STEAM Education Based On ICT

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ក្រ�សួួងអប់់រំ ំ យុុវជន និិងកីីឡា

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport

STEAM Education Based on ICT

Korea National University


of Education
Project Management Committee

H.E. Dr. Nath Bunroeun


H.E Put Samith
Mr. Rho Hyunjun
Mr. Kim Junsu

Faculty Advisors
Korea National Project Technical Committee Author Committee
University of Education

Dr. Ki-Sang Song (PM) H.E Put Samith Dr. Chhouk Chan Chhaya
Dr. Taeyoung Kim Mr. Kim Junsu Mr. Sopheap Vannpheakdey
Dr. Youngsik Kim Dr. Ki-Sang Song (PM) Mr. Chhom Leang
Dr. KwiHoon Kim Ms. Pen Vuthyda Mr. Hout Panharith
Dr.Hyung-Jong Choe Mr. Ngor Penglong Mr. Miech Thuy
Dr. Seung-Hyun Kim Mr. Sun Bunna Mr. Phel Phearoun
Dr. Sang-Mok Jung Mr. Sok Tha Ms. Pok Pisey
Dr. Kwan-Hee Yoo Mr. Pring Morokoath Mr. Samang Mengheng
Dr. In-Seong Jeon (PMO) Dr. Chhouk Chanchhaya Mr. San Phun
Mr. Seng Sim Mr. Sok Chea
Mr. Oeur Sokmeng Mr. Sorn Rithy
Mr. Bouy Vuthy Mr. Toy Kompheak
Mr. Nget Soda Mr. Ty Puthy
Mr. Uk Borath
Mr. Uk Samphors
Mr. Lay Sokchea
Mr. Phin Phal
Preface for STEAM Education based on ICT

This book is about creating new kinds of developmental interdisciplinary learning environments
that will be necessary if STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education
reforms are to succeed. The title is a "shout out" to Lev Vygotsky, a developmental psychologist
whose ideas I will be referencing throughout the book. (Vygotsky 1978, p. 65). It was
collaboratively written by the instructor and students of a graduate-level course titled Instruction
for Youth in School and Public Libraries, taught by Dr. Casey H. Rawson in the Spring of 2019 at
UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science (SILS). This work deepens and
extends the work begun in Instruction and Pedagogy for Youth in Public Libraries, an open-access
textbook written through a similar process and published in 2018. That text is hosted at
publiclibraryinstruction.web.unc.edu.
I am concerned with transforming learning environments into developmental and
interdisciplinary ones in this book. The voices of educational innovators who create and
collaborate beyond their disciplinary boundaries will be prominent. Conversations and stories are
a great way to learn developmentally.
Science. Technology. Engineering. Art. Mathematics. Three of these subjects have long
histories in formal K–12 education environments (with technology and engineering being more
recent additions to public school curricula). Together, they represent a critical set of literacies that
today’s children and teens must possess to fully understand the world in which they live—and the
world they will help to create. All these learning outcomes were embedded throughout the program
series. STEAM concepts and skills were also integrated throughout. For example, engineering
concepts and technology were cornerstones of the prosthetic hand project. The design of functional
(engineering) and beautiful (art) products was key for the blankets and light-up cards.
These tools allow students to learn by doing and to learn with their hands. Every lesson is
either an experiment or a project. Some projects, lighting LEDs, for example, are simple. Others
are complex. Laser tag is an excellent example. But simple or complex, only some projects do
something if some computer science has been applied to bring them to life.
Throughout this book, I explore a new way of envisioning how a transformation of
educational institutions might be possible. I provide accounts of practitioners creating
developmental STEAM and STEM learning environments in schools and colleges. The projects
featured are not formal research studies but share changes to teaching practice brought about by
the specific needs of educators and students.
Content

CHAPTER 1 .......................................................................................................................... 1
SCIENCE ............................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 What is Science? .......................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Interdisciplinary Problems ........................................................................................... 5
1.3 Cultivating Ensembles in STEM Education and Research .......................................... 5
1.4 An Interdisciplinary Conversation ............................................................................... 6
1.5 Science Education is Changing.................................................................................... 7
1.6 The Case for Science ................................................................................................... 8
1.7 Science Instruction in the Library ................................................................................ 9
1.8 Formal Programming ................................................................................................. 11
1.9 Informal and Passive Programming ........................................................................... 12
Reference ......................................................................................................................... 14

