Editors'
Note
In their recent
text Teaching Social Studies in Middle and Secondary Schools
authors Peter Martorella, Candy Beal and Cheryl Mason Bolick suggest
to readers that “We have entered the era where the lines between
elements of technology and learning are becoming blurred” (2005,
p. 344). In this edition of Meridian the articles suggest how those
lines may be blurred and examined. The articles examine the very defined
subject area lines of language arts, social studies and science. However,
the use of technology through various tools and methods such as accessible
design, concept mapping, electronic bulletin boards, telecollaboration
and interactive Internet resources, demonstrate the blurred nature of
learning in this era that Martorella, Beal and Bolick allude to.
Dr. Bolick
was the editor of our first
edition of our journal and Dr. Martorella was an author. The topics
of that first edition addressed questions that still arise in the discourse
surrounding computer technology use in the classroom. Questions of equity,
teaching with versus teaching about technology, teaching and learning
theories with respect to technology, and emerging technologies were
the focus of articles and commentaries. In this, our second issue of
our seventh year we are examining similar topics from a different perspective.
We have seven years of research found in this and other journals and
the issues have shifted to address the emerging technologies and new
issues of technology use. In the past seven years there has been an
explosion in those computer technology resources teachers have at their
disposal. We would like to encourage our readers to think about what
changes they have seen in their own teaching and learning over the past
seven years and consider submitting an article for our eighth year.
As you read the following articles found in this issue of Meridian consider
the research, suggested uses of technology and the commentary that is
offered by our authors. Where have those lines blurred in your middle
school?
Living
Article
The continuing dialogue in our Living Article,
our Living Article focuses on the important issues of accessibility
when using and creating Internet resources has grown in this edition.
The original author of the Living Article, Dr. Alan Foley, has replied
to the response offered by Jackie Gottlieb in our last edition with
a discussion of the differences between Universal Design and Accessibility.
In addition, the Living Article has grown with additional insights into
Web Accessibility from Michael Lyman. He shares with our readers his
research and the efforts of WebAIM
to address this issue.
Feature
Articles
Shu-Yuan Lin, Jane Strickland, Beverly Ray, and Peter Denner
share their research in middle school language arts in the article,
“Computer-Based Concept Mapping as
a Prewriting Strategy for Middle School Students”. This article
investigates through comparison “the effects of computer-based
concept mapping with paper-and-pencil concept mapping as a prewriting
strategy for middle school students’ persuasive writing.”
The findings of this research are important to language arts educators
as well as in the instructional technology field. This article examines
several characteristics of student use of technology with respect to
the overall prewriting process and to standardized tests.
In "Constructivist
Principles in Middle School Staff Development: An Electronic Bulletin
Board Experience" Dr. Ali Mahdi Ahmad and Jan Farnam share
their experiences with our readers of how to use Electronic Bulletin
Boards (EBB) with educators in order to facilitate EBB use in the classroom.
The emergence of Electronic Bulletin Boards use in the middle school
classroom has numerous possibilities as these authors share. The article
details the advantages one school system has found from the constructivist
approach to help teachers understand how EBB’s can be integrated
into the curriculum. The authors share the classroom uses of this technology
tool for collaboration, learning which is scaffolded and assessment.
Practitioner
Articles
The Internet has opened the door for many teachers to create cross-cultural
and long distance authentic learning experiences for their students.
Telecollaboration is the focus of the article entitled “Making
Long Distance Relationships Work” by Dr. Katherine A. O’Connor,
Dr. Amy J. Good and Dr. Eric Luce. These authors have offered our readers
a plan and many tips for using telecollaborative tools for learning
in the middle school classroom. While the focus of this particular article
has social studies curriculum in the forefront, telecollaborative activities
could be used in most middle school curricula.
Our final practitioner
article, “Interactive Websites: How Do They
Align with NCSCOS for Middle School Science?” by Dr. Angelia
Reid-Griffin, Dr. Richard A. Huber and Dr. Christopher J. Moore explores
Internet resources evaluation with pre-service educators. As these authors
note, “The Internet can be characterized as both the world’s
largest and messiest library. Trying to match websites that meet the
needs of students can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience.”
Their article examines how pre-service science educators were encouraged
to examine Internet resources for classroom use keeping curricular standards
and objectives in mind.
Shannon H. White
and Jason A. Wilson
Co-Editors, Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal
Reference
Martorella, Peter, Beal, Candy, & Bolick, Cheryl Mason (2005). Teaching
Social Studies in Middle and Secondary Schools. 4th ed. Upper Saddle
River:
Prentice Hall.
