Article Categories    •   Classroom Teaching    •   Teaching With Technology

Technology In The Classroom

APPLICATION

By: Jamshed N. Lam

The NETS web site has eight lesson plans, which integrate technology into the ELA standards (NETS for student database, 2002). An example of this is a "Birthstone Project with a Multimedia Twist" (Curriculum Integration - ELA, Birthstone Project, n.d.). This lesson for grades 6-8 is more of an interdisciplinary project for an English language arts teacher, an earth science teacher, and a technology teacher. The students use English and language arts as the mode for expression. They learn about the material using technology such as online research, and an electronic presentation. The NETS Performance Indicators are 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, while the corresponding ELA standards are 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12.

Similarly, grade 9-12 students read literature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama) and view creations in other media and try to answer the thematic question: 'Who am I?' They compare the ways in which ideas are presented in different media and then create their own multimedia portfolios and personal Web pages that reflect who they are (Curriculum Integration - ELA, Discovering Ourselves, n.d.). The NETS Performance Indicators for this project are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, and the ELA standards they relate to are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12. Although these are just two examples, the interdisciplinary theme is common in applications that use technology.

Multicultural diversity is a big issue in trying to develop an appropriate teaching protocol. The World Wide Web and Internet provide an alternative to the traditional methods of teaching. A specific application is a multi-user domain (MU) which allows multiple users to log on to a coexistent environment (Sleeter and Tettegah, 2002). The MU can be object-oriented (MOO), text based, descriptive environments which are virtual online environments created for problem solving, live interaction and collaboration. Multi-user dimensions (MUDs) are more game oriented and often provide a fantasy world virtual reality approach. MOOs provide networks for various cultural groups for discussions about social justice, diversity, race, sexuality and identity. Educational MOOs help engage the students in role-playing, critical thinking, and problem solving activities. Being object-based, users create rooms and subjects. It is different from a chat room and is more like virtual classrooms. MOOs can be created by teachers as well as students for a variety of online learning and multimedia projects. They excite children when they are able to play games that involve critical thinking, imagination and virtual reality. LambdaMOO is an example of a MUD. MOOseCrossing is an example of a MOO for children. Collective story telling is a common writing practice in MUDs and MOOs (Bitter and Pierson, 2002 as cited in Sleeter and Tettegah, 2002).

MOOs and MUDs require students to use text. This helps develop language, reading, vocabulary and writing skills. This is in association with National-ELA-3, 4, 5, 9, & 11, NYS-ELA-1, 2, 3, & 4, NETS-2, 4, & 6.

Another application of technology in the classroom is the use of Assistive Technologies and especially for students with mild disabilities (Behrmann, 1995). There are seven areas where ATs are used to assist students with mild disabilities. They are:

1. ORGANIZATION: Low-tech solutions help teach students to organize their thoughts or work using flow charts and task analysis, and outlining using graphic organizers.
2. NOTE TAKING: Optical character recognition is software that can transform typewritten material into computer-readable text using a scanner. Notes read by a voice synthesizer helps students with reading difficulties to review the notes. Videotaping class sessions are helpful for visual learners who pick up on images or body language. Laptop or notebook computers also provide note-taking assistance.
3. WRITING ASSISTANCE: Word processing is one of the most important applications. Computers and word processing software help students with spelling, grammar, punctuation errors, organizing, editing, and revising, and interest in writing. Word prediction helps those that have difficulties with word recall or spelling.
4. PRODUCTIVITY: Assistive productivity tools help students to work on math or other subjects that may require calculating, categorizing, grouping, and predicting events.
5. ACCESS TO REFERENCE MATERIALS: A computer and a modem helps students access electronic information. Students establish "CompuPals" with other students, motivating them to generate more text and thus improve literacy. Multimedia-based use of text, pictures, audio, and video in reference-based software helps the learning needs of students with mild disabilities.
6. COGNITIVE ASSISTANCE: Multimedia CD-ROM-based application programs assist in reading. These CD-based books include high-interest stories and use multimedia to motivate students to read. These books highlight words as they are read, or pronounce syllables and word definitions. Bilingual books help students read in their native language while being exposed to a second language.
7. MATERIALS MODIFICATION: Powerful multimedia authoring and presentation tools are used to develop and modify computer-based instructional materials for students with mild disabilities by including video, animation, and text into hypermedia-based instruction.

Instruction with the use of these technologies make learning more efficient and more real for students who have difficulty with traditional methods of instruction.

Previously, we talked about the use of Internet in the classroom. More specifically, we discussed Internet Project which involves collaborative learning between two or more classrooms that takes place over the Internet (Leu and Leu, 1999). A specific application is the use of Internet as an effective science teaching tool (Hassard, n.d.). A group of teachers have created on-line science classes. The site also contains collaborative science projects, each with a specific focus that groups can access and work on. Examples are:

1. EnviroNet: earth.simmons.edu- A network of environmental educators who support a series of collaborative projects including acid rain, birdwatch, insectworld, plants, etc.
2. Global Thinking Project: www.gtp.org- Here, an environmental science project links students and teachers around the world to investigate a series of projects, including the green classroom, Project Clean Air, Project Water Watch, Project Solid Waste, Project Soil and Project EarthMonth.
3. Hands On Universe: handsonuniverse.org- An educational program that enables students to investigate the Universe while applying tools and concepts from science, math and technology.

Additionally, there are also Internet-based lessons in the science domain, which are web quest-like. Topics there include genetics and biomes and ecosystems in biology, the history of the earth and cloud formation in earth science, the atomic theory in chemistry and waves and gravitational forces in physics. In all these examples, students are expected to use technology to perform research, analyze, explore, become familiar with and find solutions. This is in line with National-ELA-1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 12, NETS-3, 4, 5, and 6, NYS-MST-2, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

>Next Page