Video-Conferencing Technology Brings a Homebound Middle Grades Student to the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beeman, Robin Y.; Henderson, Caleb J.

2012-01-01

The middle grades are a time of transitions for teenagers. Attending a new school, developing new friendships, meeting new teachers, and becoming more independent are all part of the middle school experience. This article is a case report of a school district's experience using interactive video-conferencing technology to educate and socialize a…

STEM and Career Exploratory Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chase, Darrell

2010-01-01

Districts face increasing pressure to improve students' mastery of curriculum in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Yet the number of students enrolling in science and math courses drops dramatically in middle and high school. At Sylvester Middle School, Chinook Middle School and Cascade Middle School of the…

Teaching Middle School Language Arts: Incorporating Twenty-First Century Literacies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small Roseboro, Anna J.

2010-01-01

"Teaching Middle School Language Arts" is the first book on teaching middle school language arts for multiple intelligences and related twenty-first-century literacies in technologically and ethnically diverse communities. More than 670,000 middle school teachers (grades six through eight) are responsible for educating nearly 13 million students…

Effect of Middle School Students' Motivation to Learn Technology on Their Attitudes toward Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Hyuksoo

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of motivation to learn technology, as perceived by South Korean middle school students, on their attitudes toward engineering. Using the instruments of Glynn et al. (2011) and Lee (2008), the study focused on eighth and ninth grade students in four middle schools located in South Korea's…

Effect of a Laptop Initiative on Middle School Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Edna Earl White

2014-01-01

In the wake of No Child Left Behind, schools continue to be evaluated according to standardized test results. Researchers suggest that technology can assist students with development and school achievement. While laptop initiative (LI) technology was being implemented by South Carolina districts in the middle schools classrooms, educational…

Identifying Teacher, School, and District Characteristics Associated with Middle and High School Teachers' Use of Technology: A Multilevel Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dwyer, Laura M.; Russell, Michael; Bebell, Damian

2005-01-01

Investment in educational technology has increased rapidly in recent years and many observers have begun to question whether, and how technology is being used as a teaching and learning tool. In order to address this issue, this research used survey data collected from 1,404 "middle and high school teachers" in 52 schools across 22…

NREL: News - Students Recognized for Creativity during Energy Education

Science.gov Websites

Middle School, third place; Horizon Community Middle School's car, "Bueblur," fourth place; and technology, craftsmanship and innovation were given to teams from Moore Middle School, first place; Manning Army, Xcel Energy and the Kaiser-Hill Company. As part of the K'NEX Design Contest, nine middle-school

Interactive Whiteboards in Mathematics Spaces: An Examination of Technology Integration in An Urban Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jamaal; Hamilton, Christina; Cason, Marti

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of integrating Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) technology on middle school mathematics achievement in an urban school. Propensity score matching was used to create a comparable control group in order to isolate the effects of IWB technology on mathematics achievement. An initial experimental group…

The Implementation of a Geospatial Information Technology (GIT)-Supported Land Use Change Curriculum with Urban Middle School Learners to Promote Spatial Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodzin, Alec M.

2011-01-01

This study investigated whether a geospatial information technology (GIT)-supported science curriculum helped students in an urban middle school understand land use change (LUC) concepts and enhanced their spatial thinking. Five 8th grade earth and space science classes in an urban middle school consisting of three different ability level tracks…

Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and Blogs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullen, Rebecca; Wedwick, Linda

2008-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss a rural middle school teacher's use of YouTube, digital stories, and blogs in a language arts curriculum. The authors also share the voices of middle school students as they learn through this technology in the classroom. Although a wide variety of technology integration exists in this middle school language…

School of the Future Handbook. A Guide for Technology Implementation. F. M. Black Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Richard Alan; Sassi, Anthony

In 1985, Apple Computer, Inc., and the Houston Independent School District began a project to create a model School of the Future at the F. M. Black Middle School. As described in this guide, the project was designed to demonstrate how microcomputers and related technology can make the process of instruction more efficient and effective. The…

Technology in Teaching English Language Learners: The Case of Three Middle School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrei, Elena

2017-01-01

This study looks at how three middle school teachers of English as a second language (ESL) use technology in the classroom. Technology use in the ESL classroom has the potential of supporting the English and content learning of English language learners, but the availability of technology does not necessarily lead to technology integration that…

A Community of Practice: Web Portals and Faculty Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Patricia A.

2002-01-01

Describes a Web portal constructed by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology dedicated to improving middle school science, mathematics, and technology instruction. The portal emulates emerging corporate practices of knowledge management and process reinvention through information technology, and offers middle school teachers across Indiana a…

An Investigation of Five Middle School Library Collections in the Areas of Science and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titer, Beth E.

The mean and median age of science and technology materials in the five middle school library collections located in the Springfield (Ohio) City School District were calculated. The percentage of books 10 years old or older was calculated. Science and technology were chosen due to the rapid amount of change in these areas. Three broad Dewey…

Learning with and about Technology: A Middle School Nature Area.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fetterman, David

1998-01-01

Discussion of learning with technology as well as about technology focuses on a case study of a middle school nature area that uses technology to extend accessibility of environmental data. Highlights include the design of Web pages to describe the nature area; file sharing software; and the use of videoconferencing. (LRW)

Media Production at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsunaga, Kevin

2005-01-01

In this article, the author describes how he got his start in video production as a high school senior in 1987 and his work 11 years after as a technology coordinator at Lehua Elementary School in Pearl City, Hawaii. Two years later he changed positions and became the technology coordinator at a brand new middle school on Kauai--Chiefess…

Redesigning Schools for 21st Century Technologies: A Middle School with the Power to Improve.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Dam, Janet M.

1994-01-01

Describes the processes involved in redesigning and renovating Power Middle School (Michigan) for current and future educational technology, particularly for the media center. Topics discussed include planning; time management; wiring infrastructure; voice and video networks; teacher and student multimedia production rooms; and communications…

Collaborative Action Research for Middle Grades Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downes, John M.; Bishop, Penny A.; Swallow, Meredith; Olofson, Mark; Hennessey, Susan

2016-01-01

Technology's rapid evolution applies constant pressure to educational organizations, suggesting a need to continually re-envision schools for the digital age. Yet educators often struggle to understand the growing chasm between students' out-of-school and in-school technology lives. This gap is particularly noticeable during the middle grades…

Effects of Technology Immersion on Middle School Students' Learning Opportunities and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Maloney, Catherine; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny

2011-01-01

An experimental study of the Technology Immersion model involved comparisons between 21 middle schools that received laptops for each teacher and student, instructional and learning resources, professional development, and technical and pedagogical support, and 21 control schools. Using hierarchical linear modeling to analyze longitudinal survey…

Middle School, One-to-One

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Eric G.

2009-01-01

Westside Middle School, located in Omaha, Nebraska, serves 950 seventh- and eighth-grade students. Over the last few years, the school's teachers and administrators have evaluated its technology status and needs. As part of this process, the staff members engaged in many activities, including developing a building-level technology plan, organizing…

Middle School Special Education Teachers' Perceptions and Use of Assistive Technology in Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, Sara; Bouck, Emily C.; Richardson, Jennifer

2013-01-01

In this research the authors examined middle school special education teachers' perceptions of assistive technology during literacy instruction with students with high incidence disabilities. A survey explored the use, effectiveness, and factors impacting use or effectiveness of assistive technology for literacy teaching and learning. Results…

Implications for School Leaders of the Impact of Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Programs on Middle School Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinojosa, Lupita

2012-01-01

Although many national studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of magnet programs, there is limited research involving math, science, and technology magnet schools and their influence on student academic performance, especially at the middle school level. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a statistical difference existed…

Invention and Innovation: A Standards-Based Middle School Model Course Guide. Advancing Technological Literacy: ITEA Professional Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Technology Education Association (ITEA), 2005

2005-01-01

This guide presents a model for a standards-based contemporary technology education course for the middle school. This model course guide features an exploratory curriculum thrust for a cornerstone middle level course. It provides teachers with an overview of the concept, suggestions for planning the course, and ideas for developing…

Mooresville Middle School Snags Web Site of the Month

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tech Directions, 2008

2008-01-01

This has been a big year for Kim Kulawik, a technology education teacher at Mooresville (NC) Middle School: He has been named a 2008 North Carolina Technology Student Association Advisor of the Year, a 2008 International Technology Association Teacher of the Year--and now he and his students are receiving the December 2008 "Tech…

The Correlation between Temperament, Technology Preference, and Proficiency in Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colvin-Sterling, Sabrina

2016-01-01

This study examined the relationship between middle school students' personality type and their academic performance in the technology courses in which they participated. It also explored the differences in technology use by personality. Most participants identified games as a favorite pas-time. However, there were some noted temperamental…

The Impact of a Geospatial Technology-Supported Energy Curriculum on Middle School Students' Science Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulo, Violet; Bodzin, Alec

2013-01-01

Geospatial technologies are increasingly being integrated in science classrooms to foster learning. This study examined whether a Web-enhanced science inquiry curriculum supported by geospatial technologies promoted urban middle school students' understanding of energy concepts. The participants included one science teacher and 108 eighth-grade…

Self-Efficacy Ratings of Technology Proficiency among Teachers in Mexico and Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Cesareo; Knezek, Gerald; Christensen, Rhonda

2008-01-01

The Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment (TPSA) questionnaire was administered to 978 elementary and middle school teachers from Mexico City, and 932 elementary and middle school teachers from the Dallas, Texas, metroplex in the USA, in order to examine self-efficacy similarities and differences for technology proficiency self-appraisals in a…

Collaborative Middle School Geometry through Blogs and Other Web 2.0 Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hossain, Mokter; Wiest, Lynda R.

2013-01-01

This paper explores the use of blogs, a simple application of Web 2.0 technologies, in middle school geometry instruction. Specifically, it provides an overview of the interactive features of Web 2.0 technologies and the feasibility of using Web 2.0 technologies in geometry teaching and learning, as well as a proposed model for creating a…

An Evaluation of Professional Development on Using Student Response Systems and Interactive Whiteboards for Formative Assessment in the Middle Schools of a Southeastern School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Julia Susanne

2011-01-01

The purchase of 21st-century technologies for each middle school teacher in my school system coinciding with a historic lack of significant professional development in technology integration provided the impetus for the study. To address the problem, professional development focused on helping teachers use student response systems and mobile…

East Coast/West Coast Art Project: A Constructivist and Technological Approach to Middle Level and Higher Education Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Margaret H.; Kieling, Linda W.; Cooper, Susan L.

2014-01-01

In this article, the authors report on usage of 21st-century technology, and a collaborative project that allowed middle school art students and preservice teachers to share their artwork and receive feedback in a constructivist learning environment. Middle school students often deal with issues such as bullying, divorce, and depression; they can…

Differences between the Sexes among Protestant Christian Middle School Students and Their Attitudes toward Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Kurt Y.; Alsup, Philip R.

2016-01-01

Research focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education among conservative Protestant Christian school students is scarce. Crenshaw's intersectionality theory is examined as it pertains to religion as a group identifier. The STEM Semantic Survey was completed by 157 middle school students attending six different private…

Lost Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Middle Schools. CenterView

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd, 2012

2012-01-01

California's middle schools have a critical role to play in furthering their students' pursuit of science learning, in high school and beyond. The rapidly changing economy, advances in technology, and the press of global challenges only increase the importance of this responsibility. The potential is there for California's middle schools to…

Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot: An Analysis of the Baseline Conditions and First-Year Implementation of Technology Immersion in Middle Schools. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Sturges, Keith; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny; Huntsberger, Briana; Maloney, Catherine

2006-01-01

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) used Title II, Part D monies to fund a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools through the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP). A concurrent research project funded by a federal Evaluating State Education Technology Programs grant is scientifically evaluating whether student achievement improves…

Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot: An Analysis of the Baseline Conditions and First-Year Implementation of Technology Immersion in Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Sturges, Keith; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny; Huntsberger, Briana; Maloney, Catherine

2006-01-01

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) used Title II, Part D monies to fund a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools through the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP). A concurrent research project funded by a federal Evaluating State Education Technology Programs grant is scientifically evaluating whether student achievement improves…

An Ethnographic-Case Study of Beliefs, Context Factors, and Practices of Teachers Integrating Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angers, Julie; Machtmes, Krisanna

2005-01-01

This ethnographic-case study explored the beliefs, context factors, and practices of three middle school exemplary teachers that led to a technology-enriched curriculum. Findings suggest that these middle school teachers believe technology is a tool that adds value to lessons and to students learning and motivation. Due to a personal interest in…

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration of the Impact of Technology on the Collaborative Practices of Rural Middle School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dailey, Kimberli Simmemon

2017-01-01

This qualitative study described the impact of collaboration and technology-based communication on the professional experiences of rural middle school classroom teachers. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to determine if technology-based tools, such as online discussion boards, email, social networking sites, and short message…

Programs for Middle School Math: An Inventory of Existing Technology. Working Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saultz, Andrew

2012-01-01

In this working paper, Andrew Saultz of Michigan State University inventories the current landscape of technology programs available for middle school math. The working paper is not intended as a "consumers' guide" to technology programs, and the descriptions of some specific programs are not fully accurate or current. Readers who are interested…

Middle School Children's Thinking in Technology Education: A Review of Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Thomas M.; Sanders, Mark; Kwon, Hyuksoo; Pembridge, James

2009-01-01

In 2006, the authors began a project to understand what happens in middle school technology education classrooms in order to document the goals that technology education teachers pursue, the instructional strategies they use to teach children to meet these outcomes, the measures they use to assess achievement of these goals, and the learning…

Cyberbullying: What Middle School Students Want You to Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnham, J. J.; Wright, V. H.

2012-01-01

Cyberbullying is a growing concern because youth are technologically savvy. Much is to be learned about this pervasive phenomenon, especially during the middle school years when cyberbullying often peaks. This focus group study examined cyberbullying attitudes, beliefs, and opinions among middle school students in Alabama and describes…

Perceptions Regarding the Use and Experience of Information and Communication Technology from Female Students in a Catholic Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tellez, Julio C.

2013-01-01

Despite advancements in the search of equity, females still struggle to find acceptance in the field of information and communication technology. Research indicates that differences in perception of ability of ICT use begin to manifest in the middle school level. This mixed methods study explored the experiences and perceptions of 46 middle school…

Intelligent Web-Based English Instruction in Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jia, Jiyou

2015-01-01

The integration of technology into educational environments has become more prominent over the years. The combination of technology and face-to-face interaction with instructors allows for a thorough, more valuable educational experience. "Intelligent Web-Based English Instruction in Middle Schools" addresses the concerns associated with…

Middle Start Technology Facts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Holly

Equity is an important part of technology education. Without adequate equipment and training, schools shortchange students and limit their ability to compete with their more fortunate peers. This is especially important at the middle school level because computer assisted instruction not only taps into adolescents' natural curiosity, but also can…

Connected Education: Teachers' Attitudes towards Student Learning in a 1:1 Technology Middle School Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Tian; Murray, Alexander

2018-01-01

Online and blended forms of learning has been increasingly common in K-12 settings, along with the technological advancement with always-on and connected devices. The study purports to understand teachers' attitudes towards the middle school's one-laptop-per-student (1:1) policy and students' frequent use of always-on and connected technology, as…

The Case of Middle and High School Chemistry Teachers Implementing Technology: Using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model to Assess Change Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabby, Shwartz; Avargil, Shirly; Herscovitz, Orit; Dori, Yehudit Judy

2017-01-01

An ongoing process of reforming chemical education in middle and high schools in our country introduced the technology-enhanced learning environment (TELE) to chemistry classes. Teachers are encouraged to integrate technology into pedagogical practices in meaningful ways to promote 21st century skills; however, this effort is often hindered by…

Using Teaching Portfolios to Revise Curriculum and Explore Instructional Practices of Technology and Engineering Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lomask, Michal; Crismond, David; Hacker, Michael

2018-01-01

This paper reports on the use of teaching portfolios to assist in curriculum revision and the exploration of instructional practices used by middle school technology and engineering education teachers. Two new middle school technology and engineering education units were developed through the Engineering for All (EfA) project. One EfA unit focused…

Integrating iPad Technology into the Classroom: A Study Investigating the Experiences Educators Encounter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byno, Kristin Jacobson

2014-01-01

This phenomenological case study was designed to investigate the experiences educators encounter when implementing iPad technology into middle school math classrooms at a middle school in Northeast Texas. The growing popularity of the iPad mobile device has made the technology an attractive tool that can be implemented into K-12 classrooms,…

Increasing Middle School Student Interest in STEM Careers with Videos of Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyss, Vanessa L.; Heulskamp, Diane; Siebert, Cathy J.

2012-01-01

Students are making choices in middle school that will impact their desire and ability to pursue STEM careers. Providing middle school students with accurate information about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) careers enables them to make more knowledgeable choices about courses of study and career paths. Practical ways of…

Learning Physics with Digital Game Simulations in Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Janice L.; Barnett, Mike

2013-01-01

The purpose of this work is to share our findings in using video gaming technology to facilitate the understanding of basic electromagnetism with middle school students. To this end, we explored the impact of using a game called "Supercharged!" on middle school students' understanding of electromagnetic concepts compared to students…

Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science (TEEMSS). What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

2012-01-01

"Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science" ("TEEMSS") is a physical science curriculum for grades 3-8 that utilizes computers, sensors, and interactive models to support investigations of real-world phenomena. Through 15 inquiry-based instructional units, students interact with computers, gather and analyze…

New Technologies in Portugal: Regular Middle and High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florentino, Teresa; Sanchez, Lucas; Joyanes, Luis

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to elaborate upon the relation between information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly web-based resources, and their use, programs and learning in Portuguese middle and high regular public schools. Design/methodology/approach: Adding collected documentation on curriculum, laws and other related…

Technology-Based Inquiry for Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christmann, Edwin

2006-01-01

Activities featured in this new compendium--a collection of 26 articles published in Science Scope, NSTA's member journal for middle school teachers--will show how. Technology-Based Inquiry offers fresh approaches that teachers and students can use to explore physical science, Earth and space science, life science, and more. It covers the…

Impact of Environmental Power Monitoring Activities on Middle School Student Perceptions of STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knezek, Gerald; Christensen, Rhonda; Tyler-Wood, Tandra; Periathiruvadi, Sita

2013-01-01

Middle school is a crucial stage in student development as students prepare for a fast changing future. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills that students acquire in middle school lay the foundation for a successful career in STEM. Moreover, most STEM occupations require competencies in science, math and logical…

Integration of Technology, Curriculum, and Professional Development for Advancing Middle School Mathematics: Three Large-Scale Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roschelle, Jeremy; Shechtman, Nicole; Tatar, Deborah; Hegedus, Stephen; Hopkins, Bill; Empson, Susan; Knudsen, Jennifer; Gallagher, Lawrence P.

2010-01-01

The authors present three studies (two randomized controlled experiments and one embedded quasi-experiment) designed to evaluate the impact of replacement units targeting student learning of advanced middle school mathematics. The studies evaluated the SimCalc approach, which integrates an interactive representational technology, paper curriculum,…

Investigating Technology-Enhanced Teacher Professional Development in Rural, High-Poverty Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchard, Margaret R.; LePrevost, Catherine E.; Tolin, A. Dell; Gutierrez, Kristie S.

2016-01-01

This 3-year, mixed-methods study investigated the effects of teacher technology-enhanced professional development (TPD) on 20 teachers' beliefs and practices. Teachers in two middle schools located in neighboring rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern United States participated in reform-based lessons and learned how to integrate…

Evaluating Technology-Based Self-Monitoring as a Tier 2 Intervention across Middle School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruhn, Allison Leigh; Woods-Groves, Suzanne; Fernando, Josephine; Choi, Taehoon; Troughton, Leonard

2017-01-01

Multitiered frameworks like Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) have been recommended for preventing and remediating behavior problems. In this study, technology-based self-monitoring was used as a Tier 2 intervention to improve the academic engagement and disruptive behavior of three middle school students who were identified as…

A School that's Really High Tech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindroth, Linda; Raymond, Allen; Broderick, Patricia

2007-01-01

This article discusses how Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, a Lexington, KY, middle school is successfully preparing students for the technological world of the 21st Century. The mission statement for this three-year-old school includes these carefully crafted words: "...to engage all students in a safe and nurturing environment."…

The Future School: Designing for Student Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruck, Gary

1993-01-01

Three themes of change in school planning are the future school, outsourcing, and the reconstruction of existing facilities to accommodate technological and philosophical potential. Describes the technology and the house concept at a middle school and renovations at an elementary school. (MLF)

Personal Professional Development Efforts Scale for Middle School Mathematics Teachers: An Adaptation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balbag, M. Zafer; Yenilmez, Kürsat; Turgut, Melih

2017-01-01

This study aimed at adapting the personal professional development efforts scale developed for science and technology teachers to be applied for middle school mathematics teachers. For this purpose, first of all, the items of the original scale were adjusted for the middle school mathematics teachers by a team of experts. Data obtained by the new…

Assessing Middle School Student Participation in Online vs. Face-to-Face Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oravetz, Cathleen L.

2011-01-01

Educators have observed reluctance in middle school students to vocally engage in small group learning tasks, the result of which could be a decrease in student learning. The same students have been observed collaborating with peers outside of the classroom when using technology. The purpose of this study is to determine if technology provides a…

Teaching Mathematical Problem Solving to Middle School Students in Math, Technology Education, and Special Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottge, Brian A.; Heinrichs, Mary; Mehta, Zara Dee; Rueda, Enrique; Hung, Ya-Hui; Danneker, Jeanne

2004-01-01

This study compared two approaches for teaching sixth-grade middle school students to solve math problems in math, technology education, and special education classrooms. A total of 17 students with disabilities and 76 students without disabilities were taught using either enhanced anchored instruction (EAI) or text-based instruction coupled with…

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Middle School-Aged Female Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hanna

2016-01-01

This study investigates the effects of an intensive 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program (InSTEP) designed for middle school-aged female students. InSTEP uses a guided/open inquiry approach that is deepened and redefined as eight sciences and engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which aimed at…

Increasing Motivation and Engagement in Elementary and Middle School Students through Technology-Supported Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godzicki, Linda; Godzicki, Nicole; Krofel, Mary; Michaels, Rachel

2013-01-01

This action research project report was conducted in order to increase motivation and engagement in elementary and middle school students through technology-supported learning environments. The study was conducted from August 27, 2012, through December 14, 2012 with 116 participating students in first-, fourth-, fifth- and eighth-grade classes. To…

Digital Fabrication as an Instructional Technology for Supporting Upper Elementary and Middle School Science and Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillman, Daniel

2012-01-01

The purpose of this three-paper manuscript dissertation was to study digital fabrication as an instructional technology for supporting elementary and middle school science and mathematics education. Article one analyzed the effects of digital fabrication activities that were designed to contextualize mathematics education at a summer mathematics…

Motivating Middle Schoolers Grades 5-8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansen, Barbara

2007-01-01

What motivates middle school students? Hormones and success! There is not much that teachers can do about the hormones, but they sure can affect the success. "Teaching Information and Communication Technology Skills: The Big6 in Middle Schools," a new book from Linworth Publishing, offers classroom teachers and teacher librarians new strategies…

Ordered Effects of Technology Education Units on Higher-Order Critical Thinking Skills of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mojica, Kern D.

2010-01-01

In this quasi-experimental quantitative study, 105 eighth grade students at a suburban middle school in New York State participated in a seven month-long project involving the ordered effects of the technology education units of Lego[R] Mindstorms(TM) NXT Robotics System, Digital Storytelling with Microsoft Windows Movie Maker, and the Marble Maze…

Design and Technology Productions among Middle School Students: An Indian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khunyakari, Ritesh; Mehrotra, Swati; Chunawala, Sugra; Natarajan, Chitra

2007-01-01

The focus of this paper is students' design productions as they engaged in designing and making a windmill model to lift a given weight. This work is part of a project on the development of design and technology (D&T) education units and its trials among Indian middle school students (Grade 6, age 11-14 years) in different socio-cultural…

The Implementation of Integrated Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Instruction Using Robotics in the Middle School Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntemngwa, Celestin; Oliver, J. Steve

2018-01-01

The research study reported here was conducted to investigate the implementation of integrated STEM lessons within courses that have a single subject science focus. The purpose also included development of a pedagogical theory. This technology-based teaching was conceptualized by school administrators and teachers in order to provide middle school…

TPACK Goes to Sixth Grade: Lessons from a Middle School Teacher in a High-Technology-Access Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetzel, Keith; Marshall, Summer

2012-01-01

This is a qualitative study addressing the question: In what ways does a sixth grade middle school teacher show evidence of behaviors that fit the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework in the classroom? The researcher observed in this class, interviewed the teacher, and looked for evidence of the interplay between…

Selected Colorado Technology Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gloeckner, Gene W.

The transition from industrial arts to technology education is a priority in Colorado. Millions of dollars have been and will be spent to renovate industrial arts facilities and laboratories. Four Colorado middle schools have exemplary technology education programs. The Eagle Crest Technology Education Laboratory is used for both middle and high…

Technology Education--A Broader Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, M. Larry

Technology education is now an integral part of the curriculum in middle school and high school programs of the Logan (Utah) City Schools. The five major vertical curriculum cores required of all ninth-grade students are human resource management, free enterprise applications, career insights and opportunities, technology trends, and counseling…

The Baltimore City Schools Middle School STEM Summer Program with VEX Robotics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mac Iver, Martha Abele; Mac Iver, Douglas J.

2015-01-01

In 2011 Baltimore City Schools submitted a successful proposal for an Investing in Innovations (i3) grant to offer a three year (2012-2014) summer program designed to expose rising sixth through eighth grade students to VEX robotics. The i3-funded Middle School Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Summer Learning Program was…

Effectiveness of 1:1 technology in the science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Courtney Tara

The purposes of this study were: (a) to determine if using e-text technology in a middle school resource science classroom increases student academic performance, (b) to determine if using e-text technology in a middle school science resource classroom increases student engagement/on-task behavior, and (c) to evaluate student comfort and satisfaction in using an electronic textbook or print textbook in a middle school resource science classroom. Ten middle school students, four in grade 7 and six in grade 8 participated in the study using the Discovery Education Science Techbook and the AGS General Science series. A single subject design with ABABA phases was used with the printed textbook from AGS as the baseline and the e-text as the intervention. During the baseline and intervention, students completed vocabulary and guided notes on science content. Their performance was evaluated through homework completion, quiz and test scores. Their on task behaviors were observed and recorded in five-minute time intervals daily. Results showed that even though the students preferred the e-text over the printed textbook, their academic scores and engagement were lower when using the e-text.

Career and Technology Education Grades 6-12. Program Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Des Moines Public Schools, IA. Teaching and Learning Div.

Technology education programs are offered in 10 middle schools, 5 area high schools, 1 alternative high school, and at Central Campus in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. Programs in grades 6-12 consist of hands-on instruction using activities and projects as the medium for teaching modern technologies in the various trades.…

District Response to the Demonstration: The Practice of Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming-McCormick, Treseen; And Others

This paper reports on how technology is currently used in nine schools that educators view as "promising" exemplars of technology use. Four elementary, three middle and two high schools from Arizona, California and Nevada (three schools from each state) were examined. Extensive document review and telephone interviews were conducted in…

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-01

Students at Williams Technology Middle School in Huntsville were featured in a new segment of NASA CONNECT, a video series aimed to enhance the teaching of math, science, and technology to middle school students. The segment premiered nationwide May 15, 2003, and helped viewers understand Sir Isaac Newton's first, second, and third laws of gravity and how they relate to NASA's efforts in developing the next generation of space transportation.

Exploring Middle School Teachers' Perceptions and Applications of a Site-Based, Technology-Related Professional Development Program Focused on Interactive Whiteboards and Classroom Response Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desai, Shreya J.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study examined five middle school teachers' perceptions of a site-based, technology-related professional development (TRPD) program focused on the interactive whiteboard (IWB) and the classroom response system (CRS) and the practices implemented in the teachers' classrooms as a result of participation in the TRPD…

Learning, Engagement, and Technology: Middle School Students' Three-Year Experience in Pervasive Technology Environments in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hur, Jung Won; Oh, Jaekyeon

2012-01-01

This study explored an initiative that created a pervasive learning environment in a middle school in South Korea and examined its impact on student academic achievement and learning engagement. Forty students received a laptop to use for class projects, online collaboration, and lesson reviews over a 3-year period. To measure the effect of laptop…

The Evolution of Middle Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Paul S.

2001-01-01

Over the past 30 years, Florida's 500 middle schools have become more sizeable, racially segregated, and security conscious. Other features include interdisciplinary team organization, warring curricula, block schedules, integrated technology, inclusion, ability grouping, corporate practices, and female and minority principals committed to…

The Implementation of Research-Based Instructional Strategies Using Technology: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoff, Paula

2014-01-01

Students are entering a suburban middle school with significant achievement gaps. The skill deficits that students bring to the school setting must be addressed based on data that reflect their greatest area of need. At the middle school level, it is critical to address the learning gaps and prepare students for success at the high school level.…

Is Science Me? Exploring Middle School Students' STE-M Career Aspirations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aschbacher, Pamela R.; Ing, Marsha; Tsai, Sherry M.

2014-01-01

This study explores middle school students' aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and medical (STE-M) careers by analyzing survey data during their eighth and ninth grade years from an ethnically and economically diverse sample of Southern California urban and suburban public school students (n = 493). Students were classified based on…

Student Perceptions Regarding the Effects of Cyberbullying in a Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magliano, Stephen J.

2013-01-01

Cyberbullying is a problem among today's adolescents, specifically within the middle school environment. The use of technology to harass and intimidate others could cause adverse psychological, emotional, and social effects, which left school administrators unsure of the proper response to handling student needs as well as left many adults…

Focusing on Challenging Content and Practical Applications in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Studies in Middle Grades Schools, High Schools and Technology Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2012

2012-01-01

Schools that give students access to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) studies are accomplishing several objectives: introducing students to higher-level academic and career studies, expanding project-based learning in the curriculum, enticing students to remain in school until graduation, and preparing students for…

Huntsville Area Students Appear in Episode of NASA CONNECT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Students at Williams Technology Middle School in Huntsville were featured in a new segment of NASA CONNECT, a video series aimed to enhance the teaching of math, science, and technology to middle school students. The segment premiered nationwide May 15, 2003, and helped viewers understand Sir Isaac Newton's first, second, and third laws of gravity and how they relate to NASA's efforts in developing the next generation of space transportation.

