Enriching K-12 Science and Mathematics Education Using LEGOs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Keeshan; Igel, Irina; Poveda, Ronald; Kapila, Vikram; Iskander, Magued

2012-01-01

This paper presents a series of illustrative LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities, developed under an NSF GK-12 Fellows project, for elementary, middle, and high school grades. The activities, developed by engineering and science graduate Fellows in partnership with K-12 teachers, are grade appropriate, address pertinent learning…

Development and Evaluation of Food Safety Modules for K-12 Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapin, Travis K.; Pfuntner, Rachel C.; Stasiewicz, Matthew J.; Wiedmann, Martin; Orta-Ramirez, Alicia

2015-01-01

Career and educational opportunities in food science and food safety are underrecognized by K-12 students and educators. Additionally, misperceptions regarding nature of science understanding persist in K-12 students despite being emphasized as an important component of science education for over 100 y. In an effort to increase awareness…

The Concept Currency of K-12 Science Textbooks Relative to Earth Science Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janke, Delmar Lester

This study was undertaken to determine the degree of agreement between science textbooks and scholars in earth science relative to earth science concepts to be included in the K-12 science curriculum. The study consisted of two phases: (1) the identification of a sample of earth science concepts rated by earth scientists as important for inclusion…

Science Curriculum Resource Handbook: A Practical Guide for K-12 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheek, Dennis W., Ed.; And Others

This handbook is one of a series of practical references for curriculum developers, education faculty, veteran teachers, and student teachers. The handbook is designed to provide basic information on the background of the science curriculum, and current information on publications, standards, and special materials for K-12 science. Part 1 contains…

Review of the National Research Council's Framework for K-12 Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Paul R.

2011-01-01

The new "Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" is a big, comprehensive volume, carefully organized and heavily documented. It is the long-awaited product of the Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards. As noted, it is a weighty document (more than 300…

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 1-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented are first-revision materials of the K-12 unified science program implemented in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are given of the roles of students and teachers, purposes of bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, scheme and model for scientific literacy, and…

The Engaged Microbiologist: Bringing the Microbiological Sciences to the K-12 Community.

PubMed

Westenberg, David J

2016-03-01

Exposing K-12 students to cutting edge science that impacts their daily lives can bring classroom lessons to life. Citizen-science projects are an excellent way to bring high-level science to the classroom and help satisfy one of the cornerstone concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), "engaging in practices that scientists and engineers actually use." This can be a daunting task for teachers who may lack the background or resources to integrate these projects into the classroom. This is where scientific societies such as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) can play a critical role. ASM encourages its members to engage with the K-12 community by providing networking opportunities and resources for ASM members and K-12 teachers to work together to bring microbiology into the classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Interactive Teaching as a Recruitment and Training Tool for K-12 Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, J. L.

2004-12-01

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program at the University of Colorado has been designed to recruit and train prospective K-12 science teachers while improving student learning through interactive teaching. The program has four key goals: (1) recruit undergraduate students into K-12 science education, (2) provide these prospective teachers with hands-on experience in an interactive teaching pedagogy, (3) create an intergrated program designed to support (educationally, socially, and financially) and engage these prospective science teachers up until they obtain liscensure and/or their masters degree in education, and (4) improve student learning in large introductory science classes. Currently there are 31 students involved in the program and a total of 72 students have been involved in the year and a half it has been in existence. I will discuss the design of the STEMTP program, the success in recruiting K-12 science teachers, and the affect on student learning in a large lecture class of implementing interactive learning pedagogies by involving these prospective K-12 science teachers. J. L. Rosenberg would like to acknowledge the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship for support for this work. The course transformation project is also supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.

Evaluation of the National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Julia; Levine, Roger; Gonzalez, Raquel; Bitter, Catherine; Webb, Norman; White, Paul

The GK-12 program of the National Science Foundation is an innovative program for enriching the value of graduate and advanced undergraduate students' education while simultaneously enriching science and mathematics teaching at the K-12 level. GK-12 is a fellowship program that offers graduate students and advanced undergraduates the opportunity…

Cataclysms and Catastrophes: A Case Study of Improving K-12 Science Education Through a University Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fennell, T.; Ellins, K. K.; Morris, M.; Christeson, G.

2003-12-01

The K-12 science teacher is always seeking ways of improving and updating their curriculum by integrating the latest research into their most effective classroom activities. However, the daily demands of delivering instruction to large numbers of students coupled with the rapid advances in some fields of science can often overwhelm this effort. The NSF-sponsored Cataclysms and Catastrophes curriculum, developed by scientists from the The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), middle and high school teachers, and UT graduate students (NSF GK-12 fellows) working together through the GK-12 program, is a textbook example of how universities can facilitate this quest, benefiting education at both K-12 and university levels. In 1992, "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was developed as an activity in the Planet Earth class at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin as an interdisciplinary approach to science. Taking advantage of the media attention generated by the impact scenario for the K-T extinction, the activity consists of students participating in a simulated senate hearing on the potential causes of the K-T extinction and their implications for society today. This activity not only exposes students to the wide range of science involved in understanding mass extinctions, but also to the social, political and economic implications when this science is brought into the public arena and the corresponding use of data in decision making and disaster preparedness. While "The Great K-T Extinction Debate" was always a popular and effective activity with students, it was in desperate need of updating to keep pace with the evolving scientific debate over the cause of the K-T extinction and the growing body of impact evidence discovered over the past decade. By adding two inquiry-based learning activities that use real geophysical data collected by scientists studying the buried Chicxulub feature as a

Marrying Content and Process in Computer Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zendler, A.; Spannagel, C.; Klaudt, D.

2011-01-01

Constructivist approaches to computer science education emphasize that as well as knowledge, thinking skills and processes are involved in active knowledge construction. K-12 computer science curricula must not be based on fashions and trends, but on contents and processes that are observable in various domains of computer science, that can be…

K-12 science education: A teacher`s view

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, P.

1994-12-31

Science education has experienced significant changes over the past two decades. Science is now vital to good citizenship, performance in the workplace, and everyday life.It is time to re-tool and re-design the entire K-12 science education system, employing the same principles and methods used in the practice of science itself. We can no longer ignore the special needs of science instruction. All students need a course that develops their scientific literacy and critical thinking skills every year. Each science program needs meaningful, useful content and skill standards to drive and continuously update the curriculum content and enabel usefull assessment. Sciencemore » teachers must articulate their needs and develop opportunities for professional development and the strengthening of their profession. We need a national plan that gets the many different participants working coherently towards a common goal.« less

New K-12 Science Education Standards May Face Implementation Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Mohi

2013-04-01

Kindergarten is not just a place to learn letters and numbers, practice finger painting, and listen to story time. If a new set of national science standards is adopted, it will also be the start of a carefully planned effort to engage students in science-based activities throughout their K-12 academic careers.

Empirical Determination of Competence Areas to Computer Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zendler, Andreas; Klaudt, Dieter; Seitz, Cornelia

2014-01-01

The authors discuss empirically determined competence areas to K-12 computer science education, emphasizing the cognitive level of competence. The results of a questionnaire with 120 professors of computer science serve as a database. By using multi-dimensional scaling and cluster analysis, four competence areas to computer science education…

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration" included the following reports:Training Informal Educators Provides Leverage for Space Science Education and Public Outreach; Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education: K-12 Teacher Retention, Renewal, and Involvement in Professional Science; Telling the Tale of Two Deserts: Teacher Training and Utilization of a New Standards-based, Bilingual E/PO Product; Lindstrom M. M. Tobola K. W. Stocco K. Henry M. Allen J. S. McReynolds J. Porter T. T. Veile J. Space Rocks Tell Their Secrets: Space Science Applications of Physics and Chemistry for High School and College Classes -- Update; Utilizing Mars Data in Education: Delivering Standards-based Content by Exposing Educators and Students to Authentic Scientific Opportunities and Curriculum; K. E. Little Elementary School and the Young Astronaut Robotics Program; Integrated Solar System Exploration Education and Public Outreach: Theme, Products and Activities; and Online Access to the NEAR Image Collection: A Resource for Educators and Scientists.

BiteScis: Connecting K-12 teachers with science graduate students to produce lesson plans on modern science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battersby, Cara

2016-01-01

Many students graduate high school having never learned about the process and people behind modern science research. The BiteScis program addresses this gap by providing easily implemented lesson plans that incorporate the whos, whats, and hows of today's scienctific discoveries. We bring together practicing scientists (motivated graduate students from the selective communicating science conference, ComSciCon) with K-12 science teachers to produce, review, and disseminate K-12 lesson plans based on modern science research. These lesson plans vary in topic from environmental science to neurobiology to astrophysics, and involve a range of activities from laboratory exercises to art projects, debates, or group discussion. An integral component of the program is a series of short, "bite-size" articles on modern science research written for K-12 students. The "bite-size" articles and lesson plans will be made freely available online in an easily searchable web interface that includes association with a variety of curriculum standards. This ongoing program is in its first year with about 15 lesson plans produced to date.

Computer Science Teacher Professional Development in the United States: A Review of Studies Published between 2004 and 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menekse, Muhsin

2015-01-01

While there has been a remarkable interest to make computer science a core K-12 academic subject in the United States, there is a shortage of K-12 computer science teachers to successfully implement computer sciences courses in schools. In order to enhance computer science teacher capacity, training programs have been offered through teacher…

Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertram, K. B.

2011-12-01

The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments

Assessment Strategies for Implementing Ngss in K12 Earth System Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAuliffe, C.

2016-12-01

Several science education researchers have led assessment efforts that provide strategies particularly useful for evaluating the threedimensional learning that is central to NGSS (DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K., 2016; Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L., 2015; McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P., 2015; McNeill K.L., et.al., 2015; McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S., 2011; Penuel, W., 2016). One of the basic premises of these researchers is that, "Assessment is a practice of argument from evidence based on what students say, do, and write" and that "the classroom is the richest place to gather evidence of what students know (Penuel, W., 2016). The implementation of the NGSS in Earth System Science provides a unique opportunity for geoscience education researchers to study student learning and contribute to the development of this research as well as for geoscience educators to apply these approaches and strategies in their own work with K12 inservice and preservice educators. DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K. (2016). Building an Assessment Argument to Design and Use Next Generation Science Assessments in Efficacy Studies of Curriculum Interventions. American†Journal†of†Evaluation†37(2) 174192Æ Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L. (2015). Comparing students' individual written and collaborative oral socioscientific arguments. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education.10(5), 23647. McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P. (2015). Assessing science practices-Moving your class along a continuum. Science Scope. McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S. (2011). Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Penuel, W. (2016). Classroom Assessment Strategies for NGSS Earth and Space Sciences. Implementing†the†NGSS†Webinar†Series, February 11, 2016.

NGSS-Aligned, K-12 Climate Science Curricula, taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainfeld, S.

2017-12-01

Teacher-led inquiry into student learning is a promising method of formative assessment to gain insight into student achievement. NGSS-aligned K-12 Climate Science curricula taught with citizen science and teacher-led inquiry methods are described, along with results from a scientist-teacher collaboration survey.

Ocean Science in a K-12 setting: Promoting Inquiry Based Science though Graduate Student and Teacher Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodico, J. M.; Greely, T.; Lodge, A.; Pyrtle, A.; Ivey, S.; Madeiros, A.; Saleem, S.

2005-12-01

The University of South Florida, College of Marine Science Oceans: GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program is successfully enriching science learning via the oceans. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program provides a unique opportunity among scientists and K-12 teachers to interact with the intention of bringing ocean science concepts and research to the classroom environment enhance the experience of learning and doing science, and to promote `citizen scientists' for the 21st century. The success of the program relies heavily on the extensive summer training program where graduate students develop teaching skills, create inquiry based science activities for a summer Oceanography Camp for Girls program and build a relationship with their mentor teacher. For the last year and a half, two graduate students from the College of Marine Science have worked in cooperation with teachers from the Pinellas county School District, Southside Fundamental Middle School. Successful lesson plans brought into a 6th grade Earth Science classroom include Weather and climate: Global warming, The Geologic timescale: It's all about time, Density: Layering liquids, and Erosion processes: What moves water and sediment. The school and students have benefited greatly from the program experiencing hands-on inquiry based science and the establishment of an after school science club providing opportunities for students to work on their science fair projects and pursuit other science interests. Students are provided scoring rubrics and their progress is creatively assessed through KWL worksheets, concept maps, surveys, oral one on one and classroom discussions and writing samples. The year culminated with a series of hands on lessons at the nearby beach, where students demonstrated their mastery of skills through practical application. Benefits to the graduate student include improved communication of current science research to a diverse audience, a better understanding of the

Problem-Based Learning in the Physical Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom J.; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2018-01-01

"Problem-Based Learning in the Physical Science Classroom, K-12" will help your students truly understand concepts such as motion, energy, and magnetism in true-to-life contexts. The book offers a comprehensive description of why, how, and when to implement problem-based learning (PBL) in your curriculum. Its 14 developmentally…

The Next Generation Science Standards: An Historic Opportunity for K-12 Earth and Space Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. M.; Passow, M. J.; Holzer, M. A.; Moore, J.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provide an historic opportunity to significantly improve Earth and space science (ESS) education nationally at the K-12 level. The increased emphasis on ESS related topics in the NGSS relative to previous standards provides a real opportunity for ensuring all K-12 students in adopting states learn about the ESS - allowing us to reach many more students than are currently are exposed to our discipline. The new standards are also exciting in that they explicitly couple science and engineering practice, cross-cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas in such a way that student must actively demonstrate their understanding through actions rather than through mere regurgitation of memorized responses. Achieving mastery of NGSS Performance Expectations will require practice with higher-order learning skills - with students engaging in the practices of scientists and engineers. Preparing students for this mastery will be a challenging task for teachers, since in many states professional development support is limited at best for the current curriculum - let alone the curricula that will be developed to address the NGSS. As adoption of the NGSS expands across the country, states will be at various levels of implementation of the new standards over the next several years - and there is real concern that teachers must have sufficient professional development to be able to be successful in preparing their students - particularly in view of likely coupled assessments and teacher evaluations. NESTA strongly supports implementation of the NGSS, and the rigorous and compelling ESS education it will engender, when coupled with a strong emphasis nationwide on teacher professional development. For the past two years, the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) has continued our leadership in K-12 ESS education through workshops, web seminars, events and publications that emphasize implementation of the NGSS in ESS

Science: Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies, K-12. [Revision].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh.

This document was created to establish competency goals and objectives for teaching and learning science in North Carolina for grades K-12. It contains the concepts and theories, strands, skills, and processes upon which all science instruction should be based. In addition, the curriculum defines and illustrates the connections between the…

A phenomenological case study concerning science teacher educators' beliefs and teaching practices about culturally relevant pedagogy and preparing K-12 science teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Underwood, Janice Bell

Due to the rising diversity in today's schools, science teacher educators (STEs) suggest that K-12 teachers must be uniquely prepared to engage these students in science classrooms. Yet, in light of the increasing white-black science achievement gap, it is unclear how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage diverse students, and African Americans in particular. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to find out how STEs prepare preservice teachers to engage African American students in K-12 science. Thus, using the culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) framework, this phenomenological case study explored beliefs about culturally relevant science teaching and the influence of reported beliefs and experiences related to race on STEs' teaching practices. In the first phase, STE's in a mid-Atlantic state were invited to participate in an electronic survey. In the second phase, four participants, who were identified as exemplars, were selected from the survey to participate in three semi-structured interviews. The data revealed that STEs were more familiar with culturally responsive pedagogy (CResP) in the context of their post-secondary classrooms as opposed to CRP. Further, most of the participants in part one and two described modeling conventional ways they prepare their preservice teachers to engage K-12 students, who represent all types of diversity, without singling out any specific race. Lastly, many of the STEs' in this study reported formative experiences related to race and beliefs in various manifestations of racism have impacted their teaching beliefs and practices. The findings of this study suggest STEs do not have a genuine understanding of the differences between CRP and CResP and by in large embrace CResP principles. Secondly, in regards to preparing preservice teachers to engage African American students in science, the participants in this study seemed to articulate the need for ideological change, but were unable to demonstrate pedagogical changes

Survey of K-12 Science Teachers' Educational Product Needs from Planetary Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, Timothy F.; Olsen, Julia K.

2009-01-01

Most education reform documents of the last two decades call for students to have authentic science inquiry experiences that mimic scientific research using real scientific data. In order for professional planetary scientists to provide the most useful data and professional development for K-12 teachers in support of science education reform, an…

Unified Science Approach K-12, Proficiency Levels 13-21 and Semester Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oickle, Eileen M., Ed.

Presented is the third part of the K-12 unified science materials used in the public schools of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Detailed descriptions are presented for the roles of students and teachers, purposes of bibliography, major concepts in unified science, processes of inquiry, scheme and model for scientific literacy, and program…

Science Communication versus Science Education: The Graduate Student Scientist as a K-12 Classroom Resource

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strauss, Jeff; Shope, Richard E., III; Terebey, Susan

2005-01-01

Science literacy is a major goal of science educational reform (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1998; NCLB Act, 2001). Some believe that teaching science only requires pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Others believe doing science requires knowledge of the methodologies of scientific inquiry (NRC, 1996). With these two mindsets, the challenge for science educators is to create models that bring the two together. The common ground between those who teach science and those who do science is science communication, an interactive process that galvanizes dialogue among scientists, teachers, and learners in a rich ambience of mutual respect and a common, inclusive language of discourse . The dialogue between science and non-science is reflected in the polarization that separates those who do science and those who teach science, especially as it plays out everyday in the science classroom. You may be thinking, why is this important? It is vital because, although not all science learners become scientists, all K-12 students are expected to acquire science literacy, especially with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Students are expected to acquire the ability to follow the discourse of science as well as connect the world of science to the context of their everyday life if they plan on moving to the next grade level, and in some states, to graduate from high school. This paper posits that science communication is highly effective in providing the missing link for K-12 students cognition in science and their attainment of science literacy. This paper will focus on the "Science For Our Schools" (SFOS) model implemented at California State Univetsity, Los Angeles (CSULA) as a project of the National Science Foundation s GK-12 program, (NSF 2001) which has been a huge success in bridging the gap between those who "know" science and those who "teach" science. The SFOS model makes clear the distinctions that identify science, science communication, science

Engineering a Dynamic Science Learning Environment for K-12 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardre, Patricia L.; Nanny, Mark; Refai, Hazen; Ling, Chen; Slater, Janis

2010-01-01

The present study follows a cohort of 17 K-12 teachers through a six-week resident learning experience in science and engineering, and on into the planning and implementation of applications for their classrooms. This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program was examined using the strategic approach of design-based research, with its fluid,…

Science K-12, Living Things in Continuous Change. Utica City School District Articulated Curriculum: Project SEARCH, 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utica City School District, NY.

Two-column objectives are listed for an integrated science curriculum (grades K-12), often subheaded according to science area (biology, general science, physical science, earth science) and grade level. In grades K-6, objectives for topics of science study include conditions for plants and animals to live, adaptation, conservation,…

Career education attitudes and practices of K-12 science educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Walter S.

A random sample of 400 K-12 science educators who were members of the National Science Teachers Association were surveyed regarding their attitude toward and practice of career education in their science teaching. These science teachers rejected a narrowly vocational view, favoring instead a conception of career education which included self-perception, values analysis, and vocational skills objectives. The science educators affirmed the importance of career education for a student's education, asserted career education ought to be taught in their existing science courses, and expressed a willingness to do so. Fewer than one-third of the science teachers, however, reported incorporating career education at least on a weekly basis in their science lessons. The major impediment to including more career education in science teaching was seen to be their lack of knowledge of methods and materials relevant to science career education, rather than objections from students, parents, or administrators; their unwillingness; or their evaluation of career education as unimportant. Thus, in order to improve this aspect of science teaching, science teachers need more concrete information about science career education applications.

Computers in Life Science Education, Volume 7, Numbers 1-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Computers in Life Science Education, 1990

1990-01-01

The 12 digests of Computers in Life Science Education from 1990 are presented. The articles found in chronological sequence are as follows: "The Computer as a Teaching Tool--How Far Have We Come? Where Are We Going?" (Modell); "Where's the Software--Part 1"; "Keeping Abreast of the Literature" (which appears quarterly); "Where's the Software--Part…

The Development of a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, T.

2010-12-01

The National Academy of Sciences has created a committee of 18 National Academy of Science and Engineering members, academic scientists, cognitive and learning scientists, and educators, educational policymakers and researchers to develop a framework to guide new K-12 science education standards. The committee began its work in January, 2010, released a draft of the framework in July, 2010, and intends to have the final framework in the first quarter of 2011. The committee was helped in early phases of the work by consultant design teams. The framework is designed to help realize a vision for science and engineering education in which all students actively engage in science and engineering practices in order to deepen their understanding of core ideas in science over multiple years of school. These three dimensions - core disciplinary ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting elements - must blend together to build an exciting, relevant, and forward looking science education. The framework will be used as a base for development of next generation K-12 science education standards.

Course Goals in Social Science, Grades K-12. Critique Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Multnomah County Intermediate Education District, Portland, OR.

This document on course goals in the social sciences is one part of a critique series dealing with the development and evaluation of course goals in six subject matter areas for grades K-12. The series provides an initial pool of course-level goals that are expected to be of considerable value in assisting educators with goal definition related to…

Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications (IITA) Program: Annual K-12 Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, Paul; Likens, William; Leon, Mark

1995-01-01

The purpose of the K-12 workshop is to stimulate a cross pollination of inter-center activity and introduce the regional centers to curing edge K-1 activities. The format of the workshop consists of project presentations, working groups, and working group reports, all contained in a three day period. The agenda is aggressive and demanding. The K-12 Education Project is a multi-center activity managed by the Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications (IITA)/K-12 Project Office at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). this workshop is conducted in support of executing the K-12 Education element of the IITA Project The IITA/K-12 Project funds activities that use the National Information Infrastructure (NII) (e.g., the Internet) to foster reform and restructuring in mathematics, science, computing, engineering, and technical education.

A Supplementary Program for Environmental Education, Science, Grades K Through 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warpinski, Robert

Presented in these 13 teacher's guides for grades K-12 are lesson plans and ideas for integrating science and environmental education. Each lesson originates with a fundamental concept pertaining to the environment and states, in addition, its discipline area, subject area, and problem orientation. Following this, behavioral objectives and…

Curriculum Profiles: A Resource of the EDC K-12 Science Curriculum Dissemination Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Development Center, Inc, 2005

2005-01-01

The purpose of this document is to provide useful information for teachers and school systems engaged in the process of examining and choosing science curriculum materials appropriate for their settings. The curriculum profiles include summaries of selected programs available for K?12 science curriculum programs. Each profile describes a number of…

Teacher Field Research Experiences: Building and Maintaining the Passion for K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunton, K.; Schonberg, S.

2006-12-01

Academic scientists and researchers are increasingly encouraged to develop connections with K-12 educators to promote scientific literacy and bring excitement into the classroom. Such partnerships carry long-term benefits to both teachers and researchers. Teachers gain the tools, confidence, and knowledge to develop research activities with their students that promote scientific inquiry, and researchers benefit from outreach activities that improve communication skills for sharing scientific knowledge with the public. Our K-12 programs have been field based under a theme of Classrooms Without Walls, to take advantage of our local marine environment and a long-term research program on the Alaskan Arctic coast. Our professional development programs for teachers have included the creation of an annual summer graduate level course (Application of Field Research Experiences for K-12 Science and Math Educators) as an introduction to scientific methodology, observation, and inquiry based learning. We provide graduate students as resources in classrooms and for field trip experiences and provide supplies and instrumentation to teachers for K-12 field projects. Finally, teachers have an opportunity to join our researchers to remote sites under various competitive programs that receive federal support (e.g. GK-12, ARMADA). We provide examples of our activities, which are based on recent needs assessment surveys of science teachers; these included development of content knowledge and providing students with opportunities to connect concepts with experiences. Our goal is to provide field experiences to teachers and students that enable them to relate science concepts to the real world.

The Future of K-12 Computer Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottoms, Gene; Sundell, Kirsten

2016-01-01

Children born since the early 1990s have never known a world in which computer and information technologies are not essential to every aspect of their lives. However, far too many young people, especially low-income and minority youth, lack opportunities to learn about the impact of computer and information technologies on their lives and become…

K-12 science education reform will take a decade, and community partnerships hold best hope for success

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keever, J.R.

1994-12-31

Fundamental change in K-12 science education in the United States, essential for full citizenship in an increasingly technological world, will take a decade or more to accomplish, and only the sustained, cooperative efforts of people in their own communities -- scientists, teachers, and concerned citizens -- will likely ensure success. These were among the themes at Sigma Xi`s national K-12 science education forum.

Offering a Geoscience Professional Development Program to Promote Science Education and Provide Hands-on Experiences for K-12 Science Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fakayode, Sayo O.; Pollard, David A.; Snipes, Vincent T.; Atkinson, Alvin

2014-01-01

Development of an effective strategy for promoting science education and professional development of K-12 science educators is a national priority to strengthen the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This article reports the outcomes of a Geoscience Professional Development Program (GPDP) workshop…

Teaching and Learning with Mobile Computing Devices: Case Study in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Michael M.; Tamim, Suha; Brown, Dorian B.; Sweeney, Joseph P.; Ferguson, Fatima K.; Jones, Lakavious B.

2015-01-01

While ownership of mobile computing devices, such as cellphones, smartphones, and tablet computers, has been rapid, the adoption of these devices in K-12 classrooms has been measured. Some schools and individual teachers have integrated mobile devices to support teaching and learning. The purpose of this qualitative research was to describe the…

CESAME: Providing High Quality Professional Development in Science and Mathematics for K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickman, Paul

2002-04-01

It is appropriate that after almost half a century of Science and Mathematics education reform we take a look back and a peek forward to understand the present state of this wonderfully complex system. Each of the components of this system including teaching, professional development, assessment, content and the district K-12 curriculum all need to work together if we hope to provide quality science, mathematics and technology education for ALL students. How do the state and national standards drive the system? How do state policies on student testing and teacher licensure come into play? How do we improve the preparation, retention and job satisfaction of our K-12 teachers? What initiatives have made or are making a difference? What else needs to be done? What can the physics community do to support local efforts? This job is too big for any single organization or individual but we each can contribute to the effort. Our Center at Northeastern University, with support from the National Science Foundation, has a sharply defined focus: to get high quality, research-based instructional materials into the hands of K-12 classroom teachers and provide the support they need to use the materials effectively in their classrooms.

12 CFR Appendix K to Part 226 - Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions K Appendix K to Part 226 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED..., App. K Appendix K to Part 226—Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage...

12 CFR Appendix K to Part 226 - Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions K Appendix K to Part 226 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED..., App. K Appendix K to Part 226—Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage...

Cool Science: K-12 Climate Change Art Displayed on Buses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. F.; Lustick, D. S.; Lohmeier, J.; Thompson, S. R.

2015-12-01

Cool science is an art contest where K12 students create placards (7" x 22") to educate the public about climate change. Students are prompted to create their artwork in response to questions such as: What is the evidence for climate change? How does climate change impact your local community? What can you do to reduce the impacts of climate change? In each of three years, 500-600 student entrees have been submitted from more than 12 school districts across Massachusetts. A panel of judges including scientists, artists, rapid transit representatives, and educators chooses elementary, middle, and high school winners. Winners (6), runners-up (6), and honorable mentions (12) and their families and teachers are invited to an annual Cool Science Award Ceremony to be recognized and view winning artwork. All winning artwork is posted on the Cool Science website. The winning artwork (2 per grade band) is converted into placards (11" x 28") and posters (2.5' x 12') that are placed on the inside (placards) and outside (posters) of buses. Posters are displayed for one month. So far, Cool Science was implemented in Lowell, MA where over 5000 public viewers see the posters daily on the sides of Lowell Rapid Transit Authority (LRTA) buses, making approximately 1,000,000 impressions per year. Cool Science acts to increase climate literacy in children as well as the public, and as such promotes intergenerational learning. Using art in conjunction with science learning about climate change appears to be effective at engaging not just traditionally high achieving science students, but also those interested in the creative arts. Hearing winners' stories about how they created their artwork and what this contest meant to them supports the idea that Cool Science attracts a wide diversity of students. Parents discuss climate change with their children. Multiple press releases announcing the winners further promotes the awareness of climate change throughout school districts and their

Graded Course of Study, Science (K-12).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Euclid City Schools, OH.

This course of study specifies the science skills and concepts that are to be taught in the various grades of the Euclid (Ohio) City Schools. Included are instructional objectives for the life, physical, and earth sciences for grades K to 6, suggested field trips and planetarium schedules (by elementary grade levels), and scope and sequence charts…

A Study of the Tablet Computer's Application in K-12 Schools in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Taotao; Liang, Wenxin; Yu, Shengquan

2013-01-01

As an emerging mobile terminal, the tablet computer has begun to enter into the educational system. With the aim of having a better understanding of the application and people's perspectives on the new technology in K-12 schools in China, a survey was conducted to investigate the tablet computer's application, user's perspectives and requirements…

NGSS and the Landscape of Engineering in K-12 State Science Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tamara J.; Tank, Kristina M.; Glancy, Aran W.; Kersten, Jennifer A.

2015-01-01

Recent documents pertaining to K-12 education have fostered a connection between engineering and science education to help better prepare our students and future citizens to better meet the current and future challenges of our modern and technological society. With that connection, there has been a concerted effort to raise the visibility of…

Evaluation of Online Teacher and Student Materials for the Framework for K-12 Science Education Science and Engineering Crosscutting Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwab, Patrick

2013-01-01

The National Research Council developed and published the "Framework for K-12 Science Education," a new set of concepts that many states were planning on adopting. Part of this new endeavor included a set of science and engineering crosscutting concepts to be incorporated into science materials and activities, a first in science…

Instituting a Standards-Based K--12 Science Curriculum Supplement Program at the National Institutes of Health: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witherly, Jeffre

2010-01-01

Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based…

Tech-Savvy Science Education? Understanding Teacher Pedagogical Practices for Integrating Technology in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechter, Richard; Vermette, Laurie Anne

2014-01-01

This paper examines the technology integration practices of Manitoban K-12 inservice science educators based on the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content knowledge (TPACK) framework. Science teachers (n = 433) completed a 10-item online survey regarding pedagogical beliefs about technology integration, types of technology used, and how often…

Developing Partnerships between Higher Education Faculty, K-12 Science Teachers, and School Administrators via MSP initiatives: The RITES Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caulkins, J. L.; Kortz, K. M.; Murray, D. P.

2011-12-01

The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science Project (RITES) is a NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership (MSP) project that seeks to improve science education. RITES is, at its core, a unique partnership that fosters relationships between middle and high school science teachers, district and school administrators, higher education (HE) faculty members, and science education researchers. Their common goal is to enhance scientific inquiry, increase classroom technology usage, and improve state level science test scores. In one of the more visible examples of this partnership, middle and high school science teachers work closely with HE science faculty partners to design and teach professional development (PD) workshops. The PD sessions focus on technology-enhanced scientific investigations (e.g. use of probes, online simulations, etc.), exemplify inquiry-based instruction, and relate expert content knowledge. Teachers from these sessions express substantial satisfaction in the program, report increased comfort levels in teaching the presented materials (both via post-workshop surveys), and show significant gains in content knowledge (via pre-post assessments). Other benefits to this kind of partnership, in which K-12 and HE teachers are considered equals, include: 1) K-12 teachers are empowered through interactions with HE faculty and other science teachers in the state; 2) HE instructors become more informed not only about good pedagogical practices, but also practical aspects of teaching science such as engaging students; and 3) the PD sessions tend to be much stronger than ones designed and presented solely by HE scientists, for while HE instructors provide content expertise, K-12 teachers provide expertise in K-12 classroom practice and implementation. Lastly, the partnership is mutually beneficial for the partners involved because both sides learn practical ways to teach science and inquiry at different levels. In addition to HE faculty and K-12 science teacher

Problem-Based Learning in the Earth and Space Science Classroom, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Tom J.; Parker, Joyce; Eberhardt, Janet

2017-01-01

If you've ever asked yourself whether problem-based learning (PBL) can bring new life to both your teaching and your students' learning, here's your answer: Yes. This all-in-one guide will help you engage your students in scenarios that represent real-world science in all its messy, thought-provoking glory. The scenarios will prompt K-12 students…

Computer Science Lesson Study: Building Computing Skills among Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Thomas R.

