Content Area: ScienceBy: Abigail Hatheway

Instructional Software Basic Productivity Software Beyond the Basic Productivity Software Interactive Whiteboards Student Response Systems Blogs Audio and Podcasts Web-based Learning Activities

Different Ways to Implement Technology in the Classroom

Instructional Software

Instructional software is a term used to reference an array of computer programs designed to specifically deliver instruction or assist in the delivery of instruction on a particular topic.

Instructional games are a form of instructional software and they allow students to participate in fun activities which, in turn, motivates them to spend more time on the topics they are being taught.  

Droplet and the Water Cycle

A really great instructional game for a science lesson is Droplet and the Water Cycle.

S1E2. Students will observe and record changes in water as it relates to weather.

a. Recognize changes in water when it freezes (ice) and when it melts (water).

b. Identify forms of precipitation such as rain, snow, sleet, and hailstones as either solid (ice) or liquid (water).

c. Determine that the weight of water before freezing, after freezing, and after melting stays the same.

d. Determine that water in an open container disappears into the air over time, but water in a closed container does not.

Standards Addressed

Basic Productivity Software

Basic productivity software is a term which refers to certain programs designed to help teachers and students plan, develop, communicate, and record information. There are three main categories of basic productivity software and they include word processing (Microsoft Word), spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel), and presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint).

Microsoft Excel (spreadsheets) are a great way to give students visual aid in processing information (typically with specific categories, numbers, percentages, etc.).

Microsoft Excel (or an online spreadsheet such as Edit Grid)

A really great basic productivity software is spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets allow students to organize, represent, and interpret data.

S1CS5. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.

c. Use simple pictographs and bar graphs to communicate data.

Standards Addressed

Beyond the Basic Productivity Software

Beyond-the-basic productivity tools refers to an array of software that works to support basic productivity tools. 

Planning and organizing tools help teachers and students conceptualize, organize, and communicate their ideas (examples: outlining and concept mapping software, lesson planning software, and calendars, scheduling, and management tools).

Campfire Now Campfire Now is a great way

for students and teachers or students and their peers to connect outside of the classroom.

Campfire Now is a group chat that is exclusive to selected individuals. This is great because it keeps students within their classroom boundaries.

S1CS1. Students will be aware of the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits in their own efforts to understand how the world works.

a. Raise questions about the world around them and be willing to seek answers to some of the questions by making careful observations and measurements and trying to figure things out.

Standards Addressed

Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards are large interactive displays that connect to a computer and resemble a whiteboard. A projector projects whatever is on the computer onto the interactive whiteboard, allowing users to control whatever is being displayed on the board by using a some sort of stylus.

Interactive whiteboards make keeping students' attention much easier for teachers and provide fun, hands-on activities for students to do throughout lessons.

Interactive whiteboards can support student learning by allowing students to go to the board and manipulate its components (making IWB's a big part of the kinesthetic learning process).

Interactive whiteboards may be used to practice concepts during class time, demonstrate procedures, and display lesson presentations. 

Promethean Planet Promethean boards are found in

many classrooms as alternatives to SmartBoards.

The Promethean Planet website provides a lot of information on what Promethean boards provide school systems and how they are affective.

The Promethean Planet website even offers various lessons that may be taught using the Promethean board.

S1CS2. Students will have the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and following scientific explanations.

a. Use whole numbers in ordering, counting, identifying, measuring, and describing things and experiences.

b. Readily give the sums and differences of single-digit numbers in ordinary, practical contexts and judge the reasonableness of the answer.

c. Give rough estimates of numerical answers to problems before doing them formally.

d. Make quantitative estimates of familiar lengths, weights, and time intervals, and check them by measuring.

Standards Addressed

Student Response Systems

Student response systems is a software that may be used by a teacher to assess students and receive immediate feedback.

Student response systems may be online polls or quizzes that may be taken with a wireless remote, a cell phone, a tablet, or a computer.

Quizlet Quizlet is an online

program that allows teachers to find, create, and modify topics.

Quizlet allows students to practice topics with flashcards, match names with pictures, spell words, and test themselves.

S1L1. Students will investigate the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals.

a. Identify the basic needs of a plant.

1. Air

2. Water

3. Light

4. Nutrients

c. Identify the parts of a plant—root, stem, leaf, and flower.

Standards Addressed

Blogs

A blog is a personal website which an individual (or many individuals) may publish their own work and information for anybody they want to see.

Often, teachers use blogs to inform their students, colleagues, and parents of students about the happenings in their classroom (or anything they may find relevant to those groups of people). 

Edublogs Edublogs is a great website

for teachers to post the information they need to post for their class.

Edublogs can also be used for teachers to post information found in in-class activities and/or experiments so that students and parents may use it or view it while not present in the classroom.

S1CS6. Students will be familiar with the character of scientific knowledge and how it is achieved. Students will recognize that:

a. When a science investigation is done the way it was done before, we expect to get a similar result.

b. Science involves collecting data and testing hypotheses

c. Scientists often repeat experiments multiple times, and subject their ideas to criticism by other scientists who may disagree with them and do further tests.

d. All different kinds of people can be and are scientists.

Standards Addressed

Audio and Podcasts

A Podcast is a program consisted of music or talking that is available in digital format for download via the Internet. Podcasts may also include video or pictures. 

Audio files are strictly intended to deliver a music or talking format via the internet.

Audio files and podcasts may provide demonstrations, presentations, lectures, portfolios, video decision-making and problem solving simulations, documentation, and the teaching video production.

Audio Boo Audio Boo is a great website for

teachers to record their lectures or presentations for students to listen to at home for reviewing for assessments or doing homework.

Audio Boo is also great for students to create their own audio files or podcasts as presentations.

Audio Boo also provides teachers with great resources in openly-available pre-recorded Podcasts posted by other users.

S1CS5. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.

a. Describe and compare things in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and motion.

b. Draw pictures (grade level appropriate) that correctly portray features of the thing being described.

Standards Addressed

Web-based Learning Activities

Web-based learning activities are a great way to get the attention of students' interests! There are four main sections to think about when addressing web-based learning activities:• Online projects• Online collaboration sites• Online publishing opportunities• Directories

Online projects are a great way for students to use various levels of LoTi because they integrate so many characteristics of learning.

Journey North Journey North is a great

website for students to integrate real-life scenarios in their classroom activities.

Journey North also allows students to communicate with other students and professionals about their findings on the website.

S1L1. Students will investigate the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals

b. Identify the basic needs of an animal.

1. Air

2. Water

3. Food

4. Shelter

d. Compare and describe various animals—appearance, motion, growth, basic needs.

Standards Addressed

Allow students to participate in fun activities which, in turn, motivates them to spend more time on the topics they are being taught.

Give students visual aid in processing information. Help teachers and students conceptualize, organize, and

communicate their ideas. Support student learning by allowing students to go to the

interactive whiteboard to manipulate its components (making IWB's a big part of the kinesthetic learning process).

Allow teachers to receive immediate feedback during class quizzes and polls.

Inform teachers’ students, colleagues, and parents of students about the happenings in their classroom.

Provide demonstrations, presentations, lectures, portfolios, video decision-making and problem solving simulations, documentation, and the teaching video production.

What Can Technology in the Classroom Do?