The document discusses strategies for engaging students in science learning using technology. It provides examples of how tools like Skype, Voicethread, Google Docs, and Animoto can be used to connect with experts, share results collaboratively, and demonstrate understanding. Recommendations are given for using mobile devices, videos, and games to enhance science instruction and help students learn.

1. ICTEV Annual State Conference: May 2012

2. Professor Suzanne Cory ,
President of the Australian
Academy of Science, addresses
The National Press Club on
28th September, 2011.
“A decade ago, a review of Australian science education,
revealed many students were disappointed with their high
school science. Today, this disenchantment continues, as
evidenced by the declining number of students choosing
to study science in senior secondary school.”

3. Created online with “Create-A-Graph”
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/index.asp

4. Children are naturally curious about how
the world around them works; so why do
we have a shortage of scientific expertise?

5. Today’s Learners are:
• Multi-taskers
• Digitally literate
• Mobile and connected 24/7
• Experiential
• Social
• Visual/spatial learners
• Fast response times, short attention spans
© 2006 “Teaching the 21st Century Learner”
http://depd.wisc.edu/series/06_4168.pdf

6. Traditional science teaching may not be engaging our
tech-savvy, globally-connected future leaders. They need
to be critical evaluators of evidence, decision-makers,
problem-solvers and great communicators – and science
can help them gain those skills.

7. Why do we need to teach with
technology?
1. The Power to Engage
2. Students use technology already – educate them to
use it for good and not for evil!
3. Professional Development
4. It's not going to go away...it will only grow
5. Employers want their workers to use internet tools
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/05/5-reasons-why-
educators-need-to-embrace-internet-technologies/

8. “How can you successfully integrate
digital tools into science classes to
enhance student learning?”

10. I get overwhelmed by all the choices –
there are so many different web2.0 tools
and informative resources to use!
Try a social bookmarking site:

11. How can I get to know my students better
at the beginning of the school year?
Try using Survey Monkey or
Google Docs to create a
student survey about their
strengths, interests and concerns.

12. How can I introduce a new
topic with web2.0 tools?
You can use Flickr and PowerPoint to
create slideshow of interesting images
around your topic.

15. How can I connect with
experts using web2.0 tools?
Use Skype or Blackboard Collaborate to
participate in presentations, ask
questions and connect with scientists.

16. We use Skype and Blackboard Collaborate to
connect with our Scientist in Schools partner,
Melissa Toifl, from CSIRO Land and Water
Technologies, in Highett and Clayton.

17. Peter Barnett, Geologist
from Hot Rocks Ltd.
Connecting with experts in the field increases motivation
and engagement by allowing students to ask questions and
actively participate in presentations.

18. Participation in web conferences with ActWild,
facilitated by the Melbourne Zoo, develops student
knowledge and empathy for our wildlife.

19. Students collect data
about tree growth to
upload to the
Smithsonian Institute
website, where
scientists use the data
for climate change
research.

20. In 2011 and 1012 I have used
Blackboard Collaborate to teach
Unit 3 and 4 VCE Environmental
Science to students from
different schools around the
state. We connect for 90
minutes each week
synchronously and use the
Ultranet, my blog, email and
Facebook asynchronously.
We met at Ecolinc, Bacchus
Marsh in term 1 and plan to
meet at EcoBeach Apollo Bay
YHA during term 3 holidays.

21. How can I find out what my students
already know about a topic?
Try creating a group word cloud using
Google Docs and Wordle or Tagxedo.

24. How can you encourage students to
connect different concepts or show their
understanding of how ideas are related?
Inspiration (edustar), Bubbl.us (online) and
Freemind (download) are free digital mind
mapping tools that are easy to use and
display on blogs.

27. "StoryJumper" is an on-line tool for creating
children's story books - "kids teaching kids".

28. "Pivot" is software that allows creation
of stick figure animations that can be
converted to video.