2017-01-01

The lack of diversity in the technology workforce in the United States has proven to be a stubborn problem, resisting even the most well-funded reform efforts. With the absence of computer science education in the mainstream K-12 curriculum, only a narrow band of students in public schools go on to careers in technology. The problem persists…

C-MORE Science Kits: Putting Technology in the Hands of K-12 Teachers and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achilles, K.; Weersing, K.; Daniels, C.; Puniwai, N.; Matsuzaki, J.; Bruno, B. C.

2008-12-01

The Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a NSF Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawaii. The C-MORE education and outreach program offers a variety of resources and professional development opportunities for science educators, including online resources, participation in oceanography research cruises, teacher-training workshops, mini-grants to incorporate microbial oceanography-related content and activities into their classroom and, most recently, C- MORE science kits. C-MORE science kits provide hands-on classroom, field, and laboratory activities related to microbial oceanography for K-12 students. Each kit comes with complete materials and instructions, and is available free of charge to Hawaii's public school teachers. Several kits are available nationwide. C-MORE science kits cover a range of topics and technologies and are targeted at various grade levels. Here is a sampling of some available kits: 1) Marine Murder Mystery: The Case of the Missing Zooxanthellae. Students learn about the effect of climate change and other environmental threats on coral reef destruction through a murder-mystery experience. Participants also learn how to use DNA to identify a suspect. Grades levels: 3-8. 2) Statistical sampling. Students learn basic statistics through an exercise in random sampling, with applications to microbial oceanography. The laptops provided with this kit enable students to enter, analyze, and graph their data using EXCEL. Grades levels: 6-12. 3) Chlorophyll Lab. A research-quality fluorometer is used to measure the chlorophyll content in marine and freshwater systems. This enables students to compare biomass concentrations in samples collected from various locations. Grades levels: 9-12. 4) Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD). Students predict how certain variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, chlorophyll, oxygen) vary with depth. A CTD, attached to a laptop computer, is deployed into deep water

Technology Integration in K-12 Science Classrooms: An Analysis of Barriers and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechter, Richard P.; Vermette, Laurie Anne

2013-01-01

This paper examines the barriers to technology integration for Manitoban K-12 inservice science educators (n = 430) based on a 10-item online survey; results are analyzed according to teaching stream using the Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. Quantitative descriptive statistics indicated that the leading barriers…

Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

This document presents laboratory safety rules for Arkansas K-12 schools which were developed by the Arkansas Science Teachers Association (ASTA) and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Contents include: (1) "Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools"; (2) "Safety Considerations"; (3) "Safety Standards for Science Laboratories";…

An analysis of United States K-12 stem education versus STEM workforce at the dawn of the digital revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cataldo, Franca

The world is at the dawn of a third industrial revolution, the digital revolution, that brings great changes the world over. Today, computing devices, the Internet, and the World Wide Web are vital technology tools that affect every aspect of everyday life and success. While computing technologies offer enormous benefits, there are equally enormous safety and security risks that have been growing exponentially since they became widely available to the public in 1994. Cybercriminals are increasingly implementing sophisticated and serious hack attacks and breaches upon our nation's government, financial institutions, organizations, communities, and private citizens. There is a great need for computer scientists to carry America's innovation and economic growth forward and for cybersecurity professionals to keep our nation safe from criminal hacking. In this digital age, computer science and cybersecurity are essential foundational ingredients of technological innovation, economic growth, and cybersecurity that span all industries. Yet, America's K-12 education institutions are not teaching the computer science and cybersecurity skills required to produce a technologically-savvy 21st century workforce. Education is the key to preparing students to enter the workforce and, therefore, American K-12 STEM education must be reformed to accommodate the teachings required in the digital age. Keywords: Cybersecurity Education, Cybersecurity Education Initiatives, Computer Science Education, Computer Science Education Initiatives, 21 st Century K-12 STEM Education Reform, 21st Century Digital Literacies, High-Tech Innovative Problem-Solving Skills, 21st Century Digital Workforce, Standardized Testing, Foreign Language and Culture Studies, Utica College, Professor Chris Riddell.

Climate Change Education Today in K-12: What's Happening in the Earth and Space Science Classroom?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzer, M. A.; National Earth Science Teachers Association

2011-12-01

Climate change is a highly interdisciplinary topic, involving not only multiple fields of science, but also social science and the humanities. There are many aspects of climate change science that make it particularly well-suited for exploration in the K-12 setting, including opportunities to explore the unifying processes of science such as complex systems, models, observations, change and evolution. Furthermore, this field of science offers the opportunity to observe the nature of science in action - including how scientists develop and improve their understanding through research and debate. Finally, climate change is inherently highly relevant to students - indeed, students today will need to deal with the consequences of the climate change. The science of climate change is clearly present in current science education standards, both at the National level as well as in the majority of states. Nonetheless, a significant number of teachers across the country report difficulties addressing climate change in the classroom. The National Earth Science Teachers Association has conducted several surveys of Earth and space science educators across the country over the past several years on a number of issues, including their needs and concerns, including their experience of external influences on what they teach. While the number of teachers that report external pressures to not teach climate change science are in the minority (and less than the pressure to not teach evolution and related topics), our results suggest that this pressure against climate change science in the K-12 classroom has grown over the past several years. Some teachers report being threatened by parents, being encouraged by administrators to not teach the subject, and a belief that the "two sides" of climate change should be taught. Survey results indicate that teachers in religious or politically-conservative districts are more likely to report difficulties in teaching about climate change than in

Computer Technology in California K-12 Schools: Uses, Best Practices, and Policy Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umbach, Kenneth W.

Computers and Internet access are becoming increasingly frequent tools and resources in California's K-12 schools. Discussions with teachers and other education personnel and a review of published documents and other sources show the range of uses found in California classrooms, suggest what are the best practices with respect to computer…

Standards for K-12 Engineering Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2010

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to assess the value and feasibility of developing and implementing content standards for engineering education at the K-12 level. Content standards have been developed for three disciplines in STEM education--science, technology, and mathematic--but not for engineering. To date, a small but growing number of K-12…

Research-infused K-12 Science at the "Uttermost Part of the Earth:" An NSF GK-12 Fellow's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, E.; Ellins, K.; Ormiston, C.; Dovzak, N.; Anderson, S.; Tingle, D.; Knettel, P.; Redding, S.; Odle, K.; Dalziel, I.

2005-12-01

In March 2005, four students and three teachers from Boerne High School in Texas accompanied UTIG GK-12 Co-PIs Katherine Ellins and Ian Dalziel, and NSF GK-12 Fellow Ethan Perry to Tierra del Fuego to join an international team of scientists studying the climate-tectonic history recorded in Lago Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. For two weeks, students and teachers engaged in authentic scientific research that included geologic field mapping and reconnaissance, and student/teacher developed water and soils sampling routines. The Lago Fagnano experience enabled: (1) the Boerne High School group to be integrated into an active field research program and to bring tangible experiences, knowledge and high-quality data back to the classroom; (2) participating research scientists to convey the importance of their science to a wider audience; and (3) the NSF GK-12 Fellow to gain valuable experience in communicating the essential scientific knowledge and field skills to high school participants before field deployment. The GK-12 Fellow's bridging role through the course of the project enhanced his scientific understanding of the climate-tectonic setting of Tierra del Fuego, fostered the development of new professional contacts with research scientists and led to a fresh perspective on how research science can be integrated in high school science curriculum. The GK-12 Fellow served as the primary mentor to the K-12 participants and the liaison between UTIG research scientists and the Boerne High School group. The Fellow helped prepare the Boerne group for the field research experience and to design a research project using water and soil analyses to assess chemical and isotopic trends within the lake's watershed. Preparatory activities began three months prior to field deployment and included workshops, classroom visits and teleconferences aimed at teaching field skills (reading and creating geologic maps, compass measurements, GPS, field notebooks) and increasing

Survey on Teaching Science to K-12 Students with Disabilities: Teacher Preparedness and Attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahn, Sami; Lewis, Anna R.

2014-12-01

Students with disabilities are increasingly included in general education science classrooms and are expected to demonstrate academic proficiency on standardized assessments. Teacher preparation and attitudes have been cited as major factors contributing to either the success or failure of students with disabilities in science. In order to assess the current state of what could be facilitative or inhibitory influences, a national online survey to which 1,088 K-12 science teachers responded was conducted. Mixed methods' analyses suggest that science teachers receive little formal training and feel underprepared to teach students with disabilities. Results identify specific gaps in science teachers' education, as well as attitudinal and institutional barriers that may inhibit students with disabilities' success. However, science teachers remain highly receptive to training and collaboration. Implications for science teacher education are discussed.

You Asked, We Answered! A Podcasting Series by Scientists for K-12 Teachers Through the Pennsylvania Earth Science Teachers Association (PAESTA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guertin, L. A.; Tait, K.

2015-12-01

The Pennsylvania Earth Science Teachers Association (PAESTA) recently initiated a podcasting series "You Asked, We Answered!" for K-12 teachers to increase their science content knowledge through short audio podcasts, supplemented with relevant resources. The 2015-2016 PAESTA President Kathy Tait generated the idea of tapping in to the content expertise of higher education faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students to assist K-12 teachers with increasing their own Earth and space content knowledge. As time and resources for professional development are decreasing for K-12 teachers, PAESTA is committed to not only providing curricular resources through our online database of inquiry-based exercises in the PAESTA Classroom, but providing an opportunity to learn science content from professionals in an audio format.Our goal at PAESTA has been to release at least one new podcast per month that answers the questions asked by PAESTA members. Each podcast is recorded by an Earth/space science professional with content expertise and placed online with supporting images, links, and relevant exercises found in the PAESTA Classroom. Each podcast is available through the PAESTA website (http://www.paesta.psu.edu/podcasts) and PAESTA iTunes channel (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paesta-podcasts/id1017828453). For ADA compliance, the PAESTA website has a transcript for each audio file. In order to provide these podcasts, we need the participation of both K-12 teachers and science professionals. On the PAESTA Podcast website, K-12 teachers can submit discipline questions for us to pass along to our content experts, questions relating to the "what" and "how" of the Earth and space sciences, as well as questions about Earth and space science careers. We ask science professionals for help in answering the questions posed by teachers. We include online instructions and tips to help scientists generate their podcast and supporting materials.

12 CFR Appendix K to Part 1026 - Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions K Appendix K to Part 1026 Banks and Banking BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Pt. 1026, App. K Appendix K to Part 1026—Total Annual Loan Cost...

12 CFR Appendix K to Part 1026 - Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions K Appendix K to Part 1026 Banks and Banking BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Pt. 1026, App. K Appendix K to Part 1026—Total Annual Loan Cost...

Turning K-12 Science Education Inside Out, Knocking Down Walls and Empowering the Disenchanted.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, A. Y. M.

2016-12-01

For a 'user' there are several genres of citizen science activities one can enlist themselves in, from microtasked analytics to data collection. Often times design conversation for these efforts are focused around the goal of collecting high quality data for an urgent scientific question. However, there is much to be discussed around the opportunity to expand upon the interaction experience of the 'user'. This is particularly relevant in the integration of citizen science in the classroom. Here we explore the role of citizen science in formal K-12 science education through the lens of "Project Based Learning", examining design challenges in classroom adoption (including standards alignment) as well as interaction design focused around long term user/student motivation and engagement in the science exploration.

Designing Successful Science Contests for K-12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwerin, T.; Colleton, N.

2006-12-01

Contests can engage, motivate, instruct and inspire students of all grade levels and interests. What are the ingredients necessary for a successful science contest? The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has recommendations for designing science-based competitions that are both fun and educational for for elementary and secondary students. These recommendations were developed as a result of IGES' experience gained through two annual student competitions that focus on Earth science topics: An annual art contest, for grades 2-4, challenges U.S. students to explore a specific Earth science topic. For example, past themes have included Polar Explorations: Going to Extremes (2006); Connect-4: Air, Land, Water, and Life (2005); and Picture Me: What Kind of Earth Explorer Would I Be? (2004). The contest supports national science education standards for grades K-4, and includes suggested classroom activities, books, and movies. The Thacher Scholarship was founded in 2000 by IGES in honor of the late Peter S. Thacher, a former IGES board member and leader in promoting the use of satellite remote sensing. The $4,000 scholarship is awarded to exceptional high school students displaying the best use of satellite remote sensing in understanding our changing planet.

Science K-12, Living Things Are Products of Their Heredity and Their Environment. Utica City School District Articulated Curriculum: Project SEARCH, 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utica City School District, NY.

Two-column objectives are listed for an integrated science curriculum (grades K-12), often subheaded according to science area (biology, health, general science, physical science) and grade level. Concepts regarding characteristics of living things are stressed in objectives for the primary grades (K-5), and reproductive biology is covered…

Increasing ocean sciences in K and 1st grade classrooms through ocean sciences curriculum aligned to A Framework for K-12 Science Education, and implementation support.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedemonte, S.; Weiss, E. L.

2016-02-01

Ocean and climate sciences are rarely introduced at the early elementary levels. Reasons for this vary, but include little direct attention at the national and state levels; lack of quality instructional materials; and, lack of teacher content knowledge. Recent recommendations by the National Research Council, "revise the Earth and Space sciences core ideas and grade band endpoints to include more attention to the ocean whenever possible" (NRC, 2012, p. 336) adopted in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), may increase the call for ocean and climate sciences to be addressed. In response to these recommendations' and the recognition that an understanding of some of the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) would be incomplete without an understanding of processes or phenomena unique to the ocean and ocean organisms; the ocean Literacy community have created documents that show the alignment of NGSS with the Ocean Literacy Principles and Fundamental Concepts (Ocean Literacy, 2013) as well as the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence for Grades K-12 (Ocean Literacy, 2010), providing a solid argument for how and to what degree ocean sciences should be part of the curriculum. However, the percentage of science education curricula focused on the ocean remains very low. This session will describe a new project, that draws on the expertise of curriculum developers, ocean literacy advocates, and researchers to meet the challenges of aligning ocean sciences curriculum to NGSS, and supporting its implementation. The desired outcomes of the proposed project are to provide a rigorous standards aligned curricula that addresses all of the Life Sciences, and some Earth and Space Sciences and Engineering Design Core Ideas for Grades K and 1; and provides teachers with the support they need to understand the content and begin implementation. The process and lessons learned will be shared.

The Role of the National Science Foundation in K-12 Science and Math Education. Hearing before the Committee on Science, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session (May 3, 2006). Serial Number 109-46

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US House of Representatives, 2006

2006-01-01

The purpose of this hearing was to review the effectiveness and value of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) past and present programs in support of improvement of K-12 science and math education and to examine what role the Foundation should play in future federal initiatives for strengthening K-12 science and math education. This hearing…

NSF GK-12 Fellows as Mentors for K-12 Teachers Participating in Field Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K.; Perry, E.

2005-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) recognizes the value of providing educational opportunities to K-12 teachers who play a critical role in shaping the minds of young people who are the future of our science. To that end, UTIG established the "Texas Teachers in the Field" program in 2000 to formalize the participation of K-12 teachers in field programs that included UTIG scientists. In 2002, "Texas Teachers in the Field" evolved through UTIG's involvement in a University of Texas at Austin GK-12 project led by the Environmental Sciences Institute, which enabled UTIG to partner a subset of GK-12 Fellows with teachers participating in geophysical field programs. During the three years of the GK-12 project, UTIG successfully partnered four GK-12 Fellows with five K-12 teachers. The Fellows served as mentors to the teachers, as liaisons between UTIG scientists leading field programs and teachers and their students, and as resources in science, mathematics, and technology instruction. Specifically, Fellows prepared teachers and their students for the field investigations, supervised the design of individual Teacher Research Experience (TRE) projects, and helped teachers to develop standards-aligned curriculum resources related to the field program for use in their own classrooms, as well as broader distribution. Although all but one TRE occurred during the school year, Texas school districts and principals were willing to release teachers to participate because the experience and destinations were so extraordinary (i.e., a land-based program in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; and research cruises to the Southeast Caribbean Sea and Hess Deep in the Pacific Ocean) and carried opportunities to work with scientists from around the world. This exceptional collaboration of GK-12 Fellows, K-12 teachers and research scientists enriches K-12 student learning and promotes greater enthusiasm for science. The level of mentoring, preparation and follow-up provided

Instituting a standards-based K--12 science curriculum supplement program at the National Institutes of Health: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witherly, Jeffre

Research on student achievement indicates the U.S. K-12 education system is not adequately preparing American students to compete in the 21st century global economy in the areas of science and mathematics. Congress has asked the scientific entities of the federal government to help increase K-12 science learning by creating standards-based learning tools for science classrooms as part of a "voluntary curriculum." One problem facing federal entities, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the need to create science-learning tools that conform to the National Science Education Standards (NSES) for curriculum materials and, therefore, are standards-based and applicable to the K-12 curriculum. This case study sought to better understand the change process at one federal agency as it went from producing K-12 learning tools that were educational in nature to a program that produced K-12 standards-based learning tools: the NIH Science Curriculum Supplement Program (NIH SCSP). The NIH SCSP was studied to gain insight into how this change in educational approach occurred, what factors enabled or inhibited the change process, and what the long-term benefits of the NIH SCSP are to the NIH. Kurt Lewin's three-step theory of change guided data gathering and data analysis. Semi-structured interviews and programmatic document review served as the major data gathering sources. Details describing the process of organizational change at the NIH were revealed during analysis of these data following the coding of interview transcripts and written record documents. The study found the process of change at the NIH proceeded in a manner generally predicted by the Lewinian change model. Enablers to the change were cost-sharing with individual institutes, support of senior leadership, and crediting the role of individual institutes prominently in each supplement. The cost of creating a supplement was reported as the single inhibitor to the program. This case study yielded a

A Metasynthesis of the Complementarity of Culturally Responsive and Inquiry-Based Science Education in K-12 Settings: Implications for Advancing Equitable Science Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Julie C.

2017-01-01

Employing metasynthesis as a method, this study examined 52 empirical articles on culturally relevant and responsive science education in K-12 settings to determine the nature and scope of complementarity between culturally responsive and inquiry-based science practices (i.e., science and engineering practices identified in the National Research…

Computer Science in K-12 School Curricula of the 2lst Century: Why, What and When?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Mary; Davis, Niki; Bell, Tim; Katz, Yaacov J.; Reynolds, Nicholas; Chambers, Dianne P.; Syslo, Maciej M.

2017-01-01

In this paper we have examined the position and roles of Computer Science in curricula in the light of recent calls for curriculum change and we have proposed principles and issues to consider in curriculum design as well as identifying priority areas for further research. The paper is based on discussions within and beyond the International…

K-12 Bolsters Ties to Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robelen, Erik W.

2013-01-01

When science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is discussed in the K-12 sphere, it often seems like shorthand for mathematics and science, with perhaps a nod to technology and even less, if any, real attention to engineering. But recent developments signal that the "e" in STEM may be gaining a firmer foothold at…

Project BioEYES: Accessible Student-Driven Science for K-12 Students and Teachers.

PubMed

Shuda, Jamie R; Butler, Valerie G; Vary, Robert; Farber, Steven A

2016-11-01

BioEYES, a nonprofit outreach program using zebrafish to excite and educate K-12 students about science and how to think and act like scientists, has been integrated into hundreds of under-resourced schools since 2002. During the week-long experiments, students raise zebrafish embryos to learn principles of development and genetics. We have analyzed 19,463 participating students' pre- and post-tests within the program to examine their learning growth and attitude changes towards science. We found that at all grade levels, BioEYES effectively increased students' content knowledge and produced favorable shifts in students' attitudes about science. These outcomes were especially pronounced in younger students. Having served over 100,000 students, we find that our method for providing student-centered experiences and developing long-term partnerships with teachers is essential for the growth and sustainability of outreach and school collaborations.

An Evaluation of the Conditions, Processes, and Consequences of Laptop Computing in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanaugh, Cathy; Dawson, Kara; Ritzhaupt, Albert

2011-01-01

This article examines how laptop computing technology, teacher professional development, and systematic support resulted in changed teaching practices and increased student achievement in 47 K-12 schools in 11 Florida school districts. The overview of a large-scale study documents the type and magnitude of change in student-centered teaching,…

Integrating local environmental research into K-12 science classrooms and the value of graduate student-educator partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, N. D.; Petrik-Finley, R.

2015-12-01

Collaboration between researchers and K-12 educators enables an invaluable exchange of teaching philosophies and educational tools. Programs that partner graduate students with K-12 educators serve the dual purpose of training future educators and providing K-12 students with unique opportunities and perspectives. The benefits of this type of partnership include providing students with enhanced educational experiences and positive student-mentor relationships, training STEM graduate students in effective teaching strategies, and providing teachers with a firsthand resource for scientific information and novel educational materials. Many high school students have had little exposure to science beyond the classroom. Frequent interactions with "real-life" scientists can help make science more approachable and is an effective strategy for promoting science as a career. Here I describe my experiences and several lessons designed as a NSK GK-12 fellow. For example, a month-long unit on biogeochemical principles was framed as a crime scene investigation of a fish kill event in Hood Canal, Washington, in which students were given additional pieces of evidence to solve the mystery as they satisfied checkpoints in their understanding of key concepts. The evidence pieces included scientific plots, maps, datasets, and laboratory exercises. A clear benefit of this investigation-style unit is that students were able to learn the material at their individual pace. This structure allowed for a streamlined integration of differentiated materials such as simplified background readings or visual learning aids for struggling students or more detailed news articles and primary literature for more advanced students. Although the NSF GK-12 program has been archived, educators and researchers should pursue new partnerships, leveraging local and state-level STEM outreach programs with the goal of increasing national exposure of the societal benefits of such synergistic activities.

Computational Thinking for All: Pedagogical Approaches to Embedding 21st Century Problem Solving in K-12 Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yadav, Aman; Hong, Hai; Stephenson, Chris

2016-01-01

The recent focus on computational thinking as a key 21st century skill for all students has led to a number of curriculum initiatives to embed it in K-12 classrooms. In this paper, we discuss the key computational thinking constructs, including algorithms, abstraction, and automation. We further discuss how these ideas are related to current…

Integrating long-term science projects into K-12 curriculum: Fostering teacher-student engagement in urban environmental research through an NSF UCLA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.; Daniel, J.; Shope, R.

2009-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA) has just completed its first year (of a five-year program) and has greatly expanded UCLA’s science and engineering partnerships with LA Unified and Culver City Unified School Districts. The SEE-LA program partners UCLA faculty, graduate students (fellows), middle and high school science teachers and their students into a program of science and engineering exploration that brings the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at the four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science and engineering lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom, including a lesson focused on their dissertation research, a lesson focused on the environmental/watershed theme of the project, and a lesson that involves longer-term data collection and synthesis with the grade 6-12 teachers and students. The developed long-term projects ideally involve continued observations and analysis through the five-year project and beyond. During the first year of the project, the ten SEE-LA fellows developed a range of long-term research projects, from seasonal invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to home energy consumption surveys, to a school bioblitz (quantification of campus animals and insects). Examples of lesson development and integration in the classroom setting will be highlighted as well as tools required for sustainability of the projects. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of sustainable

Teaching and Learning about Complex Systems in K-12 Science Education: A Review of Empirical Studies 1995-2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Susan A.; Goh, Sao-Ee; Park, Miyoung

2018-01-01

The study of complex systems has been highlighted in recent science education policy in the United States and has been the subject of important real-world scientific investigation. Because of this, research on complex systems in K-12 science education has shown a marked increase over the past two decades. In this systematic review, we analyzed 75…

The SERC K12 Educators Portal to Teaching Activities and Pedagogic Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K.; Kirk, K. B.; Manduca, C. A.; Ledley, T. S.; Schmitt, L.

2013-12-01

The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) has created a portal to information for K12 educators to provide high-quality grade level appropriate materials from a wide variety of projects and topics. These materials were compiled across the SERC site, showcasing materials that were created for, or easily adaptable to, K12 classrooms. This resource will help support implementation of Next Generation Science Standards by assisting educators in finding innovative resources to address areas of instruction that are conceptually different than previous national and state science standards. Specifically, the K12 portal assists educators in learning about approaches that address the cross-cutting nature of science concepts, increasing students quantitative reasoning and numeracy skills, incorporating technology such as GIS in the classroom, and by assisting educators of all levels of K12 instruction in using relevant and meaningful ways to teach science concepts. The K12 portal supports educators by providing access to hundreds of teaching activities covering a wide array of science topics and grade levels many of which have been rigorously reviewed for pedagogic quality and scientific accuracy. The portal also provides access to web pages that enhance teaching practices that help increase student's system thinking skills, make lectures interactive, assist instructors in conducting safe and effective indoor and outdoor labs, providing support for teaching energy and climate literacy principles, assisting educators in addressing controversial content, provide guidance in engaging students affective domain, and provides a collection of tools for making teaching relevant in 21st century classrooms including using GIS, Google Earth, videos, visualizations and simulations to model and describe scientific concepts. The portal also provides access to material for specific content and audiences by (1) Supporting AGIs 'Map your World' week to specifically highlight teaching

K-12 Students Flock To ToxTown In San Diego: Results of an SOT K-12 Education Outreach Workshop

EPA Science Inventory

Just prior to the start of the 2015 Annual Meeting in San Diego, hundreds of K-12 students, teachers, and science enthusiasts visited the ToxTown booth at the annual San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering grand finale event, EXPO Day. Over 20,000 attendees participated in ...

Scientists Involved in K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robigou, V.

2004-12-01

The publication of countless reports documenting the dismal state of science education in the 1980s, and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) report (1996) called for a wider involvement of the scientific community in K-12 education and outreach. Improving science education will not happen without the collaboration of educators and scientists working in a coordinated manner and it requires a long-term, continuous effort. To contribute effectively to K-12 education all scientists should refer to the National Science Education Standards, a set of policies that guide the development of curriculum and assessment. Ocean scientists can also specifically refer to the COSEE recommendations (www.cosee.org) that led to the creation of seven regional Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence. Scientists can get involved in K-12 education in a multitude of ways. They should select projects that will accommodate time away from their research and teaching obligations, their talent, and their interest but also contribute to the education reform. A few examples of effective involvement are: 1) collaborating with colleagues in a school of education that can lead to better education of all students and future teachers, 2) acting as a resource for a national program or a local science fair, 3) serving on the advisory board of a program that develops educational material, 4) speaking out at professional meetings about the value of scientists' involvement in education, 5) speaking enthusiastically about the teaching profession. Improving science education in addition to research can seem a large, overwhelming task for scientists. As a result, focusing on projects that will fit the scientist's needs as well as benefit the science reform is of prime importance. It takes an enormous amount of work and financial and personnel resources to start a new program with measurable impact on students. So, finding the right opportunity is a priority, and stepping

Expanding Computer Science Education in Schools: Understanding Teacher Experiences and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yadav, Aman; Gretter, Sarah; Hambrusch, Susanne; Sands, Phil

2017-01-01

The increased push for teaching computer science (CS) in schools in the United States requires training a large number of new K-12 teachers. The current efforts to increase the number of CS teachers have predominantly focused on training teachers from other content areas. In order to support these beginning CS teachers, we need to better…

Computational Thinking in High School Science Classrooms: Exploring the Science "Framework" and "NGSS"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneider, Cary; Stephenson, Chris; Schafer, Bruce; Flick, Larry

2014-01-01

A "Framework for K-12 Science Education" identified eight practices as "essential elements of the K-12 science and engineering curriculum" (NRC 2012, p. 49). Most of the practices, such as Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, and Analyzing and Interpreting Data, are well known among science…

The Windows to the Universe Project: Using the Internet to Support K-12 Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardiner, L.; Johnson, R.; Bergman, J.; Russell, R.; Genyuk, J.; La Grave, M.

2003-12-01

The World Wide Web can be a powerful tool for reaching the public as well as students and teachers around the world, supporting both formal and informal science education. The Windows to the Universe Project, initiated in 1995, provides a case study of approaches for the use of the web to support earth and space science education and literacy efforts. Through the use of innovative approaches such as easy to use design, multi-level content, and science concepts presented in a broader background context that includes connections to culture and the humanities, Windows to the Universe is an accessible format for individuals of various ages and learning styles. A large global audience regularly uses the web site to learn about earth and space science as well as related humanities content such as myths from around the world. User surveys show that the site has over 4 millions users per year, 65 percent of which are K-12 teachers and students. Approximately 46 percent of users access the site once per week or more. Recently, we have had the opportunity to expand our efforts while we continue to update existing content based on new scientific findings and events. Earth science content on Windows to the Universe is currently growing with a new geology section and development efforts are underway to expand our space weather content with a new curriculum. Educational games allow users to learn about space in a playful context, and an online journaling tool further integrates literacy into the learning experience. In addition, we are currently translating the entire Windows to the Universe web site into Spanish. We have included educators in the project as co-designers from its inception, and by aggressively utilizing and providing professional development opportunities for teachers, the web site is now used in thousands of classrooms around the world. In the past year we have continued to support K-12 educators by adding to our suite of classroom activities and leading

Partnerships Between K-12 Schools and Universities: Who Benefits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regens, N.; Hall-Wallace, M. K.

2001-05-01

Collaborations between K-12 schools and universities for the purpose of improving science education are growing in number, but many question their effectiveness. After many years of outreach to local teachers, schools and districts, we have developed a collaboration that more effectively addresses school district goals and needs while providing university faculty and graduate students with real opportunities to contribute to science education in the schools. Funded by the NSF GK-12 program, we are working directly with school district curriculum specialists and classroom teachers to implement inquiry-based science investigations. Projects range from developing long-term research projects in middle and high school classrooms to assisting K-6 teachers in using kit-based science curriculum. As part of our program, we have gathered several types of data to document the impact of our efforts. Using surveys of knowledge and attitudes, we measured significant improvements in college student's knowledge and attitudes about inquiry teaching methods and the K-12 education system. Through analysis of the college student's journals, we have also documented critical elements of an effective collaboration. These journals, combined with evaluations by classroom teachers, provide evidence of how the program impacts the graduate students professionally. We have also surveyed classroom teachers to measure the impact of the college students on their attitudes about teaching science and the long-term impact of the collaboration on their classroom teaching.

A Needs Assessment for the Adoption of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in K-12 Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Karleah; Sithole, Alec; Kibirige, Joachim

2017-01-01

Since its inception, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) blue print has attracted interest from more than 40 states in the United States. The overall objective of these proposed changes is to align K-12 science education with current trends in technology and career needs. However, the assessment of teacher preparedness and classroom…

Science K-12, Interdependency of Living Things and Living Things With Their Environment. Utica City School District Articulated Curriculum: Project SEARCH, 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utica City School District, NY.

