Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Blaise Pascal - Mathematician, Mystic, Disciple, Tim Rogalsky

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

This is the story of a multi-faceted Christian mathematician. Instrumental in the development of calculus, probability theory, and computing machines, Pascal (1623-1662) was a man equally enamoured with mind and spirit. His conversion experience was marked by both rational decision and mystical vision. He is perhaps best known for "Pascal's wager," which simplistic "fire insurance" version of Christianity, demanding little from the convert. However, a more careful reading of his work and his life reveals that Pascal knew much about discipleship and its cost.

Call For A Non-Euclidean, Post-Cantorian Theology, Saburo Matsumoto

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

In this paper I propose a new approach to theology, which I refer to as a "non-Euclidean, post-Cantorian" theology. I first review three accomplishments in modern mathematics with lasting philosophical implications: non-Euclidean geometry, set theory, and the Incompleteness Theorems of Gödel. Since all of these are ideas that came after much of traditional theology had already been formed, I challenge that theology be revisited in light of what we can learn from the mathematical struggles that produced these amazing and counter-intuitive truths. I give some concrete examples and propose that such an effort can make non-trivial contribution in theology and …

Vi.31: A Generalization Of The Pythagorean Theorem, Timothy Sipka

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

No abstract provided.

A Christian Perspective For A First Course In Calculus, Darrell E. Allgaier

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

No abstract provided.

Bibliography Of Christianity And Mathematics, Gene B. Chase

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

The invited address provides historiographic background for the second edition of Bibliography of Christianity and Mathematics. The second edition builds on the first edition written jointly with Calvin Jongsma, on the historiographic work of Ivor Grattan-Guiness, and on the computer skills of Gregory Ross.

Filtering The Bible And Filtering Spam, Gene B. Chase

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

I argue that John Craig (1996?–1731) is the first to do Bayesian statistics. Filtering email spam today using Bayes's analysis of 1763 is a new application of an old theorem. Craig 67 years before Bayes's theorem used subjective probabilities reasoning to argue that Jesus would return in the year 3150, because the Bible would eventually come into disrepute (become spam?) then.

Asserting Cs != Can't Spcialize, Building Community In A Computer Science Program, Kim Kihlstrom

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

As humans, we are designed to live in community. "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:4-5). We believe it is of critical importance to build community within a computer science program, first of all because it is part of God's calling for us. In addition, building communit allows us to equip students with the interpersonal skills that they need for a productive career, and to attract …

Reflections Upon The Relationship Between Mathematical And Biblical Truth, Dale L. Mcintyre

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

No abstract provided.

The Functions Of Centers And Institutes In Academic Biomedical Research, William T. Mallon, Sarah A. Bunton

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this Analysis in Brief, we report on the findings from a 2004 survey of directors of research centers and institutes located at research-intensive medical schools and their parent universities, who identified their unit’s primary mission as basic, clinical, or other type of research. While many assertions have been made about the functions that centers and institutes perform, or do not perform, our findings indicate that their missions and roles are varied, complex, and nuanced. The 604 research centers and institutes in the study conduct a variety of tasks. For the purposes of this analysis, we define “some effort” to …

Schedule (2005), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Fifteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences

Will Using A Constructivist Approach Improve Laboratory Work For Phase 6 Electrical Apprentices?, Francis Ashworth

Theses

This study used action research to implement a constructivist approach in the delivery of the electronics and measurements laboratory classes for a phase six group of electrical apprentices in the Electrical Services Engineering Department of the Technologicl University Dublin. The aim of the study was to investigate if the constructivist approach adopted, with a research group, could improve the effectiveness of the two labs. The research group consisted of sixteen, phase six, male electrical apprentices for both the electronics and measurements labs. The students ranged in ages between eighteen and twenty five years of age and were a randomly selected …

Psychosocial Theories Of Development: Socializing Future Educators In Modernity, Jennifer Jill Niedzielski

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the implicit curriculum of high-profile theories of identity and moral development as commonly found in collegiate-level educational psychology texts. My primary concern is the manner in which Erik Erikson's and Lawrence Kohlberg's theories of development implicitly convey modernistic frames of mind of the autonomous individual at a level that goes unnoticed. The manner in which the implicit curriculum socializes future educators to adopt the autonomous individual frame of mind is problematic for our natural world.

