New Technology Tools: Concepts and Resources File

By

Robert Lindsey


November 14, 2010



Fall 2010























Introduction:
In many eyes the world is still flat as they refuse to open them to realities of tomorrow. I had my brush with this topic a year ago when I was attending a Professional Learning Community meeting as we discussed the new Earth Science textbook adoption. I was surprised at the choice that was made as the text that was chosen beat out my choice by one point. I asked them why they selected a less superior text as it did not have the software or web tools that was supplied by the other text. They commented that they only looked at the text not the software or web tools for the rubric that was supplied only covered the text. I then reminded them that school system was moving toward having Smart Classrooms throughout the county in the next three years. They were dumbfounded when the county Technology Specialist told them that one third of the classrooms would be turned into Smart Classrooms that summer with the other two thirds being converted over the next two summers. The simple fear of learning and using technology can create vast educational gaps between the curriculum and the students. I believe in the saying “Don’t Knock it, till you’ve tried it”. Technology is the key to meeting goals set by the Department of Education and enhancing students learning within the science classroom. We must teach and learn the technological skills necessary to compete on the global stage (Prensky, 2001). We need to lead by example so that our students will adapt to use these technological skills in their quest to becoming truly life long learners.
As educational systems and educators shape the classrooms of tomorrow the Internet will play an important role in assessing and enhancing student learning. This integration of the Internet into the science classroom will come with decisions and issues that must be addressed by the school system and science teacher. The following thoughts explore the Web 2.0 tools that play an important part in today’s science classroom with an emphasis on Wikis and their use in teaching the Water Cycle. I conclude with integration of the Internet in the science classroom by focusing on Google Earth.