Two-column objectives are listed for an integrated science curriculum (grades K-12), often subheaded according to science area (biology, physical science), and grade level. Choices of environmental topics such as weather, conservation of natural resources, and the interdependence of organisms and environment dominate objectives written for grades…

A Strategy for Incorporating Learning Analytics into the Design and Evaluation of a K-12 Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monroy, Carlos; Rangel, Virginia Snodgrass; Whitaker, Reid

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss a scalable approach for integrating learning analytics into an online K-12 science curriculum. A description of the curriculum and the underlying pedagogical framework is followed by a discussion of the challenges to be tackled as part of this integration. We include examples of data visualization based on teacher usage…

Connecting with Teachers and Students through K-12 Outreach Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Susan; Lindbo, David; Robinson, Clay

2014-05-01

The Soil Science Society of America has invested heavily in a significant outreach effort to reach teachers and students in the primary/secondary grades (K-12 grades in US/Canada) to raise awareness of soil as a critical resource. The SSSA K-12 committee has been charged with increasing interest and awareness of soil science as a scientific pursuit and career choice, and providing resources that integrate more information on soil science into biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science areas taught at multiple grade levels. Activities center around five main areas: assessment and standards, learning modules/lesson plans, website development, and books and materials, and partnership activities. Members (professionals and students) of SSSA are involved through committee participation, local events, materials review, and project development.

Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: K - 12 Formal Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolone, Lindsay; Smith, D. A.; Eisenhamer, B.; Lawton, B. L.; Universe Professional Development Collaborative, Multiwavelength; NASA Data Collaborative, Use of; SEPOF K-12 Formal Education Working Group; E/PO Community, SMD

2014-01-01

The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community through a coordinated effort to enhance the coherence and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in the K - 12 Formal Education community. Members of the K - 12 Formal Education community include classroom educators, homeschool educators, students, and curriculum developers. The Forums’ efforts for the K - 12 Formal Education community include a literature review, appraisal of educators’ needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, and support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K - 12 Formal Education community based upon mutual needs and interests.

Scientific Participation at the Poles: K-12 Teachers in Polar Science for Careers and Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowley, S.; Warburton, J.

2012-12-01

PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded program in which K-12 teachers participate in hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions. PolarTREC highlights the importance of involving teachers in scientific research in regards to their careers as educators and their ability to engage students in the direct experience of science. To date, PolarTREC has placed over 90 teachers with research teams in the Arctic and Antarctic. Published results of our program evaluation quantify the effect of the field experience on the teachers' use of the real scientific process in the classroom, the improvement in science content taught in classrooms, and the use of non-fiction texts (real data and science papers) as primary learning tools for students. Teachers and students both report an increase of STEM literacy in the classroom content, confidence in science education, as well as a markedly broadened outlook of science as essential to their future. Research conducted with science teams affirms that they are achieving broader impacts when PolarTREC teachers are involved in their expeditions. Additionally, they reported that these teachers making vital contributions to the success of the scientific project.

Engineering design skills coverage in K-12 engineering program curriculum materials in the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-11-01

The current K-12 Science Education framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed curriculum materials that are being used in K-12 settings. However, little is known about the nature and extent to which engineering design skills outlined in NGSS are addressed in these K-12 engineering education programme curriculum materials. We analysed nine K-12 engineering education programmes for the nature and extent of engineering design skills coverage. Results show that developing possible solutions and actual designing of prototypes were the highly covered engineering design skills; specification of clear goals, criteria, and constraints received medium coverage; defining and identifying an engineering problem; optimising the design solution; and demonstrating how a prototype works, and making iterations to improve designs were lowly covered. These trends were similar across grade levels and across discipline-specific curriculum materials. These results have implications on engineering design-integrated science teaching and learning in K-12 settings.

Where Can We Find Future K-12 Science and Math Teachers? A Search by Academic Year, Discipline, and Academic Performance Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moin, Laura J.; Dorfield, Jennifer K.; Schunn, Christian D.

2005-01-01

Responding to the increasing math and science teacher shortage in the United States, this study intended to determine which science, engineering, and math (SEM) majors during which years in their undergraduate education and from which academic performance levels are most interested in K-12 teaching. Results may aid policymakers and practitioners…

Practical Application of Research in Science Education (PARSE) -- A New Collaboration for K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwicker, Andrew; Lopez, Jose; Clayton, James

2008-11-01

A new collaboration between PPPL, St. Peter's College, the Liberty Science Center, and the Jersey City Public School District was formed in order to create a unique K-12 teacher professional development program. St. Peter's College, located in Jersey City, NJ, is a liberal arts college in an urban setting. The Liberty Science Center (LSC) is the largest education resource in the New Jersey-New York City region. The Jersey City School District has 28,000 students of which approximately 90% are from populations traditionally under-represented in science. The new program is centered upon topics surrounding energy and the environment. In the first year, beginning in 2009, 15-20 teachers will participate in a pilot course that includes hands-on research at PPPL and St. Peter's, the creation of new curricular materials, and pedagogical techniques. Scientists, master teachers, and education professors will teach the course. In subsequent years, the number of participants will be significantly expanded and the curricular material disseminated to other school districts. In addition, an outside evaluator will measure the educational outcome throughout the project.

Extending the Pathway: Building on a National Science Foundation Workforce Development Project for Underserved k-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slattery, W.; Smith, T.

2014-12-01

With new career openings in the geosciences expected and a large number of presently employed geoscientists retiring in the next decade there is a critical need for a new cadre of geoscientists to fill these positions. A project funded by the National Science Foundation titled K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career involving Wright State University and the Ripley, Lewis, Union, Huntington k-12 school district in Appalachian Ohio took led to dozens of seventh and eighth grade students traveling to Sandy Hook, New Jersey for a one week field experience to study oceanography with staff of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Teachers, parent chaperones, administrators and university faculty accompanied the students in the field. Teachers worked alongside their students in targeted professional development during the weeklong field experience. During the two academic years of the project, both middle school and high school teachers received professional development in Earth system science so that all students, not just those that were on the summer field experience could receive enhanced science learning. All ninth grade high school students were given the opportunity to take a high school/college dual credit Earth system science course. Community outreach provided widespread knowledge of the project and interest among parents to have their children participate. In addition, ninth grade students raised money themselves to fund a trip to the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station on Andros Island, Bahamas to study a tropical aquatic system. Students who before this project had never traveled outside of Ohio are currently discussing ways that they can continue on the pathway to a geoscience career by applying for internships for the summer between their junior and senior years. These are positive steps towards taking charge of their

K-12th Grade Math and Science Education: The View from the Blackboard. Hearing Before the Committee on Science, House of Representatives, 107th Congress, First Session (March 7, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House.

The hearing reported in this document focuses on mathematics and science education at the K-12 grade levels. The hearing includes the opening statements of Representative Sherwood Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives and Representative Ralph Hall, Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Science, U.S. House of…

Teachers' Curriculum Guide to the Hayward Shoreline, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bachle, Leo; And Others

This teaching guide gives environmental education ideas for grades K-12. The field trips and activities all relate to the Hayward shoreline of the San Francisco, California, Bay. Included in the guide are 44 science activities, 15 social science activities, and 18 humanities activities. Each activity description gives the experience level, site…

Increasing participation in the Earth sciences through engagement of K-12 educators in Earth system science analysis, inquiry and problem- based learning and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrell, S.

2012-12-01

Given low course enrollment in geoscience courses, retention in undergraduate geoscience courses, and granting of BA and advanced degrees in the Earth sciences an effective strategy to increase participation in this field is necessary. In response, as K-12 education is a conduit to college education and the future workforce, Earth science education at the K-12 level was targeted with the development of teacher professional development around Earth system science, inquiry and problem-based learning. An NSF, NOAA and NASA funded effort through the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies led to the development of the Earth System Science Educational Alliance (ESSEA) and dissemination of interdisciplinary Earth science content modules accessible to the public and educators. These modules formed the basis for two teacher workshops, two graduate level courses for in-service teachers and two university course for undergraduate teacher candidates. Data from all three models will be presented with emphasis on the teacher workshop. Essential components of the workshop model include: teaching and modeling Earth system science analysis; teacher development of interdisciplinary, problem-based academic units for implementation in the classroom; teacher collaboration; daily workshop evaluations; classroom observations; follow-up collaborative meetings/think tanks; and the building of an on-line professional community for continued communication and exchange of best practices. Preliminary data indicate increased understanding of Earth system science, proficiency with Earth system science analysis, and renewed interest in innovative delivery of content amongst teachers. Teacher-participants reported increased student engagement in learning with the implementation of problem-based investigations in Earth science and Earth system science thinking in the classroom, however, increased enthusiasm of the teacher acted as a contributing factor. Teacher feedback on open

The University Scientist's Role in Promoting Collaborative K-12 Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuster, D.; Brown, L. L.; Carlsen, W. S.

2004-12-01

Comprehensive K-12 science teacher professional development is dependent upon the successful interaction between the university and K-12 communities (National Research Council, 2001), which can be realized through partnerships between university scientists and K-12 science teachers. This paper will identify some best practices of university scientists in the professional development of science teachers, first by citing the professional development and science education literature (Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1998; National Research Council, 1996a, 1996b), and then by highlighting how these best practices were actualized in summer workshops for science educators offered at Penn State. Each summer the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium supports seven one-week courses for secondary science teachers taught by university scientists from disciplines representative of NASA's research interests. Approximately 100 teachers enroll in these two-credit, graduate-level workshops from a variety of locations and contexts throughout the United States. These summer courses share a number of important features (duration, general format, teacher recruitment and admission, location, number of participants, etc.), making them a unique dataset for comparative research on science teacher professional development. By recognizing the role of university scientists relating to both practice and standards of professional development, we identify areas in which teachers could be empowered to lead and, alternatively, where scientists and administrators should improve and continue to direct-- both supporting a culture of collaboration that builds K-12 science teacher capacity (Fullan, 2001, 2003; Hawley & Valli, 1999). In our observations and analysis of the evaluations, three best practices, as defined by the literature, appeared to distinguish the exceptional workshops: First, teachers give high marks and make affirmative comments about workshops with clearly presented curricular

Computational Thinking Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ioannidou, Andri; Bennett, Vicki; Repenning, Alexander; Koh, Kyu Han; Basawapatna, Ashok

2011-01-01

The iDREAMS project aims to reinvent Computer Science education in K-12 schools, by using game design and computational science for motivating and educating students through an approach we call Scalable Game Design, starting at the middle school level. In this paper we discuss the use of Computational Thinking Patterns as the basis for our…

Effect of Robotics on Elementary Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Science Learning, and Computational Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaipal-Jamani, Kamini; Angeli, Charoula

2017-01-01

The current impetus for increasing STEM in K-12 education calls for an examination of how preservice teachers are being prepared to teach STEM. This paper reports on a study that examined elementary preservice teachers' (n = 21) self-efficacy, understanding of science concepts, and computational thinking as they engaged with robotics in a science…

A Framework for Quality K-12 Engineering Education: Research and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tamara J.; Glancy, Aran W.; Tank, Kristina M.; Kersten, Jennifer A.; Smith, Karl A.; Stohlmann, Micah S.

2014-01-01

Recent U.S. national documents have laid the foundation for highlighting the connection between science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the K-12 level. However, there is not a clear definition or a well-established tradition of what constitutes a quality engineering education at the K-12 level. The purpose of the current work has been…

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 20 science activities for students K-12. Topics include role playing, similarities between urban and forest communities, ecosystems, garbage, recycling, food production, habitats, insects, tidal zone, animals, diversity, interest groups, rivers, spaceship earth, ecological interactions, and the cost of recreation. (KR)

Mathematics. Exceptional Child Education Curriculum K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordon, Thelma; And Others

The mathematics curriculum provides a framework of instruction for exceptional child education in grades K-12. Content areas include: numeration, whole numbers, rational numbers, real/complex numbers, calculator literacy, measurement, geometry, statistics, functions/relations, computer literacy, and pre-algebra. The guide is organized by content…

kNOw Soil - kNOw Life: Integrating soil science across disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindbo, D. L.; Kozlowski, D.; Robinson, C.; Chapman, S.

2014-12-01

Teaching primary and secondary school students (K-12) about science and art, although absolutely critical, can be difficult. Teachers have specific standards or subject matters that they are required to cover and often soils and soil science is not included in that list. We have struggled with ways to bring soil science information to the larger audience as the direct approach meets with resistance due to the time commitments to other standards. Our approach now is to use soils as a media or vehicle to teach key concepts in broad subject areas. We have developed several lesson plans in science, geography, math and art that focus on a concept but use soils to convey it. For example students make "mini" monoliths of a state soil. During this exercise students need to use skills in geography to find where their state soil occurs in their state and in the country. They need to understand colors in order to choose the correct colors to use to make their monolith. Finally, they must understand how scales work in order to make the monolith accurate in terms of horizon depths. Throughout the exercise discussion on my certain colors occur in the soil can be discussed. This discussion can lead to a qualitative understanding of chemistry and biology. This presentation will demonstrate this lesson and several others that have been developed and available through the Soil Science Society of America's K12 Education Committee and our International Year of Soil website.

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 37 environmental science activities for students in grades K-12. Topics include water pollution, glaciers, protective coloration, shapes in nature, environmental impacts, recycling, creative writing, litter, shapes found in nature, color, rain cycle, waste management, plastics, energy, pH, landfills, runoff, watersheds,…

Web Connects K-12 Students with Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2009-01-01

This article reports that Derek Cummings and Justin Lessler, Johns Hopkins University epidemiologists, have come to the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) to give a live webinar on the spread of swine flu. This web-based audio and video presentation is one of many efforts by universities and science organizations to put K-12 students in…

A Vision in Aeronautics: The K-12 Wind Tunnel Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

A Vision in Aeronautics, a project within the NASA Lewis Research Center's Information Infrastructure Technologies and Applications (IITA) K-12 Program, employs small-scale, subsonic wind tunnels to inspire students to explore the world of aeronautics and computers. Recently, two educational K-12 wind tunnels were built in the Cleveland area. During the 1995-1996 school year, preliminary testing occurred in both tunnels.

A Library approach to establish an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that supports K-12 data science sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branch, B. D.; Wegner, K.; Smith, S.; Schulze, D. G.; Merwade, V.; Jung, J.; Bessenbacher, A.

2013-12-01

It has been the tradition of the libraries to support literacy. Now in the realm of Executive Order, Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information, May 9, 2013, the library has the responsibility to support geospatial data, big data, earth science data or cyber infrastructure data that may support STEM for educational pipeline stimulation. (Such information can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/09/executive-order-making-open-and-machine-readable-new-default-government-.) Provided is an Educational Data Curation Framework (EDCF) that has been initiated in Purdue research, geospatial data service engagement and outreach endeavors for future consideration and application to augment such data science and climate literacy needs of future global citizens. In addition, this endorsement of this framework by the GLOBE program may facilitate further EDCF implementations, discussion points and prototypes for libraries. In addition, the ECDF will support teacher-led, placed-based and large scale climate or earth science learning systems where such knowledge transfer of climate or earth science data is effectively transferred from higher education research of cyberinfrastructure use such as, NOAA or NASA, to K-12 teachers and school systems. The purpose of this effort is to establish best practices for sustainable K-12 data science delivery system or GLOBE-provided system (http://vis.globe.gov/GLOBE/) where libraries manage the data curation and data appropriateness as data reference experts for such digital data. Here, the Purdue University Libraries' GIS department works to support soils, LIDAR and water science data experiences to support teacher training for an EDCF development effort. Lastly, it should be noted that the interdisciplinary collaboration and demonstration of library supported outreach partners and national organizations such the GLOBE program may best foster EDCF development. This trend in data

VISL: A Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory For Outreach and K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halkides, D. J.; Larour, E. Y.; Cheng, D. L.; Perez, G.; Romero, V.; Saks, O.

2014-12-01

We present a prototype Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory (VISL) geared to K-12 classrooms and the general public, with the goal of improving climate literacy, especially in regards to the crucial role of the polar ice sheets in Earth's climate and sea level. VISL will allow users to perform guided experiments using the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), a state-of-the-art ice flow model developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UC Irvine that simulates the near-term evolution of the ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica. VISL users will access ISSM via a graphical interface that can be launched from a web browser on a computer, tablet or smart phone. Users select climate conditions and run time by moving graphic sliders then watch how a given region evolves in time under those conditions. Lesson plans will include conceptual background, instructions for table top experiments related to the concepts addressed in a given lesson, and a guide for performing model experiments and interpreting their results. Activities with different degrees of complexity will aim for consistency with NGSS Physical Science criteria for different grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12), although they will not be labeled as such to encourage a broad user base. Activities will emphasize the development of physical intuition and critical thinking skills, understanding conceptual and computational models, as well as observation recording, concept articulation, hypothesis formulation and testing, and mathematical analysis. At our present phase of development, we seek input from the greater science education and outreach communities regarding VISL's planned content, as well as additional features and topic areas that educators and students would find useful.

K-12 Computer Networking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Review, 1993

1993-01-01

The "ERIC Review" is published three times a year and announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue explores computer networking in elementary and secondary schools via two principal articles: "Plugging into the 'Net'" (Michael B. Eisenberg and Donald P. Ely); and…

Student Recommendations for Improving Nutrition in America's K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NCSSSMST Journal, 2006

2006-01-01

Co-hosted by the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) and The Keystone Center, the third annual Keystone Center Youth Policy Summit focused on Adolescent and Childhood Nutrition in America's K-12 Schools. In June 2006, 40 students from 10 math and science schools came together in…

Technological Collaborations: K-12 and Higher Education. Fastback 438.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Kay McPherson; Kopp, O. W.

This brief report examines various ways in which K-12 schools and institutions of higher education can collaborate to effect critical changes in teaching and learning through the use of computers. The first section briefly reviews the history of computer use in education, noting such critical needs as teacher training, and reviews the…

Effect of Robotics on Elementary Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Science Learning, and Computational Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaipal-Jamani, Kamini; Angeli, Charoula

2017-04-01

The current impetus for increasing STEM in K-12 education calls for an examination of how preservice teachers are being prepared to teach STEM. This paper reports on a study that examined elementary preservice teachers' ( n = 21) self-efficacy, understanding of science concepts, and computational thinking as they engaged with robotics in a science methods course. Data collection methods included pretests and posttests on science content, prequestionnaires and postquestionnaires for interest and self-efficacy, and four programming assignments. Statistical results showed that preservice teachers' interest and self-efficacy with robotics increased. There was a statistically significant difference between preknowledge and postknowledge scores, and preservice teachers did show gains in learning how to write algorithms and debug programs over repeated programming tasks. The findings suggest that the robotics activity was an effective instructional strategy to enhance interest in robotics, increase self-efficacy to teach with robotics, develop understandings of science concepts, and promote the development of computational thinking skills. Study findings contribute quantitative evidence to the STEM literature on how robotics develops preservice teachers' self-efficacy, science knowledge, and computational thinking skills in higher education science classroom contexts.

Inspiring the Next Generation: Astronomy Catalyzes K12 STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borders, Kareen; Thaller, Michelle; Winglee, Robert; Borders, Kyla

2017-06-01

K-12 educators need effective and relevant astronomy professional development. NASA's Mission Science provides innovative and accessible opportunities for K-12 teachers. Science questions involve scale and distance, including Moon/Earth scale, solar system scale, and distance of objects in the universe. Teachers can gain an understanding of basic telescopes, the history of telescopes, ground and satellite based telescopes, and models of JWST Telescope. An in-depth explanation of JWST and Spitzer telescopes gave participants background knowledge for infrared astronomy observations. During teacher training, we taught the electromagnetic spectrum through interactive stations. The stations included an overview via lecture and power point, the use of ultraviolet beads to determine ultraviolet exposure, the study of lenticulars and diagramming of infrared data, looking at visible light through diffraction glasses and diagramming the data, protocols for using astronomy based research in the classroom, and infrared thermometers to compare environmental conditions around the observatory. An overview of LIDAR physics was followed up by a simulated LIDAR mapping of the topography of Mars.We will outline specific steps for K-12 infrared astronomy professional development, provide data demonstrating the impact of the above professional development on educator understanding and classroom use, and detail future plans for additional K-12 professional development.Funding was provided by Washington STEM, NASA, and the Washington Space Grant Consortium.

Computational Science News | Computational Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

-Cooled High-Performance Computing Technology at the ESIF February 28, 2018 NREL Launches New Website for High-Performance Computing System Users The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Computational Science Center has launched a revamped website for users of the lab's high-performance computing (HPC

Engineering Education in K-12 Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spence, Anne

2013-03-01

Engineers rely on physicists as well as other scientists and mathematicians to explain the world in which we live. Engineers take this knowledge of the world and use it to create the world that never was. The teaching of physics and other sciences as well as mathematics is critical to maintaining our national workforce. Science and mathematics education are inherently different, however, from engineering education. Engineering educators seek to enable students to develop the habits of mind critical for innovation. Through understanding of the engineering design process and how it differs from the scientific method, students can apply problem and project based learning to solve the challenges facing society today. In this talk, I will discuss the elements critical to a solid K-12 engineering education that integrates science and mathematics to solve challenges throughout the world.

Supporting the K-12 Classroom through University Outreach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moskal, Barbara; Skokan, Catherine

2011-01-01

This article provides a field-based example of a series of outreach programs that have been designed in response to current recommendations found in the K-12 outreach literature. These programs begin with university mathematics and science faculty members teaching a 10-day summer workshop to elementary and middle school teachers. Following this…

Space Science Field Workshops for K-12 Teacher-Scientist Teams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, P. B.; Kiefer, W. S.; Treiman, A. H.; Irving, A. J.; Johnson, K. M.

2002-01-01

In collaboration with NASA Space Grant Consortia and other partners, we developed workshops for K-12 teachers that involve intensive, direct interaction with scientists. Field trips allow informal and spontaneous interaction, encouraging active participation. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

K-16 Computationally Rich Science Education: A Ten-Year Review of the "Journal of Science Education and Technology" (1998-2008)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wofford, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Computing is anticipated to have an increasingly expansive impact on the sciences overall, becoming the third, crucial component of a "golden triangle" that includes mathematics and experimental and theoretical science. However, even more true with computing than with math and science, we are not preparing our students for this new reality. It is…

Ethics, Identity, and Political Vision: Toward a Justice-Centered Approach to Equity in Computer Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vakil, Sepehr

2018-01-01

In this essay, Sepehr Vakil argues that a more serious engagement with critical traditions in education research is necessary to achieve a justice-centered approach to equity in computer science (CS) education. With CS rapidly emerging as a distinct feature of K-12 public education in the United States, calls to expand CS education are often…

Computational Thinking in K-12: A Review of the State of the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grover, Shuchi; Pea, Roy

2013-01-01

Jeannette Wing's influential article on computational thinking 6 years ago argued for adding this new competency to every child's analytical ability as a vital ingredient of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. What is computational thinking? Why did this article resonate with so many and serve as a rallying cry for…

VISL: A Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory For Outreach and K-12 Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, D. L. C.; Halkides, D. J.; Larour, E. Y.; Moore, J.; Dunn, S.; Perez, G.

2015-12-01

We present an update on our developing Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory (VISL). Geared to K-12 classrooms and the general public, VISL's main goal is to improve climate literacy, especially in regards to the crucial role of the polar ice sheets in Earth's climate and sea level. VISL will allow users to perform guided experiments using the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), a state-of-the-art ice flow model developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UC Irvine that simulates the near-term evolution of the ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica. VISL users will access ISSM via a graphical interface that can be launched from a web browser on a computer, tablet or smart phone. Users select climate conditions and run time by moving graphic sliders then watch how a given region evolves in time under those conditions. Lesson plans will include conceptual background, instructions for table top experiments related to the concepts addressed in a given lesson, and a guide for performing model experiments and interpreting their results. Activities with different degrees of complexity will aim for consistency with NGSS Physical Science criteria for different grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12), although they will not be labeled as such to encourage a broad user base. Activities will emphasize the development of physical intuition and critical thinking skills, understanding conceptual and computational models, as well as observation recording, concept articulation, hypothesis formulation and testing, and mathematical analysis. At our present phase of development, we seek input from the greater science education and outreach communities regarding VISL's planned content, as well as additional features and topic areas that educators and students would find useful.

Monitoring Progress toward Successful K-12 STEM Education: A Nation Advancing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2013

2013-01-01

Following a 2011 report by the National Research Council (NRC) on successful K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Congress asked the National Science Foundation to identify methods for tracking progress toward the report's recommendations. In response, the NRC convened the Committee on an Evaluation Framework…

Creating Next Generation Teacher Preparation Programs to Support Implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards in K-12 Schools: An Opportunity for the Earth and Space Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geary, E. E.; Egger, A. E.; Julin, S.; Ronca, R.; Vokos, S.; Ebert, E.; Clark-Blickenstaff, J.; Nollmeyer, G.

2015-12-01

A consortium of two and four year Washington State Colleges and Universities in partnership with Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Teachers of Teachers of Science, and Teachers of Teachers of Mathematics, and other key stakeholders, is currently working to improve science and mathematics learning for all Washington State students by creating a new vision for STEM teacher preparation in Washington State aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics and Language Arts. Specific objectives include: (1) strengthening elementary and secondary STEM Teacher Preparation courses and curricula, (2) alignment of STEM teacher preparation programs across Washington State with the NGSS and CCSS, (3) development of action plans to support implementation of STEM Teacher Preparation program improvement at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the state, (4) stronger collaborations between HEIs, K-12 schools, government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, and STEM businesses, involved in the preparation of preservice STEM teachers, (5) new teacher endorsements in Computer Science and Engineering, and (6) development of a proto-type model for rapid, adaptable, and continuous improvement of STEM teacher preparation programs. A 2015 NGSS gap analysis of teacher preparation programs across Washington State indicates relatively good alignment of courses and curricula with NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas and Scientific practices, but minimal alignment with NGSS Engineering practices and Cross Cutting Concepts. Likewise, Computer Science and Sustainability ideas and practices are not well represented in current courses and curricula. During the coming year teams of STEM faculty, education faculty and administrators will work collaboratively to develop unique action plans for aligning and improving STEM teacher preparation courses and curricula at their institutions.

Developing Young Researchers: 15 Years of Authentic Science Experiences for K-12 with NASA's S'COOL Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, L. H.; Crecelius, S.; Rogerson, T.; Lewis, P. M.; Moore, S.; Madigan, J. J.; Deller, C.; Taylor, J.

2012-12-01

In late 1996, members of the Atmospheric Science Directorate at NASA's Langley Research Center decided that there had to be a better way to share the excitement of our research than black and white, text-heavy Fact Sheets. We invited a group of local teachers to a half-day session on Center to help guide an improved approach. We suggested a variety of approaches to them, and asked for feedback. They were eager for anything other than black and white Fact Sheets! Fortunately, one local middle school science teacher took us up on the offer to stick around and talk over lunch. In that conversation, she said that anything that would connect the science her kids studied in the classroom to the outside world - especially to NASA! - would be very motivating to her students. From that conversation was born the Students' Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL Project), now a nearly 16-year experiment in K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) engagement. S'COOL is the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) arm of the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) project, and involves K-12 students as a source of ground truth for satellite cloud retrievals. It was designed from the beginning as a 2-way project, with communication of information from the students to NASA, but also from NASA back to the students. With technology evolution since the project began, we have continued to enhance this focus on 2-way interaction. S'COOL involves students with observation skills, math skills (to compute cloud cover from multiple observers or convert units), geography skills (locating their school on a map and comparing to satellite imagery), and exposes them to cutting edge engineering in the form of a series of NASA satellites. As a priority Earth Observing Instrument, CERES currently flies on Terra, Aqua and NPP, with an additional instrument in development for JPSS. Students are involved in occasional Intensive Observing Periods (as with the launch of NPP), and are

Scientists in the Classroom Mentor Model Program - Bringing real time science into the K - 12 classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worssam, J. B.

2017-12-01

Field research finally within classroom walls, data driven, hands on with students using a series of electronic projects to show evidence of scientific mentor collaboration. You do not want to miss this session in which I will be sharing the steps to develop an interactive mentor program between scientists in the field and students in the classroom. Using next generation science standards and common core language skills you will be able to blend scientific exploration with scientific writing and communication skills. Learn how to make connections in your own community with STEM businesses, agencies and organizations. Learn how to connect with scientists across the globe to make your classroom instruction interactive and live for all students. Scientists, you too will want to participate, see how you can reach out and be a part of the K-12 educational system with students learning about YOUR science, a great component for NSF grants! "Scientists in the Classroom," a model program for all, bringing real time science, data and knowledge into the classroom.

Development of an Attitude Scale to Assess K-12 Teachers' Attitudes toward Nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lan, Yu-Ling

2012-05-01

To maximize the contributions of nanotechnology to this society, at least 60 countries have put efforts into this field. In Taiwan, a government-funded K-12 Nanotechnology Programme was established to train K-12 teachers with adequate nanotechnology literacy to foster the next generation of Taiwanese people with sufficient knowledge in nanotechnology. In the present study, the Nanotechnology Attitude Scale for K-12 teachers (NAS-T) was developed to assess K-12 teachers' attitudes toward nanotechnology. The NAS-T included 23 Likert-scale items that can be grouped into three components: importance of nanotechnology, affective tendencies in science teaching, and behavioural tendencies to teach nanotechnology. A sample of 233 K-12 teachers who have participated in the K-12 Nanotechnology Programme was included in the present study to investigate the psychometric properties of the NAS-T. The exploratory factor analysis of this teacher sample suggested that the NAS-T was a three-factor model that explained 64.11% of the total variances. This model was also confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis to validate the factor structure of the NAS-T. The Cronbach's alpha values of three NAS-T subscales ranged from 0.89 to 0.95. Moderate to strong correlations among teachers' NAS-T domain scores, self-perception of own nanoscience knowledge, and their science-teaching efficacy demonstrated good convergent validity of the NAS-T. As a whole, psychometric properties of the NAS-T indicated that this instrument is an effective instrument for assessing K-12 teachers' attitudes toward nanotechnology. The NAS-T will serve as a valuable tool to evaluate teachers' attitude changes after participating in the K-12 Nanotechnology Programme.

Dropping Out of Computer Science: A Phenomenological Study of Student Lived Experiences in Community College Computer Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert-Valencia, Daniel H.

California community colleges contribute alarmingly few computer science degree or certificate earners. While the literature shows clear K-12 impediments to CS matriculation in higher education, very little is known about the experiences of those who overcome initial impediments to CS yet do not persist through to program completion. This phenomenological study explores insights into that specific experience by interviewing underrepresented, low income, first-generation college students who began community college intending to transfer to 4-year institutions majoring in CS but switched to another field and remain enrolled or graduated. This study explores the lived experiences of students facing barriers, their avenues for developing interest in CS, and the persistence support systems they encountered, specifically looking at how students constructed their academic choice from these experiences. The growing diversity within California's population necessitates that experiences specific to underrepresented students be considered as part of this exploration. Ten semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted, transcribed and coded. Artifacts supporting student experiences were also collected. Data was analyzed through a social-constructivist lens to provide insight into experiences and how they can be navigated to create actionable strategies for community college computer science departments wishing to increase student success. Three major themes emerged from this research: (1) students shared pre-college characteristics; (2) faced similar challenges in college CS courses; and (3) shared similar reactions to the "work" of computer science. Results of the study included (1) CS interest development hinged on computer ownership in the home; (2) participants shared characteristics that were ideal for college success but not CS success; and (3) encounters in CS departments produced unique challenges for participants. Though CS interest was and remains

The Evolving Florida Science Standards for K-12 Geocience - An Overview, Journey, Trials, and Tribulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruscher, P. H.

