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.
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. Students did well on both traditional and alternative assessments, including individual projects. Magana says the students did better because they were involved and applied the technology themselves.