Its Time for Education Reform :: Education Reform Essays

  In "Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction," Ralph Tyler stated that we should determine what our children need to learn through analysis of contemporary society (1949). I argue further that we must teach beyond today's situation to prepare our students for an uncertain future. All things considered, students' minimal exposure to technology in schools is mystifying. How can we prepare our students for tomorrow's world when we continue to teach with methods and materials from yesterday? My early experiences as a teacher and in my Master's degree program have inspired me to work to integrate technology into the inquiry and constructivist models of science education. I have proven the value of both my instruction methods and curriculum design abilities in my own Biology classroom, at conferences, and while working with other teachers; however, I find the change I initiate to be frustratingly localized. I want to assume a leadership role outside of the classroom so that my ef forts will influence more teachers and students and, perhaps, make a difference on policy and practice in science education.    Computers naturally engage students, so we must embrace and exploit this powerful bond as a means to serve our goals as educators. Yet throughout my experience in educational settings, the role of technology seems to have been reduced to a flashy, colorful way of reinforcing ineffective and outdated teaching strategies. I have focused my talents as a teacher and curriculum designer on the role of technology in the science classroom. I initiated this work during my Master's degree program, which was focused on technology in education, and began to adapt various computer programs and other devices to my Biology curriculum. During my first year of teaching I worked to bridge the gap between such technologies and my constructivist ideology, not only in Biology but also in Earth Science. I knew that if these amazing resources were to advance the mission of science education, they would have to work with the model, not against it.    Through research programs, curriculum development, and specialized training, I have excelled at the integration of multiple forms of technology with research-supported methods of science instruction. In the summer of 2001, I participated in the E-2020 program, affiliated with the University of Colorado at Denver, which matches teachers with scientists for summer research accompanied by workshops in inquiry instruction. My research took place in the Surface Optical Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Colorado School of Mines, where I learned to perform Raman Scattering.