Elanna Worthy Dr.

Bettie Hicks Charleston Program 26 March 2014 Weekly Session #5 On our sixth day traveling to Charleston through CU-LIFE, our fifth session was instructed by Mrs. McClary, professor in the School of Education at Claflin University. This science session was based on Technology Tools and Resources for Inquiry Science in an Elementary Science Classroom. She immediately stated technologys definition in a science classroom. Technology is defined as any process or product that has been invented to assist humans in adapting to their natural, constructed, and social environment. She also stated the importance of integrating technology into science instruction. When computers and related technologies are coupled with appropriate pedagogy by teachers, students science achievement improves and students view computers and other technologies favorably. Computers have been used in education since the late 1950s. Then the focus was on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) which involved tutorials, drill-and-practice formats, and the mechanics of computer hardware and programming techniques. The emergence of the personal computer during the mid-1970s and the Internet in the 1990s made computers more useful in education. These programs include Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Graphing Programs, and Presentation Software. Mrs. McClary asked us to list any technologies used in our science classes when we were in primary school. Some of the technologies that we said were Bill Nye videos, motion detectors, computers, and graphing calculators. After we could only name a few technologies, Mrs. McClary gave us this long list of technology tools and resources. This list included: the Internet, CD-ROMs, DVDs, Digital Images, Databases, Computer or Calculator Based Laboratory Systems, Virtual Field Trips, Simulations, Computer - Enhanced Instruction, Spreadsheets, Graphing Software, Presentation Software, Global Information Systems, and Global Positioning Systems. She showed us some websites with various virtual dissections and interactive labs online. I was very surprised to see the many different labs that can be simulated via technology. The next technology we discussed was Probeware, which was extremely new to the most of us. Probeware can be used in the laboratory and the field to provide students with first hand experiences with the data collection and analysis process. The term Probeware is used to describe electronic sensors that can be connected to a computer, calculator, or handheld device to collect data. She also wanted us to keep in our minds that the use of Probeware does not guarantee student learning, but it does promote student motivation and inquiry by allowing for the rapid collection of data, the collection of more accurate data than possible with manual instruments, and the presentation of the results in tabulated and graphical forms. The Probeware that she ordered was from Vernier, so she showed us the manuals and various Probewares available to purchase. To master a science lesson solely using technology, we performed an activity using Light Probe, several colors of construction paper, pencil/pen, and tape ruler.