30. Using Comic Life to
illustrate student
understanding of
Forces. The brief was to
create a cartoon to
demonstrate that:
“Forces can start
motion, stop motion,
change the speed,
direction or shape of an
object or have no effect
at all.”

32. How can mobile devices be used effectively to
enhance science learning?
Use ipods, mobile phones to scan QR codes,
take pictures or record data during excursions
and trips outside into the school garden.

33. Students can create their own webpage in a wiki and
use the URL to create a QR (quick response) code that
directs the user to the information in their webpage.

35. How can you encourage students to work together,
collaborate on projects and share their results?
Google Docs and Wikispaces are free tools
that allow students to work together online.

36. International Energy Challenge
150 students, five schools, three
countries and 12 energy sources.
http://energychallenge.wikispaces.com/

37. How can students describe experiments or work
together to explain the results of investigations?
Voicethread is a simply wonderful way
to use images with audio and text.

38. Evaluate and Create
• Predict, Observe and Explain an experiment
Eg. "Separating Mixtures”
• Record a process Eg. "Making Paper from Grass“
• Describe a system Eg. "Water Cycle Posters“
• Collaborate with students from other classes, countries and
continents. Share with parents, relatives and friends.
• Some great examples for using Voicethread in education

39. Other audio tools...
Audio tools are great for
students with poor writing
skills to make predictions,
record their observations
and explain their results.
Creating a character to
speak adds interest for both
the student and the listener
(Blabberize and Voki).
I have just added SpeakPipe
to my blogs for student
questions.

40. My students have difficulty remembering
definitions of scientific terms – how can I help?
Quizlet and Flashcards db are online tools where
students can create digital Flashcards, which can
be used online or printed out. There is a similar
app for iPods and iPads called Flashcardlet.

42. How can I help my students
revise effectively for tests?
Quiz Revolution (formerly My Studiyo) is a free tool for
creating online multiple choice quizzes. It is simple for
students to create their own quizzes and send a link by
email to their friends and teacher or embed the quiz into
a blog. Quizlet is similar.

44. How can students demonstrate their
understanding of a topic?
Ask students to create a digital story
using Animoto, Slideshare,
Photostory, Windows Movie Maker
or iMovie.

45. Your students can enter the 60 second science
competition by explaining a scientific concept.
http://www.60secondscience.net/

46. Creating and Evaluating -
Video
• Create "60 second science" videos to explain a
science concept.
http://www.60secondscience.net/
• Use Photostory, Windows Moviemaker, Voicethread,
Kahootz, Pivot, MonkeyJam or other animation
software.
• "How to Make a Rainbow"; "How a Wind Turbine
Works" and "Life and Death of a Star".

47. Creating and Evaluating -
Video
• Flip video to record presentations, experiments,
dissections, role plays, interviews and mock TV
programs.
• Use Video tools - YouTube, TeacherTube, Vimeo or
Viddex to embed in blogs and wikis for student
evaluative comments
• Use the 3,2,1 rule - 3 positive encouragements, 2
questions and 1 suggestion for improvement.

48. How can I find out what students
learnt during a lesson or what they
may not have understood?
Wallwisher can be used as an exit slip – a
short, low-stakes, assessment task. A
prompted (or unprompted) written
reflection that is posted online.

49. • What did you learn about cells today?
• How could you get a magnification of x400?
• What is the difference between a light
microscope and a stereo microscope?

50. REFERENCES
• Prof. Suzanne Cory’s National Press Club Address on
28th September, 2011
http://theconversation.edu.au/science-maths-and-the-
future-of-australia-3577
• Bored students image from
http://ap018.edublogs.org/2010/10/17/pop-culture/
• Survey by STA and Academy of Science at
http://www.fasts.org/images/News2010/science%20lit
eracy%20report%20final%20270710.pdf (04/10/2011)
• Teaching the 21st Century Learner at
http://depd.wisc.edu/series/06_4168.pdf