Educational Technology and Science - A Perfect Fit

Posted by Herring Kure on June 1st, 2021

Even as Quad2quad -time proponent of the usage of educational technology, I'm still amazed at the rapid pace of which it has turned into a necessity rather than a source of enrichment activities. Today's students, and also most of the parents, having grown up with technology as part of their daily lives, retain certain expectations and assumptions concerning the way technology can be used for learning. No longer can the classroom computer be set off in the corner to be utilized sporadically for special activities nor can video be used as a babysitter. Technology must become an integral part of classroom life. What Students Need If our job, as educators, is to prepare students to achieve success members of our society, then as well as the traditional knowledge and skills, students must now anticipate to access, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize immeasurable levels of information. They need to have exceptional listening skills, have the ability to use email, understand basic os's, use word processing and other software, and use the internet for research. This need poses new challenges for teachers, especially those that may not feel as prepared to use technology as their students may be. It is time for educators to overcome the outdated idea that they must be experts in educational technology before the students are allowed to utilize it. Some Great things about Educational Technology o increases interest (even yet in rote tasks) o provides a purpose for learning o promotes the perception that all knowledge is related (not isolated bits) o permits student individuality in learning styles Educational Technology in the Science Classroom The decision to apply technology in the training environment is frequently not driven by the technology but by the duty at hand. Take, for instance, the case of the physics teacher who needed to setup some labs for thermodynamics but had no money left for supplies or equipment. Because he was fortunate to possess 8 computers in his classroom, he could use them to create the labs. The students were delivered to science software the institution uses and a website. The site has some great simulations that this teacher feels tend to be more interactive and that do a better job of demonstrating the physics behind this issue than traditional labs. Because science learning takes a lot of critical analysis, using educational technology in the science classroom is especially warranted. Learning to solve Additional hints requires a different instructional approach than learning isolated skills and information required for standardized testing purposes. For example, while doing internet research, students needs to be able to evaluate an internet source for reliability, accuracy, and bias; exactly the same kind of information required in science exploration activities. So as to fully prepare our students for "real" life, as educators we must not only supply them with the content knowledge they want, but also the opportunity to: o accurately acquire information from visual and auditory sources (watching and listening) o develop solutions to problems and present these solutions to others using various forms of media o display originality and employ problem solving skills during the creative process o be team players and good collaborators o demonstrate cross-cultural awareness o communicate complex ideas effectively I contend, as do many educational experts, that the use of technology in the classroom is, by far, the easiest method to accomplish these lofty goals. Educators must prepare for a future which involves much technology and they have to keep up to date with change by adopting effective strategies that use appropriate technologies. In the science classroom, we have to do more with technology so that our students are better educated and better able to succeed in life. If you're ready to stop making "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make Using Video in the Classroom" and desire to start experiencing the great things about using video effectively in your classroom, the next step is to download a free of charge copy of "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make Using Video in the Classroom" at this time.

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Herring Kure

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Herring Kure
Joined: June 1st, 2021
Articles Posted: 5

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