 |
|||
 by Gus Frederick, Webmaster
 gus@open.k12.or.us
The project began when Bridget collected some antiquated, throwaway computers. Her students then tore the computers apart and asked Professor Webster to describe each component and its function. As they proceeded, the students recorded this information into a spreadsheet. Then, when they were done disassembling the computers, they reviewed the spreadsheets -- a process that helped them appreciate computers as something other than finished products on store shelves and desktops. In fact, learning how computers work and what's inside them gave Bridget's students a better understanding of computers as manufactured goods consisting of complex and interrelated components. Equipped with this new knowledge, the class divided into teams of fictional computer manufacturing firms. Each firm sold stock in its computer company, created advertisements, made presentations during a school-wide Computer Expo, "sold" computers to generate a profit, and filled out purchase orders, profit sheets, and commission sheets. Finally, each company's stock was sold, with the shareholders receiving (non-negotiable) profit-sharing checks. Bridget's students had fun participating in this inexpensive, hands-on educational activity. The project helped demystify technology and improved student understanding of the power and limitations of computers. It also helped the students better comprehend technology. The project allowed Bridget to merge mathematics, social sciences, and technology into a real-life, integrated curriculum -- using nothing but creativity and a few discarded computers.     |
