Session 7 : Technology and Education

One of the best ways to help teachers integrate technologies into their curriculum is not through the one-shot teacher in service, but through periodic help from a mentor teacher or peer. As a technology leader or administrator, you may want to facilitate this type of activity in your school. But it's not always easy to relate to the problems and solutions that may arise unless you've experienced such a system.

In this section of Module 7, you will have the opportunity to experience mentorship in technology integration as you assume the roles of a new teacher and a teacher mentor. You will be paired with another student for this activity.

In your first role, imagine that you are a new teacher (or a student teacher) who wants to build proficiency in infusing technology into your classroom.

In the second role, think about what you would do if you were a mentor teacher assigned to help new teachers in your school.

  1. Step one.
    Assume the role of a new teacher who has little background in the use of classroom technologies. Request help with a technology integration issue that may be of real concern to you as a new teacher. For a subject domain, you may want to incorporate ideas that revolve around environmental education or technologies for children with disabilities (we've provided a variety of links to these two areas below). Post your short letter on the discussion forum to your partner (who is acting as a mentor teacher) asking for ways to address your needs.
  2. Step two.
    Carefully read the letter from your partner (in his/her role as a new teacher) posted on the discussion forum. Visit at least six of the sites listed below and keep notes on what features each site might have use for the new teacher's needs. To give you guidance as to what is in the different sites, we've excerpted some of their descriptions in the list below.
  3. Step three.
    In your role as a mentor, write a letter to your partner with some specific observations and suggestions based on what you learned from visiting the sites.
  4. Step four.
    As a new teacher, read your partner's letter and consider its contents.

The sites below are divided into four groups

 


Curriculum integration: Connections and collaborations

NASA's Internet in the Classroom contains past and present K-12 interactive projects that lend themselves to interdisciplinary approaches.

Classroom Connect allows teachers to search archives of schools on the Web.

Well Connected Educator Teachers, administrators, parents and others write about educational technology, join in conversations, and learn from one another. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Global SchoolNet Foundation is a nonprofit corporation whose role is that of a major contributor to the philosophy, design, culture and content of Internet-based learning. The site contains information and links connecting teachers, students and others from around the world in many projects.

NickNacks Telecollaborative projects NickNacks can help you explore exciting virtual horizons of learning via the Internet. Its primary goal is to encourage telecollaboration among educators and students around the world.

Global Lab The Global Lab Curriculum (GLC) can help your students acquire the skills they need to become lifelong investigators of the world around them. GLC is a full-year, interdisciplinary introductory science course that takes full advantage of emerging Internet technologies. Supported by the National Science Foundation and piloted over five years in 300 schools in 30 countries, GLC engages students in choosing a local "study site" that provides the context for authentic, hands-on integrated explorations.

Yahooligans This Yahoo sponsored web guide for kids, connects students and teachers with great sites, including many activities and lessons.

Foxfire is a national nonprofit education organization, an approach to teaching and learning, a framework for developing active, collaborative, learner-centered environments, a magazine, a book series and a museum.

 


Curriculum Integration: Environmental Education

Designing a Sustainable Ecosystem is a site that directs groups of students to create an environmentally appropriate farm in a biome they select. They develop the project, make a model of it, and finally create a marketing plan to sell it.

Environmental News Network provides current information on environmental issues and the coming week's television programs on environmental issues.

Sites of Ecological Interest provides an interesting group of international and state sites relating to the environment.

Project Wild is:
An international network of students, educators, parents, community leaders, educational administrators, and representatives of resource agencies and conservation groups.
A supplementary, interdisciplinary, instructional program for educators of students in kindergarten through high school.
Ideal for integration into the teaching of science, social studies, language arts, math, art, physical education, health, music, and other curriculum areas.
Appropriate for use by classroom teachers, as well as resource specialists, naturalists, rangers, scout and youth leaders, camp counselors, and other nonformal educators.

Project Learning Tree The PLT curriculum is built around five major themes. PLT activities integrate the themes into all aspects of the standard pre K - 12th grade curriculum. Each activity guides the student through a process that begins with awareness, moves students toward understanding, enables them to challenge preconceived notions, and motivates them to seek constructive avenues for environmental action.

