scholarly journals Adding Reach and Ownership with Paper Airplane Circuits

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-136
Author(s):  
Craig Erschel Shepherd ◽  
Shannon M. Smith ◽  
Cassandra Kvenild ◽  
Alan Buss ◽  
Claire Ratcliffe
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Members ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Parallel Circuits ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Greeting Cards ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Paper Airplane ◽  
Curricular Materials ◽  
Stem Interest ◽  
Home And School

University faculty members, librarians, and support staff developed hands-on, consumable, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricular materials that could be inexpensively provided to large audiences. Goals included fostering STEM interest, teaching STEM principles, and encouraging continued exploration in home and school settings. This case describes design processes to realize these goals through basic circuits with paper airplanes and simple origami. Following several design implementations, kits costing ~$0.33 each were created and distributed to learners. Within these kits, learners created a back-lit paper airplane as they explored concepts regarding circuit definitions; open, closed, series, and parallel circuits; shorts; polarity; and current. Additional activities included LED bracelets, cubes, and greeting cards. Within this paper, we document successive design decisions, failures, reflections, and iterations that moved goals to reality. We also describe new design challenges, including waste management, sustained exploration, and advanced concept introductions.

scholarly journals Embracing the flipped classroom: the planning and execution of a faculty workshop

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 648-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaya Gopalan ◽  
Georgia Bracey ◽  
Megan Klann ◽  
Cynthia Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Teaching Approach ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Faculty Workshop

A great deal of interest has emerged recently in the flipped classroom (FC), a student-centered teaching approach. After attending a presentation by the first author on the FC, a faculty member of a medical school in Mexico arranged for a 3-day workshop for 13 faculty members. The goal of the workshop was to train faculty to use the FC strategy in their classrooms to increase student engagement in learning. The workshop was in the FC style, where the participants would assume the role of students. Pre- and posttraining surveys were administered to examine participants’ current teaching practices and to evaluate their perceptions of the FC. The participants overwhelmingly reported the need to change their lecture-based teaching, as it was not engaging students. Their large class size, lack of technology, training, and uncertainty of the effectiveness of new teaching methods had hindered participants from changing their teaching technique. The on-site training not only allowed the entire department to work closely and discuss the new teaching approach, but also reinforced the idea of changing their teaching strategy and embracing FC teaching method. After the workshop, participants reported being determined to use the FC strategy in their classrooms and felt more prepared to do so. The post-survey results indicated that participants valued the FC training in the flipped style and wanted more of the hands-on activities. In conclusion, the 3-day faculty workshop on the FC was successful, since every participant was motivated to use this teaching method.

scholarly journals How STEM Academy Teachers Conceptualize and Implement STEM Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-58
Author(s):  
Teruni Lamberg ◽  
Nicole Trzynadlowski
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
Science Activities

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education has been gaining increasing nationwide attention. While the STEM movement has ambitious goals for k-12 education, a lack of shared understanding exists of what STEM is as well as how to implement STEM in the elementary classroom. This study investigates how seven elementary teachers in three STEM academy schools conceptualize and implement STEM in their classrooms. Teacher interviews were conducted. The findings reveal that the majority of teachers believe that STEM education involves integrating STEM subject areas. STEM activities consisted of student-led research and reading activities on STEM topics. Two teachers described STEM as involving “hands-on” science activities. Teachers at each STEM academy school conceptualized and implemented STEM differently. How STEM was implemented at each school was based on how teachers interpreted STEM and the resources they had access to. The STEM coaches played a central role in supporting the elementary teachers to plan and implement lessons. Teachers relied on them for ideas to plan and teach STEM lessons. The results of this study indicate that as more schools embrace the STEM movement, a unified understanding and resources are needed to support teachers.

scholarly journals ECS1@IYCr2014: Conveying a vision of modern crystallography

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C1311-C1311
Author(s):  
Roberta Oberti ◽  
Serena Tarantino ◽  
Michele Zema ◽  
Marco Milanesio ◽  
Rita Berisio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Stable Periodic ◽  
Preparatory Course ◽  
The Common ◽  
Widespread Interest

