Technology has essentially become a ubiquitous feature of daily life and its place in education is no different. However, just because it is there does not make it a de facto enhancement to learning, as well, not all media are effective a for particular tasks.
An effective use of any technology in the math and science classroom requires an understanding of why and how it is going to be used to facilitate learning and also planning for it’s incorporation. I often have students record digital images of their science labs as they are carrying out the steps in order to document procedures and results. Before I can do this though, I must assess whether all the students have access to media recording devices (typically they all have a cellphone with such capabilities), that they have computer access, and more importantly that they actually know how to input the digital images into their lab write-ups. My rational- to provide students with visual cues of the steps they took, the equipment they used, and an accurate representation of the results. Thus they are able to better generate a complete lab report, with appropriate steps, details, and conclusions (requires further work beyond technology).
Ideally technology should be used in a manner to facilitate student ownership and student driven enquiry, and allow the teacher to shift into a designer, guide, and mentor role. One of my first assignments for students is to create a professional gmail account; net-etiquette and communication channel. Through which I have seen an increased amount of pro-active communication from students in terms of asking for help, managing time, and submission of assignments. Our portable mac labs allow students to do independent research on PBL assignments, while visual models on the SMART-Board allow students to interact with and explore various math and science concepts in interactive fashions. Effective use of technology also means that students have regular access to the various tools so that they can develop proficiencies with the tools and therefore spend more time focusing on the learner.
While we have all just whipped up a lesson at the last second and sent our students off to the computer lab to do some research or tossed on a video to occupy them on those days when we are sick. An effective use of technology requires sound logic, planning, development, and time for training and exploration; the first time you let students play with iMovie or Podcasts expect and accept some considerable goofing off. Finally, reflection with the students on how the use of a particular technology was used and it’s effectiveness can lead to better use or modifications the next time.