Case study: Physics and digital video
Contextual information and background
The author of the case study did an adequate job of setting up the context of the case study. They describe the setting of Jane, North Dakota as being a rural mining and ranching town of twenty thousand. They outline the average classroom size, age group, and demographics regarding students with special needs. They outlined clearly what the goal was of the project: use an integration of video cameras, still photography, and smart boards to teach Physics in a hands on way.
The background research was also adequate, pointing out that in today's world it is important to use technology appropriately to stimulate interest in subjects and help students relate to the material better. I would have liked to see some more background on how this activity puts the learning in the hands of the students, because they are really guiding the activity based on things that interest them in the world around them.
Activity plan
The enthusiasm in this case study is evident in the activity plan. It is thorough, yet easy to read and understand. I think anyone reading this case study could pull off this activity as long as they had a basic understanding of the equipment involved: cameras, smart boards, and integrating software.
Technology integration rationale
As a prospective science teacher, I found this case study imaginative and exciting. By integrating Physics teaching with technology in the hands of students, it really takes a dense subject and makes it easy to understand using examples from the real world. It would give the students an advantage not only in their understanding of physical laws, but how they apply to every day life. By making the material relevant to the students in the real world, it gives them a much deeper understanding than a lecture/theoretical format alone could. Also, putting cameras in the hands of students, so they can record the motion of different objects to study later, really gives students ownership of the process and makes the whole activity even more relevant to them.