Internet Resources: Web 2.0 Tool- Wikis
As the Internet was introduced to the public over the last few decades it was seen as a place to gather and gain information. This information from the Internet was a oneway street. A user could only assess information but not contribute. This oneway street has now been expanded to include traffic going both ways. The introduction of Web 2.0 has created a revolution among Internet users. This revolution has changed the way education approaches the Internet. Science classrooms have embraced Web 2.0 in many forms from the popular websites to the not so popular sites. Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Teachertube, podcast, webcast are just a few of the Web 2.0 tools available to science teachers to improve classroom instruction. The one Web 2.0 tool that has become a highly used in the science classroom are Wikis.
Wikis come in all sizes and shapes that can be custom built for each individual science classroom. Wikis allows students and teachers to work on collaborative ideas or projects from the comforts of their own computer. These virtual science classrooms make it possible for people to work on common assignments from distances at a virtual spot rather than meeting physically. Wikis can become a tremendous tool in and out of the classroom: Teachers can assign daily or weekly journals that can be posted on the web tool. This allows the teacher and student to correspond to one another. The quick feedback is important to for encouragement or correcting inaccuracies. Teachers can assign group projects using the web tool. The student groups then can collaborate with group members from home on the projects by creating, sharing, changing, and contributing to the completion of the assignment. This saves classroom time that could be used for other content instruction. The following Wiki examples were researched and examined for their use as an Internet resource for enhancing student learning of the Water Cycle.
The Wiki Water Cycle: What we have learned? at MyEportePortfolio.com (Water Cycle: What we have learned?, 2009) is used by Mr. Tim Thompson to assess his second grade science class after teaching the Water Cycle in his class. The students use the wiki to respond to the teacher’s questions as they pertain to the Water Cycle. The wiki allows the students to contribute important information learned over the content area. The other students in the class can read and respond or contribute to their classmate’s contributions. This wiki could be used at all grade levels for assessment of the content being taught, and gives the students a good venue to demonstrate their knowledge of the Water Cycle.
The Wiki Water Cycle at elementaryscience.com (Water Cycle, 2009) is abundant source of materials for teaching and learning the Water Cycle. The page contains an interactive animation of the water cycle that explains the parts of the water cycle. The feature can also be enhanced with the use of a Smartboard. The wiki also has lesson plans that maybe used in the classroom or you could contribute your own to the site. There is a link to a printable Water Cycle activity book that students can use at home or in the classroom to further their understanding of the content area. There is also a link that allows the students or class to build their own Water Cycle and watch it work as it becomes animated. Finally there is a link to a Water Cycle Jeopardy assessment tool that can be used in the evaluation of the student’s knowledge of the Water Cycle.
The Wiki Water Cycle Ontology at SemanticCommunity.com (Water Cycle Ontology, 2009) is used to explain the management of water to sustain suitable water and how the water cycle plays an important part in this process. The class and teacher gather information to contribute to class activities or contribute to the wiki page as others have. There is a hypothetical diagram that is used to show an ideal way of managing surface and ground water. The wiki gives the teacher a tool that can be used to relate the water cycle to the students by making it relative.
The Wiki Water Cycle: The story of the Water Cycle at ComputerKiddosWiki.com (Water Cycle: The story of the Water Cycle, 2009) is used to tell users about the Water Cycle and the parts that make up the cycle. This wiki combines video with diagrams along with interactive links that breaks down the individual parts that contribute to water cycle. The wiki page is very visually friendly allowing the students to navigate rather easily. All links to the parts of the water cycle are clearly marked so that the students can research the parts for further understanding on how each component works in creating the bigger picture.