2008-05-01

Introduction This paper will discuss the process that went into the development of new teacher standards for Florida's K-12 science benchmarks over 2007-2008. Florida developed its first set of science standards at about the same time that the National Science Education Standards debuted, in the mid-1990s, and the two documents produced had little in common with other, particularly with regard to controversial issue of evolution, and was also quite weak in the treatment of earth/space (or geoscience) content expectations. The process created panels of Framers and Writers (with much overlap) and led to the creation of a draft set of documents in the fall of 2007 after much electronic and face-to-face collaboration at several meetings. The public was then invited to comment on the draft, and the comments came fast and furious (some really were, in fact, furious). But most were highly complementary, and external professional reviewers lauded the changes from Florida's existing "mile-wide, inch-deep" standards to a much more reasonable core group of standards. Over a 60-day period, over 20,000 individual comments were submitted, and over 100,000 numerical ratings (on a 5 point scale) were entered. In January 2008, these comments were reviewed and that culminated in a final draft of the standards, presented to the State Department of Education and its Commissioner, in late January. The process became fraught with political pressures late, however, as anti-evolutionists led an assault on some aspects of the Life Sciences standards, which had repercussions in particular related to fossil evidence in the Earth/Space Science standards, The talk will summarize the process of evolution that this forced the standards to undergo. Nature of Science There is an expanded section of Nature of Science benchmarks and standards that are based on over twenty years of research in science education that cut across all standard areas (life, physical, and earth/space). This body of

Computer Access and Computer Use for Science Performance of Racial and Linguistic Minority Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Mido; Kim, Sunha

2009-01-01

This study examined the effects of computer access and computer use on the science achievement of elementary school students, with focused attention on the effects for racial and linguistic minority students. The study used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) database and conducted statistical analyses with proper weights and…

Defining the requisite knowledge for providers of in-service professional development for K--12 teachers of science: Refining the construct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucker, Deborah L.

Purpose. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to refine, using a Delphi study process, the four categories of the theoretical model of the comprehensive knowledge base required by providers of professional development for K-12 teachers of science generated from a review of the literature. Methodology. This grounded theory study used data collected through a modified Delphi technique and interviews to refine and validate the literature-based knowledge base required by providers of professional development for K-12 teachers of science. Twenty-three participants, experts in the fields of science education, how people learn, instructional and assessment strategies, and learning contexts, responded to the study's questions. Findings. By "densifying" the four categories of the knowledge base, this study determined the causal conditions (the science subject matter knowledge), the intervening conditions (how people learn), the strategies (the effective instructional and assessment strategies), and the context (the context and culture of formal learning environments) surrounding the science professional development process. Eight sections were added to the literature-based knowledge base; the final model comprised of forty-nine sections. The average length of the operational definitions increased nearly threefold and the number of citations per operational definition increased more than twofold. Conclusions. A four-category comprehensive model that can serve as the foundation for the knowledge base required by science professional developers now exists. Subject matter knowledge includes science concepts, inquiry, the nature of science, and scientific habits of mind; how people learn includes the principles of learning, active learning, andragogy, variations in learners, neuroscience and cognitive science, and change theory; effective instructional and assessment strategies include constructivist learning and inquiry-based teaching, differentiation of instruction

A Longitudinal Study of the Effectiveness of a K-12 Engagement Program on Graduate Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Faith; Gong, Ruiyang; Harbor, Jon

2015-01-01

Programs that connect higher and K-12 education provide benefits to K-12 students, teachers, and higher education. The National Science Foundation (NSF) invested in programs connecting domestic STEM graduate students with K-12 education for over a decade (GK-12), intending that such engagement would help achieve graduate student learning outcomes…

What good is a scientist in the classroom? Participant outcomes and program design features for a short-duration science outreach intervention in K-12 classrooms.

PubMed

Laursen, Sandra; Liston, Carrie; Thiry, Heather; Graf, Julie

2007-01-01

Many short-duration science outreach interventions have important societal goals of raising science literacy and increasing the size and diversity of the science workforce. Yet, these long-term outcomes are inherently challenging to evaluate. We present findings from a qualitative research study of an inquiry-based, life science outreach program to K-12 classrooms that is typical in design and excellent in execution. By considering this program as a best case of a common outreach model, the "scientist in the classroom," the study examines what benefits may be realized for each participant group and how they are achieved. We find that K-12 students are engaged in authentic, hands-on activities that generate interest in science and new views of science and scientists. Teachers learn new science content and new ways to teach it, and value collegial support of their professional work. Graduate student scientists, who are the program presenters, gain teaching and other skills, greater understanding of education and diversity issues, confidence and intrinsic satisfaction, and career benefits. A few negative outcomes also are described. Program elements that lead to these benefits are identified both from the research findings and from insights of the program developer on program design and implementation choices.

A K-6 Computational Thinking Curriculum Framework: Implications for Teacher Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angeli, Charoula; Voogt, Joke; Fluck, Andrew; Webb, Mary; Cox, Margaret; Malyn-Smith, Joyce; Zagami, Jason

2016-01-01

Adding computer science as a separate school subject to the core K-6 curriculum is a complex issue with educational challenges. The authors herein address two of these challenges: (1) the design of the curriculum based on a generic computational thinking framework, and (2) the knowledge teachers need to teach the curriculum. The first issue is…

Teaching Engineering at the K-12 Level: Two Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kenneth L.; Burghardt, David

2007-01-01

In this article, the authors share their own perspectives regarding engineering education at the K-12 level. Smith believes that there must be a more direct infusion of appropriate mathematics and science with the unique technological content (tools, machines, materials, processes) for an effective engineering education program to exist. He thinks…

Applying the Quadratic Usage Framework to Research on K-12 STEM Digital Learning Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luetkemeyer, Jennifer R.

2016-01-01

Numerous policymakers have called for K-12 educators to increase their effectiveness by transforming science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and teaching with digital resources and tools. In this study we outline the significance of studying pressing issues related to use of digital resources in the K-12 environment and…

K-12 Students' Perceptions of Scientists: Finding a Valid Measurement and Exploring Whether Exposure to Scientists Makes an Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, Susan J.; Bloodsworth, Kylie H.; Tilburg, Charles E.; Zeeman, Stephan I.; List, Henrietta E.

2014-01-01

This study was launched from a National Science Foundation GK-12 grant in which graduate fellows in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are placed in classrooms to engage K-12 students in STEM activities. The investigation explored whether the STEM Fellows' presence impacted the K-12 students' stereotypical image of a…

Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katehi, Linda, Ed.; Pearson, Greg, Ed.; Feder, Michael, Ed.

2009-01-01

Engineering education in K-12 classrooms is a small but growing phenomenon that may have implications for engineering and also for the other STEM subjects--science, technology, and mathematics. Specifically, engineering education may improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness of engineering and the work…

Democratizing Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolis, Jane; Goode, Joanna; Ryoo, Jean J.

2015-01-01

Computer science programs are too often identified with a narrow stratum of the student population, often white or Asian boys who have access to computers at home. But because computers play such a huge role in our world today, all students can benefit from the study of computer science and the opportunity to build skills related to computing. The…

Unifying K-12 Learning Processes: Integrating Curricula through Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosse, Michael J.; Fogarty, Elizabeth A.

2011-01-01

This study was designed to examine whether a set of cross-curricular learning processes could be found in the respective K-12 US national standards for math, language arts, foreign language, science, social studies, fine arts, and technology. Using a qualitative research methodology, the standards from the national associations for these content…

Global Journal of Computer Science and Technology. Volume 1.2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixit, R. K.

2009-01-01

Articles in this issue of "Global Journal of Computer Science and Technology" include: (1) Input Data Processing Techniques in Intrusion Detection Systems--Short Review (Suhair H. Amer and John A. Hamilton, Jr.); (2) Semantic Annotation of Stock Photography for CBIR Using MPEG-7 standards (R. Balasubramani and V. Kannan); (3) An Experimental Study…

K-12 Science and Math Education across the Federal Agencies. Hearing before the Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session (March 30, 2006). Serial Number 109-43

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US House of Representatives, 2006

2006-01-01

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine how federal agencies can improve their individual and collective efforts to strengthen K-12 science and math education. Presenters and witnesses included: Representative Sherwood L. Boehlert, Chairman, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives; Representative Bart Gordon,…

Integrating Technology into the K-12 Music Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Olympia.

This guide is intended to provide resources for integrating technology into the K-12 music curriculum. The focus of the guide is on computer software and the use of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) in the music classroom. The guide gives two examples of commercially available curricula that integrate technology as well as lesson plans…

Engineering Design Skills Coverage in K-12 Engineering Program Curriculum Materials in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

2017-01-01

The current "K-12 Science Education framework" and "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed…

Monitoring Progress: How the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education Can Inform a National K-12 STEM Education Indicator System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulkerson, William O.; Banilower, Eric R.

2014-01-01

"Monitoring Progress Toward Successful K-12 STEM Education: A Nation Advancing?" (National Research Council, 2013) describes a set of 14 indicators for assessing and tracking the health of pre-college STEM education in the United States. This 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (NSSME), is the fifth in a series of…

Computer sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Paul H.

1988-01-01

The Computer Science Program provides advanced concepts, techniques, system architectures, algorithms, and software for both space and aeronautics information sciences and computer systems. The overall goal is to provide the technical foundation within NASA for the advancement of computing technology in aerospace applications. The research program is improving the state of knowledge of fundamental aerospace computing principles and advancing computing technology in space applications such as software engineering and information extraction from data collected by scientific instruments in space. The program includes the development of special algorithms and techniques to exploit the computing power provided by high performance parallel processors and special purpose architectures. Research is being conducted in the fundamentals of data base logic and improvement techniques for producing reliable computing systems.

Makerspaces: The Next Iteration for Educational Technology in K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strycker, Jesse

2015-01-01

With the continually growing number of computers and mobile devices available in K-12 schools, the need is dwindling for dedicated computer labs and media centers. Some schools are starting to repurpose those facilities into different kinds of exploratory learning environments known as "makerspaces". This article discusses this next…

Federal Support for Technology in K-12 Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Gary

2000-01-01

The federal government has, on the whole, has done an excellent job, especially since 1996, in fostering the use of technology in K-12 public schools in the United States. The Department of Education's focus on getting computers and Internet access to low-income schools and communities is the right approach. This paper measures the impact of the…

What Is (Or Should Be) Scientific Evidence Use in K-12 Classrooms?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Katherine L.; Berland, Leema

2017-01-01

Research and reform efforts frequently identify evidence as an essential component of science classroom instruction to actively engage students in science practices. Despite this agreement on the primacy of evidence, there is a lack of consensus around what counts as "evidence" in k-12 classrooms (e.g., ages 5-18): scholarship and…

Overcoming Constraints of Building Successful Partnerships Incorporating STEM Research Into K-12 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.; Hare, D.

2011-12-01

The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on the advancement of Earth and Space science education in K-12 classrooms. INSPIRE is currently in its second year of partnering ten graduate students from the STEM fields of Geosciences, Engineering and Chemistry at MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. The five year project serves to increase inquiry and technology experiences in science and math while enhancing graduate student's communication skills as they create interactive lessons linking their STEM research focus to the state and national standards covered in the classrooms. Each graduate student is responsible for the development of two lessons each month of the school year that are then published on the INSPIRE project webpage, www.gk12.msstate.edu, where they are a free resource for any K-12 classroom teacher seeking innovative activities for their classrooms. Many of the participating teachers and graduate students share activities developed with non-participating teachers, expanding INSPIRE's outreach throughout the local community. Numerous challenges were met during the formation of the program as well as throughout the first year in which the project management team worked together to find solutions ensuring that INSPIRE maintained successful partnerships for all involved. Proposed solutions of the following key components were identified by INSPIRE through the development, implementation, and continuous evaluation (internal and external) of the first year of the program as areas that can pose challenges to the construction of strong relationships between STEM research and K-12 classrooms: initializing the partnerships with the K-12 classrooms and STEM graduate fields at the university; maintaining strong partnerships; providing appropriate training and support; developing sound

Cool Science Explains a Warming World: Using Ice Core Science to Bridge the Gap Between Researchers and the K-12 Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, L. T.

2017-12-01

Changing ice has urgent implications for people around the world. The Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) provides scientific leadership and oversight of ice coring and drilling activities funded by the US National Science Foundation and also has goals to enhance education and communication of current research information. In a time when misinformation is rampant and climate change science is suspect, it is essential that students receive accurate scientific information and engage in learning activities that model complex ideas through engaging and age appropriate ways, while also learning to validate and recognize reliable sources. The IDPO Education and Outreach (EO) office works to create resources, activities and professional development that bridge the gap between ice core science research and educators and their students. Ice core science is on the cutting edge of new discoveries about climate change and understanding better the past to predict the future. Hands-on inquiry activities based on ice core data allow teachers to lead their students to new discoveries about climate secrets hidden deep in the ice. Capitalizing on the inherent interest in the extremes of the Polar Regions, IDPO materials engage students in activities aligned with NGSS standards. Ice drilling technologies make an ideal platform for intertwining engineering concepts and practices with science research to meet the SEP (Science and Engineering Practices) in the NGSS. This session will highlight how the IDPO EO office has built a community of ice core scientists willing to take part in education and outreach projects and events and share some of the resources available to K-12 educators. We will highlight some of the successes and lessons learned as we continually evolve our work toward more effective science education and communication highlighting ice core and climate change science.

Businesses assisting K--12 science instruction: Four case studies of long-term school partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Trieste, Lynne M.

Businesses lack enough qualified applicants to fill the increasing need for scientists and engineers while educators lack many resources for science programs in K-12 schools. This series of case studies searched for successful collaborations between the two in four geographic locations: Boise, Idaho; Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles County, California, and Orange County, California. These science education partnerships were investigated to gain an understanding of long-term partnership structure, functioning and evaluation methods. Forty-nine individual interviews with representatives from the groups of stakeholders these programs impact were also conducted. Stakeholder groups included students, teachers, parents, school administrators, business liaisons, and non-profit representatives. Several recurring themes in these partnerships reinforced the existing literature research findings. Collaboration and communication between partners, teacher professional development, the need for more minority and female representation in physical science careers, and self-efficacy in relation to how people come to view their scientific abilities, are among these themes. Topics such as program replication, the importance of role models, programs using "hands-on" activities, reward systems for program participants, and program outcome measurement also emerged from the cases investigated. Third-party assistance by a non-profit entity is occurring within all of these partnerships. This assistance ranges from a service providing material resources such as equipment, lesson plans and meeting space, to managing the partnership fundraising, program development and evaluations. Discussions based upon the findings that support or threaten sustainment of these four partnerships, what a "perfect" partnership might look like, and areas in need of further investigation conclude this study.

Sputnik and United States K-12 science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hare, Donna Leigh

The intention of this study was to examine the relationships of the United States space program, education (especially science education), politics, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to each other and the effects set in motion by the Russian's launch of Sputnik I upon those entities and their relationships. It provides a preliminary assessment of developments in United States rocket science as well as science education to the early 1950s. The scope of this investigation was confined to the historical development of four distinct yet related entities; (1) U.S. science education, (2) space exploration, (3) government and politics, and (4) the National Science Foundation. Its focus was on the years 1957 to 1966. The launch of Sputnik I in 1957, the passage of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) in 1958, the Secondary Education Act in 1965 and the end of the Gemini program in 1966 represent the defining benchmarks for this study. 169 The most significant and durable outcomes of the Sputnik crisis in relation to science education were: (1) a formalized linkage between science education and national defense; (2) federal funding to education; (3) the passage of the NDEA with its entitlements; (4) the alignment of the NSF with precollege science education issues; (5) NSF Summer Institutes for Science Teachers and NSF Science Course Improvement Projects; and (6) the establishment of response to perceived threat to national defense as a legislative and funding support mechanism for science education.

SCEC Earthquake System Science Using High Performance Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maechling, P. J.; Jordan, T. H.; Archuleta, R.; Beroza, G.; Bielak, J.; Chen, P.; Cui, Y.; Day, S.; Deelman, E.; Graves, R. W.; Minster, J. B.; Olsen, K. B.

2008-12-01

The SCEC Community Modeling Environment (SCEC/CME) collaboration performs basic scientific research using high performance computing with the goal of developing a predictive understanding of earthquake processes and seismic hazards in California. SCEC/CME research areas including dynamic rupture modeling, wave propagation modeling, probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), and full 3D tomography. SCEC/CME computational capabilities are organized around the development and application of robust, re- usable, well-validated simulation systems we call computational platforms. The SCEC earthquake system science research program includes a wide range of numerical modeling efforts and we continue to extend our numerical modeling codes to include more realistic physics and to run at higher and higher resolution. During this year, the SCEC/USGS OpenSHA PSHA computational platform was used to calculate PSHA hazard curves and hazard maps using the new UCERF2.0 ERF and new 2008 attenuation relationships. Three SCEC/CME modeling groups ran 1Hz ShakeOut simulations using different codes and computer systems and carefully compared the results. The DynaShake Platform was used to calculate several dynamic rupture-based source descriptions equivalent in magnitude and final surface slip to the ShakeOut 1.2 kinematic source description. A SCEC/CME modeler produced 10Hz synthetic seismograms for the ShakeOut 1.2 scenario rupture by combining 1Hz deterministic simulation results with 10Hz stochastic seismograms. SCEC/CME modelers ran an ensemble of seven ShakeOut-D simulations to investigate the variability of ground motions produced by dynamic rupture-based source descriptions. The CyberShake Platform was used to calculate more than 15 new probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) hazard curves using full 3D waveform modeling and the new UCERF2.0 ERF. The SCEC/CME group has also produced significant computer science results this year. Large-scale SCEC/CME high performance codes

Living in a Materials World: Materials Science Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Educators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anne Seifert; Louis Nadelson

2011-06-01

Advances in materials science are fundamental to technological developments and have broad societal impacs. For example, a cellular phone is composed of a polymer case, liquid crystal displays, LEDs, silicon chips, Ni-Cd batteries, resistors, capacitors, speakers, microphones all of which have required advances in materials science to be compacted into a phone which is typically smaller than a deck of cards. Like many technological developments, cellular phones have become a ubiquitous part of society, and yet most people know little about the materials science associated with their manufacture. The probable condition of constrained knowledge of materials science was the motivationmore » for developing and offering a 20 hour fourday course called 'Living in a Materials World.' In addition, materials science provides a connection between our every day experiences and the work of scientists and engineers. The course was offered as part of a larger K-12 teacher professional development project and was a component of a week-long summer institute designed specifically for upper elementary and middle school teachers which included 20 hour content strands, and 12 hours of plenary sessions, planning, and collaborative sharing. The focus of the institute was on enhancing teacher content knowledge in STEM, their capacity for teaching using inquiry, their comfort and positive attitudes toward teaching STEM, their knowledge of how people learn, and strategies for integrating STEM throughout the curriculum. In addition to the summer institute the participating teachers were provided with a kit of about $300 worth of materials and equipment to use to implement the content they learned in their classrooms. As part of this professional development project the participants were required to design and implement 5 lesson plans with their students this fall and report on the results, as part of the continuing education course associated with the project. 'Living in a Materials World

Educating K-12 Students about Glacier Dynamics in a Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stearns, L. A.; Hamilton, G. S.

2005-12-01

Public awareness of climate change is growing in the United States. Popular movies, books and magazines are frequently addressing the issue of global warming - some with careful scientific research, but many with unrealistic statements. Early education about the basic principles and processes of climate change is necessary for the general public to distinguish fact from fiction. The U.S. National Science Foundation's GK-12 program (GK-12; grades K to 12) currently in its sixth year, provides an opportunity for scientific enrichment for students and their teachers at the K-12 level through collaborative pairings with science and engineering graduate students (the Fellows). The NSF GK-12 program at the University of Maine has three goals: to enrich the scientific education of the students by providing role models, expertise, and equipment that may not be accessible otherwise; to provide professional development for the teachers through curriculum enrichment and participation at science conferences; and to improve the teaching and communication skills of the Fellows. The University of Maine is one of over 100 U. S. universities participating in this program. During the 2004-05 academic year, 11 graduate and one undergraduate student Fellows, advised by University faculty members, taught at schools across the state of Maine. Fellows from, biology, earth science, ecology, engineering, food science, forestry, and marine science, and taught in their area of expertise. We created a hands-on activity for middle and high school students that describes glacier mass balance in a changing climate. The students make a glacier using glue, water and detergent ('flubber') and construct a glacier valley using plastic sheeting. Flubber behaves in mechanically similar ways to glacier ice, undergoing plastic deformation at low stresses and exhibiting brittle failure at high stresses. Students are encouraged to run several tests with different values for valley slope, glacier mass

Using Virtual and In-Person Engagement Opportunities to Connect K-12 Students, Teachers, and the Public With NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Assets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, P.; Foxworth, S.; Luckey, M. K.; McInturff, B.; Mosie, A.; Runco, S.; Todd, N.; Willis, K. J.; Zeigler, R.

2017-01-01

Engaging K-12 students, teachers, and the public with NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) assets provides an extraordinary opportunity to connect audiences with authentic aspects unique to our nation's space program. NASA ARES has effectively engaged audiences with 1) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) experts, 2) NASA specialized facilities, and 3) NASA astromaterial samples through both virtual and in-person engagement opportunities. These engagement opportunities help connect local and national audiences with STEM role models, promote the exciting work being facilitated through NASA's Science Mission Directorate, and expose our next generation of scientific explorers to science they may be inspired to pursue as a future STEM career.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science and Children, 2017

2017-01-01

The editors of "Science and Children" invite readers to explore the 2016 list of Outstanding Science Trade Books. The list builds upon a 44-year history of identifying the very best science books for children. In the award-winning titles provided in this article, readers will find traditional science content as well as engineering and…

12 CFR 5.12 - Computation of time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Computation of time. 5.12 Section 5.12 Banks and Banking COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY RULES, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES FOR CORPORATE ACTIVITIES Rules of General Applicability § 5.12 Computation of time. In computing the...

Team Mentoring for Interdisciplinary Team Science: Lessons From K12 Scholars and Directors.

PubMed

Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Geller, Stacie; Regensteiner, Judith G; Raymond, Nancy; Nagel, Joan

2017-02-01

Mentoring is critical for academic success. As science transitions to a team science model, team mentoring may have advantages. The goal of this study was to understand the process, benefits, and challenges of team mentoring relating to career development and research. A national survey was conducted of Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program directors-current and former scholars from 27 active National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded BIRCWH NIH K12 programs-to characterize and understand the value and challenges of the team approach to mentoring. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Responses were received from 25/27 (93%) program directors, 78/108 (72%) current scholars, and 91/162 (56%) former scholars. Scholars reported that team mentoring was beneficial to their career development (152/169; 90%) and research (148/169; 88%). Reported advantages included a diversity of opinions, expanded networking, development of stronger study designs, and modeling of different career paths. Challenges included scheduling and managing conflicting opinions. Advice by directors offered to junior faculty entering team mentoring included the following: not to be intimidated by senior mentors, be willing to navigate conflicting advice, be proactive about scheduling and guiding discussions, have an open mind to different approaches, be explicit about expectations and mentors' roles (including importance of having a primary mentor to help navigate discussions), and meet in person as a team. These findings suggest that interdisciplinary/interprofessional team mentoring has many important advantages, but that skills are required to optimally utilize multiple perspectives.

Team Mentoring for Interdisciplinary Team Science: Lessons from K12 Scholars and Directors

PubMed Central

Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Geller, Stacie; Regensteiner, Judith G.; Raymond, Nancy; Nagel, Joan

2016-01-01

Purpose Mentoring is critical for academic success. As science transitions to a team science model, team mentoring may have advantages. The goal of this study was to understand the process, benefits, and challenges of team mentoring relating to career development and research. Method A national survey was conducted of Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program directors, current and former scholars s from 27 active National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded BIRCWH NIH K12 programs to characterize and understand the value and challenges of the team approach to mentoring. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and qualitative thematically. Results Responses were received from 25/27 (93%) of program directors, 78/108 (72%) current scholars, and 91/162 (56%) former scholars. Scholars reported that team mentoring was beneficial to their career development (152/169, 90%) and research (148/169, 88%). Reported advantages included a diversity of opinions, expanded networking, development of stronger study designs, and modeling of different career paths. Challenges included scheduling and managing conflicting opinions. Advice by directors offered to junior faculty entering team mentoring included: not to be intimidated by senior mentors, be willing to navigate conflicting advice, be proactive about scheduling and guiding discussions, have an open mind to different approaches, be explicit about expectations and mentors’ roles (including importance of having a primary mentor to help navigate discussions), and meeting in person as a team. Conclusions These findings suggest that interdisciplinary/interprofessional team mentoring has many important advantages, but that skills are required to optimally utilize multiple perspectives. PMID:27556675

Winona State University Anthology of K-12 Action Research Papers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Thomas F., Ed.; Lundquist, Margaret, Ed.

2004-01-01

These papers are partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Education at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. The cohort included a variety of licenser areas that represent most levels and content areas of K-12 education. The students were encouraged to keep their questions and hypothesis directed at…

First Year K-12 Teachers as High Leverage Point to Implement GEMS Space Science Curriculum Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Mendez, B. J.; Schultz, G.; Wierman, T.

2013-01-01

The recurring challenge for curriculum developers is how to efficiently prepare K-12 classroom teachers to use new curricula. First-year teachers, numbering nearly 250,000 in the US each year, have the greatest potential to impact the largest number of students because they have potential to be in the classroom for thirty years. At the same time, these novice teachers are often the most open minded about adopting curricular innovation because they are not yet deeply entrenched in existing practices. To take advantage of this high leverage point, a collaborative of space scientists and science educators at the University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Laboratory with experts from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the University of Wyoming, and the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education experimented with a unique professional development model focused on helping master teachers work closely with pre-service teachers during their student teaching internship field experience. The Advancing Mentor and Novice Teachers in Space Science (AMANTISS) team first identified master teachers who supervise novice, student teachers and trained these master teachers to use the GEMS Space Science Curriculum Sequence. Then, these master teachers were mentored in coaching interning student teachers assigned to them in using GEMS materials. Evaluation showed that novice teachers mentored by the master teachers felt knowledgeable after teaching the GEMS units. However, they seemed relatively less confident about the solar system and objects beyond the solar system. Overall, mentees felt strongly at the end of the year that they have acquired good strategies for teaching the various topics, suggesting that the support they received while teaching and working with a mentor was of real benefit to them. Funding provided in part by NASA ROSES AMANTISS NNX09AD51G

Earth system science K-12 scientist-student partnerships using paleontological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harnik, P. G.; Ross, R. M.; Chiment, J. J.; Sherpa, J. M.

2001-05-01

Reducing the discrepancy between the dynamic science that researchers experience and the static fact-driven science education in which k-12 students participate at school is an important component to national science education reform. Scientist-student partnerships (SSPs) involving whole classes in Earth systems research provide a solution to this problem, but existing models have often lacked rigorous scientific data quality control and/or evaluation of pedagogical effectiveness. The Paleontological Research Institution has been prototyping two SSPs with an eye toward establishing protocols to insure both scientific and educational quality of the partnership. Data quality analysis involves making statistical estimates of data accuracy and employing robust statistical techniques for answering essential questions with noisy data. Educational evaluation takes into account affective variables, such as student motivation and interest, and compares the relative pedagogical effectiveness of SSPs with more traditional hands-on activities. Paleontology is a natural subject for scientist-student partnerships because of its intrinsic appeal to the general public, and because its interdisciplinary content serves as a springboard for meeting science education standards across the physical and life sciences. The "Devonian Seas" SSP involves classes in identifying fossil taxa and assessing taphonomic characteristics from Devonian-aged Hamilton Group shales in Central New York. The scientific purpose of the project is to establish at high stratigraphic resolution the sequence of dysoxic biofacies composition, which will shed light on the sensitivity of epeiric sea communities to environmental (e.g., sea level) changes. The project is undertaken in upper elementary school and secondary school Earth science classes, and in some cases has involved field-based teacher training and collection of samples. Students in small teams collaborate to identify taxa within the samples, then

MY NASA DATA: Making Earth Science Data Accessible to the K-12 Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, L. H.; Alston, E. J.; Diones, D. D.; Moore, S. W.; Oots, P. C.; Phelps, C. S.

2006-12-01

In 2004, the Mentoring and inquirY using NASA Data on Atmospheric and Earth science for Teachers and Amateurs (MY NASA DATA) project began. The goal of this project is to enable K-12 and citizen science communities to make use of the large volume of Earth System Science data that NASA has collected and archived. One major outcome is to allow students to select a problem of real-life importance, and to explore it using high quality data sources without spending months looking for and then learning how to use a dataset. The key element of the MY NASA DATA project is the implementation of a Live Access Server (LAS). The LAS is an open source software tool, developed by NOAA, that provides access to a variety of data sources through a single, fairly simple, point- and- click interface. This tool truly enables use of the available data - more than 100 parameters are offered so far - in an inquiry-based educational setting. It readily gives students the opportunity to browse images for times and places they define, and also provides direct access to the underlying data values - a key feature of this educational effort. The team quickly discovered, however, that even a simple and fairly intuitive tool is not enough to make most teachers comfortable with data exploration. User feedback has led us to create a friendly LAS Introduction page, which uses the analogy of a restaurant to explain to our audience the basic concept of an LAS. In addition, we have created a "Time Coverage at a Glance" chart to show what data are available when. This keeps our audience from being too confused by the patchwork of data availability caused by the start and end of individual missions. Finally, we have found it necessary to develop a substantial amount of age appropriate documentation, including topical pages and a science glossary, to help our audience understand the parameters they are exploring and how these parameters fit into the larger picture of Earth System Science. MY NASA DATA

K-12 Marketplace Sees Major Flow of Venture Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ash, Katie

2012-01-01

The flow of venture capital into the K-12 education market has exploded over the past year, reaching its highest transaction values in a decade in 2011, industry observers say. They attribute that rise to such factors as a heightened interest in educational technology; the decreasing cost of electronic devices such as tablet computers, laptops,…

Females and STEM: Determining the K-12 Experiences that Influenced Women to Pursue STEM Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Anne Marie

In the United States, careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are increasing yet there are not enough trained personnel to meet this demand. In addition, of those that seek to pursue STEM fields in the United States, only 26% are female. In order to increase the number of women seeking STEM based bachelor's degrees, K-12 education must provide a foundation that prepares students for entry into these fields. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine the perceived K-12 experiences that influenced females to pursue a STEM field. Twelve college juniors or seniors seeking a degree in Biology, Mathematics, or Physics were interviewed concerning their K-12 experiences. These interviews were analyzed and six themes emerged. Teacher passion and classroom characteristics such as incorporating challenging activities played a significant role in the females' decisions to enter STEM fields. Extra-curricular activities such as volunteer and mentor opportunities and the females' need to benefit others also influenced females in their career choice. Both the formal (within the school) and informal (outside of the traditional classroom) pipeline opportunities that these students encountered helped develop a sense of self-efficacy in science and mathematics; this self-efficacy enabled them to persist in pursuing these career fields. Several participants cited barriers that they encountered in K-12 education, but these barriers were primarily internal as they struggled with overcoming self-imposed obstacles in learning and being competitive in the mathematics and science classrooms. The experiences from these female students can be used by K-12 educators to prepare and encourage current female students to enter STEM occupations.

Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education: STEM Graduate Students Bring Current Research into 7th-12th Grade Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radencic, S.; Dawkins, K. S.; Jackson, B. S.; Walker, R. M.; Schmitz, D.; Pierce, D.; Funderburk, W. K.; McNeal, K.

