Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Nebraskamath April 2010 Newsletter

NebraskaMATH Materials

Table of Contents

Identifying great teachers

NCTM: How to Ask Good Questions

Math Challenge Corner

Resources: WestEd

Minding the Excellence Gap

Build your skill set through NMSSI

NebraskaMATH Summer Calendar

Achieve report shows shift in education reform

All teachers fired at Rhode Island high school

Nebraska performs poorly in Race to the Top

Teaching Remedial Mathematics For Conceptual Understanding: Student Response, Alice Cunningham

Touchstone

This paper describes student responses to a voluntary anonymous questionnaire administered at the end of the fall 2009 semester by the author to her students in Hostos’ Elementary Algebra course (Math 020).

Talking Until We Are "Flu" In Our Faces (Taking Microbiology From Theory To Reality), Julie Trachman

Touchstone

No abstract provided.

Carving A Path Of Sustainability In Hostos Community College, Flor Henderson, Julie Trachman, Olga Steinberg, Nelson Nunez-Rodriguez, Yoel Rodriguez

Touchstone

No abstract provided.

A Business Approach To Teaching Quadratic Functions, Alexander Vaninsky

Touchstone

No abstract provided.

Section Abstracts: Education

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Education Section for the 88th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 20--21, 2010, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Problem Solving Based Instruction In The High School Mathematics Classroom, Lawrence Vettleson, Jr.

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper is a review of research pertaining to the use of problem solving in classroom instruction. It covers the stages of problems solving as listed by George Polya and how they can be used to enhance mathematics instruction. This research paper will identify that problem solving is a need based on Minnesota state mathematics standards and National mathematics standards. Covered in this paper is the research on the effects of mathematics instruction using problem solving. The research covers some of the benefits to student education if students learn mathematics using a problem solving based approach to classroom instruction.

Strategies For The Science Classroom. [Book Review], Rebeca Befus

Library Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

2010 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"IMSA students engage in investigations in nanotechnology, particle physics, law, neonatal medicine, literature, transplantation biology, water purity, the educational achievement gap, neurobiology and memory, ethics, theatre, discrete mathematics, economics, and more."

Misconstruals Or More? The Interactions Of Orbit Diagrams And Explanations Of The Seasons, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper examines a “misconstrual hypothesis” regarding diagrams of the Earth’s orbit around the sun and how middle school students explain the cause of the seasons. Drawing from 24 semi-structured interviews, I present qualitative analyses of students’ explanations of why temperatures vary in summer and winter and how those are influenced by the elliptical shape of perspective drawings of the Earth’s orbit, common to many science textbooks. The results of the analysis suggest that diagram interpretation does not necessarily follow what has been often predicted in the literature and that conceptualizations can shift quite rapidly as different diagram features are …

Urban Elementary Students' Views Of Environmental Scientists, Environmental Caretakers And Environmentally Responsible Behaviors, Patricia Lynne Horne

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the nature of the relationship between urban elementary fifth graders, environmental workers, and the environment. The study examined 320 urban fifth grade elementary students' drawings of environmental scientists (DAEST) and environmental caretakers (DAECT). Additionally, semi-structured interviews were included to elucidate student illustrations. The study's sample represented one-third of all fifth graders in the mid-Atlantic school district selected for this research. Approximately 5% of participants were chosen for follow-up semi-structured interviews based on their illustrations.

A general conclusion is some of the stereotypes, particularly related to gender, revealed in prior research (Barman, 1999, …

The Effect Of Individual Or Group Guidelines On The Calibration Accuracy Of High School Biology Students, Camilla C. Walck

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The effect of individual or group guidelines on the calibration accuracy of high school biology students was investigated. The study was conducted with 102 International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program biology students in a public school setting. The study was carried out over three testing occasions. Students worked in group or individual settings with and without calibration guidelines. Four intact classes were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: groups calibrating without guidelines; groups calibrating with guidelines; individuals calibrating without guidelines; individuals calibrating with guidelines. The students participated in the calibration activities one block before they actually took each of the …

Assessing The Effect Of Simulation Models On Systems Learning In An Introductory Environmental Science Course, Heather J. Skaza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence within the systems dynamics community supporting the use of systems simulations in the classroom to improve student understanding, there is little published, controlled, experimental research. This paper describes the results of a paired experiment testing the effect of using system dynamics simulations to increase systems understanding in an introductory environmental science course. We believed that the students using the systems simulations would demonstrate a greater systemic understanding of environmental issues than those who did not.

