Promise of Technology: Tools for Supporting
Sustained Inquiry
- Gathering Data
- Portable MBL--Real-time data
collection
- Modeling
- Dynamic modeling
- Visualizing Data
- Viz-It--simultaneous viewing of different data
types
- Sharing Data
- Obtaining data and information
- Digital libraries, WWW
- Creating Products
- Multimedia
Potential of Technology
- Actively engages students in the learning
process
- Allows for exploration not possible in the
science classroom
- Provides dynamic visuals to represent abstract
concepts
- Provides opportunities to ask "What if?"
questions
- Provides opportunities to plan, synthesize,
question, predict and apply
Building Dynamic Models
- Allows students to build models of scientific
phenomena
- Construct Understanding
- Externalization of their thinking
- Understand Complex Systems
- Make explanations, predictions, tests and
refinements
- Opportunities for students to engage in
authentic scientific practices
Collecting Data: Probe Use (tools for
exploration)
- Collect data in real-time
- Ask "what if" question
- Explorations not previously
possible
- Experience phenomena
- Allows for the collection, graphing,
interpretation and analysis of data
- Simultaneous collection and transformation of
data
- Multiple trials in less time
Tools for Visualizing the Molecular
World
- Visualizing molecules
- Translating representations
- Making connections between symbolic,
molecular, and macroscopic world
Finding Information: The World Wide
Web
- Broad range of information
- The on-line information will bring to learners
the most current information available.
- Primary data sources
- Learners need access to demographic data,
remote sensing data etc. to support their inquiry. In many
circumstances, students will use the same data and information
sources as scientists.
- Instruments
- Access to on-line instruments such as
telescopes and remote sensing devices serve as sources of direct
data.
- Computational Instruments
- Modeling, simulations and visualization tools
help analyze and examine of on-line data in new ways.
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