How can technology be used to support learning in science in the classroom?
First, technology must be looked at as a tool that can help. I feel a big reason students don’t take advantage of technology (especially for school) is because they don’t know how to use it. Learning how to use it can provide so many advantages for students. It’s particularly important in a science classroom to have as many available resources as possible. Having available resources gives students the opportunity to learn ideas concretely first. Cognitive dissonance should also be exercised in this case. Students must be dissatisfied with their previous way of doing an activity or acquiring information.
Example: If students are shown the range and possibilities of activities through the use of technology, they may become upset that they didn’t know this previously; technology tends to make things easier. If students chose not to use technology, their workload may increase.
Here are a few of the potential benefits from using technology:
Increases communication, engage students in the learning process, help students create models, provide ways to illustrate abstract activities, allow for exploration that isn’t possible in the classroom (Berger, 2003)
Overall, I think technology would support and facilitate the learning cycle when used in a science environment.
Berger, C. F., & Czerniak, C. M., & Krajcik, J. K. (2003). Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms: A Project-Based Approach. New York, New York: Mc-Graw Hill.
You make a good point about teaching students how to use technology. So many times teachers expect students to use technology during the school day but they do not take the time to teach the students how to use it properly. Just like we need to provide students with the necessary skills to understand science concepts. Many times we expect students to understand the content without providing them the basic skills needed for a full understanding.
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