CHAPTER 2 ........................................................................................................................ 16
TECHNOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 16
2.1 What is Technology? ................................................................................................. 18
2.2 The How of Teaching Technology ............................................................................ 20
2.3 Historical Accounts - Digital Natives ........................................................................ 20
2.4 Andrea’s Tech Crew .................................................................................................. 21
2.5 Jose Santiago’s Family .............................................................................................. 22
2.6 Technology in the Traditional Classroom ................................................................. 22
2.7 One-to-one Computer Initiatives ............................................................................... 23
2.8 Multimedia Projects ................................................................................................... 23
2.9 Extracurricular School Programs ............................................................................... 23
2.10 Uneven Spread ......................................................................................................... 24
2.11 Technology Instruction and the Library “Curriculum” ........................................... 25
2.12 YALSA Basic Learning Outcomes.......................................................................... 25
2.13 What Libraries are Doing ........................................................................................ 25
2.13.1 Coding and Software Creation .......................................................................... 26
2.13.2 Technology Exposure and Use ......................................................................... 26
2.13.3 Building Tech and Learning How it Works...................................................... 26
2.13.4 What About Costs? ........................................................................................... 27
References ........................................................................................................................ 29

CHAPTER 3 ........................................................................................................................ 31
ENGINEERING .................................................................................................................. 31
3.1 What is Engineering? ................................................................................................. 33
3.2 The Maker Movement and Engineering in Education ............................................... 34
3.3 Traditional Path in Engineering ................................................................................. 34
3.4 Informal Conversation with Two Young Women ..................................................... 34
3.5 The Magnet School Approach ................................................................................... 35
3.6 STEM Learning and Special Education..................................................................... 35
References ........................................................................................................................ 37

CHAPTER 4 ........................................................................................................................ 38
ART ..................................................................................................................................... 38
4.1 What Does the “A” Contribute to in STEAM?.......................................................... 40
4.2 Performance and Preparation ..................................................................................... 41
4.3 A Playful Interdisciplinary Artist .............................................................................. 41
4.4 Vygotsky, Creative and Art ....................................................................................... 41
4.5 Dismantling Some Arts-in-STEAM Stereotypes ....................................................... 42
4.6 Arts-Based STEAM for All Ages .............................................................................. 43
4.7 Culturally Competent Arts-Based STEAM ............................................................... 44
References ........................................................................................................................ 47

CHAPTER 5 ........................................................................................................................ 49
MATH .................................................................................................................................. 49
5.1 What “Mathematics” Means for Library Instructors ................................................. 51
5.2 How is Math Taught in K-12 Schools? ..................................................................... 52
5.3 Performance of Math Conversations ......................................................................... 53
5.4 It is Hard to be Developmental .................................................................................. 54
5.5 Brains Pre-Equipped for Doing Math in Social Settings ........................................... 55
5.6 Perfumatory Tool ....................................................................................................... 56
5.7 Why Math Learning is Hard ...................................................................................... 56
5.8 Mathematics Programming for All Ages ................................................................... 57
5.8.1 Preschool ................................................................................................................. 57
5.8.2 Elementary School .............................................................................................. 57
5.8.3 Middle Grades..................................................................................................... 58
5.9 Teens and Young Adults............................................................................................ 59
References ........................................................................................................................ 62

CHAPTER 6 ........................................................................................................................ 66
THE EDUCATION FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM...................... 66
6.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 68
6.2 Weak Links ................................................................................................................ 68
6.3 Accountability and Achievement............................................................................... 69
6.4 Standard ..................................................................................................................... 70
6.5 Don’t Reform, Perform! ............................................................................................ 70
References ........................................................................................................................ 73

CHAPTER 7 ........................................................................................................................ 74
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO STEM/STEAM LEARNING ....................... 74
7.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 76
7.2 Thoughts on Centeredness ......................................................................................... 76
7.3 Project-Based Learning Professional Development .................................................. 77
7.4 Disequilibrium ........................................................................................................... 78
7.5 Dispositions ............................................................................................................... 80
7.6 Systematic Approaches .............................................................................................. 82
7.7 Performing With(in) a System—A Slight Digression ............................................... 83
7.8 Irony and the PBL Workshop .................................................................................... 83
7.9 Experiential Approaches ............................................................................................ 84
References ........................................................................................................................ 88

