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William H. Robertson

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Full-Text Articles in Education

Edutainment: Weaving Your Passion Into The Process Of Stem Education, William H. Robertson Jan 2018

Edutainment: Weaving Your Passion Into The Process Of Stem Education, William H. Robertson

William H. Robertson

This presentation will focus on the use of live action and video instruction as a method of content dissemination and to motivate students in learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.  Specifically, this area, dubbed “edutainment”, will chronicle different interactions with students, teachers and community members that utilized live action to video as methods of capturing relevant content in student-centered contexts. The fundamental idea is to infuse one's passion into your methods of teaching, and to inspire others to use their gifts in their education, and thereby connect them to their dreams and aspirations.

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Mathematics Uncovered Through Action Science, William H. Robertson May 2016

Mathematics Uncovered Through Action Science, William H. Robertson

William H. Robertson

In an event-based series of on-site activities with high school students through an Action Science approach, fundamental concepts were explored including the foundations for functions, geometric think and spatial reasoning, the development of mathematical models, as well as techniques for working with spatial figures to understand underlying relationships. The activities in which students participated were designed to teach fundamental mathematics concepts in algebra and geometry in an approach that utilized transformative educational strategies, which helped students move from memorizing facts and content to constructing knowledge in meaningful and useful manners. With an emphasis on a collaborative data collection process, students …

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The Skatepark Mathematics Extravaganza, William H. Robertson May 2015

The Skatepark Mathematics Extravaganza, William H. Robertson

William H. Robertson

In the fall of 2014, a series of live demonstrations and field-based activities were lead by a team of educators and top action sports athletes who performed at local high schools. These events, entitled the “Skatepark Mathematics Extravaganza”, were done in order to engage high school students in focused explorations of mathematics set in a real world setting that is relevant to youth culture, namely skateboarding and bicycle motocross (BMX).
 
These activities incorporated mathematics for the students to do after the demonstration in meetings with classes in which the Action Science Stunt Team performed maneuvers on ramps at the …

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Scientific Skateboarding And Mathematical Music: Edutainment That Actively Engages Middle School Students, William H. Robertson, Larry Lesser Jul 2013

Scientific Skateboarding And Mathematical Music: Edutainment That Actively Engages Middle School Students, William H. Robertson, Larry Lesser

William H. Robertson

Edutainment has recently been a major growing area of education, showing great promise to motivate students with relevant activities. The authors are among innovators who have developed cutting-edge fusions of popular culture and STEM concepts to engage and to motivate middle school students, using vehicles such as music/song and skateboarding. The importance of using relevant and practical methods of instruction and curriculum delivery that build on student interests and increase enjoyment in the learning process are critical at the middle school level, especially in the STEM fields. The use of edutainment in this manner is meant to inspire broader interest …

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Edutainment: Using Media And Video Instruction As Methods Of Disseminating Content In Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics (Stem) Instruction, William H. Robertson Jul 2013

Edutainment: Using Media And Video Instruction As Methods Of Disseminating Content In Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics (Stem) Instruction, William H. Robertson

William H. Robertson

Edutainment has recently been a major growing area of education, showing great promise to motivate students with relevant activities. The author is among a group of innovators who have developed cutting-edge fusions of popular culture and science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) concepts to engage and to motivate middle school students, using vehicles such as skateboarding.  The importance of using relevant and practical methods of instruction and curriculum delivery that build on student interests and increase enjoyment in the learning process is critical at the middle school level, especially in the STEM fields. The use of edutainment in this manner …

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The Mathematics Of Skateboarding: A Relevant Application Of The 5es Of Constructivism, William H. Robertson Dec 2012

The Mathematics Of Skateboarding: A Relevant Application Of The 5es Of Constructivism, William H. Robertson

William H. Robertson

lives is a challenge for educators. As part of a weeklong mathematics summer enrichment program held in the summer of 2010 at a southern university in the United States (US), eighty-five high school students participated in a unique set of activities designed to integrate mathematics concepts and skateboarding. Project leaders used a constructivist framework to design student-centered experiences implemented in the outdoor setting of a local skatepark and in campus classrooms. The activities designed for students in “The Mathematics of Skateboarding” demonstrated innovative and creative ways to engage students in content and skills mapped to state requirements for high school …

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Integrating Mathematical Modeling For Undergraduate Pre-Service Science Education Learning And Instruction In The Middle School Classroom, William H. Robertson, David Carrejo Dec 2011

Integrating Mathematical Modeling For Undergraduate Pre-Service Science Education Learning And Instruction In The Middle School Classroom, William H. Robertson, David Carrejo

William H. Robertson

El Paso is a bicultural, bilingual community with a 76.6% Hispanic population. Combining El Paso’s population with that of its sister city, Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, our community is the largest metropolitan area on any international border in the world. Students at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) are mostly female, and 50% of the total student population is made up of first-generation college students. These demographics are accompanied by low socioeconomic and educational factors: 23.6% of local families live below the poverty level, compared to 12.5% nationally; 32.9% of 25-year-olds have not graduated from high school; 19% of …

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Bridging The Gap Between Real World Polar Science And The Classroom, William H. Robertson, Vanessa Lougheed, Craig Tweedie, Aaron Velasco, Claudia V. Garcia Dec 2008

Bridging The Gap Between Real World Polar Science And The Classroom, William H. Robertson, Vanessa Lougheed, Craig Tweedie, Aaron Velasco, Claudia V. Garcia

William H. Robertson

The International Polar Year - Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM) program was designed to increase minority participation in polar science by immersing participants in an academic program that included a trip to Antarctica. The IPY-ROAM program was focused on increasing the public understanding of the Polar Regions and stimulating a new interest in polar science. This effort was coordinated by faculty from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and was implemented to positively contribute to the intense, internationally coordinated IPY scientific campaign. Through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a team of …

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