The Translating Information Technology into Classrooms (TITiC) project is funded to improve learning about the application of information technology (IT), achieved in the context of learning about the Lake Erie Watershed. In effect, this project uses an important topic of relevance to students, the environment, to motivate their learning not only about that topic, but the application of IT as well.
The TITiC project provides a staged process of professional development and lesson unit integration work for the teachers, facilitating their work with their students. TITiC will work with high school teachers (grades 9-12) to teach with IT in their classrooms, by engaging them in (a) specially designed summer institutes, and (b) the study of the Lake Erie ecosystem with their students. Areas that will be covered will be Web-based communication tools, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Global Positioning (GPS). Texas Instrument TI 83+/84 graphing calculators & their Calculator-Based Laboratory (CBL2s) with various Vernier sensors and other analytical hardware are used in environmental studies.
Lake Erie is increasingly becoming a strong focus of research and public discussion about the quality of the ecosystem and changes in it. It is the most productive, in terms of the fishery and other measures, of all the Great Lakes. At the same time, it is under huge stress, recently again developing a large dead zone in the middle basin, botulism outbreaks, and a great deal of pressure from development all around its shores. Many regard it as the “canary in the coal mine” for all of the Great Lakes. Hence, students with the help of their teachers would utilize IT to engage in authentic research: design and conduct field research, collect and analyze data, as well as build databases and web sites to share findings and to interact with partnering research teams. The research teams will contribute relevant data to the ongoing body of research on Lake Erie. This proposed project would meet the educational objectives of:
• Building teacher capacity in information technology and environmental field work
• Developing student information technology and environmental literacy
• Increasing under-served students’ motivation in learning
• Educating students for future work force