The integration of technology into the middle and high school science curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbin, Jan Frederic

This study was to determine the level of technology implementation into the middle and high school science curriculum by beginning teachers. Research was conducted in two phases. The first phase was a survey that provided demographic data and determined the Level of Technology Implementation, Personal Computer Use, and Current Instructional Practice. Dr. Christopher Moersch developed the survey, Level of Technology Implementation (LoTi(c) ). The data provided insight into what technology teachers use, barriers associated with technology integration, teacher training and development, and technical support. Follow-up interviews were conducted to gather additional qualitative data and information. Analysis of the data found beginning teachers have not received enough technology training to integrate technology seamlessly into the science curriculum. Conclusions cite the need for more technology courses during preservice education, more time during the day for beginning teachers to learn to use the technology available at their schools, consolidation of inservice staff development offerings, and more technical support staff readily available. Recommendations were made to expand the study group to all science teachers, assess the technology capacity of all schools, and conduct needs assessment of inservice staff development.

Technology in Middle School Reading Education: Opportunities to Transform the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchard, Jay; And Others

1995-01-01

Discusses the uses of multimedia, telecommunications, and word processing and desktop publishing in middle school reading education and examines three issues that affect teachers' opportunities to compete with popular culture's media: implementation, integration, and impact on achievement. (Author/LRW)

One-to-one iPad technology in the middle school mathematics and science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bixler, Sharon G.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become an emphasized component of PreK-12 education in the United States. The US is struggling to produce enough science, mathematics, and technology experts to meet its national and global needs, and the mean scores of science and mathematics students are not meeting the expected levels desired by our leaders (Hossain & Robinson, 2011). In an effort to improve achievement scores in mathematics and science, school districts must consider many components that can contribute to the development of a classroom where students are engaged and growing academically. Computer technology (CT) for student use is a popular avenue for school districts to pursue in their goal to attain higher achievement. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of iPads in a one-to-one setting, where every student has his own device 24/7, to determine the effects, if any, on academic achievement in the areas of mathematics and science. This comparison study used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine three middle schools in a private school district. Two of the schools have implemented a one-to-one iPad program with their sixth through eighth grades and the third school uses computers on limited occasions in the classroom and in a computer lab setting. The questions addressed were what effect, if any, do the implementation of a one-to-one iPad program and a teacher's perception of his use of constructivist teaching strategies have on student academic achievement in the mathematics and science middle school classrooms. The research showed that although the program helped promote the use of constructivist activities through the use of technology, the one-to-one iPad initiative had no effect on academic achievement in the middle school mathematics and science classrooms.

Technology in the Service of Creativity: Computer Assisted Writing Project--Stetson Middle School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bender, Evelyn

The American Library Association's Carroll Preston Baber Research Award supported this project on the use, impact and feasibility of a computer assisted writing facility located in the library of Stetson Middle School in Philadelphia, an inner city school with a population of minority, "at risk" students. The writing facility consisted…

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Experiences with School-Based and District-Based Support and Its Relationship to Integrating Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampshire, Onequa N.

2014-01-01

Technological advances play a major role in educating students' in mathematics. Research indicates that technology could create learning environments that support innovativeness and assist teachers in developing a positive attitude toward integrating technology. Unfortunately, teachers are not utilizing technology on a regular basis in mathematics…

Integrating Technology to Maximize Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Eric

2007-01-01

Such initiatives as one-to-one computing, laptop learning, and technology immersion are gaining momentum in middle level and high schools, but the key to their success is more than cutting-edge technology. Henrico County Public Schools, a pioneer in educational technology in Virginia, launched a one-to-one computing initiative in 2001. The…

Strategies to Put Instruction Ahead of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Eric

2007-01-01

One-to-one computing, laptop learning, technology immersion: such initiatives are gaining momentum--and sparking excitement and controversy--in middle level and high schools, but the key to their success is more than cutting-edge technology. Henrico County Public Schools, a pioneer in educational technology in Virginia, launched a one-to-one…

STEM Vocational Socialization and Career Development in Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendall, Katherine A.

2017-01-01

Economic forecasts predict an unprecedented shortage of STEM workers in the United States. This study examined the vocational anticipatory socialization factors and classroom stratagems influencing middle school students' science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career development. Student attitudes towards STEM content areas and…

76 FR 61347 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

..., middle and high schools). Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 413. Total Estimated Annual Burden..., middle and high schools where students achieve at high levels or where the achievement gap is narrowing... information technology. Dated: September 29, 2011. Darrin King, Director, Information Collection Clearance...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, and Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., analyze one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, and Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., analyze one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, and Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., process one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, and Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., process one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

An Evaluation of a School-Based Professional Development Program on Teachers' Efficacy for Technology Integration: Findings from an Initial Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skoretz, Yvonne; Childress, Ronald

2013-01-01

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine the impact of a school-based, job-embedded professional development program on elementary and middle school teacher efficacy for technology integration. Participant bi-weekly journal postings were analyzed using Grappling's "Technology and Learning Spectrum" (Porter, 2001) to…

Adolescent Literacy Tutoring: Face-to-Face and Via Webcam Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houge, Timothy T.; Peyton, David; Geier, Constance; Petrie, Bruce

2007-01-01

The purpose of this research project was to examine the effectiveness of supervised literacy tutoring delivered by 25 secondary teacher candidates to middle and high school students via webcam technology and in person. The results stem from two semester-long studies of technology-delivered tutoring from a university to middle and high school…

A phenomenological study on middle-school science teachers' perspectives on utilization of technology in the science classroom and its effect on their pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajbanshi, Roshani

With access to technology and expectation by the mainstream, the use of technology in the classroom has become essential these days. However, the problem in science education is that with classrooms filled with technological equipment, the teaching style is didactic, and teachers employ traditional teacher-centered methods in the classroom. In addition, results of international assessments indicate that students' science learning needs to be improved. The purpose of this study is to analyze and document the lived experience of middle-school science teachers and their use of technology in personal, professional lives as well as in their classroom and to describe the phenomenon of middle-school science teachers' technological beliefs for integration of digital devices or technology as an instructional delivery tool, knowledge construction tool and learning tool. For this study, technology is defined as digital devices such as computer, laptops, digital camera, iPad that are used in the science classroom as an instructional delivery tool, as a learning tool, and as a knowledge construction tool. Constructivism is the lens, the theoretical framework that guides this qualitative phenomenological research. Observation, interview, personal journal, photo elicitation, and journal reflection are used as methods of data collection. Data was analyzed based on a constructivist theoretical framework to construct knowledge and draw conclusion. MAXQDA, a qualitative analysis software, was also used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that middle-school science teachers use technology in various ways to engage and motivate students in science learning; however, there are multiple factors that influence teachers' technology use in the class. In conclusion, teacher, students, and technology are the three sides of the triangle where technology acts as the third side or the bridge to connect teachers' content knowledge to students through the tool with which students are familiar. Keywords: Teachers' belief, science and technology, knowledge construction.

Supporting the Development of Science Communication Skills in STEM University Students: Understanding Their Learning Experiences as They Work in Middle and High School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Brooke L.; Liu, Xiufeng; Gardella, Joseph A.

2015-01-01

This paper examines the roles that 52 university Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students play in an Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership that connects several middle schools, high schools, institutions of higher learning, businesses, and community institutions. It also examines the support these students…

Factors Influencing the Level of Technology Adaptation by Middle-School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strigh, Janice Favre

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine those factors influencing a teacher's level of adaptation to a one-to-one laptop program in a middle-school setting. The school chosen for this study is located in a semi-rural district with approximately 500 students in sixth through eighth grade. Over the past 10 years, the school…

Conceptualizing Student Affect for Science and Technology at the Middle School Level: Development and Implementation of a Measure of Affect in Science and Technology (MAST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romine, William L.; Sadler, Troy D.; Wulff, Eric P.

2017-10-01

We describe the development of the Measure of Affect in Science and Technology (MAST), and study its usefulness for measuring science affect in middle school students via both classical and Rasch measurement perspectives. We then proceed to utilize the measurement structure of the MAST to understand how middle school students at varying levels of affect express their interest and attitudes toward science and technology and gender differences in how students express their affect. We found that affect in science and technology comprises a main dimension, science interest, and four peripheral dimensions: interest in careers in science and technology, attitudes toward science, and interest in attending science class. Of these, careers in science and technology carry the highest affective demand. While males showed higher levels of personal and situational interest in science, a greater interest in careers in science and technology was the biggest contributor to males' higher affect toward science and technology. We argue that whether the MAST is used as a measure of a single construct or multiple subconstructs depends upon specific research or evaluation goals; however, both uses of the MAST yield measures which produce valid inferences for student affect.

The Influence of the Home Learning Environment on Middle School Students' Use of ICT at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pullen, Darren

2015-01-01

The increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools has been largely explored in relation to how students' use ICT at school. In addition students' lives and experiences with technology beyond school have also begun to be explored. However, the nexus between the two is still an underdeveloped research area. Anecdotally…

Technology Education Benefits from the Inclusion of Pre-Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Steve; Rogers, George E.

2005-01-01

Technology education is being taught today in almost every high school and middle school in America. Over 1000 technology education departments are now including pre-engineering education in their programs. According to these authors, the time has come for the profession to agree that including pre-engineering education in technology education…

Building Their Future: Girls in Technology Education in Connecticut.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, Suzanne; Pritchard, Alice M.

A study of the experiences of girls in technology education courses in three Connecticut middle schools examined the impact of these experiences on the students' decisions about whether to take more technology classes in high school. Another focus was girls' attitudes toward careers in technological fields. Five basic types of data were gathered:…

Solar cell and photonics outreach for middle school students and teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilchrist, Pamela O.; Alexander, Alonzo B.

2017-08-01

This paper will describe the curriculum development process employed to develop a solar cell and photonics curriculum unit for students underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Information will explain how the curriculum unit was piloted with middle and high school teachers from public schools in North Carolina, high school students from underrepresented groups in an informal science program, and workshop settings. Measures used to develop the curriculum materials for middle school students will be presented along with program findings documenting students' urban versus rural interest in STEM, career aspirations, and 21st century learning skills in informal learning settings.

Integrating Engineering Design into Technology Education: Georgia's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denson, Cameron D.; Kelley, Todd R.; Wicklein, Robert C.

2009-01-01

This descriptive research study reported on Georgia's secondary level (grades 6-12) technology education programs capability to incorporate engineering concepts and/or engineering design into their curriculum. Participants were middle school and high school teachers in the state of Georgia who currently teach technology education. Participants…

Technology Education. A Maryland Curricular Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

This document is designed to help administrators and teachers plan, develop, and implement technology education (TE) programs. It provides a philosophical foundation and broad outline for constructing comprehensive TE programs that develop middle school and high school students' technological literacy by focusing on the ways in which ingenuity,…

76 FR 27305 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; the NIST Summer Institute for Middle School...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-11

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; the NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers (NIST Summer... information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Written comments must be...

Patterns in Teachers' Instructional Design When Integrating Apps in Middle School Content-Area Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karchmer-Klein, Rachel; Mouza, Chrystalla; Harlow Shinas, Valerie; Park, Sohee

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns evident in the ways middle school teachers, who value technology integration, design instruction that leverages educational applications (app) affordances. Using the pedagogy of multiliteracies (Cope & Kalantzis, 2015) and app affordances of multimodality, collaboration, and interactivity as…

Middle School and pH?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herricks, Susan

2007-01-01

A local middle school requested that the Water Center of Advanced Materials for Purification of Water With Systems (WaterCAMPWS), a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, provide an introduction to pH for their seventh-grade water-based service learning class. After sorting through a multitude of information about pH, a…

Designing Personalized Learning Products for Middle School Mathematics: The Case for Networked Learning Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Michael A.; Pruett, Jordan; Chang, Mido; Nino, Miguel

2014-01-01

Middle school mathematics education is subject to ongoing reform based on advances in digital instructional technologies, especially learning games, leading to recent calls for investment in "personalized learning." Through an extensive literature review, this investigation identified three priority areas that should be taken into…

Teaching East Asia: China, Japan, Korea. Lesson Plans for Middle School Teachers. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beville, Francie; Boone, Mark; Chapman, Kelly; Crump, Claudia; Curtis, Lonnie; Erickson, Stacy; Kaiser-Polge, Tami; Klus, John A.; Luebbehusen, Mary Lou; Rea, Patrick S.; Ward, Mary E.

This volume contains 23 lesson plans that were written for middle school teachers to help students learn about East Asia. The lessons are organized across six themes: (1) "People, Places & Environment"; (2) "Technology, Production, Distribution & Consumption"; (3) "Cultures, Continuity, and Change"; (4)…

The CMETS Program: Grounding Middle Grade Mathematics and Technology Professional Development in Research-Based Best Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerrero, Shannon; Dugdale, Sharon

2009-01-01

The past few decades have seen middle school teachers in the United States hit especially hard by contradictory messages about the use and importance of technology in support of their standards-based mathematics teaching. This paper considers this dichotomy with respect to the California Mathematics Education Technology Site (CMETS), a…

School Librarians as Technology Leaders: An Evolution in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wine, Lois D.

2016-01-01

The role of school librarians has a history of radical change. School librarians adapted to take on responsibility for technology and audio-visual materials that were introduced in schools in earlier eras. With the advent of the Information Age in the middle of the 20th century and the subsequent development of personal computers and the Internet,…

Traditional and Digital Game Preferences of Children: A CHAID Analysis on Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatli, Zeynep

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine types of games that middle school students play in their daily lives and analyze the effects of various variables such as gender, available technology, grade in school and parents' education levels on their game preferences. The sample consisted of a total of 464 grade 5-8 students (212 girls and 252…

A Day at the Races: NREL Hosts Colorado Middle School Students With STEM Skills

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

Lung, Linda

Technology and imagination came together at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on May 20 when 53 teams from 18 Colorado middle schools turned a parking lot into a raceway. The students used the technological know-how picked up in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes to design and build model electric cars. Powered either by a solar panel or a lithium-ion battery, each car competed in time trials and double elimination races. The final races, between eight cars competing in each category, were over in less than 10 seconds.

Requisite Skills and Knowledge Principals Perceive Necessary to Successfully Integrate Technology at the Middle School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Kateri Tekakwitha

2015-01-01

Technology integration does not happen in a vacuum. It needs a plan. School leaders must oversee this plan and combine best practices for implementing effective instructional practices, sound curricula, and educational technology. Just as instructional leaders need to have a command of curriculum and instruction, educational technology leaders…

Characteristic research on Hong Kong "I learned" series computer textbooks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jinyan; Liu, Zhongxia; Li, Yuanyuan; Lu, Jianheng; Zhang, Lili

2011-06-01

Currently, the construction of information technology textbooks in the primary and middle schools is an important content of the information technology curriculum reform. The article expect to have any inspire and reference on inland China school information technology teaching material construction and development through the analyzing and refining the characteristics of the Hong Kong quality textbook series - "I learn . elementary school computer cognitive curriculum".

Technology in Support of Argument Construction in School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evagorou, Maria; Avraamidou, Lucy

2008-01-01

In this theoretical article the authors discuss the role of technology tools in supporting students' argument construction within the context of middle and high school science. In the first part of the article they focus on the theoretical underpinnings for studying argumentation in school science and report on the difficulties associated with…

Professional Learning with Action Research in Innovative Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Netcoh, Steven; Olofson, Mark W.; Downes, John M.; Bishop, Penny A.

2017-01-01

This article illustrates how action research can be used as a model for professional development with middle grades educators in rapidly changing and technology-intensive schools. Drawing upon ten years of using this model, the authors present three examples of educator action research to highlight five characteristics of effective projects: (1)…

Robots Bring Math-Powered Ideas to Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Kasi C.

2013-01-01

What if every middle school student learned to create a robot in math class? What if every middle school had a robotics team? Would students view mathematics differently? Would they have a different relationship with technology? Might they see science and engineering as fields driven by innovation rather than memorization? As students find…

Teacher Technology Acceptance and Usage for the Middle School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Wilton, Jr.

2014-01-01

According to the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, students in the United States routinely perform poorly on international assessments. This study was focused specifically on the problem of the decrease in the number of middle school students meeting the requirements for one state's standardized tests for…

Preservice Teachers Are Creating a College Culture for At-Risk Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radcliffe, Rich; Stephens, Liz C.

2008-01-01

This mid-point report from a seven-year study about building a college culture investigates how a multifaceted approach including mentoring, technology, campus visits, parent involvement, and tutoring impacts at-risk middle school students' college aspirations and eventual success gaining college acceptance. Based on NAEP report data, many young…

Barriers to Reducing the Digital-Use Divide as Perceived by Middle School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Presby, Bob

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and describe the barriers to the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) to support active learning in the classroom as perceived by middle school site principals. Methodology: This was a qualitative phenomenological study using data collected from…

Sustaining Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods in the Middle School Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Amy Fowler

2012-01-01

This dissertation used a combination of case study and phenomenological research methods to investigate how individual teachers of middle school science in the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) program sustain their use of inquiry-based methods of teaching and learning. While the overall context for the cases was the AMSTI…

A Journey from STEM to STEAM: A Middle School Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter-Doniger, Tracey; Sydow, Lindsey

2016-01-01

This article examines the initial journey of a middle school in South Carolina from a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum to a STEAM (STEM + art) curriculum. This is the first of a three-year longitudinal study that investigated the perceptions of the effectiveness, relative importance, and sustainability of a STEAM…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida; Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc.; and Dr. Dennis Morrison, NASA Johnson Space Center, process one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida; Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc.; and Dr. Dennis Morrison, NASA Johnson Space Center, process one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

The Impact of a Geospatial Technology-Supported Energy Curriculum on Middle School Students' Science Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulo, Violet; Bodzin, Alec

2013-02-01

Geospatial technologies are increasingly being integrated in science classrooms to foster learning. This study examined whether a Web-enhanced science inquiry curriculum supported by geospatial technologies promoted urban middle school students' understanding of energy concepts. The participants included one science teacher and 108 eighth-grade students classified in three ability level tracks. Data were gathered through pre/posttest content knowledge assessments, daily classroom observations, and daily reflective meetings with the teacher. Findings indicated a significant increase in the energy content knowledge for all the students. Effect sizes were large for all three ability level tracks, with the middle and low track classes having larger effect sizes than the upper track class. Learners in all three tracks were highly engaged with the curriculum. Curriculum effectiveness and practical issues involved with using geospatial technologies to support science learning are discussed.

Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot: First-Year Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Sturges, Keith; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny; Huntsberger, Briana; Maloney, Catherine

2006-01-01

The Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) sets forth a vision for technology immersion in Texas public schools. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) directed nearly $14 million in federal Title II, Part D monies toward funding a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools through a competitive grant process. A concurrent research project…

Using Data to Individualize a Multicomponent, Technology-Based Self-Monitoring Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruhn, Allison Leigh; Vogelgesang, Kari; Fernando, Josephine; Lugo, Wilbeth

2016-01-01

Technology in schools is abundant as is the call for evidence-based interventions for students who need additional support to be successful. One promising use of technology is for self-monitoring interventions aimed at improving classroom behavior. In this study, two middle school students with disabilities used a multicomponent, self-monitoring…

Learning and Leading with Technology: A Case Study of Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris-Bryant, Edye Darlene

2012-01-01

The purpose of this single case study is to describe and document the implementation of a 1:1 laptop program for a middle school with a unique school-university partnership. The goal of this study is two-fold; one being to describe the implementation of a 1:1 laptop program and to document the lessons learned in leading a 1:1 laptop program. This…

Middle school special education teachers' perceptions and use of assistive technology in literacy instruction.

PubMed

Flanagan, Sara; Bouck, Emily C; Richardson, Jennifer

2013-01-01

In this research the authors examined middle school special education teachers' perceptions of assistive technology during literacy instruction with students with high incidence disabilities. A survey explored the use, effectiveness, and factors impacting use or effectiveness of assistive technology for literacy teaching and learning. Results suggested teachers' perceived assistive technology to be an effective tool for literacy, but use it minimally. When assistive technology was used, teachers indicated it was an effective literacy support. Teachers also reported barriers to using assistive technology in literacy including cost, usability, and lack of training/experience. However, factors such as previous successful experiences with assistive technology and assistive technology supporting students' learning encouraged assistive technology use. The consistency of teachers' reports of needing more experience and knowledge in assistive technology to fully use it suggests implications for preservice preparation such as providing additional experiences and information on assistive technology.

Development of activities to promote the interest in science and technology in elementary and middle school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sicardi-Segade, A.; Campos-Mejía, A.; Solano, C.

2016-09-01

Innovation through science and technology will be essential to solve important challenges humanity will have to face in the years to come, regarding clean energies, food quality, medicine, communications, etc. To deal with these important issues, it is necessary to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in children. In this work, we present the results of the strategies that we have implemented to increase the elementary and middle school students interest in science and technology by means of activities that allow them to use and develop their creativity, team work, critical thinking, and the use of the scientific method and the engineering design process.

Game-Based Learning Aids in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, William, II; Franklin, Teresa; Cooper, Tessa; Carroll, Stephen; Liu, Chang

2012-01-01

In an age of technological advancement, video games have been found to be effective teaching aids in middle school science classrooms. A National Science Foundation (NSF) project at Ohio University, known as STEAM, (Science and Technology Enrichment for Appalachian Middle Schoolers), has examined Second Life as a curriculum aid through the design,…

Comparison of Science Process Skills with STEM Career Interests of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorlu, Fulya; Zorlu, Yusuf

2017-01-01

This study was aimed to examine the relation between the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) career interests and science process skills of middle school seventh grade students. Method of this study was the relational survey method. The study was conducted on the basis of voluntariness and participants were 133 seventh grade…

The Effects of Microblogging on Middle School Students' Engagement and Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singleton, Sondra Shively

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of microblogging as an authentic real-world technology in a middle school classroom in response to the 2010 Department of Education's call to provide students with more relevant digital experiences. The non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design study was used to determine if…

Enhancing Middle School Science Lessons with Playground Activities: A Study of the Impact of Playground Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Lawrence B.; Margolin, Jonathan; Swanlund, Andrew; Dhillon, Sonica; Liu, Feng

2017-01-01

Playground Physics is a technology-based application and accompanying curriculum designed by New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) to support middle school students' science engagement and learning of force, energy, and motion. The program includes professional development, the Playground Physics app, and a curriculum aligned with New York State…

Engineering-Based Problem Solving in the Middle School: Design and Construction with Simple Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn D.; Hudson, Peter; Dawes, Les

2013-01-01

Incorporating engineering concepts into middle school curriculum is seen as an effective way to improve students' problem-solving skills. A selection of findings is reported from a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based unit in which students in the second year (grade 8) of a three-year longitudinal study explored…

Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School: A Cognitive and Cultural Approach. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buxton, Cory A.; Provenzo, Eugene F., Jr.

2010-01-01

Featuring an increased emphasis on the way today's changing science and technology is shaping our culture, this Second Edition of "Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School" provides pre- and in-service teachers with an introduction to basic science concepts and methods of science instruction, as well as practical strategies for the…

iPads in the Classroom: What Do Teachers Think?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Janet M.; Oigara, James N.

2017-01-01

In education, new technologies are used to improve the process of teaching and learning. This study examined middle school teachers' perceptions regarding the use of iPads for instruction. The participants, 53 middle school teachers in Western New York, responded to an online survey, asking them questions about how they felt about the 1:1 iPad…

Advancing the Math Skills of Middle School Students in Technology Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottge, Brian A.; Grant, Timothy S.; Stephens, Ana C.; Rueda, Enrique

2010-01-01

While curriculum specialists and committees often decide how mathematics is taught, it is ultimately principals who influence the extent to which these initiatives are carried out. The overall goal of this article is to provide school leaders with classroom-based research that describes one way of improving the math skills of middle school…

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Adsorptive Media - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Woodstock Middle School in Woodstock, CT - Final Performance Evaluation Report

EPA Science Inventory

This report documents the activities performed for and the results obtained from the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Woodstock Middle School in Woodstock, CT. The objectives of the project were to evaluate the effectiveness of Adsorbsia™ GTO™ me...

Teaching for Ownership in the Middle School Science Classroom: Towards Practical Inquiry in an Age of Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Christine D.; Ardito, Gerald

2009-01-01

The authors of this study document one middle school classroom in an attempt to understand how inquiry learning, supported with technological tools, can provide students with opportunities to develop ownership of science content knowledge. Case study and collaborative teacher researcher methods were utilized to document the implementation of a…

Designing for Learner Engagement in Middle School Science: Technology, Inquiry, and the Hierarchies of Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmer, Andrea J.; Cates, Ward Mitchell

2007-01-01

Engaging middle-school students in scientific inquiry is typically recognized as important, but difficult. Designed to foster learner engagement, this method used an online, problem-based, science inquiry that investigated the West Nile virus during four weeks of collaborative classroom sessions. The inquiry prototype was authored in WISE, the…

Science in Action: How Middle School Students Are Changing Their World through STEM Service-Learning Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Jane L.; Dantzler, John; Coleman, April N.

2015-01-01

The purpose of Science in Action (SIA) was to examine the relationship between implementing quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) service-learning (SL) projects and the effect on students' academic engagement in middle school science, civic responsibility, and resilience to at-risk behaviors. The innovative project funded by…

The Generational Impact of Technology on Formal Writing of Rural Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Land, Martha Ann

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact text messages, social networks, Instant Messaging, email, and blogging had on rural middle school students' ability to decipher between formal and informal writing. Students completed self-evaluation logs, completed Formal and Informal Writing Assessments, and were scored on their use of…

STEAM Enacted: A Case Study of a Middle School Teacher Implementing STEAM Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herro, Danielle; Quigley, Cassie

2016-01-01

This paper examines the implementation practices of a 6th grade middle school teacher enacting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) teaching in his classroom after participating in a 45-hour STEAM professional development. Case study is used to detail the process, successes, and challenges. Project-based learning, technology…

Get Students Excited--3D Printing Brings Designs to Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lacey, Gary

2010-01-01

Students in technology education programs from middle school through high school around the nation are benefiting from--and enjoying--hands-on experience in mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, materials processing, basic electronics, robotics, industrial manufacturing, and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)-focused…

Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot: Findings from the Second Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Maloney, Catherine; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny; Huntsberger, Briana; Sturges, Keith

2007-01-01

The Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) sets forth a vision for technology immersion in Texas public schools. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) originally directed more than $14.5 million in federal Title II, Part D monies toward funding a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools through a competitive grant process. A concurrent…

Testing the Digital Divide: Does Access to High-Quality Use of Technology in Schools Affect Student Achievement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talley, Gregory Keith

2012-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between access, use of technology and student achievement in public middle schools in Maryland. The objective of this study was to determine whether a digital divide (differences in access and utilization of technology based on student characteristics of race, socioeconomic status, and gender) exists among…

Middle School Science Teachers' Confidence and Pedagogical Practice of New Literacies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Hui-Yin; Wang, Shiang-Kwei; Runco, Lisa

2013-06-01

Due to the rapid advancements of information and communication technologies (ICTs), educational researchers argue that multimodal and new literacies should become common practices in schools. As new ICTs emerge and evolve, students need the new literacies skills and practices to successfully participate fully in the civic life of a global community. Are teachers prepared to integrate ICTs in the classroom to develop students' new literacies skills? The purpose of this study is to suggest a new literacies framework that guides ICTs integration and supports scientific inquiry, as well as investigate middle school teachers' confidence to practice new literacies in science classrooms. The study adopted mixed-methodology design, surveyed 32 middle school science teachers' ICTs and new literacies skills, and randomly observed 15 teachers' new literacies practices in the classrooms. The results revealed that even though teachers have high confidence in using ICTs, the meaningful technology integration and new literacies practices were scarcely observed in their classroom practices.

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

FIRST LEGO League participants listen to Aerospace Education Specialist Chris Copelan explain the playing field for 'Nano Quest' during a recent FLL kickoff event at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The kickoff began the 2006 FLL competition season. Eighty-five teachers, mentors, parents and 9- to 14-year-old students from southern and central Mississippi came to SSC to hear the rules for Nano Quest. The challenge requires teams to spend eight weeks building and programming robots from LEGO Mindstorms kits. They'll battle their creations in local and regional competitions. The Dec. 2 competition at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will involve about 200 students. FIRST LEGO League, considered the 'little league' of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation, and to promote the principles of team play and gracious professionalism. Because NASA advocates robotics and science-technology education, the agency and SSC support FIRST by providing team coaches, mentors and training, as well as competition event judges, referees, audio-visual and other volunteer staff personnel. Two of Mississippi's NASA Explorer Schools, Bay-Waveland Middle and Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, were in attendance. The following schools were also represented: Ocean Springs Middle, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Jackson Preparatory Academy, North Woolmarket Middle, D'Iberville Middle, West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Roseland Park Baptist Academy and Nicholson Elementary, as well as two home-school groups from McComb and Brandon. Gulfport and Picayune Memorial-Pearl River high schools' FIRST Robotics teams conducted robotics demonstrations for the FLL crowd.

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-09-23

FIRST LEGO League participants listen to Aerospace Education Specialist Chris Copelan explain the playing field for 'Nano Quest' during a recent FLL kickoff event at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The kickoff began the 2006 FLL competition season. Eighty-five teachers, mentors, parents and 9- to 14-year-old students from southern and central Mississippi came to SSC to hear the rules for Nano Quest. The challenge requires teams to spend eight weeks building and programming robots from LEGO Mindstorms kits. They'll battle their creations in local and regional competitions. The Dec. 2 competition at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will involve about 200 students. FIRST LEGO League, considered the 'little league' of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation, and to promote the principles of team play and gracious professionalism. Because NASA advocates robotics and science-technology education, the agency and SSC support FIRST by providing team coaches, mentors and training, as well as competition event judges, referees, audio-visual and other volunteer staff personnel. Two of Mississippi's NASA Explorer Schools, Bay-Waveland Middle and Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, were in attendance. The following schools were also represented: Ocean Springs Middle, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Jackson Preparatory Academy, North Woolmarket Middle, D'Iberville Middle, West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Roseland Park Baptist Academy and Nicholson Elementary, as well as two home-school groups from McComb and Brandon. Gulfport and Picayune Memorial-Pearl River high schools' FIRST Robotics teams conducted robotics demonstrations for the FLL crowd.

