c.
Selecting ICT Resources
The
teacher in the case study is completely at home with the skills
behind most of the options we have looked at above, including
having first-hand knowledge of projects on sustainability with
which he could have electronic communication. He has used videos,
already has some word-processed materials, he has seen some good
sites on the World Wide Web, and he knows how to use a CD-ROM.
You
may not be in the same positions as he is, so we shall look at
the options in the context of your school and your experience.
Think about the following points as they apply to you:
Use
discussion only, and not use any ICT (or other technology) at
all.
I have a bit of a problem with this (I would say that, wouldn't
I?) in as much as my own experience of working with this area
of work is that it is both hugely enjoyable - on its own, without
technology - and very challenging for young people. In terms of
the objectives set for this case study, there is such a wealth
of material available from the World Wide Web and CD-ROM, and
so much you can do with the technology to get access to lively
and detailed information, that I really would want to get the
most out of the syllabus, the technology and the pupils by combining
some of the options.
Use
a word processor package to create worksheets on the area of work.
Here the question is one of how much the pupils will learn, retain
and organise if the teacher spends his time on creating learning
and testing resources using a word processor, and how much they
would have done so anyway. My own view is that it need not take
much time to create high quality learning resources that integrate
text, graphics and other stimuli - flow charts, for example, that
illustrate functions and processes. It also seems likely that
the time spent on creating high quality resources of the sort
the teacher wants is likely to be returned in the adaptability
and re-usability of the resources.
Use
some video and print material, for example broadcast television
programmes, contemporary publications, bespoke learning materials
for the area.
This isn't strictly an ICT option, but it would be if it were
done in conjunction with the word processed worksheets or some
work on the World Wide Web looking at other materials. The best
thing about it is that looking at video and published material
provides a range of stimuli to the learner - especially our younger
learners with high levels of 'teleliteracy' - about real-world
issues and processes.
Use
a CD-ROM to gain access to background material - either general
material such as can be found on typical encyclopędias, or more
focused resources in CD subject-specific collections.
The kinds of CD-ROM currently, readily and cheaply available to
teachers and the general public really only allow the most general
level of understanding of issues in General Science and environmental
studies. The encyclopędias such as Encarta, Compton and Hutchinson,
the educational materials produced by DK and one or two other
companies, and the vast range of other CD ROM resources, often
fall short of real focus on what we want pupils at GCSE to learn.
However, in combination with other techniques, even the most general
CD product with its use of a range of media can be of use.
Use
the World Wide Web to gather resources.
The following web addresses provide interesting sources of information,
and are taken from the separate document you have listing many
useful sites for General Science:
Energy
http://www.ases.org
American Solar Energy Society.
http://www.bp.com
British Petroleum.
http://www.bnfl.co.uk
British Nuclear Fuels.
http://www.solstice.crest.org/renewables/wlord/index.html
Building a Solar House in Maine.
http://www.usbr.gov/power/data/
Bureau of Reclamation.
http://www.foe.co.uk:80/CAT/
Centre for Alternative Technology.
http://www.energy.rochester.edu
Co-generation.
http://www.earthdog.com/renew.html
Earthdog Renewable Energy.
http://www.electricity.org.uk
Electricity Association.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/contents.html
Energy Country Analysis Briefs.
http://www.energy-efficiency.org.uk
Energy Efficiency.
http://www.eren.doe.gov
Energy Efficiency and Renewable.
http://www.energyinfo.co.uk
Energy Information.
http://www.fe.doe.gov
Fossil Energy.
The Environment
http://odin.dep.no/md/publ/acid/AcidRainE.html
Acid Rain.
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/air/lesson_plans.html
Air Quality.
http://www.webdirectory.com
Amazing Environmental Organisation.
http://cnn.com/EARTH/
CNN Earth Pages.
http://www.dar.csiro.au
CSIRO: The Greenhouse Effect.
http://www.english-nature.org.uk
English Nature.
http://condor.stcloud.msus.edu/~dmichael/eco/
Environment and Sustainable Living.
http://www.foe.co.uk
Friends of the Earth.
http://www.greenpeace.org
Greenpeace.
When
you come to use the World Wide Web to deal with this area of work,
you should try to restrict yourself (and the pupils) to the sites
listed here. Wandering off into hyperspace can be a waste of time
without the right focus and the right discipline.
Use
the World Wide Web for the resources, and locate an expert or
a peer working on the subject for e-mail communication.
The obvious problem here is the location of an expert. Some web
sites invite exchange of observations by e-mail, and these may
be included in your list above. You still have the problem of
managing this type of communication, though, and especially of
ensuring that the respondents in cyberspace really are the experts
they claim to be. The same is true when contacting 'peers', or
any other interested parties - in the area of this case study
as with any other, the danger of coming across a party in cyberspace
with ideas you wouldn't consider appropriate or relevant is very
real.
Present
their findings and views through a PowerPoint classroom presentation,
and/or send this presentation to other schools/organisations for
sharing and discussion.
However pupils formulate ideas, you can have them use a word processor,
e-mail or PowerPoint to express and exchange the ideas. PowerPoint
is particularly good in that it allows pupils (and teachers, come
to that) to formulate bullet-lists that they can expand on in
interesting presentations in the classroom. The more ICT competent
of your pupils might even want to e-mail their PowerPoint presentations
to each other and to their e-mail participants on the web. If
pupils decide to do this, and especially if they decide to incorporate
views of their own on the topics, or images/videos they have gathered
or produced, the process needs to be very carefully managed.
Now
that you've looked at my ideas about the options available, you
need to make your own choices. The teacher in the case study has
decided to use all options including e-mail, and to combine two
or more in particular sessions over a two-week period. You need
to plan to do something of this sort. On the next page, make a
copy and fill out the summary to help you get focus on what you
will do. I've put in some suggestions - you can use these as you
like. Think of some uses of your own, and make a short note on
what you will have to do to make it work, what you expect the
benefit to be to your pupils, and what difficulties you expect
to encounter when you do it in the classroom.
Resources
Selected for Energy
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