Science + Technology = Creativity (and Fun!)
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Scientists have a reputation for
being linear thinkers, implicitly
following a set of procedures
or protocols that will allow them to
investigate and solve problems. Given
this traditional view of scientists, how
do we encourage students to be creative and innovative? To break ranks
from this stigma, science educators
must employ the subskills described
by the NETS•S. Labs and hands-on
exercises help students identify trends.
Online simulations and applets provide students with opportunities to
investigate areas not easily seen in
the visible world.
Here is a three-step process that will
help you encourage your students to be
creative in their scientific endeavors:
By Jared Mader and Ben Smith
Students need opportunities to use the tools of scientific
and creative inquiry. So get out the microphones, digital
cameras, camcorders, and probeware.
Once the students begin to see the
tools as supportive, but ancillary,
components of their learning, they
will be on their way to choosing
appropriate technology tools to
complete their assignments.
As you progress through the year,
the teacher will need to facilitate the
process by guiding students toward
the proper hard ware and software
choices to match the ir creative and innovative needs. By the second s
emes-ter,youwillbeabletochallenge
students with assignments
that are both vague in
procedural expectations and
open-endedinproduct
description. This type of
assignment, combine d wi th
thefirst-semesterpreparation,
elicitsinnovativeproductsthat
demonstrateahighdegreeo f
cognitive processing.
Give them the tools. Students need
opportunities to use the tools of scientific and creative inquiry. So get
out the microphones, digital cameras,
camcorders, and probeware. Introduce preliminary assignments that
teach students how to use these devices in conjunction with clear laboratory or investigative expectations. One
assignment might focus on using a
microphone to make a podcast about
the results of an experiment or demonstration. In this model, the students
learn the basics of the hardware and
software alongside the content. This
allows the technology to seamlessly
become a tool in their digital toolboxes. The technology becomes invisible.
The next assignment in this scaffolded process might require students
to incorporate digital images that
archive their experiences in an Excel or PowerPoint presentation. By
providing both structure and clear
expectations, these assignments build
students’ technical knowledge base.
Give them the time. The tran-
sitionto anopen-ended approach
requires more time to complete the
process and adequately explore each
newtechnologyortool.Keepin
mind that technology can also
the trends a n d pa tterns
ofthedatain ste adof
make this approach faster. For
example, probes allow stu-
dentstocollectmanysamples
in an experiment and to
conductmultipletrials. This
givesstudentsanopportu-
nityforamorein-depth
investigationfocusingon focusingon