The Wiki WaterNet: Education and Outreach at Crew.com (WaterNet: Education and Outreach, 2009) is truly professional with its approach to the Water Cycle. Many links crowd the wiki link to various websites that contribute to the understanding of the Water Cycle. The site also gives a detailed description of the Water Cycle and its relationship to other Earth Science areas. The wiki could be a find-all-site for students as they put together reports or class projects contributing to a more hand-on approach with technology.
The Wiki The Cycles: Water Cycle at 123Biology!.com (The Cycles: Water Cycle, 2009) describes the parts of the water cycle and the sequence in which the components occur. The wiki creates an interdisciplinary between sciences as the wiki explains how the water cycle is also part of Life Science. The wiki shows how cycles are apart of the basic mechanics that allow science to move and become animated. This wiki also supplies study tips and quizzes that can become part of the teacher’s lesson. Materials at this site is not as in-depth as other wikis covering the same content as more contributions need to be made to the wiki page.
The Wiki Water Cycle in a Bottle at WikiEducator.com (Water Cycle in a Bottle, 2009) is a detailed wiki that supplies teachers and students with a water cycle activity. The activity describes how to create the water cycle in a bottle. The wiki provides a materials list of the supplies that will be need to conduct the activity. Handouts for students explaining the steps and procedures are provided via the wiki page. The site also supplies a lesson plan for the teacher to use when conducting the activity for students. Diagrams visually facilitate the activity through the number of steps needed to complete the activity. The activity also adds a reflected area at the end of the activity to evaluate the knowledge learned from the activity. The wiki does a good job of implementing some parts of the Scientific Method. The site could be improved by providing all the steps of the Scientific Method.
The Wiki Hydrologic Cycle at ArcticStudiesProgram.com (Hydrologic Cycle, 2009) explains how the different layers of the Earth interact during the water cycle. The explanation describes the movement of water from the lithosphere to the atmosphere and then back to the lithosphere. Strong descriptions and a diagram of the many individual parts of the water cycle gives the user a detailed understand of what each part plays in the cycle and the relationship of the previous parts to the current. The wiki also list a collection of resource sites that were used to compile the data found on the page. This wiki could be used by the class to further research the topic.
The Wiki Groundwater in the Water Cycle at Vasat.com (Groundwater in the Water Cycle, 2009) is a relatively new wiki site that has not compiled an in-depth amount of data. However, it does focus on a particular area, groundwater, of the water cycle and the part it plays in the cycle of water. The wiki list facts that are relevant to the standards and content being taught. The wiki could be used by the students whom have been assigned the area of groundwater when completing an assigned report or project. The wiki provides links to sites that have a more in-depth look at the groundwater but strays from the part played in the water cycle.
The Wiki The Water Cycle at AgroWiki.com (The Water Cycle, 2009) is a website that provides a guided outline for teachers or students wanting to brush-up on their knowledge of the water cycle. The wiki conveys the three states of water as it goes through its transformation during the water cycle. Each visited phase has a hyperlink to additional information for a complete understanding of the area. The wiki gives a complete picture of where the storage of water varies as it cycles. Handouts are provided to help facilitate the discussion of water cycle as questions are raised. A material list is provided to demonstrate the mini-activities that accompany the unfolding of the content. The assessment and standards are provided to evaluate the knowledge retained from the wiki site.
These examples provide the many different ways in which the Web 2.0 tool Wikis can be implemented into the science classroom. Wikis will increase its function abilities as other technological applications are developed. Wikis along with other Web 2.0 tools will enhance students learning through interactive applications that can be paired with new hardware such as Smartboards, Elmos, CPS units, etc. as we move forward in the quest to implement the Internet into the science classroom.

