Introducing Preservice STEM Teachers to Computer Science: A Narrative of Theoretically Oriented Design

This paper narrates the process of designing a curricular unit that serves to introduce preservice science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers to computer science (CS) education. Unlike most literature that focuses on results and findings, this paper explains how a justice-centered approach to CS education informed decisions about the theoretical underpinnings of curricular design choices. Situated in issues related to the gentrification of Austin, Texas, the described curricular unit explores how the increased use of CS and growth of the technology sector are having a direct impact on the historically marginalized residents of East Austin. Connected by a theme that maps are both a form of data visualization and political artifact, the described curricular unit uses CS as a tool to: critique the macro-ethics of politics and society; provide a CS learning environment that can be responsive to the multiple social identities of students; and connect CS to larger struggles for justice and liberation.Educatio

Building sustainable learning environments that are ‘fit for the future’ with reference to Egypt

Perhaps there is no building type that has a more significant impact on our lives than the Kindergarten to high School (K-12). We continue to carry the memories of our early learning environments through the residue of our lives. It is the quality of those learning environments that play a crucial role in enhancing or hampering our learning experience. Learning spaces are complex spaces where the collective skills, knowledge, and practices of a culture are taught, shaped, encouraged, and transmitted. Comfortable/safe and creative learning spaces can inspire and motivate users, while ugly/unsafe spaces can oppress. Based on these two attitudes, the aims of this paper are to; firstly, developing Sustainable learning environments (SLE) in the Middle-East countries with reference to Egypt. Secondly, to reviewing and extending the planning and design of the internal, external and landscaping features of a proposed eco-class to collectively pass to the learners for enhancing the quality of learning space and thus education. After the Egyptian Revolution on the 25th of January, 2011 and the hopes and dreams this brings with it, for a major transformation in all life sectors, the Egyptian government needs to recognise the right of children and young people to learn in an environment which is safe, healthy and achieves the highest quality possible. We must all be committed to improving the quality, attractiveness and health of the learning and communal spaces in our schools. Environmental factors have significant effects on pupil and teacher wellbeing. In contrast, poor school and classroom design can affect concentration, creativity and general well-being; in addition, poor quality lighting, ventilation, acoustics and furniture all have a negative effect on student achievement and health. Nowadays, Egypt endure deterioration of education quality as a result of deficient learning spaces, high number of pupils in class, insufficient governmental expenditure and funding, and lack of proper research in education developmental strategies. Therefore, new learning spaces should be able to increase flexibility in order to support hands-on and outside-class learning activities. Furthermore, they intend to encourage extra-curricula activities beyond conventional learning times. Currently, these integral learning-components are crucial for socio-cultural sustainability and positive initiatives towards minimizing recent educational underachievement. Undoubtedly, comfortable, safe and creative learning spaces can inspire and motivate users, while ugly/unsafe spaces can depress. Therefore, well-designed learning spaces are able to support creative, productive and efficient learning processes on one hand. On the other hand, ecological design measures became increasingly major keystone for modern sustainable learning-spaces. Thus, learning-spaces’ design process, form, components, materials, features, and energy-saving technologies can generate well-educated, environmental-literate, energy-conscious, and innovative future-generations. (Continued

First Steps Toward Change in Teacher Preparation for Elementary Science

Unless introductory undergraduate science classes for prospective elementary teachers actively incorporate the philosophy of inquiry-based learning called for in K-l2 science education refom little will change in elementary science education. Thus, at James Madison University, we have developed a new integrated science core curriculum called Understanding our World [1]. This course sequence was not only designed to fulfill general education science requirements. but also to focus on content areas our students will need to know as teachers. The objectives of these courses are based on the National Science Education Standards and Virginia’s Science Standards of Learning, including earth and space science, chemistry, physics, life sciences, and environmental science [2,3]. As an integrated package, this course sequence addresses basic science content, calculation skills, the philosophy and history of science, the process of how science is done, the role of science in society, and applications of computers and technology in science. Keeping in mind that students tend to teach in the same way they were taught, Understanding our World core classes embrace the concepts associated with reform in elementary math and science

Crowd Counting Through Walls Using WiFi

Counting the number of people inside a building, from outside and without entering the building, is crucial for many applications. In this paper, we are interested in counting the total number of people walking inside a building (or in general behind walls), using readily-deployable WiFi transceivers that are installed outside the building, and only based on WiFi RSSI measurements. The key observation of the paper is that the inter-event times, corresponding to the dip events of the received signal, are fairly robust to the attenuation through walls (for instance as compared to the exact dip values). We then propose a methodology that can extract the total number of people from the inter-event times. More specifically, we first show how to characterize the wireless received power measurements as a superposition of renewal-type processes. By borrowing theories from the renewal-process literature, we then show how the probability mass function of the inter-event times carries vital information on the number of people. We validate our framework with 44 experiments in five different areas on our campus (3 classrooms, a conference room, and a hallway), using only one WiFi transmitter and receiver installed outside of the building, and for up to and including 20 people. Our experiments further include areas with different wall materials, such as concrete, plaster, and wood, to validate the robustness of the proposed approach. Overall, our results show that our approach can estimate the total number of people behind the walls with a high accuracy while minimizing the need for prior calibrations.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figure

Developing ICT for Primary and Secondary Mathematics Teacher Professional Development: The Use of VTR in Lesson Study

Most (mathematics) teachers candidates have little opportunity to observe effective teaching in an actual classroom as many of their first learning experiences were based in a traditional classroom where rules were applied methodically to solve problems. In other words, they lack the experience base to meaningfully observe the classroom’s complex and rapid interactions. The use of video tape recorder (VTR) is one of the aspects of developing ICT to promote teachers professional development. Through Lesson Studies activities, some Indonesian teachers have experiences to reflect their teaching through VTR. Reflecting good teaching practice of mathematics form different context through VTR was proved to evidently encourage and motivate teachers to improve their teaching competencies. In some parts of the activities of teachers professional development programs in Indonesia, year 2002‐ 200, the reflections through VTR of Japanesse context and Indonesian context resulting teachers’ perception that it was a good model of mathematics teaching that can possibly be implemented in Indonesia. However, the techers were aware that to implement such good model there are some fundamental constraints should be overcome. Key Words: ICT, VTR, professional development, mathematics teacher, lesson stud

Becta review 2006. Evidence on the progress of ICT in education.

This is the review of the use and impact of ICT in the education system prior to the publication of the Government's e-Strategy for the education system, known as Harnessing Technology. The Review drew upon Becta's surveys of schools and FE colleges as well as other research to assess the impact of technology within the education system and the progress made in achieving Government policies in 2005-06

save to DISC: Documenting Innovation in Music Learning

The paper discusses an approach to determining the worth and value of innovation in music education and measuring it’s capacity for meaning and engagement. It also aims to identify new examples of innovation across a broad range of music learning contexts and establish a rigorous digital process for documenting, evaluating and distributing innovative cases and resources for present and future contexts. It discusses specifically a pilot project that seeks to document innovation in sound curriculum (DISC). save to DISC is an exploratory study in an Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID) project that proposes to establish flexible and effective procedures for the sourcing, evaluating, refereeing, editing, producing, validating, storing, publishing, and distributing of a wide range of media and content types. It involves documenting innovative and successful practice in music education, creating and evaluating programs in difficult/challenging school contexts and commissioning and encouraging the production of resource materials for 21 st century contexts