:: Return to Faculty Mini-Grants ::
Faculty Mini-Grant 1: Sangeeta Gulati
Integrating Technology and Informatino Literacy Through Teaching and Learning in Science Classrooms
Integrating Technology and Information Literacy Through
Teaching and Learning in Science Classrooms
Submitted by:
Dr. Sangeeta Gulati
Assistant Professor
Bunce School of Education
University of Rio Grande
309 Anniversary Hall
Rio Grande, OH 45674
740.245.7346
sgulati@rio.edu
to
South East Ohio Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science
(SEOCEMS)
November 1, 2007
Rationale:
This project seeks to enhance science education among pre-service high school teachers through teaching and learning. Inquiry learning, best practices, and learning theory will be correlated to the Ohio Academic Science Standards. Technology will be the central venue as teacher candidates engage in podcasts and make connections with science education and technology. This instruction will also include pertinent information literacy Instruction since information literacy is integrated throughout all Ohio Academic Content Standard areas. The information literacy instruction (and its assessment) will be developed in conjunction with professional librarians.
The project will feature:
- Creation of a course Wiki that will provide a forum for teacher candidates to share their Internet research about science education by evaluating high-quality Internet sources (information literacy) that evidence one or more of the three areas outlined above and posting annotated sites to the Wiki.
- Development of a lesson plan that incorporates existing high-quality podcasts relevant to a teacher candidate’s teaching discipline.
- Development of a lesson in each teacher candidate’s teaching discipline wherein each student will create his/her own podcast that will be placed on a server and made available for other teacher candidates in the class to critique.
Purpose:
Science and technology are shaping our evolving environment, and teacher candidates must enable their students to make decisions and to participate effectively in the new world.
This activity will create a community of teachers who will use advanced technology to extend and enhance the learning of their students.
Technology supports inquiry based learning as a tool for instruction. Therefore, good pedagogy can be made significantly more effective by appropriate use of technology.
Teacher candidates will:
- Learn to use technology to support children’s meaningful learning. In turn teacher candidates will prepare their students to use technology.
- Create multimedia resources to support their children’s learning and to engage students in digital creation and expression.
Investigative Process:
Thirty teacher candidates will:
- Sign up for the class.
- Complete a survey on information literacy skills and technology skills required for effective instruction.
- Receive training in information literacy skills from librarian.
- Use online examples of high-quality podcasts in lesson.
- Receive training in creating podcasts from IT support staff.
Grant Activities Timeline:
Fall Semester 2007
- Library director will contract with appropriate information technology staff to produce and develop the podcast server and Wiki.
- Contracted IT personnel will set up server for podcasts and Wiki.
- In conjunction with the university science educator/ faculty and the library director, a university contracted IT personnel will develop appropriate training for students to create their own podcast.
- In conjunction with the library director, the reference librarian will design and develop information literacy instruction presentation.
- The Science educator/ faculty will revise the syllabus for the course that reflects Project goals and objectives.
Spring Semester 2008
Fall Semester 2008
- Write report and disseminate findings
Project Effectiveness Assessment:
The grant program will be assessed through teacher candidates’ performance on:
- Pre and Post Tests
In order to assess teacher candidates’ knowledge on information literacy skills, they will take a pretest at the TRAILS (Tools for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills) website. This assessment tool will be used again as a posttest instrument after completion of 2 and 3.
- Evaluations of Relevant Websites on Teacher Education
The librarian will present a PowerPoint lecture on developing and using successful search strategies, assessing information through print and electronic media and evaluating sources of information. After the presentation by the librarian, teacher candidates will research two websites that pertain to information literacy, inquiry learning, and best practices in science teaching and/or learning theory.
- Annotated Websites Posted to Wiki
Teacher candidates will evaluate each of the researched websites justifying their quality for inclusion in the Wiki. They will post their selections under appropriate topics on the Wiki. The teacher candidates will be retested using TRAILS assessment to see if there was an improvement following targeted instruction.
- Develop Lesson Plan Incorporating High-quality Podcasts
The instructor will show the teacher candidates examples of high-quality podcasts available online in their content area. Teacher candidates will use these podcasts to develop lesson plans utilizing the Ohio Academic Content Standards and related benchmarks for the appropriate subject and grade level.
- Successful Creation of Podcast
Teacher candidates will receive training in creating podcasts from IT support staff. The podcasts created will be posted on the server.
Dissemination of Findings:
The science educator /faculty, in conjunction with the library director, will compile results (assessment) of this Project and will share results at either a conference setting (NSTA Midwestern Conference in 2008) or in a submitted article for publication within the 18 month time parameter of the project. The results will also be posted on SEOCEMS website.
Budget:
Contract with information technology professional for Wiki and podcast development and training support (25 hours @ $60 per hour):
$1,500.00
Stipend for Education Faculty
$850.00
Taxes and Fringe Benefits
$340.00
Stipend for Library Director (consultant)
$850.00
Taxes and Fringe Benefits
$425.00
Stipend for Reference Librarian to develop and present Info Lit Instruction
$250.00
Taxes and Fringe Benefits
$125.00
Fixed Charges (copying & Incidentals)
$660.00
Total
$5,000.00