Envirolink calls itself "the largest online environmental information resource on the planet." EnviroLink is a non-profit organization..a grassroots online community that unites hundreds of organizations and volunteers around the world with millions of people in over 130 countries.

EE-Link is maintained by the National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training, and contains many links classified by subject and environmental topic. The activities page includes:

Earth Day 1997 Activities
Collected Activities on Many Topics
Just For Kids!
Agriculture and Sustainable Development
Air Quality and Climate Change
Water Quality
Ecosystems and Conservation
Energy
Ecology and Wildlife
Toxic and Waste Management

Earth Times The Earth Times is the leading independent international nonpartisan newspaper on the environment and sustainable development, and such interrelated concerns of the international system as population, conflict-resolution, governance, human-rights, trade, and women's and children's rights. Published by the not-for-profit Earth Times Foundation, the newspaper specifically explores the subject of change--how individuals and institutions work in their own societies to tackle their challenges and generate positive change in social and economic conditions.

US EPA the environmental education page includes information on obtaining grants, speakers and US government information, as well as links.

Water links is just that, sponsored by the state of Iowa.

Watershed Education Resources on the Internet sponsored by GREEN, an innovative, action-oriented approach to education, based on an interdisciplinary watershed education model. GREEN's mission is to improve education through a global network that promotes watershed sustainability.

 


Teacher Training

The Internet offers new teachers an array of resources as exemplified by the following sites.

Teachers Helping Teachers is a site designed

Teachnet is an online magazine with many tools to support teachers at all levels.

Scholastic Place by Scholastic Magazine, contains resources for kids, parents and teachers.

The University of West Florida Division of Teacher Education Links to Explore has a number of links categorized by subject and topic.

Yahoo Newspaper Search lets you search any topic in a number of newspapers, useful for both lesson planning and student projects.

Yahoo Education Page is a directory of links to all sorts of education sites.

Computer-Using Educators is the oldest and largest organization in the United States dedicated to learning, teaching and technology and a great resource for teachers.

Soleil's Web World has math, science and language lessons in three languages as well as world links.

New teachers can benefit from understanding resources that let them bring popular media into lesson planning in an appropriate way. The following sites are useful for this purpose.

Critical Viewing Project This guide to critical viewing has been developed by THE FAMILY & COMMUNITY CRITICAL VIEWING PROJECT, a partnership of the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Cable Television Association, and Cable in the Classroom, that helps families make better choices in the TV programs they watch and to improve the way they watch those programs.

Media Literacy Online Project sponsored by the University of Oregon says "Media literacy is concerned with helping students develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of the mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniques.

Internet Movie Database provides information on all aspects of movies.

Superkids Software Reviews. We provide unbiased reviews of children's software by parents, teachers, and kids.

Assessment is a challenging topic to new teachers. Portfolio News from the Portfolio Assessment Clearinghouse out of UC San Diego contains many articles on portfolio assessment.

 


Adaptive technologies for persons with disabilities

Perhaps the best place to start is with Basic Skill in Assistive Technology, a comprehensive lesson on assistive technology including a survey of common devices.

A good directory of links to sites related to most disabilities is Other Disability Resources.

Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities, ERIC Digest #E529, is a short overview of assistive technology.

The Disability Connection, sponsored by Apple Computer, describes Apple assistive technology.

Publications in Assistive Technology lists journals and books on the subject, sponsored by AZTech.

Good Health Web has search for over a thousand keywords related to health.

The Virtual Assistive Technology Center has sources of freeware and shareware as well as links to relevant sites.

The Center on Information Technology Accommodation has a handbook, "Managing Information Resources for Accessibility" and other resources.

Equal Access to Software and Information is an Affiliate of the American Association for Higher Education. EASI's mission is to serve as a resource to the education community by providing information and guidance in the area of access-to-information technologies by individuals with disabilities. Includes links to the journal Information Technology and Disabilities.

Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities is a short article that defines this field.

The Council for Exceptional Children provides services and information on special education.

 

Page authors: David Georgi and Donn Ritchie
URL: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/EDTEC596R/session7.apply.html
Last updated: October 15, 1997