Integration: Google Earth
Google Earth has been reviewed and researched by many, as the internet tool splashed on to the internet scene in 2005. The articles reviewed focused on the current and potential applications of Google Earth as users apply the tool to daily science classroom operations. With the introduction of Google Earth people were able to see the Earth from a three dimensional perspective rather than the plain two dimensional maps that have been used for the last millennium (Anderson, R., 2005). Google Earth allows the user to zoom in to a desired area of the Earth and view the area from a vertical perspective. The maneuver of the toggle switch allows the user to become parallel to the ground and to fly over the area as a plane or bird with a view of the upcoming horizon. Many areas of Google Earth have been updated to show three dimensional topographical formations such as mountains, buildings, etc.
New developments in software have allowed Google to introduce the function of Google Sky to its Google Earth format. The view from Google Sky gives the user the view of the Cosmic Sky as viewed from the earth’s surface. The Hubble Telescope and Google have teamed up to create a very detailed, accurate and comprehensive view of the universe. The user can literally zoom through the Cosmos with the entry of a destination or fly carelessly through the stars on their own with the use of a mouse. Google Earth now allows people access to visuals that were once only science fiction (Babb, 2005). The development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has allowed Google Earth users to apply desired layers of content to the virtual map creating a personalized tool. These applications allow Google Earth to be applied to many aspects of the classroom.
The potential applications of Google Earth are numerous as there is a way to apply the web tool to all aspects of human life. Google Earth gives science education a resource that is comprised of a vast number of educational sources (Lisle, 2006). It doesn’t matter if you teach Language Art’s, Math, Social Studies, or Science; Google Earth has the ability to enhance the teacher’s and student’s learning experience in this visually stimulated world. The information layers can be customized to the science educational curriculum being taught. In the world of teaching it is important to make the content relevant to the students’ lives. This concept builds the student’s interest in the science content and shows that the subject matter is worth learning for it is apart of their world. A science teacher can activate the Longitude and Latitude Grid Layer of Google Earth to teach students about degrees or circumference and the relationship to climate zones. A science teacher can take students to the Galileo Galilee home and explain this was the place where he observed the moons of Jupiter. Google Earth provides information pages, pictures and web links to places of interest.
I began using Google Earth as a necessity when I began teaching sixth grade science a few years ago. The classroom I inherited was void of maps or science books for teaching. However, I did have a computer and LCD projector, the necessary hardware for applying Google Earth to the classroom and lessons. I had previously used Google earth for personal use and was very impressed with the graphics and information that I obtained from exploring the virtual globe. I used Google Earth to show students where their school was located in relation to the areas of the world we were discussing in class such as the Ring of Fire. This action gave many of the students a sense of how big their world is compared to the town they live in. In science we explored the glaciers in Alaska and the deep trenches of the ocean. The graphics allowed the students to actually see the plate boundaries such as the mid-ocean ridges instead of just reading and talking about them. The experience of Google Earth in the classroom has been priceless.
Google Earth is bringing the world closer to the students that now occupy these 21st Century science classroom. The path to peace and civilization begins with educating the population on the variety of cultures that inhabit the world we live in (Anderson, R., 2007). As a science/geography teacher I am more adapt to explaining customs and traditions than ever before. I can show how isolation affects the development of people by flying over the islands of Oceania or the Alpine Mountains of Europe. I can explain weather patterns and the relationship with ocean currents by receiving KML feeds from NOAA directly to Google Earth. This process updates Google Earth with the current weather and conditions of the Earth. When fires broke out in the Okefenokee Swamp in 2006 the class was able to see the smoke cloud using the NOAA KML feed to Google Earth.
The current barrier that I have run across as a teacher in the public school system is the lack of hardware to implement the new technologies and web tools. Many teachers at my school would love to use programs such as Google Earth but do not possess the LCD projectors needed for whole class instruction. I was fortunate to have a LCD in my classroom for PRISM purchased the technological equipment for science classrooms in the school system in which I teach. Fortunately, the whole school system has decided that all classrooms will become smart classrooms over the next three years and is in the process of purchasing Smartboards for all the classrooms. Also, school policies must be kept up-to-date in order to allow the use of the programs and web tools that are becoming available on the internet. Some policies cater to the traditional classroom and are slow to adopt features that would encourage the use of technology in future classrooms. Google Earth is a wonder Internet tool when given the chance.
I foresee Google Earth as a big part of the future science classrooms. The avenues are endless as more people begin to use and contribute to the development of the web tool. Google Earth has the potential to become the link between one teacher’s classroom and the millions of classrooms in the world. This link could create relationships beyond the walls of the school and expand the learning community for thousands of miles. Wouldn’t it be great if Google Earth could be the tool in which a student in your science classroom is linked to a student who’s school in located near the Great Barrier Reef. Imagine the questions and answers that could be exchanged about sea life and ecosystems from different parts of the world. I believe that in time Google Earth will be used to locate and communicate directly with classrooms and students all over the world. The physical world will be forever connected to the virtual world through Google Earth (Butler, 2006).
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Marc Prensky (Prensky, 2001) does a great job of explaining the learning styles gap between the Educators generation and the learners’ generation. Internet use in the science classroom can be a bridge between these massive educational gaps. I see a lot of teachers fighting the influx of technology that is flowing inward with every student walking through the door of the school house. The newer generation of teachers is more adaptive in their teaching for most of them have learned to integrate technology into the lessons. In the real world it is about the speed that a finished product is produced not just producing the product. When it comes to figuring an equation as a professional, will you use long-hand or a calculator? Which one is more reliable? Of course, the calculator if you know how to operate it. The Science Teacher is probably Ground Zero for the introduction of future technologies in the school.
The Internet can be a tremendous tool if applied so that it is interesting to the students using it. Science classrooms need to take advantage of the Web 2.0 tools that are available if allowed by the school systems policies that are in place. Wiki’s can be reached by schools computers. Ebooks can seriously increase the number of science books being read if the science classroom has enough computers to support the demand of the tool. Galileo has been a blessing to the smaller science classroom in recent years as students are able to access books and magazines from across the state. Policing the Internet will become easier as the technology expands and system policies are updated to accommodate the Web 2.0 tools and integration of the Internet into the science classroom. The science teachers and system officials will need to keep-up with the ever-changing Web Tools and applications to become one with the “Digital Age”.