CHAPTER 8 ........................................................................................................................ 89
SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT ..................................................................................... 89
8.1 Organizing in Academia ............................................................................................ 91
8.2 Improv Games............................................................................................................ 91
8.3 Building an Environment with Relationships ............................................................ 92
8.4 Creating New Stages .................................................................................................. 92
8.5 Producing School ....................................................................................................... 94
8.6 Zones of Proximal Development in STEM Learning Environments ........................ 97
8.7 Being and Becoming .................................................................................................. 99
8.8 Performance Activism ............................................................................................. 101
References ...................................................................................................................... 104

CHAPTER 9 ...................................................................................................................... 106


REFLECTIONS ................................................................................................................. 106
9.1 A Perfumatory Approach to Developmental Interdisciplinary STEAM Learning .. 108
9.2 Context ..................................................................................................................... 108
9.3 Performance ............................................................................................................. 109
9.4 Play .......................................................................................................................... 111
9.5 Imagining A TED Talk on Preparing for the Real World ....................................... 111
References ...................................................................................................................... 115

CHAPTER 10 .................................................................................................................... 117


GETTING STARTED WITH ARDUINO ........................................................................ 117
10.1 What is Arduino? ................................................................................................... 119
10.2 What Can You Do With Arduino? ........................................................................ 120
10.3 Preparations to Using Arduino .............................................................................. 121
10.3.1 Arduino Board ................................................................................................ 121
10.3.2 Arduino Software ............................................................................................ 122
10.3.3 USB Cable ...................................................................................................... 123
10.4 Explore Arduino Boards ........................................................................................ 123
10.5 Using Arduino with Sensor and Actuator .............................................................. 124
10.5.1 Breadboard and a Jumper Wire ...................................................................... 124
10.5.2 Arduino Output: Actuator ................................................................................... 125
10.6 Start Arduino Sketch .............................................................................................. 125

CHAPTER 11 .................................................................................................................... 127


ARDUINO'S BASIC SKILLS ........................................................................................... 127
11.1 The Digital Write Function .................................................................................... 129
11.2 Turn Arduino LED on and off ............................................................................... 130
11.3 Arduino LED Turn On and Off the Loop .............................................................. 131
11.4 Understanding the Breadboard .............................................................................. 132
11.5 Controlling LEDs with Arduino ............................................................................ 132
11.6 Control the LED with the Switch Button............................................................... 138
11.7 Communicate Serial with PC ................................................................................. 142
11.8 Making a Streetlight............................................................................................... 143
1) What is Cds? .......................................................................................................... 143
2) Making a Streetlight Using Cds ............................................................................ 144
11.9 Using a Potentiometer ............................................................................................ 145
11.9.1 Analog Signal Input/Output ............................................................................ 145
11.9.2 Circuit Configuration and Programming ........................................................ 146
11.10 Adjust LED Brightness According to Potentiometer Input Values ..................... 147
11.11 Digital LED Bar Meter ........................................................................................ 148
11.12 Play Music with Arduino ..................................................................................... 150
11.12.1 Make a Sound Using a Buzzer ...................................................................... 150
11.12.2 How to use a Buzzer ..................................................................................... 151
11.13 Making a Digital Piano ........................................................................................ 154
11.14 Making a Button Piano ........................................................................................ 154
11.15 Measuring Distance Using an Ultrasonic Sensor ................................................ 156
11.16 Control the Angle of the Servomotor .................................................................. 158
11.17 Using a Joystick ................................................................................................... 161
11.18 Numbers and Word Display with 7 Segment ...................................................... 163
11.19 Making a Decimal Counter with Four-digit 7 Segments ..................................... 167

CHAPTER 12 .................................................................................................................... 172


ICT for STEM and Innovation........................................................................................... 172
12.1 Experiment with Measuring Electrical Current ..................................................... 174
12.2 Experiment with Electrification ............................................................................. 176
12.3 Newton’s Laws ...................................................................................................... 177
CHAPTER 1

SCIENCE
Chapter 1

Science

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

1.1 What is Science?

1.2 Interdisciplinary Development

1.3 Cultivating Ensembles in STEM Education and Research

1.4 An Interdisciplinary Conversation

1.5 Science Education is Changing

1.6 The Case for Science

1.7 Science Instruction in the Library

1.8 Formal Programming

1.9 Informal and Passive Programming


Chapter 1– Science

In this chapter, we describe the conference where we met scientists doing


interdisciplinary work using the arts in teaching science. A conversation with an architect
who plays with the building blocks of materials and biology will help you understand
different aspects of work teaching STEAM.