The aims of this paper are significant because they illuminate the notion of the autonomous individual as …

Brief 19: The Dean’S Role In Faculty Evaluation, New England Resource Center For Higher Education, University Of Massachusetts Boston

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

Faculty work continues to change in response to the increased emphases on diversity requirements in undergraduate education, partnerships between academic and student affairs, and computer technology (O’Meara, et al, 2003). As even more is learned about strategies for the educational success of their students, faculty will be counted on to tailor their skills and pedagogies to new populations of students. At the same time, colleges and universities must keep pace with these changes by ensuring that expectations about faculty work are clearly defined and are reflected in evaluation and reward structures—and that faculty are supported in their efforts. The quality …

Book Review: Liora Bresler (Ed.). (2004). Knowing Bodies, Moving Minds: Towards Embodied Teaching And Learning. , Margaret A. Macintyre Latta

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Each chapter foregrounds embodied significances for learners and learning. Contributing authors draw me into the text in different ways and with different purposes, but all with strong recursive waves rooted in themes of receptivity and relatedness. As I find myself experiencing these waves some are quiet reminders, some carry me away to new thinking, new ideas, and new experiences; some resonate deeply, while others awaken and enliven. Embodied understandings are elicited as I encounter myself within these waves. It is this self-encounter that makes the book so powerful. Gadamer's notion of foregrounding comes into play as concomitantly I engage the …

Action Research For Female Science Teacher Development: Case Pakistan, Harcharan Pardhan

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents (2005), Association Of Christians In The Mathematical Sciences

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2005

Fifteenth Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences

Annual Report Of The Nebraska Center For Research On Children, Youth, Families And Schools

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Presentations

HISTORY OF CYFS
CENTER SPOTLIGHT
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY SERIES
INNOVATIVE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
SIGNATURE SPEAKER
COLLABORATING RESEARCH FACULTY
INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
ZAMBIA WEEK AT UNL
SPOTLIGHT ON FUNDED GRANTS
EARLY CHILDHOOD FOCUS:
GETTING READY PROJECT
MOUNTAIN PRAIRIE UPGRADE
PARTNERSHIP – EARLY CHILDHOOD
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN FOCUS:
CBC IN THE EARLY GRADES
PARENTS AS TUTORS
PRE-SERVICE TEACHER FOCUS:
GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION
CAPACITY BUILDING AND GROWTH
INVESTING IN RESEARCH SUPPORT
INVESTING IN CAMPUS RESEARCHERS
EXTERNAL FUNDING
EXTERNAL GRANT AWARDS
FACULTY AFFILIATES OF THE CENTER
STUDENT AFFILIATES OF THE CENTER

What Effect Might The No Child Left Behind Act Have On Administrators' And Teachers' Decisions To Promote Or Retain The Low Achieving Student In The Elementary Grades?, April M. Maska

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to determine how this Act impacts professional educators in their decisions regarding promotion or retention of the low achieving student. Regular Educators in the West Deptford School District were asked to participate to show whether NCLB impacts the professional educators within this district when deciding whether to promote or retain the low achieving student. A Likert survey was designed and'distributed to 51 professional educators within the district. Of the educators asked, 21 responded. The survey results were graphed and analyzed. The scores of the West Deptford School District participants were compared to a hypothetical school district of …

Computer Use In Preschool: Effects On Social Interactions, Teresa Hartner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the impact of computers on the social behavior of preschoolers, specifically, (a) to study the frequency and level of peer interactions in the computer center, (b) compare these to interactions when the computer center was not available, and (c) investigate gender differences in the computer center.

Fourteen preschool children of various ethnic backgrounds were videotaped or observed for 15 minutes a day for two three week periods. During the first three weeks the computer, housekeeping, block and art centers were observed. During the second three weeks the computer center was not used. …

The Effects Of A Word Study Spelling Program In A Differentiated Classroom, Lauren M. Cassano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if implementing a word study spelling program in a differentiated classroom could improve students' long-term retention of spelling words. This study compared a word study program with a more traditional spelling approach. The findings of the experiment indicated that no significant difference existed between the two different methods of instruction.

After receiving parental permission, the study began in a third grade classroom with 20 students. A pretest/posttest design was used in two phases. Phase I of the study used a traditional spelling approach using basal words obtained from the Scholastic reading series. …

A Study Of The Academic Achievement Of Fifth Grade Bilingual Students In English-Only Classes, Karen Pritchard

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine whether or not the length of time spent in a bilingual program had any effect on the academic achievement of students when they were placed in English-only classes. Six fifth grade Hispanic students and three classroom teachers participated in the study. Brief classroom observations were conducted. Testing results were collected for three different tests along with report card grades. All data were recorded and interpreted by the researcher. Narrative explanations were provided along with tables for clarification. Results indicated that although the majority of the subjects received passing report card grades, …

