Germaine England
Open School, LAUSD
Educators today are confronted with a plethora of issues, and technology is fast becoming another one that educators must deal with. It has made a major impact on every area of our existence, and the consensus is that, if students are to be successful in today's world, they must be technologically proficient.
To this end, the North-Central Complex of Target Science has identified "the effective use of technology to communicate, access, store, and retrieve information" as one of its primary goals.
My main concern has been not to allow technology to drive the curriculum but, rather, have it function as a learning aid. A very good example of how to use technology effectively is the Sunrise/Sunset program, a well written bilingual telecommunications unit that was implemented in our classrooms in 1995.
It integrates technology into other curricular areas while addressing the issues of primary language usage and multiple learning modalities. Sunrise/Sunset also provides teachers and students with the opportunity to engage in relevant experimentation and problem solving.
Students work with concepts such as the sun's apparent movement and its effect on shadows. In the process, they learn to use a directional compass and a protractor, as well as ClarisWorks software, to create graphs and charts illustrating their findings. Then, because they also learn to navigate the World Wide Web and use the Eudora e-mail program, they can post their findings on-line and share, compare, and contrast data with other classrooms.
As a class, we had the opportunity to engage in a different kind of problem solving. Compasses were needed for our solar project, but there was a very limited number available. So students conducted research on the Internet and discovered how to make a compass using a magnetized needle and a baby food jar. They also discovered an abundance of very interesting Web sites related to the unit.
Sunrise/Sunset also offered opportunities for students of every learning style. For the logical-mathematical and kinesthetic learner, there were opportunities to measure the length and direction of shadows at different times of the day.
The interpersonal learner had many chances to use his/her skills to build cooperative teams when students were confronted with conflicts as they endeavored to solve problems.
For the spatial learners, there was the challenge of designing various apparatus to measure shadows, while intrapersonal learners were able to reflect on their experiences and discoveries through class journals.
Given the concern about the appropriate use of technology in the classroom, Sunrise/Sunset www.lalc.k12.ca.us/laep/smart/Sunrise/sunhome.html served as an model for using computers as learning tools. All of the students in my class, regardless of language proficiency or learning style, were constructively engaged.
Yet, best of all, they now have a good foundation in the skills necessary to be successful in our technological age.
