Applying technology in the science classroom can increase student interest, provide purpose and meaning to lessons, and allow students to see relationships between concepts rather than isolated facts. Technology should enhance learning, not just provide access, and can include websites, digital cameras, probes, handheld devices, and software. When used effectively, technology allows students to study real-world events and outperform those using only traditional methods.

1. Applying Technology in the
Science Classroom
by: Shelly Solis

2. Applying technology in the
classroom does several
things to student learning:
1. It increases interest even in rote
tasks;
2. it provides purpose for learning
3. it can attach meaning to an ongoing
lesson

3. Applying technology in the
classroom does several things
to student learning:
(continued)
4. it provides opportunities to perceive
knowledge as being related, not
isolated bits
5. it allows for individual student
differences
6. it can affect students’ attitudes
toward learning.”

4. Purpose of Technology
Technology should enhance learning.
There is no value in just having access to
it but more important how it is used.

5. Types of Technology to
use:
Internet Websites and Projects
Digital Cameras
Probes
Hand-held Devices (i.e. Tablets)
Software

6. Websites that are
available
 WebQuests are inquiry-oriented activities that use mostly online
resources. A selection of exemplary WebQuests can be found at
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/matrix.html. Scroll down for the science
ones.
 Alfy's Thematic Units - Look at the science section at
http://www.alfy.com/teachers/teach/thematic_units/index.asp
 Education-Now! at http://www.education-
now.com/Science/index.htm features technology resources for
Adventist Education and links to sites that correlate to the Adventist
grades 5-8 science textbooks: Discover God's Creation, Explore God's
Creation, etc.
 BrainPop.com: This site features short animations or movies that
explain many science, biology and technology subjects and
corresponds to the National Science Education Standards for grades
5-8. Also included are interactive quizzes, experiments, printable
activity pages, and more. Limited access is free, and you may view
three movies/day for free. Unlimited access is available for a fee.

7. Websites that are available
(Cont’d)
 HowStuffWorks.com: http://express.howstuffworks.com/. Visit the
Teacher's Corner for lesson plans, activities, and more.
 Interactive Physics and Math includes illustrations that can be
manipulated, such as a bouncing ball with an angled floor, a
pendulum, diffraction, refraction, oscillation and more at
http://www.lightlink.com/sergey/java/
 GRIN - Great Images in NASA is a searchable database containing
hundreds of photos from scientific to historical that you can use in
projects, reports, presentations, etc.:
http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/index.html
 Try Virtual Frog Dissection at http://www-
itg.lbl.gov/vfrog/dissect.html.
 Water Science for Schools from the U.S. Geological Survey at
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/index.html. Includes information on
many aspects of water, pictures, data, maps, quizzes, etc.
 ChemTutor.com: Basic chemistry help for high school and college
students.

8. Websites that are available
(Cont’d)
 Exploring Planets in the Classroom: 25 K-12 hands-on activities
from NASA at
http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/index.html.
 Over 250 science WebQuests created by other teachers are listed
here in alphabetical order by title at http://www.teach-
nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/computing/web_quests/science/
 Earth Science links at
http://www.remc11.k12.mi.us/bcisd/classres/escience.htm
 Life Science links at
http://www.remc11.k12.mi.us/bcisd/classres/lscience.htm
 Physical Science links at
http://www.remc11.k12.mi.us/bcisd/classres/pscience.htm
 Creating Rubrics: If you use rubrics to assess lab reports, group
projects and more, be sure to visit RubiStar at
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/. This free site is supported by the US
Department of Education.

9. Results from Using Technology
Technology allows teachers and students to
augment the curriculum with current
information and timely study of real-world
events, thus making learning more dynamic,
engaging, and valuable.
Studies have shown that students who used
simulations, microcomputer-based
laboratories, and video to connect science
instruction to real-world problems
outperformed students who used
traditional instructional methods alone.

10. Bibliography
 Flick, L., & Bell, R. (2000). Preparing Tomorrow's Science
Teachers to Use Technology: Guidelines for Science
Educators. Retrieved from Contemporary Issues in
Technology and Teacher Education:
http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss1/currentissues/science/a
rticle1.htm
 Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. (2005). Reach Beyond the Science
Classroom with Online Tools . Retrieved from Educational and
Professional Publishing Group:
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/beyond.
phtml
 Martin, R., Sexton, C., Franklin, T., Gerlovich, J., & McElroy,
D. (2009). Why Use Technology in the Science Classroom.
Retrieved from education.com:
http://www.education.com/reference/article/why-use-
technology-science-classroom/