This week I viewed the Chapter 9: Bird Rap video. This video shows a multidisciplinary unit on songbirds at what appears to be the middle school level. I really thought that this unit was well-planned and did a great job of integrating technology. The students utilized technology in many ways including searching the web, collecting data in spreadsheets, using handheld computers and cameras on the field trip, and presenting their information on a webpage. Overall, I think the students had a true understanding of how to utilize technology to acquire and present knowledge (and not just how to operate the devices). I really liked that the teacher had introduced the concept of copyrighted materials to the class and explained to them how to properly cite their sources. I also thought that having students teach others how to use the devices in the future is an awesome idea! I think the best way to truly understand something is trying to teach another and, in my experience, this is a skill that I didn’t get much practice with in school. It’s hard for me to think of any weaknesses; I can’t think of anything I would do differently. This is probably the best example of integrated technology I’ve seen so far.
