Personal Inquiry: lessons learned

The paper describes a school trial carried out to support inquiry learning between formal and informal settings supported by personal mobile technology. The aim of the school trial was to explore how a first version of the PI Toolkit facilitates secondary school students in performing a personally relevant scientific inquiry both in a science classroom as well as at home. An analysis of classroom video and interviews has resulted in a set of incidents from which we have derived design guidelines and challenges for implementing technology-supported inquiry learning where personal technology is used and within which personally relevant investigations are conducted by students

Is what you see what you get? representations, metaphors and tools in mathematics didactics

This paper is exploratory in character. The aim is to investigate ways in which it is possible to use the theoretical concepts of representations, tools and metaphors to try to understand what learners of mathematics ‘see’ during classroom interactions (in their widest sense) and what they might get from such interactions. Through an analysis of a brief classroom episode, the suggestion is made that what learners see may not be the same as what they get. From each of several theoretical perspectives utilised in this paper, what learners ‘get’ appears to be something extra. According to our analysis, this something ‘extra’ is likely to depend on the form of technology being used and the representations and metaphors that are available to both teacher and learner

UPAYA MENINGKATAN KEAKTIFAN BELAJAR SISWA KELAS VII D DENGAN METODE TEAM TEACHING PADA MATA PELAJARAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI DAN KOMUNIKASI DI SMP NEGERI 1 TEGALREJO

This research purpose to enhance students learning activity class VII D uses team teaching method on the subjects of Information Technology and Communication in SMP Negeri 1 Tegalrejo. This research is a classroom action research. The subjects of this study were students of class VII D, amounting to 32 students. Data collection techniques in this study using observation and interviews with sources. Observations were carried out using the observation sheet and observations in classroom during the learning process. In this study consists of two cycles. Data analysis techniques using descriptive analysis. The results showed that an increase in active learning class VII D on the subjects of Information Technology and Communication on SMP Negeri 1 Tegalrejo uses team teaching method. The average pre-cycle activity in which only reached 8.55 increased to 10.60 in Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 at 11.22. The things that serve as indicators in this study were student activities to respond to questions from the teacher, student activities to assignment given by teachers, student activities to attention explanation from teacher, student activities to asking questions, and student activities to observing demonstrations. Keywords: team teaching methods, activ

Classroom-based professional expertise: a mathematics teacher’s practice with technology

This study examines the classroom practice and craft knowledge underpinning one teacher’s integration of the use of GeoGebra software into mathematics teaching. The chosen teacher worked in an English secondary school and was professionally well regarded as an accomplished user of digital technology in mathematics teaching. Designed in accordance with the Structuring Features of Classroom Practice framework (Ruthven, 2009), the study triangulates evidence from lesson observations and post-lesson interviews to analyse how this teacher’s classroom practice and professional knowledge support the integration of technology. This analysis shows how the teacher managed a number of aspects of classroom teaching related to using GeoGebra such as including technology-mediated tasks aligned with his pedagogical goals, preparing his students to use the technology efficiently, adapting formats for classroom activity and extending his curriculum scripts for the topics studied.The first author thanks the Ministry of National Education of Turkey for supporting her doctoral studies during which this research was undertaken

Framework to Enhance Teaching and Learning in System Analysis and Unified Modelling Language

Cowling, MA ORCiD: 0000-0003-1444-1563; Munoz Carpio, JC ORCiD: 0000-0003-0251-5510Systems Analysis modelling is considered foundational for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) students, with introductory and advanced units included in nearly all ICT and computer science degrees. Yet despite this, novice systems analysts (learners) find modelling and systems thinking quite difficult to learn and master. This makes the process of teaching the fundamentals frustrating and time intensive. This paper will discuss the foundational problems that learners face when learning Systems Analysis modelling. Through a systematic literature review, a framework will be proposed based on the key problems that novice learners experience. In this proposed framework, a sequence of activities has been developed to facilitate understanding of the requirements, solutions and incremental modelling. An example is provided illustrating how the framework could be used to incorporate visualization and gaming elements into a Systems Analysis classroom; therefore, improving motivation and learning. Through this work, a greater understanding of the approach to teaching modelling within the computer science classroom will be provided, as well as a framework to guide future teaching activities