Single-Sex Computer Classes: An Effective Alternative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swain, Sandra L.; Harvey, Douglas M.

2002-01-01

Advocates single-sex computer instruction as a temporary alternative educational program to provide middle school and secondary school girls with access to computers, to present girls with opportunities to develop positive attitudes towards technology, and to make available a learning environment conducive to girls gaining technological skills.…

Implications of Home Technology for School Decision-Making.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Helen L.; Eastman, Susan Tyler

1998-01-01

Surveys at a midwestern middle school showed that most students have much greater access to computer technology than previously predicted. While students want the hardware and software to produce original, professional-looking documents, teachers want both traditional television hookups and cutting-edge instructional tools. Information about…

Formative Assessment with Technology 2011-12: Second Year of Implementation. Eye on Evaluation. D&A Report No. 13.05

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troy, Talbot; Bulgakov-Cooke, Dina

2013-01-01

In 2010-11, Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), and SMART Technologies began a two-year collaboration to promote the use of formative assessment in mathematics classrooms at three Wake County public schools: Millbrook Elementary, East Millbrook Middle, and Millbrook High school. The…

2011 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

Matthew Myles (left) and Agrippa Kellum from Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, watch as their LEGO robot competes during a Dec. 4 tournament. Elementary and middle school students from across Mississippi gathered in Hattiesburg to participate in the Mississippi Championship FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Tournament. Stennis supports FIRST LEGO League each year by providing mentors, training and tournament volunteers.

Creating a Multimedia Enhanced Problem-Based Learning Environment for Middle School Science: Voices from the Developers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Min; Horton, Lucas; Lee, Jaejin; Kang, Jina; Rosenblum, Jason; O'Hair, Matthew; Lu, Chu-Wei

2014-01-01

This paper describes the design and development process used to create Alien Rescue, a multimedia-enhanced learning environment that supports problem-based learning (PBL) in middle school science. The goal of the project is to further our understandings of technology, pedagogy, and instructional theories as they relate to the application of PBL…

Building Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radios for Middle School Children and Their Parents. A Course for Parents and Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heller, Patricia

Designed to supplement a short course for middle school children and their parents, this manual provides sets of learning experiences about electronic communication devices. The program is intended to develop positive attitudes toward science and technology in both parents and their children and to take the mystery out of some of the electronic…

Videotex in Middle School: Accommodating Computers and Printouts in Learning Information Processing Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastman, Susan Tyler

In a study designed to see how students accommodated a new technology, 27 eighth graders used a microcomputer in a middle school science class to access a commercial videotex service containing an electronic encyclopedia as part of an assignment to write a theme. Field observations of computer use and student interviews were used to collect data.…

A Phenomenological Study of Middle School Students' Self-Regulated Learning with Mobile Devices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doud, Janet M.

2016-01-01

An integral part of 21st century learning for middle school students included the daily use of mobile device technology. The problem with mobile devices, full of their interactive interfaces, was how did the student personally discover which features and tools within the device will best benefit the student's style and needs, thus enhancing…

2011 FIRST LEGO League

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-04

Matthew Myles (left) and Agrippa Kellum from Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, watch as their LEGO robot competes during a Dec. 4 tournament. Elementary and middle school students from across Mississippi gathered in Hattiesburg to participate in the Mississippi Championship FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Tournament. Stennis supports FIRST LEGO League each year by providing mentors, training and tournament volunteers.

Mobile Math: Math Educators and Students Engage in Mobile Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Teresa; Peng, Li-Wei

2008-01-01

The public and educational communities are aware of the continuing crisis in math education in our middle schools and the convergence of technologies for teaching and learning. This paper presents a case study in which iPod Touch[R] was used to help middle school students learn about algebraic equations and, in particular, the concept of slope,…

Filling the Gap: Integrating STEM into Career and Technical Education Middle School Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu-Rorrer, Ray

2017-01-01

The field of STEM education is an educational framework that has surged in application over the past decade. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is infused in nearly every facet of our society. Filling the gap of current research in middle school career and technical education (CTE) and STEM programs is important as traditional CTE…

Urban Middle School Students, Twenty-First Century Skills, and STEM-ICT Careers: Selected Findings from a Front-End Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Jonathan D.; Renken, Maggie; Calandra, Brendan

2017-01-01

As part of the design and development of an informal learning environment meant to increase urban middle school students' interest in technology-focused STEM careers, and to support their twenty-first century skill development, researchers developed and administered the ICT/Twenty-First Century Skills Questionnaire. Both STEM-ICT professionals and…

The Science-Mathematics Connection: Using Technology in an Interdisciplinary Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flournoy, Bonita E.; Cook-Bax, Janice E.; Harris, Lillian

2001-01-01

Points out the importance of mathematics and science connections in the curriculum and introduces the Science Teachers Open Support System (STOSS) program which aims to assist African American middle school and high school teachers in designing and implementing technology-based interdisciplinary science and mathematics modules for culturally…

Impact of a Technology-Mediated Reading Intervention on Adolescents' Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogarty, Melissa; Clemens, Nathan; Simmons, Deborah; Anderson, Leah; Davis, John; Smith, Ashley; Wang, Huan; Kwok, Oi-man; Simmons, Leslie E.; Oslund, Eric

2017-01-01

In this experimental study we examined the effects of a technology-mediated, multicomponent reading comprehension intervention, Comprehension Circuit Training (CCT), for middle school students, the majority of whom were struggling readers. The study was conducted in three schools, involving three teachers and 228 students. Using a within-teacher…

School Technology Leadership: Artifacts in Systems of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dexter, Sara

2011-01-01

A cross-case analysis of five case studies of team-based technology leadership in middle schools with laptop programs identifies systems of practice that organize teams' distributed leadership. These cases suggest that successfully implementing a complex improvement effort warrants a team-based leadership approach, especially for an improvement…

The Influence of Technology Usage on Academic Achievement (Reading and Math) from a Teacher's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White-Harris, Kimberly L.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of technology implementation of middle school teachers in one of the largest school districts in Alabama. This study examined if the use of technology had a positive influence on students' academic performance (reading and mathematics). Although several other studies are equivalent to this…

A comparative analysis of Science-Technology-Society standards in elementary, middle and high school state science curriculum frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobias, Karen Marie

An analysis of curriculum frameworks from the fifty states to ascertain the compliance with the National Science Education Standards for integrating Science-Technology-Society (STS) themes is reported within this dissertation. Science standards for all fifty states were analyzed to determine if the STS criteria were integrated at the elementary, middle, and high school levels of education. The analysis determined the compliance level for each state, then compared each educational level to see if the compliance was similar across the levels. Compliance is important because research shows that using STS themes in the science classroom increases the student's understanding of the concepts, increases the student's problem solving skills, increases the student's self-efficacy with respect to science, and students instructed using STS themes score well on science high stakes tests. The two hypotheses for this study are: (1) There is no significant difference in the degree of compliance to Science-Technology-Society themes (derived from National Science Education Standards) between the elementary, middle, and high school levels. (2) There is no significant difference in the degree of compliance to Science-Technology-Society themes (derived from National Science Education Standards) between the elementary, middle, and high school level when examined individually. The Analysis of Variance F ratio was used to determine the variance between and within the three educational levels. This analysis addressed hypothesis one. The Analysis of Variance results refused to reject the null hypothesis, meaning there is significant difference in the compliance to STS themes between the elementary, middle and high school educational levels. The Chi-Square test was the statistical analysis used to compare the educational levels for each individual criterion. This analysis addressed hypothesis two. The Chi-Squared results showed that none of the states were equally compliant with each individual criterion across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The National Science Education Standards were created with the input of thousands of people and over twenty scientific and educational societies. The standards were tested in numerous classrooms and showed an increase in science literacy for the students. With the No Child Left Behind legislation and Project 2061, the attainment of a science literate society will be helped by the adoption of the NSES standards and the STS themes into the American classrooms.

NASA, Engineering, and Swarming Robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leucht, Kurt

2015-01-01

This presentation is an introduction to NASA, to science and engineering, to biologically inspired robotics, and to the Swarmie ant-inspired robot project at KSC. This presentation is geared towards elementary school students, middle school students, and also high school students. This presentation is suitable for use in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) outreach events. The first use of this presentation will be on Oct 28, 2015 at Madison Middle School in Titusville, Florida where the author has been asked by the NASA-KSC Speakers Bureau to speak to the students about the Swarmie robots.

The long-term impact of a math, science and technology program on grade school girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Sandra Judd

The purpose of this study was to determine if a math, science, and technology intervention program improved grade school girls' attitudes and stereotypes toward science and scientists, as well as participation levels in science-related activities, two years after their participating in the program. The intervention program evaluated was Operation SMART, developed by Girls Incorporated. Participants were recruited from the 6th and 7th grades from two public middle schools in Northern California. One hundred twenty-seven girls signed up for the survey and were assigned to either the SMART group (previous SMART participants) or Non-SMART group (no previous experience with SMART). The survey consisted of five parts: (1) a background information sheet, (2) the Modified Attitudes Toward Science Inventory, (3) the What Do You Do? survey, (4) the Draw-A-Scientist Test-Revised, and (5) a career interests and role models/influencer survey. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between the SMART and Non-SMART groups on any of the test measures. However, middle school attended did have a significant effect on the outcome variables. Girls from Middle School A reported more positive attitudes toward science, while girls from Middle School B reported higher participation levels in extracurricular science activities. Possible explanations for these findings suggest too much time had passed between treatment effect and time of measurement as well as the strong influence of teacher and school environment on girls' attitudes and stereotypes. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

Profile of middle school students on scientific literacy achievements by using scientific literacy assessments (SLA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rachmatullah, Arif; Diana, Sariwulan; Rustaman, Nuryani Y.

2016-02-01

Along with the development of science and technology, the basic ability to read, write and count is not enough just to be able to survive in the modern era that surrounded by the products of science and technology. Scientific literacy is an ability that might be added as basic ability for human in the modern era. Recently, Fives et al. developed a new scientific literacy assessment for students, named as SLA (Scientific Literacy Assessment). A pilot study on the achievements of scientific literacy of middle school students in Sumedang using SLA was conducted to investigate the profile scientific literacy achievement of 223 middle school students in Sumedang, and compare the outcomes between genders (159 girls and 64 boys) and school accreditation (A and B) using a quantitative method with descriptive research-school survey. Based on the results, the average achievement of scientific literacy Sumedang middle school students is 45.21 and classified as the low category. The five components of scientific literacy, which is only one component in the medium category, namely science motivation and beliefs, and the four other components are in the low and very low category. Boys have higher scientific literacy, but the differences not statistically significant. Student's scientific literacy in an accredited school is higher than B, and the differences are statistically significant. Recommendation for further are: involve more research subjects, add more number of questions for each indicator, and conduct an independent research for each component.

Redesigning Schools: To Reach Every Student with Excellent Teachers. Financial Planning for Secondary-Level Time-Technology Swap + Multi-Classroom Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Public Impact, 2013

2013-01-01

This brief shows how middle and high school teachers in a Time-Technology Swap school model, with or without Multi-Classroom Leaders, may earn more while reaching more students, sustainably. In this model, students alternate between learning with teachers and working in a digital learning lab, where they learn online and engage in offline skill…

Public School Teacher Use of Instructional Technology from an Organizational Culture Perspective: An Explanatory Case Study of Two Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spitzer, Bruce Alan; Stansbury, Susan

2004-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to study the organizational culture and context of two school sites in which instructional technology (IT) use by teachers is evident; to study what and who influences individual teacher preferences toward IT use; and to describe the relationship of Mary Douglas' (1982, 1989, 1992) grid and group…

Differences in Student Information and Communication Technology Literacy Based on Socio-Economic Status, Ethnicity, and Gender: Evidence of a Digital Divide in Florida Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritzhaupt, Albert D.; Liu, Feng; Dawson, Kara; Barron, Ann E.

2013-01-01

This research examines student information and communication technology (ICT) literacy and its relationships to a student's socio-economic status (SES), gender, and ethnicity of middle school students. We recruited 5,990 students from 13 school districts across the state of Florida. Student participants completed the Student Tool for Technology…

Designing Web-Based Science Lesson Plans That Use Problem-Based Learning To Inspire Middle School Kids: KaAMS (Kids as Airborne Mission Scientists).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koszalka, Tiffany A.; Grabowski, Barbara; Kim, Younghoon

Problem-based learning (PBL) has great potential for inspiring K-12 learning. KaAMS (Kids as Airborne Mission Scientists), an example of PBL, was designed to help teachers inspire middle school students to learning science, math, technology, and geography. The children participate as scientists investigating environmental problems using NASA…

Are There Jewish Digital Badges?: A Study of Religious Middle- and High-School Girls' Perception of an Emerging Educational Technology-Based Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramovich, Samuel

2017-01-01

For Jewish education, digital badges can provide an alternative to traditional assessments. However, the emerging research on badges suggests a complex relationship between learning opportunities, the learner, and the design of the badge. An investigation of a digital badge system at an ultra-Orthodox Jewish middle and high school for girls…

An Exploration of Middle and High School Students' Perceptions of Deviant Behavior when Using Computers and the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Annie J.

2005-01-01

If the current trend continues, the use of computer technologies and the Internet will increase for teaching and education. It is urgent that researchers study computer and Internet deviance. The purpose of this study was to explore middle and high school students' perceptions of deviant behavior when using computers and the Internet. The target…

What Does Motivated Mean? Re-Presenting Learning, Technology, and Motivation in Middle Schools via New Ethnographic Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olmanson, Justin

2016-01-01

This article offers a critique of the way middle schoolers are often positioned as generalizable objects that can be acted upon to produce measurable increases in motivation and learning. The critique invites a reconsideration and cultural analysis of some of the dominant discourses and perceptions of technology, young adolescence, and the study…

The effect of science-technology-society issue instruction on the attitudes of female middle school students toward science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullinnix, Debra Lynn

An assessment of the science education programs of the last thirty years reveals traditional science courses are producing student who have negative attitudes toward science, do not compete successfully in international science and mathematics competitions, are not scientifically literate, and are not interested in pursuing higher-level science courses. When the number of intellectually-capable females that fall into this group is considered, the picture is very disturbing. Berryman (1983) and Kahle (1985) have suggested the importance of attitude both, in terms of achievement in science and intention to pursue high-level science courses. Studies of attitudes toward science reveal that the decline in attitudes during grades four through eight was much more dramatic for females than for males. There exists a need, therefore, to explore alternative methods of teaching science, particularly in the middle school, that would increase scientific literacy, improve attitudes toward science, and encourage participation in higher-level science courses of female students. Yager (1996) has suggested that science-technology-society (STS) issue instruction does make significant changes in students' attitudes toward science, stimulates growth in science process skills, and increases concept mastery. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect STS issue instruction had on the attitudes of female middle school students toward science in comparison to female middle school students who experience traditional science instruction. Another purpose was to examine the effect science-technology-society issue instruction had on the attitudes of female middle school students in comparison to male middle school students. The pretests and the posttests were analyzed to examine differences in ten domains: enjoyment of science class; usefulness of information learned in science class; usefulness of science skills; feelings about science class in general; attitudes about what took place in the science classroom; overall response to science class; perception of encouragement to enroll in science electives; future plans to enroll in science electives; reasons for not enrolling in science electives; and perception of restraints in achieving future goals.

Academic Social Networking Brings Web 2.0 Technologies to the Middle Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taranto, Gregory; Dalbon, Melissa; Gaetano, Julie

2011-01-01

The middle grades are an exciting time for adolescents to explore, learn, and collaborate with one another (National Middle School Association, 2010). By incorporating an academic social network as part of the classroom experience, collaboration and active learning take on new forms, and a transformation from passive learning to active learning…

How Does a Community of Principals Develop Leadership for Technology-Enhanced Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerard, Libby F.; Bowyer, Jane B.; Linn, Marcia C.

2010-01-01

Active principal leadership can help sustain and scale science curriculum reform. This study illustrates how principal leadership developed in a professional learning community to support a technology-enhanced science curriculum reform funded by the National Science Foundation. Seven middle school and high school principals in one urban-fringe…

Career and Technology Center Guides Students in Real-Life Careers | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer Frederick County Public School students have a unique opportunity—a chance to get a real-world, hands-on experience in biomedical science and biotechnology before they even graduate from high school, thanks to the Frederick County Career and Technology Center (CTC). Several years ago, the CTC established its biomedical sciences program with a curriculum from Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a nonprofit, nationwide developer of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in elementary, middle, and high schools.

What Is the Impact of Full Access to Technology on the Achievement of the Hispanic Student?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, John E., Jr.

2013-01-01

The problem studied in this research was whether the impact of full access to technology both at home and in school would affect the achievement of Hispanic students. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the access to technology and the achievement of the Hispanic students at a suburban middle school. What are the…

Building the Capacity of School Leaders and Teachers to Implement Reform at All Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2010

2010-01-01

Leaders of successful high schools, middle grades schools and technology centers are strengthening their skills and involving the entire school in plans to raise student achievement. The best school leaders establish an environment of continuous progress in which teachers and leaders work together to upgrade curriculum and instruction, examine…

Technology skills assessment for deaf and hard of hearing students in secondary school.

PubMed

Luft, Pamela; Bonello, Mary; Zirzow, Nichole K

2009-01-01

To BE COMPETITIVE in the workplace, deaf and hard of hearing students must not only possess basic computer literacy but also know how to use and care for personal assistive and listening technology. An instrument was developed and pilot-tested on 45 middle school and high school deaf and hard of hearing students in 5 public school programs, 4 urban and 1 suburban, to assess these students' current technology skills and to prepare them for post-high school expectations. The researchers found that the students' computer skills depended on their access to technology, which was not always present in the schools. Many students also did not know basic care practices or troubleshooting techniques for their own personal hearing aids (if worn), or how to access or use personal assistive technology.

Creating an Environment for Diversity in Dental Schools: One School's Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Formicola, Allan J.; Klyvert, Marlene; McIntosh, James; Thompson, Albert; Davis, Martin; Cangialosi, Thomas

2003-01-01

Describes how the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery strives to admit more underrepresented minority students. Discusses its D.D.S. minority admissions program, postdoctoral minority admissions program, Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) for middle and high school students, and "zero" tuition dental assisting…

Learning by Experience in a Standardized Testing Culture: Investigation of a Middle School Experiential Learning Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scogin, Stephen C.; Kruger, Christopher J.; Jekkals, Regan E.; Steinfeldt, Chelsea

2017-01-01

Standardized testing pressure sometimes discourages schools from broadly implementing experiential learning opportunities. However, some K-12 schools are challenging the trend with greater commitment to learning by experience. STREAM (science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, mathematics) school is a project-based program providing students…

Year 3 Magnet Schools Assistance Program Annual Progress Report, 2009-10. E&R Report No. 10.09

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brasfield, Jon; Cárdenas, Virginia

2010-01-01

The three Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) schools: East Garner International Baccalaureate Magnet Middle School (EGMMS), Garner International Baccalaureate Magnet High School (GMHS), and Southeast Raleigh Leadership and Technology Magnet High School (SRMHS) have shown progress on MSAP performance measures during the 3rd year of the grant.…

NASA Master Teacher Re-Certification Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okari-Brooks, Emma; Thompson, Paul

2000-01-01

Edward Waters College is submitting a final report covering the grant period from January 1999 - April 30, 2000. The Teacher re-certification program at Edward Waters College created a high quality professional development opportunity for middle and high school science teachers which will contribute to the improvement of science education and the use of innovation technologies in the classroom for years to come. The following goals and objectives were met and exceeded during the grant period. 1) A focused and relevant educational technology curriculum based on National Science Education Standard and state-of-the art educational resources that are accepted as one of the qualifications for re-certification in the scientific discipline in Duval County, Florida. 2) The program goal was to recertify 40 middle and high school science teachers over a two- year period. This goal was met and exceeded the projected number by recertifying over 80 middle and high school science and math teachers over a two-year period. 3) Teachers that were recertified were given an opportunity to public information that they developed on EWC's Web page or develop a web page of their own. Area schools were made aware of this information through various forms of communication with the teachers in Duval County School District, i.e., flyers sent from EWC to participants, school newspapers, word of mouth, etc. 4) A multimedia technology resource lab is available at EWC for use as a "Learning Lab" for class field trips by Duval County teachers.

Professional development in optics and photonics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Judith F.; Hanes, Fenna; Massa, Nicholas J.; Washburn, Barbara R.

2002-05-01

In recent years, several New England projects have promoted professional development and curriculum design in optics and photonics. Funded in part by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF), these projects have prepared middle and high school teachers, college faculty and career counselors from more than 100 New England institutions to introduce fiber optics, telecommunications and photonics technology education. Four of these projects will be discussed here: (1) The New England Board of Higher Education's (NEBHE) Fiber Optics Technology Education Project, (FOTEP) was designed to teach fiber optics theory and to provide laboratory experiences at the secondary and postsecondary levels. (2) Springfield Technical Community College's Northeast Center for Telecommunications Technologies (NCTT) is developing curricula and instructional materials in lightwave, networking and wireless telecommunications technologies. (3) The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics project ComTech developed a 12-week, hands-on curriculum and teaching strategies for middle and high school science and technology teachers in telecommunications and focused on optical communication (fiber optics). (4) NEBHE's project PHOTON is preparing middle, secondary and postsecondary instructors to introduce theory and laboratory experiences in photonics, including geometric and wave optics as well as principles of lasers and photonics applications.

Alignment of Hands-on STEM Engagement Activities with Positive STEM Dispositions in Secondary School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald; Tyler-Wood, Tandra

2015-12-01

This study examines positive dispositions reported by middle school and high school students participating in programs that feature STEM-related activities. Middle school students participating in school-to-home hands-on energy monitoring activities are compared to middle school and high school students in a different project taking part in activities such as an after-school robotics program. Both groups are compared and contrasted with a third group of high school students admitted at the eleventh grade to an academy of mathematics and science. All students were assessed using the same science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) dispositions instrument. Findings indicate that the after-school group whose participants self-selected STEM engagement activities, and the self-selected academy of mathematics and science group, each had highly positive STEM dispositions comparable to those of STEM professionals, while a subset of the middle school whole-classroom energy monitoring group that reported high interest in STEM as a career, also possessed highly positive STEM dispositions comparable to the STEM Professionals group. The authors conclude that several different kinds of hands-on STEM engagement activities are likely to foster or maintain positive STEM dispositions at the middle school and high school levels, and that these highly positive levels of dispositions can be viewed as a target toward which projects seeking to interest mainstream secondary students in STEM majors in college and STEM careers, can hope to aspire. Gender findings regarding STEM dispositions are also reported for these groups.

A Multiple Case Study Analysis of Middle Grades Social Studies Teachers' Instructional Use of Digital Technology with Academically Talented Students at Three High-Performing Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheffield, Caroline C.

2009-01-01

Appropriate education for academically talented students incorporates the use of complex thinking skills, and encourages the development of interpersonal and leadership skills. One potential tool to achieve these goals is the use of instructional technology. Siegle (2004a, 2005) suggests that it is particularly appropriate to utilize technology…

Selected Technology Lab Activities Implementation Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portland Public Schools, OR.

These materials supplement state guides for junior high or middle school technology education programs. The materials show instructors how to implement 81 hours of new technology-related activities into existing programs. Introductory materials include a rationale, philosophy, and goals for technology education. Areas of instruction are as…

Evaluating the Usability of a Professional Modeling Tool Repurposed for Middle School Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Vanessa L.; Songer, Nancy Butler

2013-10-01

This paper reports the results of a three-stage usability test of a modeling tool designed to support learners' deep understanding of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. The design process involved repurposing an existing modeling technology used by professional scientists into a learning tool specifically designed for middle school students. To evaluate usability, we analyzed students' task performance and task completion time as they worked on an activity with the repurposed modeling technology. In stage 1, we conducted remote testing of an early modeling prototype with urban middle school students (n = 84). In stages 2 and 3, we used screencasting software to record students' mouse and keyboard movements during collaborative think-alouds (n = 22) and conducted a qualitative analysis of their peer discussions. Taken together, the study findings revealed two kinds of usability issues that interfered with students' productive use of the tool: issues related to the use of data and information, and issues related to the use of the modeling technology. The study findings resulted in design improvements that led to stronger usability outcomes and higher task performance among students. In this paper, we describe our methods for usability testing, our research findings, and our design solutions for supporting students' use of the modeling technology and use of data. The paper concludes with implications for the design and study of modeling technologies for science learning.

Today's Schools, Tomorrow's Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nixon, Charles W.

1998-01-01

Examines ways to extend the life of middle-aged school buildings when new construction budgets are lacking and renovation funds are scarce. Explains the importance of and provides guidance for making an objective school facility assessment, including assessing the building's purpose, technology requirements, and heating and air conditioning…

An Exploration of Teacher, School and District Leaders' Perspectives Regarding the Integration of Instructional Technology in an Alternative Middle School: A Descriptive Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohl, Lauren M.

2017-01-01

The promise of using instructional technology to enhance student learning has been a dream and a goal for more than 30 years. During these past few decades, the reasoning has shifted from providing word processing, to supporting information access, to preparing students to become global citizens in our continually evolving technological world.…

How Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purcell, Kristen; Heaps, Alan; Buchanan, Judy; Friedrich, Linda

2013-01-01

A survey of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers shows that digital tools are widely used in their classrooms and professional lives. Yet, many of these high school and middle school teachers worry about digital divides when it comes to their students' access to technology, and those who teach low-income students face obstacles…

Teaching Image-Processing Concepts in Junior High School: Boys' and Girls' Achievements and Attitudes towards Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barak, Moshe; Asad, Khaled

2012-01-01

Background: This research focused on the development, implementation and evaluation of a course on image-processing principles aimed at middle-school students. Purpose: The overarching purpose of the study was that of integrating the learning of subjects in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and linking the learning of these…

A Mathematics Education Comparative Analysis of ALEKS Technology and Direct Classroom Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mertes, Emily Sue

2013-01-01

Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), a technology-based mathematics curriculum, was piloted in the 2012-2013 school year at a Minnesota rural public middle school. The goal was to find an equivalent or more effective mathematics teaching method than traditional direct instruction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to…

Flipped Classroom versus Traditional Textbook Instruction: Assessing Accuracy and Mental Effort at Different Levels of Mathematical Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattis, Kristina V.

2015-01-01

Flipped classrooms are an instructional technology trend mostly incorporated in higher education settings, with growing prominence in high school and middle school (Tucker in Leveraging the power of technology to create student-centered classrooms. Corwin, Thousand Oaks, 2012). Flipped classrooms are meant to effectively combine traditional and…

The Next Generation Laboratory Interface for Students with Blindness or Low Vision in the Science Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Supalo, Cary A.

2012-01-01

Entry into science education for students with blindness or low vision can present economic and technological barriers to access. This manuscript discusses funding hands-on student experiences in middle school, high school, and post-secondary education. Further, the use of access technologies recently developed for science education is also…

An Assessment of a Technology in Music Programme. Technical Report 91-2, Revised Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarkson, Austin E.; Pegley, Karen

An innovative intermediate music programme was instituted at an elementary school in a middle class suburban area in Canada. The music teacher at the school designed a unique curriculum, the Technology in Music Programme (TIMP), for a classroom equipped with microcomputers, sequencers, drum machines, music instrument digital interface (MIDI)…

Middle School Science and Items of High School Entrance Examination: Examining the Gap in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cepni, Salih; Kara, Yilmaz; Cil, Emine

2012-01-01

This study presents findings from an analysis of the Turkish Science and Technology Curriculum Guidelines and their alignment to the university entrance examination. The analysis of the Science and Technology Curriculum focused on various related aspects: content areas and learning outcomes in terms of scientific process skills, science technology…

Research Guided Practice: Student Online Experiences during Mathematics Class in the Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mojica-Casey, Maria; Dekkers, John; Thrupp, Rose-Marie

2014-01-01

The approaches to new technologies available to schools, teachers and students largely concern computers and engagement. This requires adoption of alternate and new teaching practices to engage students in the teaching and learning process. This research integrates youth voice about the use of technology. A major motivation for this research is to…

Digital Youth Divas: Exploring Narrative-Driven Curriculum to Spark Middle School Girls' Interest in Computational Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinkard, Nichole; Erete, Sheena; Martin, Caitlin K.; McKinney de Royston, Maxine

2017-01-01

Women use technology to mediate numerous aspects of their professional and personal lives. Yet, few design and create these technologies given that women, especially women of color, are grossly underrepresented in computer science and engineering courses. Decisions about participation in STEM are frequently made prior to high school, and these…

An Empirical Assessment of Science Teachers' Intentions toward Technology Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Weishen; Chang, Huey-Por; Guo, Chorng-Jee

2008-01-01

Building upon three theoretical paradigms (technology acceptance model, social cognitive theory, and task-technology fit), the present study aims to investigate the relationship among intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing science teachers' intentions toward teaching with information technology (IT). A sample of 226 middle school science…

Middle School Students' Social Media Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Florence; Wang, Chuang; Petty, Teresa; Wang, Weichao; Wilkins, Patti

2018-01-01

Cyber bullying, digital identity, impact of digital footprints, and use of inappropriate social media are topics that are gaining attention in K-12 schools. As more schools and school districts are implementing 1-1 and "bring your own technology" initiatives, attention to these topics is becoming increasingly important. A total of 593…

Using conventional and in situ transmission electron microscopy techniques to understand nanoscale crystallography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudak, Bethany M.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become an emphasized component of PreK-12 education in the United States. The US is struggling to produce enough science, mathematics, and technology experts to meet its national and global needs, and the mean scores of science and mathematics students are not meeting the expected levels desired by our leaders (Hossain & Robinson, 2011). In an effort to improve achievement scores in mathematics and science, school districts must consider many components that can contribute to the development of a classroom where students are engaged and growing academically. Computer technology (CT) for student use is a popular avenue for school districts to pursue in their goal to attain higher achievement. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of iPads in a one-to-one setting, where every student has his own device 24/7, to determine the effects, if any, on academic achievement in the areas of mathematics and science. This comparison study used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine three middle schools in a private school district. Two of the schools have implemented a one-to-one iPad program with their sixth through eighth grades and the third school uses computers on limited occasions in the classroom and in a computer lab setting. The questions addressed were what effect, if any, do the implementation of a one-to-one iPad program and a teacher's perception of his use of constructivist teaching strategies have on student academic achievement in the mathematics and science middle school classrooms. The research showed that although the program helped promote the use of constructivist activities through the use of technology, the one-to-one iPad initiative had no effect on academic achievement in the middle school mathematics and science classrooms.

