Updating the Textbook Through Technology: A Diverse Class Seeks the Solar System

Abstract

In the drive to improve educational excellence throughout the United States, standardized testing and academic benchmarks have become prominent goals for all school districts. Unfortunately, with so much time devoted to preparing for major standardized testing, science and social studies have been relegated to the status of mere afterthoughts because the continual existence of a school may depend on the test scores. This article narrates the experience of one teacher who improvises her own method of integrating science through technology. In the process, her diverse students discover through their research that their science textbooks are outdated. As a result of this inquiry process, students: Increase their academic and research knowledge; gain valuable experience by working cooperatively while sharing computer time and space; and help one another update the information in their textbook.