Have Your Π And Eat It Too! Using A Course Website To Facilitate Student-Centered Learning And Improve The Effectiveness Of The High School Mathematics Experience, Jeffrey Bretsch

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends that teachers provide their students with opportunities for student-centered learning. This often occurs in the form of discovery learning, hands-on learning, and interdisciplinary learning. These types of learning experiences fall under the umbrella of the educational theory of constructivism. Constructivism, in short, asserts that meaningful learning occurs when students actively construct their own understanding, making connections and drawing their own conclusions in response to genuine experiences. Many educators would agree that this type of learning is the ideal, but is not generally feasible due to the broad nature of the mathematics curriculum …

Whatever Happened To Lisa Simpson? An Exploration Of Female Adolescent Development Through Problem Based Learning, Amy Perrault

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

As a teacher for the past six years in a girls’ school, I have met and had the chance to interact with hundreds of adolescent girls. Over time I have come to realize how much adolescence seems to have changed since I was in their shoes. The media inundates them with messages about what is cool, hip, and acceptable—music videos, fashion, and the internet provide the frame of reference against which today’s young woman compares her own self worth. While girls have always looked to society’s standards to help them develop as individuals, at no time in history have the …

Computer Use And Integration Of Middle School Teachers, Susan Panco Medio

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study asks: Could it be that teachers who have high integration of computer use have different identifiable characteristics than teachers that have a low integration of computer use?

A data collection instrument was developed and distributed to 56 teachers at Landis Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey. The 20 questions on the survey that pertained to computer use and integration were assessed and a score was given to each subject. These scores were used to run independent sample t tests.

As a result of this study it was found that teachers that have a high computer …

Nancy Glen Tssa Spring 2005, Nancy Glen

Teaching Skills Study Awards (TSSA) Reports

Enhances faculty's teaching by attending a conference devoted to university teaching, a high-impact practice, evidence-based practice or a newly developing teaching practice.

Design Bearings, Margaret A. Macintyre Latta

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Discovery and invention yield design, bringing forth a tangible form. There is little room for exploring designing as being-in-the-world where rigid rules dictate the way in which design should be represented. Limitations unduly impinge upon or restrict the possibilities for designing. Design as being-in-the-world comes from playing with possibilities, starching for relationships. The development of such thinking in situation allows for the discovery of potential. It permits possibilities to be included as the search evolves. Without a playful spirit it would seem that imaginative thought, requiring speculation and conjecturing about possibilities, might not be possible. So as educators find themselves …

The Effective Use Of Manipulatives And Color Coding In The Achievement And Application Of Music Reading Skills Of Third Grade Recorder Students, Kathy J. Gunsallus-Donachy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover the positive effect on sight-reading ability of 100 third grade recorder students reading music notation when color-coding was applied to notes and manipulatives were used in note value instruction.

The problem was to compare effects on the learning and application of music reading skills between color-coded notes and monochromatics when students sight-read music playing their recorders.

The classes were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The researcher, also the music teacher, taught each class once a week for 50 minutes. The treatment extended approximately 23 weeks. The experimental classes …

Wisdom, Intelligence, And Creativity Synthesized., Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Wisdom, as explored by Sternberg is the application of successful intelligence and creativity. For thirty years, Dr. Sternberg has been a vocal critic of narrow conceptions of intelligence. In this recent work, he argues that a more comprehensive view of intelligence must go beyond the psychometrically based, IQ-driven views predominant in the last century.

High-Stakes Testing And Special Populations, Gary H. Sherwin, Todd Jennings

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This opinion paper critically examines the use of high-stakes testing on special populations. Without appropriate accommodations, standardized exams are not valid for some students with special needs. Unfortunately, many classroom teachers who must initiate testing accommodations lack knowledge of appropriate accommodations and regularly fail to provide the necessary testing accommodations. The deficit understanding of testing accommodations makes comparisons between classrooms, schools, and districts invalid since some scores loose validity. Solutions specific to standardized testing and students with special needs are offered and a more encompassing solution to the problems incurred from these tests when used for high-stakes is suggested.

High-Stakes Testing And Assessment: One Is Not The Other, Enrique Murillo, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Since the institution of the common school and the advent of universal education, Americans have placed tremendous faith in public schools. Public education cultivates an informed citizenry, one of the pillars of a liberal democracy. But more importantly, schools are a repository for our common dreams of human potential and individual self-actualization. Because they so thoroughly shape the lives and life-chances of our youth, school issues are freighted with an emotional charge. Education remains the last fully public American institution, one in which millions of students cast their common lot daily and strive to become better readers, better citizens, better …