2014-12-01

Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE), a NSF Graduate K-12 (GK-12) program at Mississippi State University, pairs STEM graduate students with local K-12 teachers to bring new inquiry and technology experiences to the classroom (www.gk12.msstate.edu). The graduate fellows prepare lessons for the students incorporating different facets of their research. The lessons vary in degree of difficulty according to the content covered in the classroom and the grade level of the students. The focus of each lesson is directed toward the individual research of the STEM graduate student using inquiry based designed activities. Scientific instruments that are used in STEM research (e.g. SkyMaster weather stations, GPS, portable SEM, Inclinometer, Soil Moisture Probe, Google Earth, ArcGIS Explorer) are also utilized by K-12 students in the activities developed by the graduate students. Creativity and problem solving skills are sparked by curiosity which leads to the discovery of new information. The graduate students work to enhance their ability to effectively communicate their research to members of society through the creation of research linked classroom activities, enabling the 7-12th grade students to connect basic processes used in STEM research with the required state and national science standards. The graduate students become respected role models for the high school students because of their STEM knowledge base and their passion for their research. Sharing enthusiasm for their chosen STEM field, as well as the application techniques to discover new ideas, the graduate students stimulate the interests of the classroom students and model authentic science process skills while highlighting the relevance of STEM research to K-12 student lives. The measurement of the student attitudes about science is gathered from pre and post interest surveys for the past four years. This partnership allows students, teachers, graduate students, and the public to

Partners in Earth System Science: a Field, Laboratory and Classroom Based Professional Development Program for K-12 Teachers Designed to Build Scientific and Pedagogical Understandings of Teaching Climate Change.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slattery, W.; Lunsford, S.; Diedrick, A.; Crane, C.

2015-12-01

The purpose of the Partners in Earth System Science summer and academic year professional development program for Ohio K-12 teachers is to build their understandings of the scientific observations, methods and resources that scientists use when studying past and present climate change. Participants then use these tools to develop inquiry-based activities to teach their K-12 students how the scientific method and data are used to understand the effects of global climate change. The summer portion of the program takes teachers from throughout Ohio to the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina. There they engage in a physical and biological exploration of the modern and ancient ocean. For example, they collect samples of sediment and test water samples collected from modern coastal environments and connect their findings with evidence of the fauna living in those environments. Then, using observations from the geological record of the Eocene through Pleistocene sediments exposed in eastern North Carolina and inferences from observations made from the modern ocean they seek to answer scientifically testable questions regarding the physical and biological characteristics of the ocean during Cenozoic climate change events. During the academic year participants connect with each other and project faculty online to support the development of inquiry based science activities for their K-12 students. These activities focus on how evidence and observations such as outcrop extent, sediment type and biological assemblages can be used to infer past climates. The activities are taught in participant's classrooms and discussed with other participants in an online discussion space. Assessment of both teachers and K-12 students document significant positive changes in science knowledge, their confidence in being able to do science and a clearer understanding of how oceans are impacted by global climate change.

Computer-aided design and computer science technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fulton, R. E.; Voigt, S. J.

1976-01-01

A description is presented of computer-aided design requirements and the resulting computer science advances needed to support aerospace design. The aerospace design environment is examined, taking into account problems of data handling and aspects of computer hardware and software. The interactive terminal is normally the primary interface between the computer system and the engineering designer. Attention is given to user aids, interactive design, interactive computations, the characteristics of design information, data management requirements, hardware advancements, and computer science developments.

Using Off-the-Shelf Gaming Controllers For Computer Control in the K-12 Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourgoin, N. L.; Withee, J.; Segee, M.; Birkel, S. D.; Albee, E.; Koons, P. O.; Zhu, Y.; Segee, B.

2009-12-01

In the classroom, the interaction between students, teachers, and datasets is becoming more game like. Software such as GoogleEarth allow students to interact with data on a more personal level; allowing them the dynamically change variables, move arbitrarily, and personalize their experience with the datasets. As this becomes more immersive, traditional software control such as keyboard and mouse begin to hold the student back in terms of intuitive interfacing with the data. This is a problem that has best been tackled by modern gaming systems such as the Wii, XBox 360, and Playstation 3 Systems. By utilizing the solutions given by these gaming systems, it is possible to further a students immersion with a system. Through an NSF ITEST (Information and Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers) grant, researchers at the University of Maine have experimented with using the game controller that is used for interacting with the Nintendo Wii (often called a Wiimote) with existing geodynamic systems in an effort to eases interaction with these systems. Since these game controllers operate using Bluetooth, a common protocol in computing, Wiimotes can easily communicate with existing laptop computers that are issued to Maine students. This paper describes the technical requirements, setup, and usage of Wiimotes as an input device to complex geodynamical systems for use in the K-12 classroom.

Research | Computational Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Research Research NREL's computational science experts use advanced high-performance computing (HPC technologies, thereby accelerating the transformation of our nation's energy system. Enabling High-Impact Research NREL's computational science capabilities enable high-impact research. Some recent examples

Maine K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2013-01-01

The "Maine K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Maine registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and…

12 CFR Appendix K to Part 226 - Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Reverse Mortgage Transactions K Appendix K to Part 226 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED) BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Pt. 226, App. K Appendix K to Part 226—Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions (a...

12 CFR Appendix K to Part 226 - Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Reverse Mortgage Transactions K Appendix K to Part 226 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED) BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Pt. 226, App. K Appendix K to Part 226—Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions (a...

12 CFR Appendix K to Part 226 - Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Reverse Mortgage Transactions K Appendix K to Part 226 Banks and Banking FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (CONTINUED) BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Pt. 226, App. K Appendix K to Part 226—Total Annual Loan Cost Rate Computations for Reverse Mortgage Transactions (a...

UPSeis - Visiting Seismographs for K-12 Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, S. R.; Len, S.; Pennington, W. D.

2004-12-01

Upper Peninsula Seismic Experiments in Schools (UPSeis) is an educational program developed to engage K-12 students in hands-on activities learning about earthquakes and Earth science. The system is intended to enhance teaching earth sciences to students, typically using teleseismic and regional earthquakes recorded directly in the classroom. This seismograph is computer-based and self-contained, requiring no hook-ups to the Internet or to advanced timing devices. It is easy to operate and relatively inexpensive to purchase. The UPSeis curriculum is designed so that a seismograph operates in a classroom for two or three months at a time, allowing the recording of at least 2 to 3 very large earthquakes somewhere in the world. The system comes with classroom activities, which are broken into several units, such as 'Seismic Waves', 'The UPSeis Technique' and 'Earthquake Hazards'. Within each unit, activities are rated for the appropriate grade level. All of the units have also been correlated to the Michigan Content Standards, and are easily adaptable to other state educational content standards as well. Our intention is to assist teachers and volunteers with bringing earth science into the classroom, by making it easier to obtain and operate seismographs. Ideally, a sponsor (University or Company) will pay for a system and any related costs. We further plan to train volunteers at conferences and meetings (such as AGU or SEG) in order to train them on a system and provide them with the knowledge required to assist teachers in the classroom. The volunteer would be available to come into the school and work with the teacher and students on some of the activities, particularly after they have recorded an earthquake. In addition, the volunteer would rotate their system between local area schools every 2 or 3 months. This allows teachers to use the system for a few months without the concern for maintenance of a permanent system. For schools interested in having a

Integrating the iPod Touch in K-12 Education: Visions and Vices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banister, Savilla

2010-01-01

Advocates of ubiquitous computing have long been documenting classroom benefits of one-to-one ratios of students to handheld or laptop computers. The recent sophisticated capabilities of the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad have encouraged further speculation on exactly how K-12 teaching and learning might be energized by such devices. This paper…

Computational communities: African-American cultural capital in computer science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lachney, Michael

2017-10-01

Enrolling the cultural capital of underrepresented communities in PK-12 technology and curriculum design has been a primary strategy for broadening the participation of students of color in U.S. computer science (CS) fields. This article examines two ways that African-American cultural capital and computing can be bridged in CS education. The first is community representation, using cultural capital to highlight students' social identities and networks through computational thinking. The second, computational integration, locates computation in cultural capital itself. I survey two risks - the appearance of shallow computing and the reproduction of assimilationist logics - that may arise when constructing one bridge without the other. To avoid these risks, I introduce the concept of computational communities by exploring areas in CS education that employ both strategies. This concept is then grounded in qualitative data from an after school program that connected CS to African-American cosmetology.

Science, Math, and Technology. K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

Science, Math and Technology is one of the units of a K-6 unified science curriculum program. The unit consists of four organizing sub-themes: (1) science (with activities on observation, comparisons, and the scientific method); (2) technology (examining simple machines, electricity, magnetism, waves and forces); (3) mathematics (addressing skill…

Computational Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Science Photo of person viewing 3D visualization of a wind turbine The NREL Computational Science challenges in fields ranging from condensed matter physics and nonlinear dynamics to computational fluid dynamics. NREL is also home to the most energy-efficient data center in the world, featuring Peregrine-the

Girls and computer science: experiences, perceptions, and career aspirations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hur, Jung Won; Andrzejewski, Carey E.; Marghitu, Daniela

2017-04-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine ways to promote computer science (CS) among girls by exploring young women's experiences and perceptions of CS as well as investigating factors affecting their career aspirations. American girls aged 10-16 participated in focus group interviews as well as pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys while attending a CS camp. The analysis of data revealed that although the participants were generally positive about the CS field, they had very limited knowledge of and experience with CS, leading to little aspiration to become computer scientists. The findings also indicated that girls' affinity for and confidence in CS were critical factors affecting their motivation for pursuing a CS-related career. The study demonstrated that participation in the CS camp motivated a small number of participants to be interested in majoring in CS, but the activity time was too short to make a significant impact. Based on the findings, we suggest that providing CS programming experiences in K-12 classrooms is important in order to boost girls' confidence and interest in CS.

ICASE Computer Science Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering computer science program is discussed in outline form. Information is given on such topics as problem decomposition, algorithm development, programming languages, and parallel architectures.

The Need for Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolis, Jane; Goode, Joanna; Bernier, David

2011-01-01

Broadening computer science learning to include more students is a crucial item on the United States' education agenda, these authors say. Although policymakers advocate more computer science expertise, computer science offerings in high schools are few--and actually shrinking. In addition, poorly resourced schools with a high percentage of…

On teaching computer ethics within a computer science department.

PubMed

Quinn, Michael J

2006-04-01

The author has surveyed a quarter of the accredited undergraduate computer science programs in the United States. More than half of these programs offer a 'social and ethical implications of computing' course taught by a computer science faculty member, and there appears to be a trend toward teaching ethics classes within computer science departments. Although the decision to create an 'in house' computer ethics course may sometimes be a pragmatic response to pressure from the accreditation agency, this paper argues that teaching ethics within a computer science department can provide students and faculty members with numerous benefits. The paper lists topics that can be covered in a computer ethics course and offers some practical suggestions for making the course successful.

Winona State University Anthology of K-12 Language Arts Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Thomas F., Ed.; Lundquist, Margret, Ed.

2004-01-01

These papers are partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Education at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. The cohort included a variety of licensure areas that represent most levels and content areas of K-12 education. The students were encouraged to keep their questions and hypothesis directed at…

Factors Affecting Early Elementary (K-4) Teachers' Introduction of the Nature of Science: A National Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Sophia Jean

2010-01-01

A researcher-developed questionnaire regarding the importance and developmental appropriateness of 12 specific elements of the nature of science (Alshamrani, 2008) for early elementary (kindergarten through fourth grade [K-4]) science instruction was mailed to a random sample of U.S. K-4 teachers. At least half (N = 377) of the respondents…

The Tragedy of the Unexamined Cat: Why K-12 and University Education Are Still in the Dark Ages and How Citizen Science Allows for a Renaissance.

PubMed

Dunn, Robert R; Urban, Julie; Cavelier, Darlene; Cooper, Caren B

2016-03-01

At the end of the dark ages, anatomy was taught as though everything that could be known was known. Scholars learned about what had been discovered rather than how to make discoveries. This was true even though the body (and the rest of biology) was very poorly understood. The renaissance eventually brought a revolution in how scholars (and graduate students) were trained and worked. This revolution never occurred in K-12 or university education such that we now teach young students in much the way that scholars were taught in the dark ages, we teach them what is already known rather than the process of knowing. Citizen science offers a way to change K-12 and university education and, in doing so, complete the renaissance. Here we offer an example of such an approach and call for change in the way students are taught science, change that is more possible than it has ever been and is, nonetheless, five hundred years delayed.

Inscriptional Practices in Undergraduate Introductory Science Courses: A Path toward Improving Prospective K-6 Teachers' Understanding and Teaching of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindfield, Ann C. H.; Singer-Gabella, Marcy

2010-01-01

Inscriptions play a critical role in the creation and communication of scientific knowledge, yet are afforded little status in traditional science education research and practice. In the vast majority of science classrooms, K-12 and university alike, inscriptions are treated as transparent, unproblematic illustrations of the "content" rather than…

Forest Watch: a K-12 Outreach Program to Engage Young Students in Authentic, Hands-On Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rock, B. N.; Gagnon, M.

2008-12-01

The Forest Watch Program is a K-12 science outreach program developed at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1991. The program engages pre-college teachers and their students in assisting researchers at UNH in the assessment of the state-of-health of white pine (Pinus strobus), a known bio- indicator species for exposure to elevated levels of ground-level ozone. Students participate in three types of activities: 1. selection, collection, and analysis of needle samples from five permanently tagged white pine trees near their school; 2. Study of needles in their classroom and sending a set of needles to UNH for spectral analysis; and 3. analysis of remote sensing data (Landsat TM) provided of their local area using freeware software (MultiSpec). Student-derived foliar symptomology, needle length, needle retention, and tree biometrics, plus the spectral indices, allow UNH researchers to characterize annual variations in tree state-of-health, and to correlate that state-of-health with annual summer ozone levels collected by the EPA and state environmental monitoring networks. The results suggest that regional air quality and state- of-health of trees has improved since 1991. Annual student data and the yearly spectral variations, for the same trees, suggest that white pine health has improved dramatically since 1997/8. This improvement in tree health corresponds with improved regional air quality. An evaluation of student data reliability has been conducted and suggests that the DBH measurements are a most reliable indicator of tree growth. Student data are more reliable if multiple sets of measurements are made and averaged together, compared with single sets of measurements. Based on both student data and spectral analysis of student-provided branch samples, the greatest damage (chlorosis) occurs in trees located along the seacoast areas. Participation in Forest Watch introduces students to the scientific method via an authentic research program. The program is

Computational Science and Innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dean, D. J.

2011-09-01

Simulations - utilizing computers to solve complicated science and engineering problems - are a key ingredient of modern science. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is a world leader in the development of high-performance computing (HPC), the development of applied math and algorithms that utilize the full potential of HPC platforms, and the application of computing to science and engineering problems. An interesting general question is whether the DOE can strategically utilize its capability in simulations to advance innovation more broadly. In this article, I will argue that this is certainly possible.

K-6 Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blueford, J. R.; And Others

A unified science approach is incorporated in this K-6 curriculum mode. The program is organized into six major cycles. These include: (1) science, math, and technology cycle; (2) universe cycle; (3) life cycle; (4) water cycle; (5) plate tectonics cycle; and (6) rock cycle. An overview is provided of each cycle's major concepts. The topic…

78 FR 61870 - Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-04

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Notice of Meeting In accordance with Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, as amended... Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (1115). Date/Time: Oct 31, 2013: 12:30 p.m...

Bringing Engineering Research Coupled With Art Into The K-12 Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cola, J.

2016-12-01

The Partnerships for Research, Innovation and Multi-Scale Engineering Program, a Research Experiences for K-12 Teachers at Georgia Institute of Technology demonstrates a successful program that blends the fine arts with engineering research. Teachers selected for the program improve their science and engineering content knowledge, as well as their understanding of how to use STEAM to increase student comprehension and engagement. Participants in the program designed Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM)- based lessons based on faculty engineering research. Examples of some STEAM lessons created will be discussed along with lessons learned.

Central Computer Science Concepts to Research-Based Teacher Training in Computer Science: An Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zendler, Andreas; Klaudt, Dieter

2012-01-01

The significance of computer science for economics and society is undisputed. In particular, computer science is acknowledged to play a key role in schools (e.g., by opening multiple career paths). The provision of effective computer science education in schools is dependent on teachers who are able to properly represent the discipline and whose…

Computer Visualizations for K-8 Science Teachers: One Component of Professional Development Workshops at the Planetary Science Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortenkamp, S.; Baldridge, A. M.; Bleamaster, L. F.; Buxner, S.; Canizo, T.; Crown, D. A.; Lebofsky, L. A.

2012-12-01

The Planetary Science Institute (PSI), in partnership with the Tucson Regional Science Center, offers a series of professional development workshops targeting K-8 science teachers in southern Arizona. Using NASA data sets, research results, and a team of PSI scientists and educators, our workshops provide teachers with in-depth content knowledge of fundamental concepts in astronomy, geology, and planetary science. Current workshops are: The Earth-Moon System, Exploring the Terrestrial Planets, Impact Cratering, The Asteroid-Meteorite Connection, Volcanoes of the Solar System, Deserts of the Solar System, and Astrobiology and the Search for Extrasolar Planets. Several workshops incorporate customized computer visualizations developed at PSI. These visualizations are designed to help teachers overcome the common misconceptions students have in fundamental areas of space science. For example, the simple geometric relationship between the sun, the moon, and Earth is a concept that is rife with misconceptions. How can the arrangement of these objects account for the constantly changing phases of the moon as well as the occasional eclipses of the sun and moon? Students at all levels often struggle to understand the explanation for phases and eclipses even after repeated instruction over many years. Traditional classroom techniques have proven to be insufficient at rooting out entrenched misconceptions. One problem stems from the difficulty of developing an accurate mental picture of the Earth-Moon system in space when a student's perspective has always been firmly planted on the ground. To address this problem our visualizations take the viewers on a journey beyond Earth, giving them a so-called "god's eye" view of how the Earth-Moon system would look from a distance. To make this journey as realistic as possible we use ray-tracing software, incorporate NASA mission images, and accurately portray rotational and orbital motion. During a workshop our visualizations are

Preparing the 21st Century Workforce: Strengthening and Improving K-12 and Undergraduate Science, Math, and Engineering Education. Field Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, House of Representatives, 107th Congress, First Session (April 22, 2002).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House.

The hearing reported in this document focuses on K-12 and undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering education and the improvement of the educational system to prepare the 21st century workforce. The report includes statements from Ms. Narvella R. West, Executive Director for Science, Dallas Independent School District; Dr. Geoffrey C.…

Theoretical computer science and the natural sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchal, Bruno

2005-12-01

I present some fundamental theorems in computer science and illustrate their relevance in Biology and Physics. I do not assume prerequisites in mathematics or computer science beyond the set N of natural numbers, functions from N to N, the use of some notational conveniences to describe functions, and at some point, a minimal amount of linear algebra and logic. I start with Cantor's transcendental proof by diagonalization of the non enumerability of the collection of functions from natural numbers to the natural numbers. I explain why this proof is not entirely convincing and show how, by restricting the notion of function in terms of discrete well defined processes, we are led to the non algorithmic enumerability of the computable functions, but also-through Church's thesis-to the algorithmic enumerability of partial computable functions. Such a notion of function constitutes, with respect to our purpose, a crucial generalization of that concept. This will make easy to justify deep and astonishing (counter-intuitive) incompleteness results about computers and similar machines. The modified Cantor diagonalization will provide a theory of concrete self-reference and I illustrate it by pointing toward an elementary theory of self-reproduction-in the Amoeba's way-and cellular self-regeneration-in the flatworm Planaria's way. To make it easier, I introduce a very simple and powerful formal system known as the Schoenfinkel-Curry combinators. I will use the combinators to illustrate in a more concrete way the notion introduced above. The combinators, thanks to their low-level fine grained design, will also make it possible to make a rough but hopefully illuminating description of the main lessons gained by the careful observation of nature, and to describe some new relations, which should exist between computer science, the science of life and the science of inert matter, once some philosophical, if not theological, hypotheses are made in the cognitive sciences. In the

Computer-Game Construction: A Gender-Neutral Attractor to Computing Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbonaro, Mike; Szafron, Duane; Cutumisu, Maria; Schaeffer, Jonathan

2010-01-01

Enrollment in Computing Science university programs is at a dangerously low level. A major reason for this is the general lack of interest in Computing Science by females. In this paper, we discuss our experience with using a computer game construction environment as a vehicle to encourage female participation in Computing Science. Experiments…

76 FR 61118 - Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-03

... Engineering; Notice of Meeting In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463, as... Computer and Information Science and Engineering (1115). Date and Time: November 1, 2011 from 12 p.m.-5:30... Computer and Information Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite...

The USDA and K-12 Partnership: A Model Program for Federal Agencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Timothy P.; Wilson, Craig; Upchurch, Dan R.; Goldberg, Maria; Bentz, Adrienne

2011-01-01

The Future Scientists Program of Texas A&M University and the Agricultural Research Service branch of USDA serves as a model program of effective collaboration between a federal agency and K-12. It demonstrates true partnership that contextualizes learning of science and provides quality professional development, benefiting teachers and their…

NASA's computer science research program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, R. L.

1983-01-01

Following a major assessment of NASA's computing technology needs, a new program of computer science research has been initiated by the Agency. The program includes work in concurrent processing, management of large scale scientific databases, software engineering, reliable computing, and artificial intelligence. The program is driven by applications requirements in computational fluid dynamics, image processing, sensor data management, real-time mission control and autonomous systems. It consists of university research, in-house NASA research, and NASA's Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) and Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE). The overall goal is to provide the technical foundation within NASA to exploit advancing computing technology in aerospace applications.

Colorado K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 26

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2015-01-01

The purpose of the "Colorado K-12 & School Choice Survey" is to measure public opinion on, and in some cases awareness or knowledge of, a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. A total of 601 telephone interviews were completed from August 29 to September 16, 2015, with questions on the direction of K-12 education,…

Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science: Preparing Pre- and Inservice K-12 Educators to Use Authentic Inquiry in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, T. D.; Tebockhorst, D.

2012-12-01

Teaching Inquiry using NASA Earth-System Science (TINES) is a comprehensive program to train and support pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers, and to provide them with an opportunity to use NASA Earth Science mission data and Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) observations to incorporate scientific inquiry-based learning in the classroom. It uses an innovative blended-learning professional development approach that combines a peer-reviewed pedagogical technique called backward-faded scaffolding (BFS), which provides a more natural entry path to understanding the scientific process, with pre-workshop online content learning and in-situ and online data resources from NASA and GLOBE. This presentation will describe efforts to date, share our impressions and evaluations, and discuss the effectiveness of the BFS approach to both professional development and classroom pedagogy.

Curricular Influences on Female Afterschool Facilitators' Computer Science Interests and Career Choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, Melissa; Gorges, Torie

2016-10-01

Underrepresented populations such as women, African-Americans, and Latinos/as often come to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers by less traditional paths than White and Asian males. To better understand how and why women might shift toward STEM, particularly computer science, careers, we investigated the education and career direction of afterschool facilitators, primarily women of color in their twenties and thirties, who taught Build IT, an afterschool computer science curriculum for middle school girls. Many of these women indicated that implementing Build IT had influenced their own interest in technology and computer science and in some cases had resulted in their intent to pursue technology and computer science education. We wanted to explore the role that teaching Build IT may have played in activating or reactivating interest in careers in computer science and to see whether in the years following implementation of Build IT, these women pursued STEM education and/or careers. We reached nine facilitators who implemented the program in 2011-12 or shortly after. Many indicated that while facilitating Build IT, they learned along with the participants, increasing their interest in and confidence with technology and computer science. Seven of the nine participants pursued further STEM or computer science learning or modified their career paths to include more of a STEM or computer science focus. Through interviews, we explored what aspects of Build IT influenced these facilitators' interest and confidence in STEM and when relevant their pursuit of technology and computer science education and careers.

Role of Public Outreach in the University Science Mission: Publishing K-12 Curriculum, Organizing Tours, and Other Methods of Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittrich, T. M.

2015-12-01

Much attention has been devoted in recent years to the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in K-12 curriculum for developing a capable workforce. Equally important is the role of the voting public in understanding STEM-related issues that impact public policy debates such as the potential impacts of climate change, hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas exploration, mining impacts on water quality, and science funding. Since voted officials have a major impact on the future of these policies, it is imperative that the general public have an understanding of the basic science behind these issues. By engaging with the public in a more fundamental way, university students can play an important role in educating the public while at the same time enhancing their communication skills and gaining valuable teaching experience. I will talk about my own experiences in (1) evaluating and publishing water chemistry and hazardous waste cleanup curriculum on the K-12 engineering platform TeachEngineering.org, (2) organizing public tours of water and energy sites (e.g., abandoned mine sites, coal power plants, wastewater treatment plants, hazardous waste treatment facilities), and (3) other outreach and communication activities including public education of environmental issues through consultations with customers of a landscaping/lawn mowing company. The main focus of this presentation will be the role that graduate students can play in engaging and educating their local community and lessons learned from community projects (Dittrich, 2014; 2012; 2011). References: Dittrich, T.M. 2014. Adventures in STEM: Lessons in water chemistry from elementary school to graduate school. Abstract ED13E-07 presented at 2014 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 15-19 Dec. Dittrich, T.M. 2012. Collaboration between environmental water chemistry students and hazardous waste treatment specialists on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus. Abstract ED53C

Secrets of the Sediments: Using ANDRILL's Scientific Adventure on Ice to Transfer Climate Change Science to K-12 Audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, L. T.; Dahlman, L.; Frisch-Gleason, R.; Harwood, D.; Pound, K.; Rack, F.; Riesselman, C.; Trummel, E.; Tuzzi, E.; Winter, D.

2008-12-01

Antarctica's harsh environment and the compelling story of living and working there, provides the backdrop for hooking the interest of young learners on science research and the nature of science. By using the adventure stories of today's researcher-explorers, teachers accompanying the ANDRILL team have taken the technical science of drilling rock cores to understand the history of climate change and the advance and retreat of the Antarctic ice sheet, and translated it for non-technical audiences from K-12 school children, to adult community groups. In order to understand the important issues surrounding global climate change, members of the public need access to accurate and relevant information, high quality educational materials, and a variety of learning opportunities in different learning environments. By taking lessons learned from early virtual polar adventure learning expeditions like Will Steger's Trans-Antarctic Expedition, coupled with educators-in-the-field programs like TEA (Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic), ARMADA and Polar Trec, ANDRILL's Education and Outreach Program has evolved into successful and far-reaching integrated education projects including 1) the ARISE (ANDRILL Research Immersion for Science Educators) Program, 2) Climate Change Student Summits, 3) the development of Flexhibit (flexible exhibit) teaching resources, 4) virtual online learning communities, and 5) partnering young researchers with teachers and classrooms. Formal evaluations indicate lasting interest in science studies on the part of students and an increase in teachers' scientific background knowledge.

K-12 education sector desk reference. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-01-01

K-12 schools are a major energy customer. To help utility managers better analyze their business relationships with this important market segment, this reference provides background information, statistics, and other useful information. This is a reference. It is a compilation of figures, charts, and tables taken from many existing sources representing some of the best information available about K-12 schools. Analysts reviews over 2,500 pages of government and private sector documents (listed in Appendix A) to select the 100 pages included here. They made every effort to select documents likely to be useful to utility planning staff and program managers. Wherevermore » possible, specific state data have been included to help utility staff compute impacts within a service territory. Both a phone number and e-mail address have been included wherever available for each document listed in Appendix A. The report includes data on the following: energy use; federal mandates; deferred maintenance; indoor air quality; and technology in education. 21 figs., 49 tabs.« less

Improving Climate Literacy Using The Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM): A Prototype Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory For Use In K-12 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halkides, D. J.; Larour, E. Y.; Perez, G.; Petrie, K.; Nguyen, L.

2013-12-01

Statistics indicate that most Americans learn what they will know about science within the confines of our public K-12 education system and the media. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aim to remedy science illiteracy and provide guidelines to exceed the Common Core State Standards that most U.S. state governments have adopted, by integrating disciplinary cores with crosscutting ideas and real life practices. In this vein, we present a prototype ';Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory' (I-Lab), geared to K-12 students, educators and interested members of the general public. I-Lab will allow users to perform experiments using a state-of-the-art dynamical ice sheet model and provide detailed downloadable lesson plans, which incorporate this model and are consistent with NGSS Physical Science criteria for different grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). The ultimate goal of this website is to improve public climate science literacy, especially in regards to the crucial role of the polar ice sheets in Earth's climate and sea level. The model used will be the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), an ice flow model developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UC Irvine, that simulates the near-term evolution of polar ice sheets (Greenland and Antarctica) and includes high spatial resolution capabilities and data assimilation to produce realistic simulations of ice sheet dynamics at the continental scale. Open sourced since 2011, ISSM is used in cutting edge cryosphere research around the globe. Thru I-Lab, students will be able to access ISSM using a simple, online graphical interface that can be launched from a web browser on a computer, tablet or smart phone. The interface will allow users to select different climate conditions and watch how the polar ice sheets evolve in time under those conditions. Lesson contents will include links to background material and activities that teach observation recording, concept articulation, hypothesis formulation and testing, and

The Effective Research-Based Characteristics of Professional Development of the National Science Foundation's GK-12 Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cormas, Peter C.; Barufaldi, James P.

2011-01-01

This study investigates the effective research-based characteristics of professional development (ERBCPD) of the National Science Foundation's GK-12 Program--a program which partners institutions of higher education with local school districts and places science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduates in the K-12 classroom with…

Author Reply to K12 Inc. Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Policy Center, 2012

2012-01-01

K12 Inc. enrolls more public school students than any other private education management organization in the U.S. Much has been written about K12 Inc. (referred to in this report simply as "K12") by financial analysts and investigative journalists because it is a large, publicly traded company and is the dominant player in the operation…

Effects of Mobile Devices on K-12 Students' Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tingir, S.; Cavlazoglu, B.; Caliskan, O.; Koklu, O.; Intepe-Tingir, S.

2017-01-01

In this meta-analytic study, we investigated the effects of mobile devices on student achievement in science, mathematics and reading in grades K-12. Based on our inclusion criteria, we searched the ERIC and PsycINFO databases and identified 14 peer-reviewed research articles published between 2010 and 2014. We identified the device type, subject…

Sense and Sensibility: The Case for the Nationwide Inclusion of Engineering in the K-12 Curriculum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindberg, Robert E.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Batterson, James G.

2008-01-01

The competitive status of the United States is inextricably linked to innovation just as innovation is inseparable from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. To stay competitive in innovation requires that the United States produce a 21st century workforce complete with requisite education, training, skills, and motivation. If we accept a priori that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education are crucial to competitiveness and innovation and that, in terms of innovation, mathematics, science, and engineering are interdependent, why are mathematics and science uniformly ubiquitous in the K-12 curriculum while engineering is conspicuously absent? We are passionate in our belief that the uniform addition of engineering to the K-12 curriculum will help ensure that the nation has "the right" 21st Century workforce. Furthermore, we believe that a nationwide effort, led by a coalition of engineering academics, practitioners, and societies is required to turn this goal into reality. However, accomplishing this goal necessitates, as we are reminded by the title of Jane Austen's timeless novel, "Sense and Sensibility", a workable solution that seeks the "middle ground" between passion and reason. We begin our paper by making two essential points: Engineers are not scientists. Engineering exists separate from science, has its own specialized knowledge community apart from science, and it is largely responsible for many of the most significant advancements and improvements in the quality of our life. Our workable solution requires that K-12 education, nationwide, accommodate the inclusion of engineering as a stand alone curriculum and we offer three reasons to support our position: (1) workforce development, (2) stimulating interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses and careers, and (3) creating a technologically literate society. We conclude with some thoughts on how this important goal can be accomplished.

Bringing computational science to the public.