The first edition of the ECA European Crystallography School (ECS1), to be held in Pavia (Italy) during the course of IYCr2014, has found good balance between two apparently diverging goals: (i) to help students and young researchers to find their way in modern science, while keeping a special focus on the molecular and crystalline structure to interpret properties and functionality of materials; (ii) to raise the social and academic awareness of the great advances that crystallography has allowed and will allow to many branches of sciences. Students may choose between two formulae, i.e. a 6-day course with lectures and hands-on sessions held by renowned scientists, covering the state-of-the-art of crystallographic methods, theories and applications, at the same time indicating their future perspectives and cutting-edge aspects, or a 10-day Erasmus Intensive Programme, including a 3-day preparatory course and granting 3 ECTS credits. IYCr2014 is a unique opportunity to stimulate and ignite widespread interest in crystallography; therefore, some frontier seminars will be open to University faculty members, students, and to the general public. Efforts will be made to create a nice and friendly environment, with the goal to provide chances for future collaborations. Students will be invited to bring a poster showing their research results, projects or scientific interests. This will allow students to discuss their ideas with experienced crystallographers and favour aggregation. The programme received good support from scientific institutions and vendors, and a great response from the students: more than 110 pre-registrations from 33 countries were already received at the time this abstract was prepared, showing that there is a real need for both fundamental and advanced teaching in crystallography. We hope that this format will be continued and improved so as to provide a stable, periodic rendezvous for students and researchers under the common theme of crystallography.

Multidisciplinary impact – the arts join informal STEM programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-94
Author(s):  
Betsy Tretola ◽  
Eloise Coupey ◽  
Laurie Meamber
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Reasoned Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stem Programs ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Hands On ◽  
School Programs ◽  
The Usa ◽  
And Mathematics

Purpose Middle school participants in the USA attending an on-campus university informal science program indicate an increase in interest toward careers and disciplines in STEM or STEAM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the arts). Parents or guardians confirm the change. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Participants attended “inquiry-based” lectures by scientists and “hands-on” activities conducted by volunteers on campus at a public university over four months, four Saturdays. Participants completed surveys before each lecture and guardians completed surveys afterwards. Findings Interest increased significantly according to paired samples t-tests for each STEM discipline for students who reported low interest on the initial pre-lecture survey. There was a significant linear improvement in interests in engineering using a repeated measures general linear model. Guardians or parents reported that they observed a higher interest in STEM disciplines resulting in more technical-related interaction among peers and within the family. Social implications Findings support STEM with arts “out-of-school” programs sponsored by museums, corporations, government, higher education and others. Inclusion of the “hands-on” activities, some with arts content, to the science and technical learning appears to spark enthusiasm. Originality/value The value is multidisciplinary. The theory of reasoned action from social psychology, sociology, along with related research in science education and the arts are synthesized. Informal extracurricular experiences sustained and improved interests in the disciplines and careers on which the formal educational career pipeline can build.

Using Fan Fiction to Bridge Students' Understanding of Science

2022 ◽  
pp. 335-354
Author(s):  
LaShay Jennings ◽  
Renee M. Moran ◽  
Blake Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Science Learning ◽  
Classroom Community ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Fan Fiction ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Pedagogy And Curriculum ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Educational Field ◽  
Grade Classroom

The purpose of this chapter was to present current literature focused on integrating science and literacy and describe the teaching of a science unit of study that incorporated fanfiction literature in a fourth-grade classroom. Ms. Bardon's instructional techniques were focused on integrating science learning with reading and writing based within a fictional text read together as a classroom community throughout the unit of science study. The unit of study was presented alongside background literature to illustrate how such teaching is indicative of a larger movement in the educational field toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based pedagogy and curriculum. The account of teaching was presented according to the close reading of the fictional text, the hands-on science activities, and the culminating student writing of a fanfiction narrative that constituted the assessment of science learning.

scholarly journals A Campus-Wide Study of STEM Courses: New Perspectives on Teaching Practices and Perceptions

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 624-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle K. Smith ◽  
Erin L. Vinson ◽  
Jeremy A. Smith ◽  
Justin D. Lewin ◽  
MacKenzie R. Stetzer
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Student Behavior ◽  
School Science ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
High School Science ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Instructional Behaviors ◽  
Specific Teaching ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University

