Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

A Case Study On The Integration Of Internet Technology With Mathematics And Science Content For Teachers, Pilar Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzed electronic discourse in an online mathematics/science education graduate course. The intention was: a) to identify the teacher's attitudes towards using internet resources, b) to motivate teachers to integrate the use of technology and c) to study how in-service and pre-service teachers find, access, and use technology resources.

The main activities in the class were for teachers to read chapters from textbooks, post personal reflections on the chapter, search and critically assess the companion websites and read classmates' reflections. Teachers also completed Thematic Units consisting of several technology-enhanced mathematical and science integrated lesson plans.

The teachers' success was …

Use Of Cognitive Constructs In Linear Algebra, Azucena Zamora

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Thesis analyzed the presence of two cognitive entities-- modes of thinking and metonymies and metaphors- in the reasoning of three students enrolled in a first year matrix algebra course at a southwest university via the responses given to a set of eight questions asked during one-on-one interviews. The findings of our analysis shed light on the cognitive constructs that students employ to form their understanding of linear algebra concepts. Furthermore, our findings provide clues about the ways in which students move from one mode of thinking to another in the context of varying levels of exposure to graphical, algebraic, and …

Trends In Environmental Concern By Grade Level: A Study Of Elementary, Middle, And High School Students, Ryan David Lensing

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Environmental concern has been frequently measured since the 1970's, however, much of this research has focused on adults. Of the studies that look at students, the majority focus on high school with little attention given to middle or elementary grades. None of these studies have looked at elementary, middle, and high school students from the same population. This study uses the NEP Scale for Children in conjunction with free response questions to examine the trends in environmental concern from 120 Catholic elementary, middle school, and high school students from Des Moines, Iowa. The findings show no significant differences in levels …

Introductory Texts, Georgia Association Of Mathematics Teacher Educators

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

Cover Page

GAMTE Information

Table of Contents

Paper 1: Investigating Mathematical Literacy Through Teacher Language, Alyson Lischka

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

Communication about mathematical concepts using appropriate terminology is a standard established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. However, international test results show that United States’ students are lagging in mathematical literacy. This case study analyzes the ways in which instructors use language to help students move toward conceptual understanding of mathematical vocabulary. Three mathematics education professors at a mid-size four year institution were observed teaching math classes to students enrolled in elementary or secondary certification programs. Collected data included: audio-recorded observations and field notes, lesson artifacts such as quizzes and handouts, and audio-recorded interviews with each participant. Findings …

Paper 2: Collaborating To Meet The Standards: Implications For Professional Development, Erik D. Jacobson, Laura M. Singletary

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

Researchers from the University of Georgia interviewed 27 Mathematics 1 teachers about their experiences during the first year of the high school implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). We report our findings about teachers’ experiences with Mathematics 1 professional development and describe features of professional development that teachers identified as most beneficial. Some teachers offered suggestions for professional development that differed from the professional development they had experienced. In addition, we found that many teachers used collaborative strategies to meet the demands of the new curriculum and the perceived inadequacies of resources and training. We discuss the various models …

Paper 3: Extending K-8 Mathematics Concepts In Alternate Bases, Dianna J. Spence

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

When learning to represent mathematics with manipulatives, many pre-service K-8 teachers rely on memorized rote procedures to perform the associated mathematical tasks; then they arrange the manipulatives to match their result, often with minimal understanding of underlying mathematical connections. In a Number and Operations course for K-8 pre-service teachers, a portion of the class was conducted in alternate bases: Base 6 and Base 8 Blocks were used to model operations with integers to facilitate deeper understanding of the number systems and arithmetic processes being represented. Fractions and decimals were later covered only in Base 10. On midterm and final exams, …

Paper 4: Basic Skills Testing In Math 2008, Susie M. Lanier, Sharon Taylor, Donna B. Saye

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

Math 2008 is an Area F course for early childhood majors in the University System of Georgia. The course covers basic skills that pre-service teachers will most likely be teaching in their career. At Georgia Southern University, many students in the course do not possess or have forgotten these basic skills. In Fall 2009, a basic skills test was implemented for Math 2008. Students must earn a score of 90 or higher on the test in order to pass the course. The test not only serves to let students know their areas of weakness, but also informs the instructor’s teaching. …

Paper 5: Embracing The Vision: Our Work With Teachers Implementing Gps, Sarah Ledford, Wendy B. Sanchez, Marian Fox

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference (2007-2019)

In 2005, three Kennesaw State University mathematics education faculty members began a series of workshops titled “Implementing the Georgia Performance Standards [GPS]: Embracing the Vision.” This workshop series has been underwritten by Georgia’s Teacher Quality Higher Education Program. The first series of workshops began with 6th grade teachers the first year the GPS was implemented and the project has been funded each subsequent year since its inception. Currently, we are working with Math III teachers as they implement the course for the first time. The initial focus for the project was on conceptual understanding versus procedural understanding, writing tasks that …

The Plot Thickens: Using A Plotting Activity To Start Your School Year Strong, Joe Taylor