PubMed

McDonagh, James L; Barker, Daniel; Alderson, Rosanna G

2016-01-01

The increasing use of computers in science allows for the scientific analyses of large datasets at an increasing pace. We provided examples and interactive demonstrations at Dundee Science Centre as part of the 2015 Women in Science festival, to present aspects of computational science to the general public. We used low-cost Raspberry Pi computers to provide hands on experience in computer programming and demonstrated the application of computers to biology. Computer games were used as a means to introduce computers to younger visitors. The success of the event was evaluated by voluntary feedback forms completed by visitors, in conjunction with our own self-evaluation. This work builds on the original work of the 4273π bioinformatics education program of Barker et al. (2013, BMC Bioinform. 14:243). 4273π provides open source education materials in bioinformatics. This work looks at the potential to adapt similar materials for public engagement events. It appears, at least in our small sample of visitors (n = 13), that basic computational science can be conveyed to people of all ages by means of interactive demonstrations. Children as young as five were able to successfully edit simple computer programs with supervision. This was, in many cases, their first experience of computer programming. The feedback is predominantly positive, showing strong support for improving computational science education, but also included suggestions for improvement. Our conclusions are necessarily preliminary. However, feedback forms suggest methods were generally well received among the participants; "Easy to follow. Clear explanation" and "Very easy. Demonstrators were very informative." Our event, held at a local Science Centre in Dundee, demonstrates that computer games and programming activities suitable for young children can be performed alongside a more specialised and applied introduction to computational science for older visitors.

Test Of Astronomy STandards TOAST Survey of K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, Stephanie; Stork, Debra J.

2015-01-01

Discipline-based education research in astronomy is focused on understanding the underlying mental mechanisms used by students when learning astronomy and teachers when teaching astronomy. Systematic surveys of K-12 teacher' knowledge in the domain of astronomy are conducted periodically in order to better focus and improve professional development. These surveys are most often done when doing contemporary needs assessments or when new assessment instruments are readily available. Designed by Stephanie J. Slater of the CAPER Center for Astronomy & Physics Education Research, the 29-item multiple-choice format Test Of Astronomy STandards - TOAST is a carefully constructed, criterion-referenced instrument constructed upon a solid list of clearly articulated and widely agreed upon learning objectives. The targeted learning concepts tightly align with the consensus learning goals stated by the American Astronomical Society - Chair's Conference on ASTRO 101, the American Association of the Advancement of Science's Project 2061 Benchmarks, and the National Research Council's 1996 National Science Education Standards. Without modification, the TOAST is also aligned with the significantly less ambitious 2013 Next Generation Science Standards created by Achieve, Inc., under the auspices of the National Research Council. This latest survey reveals that K-12 teachers still hold many of the same fundamental misconceptions uncovered by earlier surveys. This includes misconceptions about the size, scale, and structure of the cosmos as well as misconceptions about the nature of physical processes at work in astronomy. This suggests that professional development in astronomy is still needed and that modern curriculum materials are best served if they provide substantial support for implementation.

Adventures in supercomputing, a K-12 program in computational science: An assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oliver, C.E.; Hicks, H.R.; Iles-Brechak, K.D.

1994-10-01

In this paper, the authors describe only those elements of the Department of Energy Adventures in Supercomputing (AiS) program for high school teachers, such as school selection, which have a direct bearing on assessment. Schools submit an application to participate in the AiS program. They propose a team of at least two teachers to implement the AiS curriculum. The applications are evaluated by selection committees in each of the five participating states to determine which schools are the most qualified to carry out the program and reach a significant number of women, minorities, and economically disadvantaged students, all of whommore » have historically been underrepresented in the sciences. Typically, selected schools either have a large disadvantaged student population, or the applying teachers propose specific means to attract these segments of their student body into AiS classes. Some areas with AiS schools have significant numbers of minority students, some have economically disadvantaged, usually rural, students, and all areas have the potential to reach a higher proportion of women than technical classes usually attract. This report presents preliminary findings based on three types of data: demographic, student journals, and contextual. Demographic information is obtained for both students and teachers. Students have been asked to maintain journals which include replies to specific questions that are posed each month. An analysis of the answers to these questions helps to form a picture of how students progress through the course of the school year. Onsite visits by assessment professionals conducting student and teacher interviews, provide a more in depth, qualitative basis for understanding student motivations.« less

Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) Brining STEM Research to 7th-12th Grade Science and Math Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radencic, S.; McNeal, K. S.; Pierce, D.

2012-12-01

The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) program at Mississippi State University (MSU), funded by the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK12) program, focuses on the advancement of Earth and Space science education in K-12 classrooms. INSPIRE currently in its third year of partnering ten graduate students each year from the STEM fields of Geosciences, Engineering, Physics and Chemistry at MSU with five teachers from local, rural school districts. The five year project serves to enhance graduate student's communication skills as they create interactive lessons linking their STEM research focus to the state and national standards covered in science and math classrooms for grades 7-12 through inquiry experiences. Each graduate student is responsible for the development of two lessons each month of the school year that include an aspect of their STEM research, including the technologies that they may utilize to conduct their STEM research. The plans are then published on the INSPIRE project webpage, www.gk12.msstate.edu, where they are a free resource for any K-12 classroom teacher seeking innovative activities for their classrooms and total over 300 lesson activities to date. Many of the participating teachers and graduate students share activities developed with non-participating teachers, expanding INSPIRE's outreach of incorporating STEM research into activities for K-12 students throughout the local community. Examples of STEM research connections to classroom topics related to earth and ocean science include activities using GPS with GIS for triangulation and measurement of area in geometry; biogeochemical response to oil spills compared to organism digestive system; hydrogeology water quality monitoring and GIS images used as a determinant for habitat suitability in area water; interactions of acids and bases in the Earth's environments and surfaces; and the importance of electrical circuitry in an electrode used in

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Deal, Alex L.; Erickson, Kristen J.; Bilsky, Edward J.; Hillman, Susan J.; Burman, Michael A.

2014-01-01

The University of New England’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students’ academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we’ve organized our themes in a “Grow-up, Grow-out” approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students’ skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we’re having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general. PMID:25565921

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience.

PubMed

Deal, Alex L; Erickson, Kristen J; Bilsky, Edward J; Hillman, Susan J; Burman, Michael A

2014-01-01

The University of New England's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students' academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we've organized our themes in a "Grow-up, Grow-out" approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students' skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we're having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general.

U.S. Ed-Tech Plan Urges Rethinking in K-12 Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ash, Katie

2010-01-01

The Obama administration urged educators and policymakers last week to embrace a host of digital-learning approaches it says will make K-12 schools better, including putting a computing device in the hands of every student. Guided by an overarching goal set by President Barack Obama to raise national college-completion rates from 40 percent to 60…

Meeting the Challenge: Computers and Higher Order Thinking. A Research Agenda. Program Report 86-15. Report of a Research Conference Held at the National Academy of Sciences (Washington, DC, October 31-November 1, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Janice H.; Smith, Marshall S.

This report presents a national agenda for research on the learning of thinking skills via computer technology which was developed at a National Academy of Sciences conference on educational, methodological, and practical issues involved in the use of computers to promote complex thought in grades K-12. The discussion of research topics agreed…

UTIG's Contributions to Seismology in K-12 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K. K.

2004-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) conducts research in many areas of seismology, including the study of earthquakes, the structure of Earth's interior and targeted geologic settings, and the development of methods to monitor nuclear explosions. In addition, UTIG scientists engage in educational outreach that takes seismology and its applications into K-12 classrooms. Activities include (1) the development of standards-aligned, inquiry-based curriculum materials that use real seismic data to convey concepts in earthquake seismology and which introduce modern technologies based on the principles of seismology; (2) a year-long teacher professional development institute that incorporates seismology and teacher workshops at which scientists, GK-12 Fellows and teachers team up to deliver science content and learning activities; and (3) a "Teacher in the Field" program through which teachers have participated in marine geophysical cruises to study tectonic processes in the Bransfield Strait, Hess Deep, Terror Rift in the Ross Sea, the southeastern Caribbean, and the Blanco Fracture Zone. UTIG has supported these efforts through grants from the NSF and state agencies, and by partnering with other programs and organizations. For example, teacher workshops were organized around public lectures by IRIS/SSA Distinguished Speakers Roger Bilham (Global Death and Construction: Earthquakes on an Urban Planet) and David Wald (Rapid Earthquake Information: Citizen Science and New Tools for Emergency Response) and presented as part of The University of Texas Environmental Science Institute Outreach Lecture Series.

Preparing Future Secondary Computer Science Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajwa, Iyad

2007-01-01

Although nearly every college offers a major in computer science, many computer science teachers at the secondary level have received little formal training. This paper presents details of a project that could make a significant contribution to national efforts to improve computer science education by combining teacher education and professional…

Association of Small Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) Summer Conference Proceedings (30th, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, June 7-12, 1997).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter, Ed.

Papers from a conference on small college computing issues are: "An On-line Microcomputer Course for Pre-service Teachers" (Mary K. Abkemeier); "The Mathematics and Computer Science Learning Center (MLC)" (Solomon T. Abraham); "Multimedia for the Non-Computer Science Faculty Member" (Stephen T. Anderson, Sr.); "Achieving Continuous Improvement:…

Advisory List of Computer Courseware.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Educational Media.

Computer courseware appropriate for instruction in grades K-12 is listed in two advisory lists. Entries, selected from materials submitted by producers which received favorable reviews by educators, are arranged in the following categories: arts education, communication skills, mathematics, science, utility (a quiz generator), word processing, and…

Computer Science and the Liberal Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shannon, Christine

2010-01-01

Computer science and the liberal arts have much to offer each other. Yet liberal arts colleges, in particular, have been slow to recognize the opportunity that the study of computer science provides for achieving the goals of a liberal education. After the precipitous drop in computer science enrollments during the first decade of this century,…

Complex network problems in physics, computer science and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cojocaru, Radu Ionut

lattice at zero temperature and then we apply this formalism to the K-SAT problem defined in Chapter 1. The phase transition which physicists study often corresponds to a change in the computational complexity of the corresponding computer science problem. Chapter 3 presents phase transitions which are specific to the problems discussed in Chapter 1 and also known results for the K-SAT problem. We discuss the replica method and experimental evidences of replica symmetry breaking. The physics approach to hard problems is based on replica methods which are difficult to understand. In Chapter 4 we develop novel methods for studying hard problems using methods similar to the message passing techniques that were discussed in Chapter 2. Although we concentrated on the symmetric case, cavity methods show promise for generalizing our methods to the un-symmetric case. As has been highlighted by John Hopfield, several key features of biological systems are not shared by physical systems. Although living entities follow the laws of physics and chemistry, the fact that organisms adapt and reproduce introduces an essential ingredient that is missing in the physical sciences. In order to extract information from networks many algorithm have been developed. In Chapter 5 we apply polynomial algorithms like minimum spanning tree in order to study and construct gene regulatory networks from experimental data. As future work we propose the use of algorithms like min-cut/max-flow and Dijkstra for understanding key properties of these networks.

Connecting NASA Airborne Scientists, Engineers, and Pilots to K-12 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaller, E. L.

2015-12-01

The NASA Airborne Science Program (ASP) conducts Earth system science research missions with NASA aircraft all over the world. During ASP missions, NASA scientists, engineers and pilots are deployed to remote parts of the world such as Greenland, Antarctica, Chile, and Guam. These ASP mission personnel often have a strong desire to share the excitement of their mission with local classrooms near their deployment locations as well as classrooms back home in the United States. Here we discuss ongoing efforts to connect NASA scientists, engineers and pilots in the field directly with K-12 classrooms through both in-person interactions and remotely via live web-based chats.

Science and Engineering of the Environment of Los Angeles: A GK-12 Experiment at Developing Science Communications Skills in UCLA's Graduate Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, M. B.; Hogue, T. S.; Nonacs, P.; Shope, R. E.; Daniel, J.

2008-12-01

Many science and research skills are taught by osmosis in graduate programs with the expectation that students will develop good communication skills (speaking, writing, and networking) by observing others, attending meetings, and self reflection. A new National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education (GK-12; http://ehrweb.aaas.org/gk12new/) program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/overview.html ) attempts to make the development of good communication skills an explicit part of the graduate program of science and engineering students. SEE-LA places the graduate fellows in two pairs of middle and high schools within Los Angeles to act as scientists-in- residence. They are partnered with two master science teachers and spend two-days per week in the classroom. They are not student teachers, or teacher aides, but scientists who contribute their content expertise, excitement and experience with research, and new ideas for classroom activities and lessons that incorporate inquiry science. During the one-year fellowship, the graduate students also attend a year-long Preparing Future Faculty seminar that discusses many skills needed as they begin their academic or research careers. Students are also required to include a brief (two-page) summary of their research that their middle or high school students would be able to understand as part of their published thesis. Having students actively thinking about and communicating their science to a pre-college audience provides important science communication training and helps contribute to science education. University and local pre- college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication skills while also contributing significantly to the dissemination of sound science to K-12 teachers and students.

Continuity of Operations Plans: Policy and Strategy for K-12 Schools in the State of Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

issue that has emerged, as it concerns COOP, involves the need for Florida K-12 school systems to develop these plans. Florida neither requires, as is...test COOPs to ensure functional and recovery capabilities. Issues , such as alternate facilities, computer and informational services, as well as human...policy and strategy components for K-12 schools. D. HYPOTHESIS Within the communities of government, universities and businesses , a COOP has

Art Education Curriculum Guide, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naperville Public Schools, IL.

GRADES OR AGES: K-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Art. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is divided into numerous sections, one each for grades K-8, and one section for grades 9-12. Each section is in list form. The guide is mimeographed and spiral-bound with a paper cover. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES: Each section contains four sample lessons…

Formative Evaluation of Bugscope: A Sustainable World Wide Laboratory for K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thakkar, U.; Carragher, B.; Carroll, L.; Conway, C.; Grosser, B.; Kisseberth, N.; Potter, C. S.; Robinson, S.; Sinn-Hanlon, J.; Stone, D.; Weber, D.

Bugscope is an emerging educational technology project that allows students and teachers across grades K-12 to study insects and other arthropods through remote access and control of an environmental scanning electron microscope from their classroom computers. Teachers and students in 33 schools from 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands were…

A program to enhance k-12 science education in ten rural New York school districts.

PubMed

Goodell, E; Visco, R; Pollock, P

1999-04-01

The Rural Partnership for Science Education, designed by educators and scientists in 1991 with funding from the National Institutes of Health, works in two rural New York State counties with students and their teachers from kindergarten through grade 12 to improve pre-college science education. The Partnership is an alliance among ten rural New York school districts and several New York State institutions (e.g., a regional academic medical center; the New York Academy of Sciences; and others), and has activities that involve around 4,800 students and 240 teachers each year. The authors describe the program's activities (e.g., summer workshops for teachers; science exploration camps for elementary and middle-school students; enrichment activities for high school students). A certified science education specialist directs classroom demonstrations throughout the academic year to support teachers' efforts to integrate hands-on activities into the science curriculum. A variety of evaluations over the years provides strong evidence of the program's effectiveness in promoting students' and teachers' interest in science. The long-term goal of the Partnership is to inspire more rural students to work hard, learn science, and enter the medical professions.

K-12 Education

Science.gov Websites

reached out to elementary and high school students to expose them to earthquakes in a hands-on products laboratories publications nisee b.i.p. members education FAQs links education Education Program Internships K-12 Education Contact the PEER Education Program PEER's Educational Affiliates Student Design

WestEd Eisenhower Regional Consortium: Helping to Build a Presence for Science With Online Professional Development Opportunities for K-12 Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rognier, E.

2002-12-01

The WestEd Eisenhower Regional Consortium (WERC) is in its third year of offering two Earth Systems Science On-line Graduate courses from IGES - one for High School teachers, and one for Middle School teachers. These high-quality courses support WERC's commitment to "supporting increased scientific and mathematical literacy among our nation's youth through services and other support aimed at enhancing the efforts of those who provide K-12 science and mathematics education." These courses also support our NSTA-sponsored "Building a Presence for Science" program in California, providing professional development opportunities to help achieve our vision of increased quantity and quality of science education statewide. Our students have included classroom teachers from upper elementary through high school, community college science teachers, and environmental science center staff who provide inservice for teachers. Educators from Hawaii to New Jersey have provided diverse personal experiences of Earth Systems Science events, and add richness to the online discussions. Students have consistently embraced the concept of a systems-based approach to science instruction, commenting on how these courses have forever changed their teaching practices and provided a successful means for engaging and involving their students in scientific inquiry. Through offering these online courses, we have learned valuable lessons about recruitment, retention, team-building, and facilitating discussions for classes with no "face to face" component. This format is both rich and challenging, with teammates from diverse geographic regions and timezones, with a variety of connectivity and accessibility issues. In this third year of offering the courses, we are pleased to have students taking their second course with us, wanting to continue learning content and stragtegies to improve their skills as science teachers.

NASA-OAI HPCCP K-12 Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The NASA-OAI High Performance Communication and Computing K- 12 School Partnership program has been completed. Cleveland School of the Arts, Empire Computech Center, Grafton Local Schools and the Bug O Nay Ge Shig School have all received network equipment and connections. Each school is working toward integrating computer and communications technology into their classroom curriculum. Cleveland School of the Arts students are creating computer software. Empire Computech Center is a magnet school for technology education at the elementary school level. Grafton Local schools is located in a rural community and is using communications technology to bring to their students some of the same benefits students from suburban and urban areas receive. The Bug O Nay Ge Shig School is located on an Indian Reservation in Cass Lake, MN. The students at this school are using the computer to help them with geological studies. A grant has been issued to the friends of the Nashville Library. Nashville is a small township in Holmes County, Ohio. A community organization has been formed to turn their library into a state of the art Media Center. Their goal is to have a place where rural students can learn about different career options and how to go about pursuing those careers. Taylor High School in Cincinnati, Ohio was added to the schools involved in the Wind Tunnel Project. A mini grant has been awarded to Taylor High School for computer equipment. The computer equipment is utilized in the school's geometry class to computationally design objects which will be tested for their aerodynamic properties in the Barberton Wind Tunnel. The students who create the models can view the test in the wind tunnel via desk top conferencing. Two teachers received stipends for helping with the Regional Summer Computer Workshop. Both teachers were brought in to teach a session within the workshop. They were selected to teach the session based on their expertise in particular software applications.

Science Education Partnerships. Manual for Scientists and K-12 Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sussman, Art, Ed.

Many involved in science education reform agree that one ingredient of future science education programs should be effective partnerships. Partnerships often will embrace people and organizations who traditionally have not been involved in science education. This book offers "how to" guidelines for forming effective science education…

Know Your Discipline: Teaching the Philosophy of Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tedre, Matti

2007-01-01

The diversity and interdisciplinarity of computer science and the multiplicity of its uses in other sciences make it hard to define computer science and to prescribe how computer science should be carried out. The diversity of computer science also causes friction between computer scientists from different branches. Computer science curricula, as…

Computational Science at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero, Nichols

2014-03-01

The goal of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) is to extend the frontiers of science by solving problems that require innovative approaches and the largest-scale computing systems. ALCF's most powerful computer - Mira, an IBM Blue Gene/Q system - has nearly one million cores. How does one program such systems? What software tools are available? Which scientific and engineering applications are able to utilize such levels of parallelism? This talk will address these questions and describe a sampling of projects that are using ALCF systems in their research, including ones in nanoscience, materials science, and chemistry. Finally, the ways to gain access to ALCF resources will be presented. This research used resources of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility at Argonne National Laboratory, which is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Using Data Mining to Predict K-12 Students' Performance on Large-Scale Assessment Items Related to Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Xiufeng; Ruiz, Miguel E.

2008-01-01

This article reports a study on using data mining to predict K-12 students' competence levels on test items related to energy. Data sources are the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 1999 TIMSS-Repeat, 2003 Trend in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the National Assessment of Educational…

Idaho K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education. Polling Paper No. 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Idaho K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Idaho registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education issues and school choice reforms. We report response "levels" and…

Computer Science | Classification | College of Engineering & Applied

Science.gov Websites

EMS 1011 profile photo Adrian Dumitrescu, Ph.D.ProfessorComputer Science(414) 229-4265Eng & Math @uwm.eduEng & Math Sciences 919 profile photo Hossein Hosseini, Ph.D.ProfessorComputer Science(414) 229 -5184hosseini@uwm.eduEng & Math Sciences 1091 profile photo Amol Mali, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorComputer

Enabling Earth Science Through Cloud Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardman, Sean; Riofrio, Andres; Shams, Khawaja; Freeborn, Dana; Springer, Paul; Chafin, Brian

2012-01-01

Cloud Computing holds tremendous potential for missions across the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Several flight missions are already benefiting from an investment in cloud computing for mission critical pipelines and services through faster processing time, higher availability, and drastically lower costs available on cloud systems. However, these processes do not currently extend to general scientific algorithms relevant to earth science missions. The members of the Airborne Cloud Computing Environment task at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have worked closely with the Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) mission to integrate cloud computing into their science data processing pipeline. This paper details the efforts involved in deploying a science data system for the CARVE mission, evaluating and integrating cloud computing solutions with the system and porting their science algorithms for execution in a cloud environment.

Computation Directorate and Science& Technology Review Computational Science and Research Featured in 2002

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alchorn, A L

Thank you for your interest in the activities of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Computation Directorate. This collection of articles from the Laboratory's Science & Technology Review highlights the most significant computational projects, achievements, and contributions during 2002. In 2002, LLNL marked the 50th anniversary of its founding. Scientific advancement in support of our national security mission has always been the core of the Laboratory. So that researchers could better under and predict complex physical phenomena, the Laboratory has pushed the limits of the largest, fastest, most powerful computers in the world. In the late 1950's, Edward Teller--one of themore » LLNL founders--proposed that the Laboratory commission a Livermore Advanced Research Computer (LARC) built to Livermore's specifications. He tells the story of being in Washington, DC, when John Von Neumann asked to talk about the LARC. He thought Teller wanted too much memory in the machine. (The specifications called for 20-30,000 words.) Teller was too smart to argue with him. Later Teller invited Von Neumann to the Laboratory and showed him one of the design codes being prepared for the LARC. He asked Von Neumann for suggestions on fitting the code into 10,000 words of memory, and flattered him about ''Labbies'' not being smart enough to figure it out. Von Neumann dropped his objections, and the LARC arrived with 30,000 words of memory. Memory, and how close memory is to the processor, is still of interest to us today. Livermore's first supercomputer was the Remington-Rand Univac-1. It had 5600 vacuum tubes and was 2 meters wide by 4 meters long. This machine was commonly referred to as a 1 KFlop machine [E+3]. Skip ahead 50 years. The ASCI White machine at the Laboratory today, produced by IBM, is rated at a peak performance of 12.3 TFlops or E+13. We've improved computer processing power by 10 orders of magnitude in 50 years, and I do not believe there's any reason to think

What K-12 Leaders Can Learn from Accreditation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stader, David L.; Munoz, Ava J.; Rowett, Charles

2009-01-01

Community college Quality Enhancement Plans (QEPs) typically focus on improving student outcomes. QEPs are in many ways analogous to the campus improvement plans (CIPs) that have become standard practice for virtually all K-12 schools. K-12 campus and district leaders often seek school improvement ideas from other K-12 districts. However, much can…

Computers in Science Fiction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurland, Michael

1984-01-01

Science fiction writers' perceptions of the "thinking machine" are examined through a review of Baum's Oz books, Heinlein's "Beyond This Horizon," science fiction magazine articles, and works about robots including Asimov's "I, Robot." The future of computers in science fiction is discussed and suggested readings are listed. (MBR)

Digital Media for STEM Learning: Developing scientific practice skills in the K-12 STEM classroom with resources from WGBH and PBS LearningMedia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, J.; Connolly, R.

2017-12-01

WGBH's "Bringing the Universe to America's Classrooms" project is a 5-year effort to design, produce and evaluate digital media tools and resources that support scientific practice skills in diverse K-12 learners. Resources leverage data and content from NASA and WGBH signature programs, like NOVA, into sound instructional experiences that provide K-12 STEM teachers with free, quality resources for teaching topics in the Earth and Space Sciences. Resources address the content and practices in the new K-12 Framework for Science Education and are aligned with the NGSS. Participants will learn about design strategies, findings from our evaluation efforts, and how to access free resources on PBS LearningMedia.

Minnesota K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2015-01-01

The "Minnesota K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Minnesota registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response…

Washington K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Washington K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Washington registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report…

Alaska K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2011-01-01

The "Alaska K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Alaska registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education issues and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response…

Code to Learn: Where Does It Belong in the K-12 Curriculum?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreno-León, Jesús; Robles, Gregorio; Román-González, Marcos

2016-01-01

The introduction of computer programming in K-12 has become mainstream in the last years, as countries around the world are making coding part of their curriculum. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical studies that investigate how learning to program at an early age affects other school subjects. In this regard, this paper compares three…

Examining the Views of Undergraduate STEM Majors Regarding K-12 Teaching as a Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plecki, Margaret; St. John, Elise; Elfers, Ana

2013-01-01

This study explores how undergraduates enrolled in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses view the K-12 teaching profession. A survey was conducted with a sample of undergraduates in community college and university settings (n = 610). We examine whether undergraduates believe that teaching offers what they value in a…

Encouraging Greater Student Inquiry Engagement in Science through Motivational Support by Online Scientist-Mentors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scogin, Stephen C.; Stuessy, Carol L.

2015-01-01

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for integrating knowledge and practice in learning experiences in K-12 science education. "PlantingScience" (PS), an ideal curriculum for use as an NGSS model, is a computer-mediated collaborative learning environment intertwining scientific inquiry, classroom instruction, and online…

Delaware K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2014-01-01

The "Delaware K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Delaware registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Nevada K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 22

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2015-01-01

The "Nevada K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Nevada registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and…

Texas K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2013-01-01

The "Texas K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Texas registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels and…

Missouri K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 19

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2014-01-01

The "Missouri K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Missouri registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Oklahoma K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 18

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2014-01-01

The "Oklahoma K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Oklahoma registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Montana K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Montana K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures Montana registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

Louisiana K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Louisiana K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Louisiana registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. In this paper the author and his colleagues…

Tennessee K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 9

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2012-01-01

The "Tennessee K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Inc. (BRI), measures Tennessee registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response levels…

The NASA computer science research program plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

A taxonomy of computer science is included, one state of the art of each of the major computer science categories is summarized. A functional breakdown of NASA programs under Aeronautics R and D, space R and T, and institutional support is also included. These areas were assessed against the computer science categories. Concurrent processing, highly reliable computing, and information management are identified.

Advanced Computing for Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hut, Piet; Sussman, Gerald Jay

1987-01-01

Discusses some of the contributions that high-speed computing is making to the study of science. Emphasizes the use of computers in exploring complicated systems without the simplification required in traditional methods of observation and experimentation. Provides examples of computer assisted investigations in astronomy and physics. (TW)

Experiences of Computer Science Curriculum Design: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloan, Arthur; Bowe, Brian

2015-01-01

This paper presents a qualitative study of 12 computer science lecturers' experiences of curriculum design of several degree programmes during a time of transition from year-long to semesterised courses, due to institutional policy change. The background to the study is outlined, as are the reasons for choosing the research methodology. The main…

Factors influencing exemplary science teachers' levels of computer use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakverdi, Meral

This study examines exemplary science teachers' use of technology in science instruction, factors influencing their level of computer use, their level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction, their use of computer-related applications/tools during their instruction, and their students' use of computer applications/tools in or for their science class. After a relevant review of the literature certain variables were selected for analysis. These variables included personal self-efficacy in teaching with computers, outcome expectancy, pupil-control ideology, level of computer use, age, gender, teaching experience, personal computer use, professional computer use and science teachers' level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction. The sample for this study includes middle and high school science teachers who received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching Award (sponsored by the White House and the National Science Foundation) between the years 1997 and 2003 from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Award-winning science teachers were contacted about the survey via e-mail or letter with an enclosed return envelope. Of the 334 award-winning science teachers, usable responses were received from 92 science teachers, which made a response rate of 27.5%. Analysis of the survey responses indicated that exemplary science teachers have a variety of knowledge/skills in using computer related applications/tools. The most commonly used computer applications/tools are information retrieval via the Internet, presentation tools, online communication, digital cameras, and data collection probes. Results of the study revealed that students' use of technology in their science classroom is highly correlated with the frequency of their science teachers' use of computer applications/tools. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that personal self-efficacy related to

Science for English Language Learners: K-12 Classroom Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fathman, Ann K.; Crowther, David T.

2005-01-01

It's a simple fact: Doing the best job possible with linguistically and culturally diverse students, a strong foundation in how best to teach both science and language is needed. This comprehensive guide will expand expertise in teaching science content and processes, in language development and literacy, and in inquiry-based teaching. Plus it…

Computer Programs in Marine Science

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-04-01

AD-A279 795 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Technical Information Service PB-258 082 Computer Programs in Marine Science National Ocearncgraphic...NO. 5 fo r- Computer nPrograms in ’StlrSO " Marine Science U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and AtmosPheric AdmInistration Environmental...N0,AA?76062212 I I 4. TITLE A?.’D.UBTITLE S. REPORT DATE Comnuter Progrims in Marine Science April 1976 Koy tc Oceanographic Records Documentation No

Approaches to Classroom-Based Computational Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzdial, Mark

Computational science includes the use of computer-based modeling and simulation to define and test theories about scientific phenomena. The challenge for educators is to develop techniques for implementing computational science in the classroom. This paper reviews some previous work on the use of simulation alone (without modeling), modeling…

Women in Computer Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Clare; Menninger, Sally Ann

The keynote address of a conference that focused on the future of women in science and engineering fields and the opportunities available to them in the computer sciences is presented. Women's education in the sciences and education and entry into the job market in these fields has steadily been increasing. Excellent employment opportunities are…

Indiana K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 27

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2016-01-01

The purpose of the "Indiana K-12 & School Choice Survey" is to measure public opinion on, and in some cases awareness or knowledge of, a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice developed this project in partnership with Braun Research, Inc., who conducted the live phone…

EnrollForecast for Excel: K-12 Enrollment Forecasting Program. Software & User's Guide. [Computer Diskette].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Curtis A.

"EnrollForecast for Excel" will generate a 5-year forecast of K-12 student enrollment. It will also work for any combination of grades between kindergarten and twelth. The forecasts can be printed as either a table or a graph. The user must provide birth history (only if forecasting kindergarten) and enrollment history information. The user also…

K-12 Aerospace Education Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA, the United States Air Force Academy, the Air Force Space Command, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), and the United States Space Foundation teamed to produce a dynamic and successful graduate course and in-service program for K-12 educators that has a positive impact on education trends across the nation. Since 1986, more than 10,000 educators from across the United States have participated in Space Discovery and Teaching with Space affecting nearly a million students in grades K-12. The programs are designed to prepare educators to use the excitement of space to motivate students in all curriculum subjects.

Explorations in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, S. S.; Pertzborn, R. A.; Sromovsky, L. A.

1997-07-01

Space exploration remains a topic of immense interest and excitement for children and the general public. A diverse approach has been utilized at the Space Science and Engineering Center to initiate outreach and K-12 education activities. The hands-on experience gained through a working relationships with educators has been useful in understanding the challenges, usefulness and limitations of scientists' involvement in the education process. Our efforts have included school visits, development of lesson plans (KidSat), internet based activities (Planet Exploration Toolkit for Live from Mars, a Passport to Knowledge Project), World Wide Web, Public Lectures, summer teacher enhancement workshops, internships, and substitute teaching in science classes. The feedback and comments from teachers and students has demonstrated the usefulness and need for these efforts. The experience has also demonstrated that a committed effort in outreach is ultimately satisfying although immensely time consuming. Our outreach efforts have been partially supported by a NASA/IDEA grant, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, NOAA and more recently, the Evjue Foundation (Madison-Wisconsin).