References:
Anderson, R (2007). Outward Bound. Natural History, 116, Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://proxygsu-sbul.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=27586635&site=ehost-live
Anderson, R (2005). Maps Take Flight. Natural History, 114, Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://proxygsu-sbul.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=18474078&site=ehost-live
Babb, Michael (2005). Mind Boggling Google. Computing & Control Engineering, 16, Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://proxygsu-sbul.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=syh&AN=19443679&site=ehost-live
Butler, Declan (2006). Virtual globes: The web-wide world.. Nature, 439, Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://proxygsu-sbul.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=19892534&site=ehost-live
Groundwater in the Water Cycle. Vasat. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://vasatwiki.icrisat.org/index.php/Groundwater_in_the_water_cycle

Hydrologic Cycle. Arctic Studies Program. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://arcticstudies.pbwiki.com/HydrologicCycle

Lisle, R.J. (2006).Google Earth: a new geological resource.. Geology Today. 22, 29-32.
Prensky, Marc (2001).Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants I.
On the Horizon. Vol. 9 No. 5,

Prensky, Marc (2001).Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants II.
On the Horizon. Vol. 9 No. 6,

The Cycles: Water Cycle. 123 Biology! Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://123biology.wetpaint.com/page/The+Cycles!?t=anon

The Water Cycle. Agro Wiki. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://www.agrowknow.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Water_Cycle

Water Cycle: What we have learned? MyEportePortfolio. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://www.eport52.org/published/t/th/tthompson/wiki/4/

Water Cycle. elementaryscience. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://elementaryscience.pbwiki.com/Water+Cycle

Water Cycle Ontology. Semantic Community. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://semanticommunity.wik.is/Federation_of_Earth_Science_Information_Partners/Water_Cycle_Ontology

Water Cycle: The story of the Water Cycle. Computer Kiddos Wiki. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://computerkiddoswiki.pbwiki.com/Water+Cycle

WaterNet: Education and Outreach. Crew. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://crew.iges.org/wikis/waternet/Education_and_Outreach

Water Cycle in a Bottle. WikiEducator. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from: http://www.wikieducator.org/Water_Cycle_in_a_Bottle



Journal Articles:

Anderson, R (2005). Maps Take Flight. Natural History, 114, Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://proxygsu-sbul.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=18474078&site=ehost-live

Nasa’s innovation has lead to the invention on many new technologies. These technologies have had a direct affect on the people that Nasa serves. In 2000, the Space Shuttle Endeavor used radar to build a 3D topographical map of the Earth. This information was then used by Google to develop an interactive fly over map of the Earth called Google Earth. The use of Google Earth and other maps like it from the USGS in the classroom has allowed educator to increase student visual perception of the planet Earth.
As a science/geography teacher I am more adapt to explaining customs and traditions than ever before. I can show how isolation affects the development of people by flying over the islands of Oceania or the Alpine Mountains of Europe. I can explain weather patterns and the relationship with ocean currents by receiving KML feeds from NOAA directly to Google Earth. This process updates Google Earth with the current weather and conditions of the Earth


Babb, Michael (2005). Mind Boggling Google. Computing & Control Engineering, 16,
Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://proxygsu-sbul.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=syh&AN=19443679&site=ehost-live

New developments in software have allowed Google to introduce the function of Google Sky to its Google Earth format. The view from Google Sky gives the user the view of the Cosmic Sky as viewed from the earth’s surface. The Hubble Telescope and Google have teamed up to create a very detailed, accurate and comprehensive view of the universe. The user can literally zoom through the Cosmos with the entry of a destination or fly carelessly through the stars on their own with the use of a mouse. Google Earth now allows people access to visuals that were once only science fiction. The development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has allowed Google Earth users to apply desired layers of content to the virtual map creating a personalized tool. These applications allow Google Earth to be applied to many aspects of the classroom.
It doesn’t matter if you teach Language Art’s, Math, Social Studies, or Science; Google Earth has the ability to enhance the teacher’s and student’s learning experience in this visually stimulated world. The information layers can be customized to the science educational curriculum being taught. In the world of teaching it is important to make the content relevant to the students’ lives. This concept builds the student’s interest in the science content and shows that the subject matter is worth learning for it is apart of their world. A science teacher can activate the Longitude and Latitude Grid Layer of Google Earth to teach students about degrees or circumference and the relationship to climate zones. A science teacher can take students to the Galileo Galilee home and explain this was the place where he observed the moons of Jupiter. Google Earth provides information pages, pictures and web links to places of interest.