Ch. 8 Reflection: Subject Specific Knowledge

In this chapter on subject specific knowledge and technology Houghton addresses the topic of engineering, stating, “Unfortunately, school curriculum seldom teaches, let alone encourages, engineering. For obvious reasons of space and cost, building or manufacturing authentic houses, cars and motors cannot easily be done within schools. But that is the legacy technology of the industrial age and the last few centuries.” It seems that the types of higher-order thinking employed in engineering, specifically related to using engineering for problem solving, would be just what schools would want to encourage students to use. I wonder if there are schools that partner with local workshops and labs that give students the opportunity to work alongside real engineers on the job and be a part of the problem solving process using this discipline.
“Lest the following emphasis on computers be misunderstood, we assert at the outset that computers should enhance, but not replace essential ‘hands on’ laboratory activities.” This is a portion of NSTA’s position statement on technology and science education. I find it important that they qualify this position in such a way. Many of the young adolescent students I have worked with in the past several years have noted hands-on experiences as the most meaningful within their educational careers. To discount this and repalce such experiences with technology alone would discredit what research has proven about the ways a young adolescent learns best.
NSTA also states, “It is therefore the position of the National Science Teachers Association that computers should have a major role in the teaching and learning of science. Computers have become an essential classroom tool for the acquisition, analysis, presentation, and communication of data in ways which allow students to become more active participants in research and learning.” I think the research element is especially poignant within this statement. The skill of researching is one that can begin at a very young age and should be refined throughout one’s middle and high school education. The use of technology in such research is essential because such a skill will be necessary in the lives of all students once they enter the adult world.
Houghton cites Tapscott by stating, ‘"For the first time in history, children are more comfortable, knowledgeable and literate than their parents about an innovation central to society" (Tapscott, 1999). However, there is only partial equity in our communities, as only a small percentage of our children have the access to reach the capacity that Tapscott reports.” These two facts are telling in regard to the discussion about technology and generational differences. It seems to be an accepted fact in our society that the younger one is the more tech-savvy he must be. This changes a dynamic of power and knowledge in a new way. Tapscott’s mention of access is also an important element to the discussion of technology and equity. It seems that SES is the strongest factor in determining if a family has access to advancing technology, so within one community there can be many levels of access available.
I believe Houghton’s description of classrooms with one computer is a valid assessment of what is happening in these spaces. He states, “Many public schools have largely been faking it with personal computers. Further, having them in the student access area of a classroom misleads parents and the public into thinking that the single classroom computer can have a functional role in improving educational performance of a class.” It is misleading. This is an unfortunate situation because I would imagine parents would want to show off the technology (however little of it) they have on a back-to-school night type of event. However, instead of showcasing the one personal computer in the room with student work it might be more effective to have a line of students waiting in a long line for their turn to work on an assignment. Such an installation art piece might bring to light the lack of technology resources in the room, catch the parents’ eyes and get them involved in making a positive change in the amount of technology available in their child’s school.
Regarding probes used in schools, Houghton states, “For reasons of cost, motivation and instructional effectiveness, the use of sensors and probes is an important next advancement in school practice.” At the school where I work there are many sensors and probes a teacher can check out for use during labs, even enough for most students to have their own equipment. Beyond that, the science literacy coach will help teachers integrate the use of these probes into their lessons. There are pH sensors, motion sensors, temperature sensors, and others that all have pre-made labs available for use. I think these tools are under-utilized and wonder what could be done to further encourage teachers to use these in their classes.
Finally, when reviewing the Temple Tap site I came across the lip sync director! What a fun tool to use to integrate music and audio and make a lip synced version of a song or any type of audio clip. I like to think students could come up with all kinds of creative uses for a site such as this.