Meet the Standards

One technology that I would like to use in the classroom to incorporate a difficult concept in Biology would be cell phones and evolution. Students often have a difficult time understanding what evolution is, and how it works. I also know that cell phones have pretty much become ubiquitous and almost necessary in teen and adult life.

One thing you could do is have people pool their cell phones together, and pick out common characteristics or features that some phones have and some don't. This would work as a good analogy for genes in a population. Then, we could create a "selection event" where to complete a task, we'd have to use a feature that some phones had and some did not. For example, you could have a timed task for a phrase they would have to text. Phones with keyboards would be much faster than those without, though some phones without keyboards might make the time constraints based on how fast the students could text. This would show students how natural selection works at a genetic level. They would be able to see that the population evolves, and not the individual, which many students have difficulty understanding.

This example aligns with the concepts from Chapter 1 because texting has become more popular than actually talking on the phone, and I think it would really engage them. I think a timed "selection event" would be fun and challenging, while at the same time providing a powerful example of a concept that may not be readily apparent. Using the technology, in this case, is more about engaging students and making content accessible for them, more than utilizing the cell phone technology itself. I think there's lots of different ways we can use technology in the classroom, and as long as that technology serves an instructional purpose, it doesn't have to be all about fancy programs or complicated activities.