Level 2: Exploration

Is the focus more on computer use or on the critical content?

Description:
Technology-based tools supplement the existing instructional program (e.g., tutorials, educational games, basic skill applications) or complement selected multimedia and/or web-based projects (e.g., internet-based research papers, informational multimedia presentations) at the knowledge/comprehension level. The electronic technology is employed either as extension activities, enrichment exercises, or technology-based tools and generally reinforces lower cognitive skill development relating to the content under investigation.

Classroom Observations:

• Student projects (e.g., designing web pages, research via the Internet, creating multimedia presentations, creating graphs and charts) focus on lower levels of student cognition (e.g., creating a web page to learn more about whale species)
• There is greater emphasis on the technology rather than on the critical content (e.g., "My students' project was to create a WebQuest using Inspiration and HyperStudio. The topic was the California Gold Rush.")
• Students were gathering weather data and keyboarding the information into a wide-area network database (e.g., GLOBE project)

Teacher Comments:

• "My students have built some very sophisticated and impressive multimedia applications during the year. Some of their projects even look professional."
• "When students finish their packets early, they often go back to the computers and practice their computer skills."
• "My students created our school's web page."
• "My kids graphed some data from an AIMS activity last week. They love the way the graphs look on the screen."
• "We are running a school-wide contest on the best HyperStudio presentation this month."