Bringing tabletop technologies to kindergarten children

Taking computer technology away from the desktop and into a more physical, manipulative space, is known that provide many benefits and is generally considered to result in a system that is easier to learn and more natural to use. This paper describes a design solution that allows kindergarten children to take the benefits of the new pedagogical possibilities that tangible interaction and tabletop technologies offer for manipulative learning. After analysis of children's cognitive and psychomotor skills, we have designed and tuned a prototype game that is suitable for children aged 3 to 4 years old. Our prototype uniquely combines low cost tangible interaction and tabletop technology with tutored learning. The design has been based on the observation of children using the technology, letting them freely play with the application during three play sessions. These observational sessions informed the design decisions for the game whilst also confirming the children's enjoyment of the prototype

An e-learning authoring tool for a didactic unit for Early Childhood Education students (5 year olds): Pets, farm and wild animals

This dissertation analyzes the general contribution of ICT and, in particular, of authoring tools to the pedagogical practice of teachers. The didactic unit “pets, farm and wild animals”, which is included in the second area of the curriculum of the 2nd Cycle of Early Childhood Education: “The physical, natural, social and cultural environment”, was developed with the authoring tool ARTICULATE Storyline 360. In the development of the modules, an attempt has been made to create animations in order to generate points of attention: put triggers (status or intersection of an object), buttons, add audios, videos and connections with web addresses, etc. Furthermore, different sorts of questions and activities have been created for students, to obtain an overview of student learning and performance during the course. Lastly, the teaching unit has been published in Articulate 360, HTML5, Flash, Word, CD, etc., to be used on computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc. This didactic unit is an attempt to use the authoring tool as a didactic mediation strategy elaborated to contribute to the strengthening of the pedagogical practice of the teachers and at the same time to the learning process of the students.Este proyecto fin de grado analiza la contribución general de las TIC y, en particular, de las herramientas de autor a la práctica pedagógica de los docentes. La unidad didáctica “Las mascotas, los animales de granja y los animales salvajes”, la cual está recogida en la segunda área del curriculum del 2º Ciclo de Educación Infantil: “El medio físico, natural, social y cultural”, se desarrolló con la herramienta de autor ARTICULATE Storyline 360. En el desarrollo de los módulos que comprenden la unidad, se ha intentado crear animaciones para generar puntos de atención: poner activadores (el estado de los dibujos o la intersección de un objeto), botones, añadir audios, videos, links con direcciones web, etc. Asimismo, se han creado diferentes tipos de preguntas y actividades, para obtener una visión general del aprendizaje y el rendimiento de los alumnos durante el curso. Finalmente, la unidad didáctica ha sido publicada en Articulate 360, HTML5, Flash, Word, CD, etc., para ser utilizada en ordenadores, tabletas, teléfonos móviles, etc. Esta unidad didáctica es un intento de utilizar la herramienta de autor como una estrategia de mediación didáctica elaborada para contribuir al fortalecimiento de la práctica pedagógica de los docentes y al mismo tiempo al aprendizaje de los discentes.Aquest projecte fi de grau analitza la contribució general de les TIC i, en particular, de les eines d'autor a la pràctica pedagògica dels docents. La unitat didàctica “Les mascotes, els animals de granja i els animals salvatges”, la qual està arreplegada en la segona àrea del currículum del 2n Cicle d'Educació Infantil: “El medi físic, natural, social i cultural”, es va desenvolupar amb l'eina d'autor ARTICULATE Storyline 360. En el desenvolupament dels mòduls que comprenen la unitat, s'ha intentat crear animacions per a generar punts d'atenció: posar activadors (l'estat dels dibuixos o la intersecció d'un objecte), botons, afegir àudios, vídeos, links amb adreces web, etc. Així mateix, s'han creat diferents tipus de preguntes i activitats, per a obtindre una visió general de l'aprenentatge i el rendiment dels alumnes durant el curs. Finalment, la unitat didàctica ha sigut publicada en Articulate 360, HTML5, Flash, Word, CD, etc., per a ser utilitzada en ordinadors, tauletes, telèfons mòbils, etc. Aquesta unitat didàctica és un intent d'utilitzar l'eina d'autor com una estratègia de mediació didàctica elaborada per a contribuir a l'enfortiment de la pràctica pedagògica dels docents i al mateix temps a l'aprenentatge dels discents.Educació

The Lead, October 2022

The Lead is an electronic newsletter produced by the Lindenwood College of Education & Human Services

School Leader Update, March 2015

Monthly newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Educatio

Nebline, Sept./Oct. 2021

4-H Youth Help Celebrate 150 Years of Lancaster County Fair Farm to School Connections in Lancaster County Recipe of the Month Uses of Compost Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month GroBigRed Virtual Learning Series Medically Important Spiders in Nebraska: The Black Widow and Brown Recluse Herd Health Vaccinations 4-H Announcements for enrolled 4-H\u27ers or 4-H volunteers 4-H State Public Speaking Top Results Eight Lancaster 4-H Clubs Receive Governor’s Ag Excellence Awards Sam’s Club Donates $1,000 to 4-H Council Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Tim & Jenny Higgins Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: JJ & Amy Frink Youth Science Day for Homeschooled Youth Slime, Jelly Worms &State 4-H Horse Expo Top Results Goo: Food Science Workshop, Dec. 4 4-H Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Oct. 3 State 4-H Horse Expo Top Results Super Fair 4-H/FFA Top Results Suing Family Receive Nebraska 4-H Multi-Generational Volunteer Award Livestock Scholarship Recipients State Fair 4-H Top Result

