Communications Technology

To successfully apply communications technology in the classroom, teachers need to know how to use it to create meaningful learning opportunities for students. Like other instructional materials, technology applications are not maximized unless students learn to use them as a tool for their own learning, such as collecting and analyzing data.

Technology extends the classroom by providing a connection to people and ideas all over the world. With a computer and a modem, students can communicate to any other location with the same equipment. In some classes, students engage in computer network-based projects to discuss issues, such as the greenhouse effect, with experts on a daily basis. Students become comfortable utilizing technology while learning subject matter.

High school teacher Sonny Magana uses the Internet and I*EARN network to enhance motivation and learning for his students. Recently, they tracked two explorers' journey to the geographic north pole (via daily dispatches sent to an electronic bulletin board). Students collected data on weather, Arctic ice shifts, and environmental degradation. The data were used as a springboard into learning activities on ecology, the balance of the food chain, and the flora and fauna. They also stimulated conversations about the local people of the north (the Inuit) overall weather patterns in the world, and the dangers of modern explorations.

Students did well on both traditional and alternative assessments, including individual projects. One student even said, "Sometimes the only reason I came to school was to plot the new data and see how far they got." Magana says the students did better because they were involved and applied the technology themselves.

Sonny Magana, Aces Alternative High School, 9700 Holly Drive, Everett, WA 98204. I*EARN, 345 Kear Street, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

This document was last updated 6/24/97 by Chandra Hawley.
Copyright1996 Indiana University - Center for Adolescent Studies, all rights reserved.
Kris Bosworth ing students that what they do in school affects their lives and their future jobs."

In this issue of Teacher Talk, we highlight examples of how schools are already breaking new ground and creating learning experiences which help develop life-long learning skills. Secondary students are:

working with the elderly and others who are ethnically or culturally different
providing service in their communities to enhance citizenship and learning goals
learning about the environmental conditions around the world
taking action on issues which are important to them
using telecommunications to link classrooms worldwide

These exciting and inspiring ideas are from teachers who are exploring the cutting edge of their profession. Their students are learning in innovative ways and responding positively. One student remarked, "This has been unlike any other learning experience." This issue shows a few of the many possibilities to break down the walls of classrooms.