Media for Inquiry
Why should we use
technology?
Theory building--technology as
media for thinking

How can we use these
new technologies?
We look for a way to organize the
tools, techniques, and
applications to accommodate
better ways of learning.

How Can Computers be
used?
. In the tutor role, the computer functions as a
substitute or supplemental teacher.
As a tool, the computer can be used to carry out
tasks assigned by the student.
A third role, the tutee, in which the student learns
by teaching the computer. This is the situation
with Logo, when students think of the computer as
their pupil, who/which needs to be taught every
step in a procedure.

The Interest of the
Child
It would engage students in
exploring, thinking, reading, writing,
researching, inventing, problem-
solving, and experiencing the world.

Model exploration and simulation toolkits
Visualization software
Virtual reality environments
Data modeling--defining categories, relations,
representations
Procedural models
Chickscope
http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/
Bugscope
http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/

Mathematical models
Knowledge representation: semantic
network, outline tools, etc.
Knowledge integration
www.eot.org ( resources and projects)
http://www.eot.org/projects/index.html
www.cilt.org
www.concord.org
http://www.earthmeasure.com/

Science Education
Research in Visual
Instructional
Technology
Mission
To research the effects of electronic
instructional delivery systems and
technology tools on the learning and
teaching of science.

Multicultural
Resources
National Indian Telecommunications Institute
www.niti.org
AskAsia www.askasia.org
Aspira http://www.aspira.org/Links.html
Black History Resources
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/AfroAm.html
First People on Schoolnet
http://www.schoolnet.ca/aboriginal/

Learning Places
Smithsonian Resources,
http://educate.si.edu/
Smithsonian educational materials
emphasize inquiry-based learning with
primary sources and museum collections.
We provide photographs and
reproductions, guidelines for working with
them, and links to other online resources.
Many lesson plans are interdisciplinary
and may be listed in more than one area.

African and African
American Resources at the
Smithsonian
http://www.si.edu/opa/afafam/afamres.htm

Woven By the
Grandmothers,
http://www.conexus.si.edu/dine2/?pos=0
draws on the Museum's collection
of 19th century Navajo textiles,
one of the largest and most
comprehensive of its kind.

The National Indian Telecommunications
Institute (NITI) developed a model for use
by teachers for creating culturally
relevant, tribal specific web pages. Since
its inception, NITI has trained teachers
nationwide using the model which was
developed in hands-on workshops with
teachers. http://www.niti.org/ed.html

2. Data Access
connecting to the world of
texts, video, data

Hypertext and hypermedia
environments
Library access and ordering
Digital libraries
Databases
Music, voice, images, graphics, video,
data tables, graphs, text

What is a Digital Library?
* The digital library is not a single entity;
* The digital library requires technology
to link the resources of many

Digital Library ?
* The linkages between the many digital
libraries and information services are
transparent to the end users;
* Universal access to digital libraries and
information services is a goal;
* Digital library collections are not limited to
document surrogates: they extend to digital
artifacts that cannot be represented or
distributed in printed formats.

The unique nature of the Internet—an
extremely fluid, nonlinear, interactive
environment —creates a challenge for
anyone trying to describe its content.
Unlike traditional media, the Internet
can function on many different levels.

The Internet
For example, e-mail can function as a
telephone, search engines as a library, chat
rooms as a public square, product-based
sites as a mall, and downloadable movies
and games as a theater or video arcade. The
experience of going online can be different for
each user—personalized and defined by each
user's interests and abilities.

3. Data Collection--
using technology to extend the
senses

Teacher Resources
Curriculum Resources and Lesson
Plans
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory
Curriculum, technology, and training resources.
MCI Marco Polo Initiative
http://marcopolo.worldcom.com/
The MarcoPolo program provides no-cost,
standards-based Internet content for the K-
12 teacher and classroom, developed by the
nation's content experts.

Aol School www.aolschool.com
America’s Stories http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi
NASA www.spaceday.com , www.nasa.gov
Windows to the Universe http://www.windows.ucar.edu/win_entry.html
The Virtual Cave http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtcave.html
Melting Pot Math, http://sln.fi.edu/school/math3/index.html math
problems inspired by cultures around the world
The National Geographic Society, www.nationalgeographic.com

Database Resources for
Children
CyberEd Sites
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/edu/cybered/cybered_hotlist.html
The Exploratorium
Ten Cool Sites: Miscellaneous
Archived reviews of the best miscellaneous sites.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/cool/
Kinectic City
http://www.kineticcity.com/
The Kinetic City SuperCrew are six cool kids and a fast-talking
computer who travel the world on their high-tech super train to
solve tough cases and have fun. For adventure and laughs, just
climb aboard!

Remote scientific instruments accessible via
networks
Microcomputer-based laboratories, with sensors
for temperature, motion, heart rate, etc.
Survey makers for student-run surveys and
interviews
Video and sound recording

Data Analysis
Exploratory data analysis
Statistical analysis
Environments for inquiry
Image processing
Spreadsheets
Programs to make tables and graphs
Problem-solving programs

Collaborative Media
Collaborative data environments
Group decision support systems
Shared document preparation
Social spreadsheets

Teaching Media
Tutoring systems
Instructional simulations
Drill and practice systems
Telementoring

Media for Construction

Control systems--using
technology to affect the
physical world
Robotics
Control of equipment
Computer-aided design
Construction of graphs and charts

Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon
University was established in 1979 to conduct
basic and applied research in robotics
technologies relevant to industrial and societal
tasks. Seeking to combine the practical and
the theoretical, the Robotics Institute has
diversified its efforts and approaches to
robotics science while retaining its original
goal of realizing the potential of the robotics
field. Watch a seven-minute video of The
Robotics Channel.
http://www.ri.cmu.edu/general/about.html

Media for
Expression
Drawing and painting programs
Music making and accompaniment
Music composing and editing
Interactive video and hypermedia
Animation software
Multimedia composition

B. Media for
Communication

Document Preparation
Word processing
Outlining
Graphics
Spelling, grammar, usage, and style aids
Symbolic expressions
Desktop publishing
Presentation graphics

Communication--with
other students,
teachers, experts in
various fields, and
people around the
world

Asynchronous computer conferencing
Synchronous computer conferencing
(text, audio, video, etc.)
Distributed information servers like the
World-wide Web
Electronic mail
Student-created hypertext
environments

Bonnie Bracey
Lucas Fellow
230 G Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
bbracey@aol.com