Reconstructing a School's Past Using Oral Histories and GIS Mapping.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alibrandi, Marsha; Beal, Candy; Thompson, Ann; Wilson, Anna

2000-01-01

Describes an interdisciplinary project that incorporated language arts, social studies, instructional technology, and science where middle school students were involved in oral history, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, architectural research, the science of dendrochronology, and the creation of an archival school Web site. (CMK)

Investigating the Impact of the Cisco 21st Century Schools Initiative on Forrest County School District. Summative Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ba, Harouna; Meade, Terri; Pierson, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Camille; Roy, Amanda; Williams, Hakim

2009-01-01

Located in southern Mississippi, the Forrest County School District (FCSD) consists of six schools: three K-6 elementary schools, two K-8 elementary-middle schools, and one high school (grades 9-12), all of which have been involved in the Cisco Initiative since its inception. The district employed 16 administrators, 7 technology staff members, and…

Analysis of food irradiation education for elementary, middle, and high school students for three years in South Korea.

PubMed

Choi, Yoonseok; Kim, Jaerok; Han, Eunok

2016-04-01

The current South Korean government policy on food irradiation technology should be reformed based on an in-depth investigation of the communications aspect, because the issue is no longer of a technological nature, given the proven safety and efficacy of the processes. The target population of the education program consisted of elementary, middle, and high school students attending 310 schools in South Korea (2013: 63 schools, 2014: 104 schools, 2015: 143 schools). Data subjected to analysis were 13,327 pre-education and 12,641 post-education questionnaires received from 7,582 elementary, 2,671 middle, and 3,249 high school students who participated in the education program from May 2012 to April 2015 (n = 12,831), after the exclusion of inadequately filled-in questionnaires. Analysis of the three-year educational effect trend was conducted by comparing levels of variables before and after food radiation education. The analysis yielded the finding that the post-education levels were significantly higher for all variables. That is, for interest in education, perception (necessity, safety, subjective knowledge, and information acquisition), objective knowledge, and attitude, with the sole exception of objective knowledge in 2013. Given that post-education levels of perception, knowledge, and attitude concerning irradiated foods increased considerably compared to pre-education levels, behavior change should be induced by providing continuous education to enhance, these primary variables.

Student-Driven Classroom Technologies: Transmedia Navigation and Tranformative Communications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Leila A.; Knezek, Gerald A.; Wakefield, Jenny S.

2013-01-01

This research paper explores middle school student attitudes towards learning with technology and proposes a design-based approach to formulating instruction that includes innovative classroom technology use with computers and communications technologies placed in the hands of students. The intent of this research is to advance practice and theory…

Paper Towers: Building Students' Understandings of Technological Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minogue, James; Guentensberger, Todd

2006-01-01

One set of ideas at the core of the National Science Education Standards (NSES) Science and Technology Standards is that of engaging middle school students in activities that help them develop their understandings of technological design. More precisely, students should be able to identify appropriate problems for technological design, design a…

Web-Based GIS for Middle School Teachers: Using Online Mapping Applications to Promote Teacher Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Jung Eun

2012-01-01

One factor underlying the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in schools is the interest and willingness of teachers to learn and adopt these technologies in their teaching. Previous studies of geographic information systems (GIS), as one type of ICT, indicate that the lack of teacher training is one of the key barriers to…

Assessment of Application Technology of Natural User Interfaces in the Creation of a Virtual Chemical Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jagodzinski, Piotr; Wolski, Robert

2015-01-01

Natural User Interfaces (NUI) are now widely used in electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles. We have tried to apply this technology in the teaching of chemistry in middle school and high school. A virtual chemical laboratory was developed in which students can simulate the performance of laboratory activities similar…

Environmental Factors and Google Docs Use in Monmouth County Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisnicki, Stephanie Kraft

2014-01-01

When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, it forced Americans to examine the state of science and technology at home. Almost ten years later in 1983, the A Nation at Risk Report showed that schools were still failing in many areas including technology. The No Child Left Behind Report released in the early 2000s confirmed that educational…

Demystify Math, Science, and Technology: Creativity, Innovation, and Problem-Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Dennis; Hamm, Mary

2010-01-01

Technology is viewed as a powerful force both in and out of school and has long been linked with math and science. Although concepts and activities of this book apply to any grade, the primary focus is on the elementary and middle school levels. This book provides principles and practical strategies for promoting creative and innovative work in…

The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing Is Taught in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purcell, Kristen; Buchanan, Judy; Friedrich, Linda

2013-01-01

A survey of 2,462 Advanced Placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) teachers finds that digital technologies are shaping student writing in myriad ways and have also become helpful tools for teaching writing to middle and high school students. These teachers see the internet and digital technologies such as social networking sites, cell…

The Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools (LeTUS) Program[R]. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

2012-01-01

The "LeTUS" program is a three-year, project-based, technology-integrated middle school science curriculum for grades 6-8. The "LeTUS" program is composed of multiple units, each lasting between eight and ten weeks. Topics include global warming, water and air quality, force and motion, communicable diseases, and ecological…

Cheating in Middle School and High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strom, Paris S.; Strom, Robert D.

2007-01-01

There is increasing concern about cheating in the secondary schools. This article describes the prevalence of dishonesty in testing, motivation for student cheating, new forms of deception using technology tools, initiatives to protect security of tests, methods students use to obtain papers without crediting the original source, tools for…

Pacesetting Schools Share Successful Strategies to Prepare Students for the Future. Best Practices Newsletter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2013

2013-01-01

Pacesetting high schools, middle grades schools and technology centers have changed classroom and other practices to prepare students to meet postsecondary requirements and rising workplace needs. The strategies include raising expectations, project-based learning, guidance and advisement, improving students' reading and writing skills,…

An Investigation of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Self-Confidence, and Perception of Pre-Service Middle School Mathematics Teachers towards Instructional Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karatas, Ilhan; Tunc, Mutlu Piskin; Yilmaz, Nurbanu; Karaci, Gulzade

2017-01-01

Technology provides new methods and approaches for educational activities. Therefore, teachers should improve their ability and knowledge to integrate technology into instruction. The use of technology-based learning environment which is effectively used to improve the technological pedagogical content knowledge of pre-service teachers has a…

TAKE OUR CHILDREN TO WORK DAY

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-23

YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN “TAKE OUR CHILDREN TO WORK DAY,” AIDED BY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ON THE MOULTON ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES TEAM FROM MOULTON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND LAWRENCE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, BOTH IN MOULTON, ALABAMA, LEARNED TO OPERATE ROBOTS

The Effectiveness of a Geospatial Technologies-Integrated Curriculum to Promote Climate Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasio, D. J.; Bodzin, A. M.; Peffer, T.; Sahagian, D. L.; Cirucci, L.

2011-12-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a geospatial technologies - integrated climate change curriculum (http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/) to promote climate literacy in an urban school district. Five 8th grade Earth and Space Science classes in an urban middle school (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) consisting of three different ability level tracks participated in the study. Data gathering methods included pre/posttest assessments, daily classroom observations, daily teacher meetings, and examination of student produced artifacts. Data was gathered using a climate change literacy assessment instrument designed to measure students' climate change content knowledge. The items included distractors that address misunderstandings and knowledge deficits about climate change from the existing literature. Paired-sample t-test analyses were conducted to compare the pre- and post-test assessment results. The results of these analyses were used to compare overall gains as well as ability level track groups. Overall results regarding the use of the climate change curriculum showed significant improvement in urban middle school students' understanding of climate change concepts. Effect sizes were large (ES>0.8) and significant (p<0.001) for the entire assessment and for each ability level subgroup. Findings from classroom observations, assessments embedded in the curriculum, and the examination of all student artifacts revealed that the use of geospatial technologies enable middle school students to improve their knowledge of climate change and improve their spatial thinking and reasoning skills.

From Cell Phone Skeptic to Evangelist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pascopella, Angela

2009-01-01

Liz Kolb started her education career as a teacher of middle and high school social studies in Wyoming City Schools in Cincinnati. She was also a teacher and technology coordinator at Grandview Heights City Schools in Columbus, where she adamantly opposed cell phones in school until she had an "ah-ha" moment. She then founded the Web site Cell…

Reach for Reference. Four Recent Reference Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safford, Barbara Ripp

2004-01-01

This article provides descriptions of four new science and technology encyclopedias that are appropriate for inclusion in upper elementary and/or middle school reference collections. "The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Weather" (Stern, Macmillan Reference/Gale), a one-volume encyclopedia for upper elementary and middle level students, is a…

Changes in Attitudes and Behaviors toward Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Social Support for Middle School Students Using the AFIT App as a Supplement to Instruction in a Physical Education Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watterson, Tom

2012-01-01

Finding ways to improve nutritional and physical activity components with today's adolescents is a significant problem. The obesity epidemic is over 10 years old and little research has been done on successful interventions that motivate today's students using the latest technology. A total of 140 middle school students and four physical…

Expanding your Horizons: a Program for Engaging Middle School Girls in Science and Mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahnke, Tamera S.; Level, Allison V.

Gender equity in science, mathematics, and technology is an issue that has generated the creation of a number of programs. Young women need to be aware that there are a variety of careers in science, mathematics, and technology that they can actively pursue. This article highlights one example of a successful middle school science program in Southwest Missouri. Expanding Your Horizons in Science, Mathematics, and Technology (EYH) integrates keynote speakers, role model mentoring sessions, and small group experiments into a hands-on learning environment. Initial survey results of parents and teachers show support for the conference and indicate that the program helps motivate students to consider careers in science, mathematics, and technology. In addition to the goal of increasing awareness for these young people, there is a need for increased scientific literacy of the general public and an increased application of science to "real world" circumstances. This program addresses these issues.

The Model Industrial Technology Systems Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowling Green State Univ., OH.

This document contains materials used in a model industrial technology program that introduced technology into the curricula of elementary, middle, and high schools in three sites in Ohio: the Central site (coordinated through Ohio State University); the Northeast site (coordinated through Kent State University); and the Northwest site…

In Brief: Revitalizing Earth science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2008-12-01

A 5-year, $3.9-million U.S. National Science Foundation Math Science Partnership grant to Michigan Technological University (MTU), in Houghton, aims to improve instruction in middle-school Earth and space science courses. The program will enable geoscience and education researchers to work with middle-school science teachers to test strategies designed to reform science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Project lead researcher Bill Rose said the project could be a template for improvement in STEM throughout the United States. Rose, one of seven MTU faculty members involved with the Michigan Institute for Teaching Excellence Program (MITEP), said the project is ``trying to do something constructive to attract more talented young people to advanced science, math, and technology.'' The project includes data collection and analysis overseen by an evaluation team from the Colorado School of Mines. Also participating in the project are scientists from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Mich.; the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Area Pre-College Engineering Program; the American Geological Institute; and the U.S. National Park Service.

The Impact of Peer Support upon the Integration of Technology into a Middle School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pantall, Shane

2012-01-01

This action-research dissertation examined the impact peer collaboration had upon a teacher's comfort level when using and integrating technology in the classroom, attitude toward integrating technology, and improvement of technology skill level. Teachers' responses to the surveys indicated that teachers became more comfortable utilizing…

Effects of Technology Immersion on Teachers' Growth in Technology Competency, Ideology, and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Maloney, Catherine; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny

2010-01-01

In the study of the Technology Immersion model, high-need middle schools were "immersed" in technology by providing laptops for each teacher and student, instructional and learning resources, professional development, and technical and pedagogical support. This article reports third-year findings for the teacher component of the…

How to Change Students' Images of Science and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherz, Zahava; Oren, Miri

2006-01-01

This paper examines the images middle school students have of science and technology, the workplaces, and the relevant professions. It also describes the effect on these images caused by an instructional initiative, "Investigation into Science and Technology" (IST), designed to introduce students to science and technology in the "real life."…

Marine Technology for Teachers and Students: A Multi-modal Approach to Integrate Technology and Ocean Sciences Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gingras, A.; Knowlton, C. W.; Scowcroft, G. A.; Babb, I.; Coleman, D.; Morin, H.

2016-02-01

The Marine Technology for Teachers and Students (MaTTS) Project implements a year-long continuum of activities beginning with educators reading and reporting on peer-reviewed publications, followed by face-to-face, hands-on weekend workshops and virtual professional development activities. Teams of teacher and student leaders then participate in an intensive, residential Summer Institute (SI) that emphasizes hands-on building of marine related technologies and exposure to career pathways through direct interactions with ocean scientists and engineers. During the school year, teachers integrate ocean science technology and data into their classrooms and participate, along with colleagues and students from their schools, in science cafes and webinars. Student leaders transfer knowledge gained by engaging their district's middle school students in ocean science activities and technologies by serving as hosts for live broadcasts that connect classrooms with ocean scientists and engineers though the Inner Space Center, a national ocean science telecommunications hub. Communication technologies bridge formal and informal learning environments, allowing MaTTS participants to interact with their fellow cohort members, scientists, and engineers both during and outside of school. Evaluation results indicate that for teachers both the weekend workshops and SI were most effective in preparing them to integrate ocean science and technology in STEM curricula and increase their ocean science content knowledge and leadership characteristics. For students the SI and the middle school interactions supported gains in knowledge, awareness, leadership skills and interest in ocean sciences and technologies, and related STEM careers. In particular, the connections made by working directly with scientists have positively impacted both student and teacher leaders. This presentation will provide an overview of the MaTTS model and early evaluation results.

Interdisciplinary Team Training for Prospective Middle Grades Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Mark

2001-01-01

Describes how face-to-face meetings, field trips, and Internet technology with team planning helped a teacher educator at Augusta State University in Georgia overcome barriers to preparing prospective middle school teachers as effective team members. Illustrates impact on small-group decision making, expectations for team functioning, and…

Students' Opinions about Science and Technology in Turkey and the United States: A Cross-Cultural Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korkmaz, Hunkar; Thomas, Julie Anna; Tatar, Nilgun; Aktas Altunay, Serpil

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the thoughts of Turkish and American middle school students on science and technology. One intact school was assigned randomly for this study from both countries. The sampling of the study contains 479 students (363 Turkish students, 116 American students) from two countries aged between 11 and 13. The data…

Modeling Public School Partnerships: Merging Corporate and Community Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Cynthia E.; Brill, Dale A.

This paper describes a model that merges corporate community relations strategy and public relations pedagogy to accelerate the rate at which Internet-based technologies are integrated into the public schools system. The model provides Internet-based training for a select group of Key Contacts drawn from two urban middle schools. Training is…

2000 News Releases | NREL

Science.gov Websites

/18/00) Teachers Participate in Scientific Work to Prepare for School Year - (8/8/00) NREL's Carlisle Earns Solar Service Award - (7/27/00) Technology's Role in Combating Wildfire, Terrorism, School Middle School Stellar in Solar Car Race - (5/13/00) Students to Race Solar-Powered Model Cars - (5/11/00

Effectiveness of Cognitive Tutor Algebra I at Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pane, John F.; Griffin, Beth Ann; McCaffrey, Daniel F.; Karam, Rita

2014-01-01

This article examines the effectiveness of a technology-based algebra curriculum in a wide variety of middle schools and high schools in seven states. Participating schools were matched into similar pairs and randomly assigned to either continue with the current algebra curriculum for 2 years or to adopt Cognitive Tutor Algebra I (CTAI), which…

Electrifying Engagement in Middle School Science Class: Improving Student Interest through E-Textiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tofel-Grehl, Colby; Fields, Deborah; Searle, Kristin; Maahs-Fladung, Cathy; Feldon, David; Gu, Grace; Sun, Chongning

2017-01-01

Most interventions with "maker" technologies take place outside of school or out of core area classrooms. However, intervening in schools holds potential for reaching much larger numbers of students and the opportunity to shift instructional dynamics in classrooms. This paper shares one such intervention where electronic textiles…

How Are Alabama's Teachers Integrating the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards in the Classroom: Measuring Technology Integration's IMPACT--Roberts Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ash, Stephanie B.; Sun, Feng; Sundin, Robert

Alabama's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers To Use Technology program developed an assessment instrument to measure the level of technology integration into Alabama's classrooms. The instrument asked questions related to five factors: (1) general instruction integration; (2) teaching students to use technology; (3) managing technology resources; (4)…

Improving Transition from the Middle Grades to High School and from High Schools and Technology Centers to Further Study and Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2012

2012-01-01

Every step in a student's life is important for future success. Schools are building stronger frameworks of curricula, instruction and assessments to prepare students to move from one learning environment to another with maximum results as they journey toward adulthood. This issue of "High Schools That Work" contains examples of…

Teaching Design in Middle-School: Instructors' Concerns and Scaffolding Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamberger, Yael M.; Cahill, Clara S.

2013-04-01

This study deals with engineering education in the middle-school level. Its focus is instructors' concerns in teaching design, as well as scaffolding strategies that can help teachers deal with these concerns. Through participatory action research, nine instructors engaged in a process of development and instruction of a curriculum about energy along with engineering design. A 50-h curriculum was piloted during a summer camp for 38 middle-school students. Data was collected through instructors' materials: observation field notes, daily reflections and post-camp discussions. In addition, students' artifacts and planning graphical models were collected in order to explore how instructors' concerns were aligned with students' learning. Findings indicate three main tensions that reflect instructors' main concerns: how to provide sufficient scaffolding yet encourage creativity, how to scaffold hands-on experiences that promote mindful planning, and how to scaffold students' modeling practices. Pedagogical strategies for teaching design that developed through this work are described, as well as the ways they address the National Research Council (A framework for K-12 science education: practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2011) core ideas of engineering education and the International Technological Literacy standards (ITEA in Standards for technological literacy, 3rd edn. International Technology education Association, Reston, VA, 2007).

Exploring Computer Technology. The Illinois Plan for Industrial Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Univ., Normal.

This guide, which is one in the "Exploration" series of curriculum guides intended to assist junior high and middle school industrial educators in helping their students explore diverse industrial situations and technologies used in industry, deals with exploring computer technology. The following topics are covered in the individual…

Current Challenges in Integrating Educational Technology into Elementary and Middle School Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okita, Sandra Y.; Jamalian, Azadeh

2011-01-01

Developing curriculum and instruction for mathematics education and designing technologically enhanced learning environments are often pursued separately, but may need to be addressed together to effectively link the strengths of technology to performance in mathematics and conceptual understanding. This paper addresses current challenges with…

Enhancing Students' Thinking Skills: Exploring Model Technology-Integration Sites.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moersch, Christopher

1998-01-01

Examines ways to integrate technology into social studies, science, mathematics, and language arts. Describes model elementary and middle-school classrooms in which technology is used to investigate the concept of property, study soil porosity and the water cycle, run a student store, and promote environmental activism. (PEN)

Classroom Technology Use and Middle School Mathematics Students' Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Jeriann Cline

2014-01-01

Educators face decisions when incorporating an expanding array of technological resources in mathematics education and interventions. Guided by Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, which holds that self-efficacy augments personal accomplishments, this quantitative study explored the relationship of Web 2.0 technology use and the development of…

A Model for Pedagogical and Curricula Transformation with Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetzel, David R.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influenced five middle school science teachers as they implemented and integrated instructional technology in their curricula, along with determining the effects that implementation and integration of instructional technology had on their pedagogy and curricula. The study involved…

KSC-03PD-1464

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, and Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., process one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

KSC-03PD-1465

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, and Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., process one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

KSC-03PD-1466

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida, and Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., analyze one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

Teaming with Technology: "Real" iPad Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ensor, Tami

2012-01-01

This column features essays written by current middle school and high school teachers, media specialists, librarians, literacy coaches, curriculum specialists, administrators, preservice teachers, teacher educators, and adolescent and adult learners. They highlight diverse perspectives on teaching and/or learning with literacies to inspire reader…

Middle-Aged Thinking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nixon, Charles W.

1998-01-01

Examines renovation issues involving 30- and 40-year-old school facilities. Explores ways a school district can renovate old buildings to first-class cost-effective facilities while avoiding excessive transition costs. Discussions include installation of new technology and the resulting wiring demands, and developing more energy-efficient heating…

Health and Wellness After School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolbe, Grace C.; Berkin, Beverly

2000-01-01

Although after-school programs offer many activities--from cooking classes to computer technology, homework assistance, and sports--they also provide an effective environment for health education and wellness instruction, especially pregnancy prevention. Exemplary programs for middle- and high-schoolers in Palm Beach County, Florida, are…

Analysis of food irradiation education for elementary, middle, and high school students for three years in South Korea

PubMed Central

Choi, Yoonseok; Kim, Jaerok

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The current South Korean government policy on food irradiation technology should be reformed based on an in-depth investigation of the communications aspect, because the issue is no longer of a technological nature, given the proven safety and efficacy of the processes. SUBJECTS/METHODS The target population of the education program consisted of elementary, middle, and high school students attending 310 schools in South Korea (2013: 63 schools, 2014: 104 schools, 2015: 143 schools). Data subjected to analysis were 13,327 pre-education and 12,641 post-education questionnaires received from 7,582 elementary, 2,671 middle, and 3,249 high school students who participated in the education program from May 2012 to April 2015 (n = 12,831), after the exclusion of inadequately filled-in questionnaires. RESULTS Analysis of the three-year educational effect trend was conducted by comparing levels of variables before and after food radiation education. The analysis yielded the finding that the post-education levels were significantly higher for all variables. That is, for interest in education, perception (necessity, safety, subjective knowledge, and information acquisition), objective knowledge, and attitude, with the sole exception of objective knowledge in 2013. CONCLUSIONS Given that post-education levels of perception, knowledge, and attitude concerning irradiated foods increased considerably compared to pre-education levels, behavior change should be induced by providing continuous education to enhance, these primary variables. PMID:27087909

Prevalence of scoliosis among primary and middle school students in Mainland China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongqi; Guo, Chaofeng; Tang, Mingxing; Liu, Shaohua; Li, Jinsong; Guo, Qiang; Chen, Lizhang; Zhu, Yong; Zhao, Shushan

2015-01-01

Systematic review and meta-analysis of published prevalence of scoliosis among primary and middle school students in Mainland China. To evaluate the prevalence of scoliosis among primary and middle school students in Mainland China. There is substantial uncertainty regarding the prevalence of scoliosis in Mainland China among the primary and middle school students. We conducted a systematic review aiming to describe the prevalence of scoliosis in Mainland China. We systematically reviewed the published epidemiological studies or reports on the prevalence of scoliosis in Chinese cities. Scopus, PubMed, WanFang Database, CNKI, China National Science and Technology Digital Library, and WeiPu Database were searched for studies reporting a prevalence estimate for scoliosis in primary and middle school students. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate the pooled prevalence of scoliosis by STATA 12.0. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the sex, age, and geographical area. A total of 38 articles, including 697,043 patients, were eligible for inclusion in this review. Meta-analyses revealed the prevalence of scoliosis to be 1.02% (95% [confidence interval] CI, 0.85-1.18) among the primary and middle school students in Mainland China. The female to male ratio was 1.54 (95% CI, 1.35-1.74; P < 0.001). According to the subgroup analysis by different ages, the prevalence of scoliosis increased from 0.73% (95% CI, 0.55-0.90) to 1.14% (95% CI, 0.86-1.42). Meta-analyses showed that the prevalence of scoliosis in Mainland China was 1.02% among the primary and middle school students. The prevalence of scoliosis in females was higher than in males and the ratio was 1.54. As they grew older, the prevalence of scoliosis increased in the students.

Teachers' Perception of African American Middle School Girls' Interest in Mathematics and Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Best, Bonnie M.

Research into African American female underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has become an area of interest due to the fact that a majority of African American middle school females do not possess the high levels of mathematics and science knowledge because of social and cultural barriers both inside and outside school that challenge their academic success. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore teachers' shared, lived experiences of teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school girls. Delgado and Stefancic's critical race theory, Pratt-Clarke's critical race feminism, and Baker-Miller's relational-cultural theory were used to guide this study. Research questions focused on the perceptions and experiences of teachers' lived experiences teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school females. Criterion, purposive, and maximum variation sampling techniques were used to recruit 10 teachers who have 3 or more years' experience teaching African American middle school girls. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were the primary data collection source. First cycle and second cycle coding methods were used to support the analysis of this study. Findings suggest that there is a connection between a positive student-teacher relationship and academic success. The results of this study contribute to positive social change by providing empirical evidence policymakers and teachers can use to improve the mathematics and science instruction and practices that are needed to meet the needs of African American middle school females and reduce the underrepresentation and underachievement of African American females in mathematics and science.

Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roach, Linda E., Ed.

This document contains the following papers on science instruction and technology: "A 3-D Journey in Space: A New Visual Cognitive Adventure" (Yoav Yair, Rachel Mintz, and Shai Litvak); "Using Collaborative Inquiry and Interactive Technologies in an Environmental Science Project for Middle School Teachers: A Description and…

Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Online-Offline, 1998

1998-01-01

Focuses on technology, on advances in such areas as aeronautics, electronics, physics, the space sciences, as well as computers and the attendant progress in medicine, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Describes educational resources for elementary and middle school students, including Web sites, CD-ROMs and software, videotapes, books,…

Wireless Rover Meets 3D Design and Product Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deal, Walter F., III; Hsiung, Steve C.

2016-01-01

Today there are a number of 3D printing technologies that are low cost and within the budgets of middle and high school programs. Educational technology companies offer a variety of 3D printing technologies and parallel curriculum materials to enable technology and engineering teachers to easily add 3D learning activities to their programs.…

A Comparison of Middle School Students' Mathematical Arguments in Technological and Non-Technological Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ryan Cummings

2010-01-01

Prior research on students' uses of technology has suggested it can be used to support students' development of formal justifications and proofs. The ways in which these technologies influence the construction of arguments and proofs remain uncertain. Furthermore, research has not been conducted that compares the arguments students develop while…

Remote Sensing Training for Middle School through the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayden, L. B.; Johnson, D.; Baltrop, J.

2012-12-01

Remote sensing has steadily become an integral part of multiple disciplines, research, and education. Remote sensing can be defined as the process of acquiring information about an object or area of interest without physical contact. As remote sensing becomes a necessity in solving real world problems and scientific questions an important question to consider is why remote sensing training is significant to education and is it relevant to training students in this discipline. What has been discovered is the interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, specifically remote sensing, has declined in our youth. The Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER) continuously strives to provide education and research opportunities on ice sheet, coastal, ocean, and marine science. One of those continued outreach efforts are Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) Middle School Program. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation CReSIS Middle School Program offers hands on experience for middle school students. CERSER and NSF offer students the opportunity to study and learn about remote sensing and its vital role in today's society as it relate to climate change and real world problems. The CReSIS Middle School Program is an annual two-week effort that offers middle school students experience with remote sensing and its applications. Specifically, participants received training with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) where the students learned the tools, mechanisms, and applications of a Garmin 60 GPS. As a part of the program the students were required to complete a fieldwork assignment where several longitude and latitude points were given throughout campus. The students had to then enter the longitude and latitude points into the Garmin 60 GPS, navigate their way to each location while also accurately reading the GPS to make sure travel was in the right direction. Upon completion of GPS training the students were able to understand the function of a GPS, how to analyze and comprehend longitude and latitude points, and the importance of GPS devices in real world applications. This paper describes in detail the methodology for organizing a learning environment where participants were able to compile, organize and analyze data, collaborate in a team environment, utilize the scientific method to draw conclusions based on the research they obtained. Various resources and training activities were developed to cultivate student participants' skill set. Students were presented with a problem where they had to develop a hypothesis or scientific question. After clearly defining the problem, it was necessary for the middle school participants to determine the data needed to complete an analysis and ascertain where that data can be found or generated. The training and events held for the CReSIS Middle School Program were proven successful for both these inquiring middle school students at Elizabeth City Middle School, River Road Middle School and the STEM representatives from Elizabeth City State University.Too often, students who live in rural communities or face economic disadvantages often miss out on getting access to important technology. Developing an interest in the STEM fields by a few students' would be considered a total success for the city, community, country, and world.

4 Schools for WIE. Evaluation Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erkut, Sumru; Marx, Fern

2005-01-01

With funding from the National Science Foundation, engineering schools at Northeastern University, Tufts University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Boston University joined forces in an effort to increase the number of girls who develop an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields during the middle school…

The STEEL/ICI Eureka! Physics Competition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, C. J.

1989-01-01

Describes the organization of a school's physics competition for middle school students sponsored by Physics Section of STEEL (Science, Technology and Engineering Education in Lancaster) and an industry group. Presents one typical problem, marking, and prizes for the competition. A suggested marking scheme is appended. (YP)

Semiconductors: A 21st Century Social Studies Topic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunal, Cynthia

2000-01-01

Addresses the reasons for exploring semiconductor technology and organic semiconductors in schools for either middle school or secondary students in an interdisciplinary social studies and science environment. Provides background information on transistors and semiconductors. Offers three social studies lessons and related science lessons if an…

Professional development in photonics: the advanced technology education projects of the New England Board of Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Judith; Hanes, Fenna; Massa, Nicholas

2007-09-01

Since 1995, the New England Board of Education (NEBHE) has been providing curriculum and professional development as well as laboratory improvement in optics/photonics to middle school and high school teachers and college faculty across the United States. With funding from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technology Education program, NEBHE's optics/photonics education projects have created a national network of educational and industry alliances resulting in opportunities in optics and photonics for students at participating schools and colleges. The cornerstone of NEBHE projects is collaboration among educational levels, career counselors and teachers/faculty, and industry and academia. In such a rich atmosphere of cooperation, participants have been encouraged to create their own regional projects and activities involving students from middle school through four-year universities. In this paper we will describe the evolution of teacher/faculty professional development from a traditional week-long summer workshop to a collaborative distance learning laboratory course based on adult learning principles and supported by a national network of industry mentors.

