Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, Mar 7, 2014
Abstract School Stories is a Web-based interactive instructional site developed primarily for pre... more Abstract School Stories is a Web-based interactive instructional site developed primarily for preservice and inservice teachers to help them better understand and appreciate the influence (positive or negative) they have on their students. School Stories is composed of over 40 narratives about K–12 school experiences accompanied by each storyteller’s picture and demographic information. The stories are categorized according to the positive and negative experiences they describe. Users are asked to interact with these narratives by; 1) comparing experiences across selected stories, 2) answering questions about particular stories, 3) collecting information from linked sites about the pedagogical issues raised in the stories, and 4) writing personal responses. User evaluation of School Stories found it to be a powerful learning tool.
Multicultural education is the educational strategy in which the student's cultural backg... more Multicultural education is the educational strategy in which the student's cultural background is viewed as positive and essential in developing class-room instruction and a desirable school environment. It is designed to support and extend the concepts of culture, cultural pluralism, and equality into the formal school setting (Gollnick & Chinn, 1986, p. 3).
Eight-year-old Theodosia explains to her teacher that she understands why students are told to be... more Eight-year-old Theodosia explains to her teacher that she understands why students are told to be very quiet in the l M A X theater, because a whisper can be heard from one end of the theater to the other. “The ceiling is a parabola,” Theodosia states. She has learned about parabolas from a lesson on sound at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. W here is this happening? In San Diego, California, 800 public school students from the inner city are attending a program called School in the Park (SITP), for approximately one-fourth of their 3rd-, 4th-, and 5thgrade education. This unique program blends rigorous academic standards (formal learning) with hands-on, experiential curricula (informal learning), using community resources at 10 institutions within San Diego’s famous Balboa Park. From 6 to 9 weeks a year, these students study at the park‘s museums (and the San Diego Zoo) with museum educators. This dynamic teaching /learning context fosters students’ active engagement in authentic, multi-sensory, purposeful exploration and study, and is carefully articulated with state education standards. Exciting? Sure. Effective? Without a doubt. Since the inception of School in the Park seven years ago, SITP students‘ standardized test scores have consistently risen. But why? What are the guiding learning principles that drive its success?
Journal of Science Education and Technology, Nov 12, 2011
This study investigated the impact of technology-based advance organizers (TBAOs) on the academic... more This study investigated the impact of technology-based advance organizers (TBAOs) on the academic performance of 240 4th grade English learners (ELs) participating in a science class in School in the Park (SITP), a museum-school collaboration. While SITP provides a rich, hands-on learning environment, ELs face significant linguistic challenges in their ability to access the dense academic language and concepts provided in SITP's English only curriculum, thus negatively impacting ELs' engagement and learning. The TBAOs were designed in response to this issue. The study investigated two forms of treatment: TBAOs viewed on individual handheld mobile devices (HMDs), specifically iPods; and, TBAOs viewed as a whole class on DVD. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative data sources, including a pre-and posttest, hands-on and performance-based assessments, as well as focus interviews. Results showed a significant interaction effect between group assignment, language status and application assessments, indicating ELs performed significantly better in the treatment groups. Students who used the HMD instead of the DVD or no treatment improved their total scores significantly on hands-on, performance-based measurements. Differences between treatment and control groups' performance on pre-/posttests approached significance. Furthermore, students reported TBAOs supported learning by introducing new material, introducing and reviewing daily academic vocabulary, and helping them anticipate behavioral and procedural expectations of hands-on activities. Classroom and museum educators reported an increase in the treatment groups' motivation and engagement. The study provided important implications in the use and power of learner-controlled technology in supporting ELs' linguistic and academic success.
The hypothesis for this study assumed that subjects who received a diagram representing the struc... more The hypothesis for this study assumed that subjects who received a diagram representing the structural relationships of a story would be more likely to solve a new and analogous problem than subjects who received two analogs without a diagram. The 151 graduate students who acted as subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: oae or two analogs, with or without a diagram. Learners receiving the diagram were asked to copy it, to think about it while reading the story, and to rate its usefulness. The learners' solutions to a new analogous problem were then judged as correct or incorrect. No significant differences were found between groups receiving one or two story analogs, although a significantly higher percentage of subjects receiving the diagram were able to solve the problem. It was concluded that interaction with a diagrammatic representation greatly facilitated the transfer of solutions to an analogous problem and that, although multiple similar problem-solving experiences may help learners solve new problems analogically, the key variable is not the number of experiences, but the manner in which they are presented and processed. A list of 26 references is provided. (MES)
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Mar 5, 2012
Abstract What is augmented reality and how can it be used to make authentic learning environments... more Abstract What is augmented reality and how can it be used to make authentic learning environments even more engaging and meaningful? What are the opportunities and challenges associated with the development of augmented reality experiences? Through ...
Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, Mar 7, 2014
Abstract School Stories is a Web-based interactive instructional site developed primarily for pre... more Abstract School Stories is a Web-based interactive instructional site developed primarily for preservice and inservice teachers to help them better understand and appreciate the influence (positive or negative) they have on their students. School Stories is composed of over 40 narratives about K–12 school experiences accompanied by each storyteller’s picture and demographic information. The stories are categorized according to the positive and negative experiences they describe. Users are asked to interact with these narratives by; 1) comparing experiences across selected stories, 2) answering questions about particular stories, 3) collecting information from linked sites about the pedagogical issues raised in the stories, and 4) writing personal responses. User evaluation of School Stories found it to be a powerful learning tool.
Multicultural education is the educational strategy in which the student's cultural backg... more Multicultural education is the educational strategy in which the student's cultural background is viewed as positive and essential in developing class-room instruction and a desirable school environment. It is designed to support and extend the concepts of culture, cultural pluralism, and equality into the formal school setting (Gollnick & Chinn, 1986, p. 3).
Eight-year-old Theodosia explains to her teacher that she understands why students are told to be... more Eight-year-old Theodosia explains to her teacher that she understands why students are told to be very quiet in the l M A X theater, because a whisper can be heard from one end of the theater to the other. “The ceiling is a parabola,” Theodosia states. She has learned about parabolas from a lesson on sound at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. W here is this happening? In San Diego, California, 800 public school students from the inner city are attending a program called School in the Park (SITP), for approximately one-fourth of their 3rd-, 4th-, and 5thgrade education. This unique program blends rigorous academic standards (formal learning) with hands-on, experiential curricula (informal learning), using community resources at 10 institutions within San Diego’s famous Balboa Park. From 6 to 9 weeks a year, these students study at the park‘s museums (and the San Diego Zoo) with museum educators. This dynamic teaching /learning context fosters students’ active engagement in authentic, multi-sensory, purposeful exploration and study, and is carefully articulated with state education standards. Exciting? Sure. Effective? Without a doubt. Since the inception of School in the Park seven years ago, SITP students‘ standardized test scores have consistently risen. But why? What are the guiding learning principles that drive its success?
Journal of Science Education and Technology, Nov 12, 2011
This study investigated the impact of technology-based advance organizers (TBAOs) on the academic... more This study investigated the impact of technology-based advance organizers (TBAOs) on the academic performance of 240 4th grade English learners (ELs) participating in a science class in School in the Park (SITP), a museum-school collaboration. While SITP provides a rich, hands-on learning environment, ELs face significant linguistic challenges in their ability to access the dense academic language and concepts provided in SITP's English only curriculum, thus negatively impacting ELs' engagement and learning. The TBAOs were designed in response to this issue. The study investigated two forms of treatment: TBAOs viewed on individual handheld mobile devices (HMDs), specifically iPods; and, TBAOs viewed as a whole class on DVD. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative data sources, including a pre-and posttest, hands-on and performance-based assessments, as well as focus interviews. Results showed a significant interaction effect between group assignment, language status and application assessments, indicating ELs performed significantly better in the treatment groups. Students who used the HMD instead of the DVD or no treatment improved their total scores significantly on hands-on, performance-based measurements. Differences between treatment and control groups' performance on pre-/posttests approached significance. Furthermore, students reported TBAOs supported learning by introducing new material, introducing and reviewing daily academic vocabulary, and helping them anticipate behavioral and procedural expectations of hands-on activities. Classroom and museum educators reported an increase in the treatment groups' motivation and engagement. The study provided important implications in the use and power of learner-controlled technology in supporting ELs' linguistic and academic success.
The hypothesis for this study assumed that subjects who received a diagram representing the struc... more The hypothesis for this study assumed that subjects who received a diagram representing the structural relationships of a story would be more likely to solve a new and analogous problem than subjects who received two analogs without a diagram. The 151 graduate students who acted as subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: oae or two analogs, with or without a diagram. Learners receiving the diagram were asked to copy it, to think about it while reading the story, and to rate its usefulness. The learners' solutions to a new analogous problem were then judged as correct or incorrect. No significant differences were found between groups receiving one or two story analogs, although a significantly higher percentage of subjects receiving the diagram were able to solve the problem. It was concluded that interaction with a diagrammatic representation greatly facilitated the transfer of solutions to an analogous problem and that, although multiple similar problem-solving experiences may help learners solve new problems analogically, the key variable is not the number of experiences, but the manner in which they are presented and processed. A list of 26 references is provided. (MES)
Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Mar 5, 2012
Abstract What is augmented reality and how can it be used to make authentic learning environments... more Abstract What is augmented reality and how can it be used to make authentic learning environments even more engaging and meaningful? What are the opportunities and challenges associated with the development of augmented reality experiences? Through ...
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