At the University of Maine, middle and high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers observed 51 STEM courses across 13 different departments and collected information on the active-engagement nature of instruction. The results of these observations show that faculty members teaching STEM courses cannot simply be classified into two groups, traditional lecturers or instructors who teach in a highly interactive manner, but instead exhibit a continuum of instructional behaviors between these two classifications. In addition, the observation data reveal that student behavior differs greatly in classes with varied levels of lecture. Although faculty members who teach large-enrollment courses are more likely to lecture, we also identified instructors of several large courses using interactive teaching methods. Observed faculty members were also asked to complete a survey about how often they use specific teaching practices, and we find that faculty members are generally self-aware of their own practices. Taken together, these findings provide comprehensive information about the range of STEM teaching practices at a campus-wide level and how such information can be used to design targeted professional development for faculty.

Call for Manuscripts: 2013 Focus Issue – February 2011

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 345
Keyword(s):  
Common Core ◽  
Common Core State Standards ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Core State ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
Principles And Standards ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Stem Interest

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics emphasizes the importance of students being able to recognize and apply mathematics in other subject areas and disciplines as well as to daily life. Fostering development in the integrated fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, “is a priority, not only because we need today’s students to become tomorrow’s leaders in innovation and help our economy, but also because we need to increase STEM interest and skills overall for everybody” (eSchool News 2009). As a key component of their STEM experiences, students must “develop a depth of understanding and ability to apply mathematics to novel situations, as college students and employees regularly do” (Common Core State Standards 2010).

Sharing Teaching Ideas: Optimization: A Project in Mathematics and Communication

1999 ◽  
Vol 92 (9) ◽  
pp. 764-812
Author(s):  
Martha H. Lowther
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
North Carolina ◽  
Graphing Calculator ◽  
Traditional Problem ◽  
Hands On ◽  
North Carolina School ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Teaching Ideas

I am always looking for lessons with multiple purposes: problems that can be approached from a variety of perspectives, hands-on experiences for the students, and attention-grabbers that lead to good discussion. When I saw the idea of having students use the graphing calculator to teach a parent mathematics, in the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Newsletter (Doyle 1995), I knew that I had found a winner. The article referred to an idea shared by Kent Reigner of Conestoga Valley High School. I did not use the problem suggested in the newsletter, but I updated and extended Jennifer Mayer's variation of a traditional problem and was extremely pleased with the results.

Fishy Fun under the Sun

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-82
Author(s):  
Deborah A. Moore ◽  
Maria C. Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
The Sun ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ratio And Proportion ◽  
Hands On ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Integrate Science

MY FAVORITE SEQUENCE OF LESSONS involves fun and creative activities that are both interesting and accessible to middle school students. The activities described in this article give a teacher one week's worth of lessons that allow geometry and measurement as well as ratio and proportion to be addressed in a cooperative learning environment. These lessons integrate science and mathematics with hands-on exploration using manipulatives.

scholarly journals Anatomy Teaching and Learning in Malaysia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-81
Author(s):  
Tg Fatimah Murniwati Tg Muda ◽  
Madihah Rushaidhi ◽  
Ker Woon Choy ◽  
Jagadeesh Dhamodharan ◽  
Norzana Abdul Ghafar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Anatomy Education ◽  
Online Delivery ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Lectures ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Anatomy Teaching

The abrupt transition from face-to-face to online anatomy teaching amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has posed great challenges to anatomy lecturers in Malaysia, as they have had to adapt to new skills to prepare and deliver online classes. These online classes were delivered either synchronously via a web teleconferencing application or asynchronously through pre-recorded videos that were uploaded to the learning management system (LMS). The online delivery of anatomy practical classes has become a major concern among anatomy lecturers and students, especially in public institutions, as there is a lack of hands-on experience and social interaction. Nevertheless, some private medical schools have adapted well to both online lectures and practical classes, as they had been venturing towards online learning and virtual reality tools even before the pandemic commenced. The Malaysian Anatomical Association (MAA) webinar, “Transformation of Anatomy Education in Malaysia during COVID-19 Pandemic”, discussed the issues related to lecturers’ and students’ receptivity to online anatomy classes. This study discusses the issues related to online anatomy teaching and learning (T&L) and the actions taken by the university’s governance and anatomy faculty members to resolve the issues discussed in the academic discourse.

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