Supporting the development of computational thinkingin children attending grades I–III of elementary schoolwith the use of new technologies as part of multimedia workshops with the EMPIRIA tablets

Nowadays, expected citizens’ competencies in the field of digital technology go far beyond the traditionally understood computer literacy and proficiency in using technology. Of course, these skills are still needed, but they are not sufficient in the times when computer science is becoming a common language of almost every field of life and equips them with new tools. The basic task of the school – literacy in the field of reading, writing and calculating – requires to be expanded by the literacy in the field of computer programming skills, which is essentially a systematic problem solving consisting of four sta-ges: decomposition, i.e. dividing a given problem into components; identifi-cation of occurring in it regularities, i.e. analysis, abstracting, i.e.; eliminating irrelevant elements and creating an algorithm, i.e. solving a given problem step-by-step problem. In computational thinking, the role of the computer is emphasized (then it is a kind of data arranging and formulating problems and solutions in such a way that they are understandable also for compu-ters and adds stages related to translating a solution into a language intelligible for a computer – programming, including coding, and also finding other appli-cations of a given algorithm solutions adapting to other contexts (http://www.ceo.org.pl/sites/default/files/newsfiles/elementy_myslenia_komputacyjny_wedlug_ceo.pdf ). Empiria organizes specialized workshops with the use of modern technologies whose aim is to integrate and expand the content of the core curriculum in the field of education, primarily IT education, according to the assumption that in the future children will become creators of digital culture, instead of being only its passive recipients. Practical training, which is carried out through tablets accessible to each participant, is the most impor-tant part of the classes. The values that Empiria follows are: modern education (using mobile technologies), empirical cognition (continuous and practical activity), mobility (availability of company services throughout Poland), joy, inspiration, freedom.Oczekiwane obecnie kompetencje obywateli w zakresie technolo-gii cyfrowej wykraczają poza tradycyjnie rozumianą alfabetyzację komputerową i biegłość w zakresie korzystania z technologii. Owszem, te umiejętności są na-dal potrzebne, ale nie są wystarczające w czasach, gdy informatyka staje się po-wszechnym językiem niemal każdej dziedziny i wyposaża je w nowe narzędzia. Podstawowe zadanie szkoły – alfabetyzacja w zakresie czytania, pisania i racho-wania – wymaga poszerzenia o alfabetyzację w zakresie umiejętności programo-wania, które w gruncie rzeczy jest systemowym rozwiązywaniem problemów składającym się z czterech etapów: dekompozycji, tzn. rozkładu na składowe danego problemu, zidentyfikowania występujących w nim prawidłowości, czyli analizy, abstrahowania, tj. eliminowania nieistotnych elementów, i tworzenia algorytmu, a więc rozwiązania danego problemu krok po kroku. W myśleniu komputacyjnym podkreśla się rolę, jaką odgrywają komputery (wówczas jest ono rodzajem porządkowania danych i formułowania problemów oraz rozwią-zań w taki sposób, by były zrozumiałe również dla komputerów), i dodaje etapy związane z tłumaczeniem rozwiązania na język zrozumiały dla komputera – programowanie, w tym kodowanie, a także znajdowanie innych zastosowań danego algorytmu/rozwiązania/adaptacja do innych kontekstów (http://www.ceo.org.pl/sites/default/files/newsfiles/elementy_myslenia_komputacyjnego_wedlug_ceo.pdf.) Empiria organizuje specjalistyczne zajęcia warsztatowe z wy-korzystaniem nowoczesnych technologii, które mają na celu integrację i po-szerzenie treści podstawy programowej w zakresie edukacji, przede wszystkim edukacji informatycznej, w myśl założenia, aby dzieci w przyszłości stały się twórcami kultury cyfrowej, nie tylko jej biernymi odbiorcami. Podczas zajęć najważniejsza jest praktyka, którą realizuje poprzez tablety każdy uczestnik. Wartości, którymi kieruje się Empiria, to: nowoczesna edukacja (z wykorzy-staniem technologii mobilnych), poznanie empiryczne (ciągła i praktyczna ak-tywność), mobilność (dostępność usług firmy w całej Polsce), radość, inspiracja, wolność

The education of Walter Kohn and the creation of density functional theory

The theoretical solid-state physicist Walter Kohn was awarded one-half of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his mid-1960's creation of an approach to the many-particle problem in quantum mechanics called density functional theory (DFT). In its exact form, DFT establishes that the total charge density of any system of electrons and nuclei provides all the information needed for a complete description of that system. This was a breakthrough for the study of atoms, molecules, gases, liquids, and solids. Before DFT, it was thought that only the vastly more complicated many-electron wave function was needed for a complete description of such systems. Today, fifty years after its introduction, DFT (in one of its approximate forms) is the method of choice used by most scientists to calculate the physical properties of materials of all kinds. In this paper, I present a biographical essay of Kohn's educational experiences and professional career up to and including the creation of DFT

Work-Based Learning in California: Opportunities and Models for Expansion

Work-based learning is an educational strategy that links academic instruction with the world of work. By itself, it is a powerful tool for motivating students and enhancing learning. But it holds particular promise in the context of multiple pathways, an approach to high school reform in California that seeks to prepare more young people for success both in college and the workplace. This report by WestEd takes a broad look at work-based learning in California: how it is practiced, what it looks like when done well and how it could be expanded to engage more students