Nucleoli in human early erythroblasts (K2, K1, K1/2 cells).

PubMed

Smetana, K; Jirásková, I; Klamová, H

2005-01-01

Human early erythroid precursors classified according to the nuclear size were studied to provide information on nucleoli in these cells using simple cytochemical procedures for demonstration of RNA and proteins of silver-stained nucleolar organizers. K2 cells with nuclear diameter larger than 13 microm and K1 cells with nuclear diameter larger than 9 microm corresponding to proerythroblasts and macroblasts (large basophilic erythroblasts) mostly possessed large irregularly shaped nucleoli with multiple fibrillar centres representing "active nucleoli". K1/2 cells with nuclear diameter smaller than 9 microm corresponding to small basophilic erythroblasts were usually characterized by the presence of micronucleoli representing "inactive nucleolar types". On the other hand, a few K1/2 cells contained large nucleoli with multiple fibrillar centres similar to those present in K2 cells and thus appeared as "microproerythroblasts". The nucleolar asynchrony expressed by the presence of large irregularly shaped nucleoli with multiple nucleoli (active nucleoli) and ring-shaped nucleoli (resting nucleoli) in one and the same nucleus of K2 or K1 cells was not exceptional and might reflect a larger resistance of these cells to negative factors influencing the erythropoiesis. The intranucleolar translocation of silver-stained nucleolus organized regions was noted in K2 cells and might indicate the premature aging of these cells without further differentiation. More studies, however, are required in this direction.

Fostering K-12 Inquiry-based Lesson Development on Regional Water Resource Issues in Los Angeles Urban Schools through the NSF UCLA SEE-LA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Burke, M. P.; Thulsirag, V.; Daniel, J.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.

2010-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/ ) partners UCLA faculty and graduate students (fellows) with urban middle and high school science teachers and their students to foster programs of science and engineering exploration that bring the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom. During the first two years of the project, the SEE-LA fellows have developed a range of inquiry-based activities, from invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to water and home energy consumption surveys, to a school biodiversity investigation, to a school-wide alternative energy fair, to engineering the cleanup of environmental disasters, such as the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Several of the current fellows have dissertation research in water resource related fields and are specifically integrating lessons specific to their research into their partner classrooms, including urban stream water quality, post-fire watershed behavior, beach water quality assessment and E. coli source tracking. This presentation will provide an overview of goals of the SEE-LA GK-12 program, development of inquiry-based water resource lessons and resulting engagement in the partner classrooms. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication and teaching skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of science education into K-12 curriculum.

Ready, Set, SCIENCE!: Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michaels, Sarah; Shouse, Andrew W.; Schweingruber, Heidi A.

2007-01-01

What types of instructional experiences help K-8 students learn science with understanding? What do science educators, teachers, teacher leaders, science specialists, professional development staff, curriculum designers, and school administrators need to know to create and support such experiences? "Ready, Set, Science!" guides the way with an…

Using a Non-Equivalent Groups Quasi Experimental Design to Reduce Internal Validity Threats to Claims Made by Math and Science K-12 Teacher Recruitment Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moin, Laura

2009-10-01

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act national policy established in 2009 calls for ``meaningful data'' that demonstrate educational improvements, including the recruitment of high-quality teachers. The scant data available and the low credibility of many K-12 math/science teacher recruitment program evaluations remain the major barriers for the identification of effective recruitment strategies. Our study presents a methodology to better evaluate the impact of recruitment programs on increasing participants' interest in teaching careers. The research capitalizes on the use of several control groups and presents a non-equivalent groups quasi-experimental evaluation design that produces program effect claims with higher internal validity than claims generated by current program evaluations. With this method that compares responses to a teaching career interest question from undergraduates all along a continuum from just attending an information session to participating (or not) in the recruitment program, we were able to compare the effect of the program in increasing participants' interest in teaching careers versus the evolution of the same interest but in the absence of the program. We were also able to make suggestions for program improvement and further research. While our findings may not apply to other K-12 math/science teacher recruitment programs, we believe that our evaluation methodology does and will contribute to conduct stronger program evaluations. In so doing, our evaluation procedure may inform recruitment program designers and policy makers.

Computer Science Research at Langley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Voigt, S. J. (Editor)

1982-01-01

A workshop was held at Langley Research Center, November 2-5, 1981, to highlight ongoing computer science research at Langley and to identify additional areas of research based upon the computer user requirements. A panel discussion was held in each of nine application areas, and these are summarized in the proceedings. Slides presented by the invited speakers are also included. A survey of scientific, business, data reduction, and microprocessor computer users helped identify areas of focus for the workshop. Several areas of computer science which are of most concern to the Langley computer users were identified during the workshop discussions. These include graphics, distributed processing, programmer support systems and tools, database management, and numerical methods.

Demystifying computer science for molecular ecologists.

PubMed

Belcaid, Mahdi; Toonen, Robert J

2015-06-01

In this age of data-driven science and high-throughput biology, computational thinking is becoming an increasingly important skill for tackling both new and long-standing biological questions. However, despite its obvious importance and conspicuous integration into many areas of biology, computer science is still viewed as an obscure field that has, thus far, permeated into only a few of the biology curricula across the nation. A national survey has shown that lack of computational literacy in environmental sciences is the norm rather than the exception [Valle & Berdanier (2012) Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 93, 373-389]. In this article, we seek to introduce a few important concepts in computer science with the aim of providing a context-specific introduction aimed at research biologists. Our goal was to help biologists understand some of the most important mainstream computational concepts to better appreciate bioinformatics methods and trade-offs that are not obvious to the uninitiated. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weintrop, David; Beheshti, Elham; Horn, Michael; Orton, Kai; Jona, Kemi; Trouille, Laura; Wilensky, Uri

2016-02-01

Science and mathematics are becoming computational endeavors. This fact is reflected in the recently released Next Generation Science Standards and the decision to include "computational thinking" as a core scientific practice. With this addition, and the increased presence of computation in mathematics and scientific contexts, a new urgency has come to the challenge of defining computational thinking and providing a theoretical grounding for what form it should take in school science and mathematics classrooms. This paper presents a response to this challenge by proposing a definition of computational thinking for mathematics and science in the form of a taxonomy consisting of four main categories: data practices, modeling and simulation practices, computational problem solving practices, and systems thinking practices. In formulating this taxonomy, we draw on the existing computational thinking literature, interviews with mathematicians and scientists, and exemplary computational thinking instructional materials. This work was undertaken as part of a larger effort to infuse computational thinking into high school science and mathematics curricular materials. In this paper, we argue for the approach of embedding computational thinking in mathematics and science contexts, present the taxonomy, and discuss how we envision the taxonomy being used to bring current educational efforts in line with the increasingly computational nature of modern science and mathematics.

The Role of Public Policy in K-12 Science Education. Research in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBoer, George E., Ed.

2011-01-01

The goal of this volume of "Research in Science Education" is to examine the relationship between science education policy and practice and the special role that science education researchers play in influencing policy. It has been suggested that the science education research community is isolated from the political process, pays little attention…

K-12 Educational Outcomes of Immigrant Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosnoe, Robert; Turley, Ruth N. Lopez

2011-01-01

The children from immigrant families in the United States make up a historically diverse population, and they are demonstrating just as much diversity in their experiences in the K-12 educational system. Robert Crosnoe and Ruth Lopez Turley summarize these K-12 patterns, paying special attention to differences in academic functioning across…

Linking ice core and climate research to the K-12 and broader community in Denali National Park, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, S. W.; Williams, K.; Marston, L.; Kreutz, K. J.; Osterberg, E. C.; Wake, C. P.

2013-12-01

For the past six years, a multi-institution effort has undertaken a broad glaciological and climate research project in Denali National Park. Most recently, two ~208 m long surface to bedrock ice cores were recovered from the Mt. Hunter plateau with supporting geophysical and weather data collected. Twenty two individuals have participated in the field program providing thousands of person-hours towards completing our research goals. Technical and scientific results have been disseminated to the broader scientific community through dozens of professional presentations and six peer-reviewed publications. In addition, we have pursued the development of interactive computer applications that use our results for educational purposes, publically available fact sheets through Denali National Park, and most recently, with assistance from PolarTREC and other affiliations, the development of a children's book and roll-out of K-8 science curriculum based on this project. The K-8 curriculum will provide students with an opportunity to use real scientific data to meet their educational requirements through alternative, interactive, and exciting methods relative to more standard educational programs. Herein, we present examples of this diverse approach towards incorporating polar research into K-12 STEM classrooms.

North Dakota K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 13

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2013-01-01

The "North Dakota K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research, Inc. (BRI), measures North Dakota registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education topics and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response…

New Mexico K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper Number 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiPerna, Paul

2011-01-01

The "New Mexico K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures New Mexico voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education issues and school choice reforms. The author and his colleagues report response…

Girls Save the World through Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murakami, Christine

2011-01-01

It's no secret that fewer and fewer women are entering computer science fields. Attracting high school girls to computer science is only part of the solution. Retaining them while they are in higher education or the workforce is also a challenge. To solve this, there is a need to show girls that computer science is a wide-open field that offers…

Profiles of Motivated Self-Regulation in College Computer Science Courses: Differences in Major versus Required Non-Major Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shell, Duane F.; Soh, Leen-Kiat

2013-12-01

The goal of the present study was to utilize a profiling approach to understand differences in motivation and strategic self-regulation among post-secondary STEM students in major versus required non-major computer science courses. Participants were 233 students from required introductory computer science courses (194 men; 35 women; 4 unknown) at a large Midwestern state university. Cluster analysis identified five profiles: (1) a strategic profile of a highly motivated by-any-means good strategy user; (2) a knowledge-building profile of an intrinsically motivated autonomous, mastery-oriented student; (3) a surface learning profile of a utility motivated minimally engaged student; (4) an apathetic profile of an amotivational disengaged student; and (5) a learned helpless profile of a motivated but unable to effectively self-regulate student. Among CS majors and students in courses in their major field, the strategic and knowledge-building profiles were the most prevalent. Among non-CS majors and students in required non-major courses, the learned helpless, surface learning, and apathetic profiles were the most prevalent. Students in the strategic and knowledge-building profiles had significantly higher retention of computational thinking knowledge than students in other profiles. Students in the apathetic and surface learning profiles saw little instrumentality of the course for their future academic and career objectives. Findings show that students in STEM fields taking required computer science courses exhibit the same constellation of motivated strategic self-regulation profiles found in other post-secondary and K-12 settings.

Methodical Approaches to Teaching of Computer Modeling in Computer Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rakhimzhanova, B. Lyazzat; Issabayeva, N. Darazha; Khakimova, Tiyshtik; Bolyskhanova, J. Madina

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to justify of the formation technique of representation of modeling methodology at computer science lessons. The necessity of studying computer modeling is that the current trends of strengthening of general education and worldview functions of computer science define the necessity of additional research of the…

Are Learning Assistants Better K-12 Science Teachers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Kara E.; Webb, David C.; Otero, Valerie K.

2010-10-01

This study investigates how the undergraduate Learning Assistant (LA) experience affects teachers' first year of teaching. The LA Program provides interested science majors with the opportunity to explore teaching through weekly teaching responsibilities, an introduction to physics education research, and a learning community within the university. Some of these LAs are recruited to secondary science teacher certification programs. We hypothesized that the LA experience would enhance the teaching practices of the LAs who ultimately become teachers. To test this hypothesis, LAs were compared to a matched sample of teachers who completed the same teacher certification program as the LAs but did not have the LA "treatment." LAs and "non-LAs" were compared through interviews, classroom observations, artifact packages, and observations made with Reformed Teacher Observation Protocol (RTOP) collected within the first year of teaching. Some differences were found; these findings and their implications are discussed.

K12 Online School Practice in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Li; Wang, Nan; Qiao, Ailing

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is two fold. First, it presents the developmental stages and running modes of K12 Online Schools in China. Second, it illustrates online education practice, its current status, and the use of ICT in online schools. The experiences and lessons learned from the development of the K12 Online Schools are presented,…

Economics in the School Curriculum, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schug, Mark C., Ed.

Intended to help economics educators in grades K-12 foster in students the thinking skills and substantive economic knowledge necessary to become effective and participating citizens, this book is organized around four themes. Part I presents an introduction by Mark C. Schug and a section on "The Current Status of Economics in the K-12 Curriculum"…

Commentary: Ubiquitous Computing Revisited--A New Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Glen; Garofalo, Joe

2006-01-01

In 2002, representatives from the teacher educator associations representing the core content areas (science, mathematics, language arts, and social studies) and educational technology met at the National Technology Leadership Retreat (NTLR) to discuss potential implications of ubiquitous computing for K-12 schools. This paper re-examines some of…

Modeling-Oriented Assessment in K-12 Science Education: A synthesis of research from 1980 to 2013 and new directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namdar, Bahadir; Shen, Ji

2015-05-01

Scientific modeling has been advocated as one of the core practices in recent science education policy initiatives. In modeling-based instruction (MBI), students use, construct, and revise models to gain scientific knowledge and inquiry skills. Oftentimes, the benefits of MBI have been documented using assessments targeting students' conceptual understanding or affective domains. Fewer studies have used assessments directly built on the ideas of modeling. The purpose of this study is to synthesize and examine modeling-oriented assessments (MOA) in the last three decades and propose new directions for research in this area. The study uses a collection of 30 empirical research articles that report MOA from an initial library of 153 articles focusing on MBI in K-12 science education from 1980 to 2013. The findings include the variety of themes within each of the three MOA dimensions (modeling products, modeling practices, and meta-modeling knowledge) and the areas of MOA still in need of much work. Based on the review, three guiding principles are proposed for future work in MOA: (a) framing MOA in an ecology of assessment, (b) providing authentic modeling contexts for assessment, and (c) spelling out the connections between MOA items and the essential aspects of modeling to be assessed.

Mixed Methods Evaluation of Statewide Implementation of Mathematics Education Technology for K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brasiel, Sarah; Martin, Taylor; Jeong, Soojeong; Yuan, Min

2016-01-01

An extensive body of research has demonstrated that the use in a K-12 classroom of technology, such as the Internet, computers, and software programs, enhances the learning of mathematics (Cheung & Slavin, 2013; Cohen & Hollebrands, 2011). In particular, growing empirical evidence supports that certain types of technology, such as…

Computational Science in Armenia (Invited Talk)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marandjian, H.; Shoukourian, Yu.

This survey is devoted to the development of informatics and computer science in Armenia. The results in theoretical computer science (algebraic models, solutions to systems of general form recursive equations, the methods of coding theory, pattern recognition and image processing), constitute the theoretical basis for developing problem-solving-oriented environments. As examples can be mentioned: a synthesizer of optimized distributed recursive programs, software tools for cluster-oriented implementations of two-dimensional cellular automata, a grid-aware web interface with advanced service trading for linear algebra calculations. In the direction of solving scientific problems that require high-performance computing resources, examples of completed projects include the field of physics (parallel computing of complex quantum systems), astrophysics (Armenian virtual laboratory), biology (molecular dynamics study of human red blood cell membrane), meteorology (implementing and evaluating the Weather Research and Forecast Model for the territory of Armenia). The overview also notes that the Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia has established a scientific and educational infrastructure, uniting computing clusters of scientific and educational institutions of the country and provides the scientific community with access to local and international computational resources, that is a strong support for computational science in Armenia.

ASCR Workshop on Quantum Computing for Science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aspuru-Guzik, Alan; Van Dam, Wim; Farhi, Edward

This report details the findings of the DOE ASCR Workshop on Quantum Computing for Science that was organized to assess the viability of quantum computing technologies to meet the computational requirements of the DOE’s science and energy mission, and to identify the potential impact of quantum technologies. The workshop was held on February 17-18, 2015, in Bethesda, MD, to solicit input from members of the quantum computing community. The workshop considered models of quantum computation and programming environments, physical science applications relevant to DOE's science mission as well as quantum simulation, and applied mathematics topics including potential quantum algorithms formore » linear algebra, graph theory, and machine learning. This report summarizes these perspectives into an outlook on the opportunities for quantum computing to impact problems relevant to the DOE’s mission as well as the additional research required to bring quantum computing to the point where it can have such impact.« less

Forest Watch: A K-12 Outreach Program to Engage Pre-College Students in Authentic, Hands-On Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnon, M. T.; Rock, B. N.

2009-12-01

The Forest Watch Program is a K-12 hands-on science outreach program developed at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1991. The program has engaged students and their teachers in assisting researchers at UNH in the assessment of the state-of-health of white pine (Pinus strobus), a known bio-indicator species for exposure to elevated levels of ground-level ozone. Students are introduced to the scientific method while participating in an authentic on-going research program. The program was designed in partnership with participating teachers, and thus the field and classroom activities meet specific New England state science and mathematics curricula standards for K-12 education. Student participation in Forest Watch has resulted in an improved understanding and characterization of inter-annual white pine response to changes in air quality across the region over the past two decades. Forest Watch, students participate in three types of activities: 1. the analysis of remote sensing data (Landsat TM) provided for their local area using MultiSpec freeware. Through image processing, students learn the concepts of spatial and spectral resolution; how to identify landcover features; how plants interact with visible and infrared energy; and how to use this information to determine vegetation types and identify vegetation conditions. 2. students select 5 white pine trees to be permanently tagged near their school within a 30x30 meter (pixel sized sampling plot - the spatial resolution of the TM dataset), followed by collection and analysis of needle samples, and a suite of forest plot biometric measurements such as tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and canopy closure and ground cover. 3. the students send a set of their needle samples to UNH for spectral analysis of key reflectance features such as the Red Edge Inflection Point (REIP), the TM 5/4 moisture stress index, and the NIR 3/1. Over 250 schools from all six New England states have participated in the

A Scientist's Guide to Achieving Broader Impacts through K-12 STEM Collaboration.

PubMed

Komoroske, Lisa M; Hameed, Sarah O; Szoboszlai, Amber I; Newsom, Amanda J; Williams, Susan L

2015-03-01

The National Science Foundation and other funding agencies are increasingly requiring broader impacts in grant applications to encourage US scientists to contribute to science education and society. Concurrently, national science education standards are using more inquiry-based learning (IBL) to increase students' capacity for abstract, conceptual thinking applicable to real-world problems. Scientists are particularly well suited to engage in broader impacts via science inquiry outreach, because scientific research is inherently an inquiry-based process. We provide a practical guide to help scientists overcome obstacles that inhibit their engagement in K-12 IBL outreach and to attain the accrued benefits. Strategies to overcome these challenges include scaling outreach projects to the time available, building collaborations in which scientists' research overlaps with curriculum, employing backward planning to target specific learning objectives, encouraging scientists to share their passion, as well as their expertise with students, and transforming institutional incentives to support scientists engaging in educational outreach.

Gender differences in the use of computers, programming, and peer interactions in computer science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoilescu, Dorian; Egodawatte, Gunawardena

2010-12-01

Research shows that female and male students in undergraduate computer science programs view computer culture differently. Female students are interested more in the use of computers than in doing programming, whereas male students see computer science mainly as a programming activity. The overall purpose of our research was not to find new definitions for computer science culture but to see how male and female students see themselves involved in computer science practices, how they see computer science as a successful career, and what they like and dislike about current computer science practices. The study took place in a mid-sized university in Ontario. Sixteen students and two instructors were interviewed to get their views. We found that male and female views are different on computer use, programming, and the pattern of student interactions. Female and male students did not have any major issues in using computers. In computing programming, female students were not so involved in computing activities whereas male students were heavily involved. As for the opinions about successful computer science professionals, both female and male students emphasized hard working, detailed oriented approaches, and enjoying playing with computers. The myth of the geek as a typical profile of successful computer science students was not found to be true.

A National Study of the Relationship between Home Access to a Computer and Academic Performance Scores of Grade 12 U.S. Science Students: An Analysis of the 2009 NAEP Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coffman, Mitchell Ward

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relationship between student access to a computer at home and academic achievement. The 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset was probed using the National Data Explorer (NDE) to investigate correlations in the subsets of SES, Parental Education, Race, and Gender as it relates to access of a home computer and improved performance scores for U.S. public school grade 12 science students. A causal-comparative approach was employed seeking clarity on the relationship between home access and performance scores. The influence of home access cannot overcome the challenges students of lower SES face. The achievement gap, or a second digital divide, for underprivileged classes of students, including minorities does not appear to contract via student access to a home computer. Nonetheless, in tests for significance, statistically significant improvement in science performance scores was reported for those having access to a computer at home compared to those not having access. Additionally, regression models reported evidence of correlations between and among subsets of controls for the demographic factors gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Variability in these correlations was high; suggesting influence from unobserved factors may have more impact upon the dependent variable. Having access to a computer at home increases performance scores for grade 12 general science students of all races, genders and socioeconomic levels. However, the performance gap is roughly equivalent to the existing performance gap of the national average for science scores, suggesting little influence from access to a computer on academic achievement. The variability of scores reported in the regression analysis models reflects a moderate to low effect, suggesting an absence of causation. These statistical results are accurate and confirm the literature review, whereby having access to a computer at home and the

A Web of Resources for Introductory Computer Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebelsky, Samuel A.

As the field of Computer Science has grown, the syllabus of the introductory Computer Science course has changed significantly. No longer is it a simple introduction to programming or a tutorial on computer concepts and applications. Rather, it has become a survey of the field of Computer Science, touching on a wide variety of topics from digital…

Implementing an Affordable High-Performance Computing for Teaching-Oriented Computer Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abuzaghleh, Omar; Goldschmidt, Kathleen; Elleithy, Yasser; Lee, Jeongkyu

2013-01-01

With the advances in computing power, high-performance computing (HPC) platforms have had an impact on not only scientific research in advanced organizations but also computer science curriculum in the educational community. For example, multicore programming and parallel systems are highly desired courses in the computer science major. However,…

78 FR 10180 - Annual Computational Science Symposium; Conference

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-13

...] Annual Computational Science Symposium; Conference AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION... Computational Science Symposium.'' The purpose of the conference is to help the broader community align and share experiences to advance computational science. At the conference, which will bring together FDA...

Opportunities for Computational Discovery in Basic Energy Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pederson, Mark

2011-03-01

An overview of the broad-ranging support of computational physics and computational science within the Department of Energy Office of Science will be provided. Computation as the third branch of physics is supported by all six offices (Advanced Scientific Computing, Basic Energy, Biological and Environmental, Fusion Energy, High-Energy Physics, and Nuclear Physics). Support focuses on hardware, software and applications. Most opportunities within the fields of~condensed-matter physics, chemical-physics and materials sciences are supported by the Officeof Basic Energy Science (BES) or through partnerships between BES and the Office for Advanced Scientific Computing. Activities include radiation sciences, catalysis, combustion, materials in extreme environments, energy-storage materials, light-harvesting and photovoltaics, solid-state lighting and superconductivity.~ A summary of two recent reports by the computational materials and chemical communities on the role of computation during the next decade will be provided. ~In addition to materials and chemistry challenges specific to energy sciences, issues identified~include a focus on the role of the domain scientist in integrating, expanding and sustaining applications-oriented capabilities on evolving high-performance computing platforms and on the role of computation in accelerating the development of innovative technologies. ~~

77 FR 24538 - Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science And Engineering; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-24

... Engineering; Notice of Meeting In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463, as... Computer and Information Science and Engineering (1115). Date and Time: May 10, 2012 12 p.m.-5:30 p.m., May... Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1105, Arlington VA 22230...

1.2 million kids and counting-Mobile science laboratories drive student interest in STEM.

PubMed

Jones, Amanda L; Stapleton, Mary K

2017-05-01

In today's increasingly technological society, a workforce proficient in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills is essential. Research has shown that active engagement by K-12 students in hands-on science activities that use authentic science tools promotes student learning and retention. Mobile laboratory programs provide this type of learning in schools and communities across the United States and internationally. Many programs are members of the Mobile Lab Coalition (MLC), a nonprofit organization of mobile and other laboratory-based education programs built on scientist and educator collaborations. A recent survey of the member programs revealed that they provide an impressive variety of programming and have collectively served over 1.2 million students across the US.

Congressional Science Fellow tackles science policy for U.K.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moses, Julie J.

After an AGU Congressional Science Fellowship in 1997-1998,I decided to pursue science policy further. I spied an ad in the Sunday Washington Post advertising for someone with a science degree, who also had knowledge of the United Kingdom, and science policy experience on Capitol Hill. In addition to my Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles and the Congressional Science Fellowship, I had spent two years in the U.K. as a post-doc at Queen Mary and Westfield College in London.I applied for the job, which was at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., and was hired. The UK Foreign Office has a tradition of hiring many of its embassy staff locally; they consider knowledge of local politics and issues very use ful for their interests. Now I cover hard science issues, including space and the Internet for Her Majesty's Government.

Outcomes and challenges of global high-resolution non-hydrostatic atmospheric simulations using the K computer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satoh, Masaki; Tomita, Hirofumi; Yashiro, Hisashi; Kajikawa, Yoshiyuki; Miyamoto, Yoshiaki; Yamaura, Tsuyoshi; Miyakawa, Tomoki; Nakano, Masuo; Kodama, Chihiro; Noda, Akira T.; Nasuno, Tomoe; Yamada, Yohei; Fukutomi, Yoshiki

2017-12-01

This article reviews the major outcomes of a 5-year (2011-2016) project using the K computer to perform global numerical atmospheric simulations based on the non-hydrostatic icosahedral atmospheric model (NICAM). The K computer was made available to the public in September 2012 and was used as a primary resource for Japan's Strategic Programs for Innovative Research (SPIRE), an initiative to investigate five strategic research areas; the NICAM project fell under the research area of climate and weather simulation sciences. Combining NICAM with high-performance computing has created new opportunities in three areas of research: (1) higher resolution global simulations that produce more realistic representations of convective systems, (2) multi-member ensemble simulations that are able to perform extended-range forecasts 10-30 days in advance, and (3) multi-decadal simulations for climatology and variability. Before the K computer era, NICAM was used to demonstrate realistic simulations of intra-seasonal oscillations including the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO), merely as a case study approach. Thanks to the big leap in computational performance of the K computer, we could greatly increase the number of cases of MJO events for numerical simulations, in addition to integrating time and horizontal resolution. We conclude that the high-resolution global non-hydrostatic model, as used in this five-year project, improves the ability to forecast intra-seasonal oscillations and associated tropical cyclogenesis compared with that of the relatively coarser operational models currently in use. The impacts of the sub-kilometer resolution simulation and the multi-decadal simulations using NICAM are also reviewed.

K-12 Art Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furney, Trudy; And Others

The development of students in various art fields is the focus of this K-12 art curriculum guide. The philosophy of the art program and the roles of administrator, teacher, and parent are outlined. The underlying school community relationships, and the objective, goals, and purposes of art education are described. Phases of child development in…

Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texley, Juliana

2010-01-01

What makes an outstanding book for a young reader? Although it would be hard to create a rubric for every book, experienced teachers recognize them quickly. They fascinate and captivate with both their content and style. Award-winning trade books inspire young readers to want more... more information, more books, more inquiry, more science. The…

Science-Driven Computing: NERSC's Plan for 2006-2010

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simon, Horst D.; Kramer, William T.C.; Bailey, David H.

NERSC has developed a five-year strategic plan focusing on three components: Science-Driven Systems, Science-Driven Services, and Science-Driven Analytics. (1) Science-Driven Systems: Balanced introduction of the best new technologies for complete computational systems--computing, storage, networking, visualization and analysis--coupled with the activities necessary to engage vendors in addressing the DOE computational science requirements in their future roadmaps. (2) Science-Driven Services: The entire range of support activities, from high-quality operations and user services to direct scientific support, that enable a broad range of scientists to effectively use NERSC systems in their research. NERSC will concentrate on resources needed to realize the promise ofmore » the new highly scalable architectures for scientific discovery in multidisciplinary computational science projects. (3) Science-Driven Analytics: The architectural and systems enhancements and services required to integrate NERSC's powerful computational and storage resources to provide scientists with new tools to effectively manipulate, visualize, and analyze the huge data sets derived from simulations and experiments.« less

Computers in Science: Thinking Outside the Discipline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Todd M.

2003-01-01

Describes the Computers in Science course which integrates computer-related techniques into the science disciplines of chemistry, physics, biology, and Earth science. Uses a team teaching approach and teaches students how to solve chemistry problems with spreadsheets, identify minerals with X-rays, and chemical and force analysis. (Contains 14…

Theory-Guided Technology in Computer Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Ari, Mordechai

2001-01-01

Examines the history of major achievements in computer science as portrayed by winners of the prestigious Turing award and identifies a possibly unique activity called Theory-Guided Technology (TGT). Researchers develop TGT by using theoretical results to create practical technology. Discusses reasons why TGT is practical in computer science and…

AIAA Educator Academy: Enriching STEM Education for K-12 Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slagle, E.; Bering, E. A.; Longmier, B. W.; Henriquez, E.; Milnes, T.; Wiedorn, P.; Bacon, L.

2012-12-01

Educator Academy is a K-12 STEM curriculum developed by the STEM K-12 Outreach Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Consisting of three independent curriculum modules, K-12 students participate in inquiry-based engineering challenges to improve critical thinking skills and enhance problem solving skills. The Mars Rover Celebration Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 3-8. Throughout this module, students learn about Mars and the solar system. Working with given design criteria, students work in teams to do basic research about Mars that will determine the operational objectives and structural features of their rover. Then, students participate in the design and construction of a model of a mock-up Mars Rover to carry out a specific science mission on the surface of Mars. At the end of this project, students have the opportunity to participate in a regional capstone event where students share their rover designs and what they have learned. The Electric Cargo Plan Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 6-12. Throughout this module, students learn about aerodynamics and the four forces of flight. Working individually or in teams, students design and construct an electrically-powered model aircraft to fly a tethered flight of at least one lap without cargo, followed by a second tethered flight of one lap carrying as much cargo as possible. At the end of this project, students have the opportunity to participate in a regional capstone event where students share what they have learned and compete with their different cargo plane designs. The Space Weather Balloon Curriculum Module is designed for students in grades 9-12. Throughout this module, students learn and refine physics concepts as well as experimental research skills. Students participate in project-based learning that is experimental in nature. Students are engaged with the world around them as they collaborate to launch a high altitude

Raising Climate Literacy of K-12 Teachers with Datastreme Earth's Climate System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brey, J. A.; Geer, I.; Weinbeck, R. S.; Mills, E. W.; Nugnes, K. A.

2014-12-01

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) DataStreme Project is a free professional development program for in-service K-12 teachers, in which they gain considerable subject matter content and confidence in Earth science instruction. DataStreme Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth's Climate System (ECS) are offered each fall and spring semester by Local Implementation Teams (LITs) across the country in coordination with a team of AMS Education Program scientists and educators who develop instructional materials, provide logistical support to the LITs, and administer the project. The 3-member LITs mentor about 8 teachers and in some instances an emergency manager, per semester through a given DataStreme course. Teachers may receive 3 tuition-free graduate credits through State University of New York's The College at Brockport upon completion of each DataStreme course. DataStreme is in close alignment with A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Investigating the scientific basis of the workings of Earth's atmosphere, ocean, and climate system follows the cross-cutting theme of the Framework and the NGSS and is the cornerstone of the DataStreme courses. In particular, DataStreme ECS explores the fundamental science of Earth's climate system and addresses the societal impacts relevant to today's teachers and students. The course utilizes resources from respected organizations, such as the IPCC and U.S. Global Change Research Program. Key to the NGSS is that students learn disciplinary core ideas in the context of science and engineering practices. In order for the students to learn in this way, the AMS believes that it is important to train the teachers in this context. DataStreme ECS emphasizes investigation of real-word and current NASA and NOAA data. Participants also are made aware of NASA's EdGCM, a research-grade Global Climate Model where they can explore various future climate scenarios in the same way that actual

Research in computer science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ortega, J. M.