A Parent-Implemented, Technology-Mediated Approach to Increasing Self-Management Homework Skills in Middle School Students with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampshire, Patricia K.; Allred, Keith W.

2018-01-01

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in secondary school settings (i.e., grades 6-12) typically struggle with multiple academic challenges. Critics have noted that secondary schools traditionally have not been particularly effective in helping students with ASD develop self-determination (e.g., self-management) skills, which are considered…

Adolescent Brain Development: Current Research and the Impact on Secondary School Counseling Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roaten, Gail K.; Roaten, David J.

2012-01-01

Brain growth and change is a key factor in adolescent development, influencing cognitions, emotions, and behavior. As technology has improved, so has the research on the adolescent brain. School counselors working with adolescents need to be familiar with recent literature to be more effective in their work with middle and high school students.…

Improved Body Mass Index Measures Following a Middle School-Based Obesity Intervention--The MATCH Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazorick, Suzanne; Fang, Xiangming; Hardison, George T.; Crawford, Yancey

2015-01-01

Background: Motivating Adolescents with Technology to CHOOSE Health™ (MATCH) is an educational and behavioral intervention in seventh grade. Methods: Teachers in 2 schools delivered the MATCH curriculum, with 1 control school. Using a quasi-experimental design, outcome measures included lessons completed, body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score (zBMI),…

An Exploratory Study of a Robotics Educational Platform on STEM Career Interests in Middle School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinton, Tracy Barger

With the large expected growth in STEM-related careers in American industries, there are not enough graduates to fill these positions (United States Department of Labor, 2015). Increased efforts are being made to reform STEM education from early childhood to college level studies, mainly through increased efforts to incorporate new technologies and project-based learning activities (Hegedorn & Purnamasari, 2012). At the middle school level, a robotics educational platform can be a worthwhile activity that provides hands-on learning as students learn basic programming and engineering skills (Grubbs, 2013). Based on the popularity of LEGO toys, LEGO Education developed an engaging and effective way to learn about computer programming and basic engineering concepts (Welch & Huffman, 2011). LEGO MINDSTORMS offers a project-based learning environment that engages students in real-life, problem-solving challenges. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the instructional use of a robotics educational curriculum on middle school students' attitudes toward and interests in STEM and their experiences with LEGO Robotics activities. Participants included 23 seventh grade students who were enrolled in a Career Cluster Technologies I class in a suburban middle school. Data for the study were collected from three focus group interviews, open-ended surveys, classroom observations, and the Career Cruising program. Findings revealed that the robotics activities led to an increased interest and higher self-efficacy in STEM tasks. If students continue to nurture and develop their STEM interests, it is possible that many of them may develop higher confidence and eventually set personal goals related to STEM classes and careers. While other studies have been conducted on similar topics, this qualitative research is unique because it contributed to the gap in research that investigates the impact of an in-class robotics curriculum on middle school students' attitudes and interests in STEM. Throughout the robotics unit, students exhibited positive reactions, including much excitement and enjoyment as they solved the robotics challenges. In addition, students demonstrated a greater interest in STEM courses and careers as a result of this hands-on activity. Middle school teachers should incorporate STEM-based activities such as robotics to help students gain hands-on STEM skills.

Electronic bullying among middle school students.

PubMed

Kowalski, Robin M; Limber, Susan P

2007-12-01

Electronic communications technologies are affording children and adolescents new means of bullying one another. Referred to as electronic bullying, cyberbullying, or online social cruelty, this phenomenon includes bullying through e-mail, instant messaging, in a chat room, on a website, or through digital messages or images sent to a cell phone. The present study examined the prevalence of electronic bullying among middle school students. A total of 3,767 middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8 who attend six elementary and middle schools in the southeastern and northwestern United States completed a questionnaire, consisting of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and 23 questions developed for this study that examined participants' experiences with electronic bullying, as both victims and perpetrators. Of the students, 11% that they had been electronically bullied at least once in the last couple of months (victims only); 7% indicated that they were bully/victims; and 4% had electronically bullied someone else at least once in the previous couple of months (bullies only). The most common methods for electronic bullying (as reported by both victims and perpetrators) involved the use of instant messaging, chat rooms, and e-mail. Importantly, close to half of the electronic bully victims reported not knowing the perpetrator's identity. Electronic bullying represents a problem of significant magnitude. As children's use of electronic communications technologies is unlikely to wane in coming years, continued attention to electronic bullying is critical. Implications of these findings for youth, parents, and educators are discussed.

Technology Dollars from Pennies Saved.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Mary Alice

1996-01-01

Suggests ways to stretch media center budgets for technology, based on experiences at Winona Middle School (Minnesota). Topics include keeping statistics, hardware purchase and warranty information, centralizing purchases, planning for the reallocation of hardware and software, creative financing, working with business and community groups, staff…

Physical Science Connected Classrooms: Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irving, Karen; Sanalan, Vehbi; Shirley, Melissa

2009-01-01

Case-study descriptions of secondary and middle school classrooms in diverse contexts provide examples of how teachers implement connected classroom technology to facilitate formative assessment in science instruction. Connected classroom technology refers to a networked system of handheld devices designed for classroom use. Teachers were…

Evaluating the Implementation Fidelity of Technology Immersion and Its Relationship with Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapley, Kelly S.; Sheehan, Daniel; Maloney, Catherine; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny

2010-01-01

In a pilot study of the Technology Immersion model, high-need middle schools were "immersed" in technology by providing a laptop for each student and teacher, wireless Internet access, curricular and assessment resources, professional development, and technical and pedagogical support. This article examines the fidelity of model…

New Literacy Implementation: The Impact of Professional Development on Middle School Student Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Hui-Yin; Wang, Shaing-Kwei; Coster, Daniel

2017-01-01

With advancing technology, "literacy" evolves to include new forms of literacy made possible by digital technologies. "New literacy" refers to using technology to research, locate, evaluate, synthesize and communication information. The purpose of the study is to develop a framework to guide science teachers' new literacy…

Science and Technology Teachers' Attitudes towards Educational Research in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sekerci, Ali Riza; Ilhan, Nail; Mustafa, Sozbilir; Yildirim, Ali

2017-01-01

This study reports on the attitudes of science and technology teachers' towards educational research that were investigated and analyzed with respect to certain demographic variables. The survey method was utilized as the research design. The study group consisted of 918 science and technology teachers working in middle schools in the Eastern…

Tech Team: Student Technology Assistants in the Elementary & Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peto, Erica; Onishi, Esther; Irish, Barbara

A step-by-step manual of worksheets, templates, forms and examples, this comprehensive handbook is designed for librarians, classroom teachers, and technology specialists who are interested in training students to be technology aides. The "Tech Team" program not only systematically outlines how one organizes and manages a support program, but…

The Brink of Change: Gender in Technology-Rich Collaborative Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Jessica; Puntambeka, Sadhana

2004-01-01

This study was designed to contribute to a small but growing body of knowledge on the influence of gender in technology-rich collaborative learning environments. The study examined middle school students attitudes towards using computers and working in groups during scientific inquiry. Students attitudes towards technology and group work were…

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program: Green Earth Enhanced with Inquiry and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hanna

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of a guided inquiry integrated with technology, in terms of female middle-school students' attitudes toward science/scientists and content knowledge regarding selective science concepts (e.g., Greenhouse Effect, Air/Water Quality, Alternative Energy, and Human Health). Thirty-five female students who were…

An interdisciplinary collaboration between computer engineering and mathematics/bilingual education to develop a curriculum for underrepresented middle school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celedón-Pattichis, Sylvia; LópezLeiva, Carlos Alfonso; Pattichis, Marios S.; Llamocca, Daniel

2013-12-01

There is a strong need in the United States to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups who pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Drawing from sociocultural theory, we present approaches to establishing collaborations between computer engineering and mathematics/bilingual education faculty to address this need. We describe our work through the Advancing Out-of-School Learning in Mathematics and Engineering project by illustrating how an integrated curriculum that is based on mathematics with applications in image and video processing can be designed and how it can be implemented with middle school students from underrepresented groups.

The Virtual Stage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy

2005-01-01

In this article, the author talks about Moore Square Museums Magnet Middle School, where educators are blending technology more heavily into the teaching of arts and music than most other schools. Arts teachers are integrating computer software with traditional instruction in dance, music, theater and visual arts to spark students' creativity. It…

Administrative Uses of Computers in the Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bluhm, Harry P.

This book, intended for school administrators, provides a comprehensive account of how computer information systems can enable administrators at both middle and top management levels to manage the educational enterprise. It can be used as a textbook in an educational administration course emphasizing computer technology in education, an…

Student Perceptions of a Summer Robotics Camp Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conrad, James; Polly, Drew; Binns, Ian; Algozzine, Bob

2018-01-01

Research on the effectiveness of STEM-focused (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused) schools and other learning experiences (e.g., short-term camps) on student outcomes is sparse. This study documented perceptions of STEM content and careers for elementary, middle, and secondary school students participating in…

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.

FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-09-15

Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.

Mathematics Learning Assisted Geogebra using Technologically Aligned Classroom (TAC) to Improve Communication Skills of Vocasional High School Student

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuliardi, R.; Nurjanah

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study to analyze mathematical communication skill’s student to resolve geometry transformation problems through computer Assisted Geogebra using Technologically Aligned Classroom (TAC). The population in this study were students from one of Vocasional High School Student in West Java. Selection of sample by purposed random sampling, the experimental class is taught Technologically Aligned Classroom (TAC) with GeoGebra, while the control class is taught by conventional learning. This study was quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest control group design. Based on the results; (1) The enhancement of student mathematical communication skills through TAC was higher than the conventional learning; (2) based on gender, there were no differences of mathematical communication skilss student who exposed with TAC and conventional learning; (3) based on KAM test, there was significant enhancement of students’ communication skills among ability of high, middle, and low KAM. The differences occur between high KAM and middle KAM, and also between high KAM and low KAM. Based on this result, mathematics learning Assisted Geogebra using Technologically Aligned Classroom (TAC) can be applied in the process of Mathematics Learning in Vocasional High School.

Research on the Development of Middle School Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions Regarding the Use of Technology in Teaching Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akkaya, Recai

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the changes in teacher perceptions regarding the use of technology subsequent to the training about technology integration in mathematics teaching. A training program that included combined technology, pedagogy and content knowledge was prepared and implemented on pre-service teachers with this aim. Exploratory…

Experiencing, Learning, and Teaching of Secondary Business Education in a Virtual Environment: The Use of Electronic Portfolio as Curriculum Framework for a Preservice Course "Advanced Information Technology."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Irene

Business educators in middle schools and high schools across the country play a prominent role in developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for students to succeed in the workforce. With the advancement of technology, business teachers are coming back to the teacher education program to be retooled and retrained to teach business…

KSC-03PD-1469

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - From left, Barry Perlman, Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School in Florida; Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc.; and Dr. Dennis Morrison, NASA Johnson Space Center, process one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

Evaluating the Usability of a Professional Modeling Tool Repurposed for Middle School Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Vanessa L.; Songer, Nancy Butler

2013-01-01

This paper reports the results of a three-stage usability test of a modeling tool designed to support learners' deep understanding of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. The design process involved repurposing an existing modeling technology used by professional scientists into a learning tool specifically designed for middle school…

Group Tasks, Activities, Dynamics, and Interactions in Collaborative Robotics Projects with Elementary and Middle School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuen, Timothy T.; Boecking, Melanie; Stone, Jennifer; Tiger, Erin Price; Gomez, Alvaro; Guillen, Adrienne; Arreguin, Analisa

2014-01-01

Robotics provide the opportunity for students to bring their individual interests, perspectives and areas of expertise together in order to work collaboratively on real-world science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) problems. This paper examines the nature of collaboration that manifests in groups of elementary and middle school…

Partnering Peanuts and Word Processors for Research Writing in the Middle Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaBonty, Jan; Williams, Sandra

2008-01-01

For six weeks, middle school students gathered information about peanuts from a variety of text and media sources to create an original informative book, thereby combining goals in both technology and language arts. By conducting authentic research about one topic for a concentrated period of time, students were able to develop and fine tune their…

Jumping on the STEM Bandwagon: How Middle Grades Students and Teachers Can Benefit from STEM Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesseig, Kristin; Slavit, David; Nelson, Tamara Holmlund

2017-01-01

Given the current emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and its key attributes, middle school is an optimal time to implement STEM-based curricula. However, the interdisciplinary and open-ended nature of STEM projects often makes implementation difficult. In this article, we describe a professional development…

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bramsen, Neil

2014-01-01

In March and April 2014, the author travelled overseas on a 2013 Churchill Fellowship to study education programs that successfully engage and enthuse primary and middle school students in maths, engineering and science (MES) or science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) learning in schools, universities and institutions in the United…

Opening Digital Doors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeGennaro, Donna

2010-01-01

Lilla G. Frederick Middle School in the Dorchester area of Boston doesn't just train neighborhood parents how to use technology--it offers families who complete the training a new laptop practically free (for $50.00). What's more, students and parents participate in training sessions at the school together, with students often acting as teachers.…

Game Design through Mentoring and Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Kevin; Sheridan, Kimberly

2010-01-01

The findings from an after-school program entitled Game Design through Mentoring and Collaboration (GDMC) funded by the National Science Foundation's Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. A total of 139 middle and high schools students in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to learn the basics of…

Graduate Students as Middle School Content Experts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luedeman, John K.; Leonard, William H.; Horton, Robert M.; Wagner, John R.

2003-01-01

Describes the Graduate K-12 Project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and provides fellowship to graduate and highly qualified undergraduate students in the areas of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology to serve in K-12 schools with teachers. Aims to improve communication and teaching skills of fellows,…

78 FR 79691 - Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; The SunWise Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-31

... Program is a school and community-based sun safety education program for children grades K-8. The Program.../affected entities: Elementary and middle school students and educators, recreation workers, and health... appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of...

Evaluation of the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP). Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Hamutal; Martin, Carlos; Eyster, Lauren; Anderson, Theresa; Owen, Stephanie; Martin-Caughey, Amanda

2015-01-01

The Urban Institute conducted an implementation and participant-outcomes evaluation of the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP). ANSEP is a multi-stage initiative designed to prepare and support Alaska Native students from middle school through graduate school to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)…

Fuel for Thought: Building Energy Awareness in Grades 9-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metz, Steve, Ed.

2011-01-01

The concept of energy is central to all the science disciplines, seamlessly connecting science, technology, and mathematics. For high school and upper middle school teachers, this compendium comprises inquiry-based activities, lesson plans, and case studies designed to help teach increased awareness of energy, environmental concepts, and the…

The Hidden Costs of Wireless Computer Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Una

2005-01-01

Various elementary schools and middle schools across the U.S. have purchased one or more mobile laboratories. Although the wireless labs have provided more classroom computing, teachers and technology aides still have mixed views about their cost-benefit ratio. This is because the proliferation of viruses and spyware has dramatically increased…

Boosting the Numbers of STEM Majors? the Role of High Schools with a STEM Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottia, Martha Cecilia; Stearns, Elizabeth; Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin; Moller, Stephanie

2018-01-01

This article investigates whether attending a high school that offers a specialized science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics program (high school with a STEM program) boosts the number of students majoring in STEM when they are in college. We use a longitudinal sample of students in North Carolina, whom we follow from middle school…

Influence of science and technology magnet middle schools on students' motivation and achievement in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, David

Some informal discussions among educators regarding motivation of students and academic performance have included the topic of magnet schools. The premise is that a focused theme, such as an aspect of science, positively affects student motivation and academic achievement. However, there is limited research involving magnet schools and their influence on student motivation and academic performance. This study provides empirical data for the discussion about magnet schools influence on motivation and academic ability. This study utilized path analysis in a structural equation modeling framework to simultaneously investigate the relationships between demographic exogenous independent variables, the independent variable of attending a science or technology magnet middle school, and the dependent variables of motivation to learn science and academic achievement in science. Due to the categorical nature of the variables, Bayesian statistical analysis was used to calculate the path coefficients and the standardized effects for each relationship in the model. The coefficients of determination were calculated to determine the amount of variance each path explained. Only five of 21 paths had statistical significance. Only one of the five statistically significant paths (Attended Magnet School to Motivation to Learn Science) explained a noteworthy amount (45.8%) of the variance.

The Development of the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kier, Meredith W.; Blanchard, Margaret R.; Osborne, Jason W.; Albert, Jennifer L.

2014-06-01

Internationally, efforts to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers have been on the rise. It is often the goal of such efforts that increased interest in STEM careers should stimulate economic growth and enhance innovation. Scientific and educational organizations recommend that efforts to interest students in STEM majors and careers begin at the middle school level, a time when students are developing their own interests and recognizing their academic strengths. These factors have led scholars to call for instruments that effectively measure interest in STEM classes and careers, particularly for middle school students. In response, we leveraged the social cognitive career theory to develop a survey with subscales in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In this manuscript, we detail the six stages of development of the STEM Career Interest Survey. To investigate the instrument's reliability and psychometric properties, we administered this 44-item survey to over 1,000 middle school students (grades 6-8) who primarily were in rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern USA. Confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the STEM-CIS is a strong, single factor instrument and also has four strong, discipline-specific subscales, which allow for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subscales to be administered separately or in combination. This instrument should prove helpful in research, evaluation, and professional development to measure STEM career interest in secondary level students.

Creating a virtual community of practice to investigate legitimate peripheral participation by African American middle school girls in science activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Leslie D.

How do teenage girls develop an interest in science? What kinds of opportunities can science teachers present to female students that support their engagement with learning science? I studied one aspect of this issue by focusing on ways students could use science to enhance or gain identities that they (probably) already valued. To do that I created technology-rich activities and experiences for an after school class in science and technology for middle school girls who lived in a low socio-economic urban neighborhood. These activities and experiences were designed to create a virtual community of practice whose members used science in diverse ways. Student interest was made evident in their responses to the activities. Four conclusions emerged. (1) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of admired African American business women interested students in learning by linking it to their middle-class aspirations and their interest in things that money and status can buy. (2) Opportunities to learn about the lives and work of African American women experts in science in a classroom context where students then practiced similar kinds of actual scientific tasks engaged students in relations of legitimate peripheral participation in a virtual and diverse community of practice focused on science which was created in the after-school classes. (3) Opportunities where students used science to show off for family, friends, and supporters of the after-school program, identities they valued, interested them enough that they engaged in long-term science and technology projects that required lots of revisions. (4) In response to the opportunities presented, new and enhanced identities developed around becoming a better student or becoming some kind of scientist.

Teaching neuroscience through Web adventures: adolescents reconstruct the history and science of opioids.

PubMed

Miller, Leslie; Schweingruber, Heidi; Oliver, Robert; Mayes, Janice; Smith, Donna

2002-02-01

New technological and cultural developments surrounding adolescents' use of the World Wide Web offer an opportunity for turning aspects of the Internet gaming phenomenon to the advantage of neuroscience education. Specifically, an experimental project to transmit aspects of problem-based learning and the National Science Standards through an interactive Web adventure is reported here. The Reconstructors is an episodic Web-based adventure series entitled Medicinal Mysteries from History. It is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the first series focuses on opioids. It was created with the input of middle school students and teachers. Through the use of multimedia technologies, middle school students enter a futuristic world in which they become "reconstructors," members of an elite scientific unit charged with recovering lost medical knowledge about analgesic drugs. Two of the four episodes have been evaluated through a comprehensive review process involving middle school students, teachers, neuroscience researchers, and clinicians. Analysis of the pretest and posttest scores demonstrated significant knowledge gain that validly can be attributed to use of the game. These data provide evidence that science content can be transmitted through innovative online techniques without sacrificing compelling content or effective pedagogical strategies.

The Integration of technology in teaching mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhtadi, D.; Wahyudin; Kartasasmita, B. G.; Prahmana, R. C. I.

2017-12-01

This paper presents the Transformation of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) of three pre-service math teacher. They participate in technology-based learning modules aligned with teaching practice taught school and became characteristic of teaching method by using the mathematical software. ICT-based learning environment has been the demands in practice learning to build a more effective approach to the learning process of students. Also, this paper presents the results of research on learning mathematics in middle school that shows the influence of design teaching on knowledge of math content specifically.

Science Education at Riverside Middle School A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smiley, Bettie Ann Pickens

For more than thirty years the gender gap in science and related careers has been a key concern of researchers, teachers, professional organizations, and policy makers. Despite indicators of progress for women and girls on some measures of achievement, course enrollment patterns, and employment, fewer women than men pursue college degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. According to the results of national assessments, the gender gap in science achievement begins to be evident in the middle school years. Gender and school science achievement involve a complex set of factors associated with schools and child/family systems that may include school leadership, institutional practices, curriculum content, teacher training programs, teacher expectations, student interests, parental involvement, and cultural values. This ethnographic case study was designed to explore the context for science education reform and the participation of middle school girls. The study analyzed and compared teaching strategies and female student engagement in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade science classrooms. The setting was a middle school situated in a district that was well-known for its achievement in reading, math, and technology. Findings from the study indicated that while classroom instruction was predominantly organized around traditional school science, the girls were more disciplined and outperformed the boys. The size of the classrooms, time to prepare for hands-on activities, and obtaining resources were identified as barriers to teaching science in ways that aligned with recent national science reform initiatives. Parents who participated in the study were very supportive of their daughters' academic progress and career goals. A few of the parents suggested that the school's science program include more hands-on activities; instruction designed for the advanced learner; and information related to future careers. Overall the teachers and students perceived their science program to be gender fair. Eighth grade participants who had career goals related to science and engineering, indicated that their science instruction did not provide the rigor they needed to improve their critical skills for advanced placement in high school. Recommendations include the need for professional development on inquiry-based science, equitable student achievement, and diverse perspectives in science education.

Plain Talk about Alternative Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheek, Dennis W.

1993-01-01

Testing is a technology, a socially mediated, value-laden endeavor. Technologies embody trade-offs between what is desired and real-world constraints of cost, time, thought, and energy. Although alternative assessments offer exciting prospects for middle schools, these new forms must not be misused or naively accepted as defensible, consummate…

Teacher Learning in Technology Professional Development and Its Impact on Student Achievement in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyunju; Longhurst, Max; Campbell, Todd

2017-01-01

This research investigated teacher learning and teacher beliefs in a two-year technology professional development (TPD) for teachers and its impact on their student achievement in science in the western part of the United States. Middle-school science teachers participated in TPD focused on information communication technologies (ICTs) and their…

Louise Rosenblatt Seeks QtAznBoi@aol.com for LTR: Using Chat Rooms in Interdisciplinary Middle School Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albright, James; Purohit, Kiran; Walsh, Christopher

2002-01-01

Discusses online student-teacher interactions and notes how these encounters forced educators to think about the use of computer-mediated technologies. Reflects on both overly optimistic stances toward technology and stances that position the students as aliens and cyborgs. Examines the dynamic relationship that emerges as technologies, students,…

Technology Professional Development: Investigating the Effectiveness of Technology Integration in Middle School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnello, Kristen G.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of targeted professional development (PD) on the integration of technology upon teachers in grades six through eight. This Executive Position Paper has three key objectives: (1) investigate why teachers opted to participate in certain voluntary PD opportunities; (2) examine teachers' reactions to…

Relationship between Professional Values and Critical Thinking Disposition of Science-Technology and Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Senar Alkin; Tunca, Nihal; Altinkurt, Yahya; Yilmaz, Kürsad

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the professional values and critical thinking disposition of science-technology and mathematics teachers working in middle schools. The survey research method was employed in the study. The sample of the study is comprised of 193 teachers (90 science-technology and 103 mathematics…

Teachers' Perceptions of Factors Affecting Their Adoption and Acceptance of Mobile Technology in K-12 Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khlaif, Zuheir

2018-01-01

Factors influencing the adoption and acceptance of tablets as a mobile technology were explored one year after their integration in middle schools in Palestine. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 teachers. The participants held a variety of attitudes toward accepting mobile technologies in their instruction. The findings revealed…

Impact of Robotics and Geospatial Technology Interventions on Youth STEM Learning and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugent, Gwen; Barker, Bradley; Grandgenett, Neal; Adamchuk, Viacheslav I.

2010-01-01

This study examined the impact of robotics and geospatial technologies interventions on middle school youth's learning of and attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Two interventions were tested. The first was a 40-hour intensive robotics/GPS/GIS summer camp; the second was a 3-hour event modeled on the camp…

An Investigation of Middle School Science Teachers and Students Use of Technology inside and outside of Classrooms: Considering Whether Digital Natives Are More Technology Savvy than Their Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shiang-Kwei; Hsu, Hui-Yin; Campbell, Todd; Coster, Daniel C.; Longhurst, Max

2014-01-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the popular assumption that the "digital natives" generation surpasses the previous "digital immigrants" generation in terms of their technology experiences, because they grow up with information and communication technology. The assumption presumes that teachers, the digital…

An exploration of middle school science teachers' understandings and teaching practice of science as inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castle, Margaret Ann

A number of reports have raised a concern that the U.S. is not meeting the demands of 21st century skill preparation of students, teachers, and practitioners in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In 2005 and 2006 five reports were released indicating a need for improvement in science and mathematics education in the U.S. The reports were: Keeping America Competitive: Five Strategies To Improve Mathematics and Science Education (Coble & Allen, 2005); National Defense Education and Innovation Initiative: Meeting America's Economic and Security Challenges in the 21st Century (The Association of American Universities, 2006); Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (National Academies Press, 2007); Tapping America's Potential: The Education for Innovation Initiative (Business Roundtable Taskforce , 2005); and Waiting for Sputnik: Basic Research and Strategic Competition (Lewis, 2005). Consensus of data in these reports indicates that the U.S., as compared to other industrialized nations, does not fare very well in science achievement and STEM degree attainment. For example, on the 2003 Program for International Assessment (PISA), 15-year-old students in the U.S. ranked 28th in math and 24th in science literacy (Kuenzi, Matthews, & Mangon, 2006). Furthermore, the U.S. ranked 20th among all nations in the proportion of 24-year-olds who earned degrees in natural sciences or engineering (Kuenzi, 2008). As a result, if the U.S. is to remain scientifically and technologically competitive in the world, it is necessary to increase our efforts to incorporate scientific practices associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into the science classroom. Middle school is a critical point in students' science education and it is in middle school that they begin to dislike science. Research indicates that when students learn science through inquiry their interest in and understanding of science increases (Akkus, Gunel & Hand, 2007; Gibson, 2002; Liu, Lee & Linn, 2010). As a result, it is important to explore middle school science teachers' definition of science as inquiry because of its importance in how their understandings are reflected in their practice. Researchers must witness, first- hand, what is taking place in middle school science classrooms with respect to the teaching of scientific inquiry before recommendations for improvements can be made. We must also allow opportunities for middle school science teachers to broach, examine, explore, interpret and report implementation strategies when practicing the elements of scientific inquiry as a science content area. It then stands to reason that more research needs to be done to: (1) assess teachers' knowledge related to reform-based teaching, (2) investigate teachers' views about the goals and purposes of inquiry, and (3) investigate the processes by which teachers carry out SI and motivation for undertaking such a complex and difficult to manage form of instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine middle school science teachers' understandings and skills related to scientific inquiry; how those understandings and skills were translated into classroom practice, and the role the school district played in the development of such understandings and skills.

The effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, Felita

Student achievement in the Twenty First Century demands a new rigor in student science knowledge, since advances in science and technology require students to think and act like scientists. As a result, students must acquire proficient levels of knowledge and skills to support a knowledge base that is expanding exponentially with new scientific advances. This study examined the effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students. More specifically, this study was concerned with the influence of hands-on science instruction versus traditional science instruction on the science test scores of middle school students. The subjects in this study were one hundred and twenty sixth-grade students in six classes. Instruction involved lecture/discussion and hands-on activities carried out for a three week period. Specifically, the study ascertained the influence of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the science test scores of middle school students. Additionally, this study assessed the effect of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the attitudes of sixth grade students toward science. The two instruments used to collect data for this study were the Prentice Hall unit ecosystem test and the Scientific Work Experience Programs for Teachers Study (SWEPT) student's attitude survey. Moreover, the data for the study was treated using the One-Way Analysis of Covariance and the One-Way Analysis of Variance. The following findings were made based on the results: (1) A statistically significant difference existed in the science performance of middle school students exposed to hands-on science instruction. These students had significantly higher scores than the science performance of middle school students exposed to traditional instruction. (2) A statistically significant difference did not exist between the science scores of male and female middle school students. (3) A statistically significant difference did not exist between the science scores of African American and non-African American middle school students. (4) A statistically significant difference existed in the socioeconomic status of students who were not provided with assisted lunches. Students with unassisted lunches had significantly higher science scores than those middle school students who were provided with assisted lunches. (5) A statistically significant difference was not found in the attitude scores of middle school students who were exposed to hands-on or traditional science instruction. (6) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of middle school students who were exposed to either hands-on or traditional science instruction by their socioeconomic status. (7) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of male and female students. (8) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of African American and non African American students.

Good Intentions: AN Experiment in Middle School Single-Sex Science and Mathematics Classrooms with High Minority Enrollment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Dale

This study examined the effects of single-sex middle school science and mathematics classrooms with high minority enrollment on achievement, affect, peer, and teacher-student interactions. All students earned higher grades in mathematics than in science. Girls earned higher grades than boys. The higher grades of girls were not clearly attributable to the singlesex environment, and aspects of the single-sex environment interfered with boys' achievement. The single-sex environment contributed to girls', but not boys', feelings of empowerment, peer support, and positive self-concept. The curriculum and pedagogy were better suited to girls than to boys, leading to discipline problems and hostile interactions. However, boys were more engaged in technology-based activities than girls. Overall, all-boy classes were less supportive learning environments than all-girl classes. Although the results replicate findings elsewhere, this is the only study to look at minority students in middle school.

Shared Decisions & Technology-Assisted Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Mary

2005-01-01

In this short article, the author discusses how Henderson Middle School in Jackson, Georgia used shared decision making to improve student achievement through the use of laptop computers. With effective use of technology and shared decision making, administrators at Henderson believe that they can continue to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress under…

Teacher Perceptions of Technology and Learner Motivation in the Second Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Kenneth A.