We will discuss what the term science entails; guide you on how to design your science-
specific STEAM programming that will meet the learning goals and/or competencies of the
NGSS, the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), and the Young Adult
Library Services Association (YALSA); and give some examples of science-specific
STEAM programming. Science is already commonly included in library programming. With
additional intention and knowledge, you can “level up” your science programming to ensure
that it is not only fun but also empowering and equitable for young learners.

1.1 What is Science?

Science is one of the key building blocks of our world. It shapes almost every aspect of
who we are as a species. It affects everything from the places we live, the products we
purchase and use, to the clothing we wear. Including science-based programming in your
library is important for multiple reasons: it helps children and teens understand how and why
the world around them works the way it does; it educates the next generation about planet-
saving subjects like clean energy, waste clean-up, and space exploration; and it can help
bridge race and gender-based equity gaps in formal science education environments
(Morgan, 2018; Speer, 2019).

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, science is defined as:

● 1: the state of knowing


● 2: a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study in the science of
theology
● 3: something (such as a sport or technique) that may be studied or learned like
systematized knowledge, have it down to a science
● 4: knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of
general laws, especially as obtained and tested through the scientific method

b: such knowledge or a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its
phenomena: natural science (“Definition of SCIENCE,” n.d.)

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Chapter 1– Science

Simply put, this means that science is learning something and then putting that new
knowledge into action! All you have to do is develop a hypothesis or a question you would
like to answer and try to answer it through the scientific method. Can we capture the sun’s
energy? Let us build a simple solar oven and cook some s’mores! What is sand made out of?
Let us gather some up and look at it under a microscope! Can humans fly? Let us jump off
something and see! Okay, let us not try that last one, but you can see what we are getting at.
Science is an inquiry-based way of examining the world around us that can be done formally
and informally. You do not need years of schooling to perform and teach science—just a
curious mind and some basic science knowledge.

In K-12 schools, science instruction is guided by a set of learning standards that specify
what students should learn and be able to do by the end of the school year. Over the past
decade, many states have adopted science standards that move away from rote memorization
of science facts toward more process-based standards that aim to help students learn how to
use science to solve problems and answer questions. One prominent example of this
standards framework is the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS,
https://www.nextgenscience.org/). Developed by a consortium of 26 states and currently
used as the standards framework for approximately one-third of U.S. public school students,
the NGSS has organized around three dimensions of science learning:

Cross-cutting concepts, such as cause and effect that underlie and connect all scientific
disciplines; science and engineering practices, such as developing and using models, that
engage students in the real-world processes of scientific work; and disciplinary core ideas
that represent key organizing concepts within life science, earth and space science, physical
science, and/or engineering (for example, heredity is one core idea within the life science
domain).

This focus on the “big ideas” within science and science as an active process instead of
a collection of facts aligns well with the types of instruction we already offer in public
libraries. Consider, for example, the NGSS Science and Engineering Practice of “asking
questions and defining problems.” A library program that engages children in the chemistry
of slime can easily incorporate instruction related to this practice by inviting participants to
experiment with the ratios of slime ingredients to ask and answer questions like “why does
some slime rip easily?” or “why is some slime sticky?” You do not need to be an expert in

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Chapter 1– Science

chemistry to lead a program like this; you need to be willing to experiment alongside
participants and collaborate with them to ask questions and find the answers.

1.2 Interdisciplinary Problems

In the twenty-first century, the idea of a field in science is not as simple as biologists
working on biology. There is a general understanding that science is becoming
interdisciplinary. This idea is supported by evidence from analysis of scientific publications.

In 2015, the weekly science journal Nature published a special issue on


interdisciplinarity. Proponents of interdisciplinary approaches to scientific research argue
that complex problems require teams to work together. How will educators prepare students
for work in the sciences? There are no simple answers to questions about what a scientist
does.

A different way to think about how students come to participate in the sciences is by
taking a brief look at people’s routes to a science-related profession.