1986-01-01

Various graduate research activities in the field of computer science are reported. Among the topics discussed are: (1) failure probabilities in multi-version software; (2) Gaussian Elimination on parallel computers; (3) three dimensional Poisson solvers on parallel/vector computers; (4) automated task decomposition for multiple robot arms; (5) multi-color incomplete cholesky conjugate gradient methods on the Cyber 205; and (6) parallel implementation of iterative methods for solving linear equations.

The "Next Generation Science Standards" and the Earth and Space Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wysession, Michael E.

2013-01-01

The "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"), due to be released this spring, represents a revolutionary step toward establishing modern, national K-12 science education standards. Based on the recommendations of the National Research Council's "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting…

Advances in Cross-Cutting Ideas for Computational Climate Science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ng, Esmond; Evans, Katherine J.; Caldwell, Peter

This report presents results from the DOE-sponsored workshop titled, ``Advancing X-Cutting Ideas for Computational Climate Science Workshop,'' known as AXICCS, held on September 12--13, 2016 in Rockville, MD. The workshop brought together experts in climate science, computational climate science, computer science, and mathematics to discuss interesting but unsolved science questions regarding climate modeling and simulation, promoted collaboration among the diverse scientists in attendance, and brainstormed about possible tools and capabilities that could be developed to help address them. Emerged from discussions at the workshop were several research opportunities that the group felt could advance climate science significantly. These include (1)more » process-resolving models to provide insight into important processes and features of interest and inform the development of advanced physical parameterizations, (2) a community effort to develop and provide integrated model credibility, (3) including, organizing, and managing increasingly connected model components that increase model fidelity yet complexity, and (4) treating Earth system models as one interconnected organism without numerical or data based boundaries that limit interactions. The group also identified several cross-cutting advances in mathematics, computer science, and computational science that would be needed to enable one or more of these big ideas. It is critical to address the need for organized, verified, and optimized software, which enables the models to grow and continue to provide solutions in which the community can have confidence. Effectively utilizing the newest computer hardware enables simulation efficiency and the ability to handle output from increasingly complex and detailed models. This will be accomplished through hierarchical multiscale algorithms in tandem with new strategies for data handling, analysis, and storage. These big ideas and cross-cutting technologies for enabling

Advances in Cross-Cutting Ideas for Computational Climate Science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ng, E.; Evans, K.; Caldwell, P.

This report presents results from the DOE-sponsored workshop titled, Advancing X-Cutting Ideas for Computational Climate Science Workshop,'' known as AXICCS, held on September 12--13, 2016 in Rockville, MD. The workshop brought together experts in climate science, computational climate science, computer science, and mathematics to discuss interesting but unsolved science questions regarding climate modeling and simulation, promoted collaboration among the diverse scientists in attendance, and brainstormed about possible tools and capabilities that could be developed to help address them. Emerged from discussions at the workshop were several research opportunities that the group felt could advance climate science significantly. These include (1)more » process-resolving models to provide insight into important processes and features of interest and inform the development of advanced physical parameterizations, (2) a community effort to develop and provide integrated model credibility, (3) including, organizing, and managing increasingly connected model components that increase model fidelity yet complexity, and (4) treating Earth system models as one interconnected organism without numerical or data based boundaries that limit interactions. The group also identified several cross-cutting advances in mathematics, computer science, and computational science that would be needed to enable one or more of these big ideas. It is critical to address the need for organized, verified, and optimized software, which enables the models to grow and continue to provide solutions in which the community can have confidence. Effectively utilizing the newest computer hardware enables simulation efficiency and the ability to handle output from increasingly complex and detailed models. This will be accomplished through hierarchical multiscale algorithms in tandem with new strategies for data handling, analysis, and storage. These big ideas and cross-cutting technologies for enabling

Using an Interdisciplinary Approach to Enhance Climate Literacy for K-12 Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanselman, J. A.; Oches, E. A.; Sliko, J.; Wright, L.

2014-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (2014) will begin to change how K-12 teachers teach science. Using a scaffolding approach, the standards focus on a depth of knowledge across multiple content areas. This philosophy should encourage inquiry-based teaching methods, provided the teacher has both the knowledge and the confidence to teach the content. Although confidence to teach science is high among secondary science (biology, general science, chemistry) teachers, depth of knowledge may be lacking in certain areas, including climate science. To address this issue, a graduate course in climate science (Massachusetts Colleges Online Course of Distinction award winner) was developed to include inquiry-based instruction, connections to current research, and interdisciplinary approaches to teaching science. With the support of the InTeGrate program (SERC) at Carleton College, a module was developed to utilize cli-fi (climate science present in fictional literature) and related climate data. Graduate students gain an appreciation of scientific communication and an understanding of climate data and its connection to societal issues. In addition, the graduate students also gain the ability to connect interdisciplinary concepts for a deeper understanding of climate science and have the opportunity. By the end of the course, the graduate students use the content learned and the examples of pedagogical tools to develop their own activities in his or her classroom.

Computer Science and Telecommunications Board summary of activities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blumenthal, M.S.

1992-03-27

The Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) considers technical and policy issues pertaining to computer science, telecommunications, and associated technologies. CSTB actively disseminates the results of its completed projects to those in a position to help implement their recommendations or otherwise use their insights. It provides a forum for the exchange of information on computer science, computing technology, and telecommunications. This report discusses the major accomplishments of CSTB.

Comparative multi-omics systems analysis of Escherichia coli strains B and K-12.

PubMed

Yoon, Sung Ho; Han, Mee-Jung; Jeong, Haeyoung; Lee, Choong Hoon; Xia, Xiao-Xia; Lee, Dae-Hee; Shim, Ji Hoon; Lee, Sang Yup; Oh, Tae Kwang; Kim, Jihyun F

2012-05-25

Elucidation of a genotype-phenotype relationship is critical to understand an organism at the whole-system level. Here, we demonstrate that comparative analyses of multi-omics data combined with a computational modeling approach provide a framework for elucidating the phenotypic characteristics of organisms whose genomes are sequenced. We present a comprehensive analysis of genome-wide measurements incorporating multifaceted holistic data - genome, transcriptome, proteome, and phenome - to determine the differences between Escherichia coli B and K-12 strains. A genome-scale metabolic network of E. coli B was reconstructed and used to identify genetic bases of the phenotypes unique to B compared with K-12 through in silico complementation testing. This systems analysis revealed that E. coli B is well-suited for production of recombinant proteins due to a greater capacity for amino acid biosynthesis, fewer proteases, and lack of flagella. Furthermore, E. coli B has an additional type II secretion system and a different cell wall and outer membrane composition predicted to be more favorable for protein secretion. In contrast, E. coli K-12 showed a higher expression of heat shock genes and was less susceptible to certain stress conditions. This integrative systems approach provides a high-resolution system-wide view and insights into why two closely related strains of E. coli, B and K-12, manifest distinct phenotypes. Therefore, systematic understanding of cellular physiology and metabolism of the strains is essential not only to determine culture conditions but also to design recombinant hosts.

Global Educational Ecosystem: Case Study of a Partnership with K-12 Schools, Community Organizations, and Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Donna S.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe a collaborative partnership model known as the Global Educational Ecosystem, which involves three K-12 schools in Northern California, community organizations (representing science, technology, health, and arts), and Xilinx, Inc. from the perspectives of the leaders of the involved partner organizations in…

K-12 Teachers' Perceptions of and Their Satisfaction with Interaction Type in Blended Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuo, Yu-Chun; Belland, Brian R.; Schroder, Kerstin E. E.; Walker, Andrew E.

2014-01-01

Blended learning is an effective approach to instruction that combines features of face-to-face learning and computer-mediated learning. This study investigated the relationship between student perceptions of three types of interaction and blended learning course satisfaction. The participants included K-12 teachers enrolled in a graduate-level…

Enabling Extreme Scale Earth Science Applications at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anantharaj, V. G.; Mozdzynski, G.; Hamrud, M.; Deconinck, W.; Smith, L.; Hack, J.

2014-12-01

The Oak Ridge Leadership Facility (OLCF), established at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), welcomes investigators from universities, government agencies, national laboratories and industry who are prepared to perform breakthrough research across a broad domain of scientific disciplines, including earth and space sciences. Titan, the OLCF flagship system, is currently listed as #2 in the Top500 list of supercomputers in the world, and the largest available for open science. The computational resources are allocated primarily via the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program, sponsored by the U.S. DOE Office of Science. In 2014, over 2.25 billion core hours on Titan were awarded via INCITE projects., including 14% of the allocation toward earth sciences. The INCITE competition is also open to research scientists based outside the USA. In fact, international research projects account for 12% of the INCITE awards in 2014. The INCITE scientific review panel also includes 20% participation from international experts. Recent accomplishments in earth sciences at OLCF include the world's first continuous simulation of 21,000 years of earth's climate history (2009); and an unprecedented simulation of a magnitude 8 earthquake over 125 sq. miles. One of the ongoing international projects involves scaling the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) model to over 200K cores of Titan. ECMWF is a partner in the EU funded Collaborative Research into Exascale Systemware, Tools and Applications (CRESTA) project. The significance of the research carried out within this project is the demonstration of techniques required to scale current generation Petascale capable simulation codes towards the performance levels required for running on future Exascale systems. One of the techniques pursued by ECMWF is to use Fortran2008 coarrays to overlap computations and communications and

A Financial Technology Entrepreneurship Program for Computer Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawler, James P.; Joseph, Anthony

2011-01-01

Education in entrepreneurship is becoming a critical area of curricula for computer science students. Few schools of computer science have a concentration in entrepreneurship in the computing curricula. The paper presents Technology Entrepreneurship in the curricula at a leading school of computer science and information systems, in which students…

Marshalling Corporate Resources for Public and K-12 Technical Education Outreach and Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wynne, James

2011-03-01

In 1988, the Education Task Force of the Business Roundtable recommended that American corporations invest in pre-college education. Prior to that date, corporate investment was targeted at higher education. IBM and other corporations responded by encouraging their employees and their corporate philanthropic organizations to develop programs aimed at enhancing pre-college education. The IBM TJ Watson Research Center initiated a Local Education Outreach program, active for these past 23 years, that marshals the resources of our science-rich institution to enhance STEM education in our local schools. We have broad and deep partnerships between the Research Center and local school districts, including New York City. We have just completed our 19th consecutive year of Family Science Saturdays, which brings 4th and 5th grade children, along with their parents, to our Research Center for hands-on workshops in topics like States of Matter, Polymer Science, Kitchen Chemistry, and Sound and Light. The workshops are staffed by IBM volunteers, assisted by local high school student ``Peer Teachers.'' Since 1990, the IBM Corporation has joined with a coalition of other companies, professional engineering societies, and government agencies to sponsor the annual Engineers Week (EWeek) campaign of technical education outreach, serving as Corporate Chair in 1992, 2001, and 2008. In recent years, we have annually recruited around 5000 IBM volunteers to reach out to more than 200,000 K-12 students in order to increase their awareness and appreciation of technical careers and encourage them to continue their studies of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The speaker, who helped found the APS Forum on Education (FED) and served as FED Councillor for 8 years, will review these and other programs for Public and K-12 Technical Education Outreach and Engagement.

Connecting K-12 Educators with Current Scientific Research Through the DataStreme Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brey, J. A.; Geer, I. W.; Mills, E. W.; Nugnes, K. A.; Stimach, A. E.

2016-02-01

One of the greatest challenges in scientific education is finding ways to incorporate recent discoveries into a classroom setting to help students engage in the subject. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) responds to this challenge by connecting K-12 teachers to current Earth science research through the DataStreme Project. The DataStreme Project is a free professional development program for in-service K-12 teachers. DataStreme Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth's Climate System are offered each fall and spring semester by Local Implementation Teams (LITs) across the country in coordination with AMS Education Program scientists and educators who develop instructional materials, provide logistical support to the LITs, and administer the project. Teachers may receive 3 tuition-free graduate credits through State University of New York's The College at Brockport upon completion of each DataStreme course and construction of a Plan of Action for educational peer-training. This plan is the first step for participants to become an Earth system science education resource teacher for their students, peers, and community. While each DataStreme course focuses on its respective topic, there are many sections that accentuate the many ways that atmosphere, ocean, and climate science interact; for example, the effects of climate change on the ocean system are covered at the end of the DataStreme Ocean course. DataStreme emphasizes investigation of real-word and current NASA and NOAA data and utilizes resources from respected organizations in activities and assignments for participants, such as the IPCC and U.S. Global Change Research Program. Since 1996, more than 19,000 teachers have completed a DataStreme course, directly impacting hundreds of thousands of additional teachers and more than 1 million students. As more extensive research is done in the field of environmental science, DataStreme courses will continue to be an excellent resource for teacher professional

Barriers in the Physics Pipeline from K-12 to Tenure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilburn, Micha

2016-09-01

The lack of diversity in physics is a known problem, and yet efforts to change our demographics have only had minor effects during the last decade. I will explain some of the hidden barriers that dissuade underrepresented minorities in becoming physicists using a framework borrowed from sociology, Maslow's hierarchy of needs. I will draw from current research at the undergraduate to faculty levels over a variety of STEM fields that are also addressing a lack of diversity. I will also provide analysis from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics Center for the Evolution of Elements (JINA-CEE) outreach programs to understand the likelihood of current K-12 students in becoming physicists. Specifically, I will present results from the pre-surveys from our Art 2 Science Camps (ages 8-14) about their attitudes towards science as well as results from analysis of teacher recommendations for our high school summer program. I will conclude with a positive outlook describing the pipeline created by JINA-CEE to retain students from middle school through college. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-1430152 (JINA Center for the Evolution of the Elements).

EASI Street to Science and Math for K-12 Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Carmela; Noble, Steve

This paper discusses the poor preparation of children with disabilities in math and science fields, and the perception that students with disabilities are not capable of doing work in science and math, which is often reinforced by teachers and parents. It is argued that the low expectations and waived requirements for children with disabilities…

Eisenhower Focused Initiative K-12 Mathematics and Science Symposium. Proceedings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otto, Paul B., Ed.

The purpose of this symposium was to provide a forum for the interchange of state of the art mathematics and science education teaching in two Southeast South Dakota National Science Foundation Statewide Systemic Initiative projects. Presentations include: (1) "To Get This Car Moving, We Will Have to Put It in Gear" (Delmar Janke); (2)…

Basic Curriculum Guide--Science. Grades K-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starr, John W., 3rd., Ed.

GRADES OR AGES: K-6. SUBJECT MATTER: Science. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is in two parts--the background, philosophy, and instructional principles of science teaching, including a resource unit model, and the development by grade level of the various basic scientific concepts. The guide also includes information of…

76 FR 36951 - In the Matter of Animal Cloning Sciences, Inc. (n/k/a Bancorp Energy, Inc.): Order of Suspension...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-23

.... (n/k/a Bancorp Energy, Inc.): Order of Suspension of Trading June 21, 2011. It appears to the... securities of Animal Cloning Sciences, Inc. (n/k/a Bancorp Energy, Inc.) because it has not filed any... above-listed company. Therefore, it is ordered, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act...

Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning, 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gemin, Butch; Pape, Larry

2017-01-01

"Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning 2016" marks the thirteenth consecutive year Evergreen has published its annual research of the K-12 education online learning market. The thirteen years of researching, writing and publishing this report represents a time of remarkable change. There has been a constant presence that has become the…

Broadening Educational Horizons: The National Science Foundation GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program at the University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, K. R.; Kelley, J. T.

2005-12-01

The future of meaningful scientific research in the United States depends heavily upon the quality of the science and mathematics education received by students in our grade K-12 education system. The National Science Foundation's GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program provides opportunities for scientific enrichment for students and their teachers at the K-12 level. Currently in its fifth year at the University of Maine, Orono, the program is one of over 100 such programs in the country. Last year, the program was honored by the New England Board of Higher Education with a Regional Award for Excellence in Project Achievement. The program has three broad goals: to enrich the scientific education of students by providing equipment, role models, and expertise that they may not otherwise be exposed; to provide professional development for teachers through curriculum enrichment and participation at scientific conferences; and to improve the teaching and communication skills of fellows. Fellows represent a broad spectrum of research interests at the University of Maine, including Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Forestry, Geological Sciences, and Marine Science. This past year, 13 graduate students and 1 undergraduate student worked with 52 teachers and 2300 students in 26 schools across the state of Maine. The benefits of this program are tangible and substantial. New awareness of the innovative ways that K-12 and University education systems can work together to promote hands-on science and the scientific method, is one of the major contributions of the NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellowship Program.

Science-Technology Coupling: The Case of Mathematical Logic and Computer Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner-Dobler, Roland

1997-01-01

In the history of science, there have often been periods of sudden rapprochements between pure science and technology-oriented branches of science. Mathematical logic as pure science and computer science as technology-oriented science have experienced such a rapprochement, which is studied in this article in a bibliometric manner. (Author)

Retaining K-12 Online Teachers: A Predictive Model for K-12 Online Teacher Turnover

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Ingle M.; Lokey-Vega, Anissa; Brantley-Dias, Laurie

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to measure and explore factors influencing K-12 online teachers' turnover intentions, with job satisfaction and organizational commitment serving as moderating variables. Using Fishbein and Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior (1975), this study was conducted in public, private, charter, for-profit,…

Crowd-Sourcing with K-12 citizen scientists: The Continuing Evolution of the GLOBE Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, T.; Wegner, K.; Andersen, T. J.

2016-12-01

Twenty years ago, the Internet was still in its infancy, citizen science was a relatively unknown term, and the idea of a global citizen science database was unheard of. Then the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program was proposed and this all changed. GLOBE was one of the first K-12 citizen science programs on a global scale. An initial large scale ramp-up of the program was followed by the establishment of a network of partners in countries and within the U.S. Now in the 21st century, the program has over 50 protocols in atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and pedosphere, almost 140 million measurements in the database, a visualization system, collaborations with NASA satellite mission scientists (GPM, SMAP) and other scientists, as well as research projects by GLOBE students. As technology changed over the past two decades, it was integrated into the program's outreach efforts to existing and new members with the result that the program now has a strong social media presence. In 2016, a new app was launched which opened up GLOBE and data entry to citizen scientists of all ages. The app is aimed at fresh audiences, beyond the traditional GLOBE K-12 community. Groups targeted included: scouting organizations, museums, 4H, science learning centers, retirement communities, etc. to broaden participation in the program and increase the number of data available to students and scientists. Through the 20 years of GLOBE, lessons have been learned about changing the management of this type of large-scale program, the use of technology to enhance and improve the experience for members, and increasing community involvement in the program.

Science for the Masses: A Public Lecture Series and Associated Course for K-12 Educators at the University of Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangin, K.; Wilch, M. H.; Thompson, R. M.; Ruiz, J.

2008-12-01

The College of Science at the University of Arizona in Tucson offers a series of free public lectures each year centered on a science theme of high general interest. Themes have been Evolution (2006), Global Climate Change (2007), and Edges of Life (2008). Speakers are UA faculty members. We have seen an overwhelming response from the public to each lecture series, with a typical audience size of 800-1200. Features that make the lecture series successful are careful choice of the themes, previews of lecture drafts by a panel, and the participation of a graphic design firm in the planning process, from the series title to the design of posters, bookmarks, and postcards used to advertise the series. This model could be successfully transferred to many universities. We offer a course for K-12 grade teachers in association with each lecture series. Teachers attend each public lecture, and participate in inquiry-based classroom activities and discussions of papers related to lecture topics. After each lecture, the speaker answers questions from the public, and then accompanies the teachers to a classroom to hold a private question and answer session lasting 45 minutes. The course and lecture series has been influential in changing attitudes about the nature of science research among teacher participants. In 2006, evolution was the lecture series topic, a science concept whose foundation in authentic science research has been difficult to communicate to the general public. Pre- and post- questionnaires on attitudes towards the science of evolution administered to the teacher participants showed a dramatic increase after the course in their view of the robustness of the theory of evolution, its testable nature, the amount of data supporting the theory, and its degree of consensus among scientists. A pre-course survey of the background of teachers in the course, mostly biology teachers, showed a need for more formal instruction in evolution: 76 percent had no formal course

Rethinking Museums' Adult Education for K-12 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcus, Alan S.

2008-01-01

This article explores the importance of developing strong adult education programs within a broader collaborative effort between museum staff and K-12 teachers. Focusing on history museums, the first section discusses the importance of museum visits for K-12 history learning and how we need to reconsider some of the primary purposes for these…

An Interdisciplinary Guided Inquiry on Estuarine Transport Using a Computer Model in High School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Kit Yu Karen; Yang, Sylvia; Maliska, Max E.; Grunbaum, Daniel

2012-01-01

The National Science Education Standards have highlighted the importance of active learning and reflection for contemporary scientific methods in K-12 classrooms, including the use of models. Computer modeling and visualization are tools that researchers employ in their scientific inquiry process, and often computer models are used in…

Citizen Science and Event-Based Science Education with the Quake-Catcher Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeGroot, R. M.; Sumy, D. F.; Benthien, M. L.

2017-12-01

The Quake-Catcher Network (QCN, quakecatcher.net) is a collaborative, citizen-science initiative to develop the world's largest, low-cost strong-motion seismic network through the utilization of sensors in laptops and smartphones or small microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers attached to internet-connected computers. The volunteer computers monitor seismic motion and other vibrations and send the "triggers" in real-time to the QCN server hosted at the University of Southern California. The QCN servers sift through these signals and determine which ones represent earthquakes and which ones represent cultural noise. Data collected by the Quake-Catcher Network can contribute to better understanding earthquakes, provide teachable moments for students, and engage the public with authentic science experiences. QCN partners coordinate sensor installations, develop QCN's scientific tools and engagement activities, and create next generation online resources. In recent years, the QCN team has installed sensors in over 225 K-12 schools and free-choice learning institutions (e.g. museums) across the United States and Canada. One of the current goals of the program in the United States is to establish several QCN stations in K-12 schools around a local museum hub as a means to provide coordinated and sustained educational opportunities leading up to the yearly Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, to encourage citizen science, and enrich STEM curriculum. Several school districts and museums throughout Southern California have been instrumental in the development of QCN. For educators QCN fulfills a key component of the Next Generation Science Standards where students are provided an opportunity to utilize technology and interface with authentic scientific data and learn about emerging programs such as the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system. For example, Sunnylands Center in Rancho Mirage, CA leads Coachella Valley Hub, which serves 31 K-12 schools, many of

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis and computer science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science during the period April, 1986 through September 30, 1986 is summarized.

Temporal dissection of K-ras(G12D) mutant in vitro and in vivo using a regulatable K-ras(G12D) mouse allele.

PubMed

Wang, Zuoyun; Feng, Yan; Bardeesy, Nabeel; Bardessy, Nabeel; Wong, Kwok-Kin; Liu, Xin-Yuan; Ji, Hongbin

2012-01-01

Animal models which allow the temporal regulation of gene activities are valuable for dissecting gene function in tumorigenesis. Here we have constructed a conditional inducible estrogen receptor-K-ras(G12D) (ER-K-ras(G12D)) knock-in mice allele that allows us to temporally switch on or off the activity of K-ras oncogenic mutant through tamoxifen administration. In vitro studies using mice embryonic fibroblast (MEF) showed that a dose of tamoxifen at 0.05 µM works optimally for activation of ER-K-ras(G12D) independent of the gender status. Furthermore, tamoxifen-inducible activation of K-ras(G12D) promotes cell proliferation, anchor-independent growth, transformation as well as invasion, potentially via activation of downstream MAPK pathway and cell cycle progression. Continuous activation of K-ras(G12D) in vivo by tamoxifen treatment is sufficient to drive the neoplastic transformation of normal lung epithelial cells in mice. Tamoxifen withdrawal after the tumor formation results in apoptosis and tumor regression in mouse lungs. Taken together, these data have convincingly demonstrated that K-ras mutant is essential for neoplastic transformation and this animal model may provide an ideal platform for further detailed characterization of the role of K-ras oncogenic mutant during different stages of lung tumorigenesis.

7 CFR 272.12 - Computer matching requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Computer matching requirements. 272.12 Section 272.12... Computer matching requirements. (a) General purpose. The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (CMA) of 1988, as amended, addresses the use of information from computer matching programs that involve a...

7 CFR 272.12 - Computer matching requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Computer matching requirements. 272.12 Section 272.12... Computer matching requirements. (a) General purpose. The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (CMA) of 1988, as amended, addresses the use of information from computer matching programs that involve a...

Comparative multi-omics systems analysis of Escherichia coli strains B and K-12

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Elucidation of a genotype-phenotype relationship is critical to understand an organism at the whole-system level. Here, we demonstrate that comparative analyses of multi-omics data combined with a computational modeling approach provide a framework for elucidating the phenotypic characteristics of organisms whose genomes are sequenced. Results We present a comprehensive analysis of genome-wide measurements incorporating multifaceted holistic data - genome, transcriptome, proteome, and phenome - to determine the differences between Escherichia coli B and K-12 strains. A genome-scale metabolic network of E. coli B was reconstructed and used to identify genetic bases of the phenotypes unique to B compared with K-12 through in silico complementation testing. This systems analysis revealed that E. coli B is well-suited for production of recombinant proteins due to a greater capacity for amino acid biosynthesis, fewer proteases, and lack of flagella. Furthermore, E. coli B has an additional type II secretion system and a different cell wall and outer membrane composition predicted to be more favorable for protein secretion. In contrast, E. coli K-12 showed a higher expression of heat shock genes and was less susceptible to certain stress conditions. Conclusions This integrative systems approach provides a high-resolution system-wide view and insights into why two closely related strains of E. coli, B and K-12, manifest distinct phenotypes. Therefore, systematic understanding of cellular physiology and metabolism of the strains is essential not only to determine culture conditions but also to design recombinant hosts. PMID:22632713

Evaluation results of the GlobalWatershed GK-12 Fellowship Program - a model for increased science literacy and partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, A. S.; Vye, E.

2016-12-01

The Michigan Tech GlobalWatershed GK-12 Fellowship program bridges the gap between K-12 learning institutions and the scientific community with a focus on watershed research. Michigan Tech graduate students (fellows) work in tandem with teachers on the development of relevant hands-on, inquiry based lesson plans and activities based on their doctoral research projects in watershed science. By connecting students and teachers to state of the art academic research in watershed science, teachers are afforded a meaningful way in which to embed scientific research as a component of K-12 curricula, while mentoring fellows on the most pertinent and essential topics for lesson plan development. Fellows fulfill their vital responsibility of communicating their academic research to a broader public while fostering improved teaching and communication skills. A goal of the project is to increase science literacy among students so they may understand, communicate and participate in decisions made at local, regional, and global levels. The project largely works with schools located in Michigan's western Upper Peninsula but also partners with K-12 systems in Sonora, Mexico. While focusing on local and regional issues, the international element of the project helps expand student, teacher, and fellow worldviews and global awareness of watershed issues and creates meaningful partnerships. Lesson plans are available online and teacher workshops are held regularly to disseminate the wealth of information and resources available to the broader public. Evaluation results indicate that fellows' skill and confidence in their ability to communicate science increased as a results of their participation of the program, as well as their desire to communicate science in their future careers. Teachers' confidence in their capacity to present watershed science to their students increased, along with their understanding of how scientific research contributes to understanding of water

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis and computer science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science during the period October 1, 1986 through March 31, 1987 is summarized.

Creating Science Simulations through Computational Thinking Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basawapatna, Ashok Ram

2012-01-01

Computational thinking aims to outline fundamental skills from computer science that everyone should learn. As currently defined, with help from the National Science Foundation (NSF), these skills include problem formulation, logically organizing data, automating solutions through algorithmic thinking, and representing data through abstraction.…

State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbour, Michael K.

2009-01-01

The goal of the initial "Snapshot State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada" report was to provide an overview of the state of K-12 online learning in Canada. This was accomplished through the use of short commentaries about the state of K-12 distance education for each province and territory, along with more developed case…

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis and computer science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This report summarizes research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science during the period April l, 1988 through September 30, 1988.

Computing Your Way through Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Denise

1994-01-01

Reviews three computer software programs focusing on teaching science to middle school students: (1) Encarta, a multimedia encyclopedia; (2) Gizmos and Gadgets, which allows students to explore physical science principles; and (3) BodyScope, which allows students to examine the systems of the human body. (BB)

Factors Influencing Exemplary Science Teachers' Levels of Computer Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakverdi, Meral; Dana, Thomas M.; Swain, Colleen

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine exemplary science teachers' use of technology in science instruction, factors influencing their level of computer use, their level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction, their use of computer-related applications/tools during their instruction, and their…

Reflecting on Progress in K-12 Dance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callahan-Russell, Colleen

2004-01-01

Dance as an art form is transformational to body, mind, and spirit. The author opines that public education would do just fine if dance was the "only" subject taught. This article presents the author's reflection on progress of dance in K-12 education. The author contends that progress in dance in K-12 education can perhaps be judged by the fact…

Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weintrop, David; Beheshti, Elham; Horn, Michael; Orton, Kai; Jona, Kemi; Trouille, Laura; Wilensky, Uri

2016-01-01

Science and mathematics are becoming computational endeavors. This fact is reflected in the recently released Next Generation Science Standards and the decision to include "computational thinking" as a core scientific practice. With this addition, and the increased presence of computation in mathematics and scientific contexts, a new…

Reconfigurable Computing for Computational Science: A New Focus in High Performance Computing

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

in the past decade. Researchers are regularly employing the power of large computing systems and parallel processing to tackle larger and more...complex problems in all of the physical sciences. For the past decade or so, most of this growth in computing power has been “free” with increased...the scientific computing community as a means to continued growth in computing capability. This paper offers a glimpse of the hardware and

Computational Exposure Science: An Emerging Discipline to ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background: Computational exposure science represents a frontier of environmental science that is emerging and quickly evolving.Objectives: In this commentary, we define this burgeoning discipline, describe a framework for implementation, and review some key ongoing research elements that are advancing the science with respect to exposure to chemicals in consumer products.Discussion: The fundamental elements of computational exposure science include the development of reliable, computationally efficient predictive exposure models; the identification, acquisition, and application of data to support and evaluate these models; and generation of improved methods for extrapolating across chemicals. We describe our efforts in each of these areas and provide examples that demonstrate both progress and potential.Conclusions: Computational exposure science, linked with comparable efforts in toxicology, is ushering in a new era of risk assessment that greatly expands our ability to evaluate chemical safety and sustainability and to protect public health. The National Exposure Research Laboratory’s (NERL’s) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD’s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA’s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source

Ada in Introductory Computer Science Courses

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Ada by Daniel F. Stubbs and Neil W. Webre Course Objective: To introduce the students to the basic classical data structures of computer science...Introduction to Ada, Chapman & Hall, 1993, London Dale/Weems/McCormick, Programming and Problem Solving with Ada, D. C. Heath and Company, 1994, MA Feldman...Daniel F. Stubbs and Neil W. Webre - Course Objective: To introduce the students to the basic classical data structures of computer science

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12: Books Published in 2002.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science and Children, 2003

2003-01-01

Provides a list of outstanding science trade books for elementary and secondary students published in 2002. Focuses on the areas of archaeology, anthropology, paleontology, biography, environment and ecology, life science, physical science, and science-related careers. Presents the selection criteria. (YDS)