The routines and rituals of a design and technology classroom: An ethnographic study

This research examines questions and issues raised from an ethnographic study of a secondary design and technology classroom. A critical ethnographic methodology was employed to explore the \u27way of life\u27 in design and technology and examine how aspects of this micro-culture impact on teaching and learning. This ethnographic account includes description and discussion of four significant aspects of design and technology culture. The first examines the predominant masculine culture within this classroom and the subject area at large. The second is the story of four girls and their perceived alienation and exclusion from the dominance of a boy subject . Third is an account of both internal and external perceptions of the status of design and technology compared to the more traditionally liberal pursuits. The final point is an analysis of how aspects of the culture within this classroom impact teaching and learning. The implications of aspects of this classroom culture are discussed

How Can I Use Technology in My Classroom to Improve Students\u27 Writing?

Writing has always, until recent developments, been taught through the traditional pencil and paper method. With the advancement in technology and its implementation in education, the traditional method alone is not enough. This research focuses on how technology can be utilized in the writing curriculum. For educators to successfully teach students how to use technology in their classroom they themselves need to know the benefits and drawbacks of technology. For my study, the effect of technology on student writing was observed in an urban classroom of fourth graders in a lower income community. My classroom had one-to-one access to a laptop cart. Students used Worldbook and Microsoft Word to create well developed research papers. I used Ryan and Bernard\u27s (2003) source analysis tools, to look over student work samples and classroom field notes. Using this data, the effects of technology on student writing was analyzed

Geosciences for Elementary Educators: A Course Assessment

Geosciences for Elementary Educators engages future elementary teachers in a hands-on investigation of topics aligned with the third and fifth grade Earth/Space Science and Scientific Inquiry benchmarks of the Oregon Content Standards. The course was designed to develop the content background of elementary teachers within the framework of the science described in the content standards, to provide an opportunity for future teachers to explore the content area in relation to what takes place in the classrooms of elementary schools, and to initiate a community of learners focused on teaching science to elementary students. The course focused on four themes: the classroom teacher as an activity and curriculum developer using diverse resources to keep the content current and alive; the classroom teacher as educator dealing with the diverse backgrounds of students in a developmentally appropriate manner; the classroom teacher as reflective practitioner exploring the links among pedagogy, content, and student learning; and, the classroom teacher as citizen staying current with emerging policy issues and debates that impact education. In a course where process is extremely important, participants are assessed on what they can do with content and process knowledge through preparing lesson plans, presenting lessons in a simulated classroom environment, and developing a portfolio and journal. Lesson plans demonstrate participant understanding of inquiry, using models, deductive and inductive approaches, links between communication skills and content knowledge, and effective use of technology, including the Internet. For each topic, the mixture of demonstration, experimentation, inquiry, and lecture models are explored through investigation, discovery, and analysis

Correlation Study Between School Administrators’ Technology Leadership Preparation and Technology Integration

Technology in the classroom takes many innovative and creative forms and inevitably many different roles. Since the turn of the century educational technology is perceived as possessing an exceeding potential to change the delivery of instruction but more significantly the student learning process. Strategies to implement the use of technology in the classroom continue to evolve with results ranging from effective use of technology that enhances learning to poor use of technology that has no effect on student learning. Past studies focused on teacher roles in technology implementation generated significant data that continues to guide new integration strategies without significant results. This study focuses on a gap in research where the target group to analyze is school administrators, from both elementary and secondary grade levels, within the context of their role in the implementation process of educational technology. Quantitative data collected through a survey questionnaire was analyzed for a correlation between technology implementation and school leaders’ technology preparation. The analysis also considered their outlook towards educational technology within the process of implementation. The results of that data analysis found a strong relationship between technology implementation in schools and the school leaders’ outlook or perception of technology in the classroom