In today’s world, technology is indispensable, and its presence is only growing stronger, signifying that it’s here to stay. This article was interesting because it discusses how technology in education systems, particularly in the realm of science, is offering exciting and useful opportunities to help students gain a more comprehensive understanding of complex concepts such as genetics and DNA. These tools offer students the opportunity to visualize abstract concepts, enabling them to grasp intricate molecular structures and biological processes that might otherwise be challenging to comprehend. I also think technology facilitates interactive learning experiences such as allowing students to explore and identify components of their ecosystems, fostering a deeper connection to the natural world. By engaging with technology in science education, students can cultivate a sense of identity as scientists, empowering them to envision themselves pursuing careers in STEM fields. This enhancement of self-efficacy in scientific work not only boosts students’ confidence in their abilities but also enhances their overall attitudes towards science, fostering a lifelong curiosity and passion for exploration.
However, with all of these benefits how would you go about mitigating all the uncertainties that come with technology? Additionally, are there any other ideas you have of how students could use technology creatively and beneficially?
https://www.edutopia.org/article/value-digital-tools-science-classes/
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Hi Caroline, this is a fascinating post, and I was intrigued by what you had to say here. As technology develops at the rate it is, children need to learn about its capability in a healthy environment, and there is no better place to do this than a classroom. I think one issue with technology in school is the tendency for children to get distracted. They may not get the most out of technology if, for example, they are on a gaming website. Technology in the classroom would need lots of monitoring, and some schools may not have the resources to provide children with the latest desktop technology. While I think it’s beneficial, I certainly think there are a lot of challenges to technology use in the classroom, as I mentioned above. As children age, technology should be slowly incorporated into their learning if the school has the resources. I also think students will benefit from starting with simple, investigative experiments such as the one with the penny, cup, and index card. Because technology was challenging for me to understand as a student, I think starting out simple and building on that is essential. Children must learn about technology but save the hands-on stuff for a bit later to develop the basic skills necessary to build scientific inquiry skills.
Thank you for this interesting post on technology in science education, Caroline. Figuring out when and how to utilize technology in the classroom can be hard, especially because of how quickly it evolves and how many resources are available to you. In the technology-enhanced instruction class last semester, we judged technology integration in classrooms on four ideas: Is it being used as an instructional tool to make learning more efficient, more effective, more personalized, or more connected to the world beyond the classroom? While reading through the article you shared for this week and considering the examples they shared for science specifically, it was cool to see how much technology can enhance learning when used thoughtfully in the classroom. I loved seeing what kinds of options are available for science instruction. Ultimately, when it comes to the kinds of technology you use in a class, I think teachers need to prioritize flexibility. Technology can change, evolve, become finicky, outdated, not supported by your district, or ill-suited for a group of students, and in response, you need to be able to adapt so that you are still prioritizing instruction.
Hi Caroline. Your article on empowering science education through technology could not be a more relevant topic. Especially with the hype and controversy surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that is a common thread for all subjects in schools, making it more difficult to identify reality verses AI.
In Gonzalez’s 2019 article, she says, “It’s how we design and use technology in schools that can truly improve students’ outcomes.” I agree with her statement and this could be part of the solution to mitigating all the uncertainties that come with technology.
When we pair science and technology, it provides many positive opportunities for growth, e.g., online collaboration, open-ended problem-based learning, assistance with assessments, and provides beneficial interactivity. The same is true regarding negative opportunities when we pair science and technology; ethical and moral values of the individual creating and using the technology comes into play.
I would go about mitigating all the uncertainties that come with technology by holding the social media companies accountable for their digital platforms along with guidelines or laws to abide by. Since some of the uncertainties will be difficult to control and foresee, focus students’ attention on the using the scientific technology in an intelligent and effective way for the greater good of all. This is where teachers and scientists can be good role models concerning ethical and moral values and using it in a positive ways.
Some ideas I have of how students could use technology creatively and beneficially deals with cybersecurity and cyber safety to assist students in staying safe online and protecting their privacy and data in an online environment; possibly a way to verify information online and that it’s coming from a reputable source? Our statement regarding the use of AI technology as an example. The games are a great creative example, but is it realistic? Can you have a scientist visit the school or teach an online experiment virtually?
Empowering science education through technology will continue to grow more fast-paced in the future and we need to ensure that ALL schools have up-to-date technology learning tools for their students. I’m fearful regarding inclusion and equity across education levels.
Caroline,
I loved reading about technology in the classroom. I was discussing this in another class and there was quite the debate! I think that technology is very important in the classroom since there is access to so much information. I also understand the argument that technology leads to unneeded distraction. I think the importance of being able to use interactive features of technology can help students get hands-on experience. To make sure it is being used for educational purposes, I would make sure gaming websites are blocked and have the students turn around to make sure I can see their screens at all times. With interactive software, they will be able to repeat experiments and practice at home.
Hi Caroline! I really enjoyed reading your post about using technology in the science classroom. I agree that technology can offer useful opportunities for students to learn about complex concepts in science. I remember working on science “Gizmo” activities when I was in high school and I began to really enjoy them because it was a more interactive way to learn about the topics we were learning about in class. Although technology has many benefits in the science classroom, it might be hard to mitigate all of the uncertainties that come with it, such as distraction and resources/lack of resources. To ensure students are focused on the science lesson, I would try to have distractable websites blocked on their technology platforms and be sure to walk around as they are working to make sure they are focused on the assignment. Technology is a great way to get students interested in science lessons and it could also help with the safety aspect of science teaching. Since students will be working on science assignments virtually, they will not have to worry so much about the science safety rules (wearing gloves, etc.) and can focus more on performing the actual tasks. This would also eliminate time preparing the physical materials and cleaning up after an experiment. Overall, I believe science teachers should at least try to incorporate some sort of technology into their science instruction because it can spark creativity and possibly more interest in scientific experiments.
Caroline,
This is a very interesting topic that you’ve brought up! I think technology is beneficial in the classroom and should be used as a way for students to learn more information and visualize concepts that may not be possible without technology. However, there is the issue of students getting distracted when they have technology of their own in front of themselves and are expected to do a specific task on their devices. I think a way to help with this is blocking the websites where they might play games, and walking around the room during the lesson or work with technology to make sure that the students are on task. I think that technology should definitely be used in the classroom for researching as it’s a tool that students should be able to learn to use, but that it shouldn’t be used for everything due to its unpredictable nature and the easiness to cheat and get off task with technology. For example, I likely would not choose to give assessments online even though it can interpret data. I do think websites like quizlet live and kahoot and others of this sort that make learning a game working with other students are beneficial, as they can bring students to be more interested in learning material.
Hi Caroline, this was a very interesting article. I think incorporating technology into science lessons helps kids understand abstract topics through visual aids and fosters participatory learning experiences that allow ecosystem exploration and a deep connection to nature. Technology increases student engagement and learning, according to research. I remember how virtual simulations and interactive models helped me understand complex scientific concepts as a student. However, technological integration concerns and problems must be addressed. These challenges can be mitigated by strong technological structure and educator professional development. Using digital storytelling, collaborative projects, and virtual reality experiences in classes can further boost student engagement and scientific comprehension.