Pedagogy and Technology

Use of technology in any classroom (not just science) should begin with teacher pedagogy first and technology second.  There are many efficiencies that technology affords us and they should be embraced.  One such efficiency I utilize on a daily basis is the Google Apps for Education; this suite of applications includes Google Classroom, Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets among others.  These tools have allowed students and educators the ability to collaborate in a virtual environment much easier.  Students who are absent because of illness or vacation are able to keep up to date and group work is much more efficient as all students have access to all documents regardless of where they are.  I, as an educator, am able to keep tabs on student progress at my convenience and can provide feedback instantly.  I have the privilege to be teaching at a school that requires students to bring their own device – the recommended device being a ChromeBook.

In the science classroom, teachers can utilize technology such as simulations to aid in student learning.  Using a gravity simulator can allow students to adjust different parameters and observe how it affects different objects or motion.  From our example last week, using simulations can allow students to see how direct and indirect sunlight impact our seasons, or how the position of the moon creates different phases.  When students are able to get hands on experience and see the results of their actions (such as moving the sun around, or changing the tilt of the earth), then I think they will have deeper learning.

Baljeet