2013-01-01

The problem that this dissertation investigated is the insufficient representation of teachers' voices in the discussion of motivational characteristics of second language learners in middle and high schools especially with consideration of instructional information and communication technologies. The purpose was to determine the nature of…

Robotics Intrigue Middle School Students and Build STEM Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grubbs, Michael

2013-01-01

As science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education demands greater integration across all subject areas, technology teachers can showcase many of the cross-curricular projects already occurring inside their classrooms that intrigue students and build their STEM skills. Robotics, just one of those projects, has become an excellent…

How Reliable is the Temperature Forecast?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christmann, Edwin P.

2005-01-01

Project 2061 suggests "technology provides the eyes and ears of science--and some of the muscle too. The electronic computer, for example, has led to substantial progress in the study of weather systems...." Obviously, now that teachers have access to a kaleidoscope of technological advancements, middle school science teachers can engage students…

Learn Better by Doing Study: Fourth-Year Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moye, Johnny J.; Dugger, William E., Jr.; Starkweather, Kendall N.

2017-01-01

The purpose of the "Learn Better by Doing Study" was to determine the extent to which U.S. public elementary, middle, and high school students were doing hands-on activities in their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms. The International Technology and Engineering Educators Association's (ITEEA's)…

Understanding How Adolescents with Reading Difficulties Utilize Technology-Based Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marino, Matthew T.

2009-01-01

This article reports the findings from a study that examined how adolescent students with reading difficulties utilized cognitive tools that were embedded in a technology-based middle school science curriculum. The curriculum contained salient features of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) theoretical framework. Sixteen general education…

Exploring Technology Education. Second Edition. Teacher Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Steve

This color-coded guide was developed to help teachers provide middle school and junior high students with an activity-oriented approach to learning and thinking about technology. Through the instruction and the activities, students are shown how the different systems interrelate, how they influence everyday life, and how they combine in a…

Thermal Paper Exposed: The Secret of "Smart Paper"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diener, Lynn; McCall, Brian; Gimm, J. A.

2010-01-01

This article discusses how, as part of a National Science Foundation-funded internship program, the authors translated smart papers into an exciting and informative activity for the middle school classroom. This activity opens students' eyes to an everyday technology and inspires them to ask questions about other hidden technologies that they…

Proactive Strategies to Safeguard Young Adolescents in the Cyberage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Nicole C.; Thompson, Nicole L.; Franz, Dana Pomykal

2009-01-01

Schools should be proactive rather than reactive to issues of technology safety, and this requires careful planning and policy implementation. In this article, the authors provide information and recommendations that will help middle grades educators, students, and parents to safely and successfully manage the many technologies they encounter and…

Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Biology Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shim, Kew-Cheol; Park, Jong-Seok; Kim, Hyun-Sup; Kim, Jae-Hyun; Park, Young-Chul; Ryu, Hai-Il

2003-01-01

Reports on the findings of a study designed to develop three-dimensional virtual reality technology (VRT) learning programs for middle school students and evaluate the program's educational value. Focuses on the topic of structure and function of the eye. Concludes that VRT simulations allow comfortable interaction with computers and increase the…

Assessing Early Impacts of School-of-One: Evidence from the Three School-Wide Pilots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemple, James J.; Segeritz, Micha D.; Cole, Rachel

2011-01-01

So1 is a new, individualized, technology-rich math program being implemented in three New York City middle schools. The program offers a high level of customization for each student, both in the content and material with which students engage, and in the teaching and learning modalities that are used to enhance students' mastery of the material.…

ICT in Science Education: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Achievement, Attitudes toward Science, and Career Aspirations of Korean Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, HyeRan; Khan, Samia; Petrina, Stephen

2009-01-01

The Seventh School Curriculum Reform in Korea was introduced in 2000 to prepare school-aged Koreans for an information and knowledge-based society. The reform effort emphasises information and communication technology (ICT) in the K-12 curriculum and a learner-centred pedagogy. This study examines the contributions of ICT, specifically,…

The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ninger; Pereira, Nielsen L.; George, Tarun Thomas; Alperovich, Jeffrey; Booth, Joran; Chandrasegaran, Senthil; Tew, Jeffrey David; Kulkarni, Devadatta M.; Ramani, Karthik

2017-10-01

The societal demand for inspiring and engaging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and preparing our workforce for the emerging creative economy has necessitated developing students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes from as early as elementary school levels. Hands-on engineering design activities have shown the potential to promote middle school students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes. However, traditional classrooms often lack hands-on engineering design experiences, leaving students unprepared to solve real-world design problems. In this study, we introduce the framework of a toy design workshop and investigate the influence of the workshop activities on students' understanding of and self-efficacy beliefs in engineering design. Using a mixed method approach, we conducted quantitative analyses to show changes in students' engineering design self-efficacy and qualitative analyses to identify students' understanding of the engineering design processes. Findings show that among the 24 participants, there is a significant increase in students' self-efficacy beliefs after attending the workshop. We also identified major themes such as design goals and prototyping in students' understanding of engineering design processes. This research provides insights into the key elements of middle school students' engineering design learning and the benefits of engaging middle school students in hands-on toy design workshops.

Another Path to Belonging: A Case Study of Middle School Students' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Marissa; Emery, Alyssa; Sanders, Megan; Anderman, Lynley H.

2016-01-01

This qualitative study explored students' experiences in a small, early-college secondary school in the United States that intentionally aims to create a culture promoting accelerated academic achievement, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Past research in the fields of both educational and…

Building Alaska's Science and Engineering Pipeline: Evaluation of the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Hamutal; Martin, Carlos; Eyster, Lauren; Anderson, Theresa; Owen, Stephanie; Martin-Caughey, Amanda

2015-01-01

The Urban Institute conducted an implementation and participant-outcomes evaluation of the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP). ANSEP is a multi-stage initiative designed to prepare and support Alaska Native students from middle school through graduate school to succeed in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)…

Middle School Science Teachers' Confidence and Pedagogical Practice of New Literacies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Hui-Yin; Wang, Shiang-Kwei; Runco, Lisa

2013-01-01

Due to the rapid advancements of information and communication technologies (ICTs), educational researchers argue that multimodal and new literacies should become common practices in schools. As new ICTs emerge and evolve, students need the new literacies skills and practices to successfully participate fully in the civic life of a global…

Why Teacher Must Go Mobile

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pascopella, Angela

2009-01-01

This article profiles Cathleen Norris, a Regents Professor in the department of Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas and co-creator of GoKnow Learning who encourages teachers to use cell phones in lessons. As a middle and high school math teacher for 14 years in the Norman (Oklahoma) School District and Dallas (Texas) Independent…

Musical Exploration Using ICT in the Middle and Secondary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Christopher J.

2009-01-01

In this article, I explore musical creativity through Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This article aims to show that secondary school pupils can compose freely using ICT in the classroom, easing and "democratizing" the creative process, enabling a high standard for all, regardless of formal musical training. The fieldwork…

75 FR 54143 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; The SunWise...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-03

... this action are elementary and middle school students, parents, and educators (informal and external... appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of... is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9. Abstract: The goal of the SunWise School Program is to teach...

Learn Better by Doing Study--Third-Year Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moye, Johnny; Dugger, William E., Jr.; Starkweather, Kendall N.

2016-01-01

The purpose of the "Learn Better by Doing" study is to determine the extent to which U.S. public school students are doing hands-on activities in their classrooms. The study asks elementary and secondary (middle and high school) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers to respond to 13 statements concerning…

The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Ninger; Pereira, Nielsen L.; Tarun, Thomas George; Alperovich, Jeffrey; Booth, Joran; Chandrasegaran, Senthil; Tew, Jeffrey David; Kulkarni, Devadatta M.; Ramani, Karthik

2017-01-01

The societal demand for inspiring and engaging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and preparing our workforce for the emerging creative economy has necessitated developing students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes from as early as elementary school levels. Hands-on engineering design…

Perspectives on Technology Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

middle and high school students . They typically have strong social needs which are not always met in distance learning ...given distance learning program impacted student achievement and subsequent ability to use (transfer) the knowledge acquired outside of the instructional ...1980). An analysis of the effects of learning to program on student math performance and attitude toward school . Dissertation Abstract

Research-Proven Instructional Strategies Engage, Motivate and Support Students in Meeting Higher Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2011

2011-01-01

Instructional strategies make a difference in whether students are engaged in learning and are profiting from their time in class. High schools, technology centers and middle grades schools are encouraging teachers to adopt new teaching techniques and are providing opportunities for teachers to work together to improve their instructional skills…

How Teachers Learn: The Roles of Formal, Informal, and Independent Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, W. Monty; Dexter, Sara

2014-01-01

A qualitative study of math and science teachers at two middle schools identifies how their system for learning to integrate technology into their teaching goes beyond what school leaders typically consider when planning for teachers' learning. In addition to (a) the district-initiated, or formal, system of professional development (PD) and…

Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Three Conceptual Models in Genetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freidenreich, Hava Bresler; Duncan, Ravit Golan; Shea, Nicole

2011-01-01

Genetics is the cornerstone of modern biology and a critical aspect of scientific literacy. Research has shown, however, that many high school graduates lack fundamental understandings in genetics necessary to make informed decisions about issues and emerging technologies in this domain, such as genetic screening, genetically modified foods, etc.…

21st Century Business Education: Predictions from Oklahoma CTE Business Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAnally, Beverly

2012-01-01

This study described the predictions of 146 (n = 146) full-time CTE BMITE teachers about the greatest influences on the future of Business, Marketing and Information Technology Education. A quantitative descriptive survey research design was implemented for the study using a sample of teachers in middle schools, high schools and career and…

Using the iPad in a Sport Education Season

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinelnikov, Oleg A.

2012-01-01

The latest advances in technology are inevitably making their way into schools and gymnasiums across the country. This article provides a descriptive account of how one physical education teacher incorporated the use of an iPad in a middle-school volleyball sport education season. The salient structural elements of sport education, such as…

Experiences of high school Hispanic girls in pursuit of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related coursework and careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijil, Veronica G.

2011-12-01

An overall increased awareness of the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has prompted attention toward the continued underrepresentation of Hispanic women in this field. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the support systems, perceived barriers, and prior experiences influencing high school Hispanic girls' decisions to pursue advanced coursework and related careers through a career pathway in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. Specifically, participants were interviewed regarding their mathematics and science experiences in elementary and middle schools, as well as perceived supports and barriers to their choices to pursue STEM careers and advanced coursework. Results indicated that the participants linked their elementary and middle school experiences with their teachers rather than specific activities. Accolades such as certificates and good grades for academic achievement contributed to the girls' strong self-efficacy at an early age. The participants possessed self-discipline and self-confidence, using intrinsic motivation to pursue their goals. Support systems included families and a few teachers. Barriers were revealed in different forms including derogatory comments by boys in class, difficult curricula with limited tutors available for higher level courses, and receipt of financial assistance to attend a university of their choice.

Student Use of Communication Technologies--Parent/Guardian Survey Report. Survey Research Center Report 2010/8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Julka, Ashley; Stehr, Grady; Parks, Denise; Trechter, David

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how middle school students and their parents are using technologies and what programs citizens of Wisconsin might need with respect to these technologies. During the month of February 2010, staff from the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Lori…

Adaptation of the Mathematics and Technology Attitudes Scale (MTAS) into Turkish: Validity and Reliability Studies for Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabuk, Mesut

2018-01-01

The paper aims to present the adaptation study of "The Mathematics and Technology Attitudes Scale (MTAS)" into Turkish. The original form MTAS was developed by Pierce, Stacey and Barkatsas (2007) in order to investigate the effect of five different variables in learning mathematics with technology. The original form of the attitudes…

Effect of Makerspace Professional Development Activities on Elementary and Middle School Educator Perceptions of Integrating Technologies with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jennifer Renea

2016-01-01

This study investigated a Makerspace professional development program, the Makers' Guild, provided to teachers within north Texas over the course of a semester. The research employed a constructionist approach delivered via 2D and 3D technologies during STEM instructional activities within a creative space. Participants reported statistically…

Examining Middle School Students' Statistical Thinking While Working in a Technological Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scranton, Melissa Arnold

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how students think in a technological environment. This was accomplished by exploring the differences in the thinking of students while they worked in a technological environment and comparing this to their work in a paper and pencil environment. The software program TinkerPlots:…

Middle School Teacher Misconceptions and Anxieties Concerning Space Science Disciplinary Core Ideas in NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Kristine

2017-01-01

The Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are grouped into the broad disciplinary areas of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, and Engineering, Technology and Application of Science, and feature learning progressions based on endpoint targets for each grade band. Since the Middle School DCIs build on the expected learning achievements to be reached by the end of Fifth Grade, and High School DCI similarly build on the expected learning achievements expected for the end of Eighth Grade, the Middle School grade band is of particular importance as the bridge between the Elementary and High School curriculum. In states where there is not a special Middle School Certification many of these science classes are taught by teachers prepared to teach at the Elementary level (and who may have limited content background). As a result, some pre-service and in-service teachers have expressed reduced self-confidence in both their own science content knowledge and their ability to apply it in the NGSS-based classroom, while decades of research has demonstrated the pervasiveness of science misconceptions among teachers. Thus the adoption of NGSS has the potential to drive talented teachers out of the profession who feel that they are ill-prepared for this sweeping transition. The key is providing rigorous education in both content and pedagogy for pre-service teachers and quality targeted professional development for in-service teachers. This report focuses on the Middle School Space Sciences grade band DCIs and presents research on specific difficulties, misconceptions and uncertainties with the material demonstrated by pre-service education students over the past four years in a required university science content course, as well as two year-long granted workshop series for current Middle School teachers. This information is relevant to the development of both new content courses aligned with NGSS for pre-service teachers and professional development for in-service teachers.

"Finding the Joy in the Unknown": Implementation of STEAM Teaching Practices in Middle School Science and Math Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quigley, Cassie F.; Herro, Dani

2016-06-01

In response to a desire to strengthen the economy, educational settings are emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum and programs. Yet, because of the narrow approach to STEM, educational leaders continue to call for a more balanced approach to teaching and learning, which includes the arts, design, and humanities. This desire created space for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education, a transdisciplinary approach that focuses on problem-solving. STEAM-based curricula and STEAM-themed schools are appearing all over the globe. This growing national and global attention to STEAM provides an opportunity for teacher education to explore the ways in which teachers implement STEAM practices, examining the successes and challenges, and how teachers are beginning to make sense of this innovative teaching practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of STEAM teaching practices in science and math middle school classrooms, in hopes to provide research-based evidence on this emerging topic to guide teacher educators.

Students Help a Teacher Called to Active Duty: What a Great Feeling to Have a Group of Students Who Are Excited and Want to Help a Teacher in Need so Many Miles from Home

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuill, Ron

2005-01-01

The author shares how his technology education students at Tecumseh Middle School help his former student from a Purdue class, Ryan Smith, who was called to active military duty. Ryan was teaching technology education at Lafayette Jefferson High School when he was called by the military in the fall of 2004 to report to active duty. Before…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., studies one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Valerie Cassanto, Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc., studies one of the experiments carried on mission STS-107. Several experiments were found during the search for Columbia debris. Included in the Commercial ITA Biomedical Experiments payload on mission STS-107 are urokinase cancer research, microencapsulation of drugs, the Growth of Bacterial Biofilm on Surfaces during Spaceflight (GOBBSS), and tin crystal formation. The latter was sponsored by the Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School.

CNC Technology Brings out Hidden Talents in Disabled Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lintz, Jeff

2004-01-01

In this article, the author shares his experience teaching production technology to special education students at Hialeah Middle School in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He has had many students who clearly had talent in graphics and design that went unrealized because of their physical disabilities. He has seen students with an enormous amount of…

Technology, Gender Attitude, and Software, among Middle School Math Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okeke, Godwin N.

2014-01-01

Technology has gained a firm stronghold in society as well as modern classroom. Students are assumed to have a natural aptitude for computers. Over the past decades, educational websites have appeared to be "interactive" and "to make learning fun". This study employed quantitative method of research using 8th grade instructors…

The Characteristic Mobile Learning Engagement Strategies of International School Middle-Years Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Bradley A.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to develop descriptions of how teenage students remain engaged in learning while using mobile technology. Developments in technology have expanded learning contexts and provided learners with improved capacities to connect with others to exchange, gain, and construct knowledge. Developments in…

Teaching with Technology: Applications of Collaborative Online Learning Units to Improve 21st Century Skills for All

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Strycker, Lisa A.; Walden, Emily D.; Gallard, Alejandro

2017-01-01

Inquiry-based learning methods, coupled with advanced technology, hold promise for closing the science literacy gap for English learners (ELs) and students with learning difficulties (SWLDs). Project ESCOLAR (Etext Supports for Collaborative Online Learning and Academic Reading) created collaborative online learning units for middle school science…

Through the Teacher's Eyes: Unpacking the TPACK of Digital Fabrication Integration in Middle School Language Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Shaunna

2013-01-01

Digital fabrication consists of manufacturing design technology that is used to facilitate the creation of physical objects. Existing research suggests digital fabrication technology can inspire student creativity and innovation in mathematics and science. However, there is a lack of research that informs teacher education by identifying practical…

Scaling a Technology-Based Innovation: Windows on the Evolution of Mathematics Teachers' Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark-Wilson, A.; Hoyles, C.; Noss, R.; Vahey, P.; Roschelle, J.

2015-01-01

This paper reports research on effects on teachers' classroom practices resulting from their engagement in sustained professional development and classroom teaching of a resource that embeds carefully designed dynamic technology within middle school mathematics (11-14 years). The research investigated the self-reported evolution of teachers'…

A Study of Mathematics Infusion in Middle School Technology Education Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burghardt, M. David; Hecht, Deborah; Russo, Maria; Lauckhardt, James; Hacker, Michael

2010-01-01

The present study examined the impact of introducing a mathematics infused engineering/technology education (ETE) curriculum on students' mathematics content knowledge and attitudes toward mathematics. The purpose of the present study was to: (a) compare the effects of a mathematics infused ETE curriculum and a control curriculum on student…

Designing Technology Activities that Teach Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silk, Eli M.; Higashi, Ross; Shoop, Robin; Schunn, Christian D.

2010-01-01

Over the past three years, the authors have conducted research in middle and high school classrooms in an effort to improve the effectiveness of robotics to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education--their focus has been on math. The authors have found that subtle changes in the design and setup of the lesson make a…

Mathematics and Science Teachers Professional Development with Local Businesses to Introduce Middle and High School Students to Opportunities in STEM Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Rhea; Slagter van Tryon, Patricia J.; Mensah, Felicia Moore

2015-01-01

TechMath is a professional development program that forms collaborations among businesses, colleges, and schools for the purpose of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. TechMath has provided strategies for creating highquality professional development by bringing together teachers, students, and business…

College Bound in Middle School & High School? How Math Course Sequences Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkelstein, Neal; Fong, Anthony; Tiffany-Morales, Juliet; Shields, Patrick; Huang, Min

2012-01-01

As California competes for jobs in an increasingly competitive global economy, the state faces a looming shortage of highly educated workers (PPIC, 2012). For a variety of reasons, the need for individuals with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is of particular concern. Nowhere is this more true than in the…

Teachers Use Tools and Strategies to Engage Students in Grade-Level Assignments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2013

2013-01-01

This newsletter of best practices in implementing the High Schools That Work (HSTW), Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW) and Technology Centers That Work (TCTW) school improvement models is based on presentations at the 27th Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the summer of 2013. The newsletter is divided up into…

Assessing In-Kind Middle School Teachers' Concern about & Use of SOARS: School Online Assessment Reporting System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marion, John M.

2011-01-01

In recent years technology has been integrated into every sector of education. Using Student Online Assessment Reporting System (SOARS) to assess score results and design instructional strategies for improved learning is a challenge and will cause concern to teachers. This is a descriptive comparative study designed to measure select Middle…

Web Pages for Your Classroom: The Easy Way!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCorkle, Sandra K.

This book provides the classroom teacher or librarian with templates and instructions for creating Web pages for use with middle school or high school students. The pages can then be used for doing research projects or other types of projects that familiarize students with the power, flexibility, and usefulness of the Web. Part I, Technology in…

Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Catherine; Corbett, Christianne; St. Rose, Andresse

2010-01-01

The number of women in science and engineering is growing, yet men continue to outnumber women, especially at the upper levels of these professions. In elementary, middle, and high school, girls and boys take math and science courses in roughly equal numbers, and about as many girls as boys leave high school prepared to pursue science and…

Development, Implementation, and Outcomes of an Equitable Computer Science After-School Program: Findings from Middle-School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouza, Chrystalla; Marzocchi, Alison; Pan, Yi-Cheng; Pollock, Lori

2016-01-01

Current policy efforts that seek to improve learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emphasize the importance of helping all students acquire concepts and tools from computer science that help them analyze and develop solutions to everyday problems. These goals have been generally described in the literature under the…

Providing Feedback on Computer-Based Algebra Homework in Middle-School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fyfe, Emily R.

2016-01-01

Homework is transforming at a rapid rate with continuous advances in educational technology. Computer-based homework, in particular, is gaining popularity across a range of schools, with little empirical evidence on how to optimize student learning. The current aim was to test the effects of different types of feedback on computer-based homework.…

Women's History Month at NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-14

The Science Cheerleaders perform at a Women's History Month event for middle school and high school girls on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Science Cheerleaders are a group professional cheerleaders-turned-scientists and engineers who challenge stereotypes while helping to inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Middle School Engagement with Mathematics Software and Later Interest and Self-Efficacy for STEM Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ocumpaugh, Jaclyn; San Pedro, Maria Ofelia; Lai, Huei-yi; Baker, Ryan S.; Borgen, Fred

2016-01-01

Research suggests that trajectories toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emerge early and are influenced by multiple factors. This paper presents a longitudinal study, which uses data from 76 high school students to explore how a student's vocational self-efficacy and interest are related to his or her middle…

Middle School Science Curriculum Design and 8th Grade Student Achievement in Massachusetts Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Betsey A.

2016-01-01

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released proposed Science and Technology/Engineering standards in 2013 outlining the concepts that should be taught at each grade level. Previously, standards were in grade spans and each district determined the method of implementation. There are two different methods used…

Avoiding student infection during a Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak: a single medical school experience.

PubMed

Park, Seung Won; Jang, Hye Won; Choe, Yon Ho; Lee, Kyung Soo; Ahn, Yong Chan; Chung, Myung Jin; Lee, Kyu-Sung; Lee, Kyunghoon; Han, Taehee

2016-06-01

In outbreaks of infectious disease, medical students are easily overlooked in the management of healthcare personnel protection although they serve in clinical clerkships in hospitals. In the early summer of 2015, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) struck South Korea, and students of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine (SKKUSOM) were at risk of contracting the disease. The purpose of this report is to share SKKUSOM's experience against the MERS outbreak and provide suggestions for medical schools to consider in the face of similar challenges. Through a process of reflection-on-action, we examined SKKUSOM's efforts to avoid student infection during the MERS outbreak and derived a few practical guidelines that medical schools can adopt to ensure student safety in outbreaks of infectious disease. The school leadership conducted ongoing risk assessment and developed contingency plans to balance student safety and continuity in medical education. They rearranged the clerkships to another hospital and offered distant lectures and tutorials. Five suggestions are extracted for medical schools to consider in infection outbreaks: instant cessation of clinical clerkships; rational decision making on a school closure; use of information technology; constant communication with hospitals; and open communication with faculty, staff, and students. Medical schools need to take the initiative and actively seek countermeasures against student infection. It is essential that medical schools keep constant communication with their index hospitals and the involved personnel. In order to assure student learning, medical schools may consider offering distant education with online technology.

[Current informational technologies in the structure of medical and psychological tasks of school education].

PubMed

Sukhareva, L M; Pavlovich, K E; Druzhinin, P V; Sakharova, V G; Kvasov, G I

2000-01-01

Prospects for equipment of present-day school with computing machinery allow fresh approaches to be applied to the improvement of means for diagnosis and health prophylaxis in children and to professional orientation. Automatic systems have been developed for diagnosing diseases and monitoring the sociomental health of children and the adaptation of junior and middle schoolchildren to school activities. The systems provide a real way of successfully following the development of major mental functions for prenosological diagnosis of detected abnormalities and their subsequent correction. An automatic system for professional orientation of middle- and senior-form pupils has been devised on the basis of mental diagnostic testing of the schoolchildren's professional orientation, interests, inclinations, psychophysiological and personality traits.

Exploring Gender Differences across Elementary, Middle, and High School Students' Science and Math Attitudes and Interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeGrand, Julie

The issue of female underrespresentation in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology careers and courses has been well researched over the last several decades. However, as gender gaps in achievement close and representation becomes more equitable in certain academic domains, research has turned to social and cultural factors to explain why fewer women persist in STEM studies and careers than men. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in science and math attitudes and interests from elementary school, to middle school, to high school. To examine possible gender-specific shifts in students' interest and attitudes in science and math, 136 students from a suburban, public school district were surveyed at the elementary school level (N=31), middle school level (N=54), and high school level (N=51) and various constructs were used to assess the responses in accordance with expectancy-value theory. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, a random sample of students from each grade level then participated in focus groups, and corollary themes were identified. Results from a logistical regression analysis and Mann-Whitney Test indicated that significant gender differences exist for interest, efficacy, expectancy, and value within science domains (p<.05), although these differences are not the same at each grade level or for each scientific discipline. Significant gender differences in mathematics are present only at the elementary school level.

ARC-1993-AC93-0608-41

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-12

Life from other Worlds' with McNair Middle School TROV robot explores under Antarctic ice - image of Eric James, Ron Schutz, and Wade Sisler of the Photographic Technology Branch co-ordinating remote shots from Antarctic to Ames

Preparing College Students to Teach an Environmental Problem Solving Curriculum to Middle School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powers, S. E.

2001-12-01

An NSF-funded project-based program was implemented by Clarkson University in 2000 to increase the interest and knowledge of middle school students in science, math and technology through the solution of an environmental problem that is relevant to their local school community. Clarkson students developed curricula for 7th and 8th grade science and technology classes and then worked with the middle school students throughout the year to reduce to transform solid waste into healthy soil for plant growth. The solution to this problem provided a vehicle to teach fundamental science and math content as well as the process of doing science and solving problems. Placing college science and engineering students in the classroom proved to be a great mechanism for engaging students in science topics and providing mentoring experiences that differ greatly from those that a practicing professional can provide. It is clear, however, that the students must be well prepared for this experience to maximize the benefits of university - school district partnership programs. The objective of this presentation will be to describe the training program that has been developed to prepare Clarkson students to work effectively in middle school classrooms. The Clarkson students are trained for their classroom experiences during the summer before they enter the classroom. They receive three credits for the training, curriculum development, and teaching efforts. It is expected that the students have the necessary background in science and technology to teach themselves the content and environmental relevance of the problem they will be teaching. Lectures and workshops focus on how to transform this knowledge into a project-based curriculum that meets the needs of the teachers, while also exciting the students. Lecture/workshops include: team work; components of an effective class and teacher; project planning and management; problem solving process; inquiry based learning, deductive/inductive learning; creating unit/lesson plan; defining learning objectives; incorporating mentoring into program; NYS standards and science exam; and, assessment techniques. Journals are used to encourage the fellows to reflect on their learning and own educational experiences. An evaluation of the program by both Clarkson students and their partner teachers indicated that this training was appropriate for the students to enter the classroom as professional scientists and engineers. Their classroom interaction skills improved throughout the year.

Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization Among Middle-School Students

PubMed Central

Rice, Eric; Rhoades, Harmony; Winetrobe, Hailey; Goldbach, Jeremy; Plant, Aaron; Montoya, Jorge; Kordic, Timothy

2015-01-01

Objectives. We examined correlations between gender, race, sexual identity, and technology use, and patterns of cyberbullying experiences and behaviors among middle-school students. Methods. We collected a probability sample of 1285 students alongside the 2012 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Los Angeles Unified School District middle schools. We used logistic regressions to assess the correlates of being a cyberbully perpetrator, victim, and perpetrator–victim (i.e., bidirectional cyberbullying behavior). Results. In this sample, 6.6% reported being a cyberbully victim, 5.0% reported being a perpetrator, and 4.3% reported being a perpetrator–victim. Cyberbullying behavior frequently occurred on Facebook or via text messaging. Cyberbully perpetrators, victims, and perpetrators–victims all were more likely to report using the Internet for at least 3 hours per day. Sexual-minority students and students who texted at least 50 times per day were more likely to report cyberbullying victimization. Girls were more likely to report being perpetrators–victims. Conclusions. Cyberbullying interventions should account for gender and sexual identity, as well as the possible benefits of educational interventions for intensive Internet users and frequent texters. PMID:25602905

Cyberbullying perpetration and victimization among middle-school students.

PubMed

Rice, Eric; Petering, Robin; Rhoades, Harmony; Winetrobe, Hailey; Goldbach, Jeremy; Plant, Aaron; Montoya, Jorge; Kordic, Timothy

2015-03-01

We examined correlations between gender, race, sexual identity, and technology use, and patterns of cyberbullying experiences and behaviors among middle-school students. We collected a probability sample of 1285 students alongside the 2012 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Los Angeles Unified School District middle schools. We used logistic regressions to assess the correlates of being a cyberbully perpetrator, victim, and perpetrator-victim (i.e., bidirectional cyberbullying behavior). In this sample, 6.6% reported being a cyberbully victim, 5.0% reported being a perpetrator, and 4.3% reported being a perpetrator-victim. Cyberbullying behavior frequently occurred on Facebook or via text messaging. Cyberbully perpetrators, victims, and perpetrators-victims all were more likely to report using the Internet for at least 3 hours per day. Sexual-minority students and students who texted at least 50 times per day were more likely to report cyberbullying victimization. Girls were more likely to report being perpetrators-victims. Cyberbullying interventions should account for gender and sexual identity, as well as the possible benefits of educational interventions for intensive Internet users and frequent texters.

Outcome evaluation results of school-based cybersafety promotion and cyberbullying prevention intervention for middle school students.

