Physics 641: Physics Pedagogy
An On-line Course for Teachers of Physics

Week 13: Uses of "Generalized" and "Specialized" Technology in the Classroom

For the purpose of this course, "generalized" technology is technology that does not have a single, specific purpose. Examples of such technologies include word processors, spread sheets and multi-media developing applications. This is far from an exhaustive list, but does include programs that many of us use without taking (or more realistically having) the time to learn their full potential. What follows are several examples of how to increase the functionality of these programs in our classrooms.

The first program to be discussed is Microsoft Excel. The purpose here is not to focus on how to operate Excel. It is assumed that you know at least the basics. The goal, however, is to teach you how Excel can be used to improve student comprehension of science content by helping them better visualize complex concepts.

For this activity you will need to go the website of the Center for Technology and Teacher Education (CTTE), and review the activity on the periodic properties of elements that can be found here. This activity provides an example of how technology can be incorporated to improve the overall effectiveness of a lesson, by enabling students to better visualize complex or abstract relationships.

Periodic trends, such as electronegativity, atomic radius, and first ionization energy, are concepts that many chemistry students have difficulty relating. By using Excel to graph these trends simultaneously, students can better visualize the relationship between atomic radius, electronegativity and ionization energy.

For the purpose of this course, "specialized" technology is technology that does have a single, specific purpose, such as a Java applet that simulates the Doppler effect. Examples of these types of technology will be introduced and the benefits of using them over traditional "low-tech" resources will be discussed. Assignments will consist of developing/modifying lessons that make use of these resources.

Examples of the first type of specialized technology to be discussed can be found at the website for the Center for Technology and Teacher Education (CTTE). One of the main goals of the Center is to develop effective curricular resources using technology. The definition of the effective use of technology in education was discussed in the paper by Flick & Bell (2000), and drives the development of all activities developed by the Center. As such, it serves as an example of how to incorporate technology into curricula in an effective manner, and not just technology "for its own sake." While the Center strives to integrate technology in a way that enhances conceptual understanding of a number of science topics, most of the activities are based on Flash Multi-media "gizmos" developed by the people at ExploreLearning.com. ExploreLearing creates interactive content-based activities. The activities produced by explorelearning.com are suitable for all grade levels and all subjects of science.

Assignment