| Home |
 |
Student Site |
|
Content Connections |
|
Technology in Middle School Science Articles:
Roschelle, J., Penuel, W. R., & Abrahamson, L. (2004). The networked classroom. Educational Leadership
61(February): 50-54.
Using data from a decade of field reports and other evidence, schools are beginning to adopt a research-inspired use of one technology. By networking classrooms where students can work independently, teachers can “harvest” each student’s results and project them onto the screen so results can be compared. Extensive research results and examples of the use of handhelds connected to the teacher’s laptop are provided. Classroom network technology is an area that teachers may not have thought about using but can be an extremely valuable way to integrate technology into the science classroom.
Technology Integration Websites:
CONTENT AREA: Science
GRADE LEVEL: Middle
URL: http://www.alri.org/harness.html#MATH
Harnessing technology” Web pages are primarily designed for adult students; however, they approach both math and science from a fundamental standpoint that could be helpful for anyone needing help with the basics. The site states that it is designed to “help adult literacy education (ABE/GED/ESL/ESOL) teachers and learners to use computers, television, audio and video cassettes, and other electronic technology to help solve learning and instructional problems. The site has numerous links. For example, these are two of the science related questions answered at this site: “How do I find hands-on science experiments that I can do without a laboratory?" “Are there pictures of the human body available on computer CD's or the Internet?" (There is even a link that lists some 200 single-concept lessons!) Many of the links that are provided for adult learners actually contain information that middle school science teachers will find useful in bringing technology resources into their teaching of science.
CONTENT AREA: Science
GRADE LEVEL: Middle
URL: http://it.springbranchisd.com/integrate_science/sixth.htm
“Integrating technology into your secondary science classroom” provides a series of links, from 6th Grade through Physics, to Web sites and lesson plans on topics such as force and motion, energy, living systems, and space systems. Links, such as “Ask a Scientist or Engineer” may be especially helpful for both middle and high school science teachers.
CONTENT AREA: Science
GRADE LEVEL: Middle
URL: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/trex/trexpo.html
Was the T. rex a scavenger or a predator? What could be more exciting to a middle school student than going to a Web site and seeing a tyrannosaur looking back? This University of California Museum of Paleontology site contains photographs and explanations of their exhibits and it also presents discussions of the arguments that surround this huge beast. What a great start for a research paper! A middle school teacher that helps her/his students start an assigned report by taking them to a virtual exhibits of dinosaurs will have provided excellent motivation to get them started.
CONTENT AREA: Science
GRADE LEVEL: Elementary
URL: http://pages.towson.edu/pryan/science
ANNOTATION: Ryan, T. (2003). Integrating Technology into the Elementary Science Curriculum~ Keeping it Real in the Field by T. Ryan describes the “Keeping it Real in the Field” research project. The project involves participants from multiple levels of education, including 5th grade students, teacher candidates, a university instructor, and a 5th grade teacher. Tricia Ryan, researcher, seeks to find evidence to respond to the research question: “How can technology support an inquiry approach to teaching and learning about science in the field for a university instructor, elementary school teacher, pre-service teachers and elementary students?” She captures the fifth-grade introduction to the project and presents multiple perspectives of the lesson including photos, transcripts, and video clips. Elementary teachers should be able to take hints from this research to help them use technology to prepare science activities that utilize an inquiry approach.
|