Integrating Technology in Science

I really like these "Gizmos" by Explore Learning which allow students to interact with math and science concepts. Schools need a subscription to access the Web-based resources, but the high level of interactivity is well worth the price. Gizmos are available for grades 3-12 on multiple topics. Gizmos are similar to what folks call "microworlds" which are small-scale simulations stripped of extraneous information that allow students to quickly gain understanding of a specific concept.

Cmap is Web-based freeware that lets students build concept maps about various assigned topics. I used this tool with 6th grade science classes a few years back to study soil conservation and quality topics. I like how the tool scaffolds the creation of REAL concept maps, which require the student to articulate the relationship between every pair of linked concepts. Forcing students to make this articulation is a great learning strategy and helps the instructor gauge their understanding versus misconceptions. I also like how this tool lets students embed information inside of concepts, such as links to external web pages, notes and annotations, images, etc. People call maps like this "content maps" because they contain more than just words--they have embedded content as well. A very rich tool. Have I mentioned it's free? Inspiration is more kid-friendly, but did I mention Cmap was free?

Gliffy is a diagramming tool with a robust symbol library supporting the creation of flowcharts, floor plans, technical drawings, user interface wireframes, and network diagrams. Bubbl.us and Flowchart.com are similar tools. With diagramming tools, science teachers could create taxonomic maps with blanks for students to fill-in, or students could develop their own diagrams based on important concepts extracted from texts.

Another great use of technology in science to help students understand concepts is to embed comments on Flickr images like the medical instructor has done on this page. In addition, you could make your students sign up for free Flickr accounts, post some images with questions, and have them annotate or mark-up the image with their answers to your questions. A simple feature like "commenting" can be leveraged to support student interaction and deeper processing of concepts.

This is a resource page to a number of science animations, some interactive, across numerous topic areas, including plants, ecology, geology, astronomy, animals, physics, and more.

Some of the best science simulation software I've seen was created by the research team at Australia's University of Wollongong's Educational Media Lab. Exploring the Nardoo was a popular simulation tool, providing students "real-world" experiences in exploring a river ecosystem to solve challenging problems.

WISE has been around at the University of California-Berkeley for over a decade, providing Web-based science curriculum and tools tied to real-world science controversies that students work to solve. All tools are Web-based, so students only need an internet connection to participate.

MindMeister and Mindomo are tools for mind mapping, which is a visual brainstorming technique. In science, mind mapping tools could be used as a class brainstorming technique to jot down everything the class knows about a topic. Small student groups could also create mind maps prior to the start of an inquiry project to brainstorm everything they know about a problem and reveal gaps in their knowledge.

Another set of inquiry-based curriculum resources is provided by the JASON project that gets students in grades 5-8 involved in authentic science investigations with real scientists and researchers from the National Geographic Society, NOAA, and NASA.

GLOBE is another inquiry-based curriculum for earth science, getting students involved in data collection, entry, and analysis, with real scientists.

Google Spreadsheets is a useful tool for science and math teachers to engage students in collaborative data collections and analyses. Longstanding programs such as GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) foster student-directed data collections with online data reporting and sharing. After collection, participating classes make use of extended data sets for use in directed analyses with tools such as spreadsheets. Teachers who don't want to get involved in larger programs like GLOBE can quickly set up similar data collection projects in their own school. With Google Spreadsheets, for example, students in three middle schools could collaborate on a single Google Spreadsheet documenting bags of garbage produced by each of their families in a given week. Using demographic variables (e.g., number of family members, recycling practices, food sources, etc.), teachers can ask students to identify factors that contribute to or reduce garbage production. Students can create simple charts from data and export as image files for use in presentations.

Vernier is the manufacturer of numerous probes used in science experiments (e.g., ph meter). Students can attach these implements to handheld computers to collect data in the field, then download data to computers for subsequent analytical activities.

George Lucas video showing students in Utah studying pollution using probes and data downloaded to tablet computers.

George Lucas video showing a Minnesota elementary class collecting field data with probes and computers.

George Lucas video showing students working with digital microscopes to capture images on a computer.

Tom Snyder has a variety of popular software titles like Science Seekers and Science Court that use multimedia and/or animated characters to challenge students to solve real-world problems and scenarios. Students work in teams using worksheets provided by the developer to solve challenges. Follow-up videos allow students to gauge how well they solved a given challenge.

Roger Schank at Northwestern University created a framework for multimedia known as "goal-based scenarios" in which students learn concepts by engaging a real-world goal that most would find more interesting and motivational than the concepts removed from context by themselves. In this example, the "Sickle Cell Counselor" hypermedia program allows students to study the genetics behind sickle cell anemia by running tests and calculating risks for a fictional set of clients, then advising the clients whether or not they can pass on the genetic trait to children. The scenario plays out in different hypermedia trees depending on how the user responds to it.

NASA has a great program out of Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, called Classroom of the Future. They create Web-based curriculum on science related topics such as the Exploring the Environment collection. This is the main menu page for an expansive collection of image-rich resources on the environment. These sites seem a bit heavy on the information and low on the interactivity/activities to me, but you be the judge.

I love the idea of students using Google Maps to analyze a scientific phenomenon like tornado outbreaks or hurricanes. On this page, someone has marked the tracks of recent tornadoes in MS and TN with information on deaths and destruction caused along the paths. How else do scientists use maps to conduct their work? Perhaps students could map outbreaks like the recent salmonella scare allegedly caused by tomatoes.

San Francisco's Exploratorium Museum is among the best at providing educational lessons and interactions related to its on-site collection. Teachers around the country can take advantage of these free resources. Click "hands-on activities" for a sampling.