Dr. R. specializes in cosmetic dentistry. Growing up, he cleaned toilets to pay his way
through college. Today he is a successful dentist, a generous contributor to his community,
and a husband and a father putting children through school. He is of Jamaican descent, the
first generation born in the United States. Dr. G is retired now, but he often consults with
the government on cases related to forensic dentistry. He has authored books and scientific
research articles on TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders.

Finally, the science and practice of dentistry do not capture the fullness of the lives of
the men presented in the anecdotes. If educators succeed at encouraging and inspiring
students to consider STEAM careers, starting from student interests and their own might be
a promising approach.

1.3 Cultivating Ensembles in STEM Education and Research

The first Cultivating Ensembles in STEM Education Research (CESTEMER)


conference was held at the University of Connecticut. A grant funded a research project
titled Improvisational Theater for Computing Scientists. Dr. Raquell Holmes is a pioneer in
improvisation and performance in developing science research communities.

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Chapter 1– Science

The number of attendees for the first two conferences has been under 100. Hands-on
activities and many include learning theater performance games are offered by presenters at
this year’s conference.

The small conference size provides opportunities to foster personal connections with
conference attendees. The playful and performance-oriented vision of the meetings created
opportunities to experience science learning from new perspectives. Attendees felt that ideas
and experiences at the conference could be implemented back at their institutions.

Student engagement in the sciences is a major focal point at the CESTEMER conference.
Improvisation, theater games, and the visual arts help develop listening skills. Increasingly,
research scientists work on interdisciplinary projects that connect them with colleagues in
other disciplines.

Holmes wants people to understand themselves as performers and believes this


understanding will allow them to create conditions to change their work and lives. She hopes
that people at the conference will engage in a new dialogue of performance, where scientists
and science educators can develop relational skills.

1.4 An Interdisciplinary Conversation

Christian Pongratz was the Director and Founder of the Digital Design and Fabrication
Program at Texas Tech. Before establishing his practice, he worked for Peter Eisenman and
John Reimnitz in New York. He has received awards for his work in interdisciplinary
scholarship and teaching.

Students in architecture use digital information to drive the latest fabrication equipment,
such as laser cutters, 3D printers, and CNC (computer numerical controlled) routers. These
tools are capable of rendering two-dimensional or three-dimensional objects. Pongratz’s talk
was about the intersection of architecture, fabrication technologies, information technology,
biology, and physics.

Cities will become places where high-tech manufacturing is carried out, says Pongratz.
Individuals can create solutions on a small scale using digital fabrication tools. Cities will
import digital products from the digital information stream that will be used to drive them.

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Chapter 1– Science

With digital tools, Nanoscience enables the design of products at the scale of a strand of
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). According to Pongratz, it is just a matter of time before design
happens at the level of atoms.

Pongratz’s project is an example of making the means or tools available and creating
conditions for people to be curious, playful, and creative. A similar idea, dropping advanced
technology into a rural setting and watching what happened, is what Sugata Mitra’s work in
India explored.

Design thinking is embedded in STEM curricula such as Engineering Is Elementary™


and Engineering by Design™. Design thinking as a design studio pedagogy fosters creative
thinking in students, according to Casakin and Mentzer (Casakin et al., 2016).

1.5 Science Education is Changing

Designers are trained to “switch modes of thinking” (e.g., from analysis to synthesis)
and address complex problems.

Science and engineering education are being brought together to provide students with
more hands-on experiences. Project-based learning and design thinking could improve
student retention, satisfaction, diversity, and learning. Significant challenges include cost
and commitment from faculty to design thinking pedagogy.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for K-12 education have already
incorporated design thinking and engineering concepts (http://www.nextgenscience.org/).
These standards were produced in a collaborative effort among the National Research
Council, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the American Association
for the Advancement of Science and Achieved. These organizations coordinated with 26
states to implement NGSS.

The NGSS is an effort to create national science standards. According to the NGSS Web
site, 17 states have adopted NGSS and are working toward state-level implementations.

Pongratz and Holmes describe perfumatory (performatory?) visions of interdisciplinary


learning and science education. However, educational leaders and research institutions
reinforce traditional learning in the education-for-workforce development paradigm. The
epistemic posture in education marginalizes perfumatory and creative approaches to learning.