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Captivating students and setting high expectations for critical thinking are two key classroom goals. This plotting and graphing activity is designed specifically to achieve these goals. Additionally, this activity can be modified for any science course taught at the secondary school level. Support materials including teacher and student printouts are provided at the end of the article. This activity promotes National Science Education Standards A, C, D, and F and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Keeping It Green: Using A Compost To Improve Student Learning, Spencer Mesick, Kayla Hendrix

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This article discusses ways in which composting might be used to mentally engage students with science content. Incorporating a compost pile in the classroom provides ample connections to future science content (e.g., conditions necessary for the life of organisms in a well running aerobic compost, what decomposition means in a biological sense, aerobic vs. anaerobic decomposition, food webs, respiration, recycling of nutrients, landfill issues, etc.). Also, reflecting the complexities of effective science teaching, the article makes clear the crucial role of the teacher during the activity. The science content and activity addressed in this article are appropriate for 9th - …

When Dissatisfaction Is A Good Thing, Michael P. Clough, Jerrid Kruse

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Our previous editorial (Clough and Kruse, 2010) in the Iowa Science Teacher Journal used conceptual change theory (Posner, 1982; Pintrich et al., 1993; Abd-El-Khalick & Akerson, 2004; Clough, 2006) to highlight the similarities between students learning science content and educators learning to teach well. An important part of conceptual change is first acknowledging and then confronting current ways of thinking. That is, before learners (whether children or adults) will consider altering their thinking, they must first develop some sense of dissatisfaction with their currently held ideas. That can be difficult because the ideas people hold do appear to work — …

Exploring The Depths: Inquiry To Apply And Deepen Students’ Understanding Of Density, James M. Sleep, Lee Johnson

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This activity is designed to deepen students' understanding of the concept of density through scientific inquiry. Students devise procedures to determine the relative and absolute (qualitative and quantitative) densities of several solutions of salt water, and establish a class consensus on their results. Students then apply their findings to estimate the density of an unknown solution. The targeted grade-level for this activity is 8 grade physical science. However, because we know students at all grade levels struggle to understand density, this activity could also be useful in high school Earth science and chemistry. This activity promotes National Science Education Content …

Temperature Rising: Investigating Rates Of Temperature Change, Jacob Norlin, Daryl Miller

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This exploratory activity, designed for secondary physical science or earth science students, investigates rates of temperature change over bodies of water and land. Students discuss temperature trends of several cities across the United States, which creates an opportunity to conduct classroom experiments to explain these trends. Students write procedures and generate data of temperature changes between areas of water and land. Students gain a valuable, concrete experience of temperature changes which in turn enables them to better understand and explain why similar cities experience vastly different temperature patterns. This activity can then serve as a basis to address the abstract …

Confronting Doubts About The Intelligibility, Plausibility, And Fruitfulness Of Inquiry-Based Instruction, Jerrid Kruse, Michael P. Clough

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Our two prior ISTJ editorials in the Iowa Science Teacher Journal (Clough & Kruse, 2010a & 2010b) have applied a conceptual change framework (Posner, Strike, Hewson & Gertzog, 1983; Pintrich et al., 1993; Abd-El-Khalick & Akerson, 2004; Clough, 2006a) to understand the difficulties students have in abandoning their intuitive ideas about the natural world and, for the same reasons, the difficulties teachers have in jettisoning their intuitive and learning. Our last editorial noted that in both cases, dissatisfaction with prior ways of thinking must be achieved before alternative ways of thinking will be seriously sought and considered. To initiate a …

Thinking On Paper: Using Science Notebooks To Increase Active Engagement In The Elementary Science Classroom, Kimberly R. Gasaway

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The need for scientific literacy is becoming a new standard to which school districts are being held accountable. Student inquiry and the ability to “think like a scientist” will increase the depth at which students understand the natural world and make connections that are critical in strengthening students' scientific literacy. In addition, research has shown that when students were actively engaged in the learning process, they participated more enthusiastically and retained the concepts being taught. Science notebooks help students learn to record and make sense of data and observations about the natural world and come to deeper understanding of scientific …

Mammal Capture Success Of Scent Stations And Remote Cameras In Prairie And Forest Habitat, Marc N. Mckinney, Aaron M. Haines

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Two common noninvasive (i.e., no stress to the animal) methods used to survey mammals include track stations (i.e., track captures of mammals) and remote camera-traps (i.e., photo-captures of mammals). Our objectives were to compare capture effectiveness of both track stations and remote cameras in both forested and prairie habitats. This project was conducted on 4 study sires (2 forested sires and 2 prairie sites) located in Fayette County, Iowa. Each study site had 6 trapping stations 2:: 100 m apart. We monitored traps for a total of 216 trap nights and we recorded a total of 368 captures composed of …

Table Of Contents (Back Cover)

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Meaningful Distributed Instruction— Conceptual Previews For Symbolic Procedures, Edward C. Rathmell

Faculty Work

Understanding a symbolic procedure means far more than “getting the right answer.” A mathematical symbolic procedure or written skill involves step-bystep thinking that leads from a computational problem to a solution. Memorizing this step-by-step procedure may enable a student to answer the problem, even answer it correctly. Yes, that is important, but understanding means much more.

Iowa Academy Of Science 122nd Annual Meeting [2010]: Advance Program, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2010 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science.