.

I guess my question is, “What makes technology, especially the internet, so enticing?” Is it the visuals, the instant information or news, the design of each page, the 256 color display, or the vast amounts of information?

Dennis