Databases!

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It's important for you to picture how the use of a database can be relevant to both you and your students. You need to think about databases as a means to enhance the learning experience of students. There are times when integrating databases within a learning situation may improve the learning opportunities and possibilities of the learners. However, there are other times when such integration would be more of a hassle than the potential benefits warrant. Learning to tell the difference can help you be successful in what you develop and use in your classroom.

Databases and the NETS

Developing and executing a lesson plan that integrates the use of database management software directly addresses several of the NETS standards for both teachers (NETS*T) and students (NETS*S). Generally, the main purpose for learning and using application software is to increase your level of production-that is, to do things faster, better, or both. NETS Standards (NETS*T Standard V and NETS*S Standard 3) help you focus on these productivity objectives for both teachers and students. There are other technology standards, however, that may also be potentially addressed through your knowledge and use of database software. Reflect on the following questions and consider the potential impact of database management integration. 1. How could the integration of database software improve the collection, organization, analysis, comparison, and assessment of data collected by the teacher and/or the students? Could an enhanced capability of searching and sorting data lead to increased levels of analysis, synthesis, and creative problem solving? (NETS*T III.C & IV.B; NETS*S 5 & 6) 2. In what ways could the use of database management software facilitate the higher order skills of comparison, synthesis, and evaluation between large sets of information? Would higher order learning of specific content area materials be increased as you develop, organize, and populate a database system? (NETS*T IV. & V.B; NETS*S 1 & 6) 3. Can a database be used (e.g., mail merge) to facilitate the communication and collaboration between teachers, students, parents, and subject matter experts on specific projects that ultimately impact student learning? (NETS*T V.D & VI.B; NETS*S 4)

Using a Database as a Learning Tool

These ideas are to help you generate your own ideas of what could be done. Don't let it bother you if they are not the right content or grade level; use the idea and adapt it to be helpful within your own situation. These are meant to be stimuli for additional ideas. Here are a few ideas that may help you perceive how a database might be beneficial: 1. Give the students a table to investigate and fill out. The table might include comparative fields of information about countries, people, places, and so on. Help the students see trends in the data by sorting or filtering based on specific criteria. For example, have them collect data on weather patterns for various geographic regions around the world. Based on a comparison of average temperatures, what could the students predict about the type of agriculture that can be produced in those regions? 2. Have the students collect data within a specific experiment. For example, using different degrees of acid-based water for plants, measure the growth rate of different types of plants. Using the database, compare various acid levels and predict what the impact of acid rain would be on plant life given certain concentrations of acid within the rain. 3. Have the students create a database of the world's most recognized scientists during the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Have them categorize the type of discoveries made and the country of origin. Have the students examine, sort, and filter the data to see from which parts of the world the most notable discoveries came and if there are specific trends based on location, century, and so forth. 4. Have the students create a reference database of research articles (including author, title, full publication information, key words, and short annotated bibliography) and then merge the information into the reference section of a research paper you have assigned. 5. Using the above reference list database, have students cooperatively create a database of articles about a specific topic (e.g., cyber ethics) and combine their efforts into a single large database for students to use on a related research project. 6. Have the students develop a database about their favorite animal (or state, or national park, or relative). Have them list the salient features of their animal (name, what it looks like, color) and then have them all combine their efforts into a single database of information. Have the students then search and sort based on specific characteristics and note the common elements of the different selected animals. 7. Have the students identify different symptoms of various ailments or conditions. Also have them include the name of the ailment and potential prescriptions to overcome the problem. Give the students specific scenarios that require them to filter their database based symptoms and determine possible prescriptions for solutions. 8. Develop databases about different types of governments from countries of the world. Include information about population, average income, religious affiliations, and so on. Filter to compare the type of government expected given specific affiliations, such as religions, of the respective country's population.

Using a Database as an Administrative Tool

1. Organize. For the classroom teacher, databases are frequently used to help organize information. For example, if you have a personal book collection, it would be wise to have a database that lists the relevant information about the books, their locations, and so forth. You can even get fancy and indicate which of the books has been borrowed and by whom. This is a great way to avoid buying multiple copies of the same book and to know where they are all located. 2. Label Maker 1. Create all kinds of folder labels. In your filing cabinets you have all kinds of folders with different lesson plans, activities, and so on. A database of these titles with the ability to mail merge labels allows you to quickly print off labels for those folders. 3. Label maker 2. On the first day of class (or when you are going on a field trip, dividing kids into special activity groups, for example), create name tags via a label mail merge with your student info database. 4. Mailing Lists. Create info sheets of all of your students, parents, and possibly others. You can keep specific information about each of your students and use that to sort, filter, or merge within personalized letters. 5. Lesson Plans. List all of your lesson plans based, for instance, on content, type of learner, instructional methods, or media. 6. Electronic Portfolios. Create a database that allows you to know what is in each of your students' portfolios, assessment information, location of the pieces, and so forth. With electronic means, you can even save and duplicate versions of the students' work when needed. 7. Examples. Use a database to list all your examples of past students' work, what lesson plan the project relates to, key words about it, and where it is located so that you can find it again to show other students.