ED6346Chris QuekJuly 15, 2010The OUTSKIRTS

Teacher wants to make his classroom hands on; his students are doing experiments by collecting and analyzing their own data.

He has heard of a software tool that can collect temperature readings quickly and feed the data automatically into a computer for analysis.

He thinks that using this tool will be much more motivating to his students than doing all the operations by hand.

What software tool would you recommend that Mr. Charles use to address this problem?

What would be the relative advantage of using this tool?

If Mr. Charles has 30 students in a class and only five such tools, how could he arrange the tool so that all students could learn to use it?

What are MBLs? A type of instructional software tool

consisting of hardware devices (probes) and software (probeware) to allow scientific data to be gathered and processed by a computer.

Advantages of using probeware in general http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy-rCaV3a54&feature=related View first 1:30 Dave Vernier of Vernier Software and Technology discusses why we should use probeware in the classroom

Real life applicationLets students concentrate on the

science behind the experimentAllows you to do experiments

you couldn’t do beforeAllows you to do long term

experimentsKids like using technology

http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElsNQNaReTs

Currently in use by District 2

External Hardware (beyond laptop)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElsNQNaReTs

Uses laptops as the hardware.

Plugs into the USB

GO! Temp

30 students 5 computers/sparks Lab groups of 6

Assign Group Roles

Ensure laptops and probes are working Back up plan of thermometers Lesson explaining use and care of

MBLs

PASCO SPARK

Absolutely. We currently have the

technology available to use in District 2.

Teachers attended an in-service and feel relatively comfortable introducing the program to students.

VERNIER GO TEMP

Absolutely. The technology is

easy to use, easy to set up, very economical.

Technology aids in the teaching process

We like how the process can easily be shown on the smart board or projector.

Teacher learning about the GIS tool and knows it is essential to studying geography and local issues

She wants her students to learn to use this tool with real life applications

She pairs up with the science class on a project at a local river where they collect water samples and analyze sources of degradation and contaminants

What instructional problems did Ms. Keishan see that she wanted to address in the new project?

In what ways could a GIS system help with the environmental studies project?

How might GPS tools also be useful with the project?

A computer system that is able to store in a database a variety of information about geographic locations.

After it has stored all the data that describe a given location, the GIS can then display the data in map form.

To record and maintain large amounts of geographic information

To produce up to date, customized maps

To allow analysis and comparison of information on different locations

World wide radionavigation system made possible by a bank satellites and their ground stations

Using satellites as reference points, a GPS unit can calculate positions of anything on earth accurate to a matter of feet or inches.

Ms. Keishan needed to find a meaningful way to integrate the technology.

She knew she had the TECHNOLOGY (knew that GIS tools becoming essential to studying geography) but she needed the total package

Sought the science teacher for the CONTENT and together they would merge the PEDAGOGY to create a technology integratation lesson that was authentic.

Students can take the information gathered at the river and study and map it using GIS technology.

These technologies can primarily be divided into desktop GIS (ESRI’s ARC VIEW) and Internet-based GIS (GOOGLE EARTH) applications.

Since all data from any project can be downloaded with a latitude and longitude, it is relatively easy for teachers and students to create event themes, laid atop base maps of political boundaries, hydrology, and elevation.

Software program$1500 single user

licenseAvailable in a 60

day free trial Could use it for the

project and use results to apply for an ILF or Proposal to district for funding.

Free download on computerProvides tutorials on each aspect of

the programLesson plans available

46 08.100N64 54.734 W

Students can take waypoints while at various points of the river to organize their research

Could utilize the Geocaching website to make an “Earth Cache” to inform others of their research findings.

Utilizing probeware and GIS, through various scientific experiments and project, students are meeting all outcomes of the NETS while simultaneously learning content.

The technology aids in the learning process and does not overshadow the curriculum outcomes.

Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching: Fifth Edition (M.D. Roblyer and Aaron H. Doering)

Probewarewww.vernier.comwww.pasco.com

GISwww.esri.comhttp://earth.google.com/www.gis.comhttp://www.geog.ubc.ca/courses/klink/gis.notes/ncgia/u01.html

GPSwww.geocaching.com