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Chapter 1– Science

1.6 The Case for Science

While science may seem to some as the cornerstone of the STEAM movement, some
argue that it may be the least important of the STEAM domains. “Most employers are not
looking for STEM. They are looking for TEM,” wrote current Institute of Education
Sciences Director Mark Schneider (2013, para. 14). Schneider argued that “the S in STEM
is overrated,” noting that national wage data show that “while students in technology,
engineering, and math earn more, on average than other students, graduates in the “S” fields
in STEM do not” (para. 6).

Science requires us to observe, question, test, and evaluate—to question again and revise
our opinions as needed. Science is about continually acquiring new knowledge and holding
ourselves and others accountable. Most importantly, it is about keeping an open and curious
mind. In a world with overwhelming information, the scientific learning method is more
important than ever. (National Education Association, 2018, para. 1-2)

This argument may be persuasive for those who believe that the primary purpose of
STEAM education is to help learners obtain high-paying jobs or to fuel the national economy.
However, it ignores other, arguably more important, reasons for science education. As a
witness in a U.S. Senate hearing focused on scientific research funding, former Scientific
American editor-in-chief Mariette DiChristina testified to the less economical, more
humanistic impact of science: “Our nation’s ability to handle today’s pressing issues, from
providing energy security to curing illnesses to living sustainably in a finite world, will
require the innovations that arise from basic research. Science is a system for exploring and
innovation…. it can fire our imagination.” (DiChristina, 2014, np) The National Education
Association (2018) noted that science education ensures children develop critical thinking
skills to help them and their communities thrive. As they wrote, some librarians may avoid
science not because they think it lacks value but because they feel personally unequipped to
lead science-focused programs. Science can be very technical and complicated, and
professional scientists spend years obtaining specialized degrees in their scientific fields.
When we think about science, most of us bring things like laboratories, NASA, chemistry,
and science fair projects to mind. We think about things that require finely tuned knowledge
and specialized tools. However, while science can seem like something that is not for the
everyday person, we say it is! As we will see later in this chapter, planning and facilitating
successful science instruction in the library is possible for non-experts.

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Chapter 1– Science

1.7 Science Instruction in the Library

Science instructional programming can come in many forms and flavors. Programs can
range from a simple one-shot to a large-scale, multi-session series. For example, the
Rochester Public Library in Rochester, MN, created a monthly Science Storytime that
combines stories, finger puppets, and hands-on activities (http://bit.ly/2GfcpM0). At the
same time, the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, ME (http://curtislibrary.com/)
developed an annual seasonal lecture series with hands-on projects, such as creating a solar
dehydrator called Sustainable ME. It is up to you how you want your program to look, but
we can provide some guidance, tips, and tricks to create smoother and more successful
science programming.

If you are starting, we advise you to start small and go slow. Programming can have
many variables that will influence what you can and cannot do, such as community interest
and needs, your personal experience and knowledge of the subject material, the library’s
community collaborators and partnerships, and your library/department’s supplies and
budget. Take your time to consider each aspect as you design your science programming.
Using a framework such as the Backward Design model for instructional design can help
you more clearly create and design your programming to meet your desired learning goals
and still take into account things like budget and collaboration options (see Chapter 9 for
more information on instructional design models).

Another framework that might help you design effective science programming is the 5E
Instructional Model, developed in 1987 by a team at BSCS Science Learning
(https://bscs.org/bscs-5e-instructional-model/). The 5E model facilitates more efficient
planning of inquiry-based science instruction by breaking that instruction down into five
stages:

Engage: Activate learners’ prior knowledge on the topic and make them interested in
learning more.

Explore: Learners can interact with the material through hands-on activities, data gathering,
model development, or other active learning techniques.

Explain: Learners are asked to communicate what they have learned, using evidence to
support their claims.

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Chapter 1– Science

Elaborate: Learners extend their understanding by applying their knowledge to new


scenarios or making connections between the new content and prior knowledge.

Evaluate: Learners reflect on their new understanding and the process that got them there.

Although originally proposed as a linear model, the 5E framework does not have to be a
rigid checklist (Vigeant, 2017). You can use it as a tool to structure your science programs
in a way that is both fun and educational. An example of a public library program planned
using the 5E model is described in the table below:

Table 1. 5E Instructional Model Sample Program

5E Paper Airplane Program

Ask participants if they have ever made a paper airplane. What


makes some airplanes work better than others? Ask how far they
think a paper airplane can fly. Share that the world record for the
Engage longest paper airplane flight is 226 feet, 10 inches, set in 2012. Show
a video of the record-breaking
flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wedcZp07raE. Then
challenge participants to see how close they can come to this record.

