Chapter nine has definitely been the most interesting chapter that I have read to date in the TPACK book. It was a nice balance of encouragement and reality at the same time. I found myself agreeing with the chapter in several places.
One of the concepts that I appreciated was the acknowledgement that it is not realistic for teachers to be expected to know all of the content knowledge and the technology opportunities that fall under the broad umbrella of Science. Science is very diverse and there are thousands of ways to incorporate technology. There is no one list of technology skills that every teacher should have but that it depends on the circumstances of local schools and districts. The key is that teachers need to know what technology is available to them and then figure out what is the best technology to use for a certain skill or standard. I completely agree with these ideas and I think this is an essential place for classroom teachers to start investigating
Another point addressed by the author of this chapter, Raven McCrory, were the complexities that are added to teaching at the initial stages of using technology in Science. McCrory commented that new technology use can turn even a veteran science teacher into a novice again and that it is okay for veteran teachers to feel that way. It is important for teachers to accept that when trying to use technology things may not go according to plan and to relax and experiment with the available resources. Technology can be a “vicious cycle”. It needs to be used for it to become an effective teaching and learning tool. These ideas made me feel a little more comfortable with where I am at with technology because I have felt frustrated and helpless when using technology before. Though I appreciate the comments, it can be hard as a teacher with 21 third graders in front of you to relax when things are not going according to plan.
I liked the notion that science is an ideal place to use technology and I agree with it. It is amazing how many opportunities are now available for students because of the advances of science and technology. Technology can help students to see and understand processes that might not be possible or realistic in a classroom. Lots can be learned about and through tools like the Proscope (microscope) and through programs like Virtual Frog. Communication with experts around the world and data collection and organization are also enhanced.
Technology is a cool piece of educating future and current science students. I need to remember and utilize the tools that are available to produce future scientists!
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Both Jake and Rhonda were very passionate about Science. I appreciated that because I've always been a fan of science. At the elementary level it can be a real challenge to do justice to Science. Rhonda's quote was very relevant to the use of technology with Science. I liked the notion that technology should be used for things that wouldn't normally be possible otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the sites go, I had never seen Journey North before. I found it very interesting how much Rhonda used this site. I didn't realize how much was available to teachers and students on the site. I might be able to use this site through my Geography unit in a fun way.
Jake's BBC site was really cool. I liked the interactive games and learning activities. Students can learn Science concepts w/out even realizing that they are learning. I hope to find a place for this site through Life Sciences. I explored a habitat site that might be useful.
Keith,
ReplyDeleteJourney North is a great website that integrates Science with Social Studies, Math and Language Arts. The videos and photos enhances my teaching instructions. Connecting this site to the Smart Board provides an opportunity for students to interact with their learning.
Keith,
ReplyDeleteIntegrating technology with 20+ third graders must be challenging. There is a mix of physical and life science simulations on the BBC site. I did like them because they were clean, bright and organized. It can be interesting to run experiments in class and compare the results or extend an investigation with computer simulations.