PubMed

Roberto, Anthony J; Eden, Jen; Savage, Matthew W; Ramos-Salazar, Leslie; Deiss, Douglas M

2014-01-01

Guided largely by the Extended Parallel Process Model, the Arizona Attorney General's Social Networking Safety Promotion and Cyberbullying Prevention presentation attempts to shape, change, and reinforce middle school students' perceptions, attitudes, and intentions related to these important social issues. This study evaluated the short-term effects of this presentation in a field experiment using a posttest-only control-group design with random assignment to conditions. A total of 425 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at a public middle school in a large Southwestern city participated in this study. Results reveal several interesting trends across grade levels regarding cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, and concerning access to various communication technologies. The intervention had the hypothesized main effect on eight of the dependent variables under investigation. Examination of condition by grade interaction effects offered further support for an additional four hypotheses (i.e., the intervention positively affected or reversed a negative trend on four dependent variables in at least one grade). Ideas and implications for future social networking safety promotion and cyberbullying prevention interventions are discussed.

Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Three Conceptual Models in Genetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bresler Freidenreich, Hava; Golan Duncan, Ravit; Shea, Nicole

2011-11-01

Genetics is the cornerstone of modern biology and a critical aspect of scientific literacy. Research has shown, however, that many high school graduates lack fundamental understandings in genetics necessary to make informed decisions about issues and emerging technologies in this domain, such as genetic screening, genetically modified foods, etc. Genetic literacy entails understanding three interrelated models: a genetic model that describes patterns of genetic inheritance, a meiotic model that describes the process by which genes are segregated into sex cells, and a molecular model that describes the mechanisms that link genotypes to phenotypes within an individual. Currently, much of genetics instruction, especially in terms of the molecular model, occurs at the high school level, and we know little about the ways in which middle school students can reason about these models. Furthermore, we do not know the extent to which carefully designed instruction can help younger students develop coherent and interrelated understandings in genetics. In this paper, we discuss a research study aimed at elucidating middle school students' abilities to reason about the three genetic models. As part of our research, we designed an eight-week inquiry unit that was implemented in a combined sixth- to eighth-grade science classroom. We describe our instructional design and report results based on an analysis of written assessments, clinical interviews, and artifacts of the unit. Our findings suggest that middle school students are able to successfully reason about all three genetic models.

Indicators of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career interest among middle school students in the USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, Leila A.

This study examines middle school students' perceptions of a future career in a science, math, engineering, or technology (STEM) career field. Gender, grade, predispositions to STEM contents, and learner dispositions are examined for changing perceptions and development in career-related choice behavior. Student perceptions as measured by validated measurement instruments are analyzed pre and post participation in a STEM intervention energy-monitoring program that was offered in several U.S. middle schools during the 2009-2010, 2010-2011 school years. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model, developed by incorporating predictors identified by an examination of the literature and a hypothesis-generating pilot study for prediction of STEM career interest, is introduced. Theories on the career choice development process from authors such as Ginzberg, Eccles, and Lent are examined as the basis for recognition of career concept development among students. Multiple linear regression statistics, correlation analysis, and analyses of means are used to examine student data from two separate program years. Study research questions focus on predictive ability, RSQ, of MLR models by gender/grade, and significance of model predictors in order to determine the most significant predictors of STEM career interest, and changes in students' perceptions pre and post program participation. Analysis revealed increases in the perceptions of a science career, decreases in perceptions of a STEM career, increase of the significance of science and mathematics to predictive models, and significant increases in students' perceptions of creative tendencies.

What are Middle School Students Talking About During Clicker Questions? Characterizing Small-Group Conversations Mediated by Classroom Response Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barth-Cohen, Lauren A.; Smith, Michelle K.; Capps, Daniel K.; Lewin, Justin D.; Shemwell, Jonathan T.; Stetzer, MacKenzie R.

2016-02-01

There is a growing interest in using classroom response systems or clickers in science classrooms at both the university and K-12 levels. Typically, when instructors use this technology, students are asked to answer and discuss clicker questions with their peers. The existing literature on using clickers at the K-12 level has largely focused on the efficacy of clicker implementation, with few studies investigating collaboration and discourse among students. To expand on this work, we investigated the question: Does clicker use promote productive peer discussion among middle school science students? Specifically, we collected data from middle school students in a physical science course. Students were asked to answer a clicker question individually, discuss the question with their peers, answer the same question again, and then subsequently answer a new matched-pair question individually. We audio recorded the peer conversations to characterize the nature of the student discourse. To analyze these conversations, we used a grounded analysis approach and drew on literature about collaborative knowledge co-construction. The analysis of the conversations revealed that middle school students talked about science content and collaboratively discussed ideas. Furthermore, the majority of conversations, both ones that positively and negatively impacted student performance, contained evidence of collaborative knowledge co-construction.

America's Children: Providing Early Exposure to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeJarnette, Nancy K.

2012-01-01

Recent attention has been brought to light in the United States regarding low numbers of students pursing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines and degree programs (National Science Board, 2010). There is a great need in America for talented scientists and engineers. Numerous programs abound for high school and middle school…

Competency Gauged Writing Activities for Middle Grade Students Prompted by Needs of Technology Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Jan; And Others

A cooperative program conducted by the Logan (Utah) City School District and IBM Corporation used computers in the classroom to develop new teaching and career guidance approaches while enhancing students' process writing skills. The program included units designed for student and teacher awareness of the impacts of technology, the need for a new…

Educator Responses to Technology Influences in a 1:1 Laptop Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boardman, David C.

2012-01-01

Across the globe, students learn with digital texts, classrooms connect through the world-wide web, and elementary students apprentice in highly technical skills such as moviemaking or animation. As education embarks on the second decade of the 21st century, technology is becoming more sought after than ever before as countries prepare their youth…

Student Multimedia Autobiographies: The Roles of Technology, Personal Narrative, and Signifying Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keane, Julie Thompson

2010-01-01

In 2009, the Parsons StoryCorps qualitative case study was designed to closely observe the complexity of youth engagement with digital media for self-presentation in an afterschool digital storytelling project designed to provide students with rich, varied uses of technology in a urban middle school in North Carolina. Several frameworks were…

Using Interactive Technology to Support Students' Understanding of the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varma, Keisha; Linn, Marcia C.

2012-01-01

In this work, we examine middle school students' understanding of the greenhouse effect and global warming. We designed and refined a technology-enhanced curriculum module called "Global Warming: Virtual Earth". In the module activities, students conduct virtual experiments with a visualization of the greenhouse effect. They analyze data and draw…

Differentiating Digital Writing Instruction: The Intersection of Technology, Writing Instruction, and Digital Genre Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Nicole M.; Lambert, Claire

2015-01-01

U.S. adolescents' prior technology experiences and exposure to digital genres vary, but they will often write digital texts as they enter college and adulthood. We explored middle school students' digital writing instructional experience in the context of a university-based summer digital writing camp. The sixth- through eighth-grade adolescents…

The Effectiveness of a Technology-Enhanced Flipped Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezer, Baris

2017-01-01

This study examined the effect on the learning and motivation of students of a flipped classroom environment enriched with technology. A mixed research design using a pretest or posttest experimental model, combined with qualitative data, was conducted in a public middle school in Turkey for 2 weeks (three class hours) within a science course.…

Kinecting Physics: Conceptualization of Motion through Visualization and Embodiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Janice L.; Wall, Steven D.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this work was to share our findings in using the Kinect technology to facilitate the understanding of basic kinematics with middle school science classrooms. This study marks the first three iterations of this design-based research that examines the pedagogical potential of using the Kinect technology. To this end, we explored the…

Using the Internet in Teaching Algebra to Middle School Students: A Study of Teacher Perspectives and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsaeed, Maha Saad

2017-01-01

During the past decades, technological resources have been improved to support the teaching of mathematics. While the improvement of technological resources, the World Wide Web provides teachers and students many resources that engage students in rich mathematics experiences. There are a vast number of educational resources available through the…

Learning How to Design a Technology Supported Inquiry-Based Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakverdi-Can, Meral; Sonmez, Duygu

2012-01-01

This paper describes a study focusing on pre-service teachers' experience of learning how to design a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment using the Internet. As part of their elective course, pre-service science teachers were asked to develop a WebQuest environment targeting middle school students. A WebQuest is an…

Changes in Attitudes towards Science-Technology-Society of Pre-Service Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaya, Osman Nafiz; Yager, Robert; Dogan, Alev

2009-01-01

This research focuses on use of a triadic teaching approach in a science-technology-society (STS) course designed for future science teachers for middle schools in Turkey. Forty-three pre-service science teachers were enrolled in a semester-long course organized around issues students identified and used throughout the semester. The triadic…

An Evaluation of Educational Technology Integration in Middle School Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redditt, Lorry Miller

2007-01-01

To meet the challenge of addressing the educational needs of students enrolled in the 21st century classroom and to meet the vitally important national goal of raising the level of digital inclusion, it is imperative for educators to develop methods of integrating technology into the everyday activities of the classroom. This applied dissertation…

Developing Digital Literacy in the Middle School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimbell-Lopez, Kimberly; Cummins, Carrice; Manning, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Students are growing up in a digital world where technology is constantly changing and evolving. However, their use of these technologies is often more social rather than academically as a way to advance their understanding of key concepts or skills as it relates to instructional content. Teachers know how to teach, and our students are definitely…

Infusing Science, Technology, and Society Into an Elementary Teacher Education Program: The Impact on Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henning, Mary Beth; Peterson, Barbara R.; King, Kenneth Paul

2011-01-01

In an effort to improve science and social studies instruction, preservice teachers developed original science, technology, and society units to teach in elementary and middle school classrooms during their clinical field experience. Data revealed that the preservice teachers fell into categories of being skeptics, open-minded instructors, or…

The Integration of Synchronous Communication Technology into Service Learning for Pre-Service Teachers' Online Tutoring of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chao-Hsiu; Liao, Chen-Hung; Chen, Yi-Chieh; Lee, Chen-Feng

2011-01-01

To well prepare pre-service teachers for their future teaching, researchers and teacher-educators have been employing information and communication technology to improve pre-service teachers' learning of subject-matter knowledge, pedagogies, classroom-management skills, and so on. This study illustrates a service-learning project we conducted to…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Curriculum and Seventh Grade Mathematics and Science Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Jamie Smith

2014-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to evaluate to what degree Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education influenced mathematics and science achievement of seventh grade students in one Middle Tennessee school district. This research used an independent samples t test at the a = 0.05 level to evaluate…

Confirmation and investigation of higher science curiosity in Juarez Middle School students compared to their peers in El Paso, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmona Miranda, Karla

In the last 20 years attitudes towards science and science classes in K-12 education have been an important topic of investigation due to the decreasing number of students choosing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related careers, and the increasing need for STEM prepared workers to cover the job demands of the future. The purpose of this study is to confirm a previously measured difference in scientific curiosity between middle school students in El Paso and in Ciudad Juarez, and to collect additional data that might tell us what the possible factors or reasons for this difference are. Our sample consists of 156 middle school students from Juarez public schools, and 448 middle school students from El Paso public middle schools. The Children's Science Curiosity Scale of Harty & Beall (1984) will be used to measure the curiosity level. Additionally, the students will be asked to respond to "Why do you like or dislike science?" Our results show that those obtained by Ortiz (2006) in a similar study persist but with a reduction of standard deviations. The percentage of students that state that they do not like science in Ciudad Juarez and El Paso are 9% and 14%, respectively. The most common reason to like science among students in Ciudad Juarez was related to the topics covered in class, and among students in El Paso was related to the experiments and hands-on activities done in class. After analyzing contingency tables with chi-squared tests and calculating the respective contingency coefficients, it is safe to say that even though relationships between the reasons to like or dislike science and country exist, these relationships are not strong. Other results, limitations, and future research also are discussed.

Strategies for Foreign Language Teaching: Communication, Technology, Culture. Report of the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (Chicago, Illinois, April 26-28, 1984).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westphal, Patricia B., Ed.; And Others

The 13 selected papers included in this conference report are: "Achieving Curriculum Fit for That 'Horrible' Second Year" (Lorraine A. Strasheim); "Project Partnership: French Culture and Language in the Elementary School" (Susan Turner); "A Middle School Exploratory Course" (Kay Thorp); "Creative and…

Exploring the Hidden Structure of Astronomical Images: A "Pixelated" View of Solar System and Deep Space Features!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, R. Bruce; Sienkiewicz, Frank; Sadler, Philip; Antonucci, Paul; Miller, Jaimie

2013-01-01

We describe activities created to help student participants in Project ITEAMS (Innovative Technology-Enabled Astronomy for Middle Schools) develop a deeper understanding of picture elements (pixels), image creation, and analysis of the recorded data. ITEAMS is an out-of-school time (OST) program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with…

Innovative Teaching and Technology in the Service of Science: Recruiting the Next Generation of STEM Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNally, Thomas

2012-01-01

This article examines innovative approaches to augmenting science lessons taught in middle and high school, with special emphasis on the importance of the early teen years, when experiences both in and out of school have significant impact on career decisions. This is a reflective essay on the recent work of science educators and educational…

A Qualitative Study of Student and Teacher Perceptions Utilizing Interactive Whiteboards in Middle School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbo, Donna Cirillo

2014-01-01

Since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, interactive whiteboards (IWBs) have become a reality and a popular concept in addressed technology use in elementary and secondary schools and the importance of 21st century skills, integrating classrooms across the United States and abroad. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the…

An Exploratory Study of the Impact of Self-Efficacy and Learning Engagement in Coding Learning Activities in Italian Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banzato, Monica; Tosato, Paolo

2017-01-01

In Italy, teaching coding at primary and secondary levels is emerging as a major educational issue, particularly in light of the recent reforms now being implemented. Consequently, there has been increased research on how to introduce information technology in lower secondary schools. This paper presents an exploratory survey, carried out through…

The acquisition of inquiry skills and computer skills by 8th grade urban middle school students in a technology-supported environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffin, Monya Aisha

The evolution of increased global accessibility and dependency on computer technologies has revolutionized most aspects of everyday life, including a rapid transformation of 21st century schools. Current changes in education reflect the need for the integration of effective computer technologies in school curricula. The principal objective of this investigation was to examine the acquisition of computer skills and inquiry skills by urban eighth grade students in a technology-supported environment. The study specifically focused on students' ability to identify, understand, and work through the process of scientific inquiry, while also developing computer technology tool skills. The unique component of the study was its contextualization within a local historically significant setting---an African-American cemetery. Approximately seventy students, in a local middle school, participated in the five-week treatment. Students conducted research investigations on site and over the Internet, worked in collaborative groups, utilized technology labs, and received inquiry and computer technology instruction. A mixed method design employing quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Two pilot studies conducted in an after-school science club format helped sharpen the research question, data collection methods, and survey used in the school-based study. Complete sets of data from pre and post surveys and journals were collected from sixty students. Six students were randomly selected to participate in in-depth focus group interviews. Researcher observations and inferences were also included in the analysis. The research findings showed that, after the treatment, students: (a) acquired more inquiry skills and computer skills, (b) broadened their basic conceptual understanding and perspective about science, (c) engaged actively in a relevant learning process, (d) created tangible evidence of their inquiry skills and computer skills, and (e) recalled and retained more details about the inquiry process and the computer technology tools (when they attended at least 80% of the treatment sessions). The findings indicated that project-based, technology-supported experiences allowed students to learn content in an interdisciplinary way (building on culturally relevant local histories) and provided enjoyable learning opportunities for students and teachers. Participation in the treatment encouraged students to think beyond the technical aspects of technology and relate its relevancy and usefulness to solving scientific queries.

Computer simulations in teaching physics: Development and implementation of a hypermedia system for high school teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, A. M. R.; de Macêdo, J. A.

2016-06-01

On the basis of the technological advancement in the middle and the difficulty of learning by the students in the discipline of physics, this article describes the process of elaboration and implementation of a hypermedia system for high school teachers involving computer simulations for teaching basic concepts of electromagnetism, using free tool. With the completion and publication of the project there will be a new possibility of interaction of students and teachers with the technology in the classroom and in labs.

Exciting middle and high school students about immunology: an easy, inquiry-based lesson.

PubMed

Lukin, Kara

2013-03-01

High school students in the United States are apathetic about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and the workforce pipeline in these areas is collapsing. The lack of understanding of basic principles of biology means that students are unable to make educated decisions concerning their personal health. To address these issues, we have developed a simple, inquiry-based outreach lesson centered on a mouse dissection. Students learn key concepts in immunology and enhance their understanding of human organ systems. The experiment highlights aspects of the scientific method and authentic data collection and analysis. This hands-on activity stimulates interest in biology, personal health and careers in STEM fields. Here, we present all the information necessary to execute the lesson effectively with middle and high school students.

Story - Science - Solutions: A new middle school science curriculum that promotes climate-stewardship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cordero, E.; Centeno Delgado, D. C.

2017-12-01

Over the last five years, Green Ninja has been developing educational media to help motivate student interest and engagement around climate science and solutions. The adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offers a unique opportunity where schools are changing both what they teach in a science class and how they teach. Inspired by the new emphasis in NGSS on climate change, human impact and engineering design, Green Ninja developed a technology focused, integrative, and yearlong science curriculum (6th, 7th and 8th grade) focused broadly around solutions to environmental problems. The use of technology supports the development of skills valuable for students, while also offering real-time metrics to help measure both student learning and environmental impact of student actions. During the presentation, we will describe the design philosophy around our middle school curriculum and share data from a series of classes that have created environmental benefits that transcend the traditional classroom. The notion that formal education, if done correctly, can be leveraged as a viable climate mitigation strategy will be discussed.

Native American Culture: An Interdisciplinary Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troisi, Andrea

1995-01-01

Provides suggestions for a literature-based approach when integrating Native American culture into the middle school curriculum. Recommends resources in the following subjects: language arts, mathematics, physical education, health, home and career skills, technology, art, music, and second language. (AEF)

Computerized Fortune Cookies--a Classroom Treat.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reissman, Rose

1996-01-01

Discusses the use of fortune cookie fortunes in a middle school class combined with computer graphics, desktop publishing, and word processing technology to create writing assignments, games, and discussions. Topics include cultural contexts, and students creating their own fortunes. (LRW)

Investigating Climate Change Issues With Web-Based Geospatial Inquiry Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempsey, C.; Bodzin, A. M.; Sahagian, D. L.; Anastasio, D. J.; Peffer, T.; Cirucci, L.

2011-12-01

In the Environmental Literacy and Inquiry middle school Climate Change curriculum we focus on essential climate literacy principles with an emphasis on weather and climate, Earth system energy balance, greenhouse gases, paleoclimatology, and how human activities influence climate change (http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/). It incorporates a related set of a framework and design principles to provide guidance for the development of the geospatial technology-integrated Earth and environmental science curriculum materials. Students use virtual globes, Web-based tools including an interactive carbon calculator and geologic timeline, and inquiry-based lab activities to investigate climate change topics. The curriculum includes educative curriculum materials that are designed to promote and support teachers' learning of important climate change content and issues, geospatial pedagogical content knowledge, and geographic spatial thinking. The curriculum includes baseline instructional guidance for teachers and provides implementation and adaptation guidance for teaching with diverse learners including low-level readers, English language learners and students with disabilities. In the curriculum, students use geospatial technology tools including Google Earth with embedded spatial data to investigate global temperature changes, areas affected by climate change, evidence of climate change, and the effects of sea level rise on the existing landscape. We conducted a designed-based research implementation study with urban middle school students. Findings showed that the use of the Climate Change curriculum showed significant improvement in urban middle school students' understanding of climate change concepts.

"Tech"nically Speaking: Social Technology Cyberbullying among Middle and High School Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Nicole L.

2012-01-01

Being a teenager is not easy, but most of us live through it. Cyberbullying suicide victims will not have this luxury. Advancements in and access to social technologies (social networking sites, instant messaging systems, cell phone texting) are rewriting interaction patterns as they provide a majority of our nation's students with 24-hour-a-day,…

Charge It! Translating Electric Vehicle Research Results to Engage 7th and 8th Grade Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egbue, Ona; Long, Suzanna; Ng, Ean-Harn

2015-01-01

Despite attempts to generate interest in science and technology careers, US students continue to show reduced interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors at the collegiate level. If girls are not engaged in STEM learning by the middle school level, studies show that they are even less likely to choose a science- or…

What Happens when the Research Ends? Factors Related to the Sustainability of a Technology-Infused Mathematics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fishman, Barry; Penuel, William R.; Hegedus, Stephen; Roschelle, Jeremy

2011-01-01

This study examines factors related to the sustainability of SimCalc Mathworlds (SCMW), a technology-infused mathematics curriculum. We surveyed middle school teachers one year after their participation in a randomized trial where they were introduced to SCMW curriculum, to identify factors related to their continued use of the materials in ways…

The Impact of Assistive Technology on Curriculum Accommodation for a Braille-Reading Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnsworth, Charles R.; Luckner, John L.

2008-01-01

Over 5 months, the authors evaluated the efficacy of electronic assistive technology (the BrailleNote mPower BT-32 notetaker and Tiger Cub Jr. embosser) and associated software components in creating curriculum materials for a middle school Braille-reading student. The authors collected data at the beginning and end of the study from parents,…

Effectiveness of Science-Technology-Society (STS) Instruction on Student Understanding of the Nature of Science and Attitudes toward Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akcay, Behiye; Akcay, Hakan

2015-01-01

The study reports on an investigation about the impact of science-technology-society (STS) instruction on middle school student understanding of the nature of science (NOS) and attitudes toward science compared to students taught by the same teacher using traditional textbook-oriented instruction. Eight lead teachers used STS instruction an…

NASA's Suborbital Missions Teach Engineering and Technology: Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winterton, Joyce L.

2016-01-01

A 50 minute-workshop based on NASA publicly available information will be conducted at the International Technology and Engineering Educator Association annual conference. Attendees will include middle and high school teachers and university teacher educators. Engineering and technology are essential to NASA's suborbital missions including sounding rockets, scientific balloon and airborne science. The attendees will learn how to include NASA information on these missions in their teaching.

Activities for the Changing Earth System. Earth Systems Education, Middle School and High School Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Research Foundation.

This book is intended to help teachers fulfill the need for children and future leaders to understand issues of global change and the science that lies behind them. Important changes are occurring in several of the earth's subsystems. The changes are thought to be the result from the expanding use of technology for the improvement of living…

Disruptive Fixation: School Reform and the Pitfalls of Techno-Idealism. Princeton Studies in Culture and Technology Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Christo

2017-01-01

In New York City in 2009, a new kind of public school opened its doors to its inaugural class of middle schoolers. Conceived by a team of game designers and progressive educational reformers and backed by prominent philanthropic foundations, it promised to reinvent the classroom for the digital age. Ethnographer Christo Sims documented the life of…

Guess Again: Will Changing the Grades Save Middle-Level Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beane, James; Lipka, Richard

2006-01-01

Blaming unsatisfactory student achievement on the middle school concept is a case of mistaken identity. Too many middle schools have failed to fully implement the middle school concept. Based on statements from the Carnegie Council and the National Middle School Association, the middle school concept calls for improved academic achievement for all…

A Study on The Effectiveness of a Pilot Inquiry-Based Middle School Science Program on Non- Cognitive Outcomes and Academic Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dionisio, Rui Meira

The randomized research study assessed the effect of an inquiry-based science (IBS) program on non-cognitive outcomes and academic achievement. The study was the result of a grant that was awarded by Professional Resources in Science and Mathematics (PRISM), a program affiliated with Montclair State University in conjunction with Bristol-Myers Squibb, and part of the New Jersey Statewide Systemic Initiative (NJSSI). The NJSSI is a partnership of schools, districts, colleges and universities, science centers, businesses, and museums dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of science, mathematics, and technology in New Jersey. The quantitative research study utilized an IBS instructional program titled Science and Technology Concepts for Middle Schools (STC/MS) and was implemented in two middle schools within the same suburban school district. This study examined the effect of IBS classrooms on learning outcomes specifically related to gender and special education. Evaluation of student learning outcomes was conducted through the administration of three instruments: the Academic Self-Concept (ASC) scale, unit assessments, and NJASK 8 Science. The ASC scale and unit assessments were administered as a pretest and posttest in IBS classrooms. NJASK 8 Science scale scores were obtained through reporting of student performance data from the New Jersey Department of Education to the district. The quantitative analysis in this study provided evidence that IBS classrooms had a positive effect on academic achievement. Overall, students in IBS classrooms performed better than students in traditional classrooms on unit assessments. Additionally, male students and special education students in IBS classrooms outperformed students in traditional classrooms on unit assessments.

Longitudinal associations between time spent using technology and sleep duration among adolescents.

PubMed

Mazzer, K; Bauducco, S; Linton, S J; Boersma, K

2018-07-01

Technology use has been the focus of much concern for adolescents' sleep health. However, few studies have investigated the bidirectional association between sleep duration and time spent using technology. The aim of this study was to test whether time spent using technology predicted shorter sleep duration, and/or vice versa using cross-lagged analyses over one year. Participants were 1620 high school students in the 8th and 9th grade at baseline from 17 public schools in three middle Sweden communities. Students completed questionnaires at school during the spring of 2015 and 2016. Time spent using technology was self-reported and sleep duration was calculated from reported bed-times, wake-times and sleep onset latency. Time spent using technology significantly predicted shorter subsequent sleep duration and vice versa. Public health advocates educating others about the negative impacts of technology on sleep must also be mindful of the opposite, that many young people may turn to technological devices when experiencing difficulty sleeping. Copyright © 2018 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Educational Outreach at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, P.; Rivenberg, P.; Censabella, V.

2002-11-01

At the MIT PSFC, student and staff volunteers work together to increase the public's knowledge of fusion science and plasma technology. Seeking to generate excitement in young people about science and engineering, the PSFC hosts a number of educational outreach activities throughout the year, including Middle and High School Outreach Days. The PSFC also has an in-school science-demonstration program on the theme of magnetism. As ``Mr. Magnet," Technical Supervisor Paul Thomas brings a truck-load of hands-on demonstrations to K-12 schools, challenging students to help him with experiments. While teaching fundamentals of magnetism and electricity he shows that science is fun for all, and that any student can have a career in science. This year he reached 82 schools -- 30,000 teachers and students. He has recently expanded his teaching to include an interactive demonstration of plasma, encouraging participants to investigate plasma properties with audiovisual, electromagnetic, and spectroscopic techniques. He has also developed a workshop for middle school on how to build an electromagnet.

Middle Years. For Middle Level Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hechinger, Fred M.; And Others

1992-01-01

This supplement offers 10 articles focusing on middle school education. Topics include remembering adolescence, resources and teaching tips, active middle school students, adolescent development, challenges in middle school education, integrated studies, planning middle school special events, a writing-science-consumerism miniunit on popcorn,…

Listening to Their Voices: Middle Schoolers' Perspectives of Life in Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Mary Anne; McCray, Erica D.

2012-01-01

This article examines middle schoolers' perspectives on their lives in middle school. Fifteen middle school students from three middle schools in the Southeast region of the United States participated in a basic qualitative study using focus groups at their schools where they were asked the central question, "If you could change one thing at…

The Potentials of Student Initiated Netspeak in a Middle Primary Science-inspired Multiliteracies Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridgewell, Jay; Exley, Beryl

2011-11-01

There is no denying that the information technology revolution of the late twentieth century has arrived. Whilst not equitably accessible for many, others hold high expectations for the contributions online activity will make to student learning outcomes. Concurrently, and not necessarily consequentially, the number of science and technology secondary school and university graduates throughout the world has declined substantially, as has their motivation and engagement with school science (OECD 2006). The aim of this research paper is to explore one aspect of online activity, that of forum-based netspeak (Crystal 2006), in relation to the possibilities and challenges it provides for forms of scientific learning. This paper reports findings from a study investigating student initiated netspeak in a science inspired multiliteracies (New London Group 2000) project in one middle primary (aged 7-10 years) multi-age Australian classroom. Drawing on the theoretical description of the five phases of enquiry proposed by Bybee (1997), an analytic framework is proffered that allows identification of student engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration and evaluation of scientific enquiry. The findings provide insight into online forums for advancing learning in, and motivation for, science in the middle primary years.

Middle School Engagement with Mathematics Software and Later Interest and Self-Efficacy for STEM Careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocumpaugh, Jaclyn; San Pedro, Maria Ofelia; Lai, Huei-yi; Baker, Ryan S.; Borgen, Fred

2016-12-01

Research suggests that trajectories toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emerge early and are influenced by multiple factors. This paper presents a longitudinal study, which uses data from 76 high school students to explore how a student's vocational self-efficacy and interest are related to his or her middle school behavioral and affective engagement. Measures of vocational self-efficacy and interest are drawn from STEM-related scales in CAPAExplore, while measures of middle school performance and engagement in mathematics are drawn from several previously validated automated indicators extracted from logs of student interaction with ASSISTments, an online learning platform. Results indicate that vocational self-efficacy correlates negatively with confusion, but positively with engaged concentration and carelessness. Interest, which also correlates negatively with confusion, correlates positively with correctness and carelessness. Other disengaged behaviors, such as gaming the system, were not correlated with vocational self-efficacy or interest, despite previous studies indicating that they are associated with future college attendance. We discuss implications for these findings, which have the potential to assist educators or counselors in developing strategies to sustain students' interest in STEM-related careers.

Transforming attitudes and lives: Liberating African-American elementary and middle school students in out-of-school time STEM education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Charisse F.

Statistically, African-Americans, women, and the disabled are underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Historically, these underrepresented students, are described as being unrecognized and underdeveloped in the American STEM circuit. Many experience deficient and inadequate educational resources, are not encouraged to pursue STEM education and careers, and are confronted with copious obstructions. In this quantitative study, the researcher collected pretest and posttest survey data from a group of 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade African-American students in Title I funded schools. The reseacher used quantitative analysis to determine any significant differences in the science related attitudes between and within groups who participated in Out of School-Time Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs and those who did not. Results revealed no significant differences in the science related attitudes between the groups of the students who participated in the Out of School Time-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs and those who did not. Results also revealed no significant differences in the science related attitudes within the groups of students who participated in the Out of School Time-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs and those who did not.

