January 8, 2002

Ideas for lessons or units using technology that members think would be outstanding.

B.N.
It would be wonderful to begin a unit in a particular class with a computerized test which gives each student different questions depending on his or her response to the previous question. For example, the program may respond to time of response vs. quantity of knowledge. The program could then translate the data from the test into a comprehensive report for the teacher which would give him or her a great understanding of the depth and breadth of knowledge the class has, as a whole and on an individual level, upon entering this unit of study.

J. L.

Heart anatomy and function could be displayed in a pictorial form that would otherwise only be possible by looking at a functioning heart. A heart could be displayed in 3-D, which would be an improvement over the 2-D pictures in textbooks, in order to teach the anatomical structures. The contraction dynamics and blood flow could also be shown in movie format so that the pumping function is easily visualized.

M. C.

Research to be presented in front of the class using voice and image.

A. W.

students in a math classroom go online to buy a car and examine the different financing options. They then can learn about what it takes to buy a car, how financing works, and at the same time examine the mathematical underpinnings of interest rates and how they really can affect students.

K. H.

Researching the water quality of a nearby wetland using a field lab with water tests and laptops to enter the data and perform calculations.

C. H.

geometry, where there is an initial component of exploration of a concept, then an application of the idea.

E. K.

A unit on how to read informational text on the web. Introduce hyperlinks, and basic functions of web browser (front, back). Control vocabulary and word difficulty for English language learners at grades 1-2.

B. P.

My memory of math classes in my primary and secondary education is that teachers would generally stand in front of the class and lecture tediously on how to do a problem and then assign a series of practice problems to do at home. It seems to me that IT can improve significantly upon this experience. The general explanation could be done on the computer in class (with text or ideally video) then students would work through increasingly difficult problems with annotated hints that could be accessed explaining step by step how to work through the problem. Most of the learning would occur as the student is actively doing the problem, not passively listening to a lecture. The advantages are that it allows a more active learning experience, would allow students to work at their own pace, and would free the teacher to work individually with students who need more help.

J. T.

A 3-5 week ecology science unit (grades 5 and up) that I used for a technology grant a few years ago and would like to develop the ideas to incorporate additional technology opportunities through the interdisciplinary content that might be incorporated into the unit. If I could start a new project, I’d like to explore assistive technologies that might support the learning needs of all students, especially those with learning challenges, in contexts that vary from the classroom to educational contexts in museums or other settings.

C. M.

Using a graphing program to compare different types of graphs. (This has an advantage over calculators, which are limited to displaying only one at a time.)

S. S.

Show kids how to take a picture with a digital camera and then transfer it to the computer.

D. S.

Have the kids record a song into a computer microphone and then playback the tape.