We conducted an experiment during the fall semester of 2009, with 304 students enrolled in four sections of …

Project Stimmulis: Science Teachers Integrating Mathematical Modeling For Undergraduate Learning And Instruction In Schools, William Robertson, David Carrego

Selected Works Temporary Series

Computer-based mathematical modeling in Physics is a process of constructing models of concepts and the relationships between them in the scientific characteristics of work. In this manner, computer-based modeling integrates the interactions of natural phenomenon through the use of models, which provide structure for theories and a base for experimentation. Utilizing this method, scientists construct knowledge, and in like manner, students in science construct their understandings in significant ways, addressing their preconceptions and their knowledge of concepts in physics. Project STIMMULIS provides a mathematical modeling context for pre-service mathematics and science teachers’ conceptual and applied understanding of motion. Project STIMMULIS …

Project Stimmulis: Science Teachers Integrating Mathematical Modeling For Undergraduate Learning And Instruction In Schools, William Robertson, David Carrego

Departmental Papers (TE)

Computer-based mathematical modeling in Physics is a process of constructing models of concepts and the relationships between them in the scientific characteristics of work. In this manner, computer-based modeling integrates the interactions of natural phenomenon through the use of models, which provide structure for theories and a base for experimentation. Utilizing this method, scientists construct knowledge, and in like manner, students in science construct their understandings in significant ways, addressing their preconceptions and their knowledge of concepts in physics. Project STIMMULIS provides a mathematical modeling context for pre-service mathematics and science teachers’ conceptual and applied understanding of motion. Project STIMMULIS …

Dr. Skateboard’S Action Science: Increasing Science Knowledge And Skills For Middle School Teachers, William Robertson

Selected Works Temporary Series

Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science maps to the physical science Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) standards that all middle school students need to learn. Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science explores scientific concepts in a curriculum supplement that is designed to address both physical science content and process skills. The video instruction focuses on fundamental concepts found in the areas of motion, forces, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and simple machines. The use of familiar activities, situations and objects, such as skateboarding and bicycle motocross (BMX), around which students can explore and explain scientific concepts can be defined as action science. The main …

Dr. Skateboard’S Action Science: Increasing Science Knowledge And Skills For Middle School Teachers, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science maps to the physical science Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) standards that all middle school students need to learn. Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science explores scientific concepts in a curriculum supplement that is designed to address both physical science content and process skills. The video instruction focuses on fundamental concepts found in the areas of motion, forces, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and simple machines. The use of familiar activities, situations and objects, such as skateboarding and bicycle motocross (BMX), around which students can explore and explain scientific concepts can be defined as action science. The main …

Contextualized Motivation Theory (Cmt): Intellectual Passion, Mathematical Need, Social Responsibility, And Personal Agency In Learning Mathematics, Janelle Marie Hart

Theses and Dissertations

Student motivation has long been a concern of mathematics educators. Here, I characterize motivation, defined as an individual's desire to act in particular ways, through analysis of students' extended, collaborative problem solving efforts. Grounded in a longitudinal research project in calculus learning and teaching, Contextualized Motivation Theory (CMT) offers a means for understanding the complexities of student motivations in mathematics learning. Students in this study chose to act upon various intellectual-mathematical motivations and social-personal motivations, existing simultaneously, within a supporting "web" of motivations. Students exhibited intellectual passion in persisting beyond obtaining correct answers to build understandings of mathematical ideas. CMT …

Nebraskamath March 2010 Newsletter

NebraskaMATH Materials

Table of Contents

New developments in state standards

Happy Pi Day!

Highlight on Action Research

Resources: Paper Pool

Call for technology journal articles

NMSSI: Registration open

Harlem academy founder: ‘Invest in teachers’

Getting involved with MATHCOUNTS

NebraskaMATH Summer Calendar

Common Core Standards released to public

Summit on Math Education video

Statistics doctoral student wins award

Pembangunan Modul Pedagogi Berasaskan Teknologi Dan Gaya Pembelajaran Felder-Silverman Kurikulum Fizik Sekolah Menengah., Norlidah Alias

Student Works (2010-2019)

Physics has always been thought of as the most difficult subject as it involves abstract concepts. Previous research shows that matching learning style strategy with certain technology will be able to increase students learning experience. This study is based on the Felder Silverman Model (1988) which comprises four dimensions (visual/verbal, active/reflective, sequential/global, sensing/intuitive). The objective of this study is to develop a pedagogical module based on technology and Felder-Silverman’s learning style for secondary school Physics curriculum. This research is done in three phases: need analysis, design & development, and usability evaluation. Data in the first phase was collected through semi-structured …