The NET Experiences
The NET experiences for the discussion of real world examples that could be focused on during classes with grades 3-5 are:
- “Use digital imaging technology to modify or create works of art for use in a digital presentation”
- “Conduct science experiments using digital instruments and measurement devices (“2007 profile”, iste.org).
In the first experience the idea is to make a presentation of how school work would look like without computers in the library, office, cafeteria (that is all the work would have been done manually - registering, saving, searching, calculating, file transfer etc) and pictures of how computers help school currently. Through this photographic contrast, the importance of computers for organizations could be discussed. in the course of this exercise students will learn and practice such NETs for students as critical thinking (by means of contrast and evaluation), creativity (by means of creating photographic images with a pre-selected content of images) and communication (conveying a message through a digital visual presentation) (“NETS for students”, iste.org).
The second idea is about comparing digital data transfer and physical one. The comparison could be based on an experiment with sending 1GB of data from the classroom to the remotest computer in the school network (within the building) and physical transfer of the same amount of data on a disc to that same place. The conclusions could be made as to when the digital way is better and when possibly it is the other way round. The issue of digital citizenship could be raised in the discussion of why technology should be used instead of human effort in the context of energy-saving ways of data transfer. Through critical thinking students may re-evaluate the need for electricity and wireless or cable internet technologies. Another NET to be raised in the discussion is Technology Operations and its complex inter-dependability for a technological process to be implemented (for a digital data transfer one needs to have a valid power supply, a working computer or another device, working software and working internet connection, with all the same pertaining to the end receiver).
Technology
Such real-world examples of how digital technology is used could open students’ minds to shaping their thoughtful attitude toward technology in everyday life as well as thinking of what sorts of innovation are possible to improve the existing level of technology use.