Multivariate Assessment of Middle School Students' Interest in STEM Career: a Profile from Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koyunlu Ünlü, Zeynep; Dökme, İlbilge

2018-05-01

According to a report by the Turkish Industry and Business Association, Turkey will need approximately 1 million individuals to be employed in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) fields by 2023, and 31% of this requirement will not be met. For continuous economic development, there is a need to integrate STEM into education in Turkey, which brings the need for research in this area. This study, based on a survey model, aimed to determine the level of interest of a sample of Turkish middle school students in STEM careers on the basis of gender, where they lived, grade levels, their end-of-semester grades, and their parents' educational status and levels of income. The research data was collected using the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) and Personal Information Form, which were applied to 851 middle school students (fifth and eighth graders). The collected data was analyzed with SPSS using Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H tests. It was found that middle school students' interest in STEM careers differed according to sex, where they lived, and grade levels but it did not differ in relation to their parents' educational status and the levels of income of the family. It is believed that the results obtained in this study reflecting the profile in Turkey will guide educational policy makers, curriculum developers, teachers, pre-service teachers, and researchers about STEM education.

Marketing Strategy and Implementation

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

None, None

This report documents the preparation of materials for the marketing campaign that has been designed for middle and high school students in New Mexico to increase interest in participation in national security careers at the National Nuclear Security Administration. The materials and the marketing campaign build on the research that was previously completed, as well as the focus groups that were conducted. This work is a part of the National Nuclear Security Preparedness Project (NSPP). Previous research included outcome analysis to determine appropriate marketing strategies. The analysis was based upon focus groups with middle school and high school students, studentmore » interactions, and surveys completed by students to understand and gauge student interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects, interest in careers at NNSA, future job considerations, and student desire to pursue post-secondary education. Further, through the focus groups, students were asked to attend a presentation on NNSA job opportunities and employee requirements. The feedback received from the students was utilized to develop the focus and components of a marketing campaign divided into DISCO (Discovering Intelligence and Security Career Opportunities) for the middle school age group and DISCO…..Your Way! for high school age groups. Both campaigns have an intertwined message that focuses on the education of students in the various national security career opportunities at NNSA using the STEM concepts and the notion that almost any career they can think of has a fit within NNSA. Further, a special emphasis has been placed on the importance of obtaining a national security clearance when working at NNSA and the steps that will need to be taken during middle school, high school, and college to be allowed this opportunity.« less

Museums, zoos, and gardens: how formal-informal partnerships can impact urban students' performance in science.

PubMed

Weinstein, Meryle; Whitesell, Emilyn Ruble; Schwartz, Amy Ellen

2014-12-01

Informal science education institutions (ISEIs) are critical partners in public science education, as they support the science efforts of school systems by providing authentic opportunities for scientific inquiry. This study reports findings from an evaluation of urban advantage (UA), a collaboration between the New York City Department of Education and eight ISEIs designed to improve science education in New York City (NYC) middle schools. Now in its 10th year, the program harnesses the resources and expertise of NYC's ISEIs to (a) enhance the science content knowledge of middle school science teachers, (b) develop teachers' skills at using inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms, and (c) improve the science achievement of middle school students. We examine whether the UA program has led to increased student achievement on the eighth-grade New York State standardized science exam for students in participating schools; in supplemental analyses, we examine the effects on longer term (ninth-grade) outcomes. We use a difference-in-differences framework with school fixed effects to estimate the impact of attending a UA school in eighth grade on science achievement. Our key outcome is performance on New York State's eighth-grade intermediate-level science assessment; longer term outcomes include enrollment at specialized science, technology, engineering, and math high schools as well as taking and passing the high school (Regents) science exams. We find that attending a UA school increases student performance on the eighth-grade science exam by approximately 0.05 SD, and there is some evidence of small effects on Regents taking and passing rates. © The Author(s) 2014.

An Architecture Design Project: "Building" Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Sarah B.; Albanese, Judith; Karp, Karen S.; Karp, Matthew

2017-01-01

Middle school students need relevant, meaningful contexts to apply emerging mathematical ideas. In this project, through the context of an architecture investigation, seventh-grade students engaged in mathematics involving area, surface area, volume, ratios and proportional thinking, number sense, and technology integration. Students, working in…

Afterschool: Middle School and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 44

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afterschool Alliance, 2010

2010-01-01

The 21st Century's information economy has been creating more jobs that require not only a college education but also a fair amount of expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math--collectively known as STEM. The last several decades have seen the industrial- and manufacturing-based economy shift to a service economy fueled…

According to Candidate Teachers Views Classroom Management Problems of Teachers in Traditional and Technology-Supported Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Said

2017-01-01

In this research, it is aimed to investigate classroom management problems of middle school 6th and 7th grade teachers in traditional and technology-supported classrooms and differences between them. For this purpose the opinions of the students in the 4th grade of Primary Education Department in Faculty of Education of Süleyman Demirel University…

Effects of Online Visual and Interactive Technological Tool (OVITT) on Early Adolescent Students' Mathematics Performance, Math Anxiety and Attitudes toward Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orabuchi, Nkechi

2013-01-01

This study reported the results of a 3-month quasi-experimental study that determined the effectiveness of an online visual and interactive technological tool on sixth grade students' mathematics performance, math anxiety and attitudes towards math. There were 155 sixth grade students from a middle school in the North Texas area who participated…

Factors Influencing Turkish Preservice Teachers' Intentions to Use Educational Technologies and the Mediating Role of Risk Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilinc, Ahmet; Ertmer, Peggy A.; Bahcivan, Eralp; Demirbag, Mehmet; Sonmez, Arzu; Ozel, Ruhan

2016-01-01

An expanded version of the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), which incorporated the concept of Risk Perceptions (RP), was used to examine the intentions of Turkish preservice middle school teachers to use educational technologies (ET) in their future classrooms. A modified survey was developed and tested with a sample of 1,667…

Learning about technology: Family vs. peer pairings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heller, Patricia; Padilla, Michael; Hertel, Barbara; Olstad, Roger

Recently a number of institutions have begun sponsoring nondeficit science and/or technology learning experiences for parents and their middle school-aged children which are intended to be enriching rather than remedial or compensatory in purpose. Very little research documenting the effects of parental involvement in the education of older children has been reported, however.The intent of this article was to present two studies designed to determine whether middle school-aged children's attitudes and content achievement are different when they take a technology course with their parents (parent-child treatment) or with their peers (child-child treatment). The first study focused on learning about communications technology (primarily telegraphs, telephones and radios); the second study focused on microcomputers.Results indicate that parents have little affect in helping their children learn the subject matter of technology courses. Likewise, parents do not affect children's attitudes toward computers. Both results were attenuated by the fact that the students in the studies were high achievers who were interested in and motivated to learn the subject matter, regardless of treatment. Significant differences were noted for computer literacy favoring the parent-child group, however. Parents also seemed to effect children's attitudes toward the subject matter of the courses.Further research needs to be done with less appealing course content or with less motivated students to fully determine the effect of parent-child and child groupings in science and technology courses.

A Study of the Correlation between STEM Career Knowledge, Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Career Interests, and Career Activities on the Likelihood of Pursuing a STEM Career among Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blotnicky, Karen A.; Franz-Odendaal, Tamara; French, Frederick; Joy, Phillip

2018-01-01

Background: A sample of 1448 students in grades 7 and 9 was drawn from public schools in Atlantic Canada to explore students' knowledge of science and mathematics requirements for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Also explored were their mathematics self-efficacy (MSE), their future career interests, their…

Potentials of Mobile Technology for K-12 Education: An Investigation of iPod Touch Use for English Language Learners in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Min; Navarrete, Cesar C.; Wivagg, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This case study investigated a m-learning initiative by a large school district in the United States to provide iPod touch devices 24/7 to teachers and students of English Language Learners. We described the initiative and presented the research findings of its implementation for two years at elementary and middle school levels. The results…

Middle school science curriculum design and 8th grade student achievement in Massachusetts public schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clifford, Betsey A.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released proposed Science and Technology/Engineering standards in 2013 outlining the concepts that should be taught at each grade level. Previously, standards were in grade spans and each district determined the method of implementation. There are two different methods used teaching middle school science: integrated and discipline-based. In the proposed standards, the Massachusetts DESE uses grade-by-grade standards using an integrated approach. It was not known if there is a statistically significant difference in student achievement on the 8th grade science MCAS assessment for students taught with an integrated or discipline-based approach. The results on the 8th grade science MCAS test from six public school districts from 2010 -- 2013 were collected and analyzed. The methodology used was quantitative. Results of an ANOVA showed that there was no statistically significant difference in overall student achievement between the two curriculum models. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference for the various domains: Earth and Space Science, Life Science, Physical Science, and Technology/Engineering. This information is useful for districts hesitant to make the change from a discipline-based approach to an integrated approach. More research should be conducted on this topic with a larger sample size to better support the results.

Students to Race Solar-Powered Model Cars

Science.gov Websites

hotel and the NREL Visitors Center. The SERF is the silver-colored building one-eighth mile past the teams Eagle Valley Middle School Two teams Fountain Middle School One team Hayden Middle School Two teams Kunsmiller Middle School One team Little Elementary Two teams Lyons Middle School Two teams Maple

Latinos' Changing Ethnic Group Representation From Elementary to Middle School: Perceived Belonging and Academic Achievement.

PubMed

Morales-Chicas, Jessica; Graham, Sandra

2017-09-01

This study examined the association between change in ethnic group representation from elementary to middle school and Latino students' school belonging and achievement. The ethnic diversity of students' middle school was examined as a moderator. Participants were 1,825 Latino sixth graders from 26 ethnically diverse urban middle schools. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that a change in ethnic representation toward fewer Latinos in middle school than elementary school was related to less perceived belonging and lower achievement in schools with low ethnic diversity. There were no mean differences as a function of declining representation in more diverse middle schools, suggesting that greater school diversity was protective. Findings highlight the importance of examining school ethnic context, especially across the middle school transition. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2016 Society for Research on Adolescence.

The effect of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) on middle school students' scores in mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramey, Toni Boyd

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) program in middle schools reduced the gaps found between students' CRT scores; specifically, did the gaps found in the CRT scores within the respective subgroups race, gender, SES, and special/regular education narrow? The subject areas considered by this study were mathematics and science. Student-level data were collected and examined for longitudinal changes over a three year period in which the AMSTI program was implemented at two participating public middle schools. The dependent variables used were mathematics and science CRT scores of 6th through 8th grade students. Three repeated measures MANCOVAs and one MANOVA were conducted in order to examine possible longitudinal changes in the mathematics and science scores of the student population as well as for changes in the gaps between the demographic groups of students within the subgroups. Significant decreases were found in the differences between the respective subgroups in the variables of SES and special education. The reductions were attributed to both mathematics and science. A significant reduction in the gap found between races was found, but could not be attributed to either mathematics or science. Gender was the only subgroup in which no significant change was found. Additionally, a questionnaire was administered to teachers in four public middle schools in which AMSTI had been implemented. ANOVAs were used to examine the responses to determine how teacher training in AMSTI materials and techniques affected reported teacher attitude and frequency of usage of inquiry-based lessons. When the responses of teachers with less than one year of AMSTI training were compared to those teachers with more than one year of training, no significant change in teachers' reported attitudes toward inquiry lessons or the frequency of usage of inquiry lessons was found.

Implementing a Workforce Development Pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hix, Billy

2002-01-01

Research shows that the number of highly trained scientists and engineers has continued a steady decline during the 1990's. Furthermore, at the high school level, almost 40% of the total high school graduates are seeking technical skills in preparation of entering the workforce directly. The decrease of students in technology and science programs, along with the lack of viable vocational programs, haunts educators and businesses alike. However, MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) has the opportunity to become a leading edge model of workforce development by offering a unified program of apprenticeships, workshops, and educational initiatives. These programs will be designed to encourage young people of all backgrounds to pursue the fields of technology and science, to assist research opportunities, and to support teachers in the systemic changes that they are facing. The emphasis of our program based on grade levels will be: Elementary Level: Exposure to the workforce. Middle School: Examine the workforce. High School and beyond: Instruct the workforce. It is proposed that MSFC create a well-integrated Workforce Development Pipeline Program. The program will act to integrate the many and varied programs offered across MSFC directorates and offices. It will offer a clear path of programs for students throughout middle school, high school, technical training, and college and universities. The end result would consist of technicians, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and PhDs in science and engineering fields entering the nation's workforce, with a focus on NASA's future personnel needs.

Desks, Dollars, and Deficits: Managing a Middle School during a Recession.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrill, Adeline B.

1992-01-01

A brief history of East Ridge Middle School in Connecticut illustrates the strong economic and demographic pressures that can work against a middle school. The principal plays a crucial role in preserving both the structure and the programs of an effective middle school. Points out strategies to protect and develop middle schools in tough economic…

Operationalization of a Frame of Reference for Studying Organizational Culture in Middle Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Larry G.

A frame of reference for studying culture in middle schools was developed. Items for the Middle School Description Survey (MSDS), which was designed to test elements of the ideal middle school culture, were created based on middle school advocacy literature. The items were conceptually categorized according to E. H. Schein's (1985) cultural…

Proportional Reasoning and the Visually Impaired

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, Geoff; Hilton, Annette; Dole, Shelley L.; Goos, Merrilyn; O'Brien, Mia

2012-01-01

Proportional reasoning is an important aspect of formal thinking that is acquired during the developmental years that approximate the middle years of schooling. Students who fail to acquire sound proportional reasoning often experience difficulties in subjects that require quantitative thinking, such as science, technology, engineering, and…

Ready, Aim, Fire Your Cannons!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enderson, Mary C.

2015-01-01

This article presents a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activity, building an air cannon, in a mathematics classroom. It describes an investigation grounded in STEM concepts that elementary and middle school teachers carried out to think about ways of implementing STEM activities into their instruction. This particular…

Distance Learning for Teacher Professional Development in Statistics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meletiou-Mavrotheris, Maria; Mavrotheris, Efstathios; Paparistodemou, Efi

2011-01-01

We provide an overview of "EarlyStatistics," an online professional development course in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school teachers. The course facilitates intercultural collaboration of teachers using contemporary technological and educational tools. An online information base offers access to all of…

Positive Pitfalls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Michael

2004-01-01

This article describes how Cahokia middle and high school students conduct inquiry-based science through a pitfall trap experiment. In a collaborative effort, students designed and conducted pitfall trap investigations that combined their interest in the natural world with their love of technology. The students set up their own experiments to…

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Middle School-Aged Female Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hanna

2016-04-01

This study investigates the effects of an intensive 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program (InSTEP) designed for middle school-aged female students. InSTEP uses a guided/open inquiry approach that is deepened and redefined as eight sciences and engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which aimed at increasing female students' interest in science and science-related careers. This study examined the effectiveness of InSTEP on 123 female students' pre-assessment and post-assessment changes in attitudes toward science and content knowledge of selected science concepts. An attitude survey, a science content test with multiple-choice questions, written assignments, and interviews to collect data were all used to measure students' attitudes and content knowledge. A within-group, repeated measure design was conducted, and the results indicated that at the post-intervention level, InSTEP increased the participants' positive attitudes toward science, science-related careers, and content knowledge of selected science concepts.

Middle School Teachers and School Leadership Perceptions of School Culture: An Examination of the Transition from Junior Highs to Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaney, Maura Chase

2013-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine the transition from junior high school to a middle school as experienced in two middle schools from a mid-sized urban school district located in the Rocky Mountains. The overarching question that guided data collection for this study centered on the factors that influenced school culture before,…

Rules of the Game: Effects of a Game-based Metaphor on Instructional Activity Design and the Use of Student Mentors on Learning Outcomes in a Middle School General Science Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dowling, Angie

This study investigated the effects of a game-like environment on instructional activity design and the use of student mentors on learning outcomes in a middle school general science class. The participants for this study were 165 students, ages 13-14 years old, who were enrolled in 8th grade at a mid-Atlantic middle school. Two research questions were used to conduct the research: 1. Can science content be designed and successfully delivered instructionally using a game-like learning environment? 2. Does the use of student mentors/assistants help direct and maintain the flow of the class away from the technological issues toward the necessary learning outcomes while also increasing the science content understanding acquired by the mentors while also increasing class and student engagement? For this study an introductory biology unit was designed using a game-like curricular structure. Student mentors were utilized in order to aid focus on the content and not the technology. The results indicated that the instructional design of the unit using a game-like environment was successful and students exhibited learning. The mentor students were instrumental in steering their fellow students away from the “Siren’s Call” of the instrument (in this case StarLogo) and enabled increased focus on the content. Keywords: Trivial games, Serious Games, Epistemic Games, Student Mentors, StarLogo, Elaboration Theory.

School Mobility among Middle School Students: When and for Whom Does It Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Sara

2017-01-01

This study sought to understand the extent to which elementary or middle school mobility was associated with adverse middle school academic achievement and mental health and whether youth or contextual characteristics moderated associations. I contrasted elementary and middle school mobility to consider whether a recent school move or elementary…

Female Middle School Principals' Voices: Implications for School Leadership Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Cathy; Ovando, Martha; High, Cynthia

2009-01-01

This study was an attempt to add the voices of women to the discourse of school leadership. It focused on the nature of the middle school leadership experiences of three female middle school principals, their social interactions based on gender role expectations and their own leadership perspectives. Findings suggest that middle school leadership…

Advancing participation of blind students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck-Winchatz, Bernhard; Riccobono, Mark A.

2008-12-01

Like their sighted peers, many blind students in elementary, middle, and high school are naturally interested in space. This interest can motivate them to learn fundamental scientific, quantitative, and critical thinking skills, and sometimes even lead to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. However, these students are often at a disadvantage in science because of the ubiquity of important graphical information that is generally not available in accessible formats, the unfamiliarity of teachers with non-visual teaching methods, lack of access to blind role models, and the low expectations of their teachers and parents. We discuss joint efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Federation of the Blind’s (NFB) National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS) to develop and implement strategies to promote opportunities for blind youth in science. These include the development of tactile space science books and curriculum materials, science academies for blind middle school and high school students, and college-level internship and mentoring programs. The partnership with the NFB exemplifies the effectiveness of collaborations between NASA and consumer-directed organizations to improve opportunities for underserved and underrepresented individuals.

Efficacy of MedMyst: an Internet Teaching Tool for Middle School Microbiology.

PubMed

Miller, Leslie M; Moreno, Janette; Estrera, Vicky; Lane, David

2004-05-01

Can web-based technology be used to effectively introduce or reinforce aspects of microbiology to middle school students? This central hypothesis examines whether brief exposure to a web adventure format containing virtual lab experiments and computer games within an engaging story line can impact student learning. An episodic adventure series, MedMyst (http://medmyst.rice.edu), focuses on infectious diseases and the microbes that cause them. The website is not intended to replace classroom instruction, but rather to engage students in problem-solving activities not likely to be encountered elsewhere. It also provides scientists with a resource to introduce microbiology to adolescent audiences through outreach activities. In the online adventure, the player (student) enters a futuristic world in which he or she becomes a "Reconstructor," a member of an elite team charged with preventing the spread of infectious disease. The series consists of three "missions," each lasting approximately 30 to 40 minutes and designed to address a limited set of learning objectives. Middle school students participated in the creation of the characters and the stylized design through focus groups. Classroom teachers oversaw the alignment of the web adventure objectives with the National Science Content Standards. Scientists and clinicians reviewed the web adventure for content and accuracy. A field test involving over 700 students from nine different schools assessed the knowledge gains attributable to playing MedMyst. Gain scores from pretest to posttest indicated that middle school students retained important information by interacting with the online material for as little as 30 minutes per adventure; however, gains for high school students were less persuasive, perhaps indicating a different learning tool or content is required for this age audience.

Stepwise Development of a Text Messaging-Based Bullying Prevention Program for Middle School Students (BullyDown)

PubMed Central

Prescott, Tonya L; Espelage, Dorothy L

2016-01-01

Background Bullying is a significant public health issue among middle school-aged youth. Current prevention programs have only a moderate impact. Cell phone text messaging technology (mHealth) can potentially overcome existing challenges, particularly those that are structural (e.g., limited time that teachers can devote to non-educational topics). To date, the description of the development of empirically-based mHealth-delivered bullying prevention programs are lacking in the literature. Objective To describe the development of BullyDown, a text messaging-based bullying prevention program for middle school students, guided by the Social-Emotional Learning model. Methods We implemented five activities over a 12-month period: (1) national focus groups (n=37 youth) to gather acceptability of program components; (2) development of content; (3) a national Content Advisory Team (n=9 youth) to confirm content tone; and (4) an internal team test of software functionality followed by a beta test (n=22 youth) to confirm the enrollment protocol and the feasibility and acceptability of the program. Results Recruitment experiences suggested that Facebook advertising was less efficient than using a recruitment firm to recruit youth nationally, and recruiting within schools for the pilot test was feasible. Feedback from the Content Advisory Team suggests a preference for 2-4 brief text messages per day. Beta test findings suggest that BullyDown is both feasible and acceptable: 100% of youth completed the follow-up survey, 86% of whom liked the program. Conclusions Text messaging appears to be a feasible and acceptable delivery method for bullying prevention programming delivered to middle school students. PMID:27296471

Stepwise Development a Text Messaging-Based Bullying Prevention Program for Middle School Students (BullyDown).

PubMed

Ybarra, Michele L; Prescott, Tonya L; Espelage, Dorothy L

2016-06-13

Bullying is a significant public health issue among middle school-aged youth. Current prevention programs have only a moderate impact. Cell phone text messaging technology (mHealth) can potentially overcome existing challenges, particularly those that are structural (e.g., limited time that teachers can devote to non-educational topics). To date, the description of the development of empirically-based mHealth-delivered bullying prevention programs are lacking in the literature. To describe the development of BullyDown, a text messaging-based bullying prevention program for middle school students, guided by the Social-Emotional Learning model. We implemented five activities over a 12-month period: (1) national focus groups (n=37 youth) to gather acceptability of program components; (2) development of content; (3) a national Content Advisory Team (n=9 youth) to confirm content tone; and (4) an internal team test of software functionality followed by a beta test (n=22 youth) to confirm the enrollment protocol and the feasibility and acceptability of the program. Recruitment experiences suggested that Facebook advertising was less efficient than using a recruitment firm to recruit youth nationally, and recruiting within schools for the pilot test was feasible. Feedback from the Content Advisory Team suggests a preference for 2-4 brief text messages per day. Beta test findings suggest that BullyDown is both feasible and acceptable: 100% of youth completed the follow-up survey, 86% of whom liked the program. Text messaging appears to be a feasible and acceptable delivery method for bullying prevention programming delivered to middle school students.

Sleep Habits of Elementary and Middle School Children in South Texas

PubMed Central

Surani, Salim; Hesselbacher, Sean; Surani, Saherish; Sadasiva, Sreevidya; Surani, Zoya; Surani, Sara S.; Khimani, Amina; Subramanian, Shyam

2015-01-01

Background. Sleep difficulties, including insufficient sleep and inadequate sleep hygiene, have been prevalent among children. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor grades, sleepiness, and moodiness. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of sleep abnormalities among elementary and middle school students in South Texas and how the groups compare with one another. Method. After approval from the appropriate school district for a sleep education program, a baseline survey was taken of elementary and middle school students, using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire-Sleep Self-Report Form, which assessed the domains of bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, sleep duration, night awakening, and daytime sleepiness. Results. The survey was completed by 499 elementary and 1008 middle school children. Trouble sleeping was reported by 43% in elementary school, compared with 29% of middle school children. Fifty percent of middle school children did not like sleeping, compared with 26% in elementary school. Bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and nighttime awakening were more common among elementary school students. Daytime sleepiness was more common among the middle school children when compared to elementary school children. Conclusions. Sleep abnormalities are present in elementary school children with changes in sleep habits into middle school. PMID:26770835

Sleep Habits of Elementary and Middle School Children in South Texas.

PubMed

Surani, Salim; Hesselbacher, Sean; Surani, Saherish; Sadasiva, Sreevidya; Surani, Zoya; Surani, Sara S; Khimani, Amina; Subramanian, Shyam

2015-01-01

Background. Sleep difficulties, including insufficient sleep and inadequate sleep hygiene, have been prevalent among children. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor grades, sleepiness, and moodiness. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of sleep abnormalities among elementary and middle school students in South Texas and how the groups compare with one another. Method. After approval from the appropriate school district for a sleep education program, a baseline survey was taken of elementary and middle school students, using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire-Sleep Self-Report Form, which assessed the domains of bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, sleep duration, night awakening, and daytime sleepiness. Results. The survey was completed by 499 elementary and 1008 middle school children. Trouble sleeping was reported by 43% in elementary school, compared with 29% of middle school children. Fifty percent of middle school children did not like sleeping, compared with 26% in elementary school. Bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and nighttime awakening were more common among elementary school students. Daytime sleepiness was more common among the middle school children when compared to elementary school children. Conclusions. Sleep abnormalities are present in elementary school children with changes in sleep habits into middle school.

Educator workshop

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-22

Middle school teachers from across Louisiana participate in a hands-on activity during a professional development workshop at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on Jan. 22, 2011. Fifty-five teachers participated in the workshop, which was hosted by the Stennis Education Office. During the workshop, Stennis specialists presented hands-on, problem-based learning and technology-based activities teachers can use in their classrooms to promote interest in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Racing to Success: Using Professional 3-D Design Software to Build CO[2]-Powered Cars in Middle School Science. In the Curriculum--Technology/Education/Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogle, Thomas

2004-01-01

In 1995, the Farmington Board of Education (Michigan) adopted a new student profile it hoped to achieve by 2007, the year students then in kindergarten would graduate from high school. This article describes a course named "2007"--named so because the 10-week, Grade 8 course was designed to address some of the profile's key attributes:…

"Find the Strength in Every Teacher": Urban Middle School Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Change Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Timothy Clancy

2013-01-01

Urban middle schools face many accountability measures which often create the need for school improvement. Leading urban middle schools through the change process is extremely challenging for principals. The combination of leading change, leading urban schools, and leading middle schools is an uphill climb. Teachers' perceptions of leadership…

Indicators of Middle School Implementation: How Do Kentucky's Schools to Watch Measure Up?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Christopher M.; Faulkner, Shawn A.; Kinne, Lenore J.

2009-01-01

High-performing middle schools are a critical link in the educational continuum. In an effort to stimulate the sluggish reform efforts of middle schools, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform established the Schools to Watch recognition program. Using responses of school personnel to a statewide survey, this study examined the…

Satisfaction of Middle School Lunch Program Participants and Non-Participants with the School Lunch Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Stephanie; Cunningham-Sabo, Leslie; Auld, Garry

2015-01-01

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine middle school students' satisfaction with the school lunch experience, using two validated surveys; the Middle/Junior High School Student Participation Survey and the Middle/Junior High School Student Non-Participation Survey, both developed by the National Food Service Management…

Fostering a Developmentally Responsive Middle-to-High School Transition: The Role of Transition Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellerbrock, Cheryl R.; Denmon, Jennifer; Owens, Ruchelle; Lindstrom, Krista

2015-01-01

This yearlong qualitative multisite case study investigated ways middle and high school transition supports foster a developmentally responsive transition for students. A total of 23 participants engaged in this study, including 4 students, 4 middle school teachers, 13 high school teachers, 1 middle school principal, and 1 high school principal.…

Associations between Parental Limits, School Vending Machine Purchases, and Soft Drink Consumption among Kentucky Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nickelson, Jen; Roseman, Mary G.; Forthofer, Melinda S.

2010-01-01

Objective: To examine associations between parental limits on soft drinks and purchasing soft drinks from school vending machines and consuming soft drinks among middle school students. Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the middle school Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Setting: Eight public middle schools in central Kentucky.…

Try This: Construct a Water Catchment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teaching Science, 2017

2017-01-01

EngQuest, an initiative of Engineers Australia, provides an exciting, non-competitive way for students to participate in free, fun and educational engineering activities involving mathematics, science and technology. This article describes a project designed to teach middle school students how to construct a water catchment system. Water…

A Comparison of the Inservice Education Needs of Two Cohorts of Beginning Minnesota Agricultural Education Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joerger, Richard M.

2002-01-01

Beginning secondary/middle school agriculture teachers (n=42) identified desired inservice education topics: advisory committees; student management, guidance, and motivation; establishing support organizations; integration of agricultural technology; the relationship between agriculture and environment; program design; and classroom management.…

Constructing a Waterwheel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teaching Science, 2015

2015-01-01

EngQuest, an initiative of Engineers Australia, provides an exciting, non-competitive way for students to participate in free, fun and educational engineering activities involving mathematics, science and technology. This article provides a sample of one of the middle school activities in the program. The history of water wheels, and their use…

Renewal through Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahearn, Sarah

2011-01-01

The author felt comfortably settled in her career. She had been teaching middle school science for seven years. She attended cutting-edge classes in college, received a master's degree in educational technology, earned a license in administration, and had attended a variety of classes and professional development workshops. Looking back, she…

Education by Robot!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobb, Cheryl

2004-01-01

This article describes BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology), a hands-on robotics program founded by Texas Instruments engineers Ted Mahler and Steve Marum. BEST links educators with industry to provide middle and high school students with a peek into the exciting world of robotics, with the goal of inspiring and interesting…

Program Development for Disadvantaged High-Ability Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mihyeon; Cross, Jennifer; Cross, Tracy

2017-01-01

Examining lessons learned through 4 years of experience of hosting Camp Launch, a university-based residential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrichment program for low-income, high-ability, middle school students, this article explores components of the program and offers suggestions for implementing programs that serve…

Teacher Use of Evidence to Customize Inquiry Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerard, Libby F.; Spitulnik, Michele; Linn, Marcia C.

2010-01-01

This study investigated how professional development featuring evidence-based customization of technology-enhanced curriculum projects can improve inquiry science teaching and student knowledge integration in earth science. Participants included three middle school sixth-grade teachers and their classes of students (N = 787) for three consecutive…

Adventure Learning: Motivating Students in a Minnesota Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moos, Daniel C.; Honkomp, Brian

2011-01-01

Adventure learning has emerged as a promising technology forum that provides students with opportunities to explore real-world issues through authentic learning experiences. Despite these promises, Adventure learning has received little empirical attention. This study examined how adventure learning affects motivation and learning outcomes with…