EDTC 6433 TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY: THE USE OF TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY CLASSROOM TO FACILITATE STUDENT LEARNING: ISTE STANDARD 1

Autumn Quarter 2017

Even though it’s been years since I’ve taken high school Biology, I still remember struggling at times to fully comprehend some of the concepts. Biology, the study of life, is three-dimensional and constantly in motion, from the smallest cellular processes occurring in the mitochondria to the complex interactions in our planet’s ecosystem. Trying to grasp these concepts from a two-dimensional textbook and a lecture can be challenging. Fortunately for educators today, we have access to a teaching tool that was unavailable back in my high school days: the use of technology.     

Internet access, ActivBoards, in-class computers, and projection screens allow the ability to bring technology into the classroom as a three-dimensional, interactive resource to advance Biology students’ learning of structures and processes from the microscopic to the global level. Van Rooy (2012) states that even in classrooms with limited access to technology, information and communication technology (ICT) can “add value to learning by reaching parts of the curriculum that other teaching methods do not” (p. 66), allowing “access to superior photographs, images, diagrams and other two-dimensional (2D) representations along with three-dimensional (3D) simulations, animations and video clips for teachers and students” (p. 66). One teacher in Van Rooy’s (2012) study noted: “looking at the types of models and realizing that no one model is going to um, explain or best describe a particular situation for all students, and that a number of models is a better way to go” (p. 76). Using ICT allows for exactly this: it is a library of animations, videos, models, and virtual labs that students can interact with, utilizing the model or combination of models that best leads to their individual understanding of a concept. This “capacity for content creation and “remixing” practices, in which a range of found or original online materials are cut, spliced, edited, reworked, and mixed into new creations” (Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009, p. 249) allows educators the ability to both teach and re-teach complex concepts, using new combinations of resources to explain a concept in different ways. Thus, the possibilities for differentiation are endless. One teacher I observed presented her homework assignment with an accompanying list of applicable resources such as textbook pages (available online or in a checked-out textbook), an online video, and a Prezi presentation, all ICT resources available on the internet. The students could choose which supplemental resource(s) to use according to their own preferred learning styles and needs.

ISTE Standard 1 states “Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.” ICT in the Biology classroom is a great example of how this standard can met and used to advance student learning. Available resources include images, 3D models, animations, explanatory videos and accompanying graphics, and virtual laboratories. These innovative resources can help students visualize, learn, and interact with the concepts, leading to a deeper level of understanding. In addition, viewing the kind of technology that is available engages student creativity first through exposure, and then through application. I can imagine assigning small groups a topic to research and teach to the class using their found resources assembled together in a presentation of their own design. Students would have time to collaborate in the classroom, face-to-face, but because of ICT platforms like Google Docs and Wiki Pages, students would have the opportunity to continue to collaborate outside of the classroom, virtually, through working simultaneously on common documents and note sharing.

Some great online resources compiled from Van Rooy (2012), suggestions from my classmates, and my own research are linked below. They are easily accessible, available for repeated viewing, and free.

Learn.Genetics

Genetics, human health, cell biology, neuroscience, science tools, ecology

DNA Learning Center

Slideshows, 3D animations, virtual labs

hhmi BioInteractive

Images, 3D models, animations

Bio alive

Animations, videos, virtual labs, educational games

Bozeman Science

Mini video lessons on all science subjects

Molecular Workbench

Downloadable visual, interactive simulations

Greenhow, C., Robelia, B., & Hughes, J.E. (2009). Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship in a Digital Age. Educational Researcher 38, 246-259.

Van Rooy, W. S. (2012). Using information and communicationtechnology (ICT) to the maximum: learning and teaching biology with limited digitaltechnologies. Research in Science &Technological Education, 30:1, 65-80.