MARINE CITY, Michigan—Bats and badgers, lions and luna moths, owls and opossums. All share a preference for navigating after dark. Students in this small community on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan recently set to work learning about nocturnal animals, using technology for researching and presenting their findings.

Kelly Robbins, media teacher at Holy Cross Elementary School, explains, "I am trying to have the children see technology as a tool to enhance learning. Technology needs to be integrated into the core curriculum areas on a regular basis so it becomes second nature to them."

For this project, Robbins encouraged fifth-graders to research an animal of their own choosing, using at least three different sources of information. Using the library for research, students were also expected to keep track of their sources.

To add visual learning to the project, Robbins had students create illustrations for their electronic slideshows. Students drew from a variety of resources to develop their slides. Some created their own artwork, illustrating the special features that help their animal adapt to nighttime navigation. Others chose clip art from online collections that Robbins made available. Rubber stamps and other art supplies were also available to inspire creativity.

Students gained some new insights when they learned to use a scanner to prepare their slides. "We found that how you save a file (.jpeg or .gif, for instance), makes a difference with the size and space the files take up, the load time, and clarity. We ended up having a few mini-lessons on scanner use, different types of files, how to save files, and how to import a file into a program," Robbins says. Such lessons are all part of learning to be comfortable with technology. "As students enter adult life, they will see computers everywhere. They need to be able to use them without a thought."

Robbins is a public school teacher with the East China School District. She participates in a shared time program with the local parochial school. Holy Cross Elementary, located on the grounds of an historic church, currently enrolls about 176 students. Robbins, who recently completed a master's degree in educational technology, actually began her teaching career at Holy Cross, "and now years later I am working with them again, but in a different light."