Provide participants with a variety of paper types and sizes. You


may also provide participants additional supplies such as tape,
scissors, paper clips, and/or instructions for folding various airplane
designs (such as those available at https://www.foldnfly.com/). Give
Explore
participants 15 minutes to design and fold their first plane. Then test
the planes, using a strip of tape as the starting line and measuring
each plane’s distance flown (do this outdoors if possible or in a large
room).

After the first round of tests, get participants talking about which
designs were most and least successful and why they think that
Explain
might be. Compare the design features of various planes and get the
participants to hypothesize how to improve their initial designs.

Participants are given another 10-15 minutes to design a new plane


Elaborate
using the knowledge gained from their first round.

Test the planes again. Who was able to improve their design from
Evaluate Round 1 to Round 2? What would participants do next time to make
their planes fly even farther? How close did we get to the record? Send

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Chapter 1– Science

participants home with folding instructions for the world record-


holding plane (http://bit.ly/2NQPx9Y).

1.8 Formal Programming

Formal programming is designed in detail ahead of time and often has specified learning
objectives, planned activities, and adult/expert-led instruction. In the library, this often takes
the form of a one-hour (or longer) program offered to a specific user population, such as
preschool children or teens. Here are some ideas that can be used for programming that is a
little more formal: (https://www.nisenet.org/)

− Learn about chemical bonds and states of matter by using household items to create
slime, oobleck, or snow.
− Create differently shaped wands out of pipe cleaners and blow bubbles with them.
Discuss how the bubbles are always spherical.
− Learn about the senses by creating sense stations.
− Plant kid-friendly seeds such as beans or pumpkins in small containers and document
their growth.
− Learn about chemical reactions by creating mini rockets out of
o Alka seltzer + water + film canisters, or
o Mentos + bottles of coke
− Catch rain in two containers (one with a lid and one without) and let the water
evaporate and/or condensate to discuss the water cycle.
− Collect leaves from different types of plants and compare shape, size, and color.
− Create and set up a DIY weather station.
− Raise butterflies.
− Look through a telescope at the stars and moon.
− Build terrariums.
− Involve the library in an official Citizen Science initiative, such as water quality
monitoring, identification of invasive species, or air pollution analysis
(https://www.citizenscience.gov/).

11
Chapter 1– Science

1.9 Informal and Passive Programming

With informal or passive science programming, your library can offer science instruction
without having an expert on hand to facilitate activities. Here are some ideas for activities
that you could use in and or add to your library as informal science-focused STEAM
programming:

− Have a library pet such as a goldfish, bunny, or hamster to teach about animal
biology.
− Have backpacks for checkout containing nature walk supplies such as binoculars,
bird and plant identification booklets, and local trail maps.
− Build an outdoor sandbox/digging area for children to play in. Add a few tools, such
as shovels and rakes. Consider turning it into a dinosaur dig by hiding a few plaster
bones or plastic toys and brushes.
− Place some crayons and paper near the door for children to take outside to create
nature rubbings. Display their rubbings near this station.
− Set up a microscope and various items for children to look at nearby. Encourage
children to bring in their items to examine.
− Download science-themed games or apps on your in-library technology. PBS Kids
offers free, well-designed science-themed games and apps.
− Curate rotating book displays that are science-themed (i.e., plants, spring, bugs).
− Have a set of nature-themed toys (i.e., finger puppets, plastic figurines) available for
children to play with.
− Have a set of snap circuits for children and teens to play with.
− Plant a pollinator garden.

See the spotlight box below for one example of a public library initiative combining
formal and informal programming to bring science instruction to its community.

12
Chapter 1– Science

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:

At its foundation, science is about curiosity. Science instruction encourages


learners to ask questions about the world and its impact on it and devise ways to answer
those questions. The library, too, is concerned by fostering curiosity among its users,
and making science programming a natural fit for our organizational missions and
goals. Despite arguments that position science as the least profitable and, therefore, the
least valuable of the STEM domains, we believe that scientific literacy is vital for a
healthy society and planet. Libraries can be a critical piece of the science instruction
ecosystem—where all children and teens can ask questions and find the support they
need to answer them.

Question

1. What is the meaning of science in STEAM?


2. How is science used in STEAM?
3. What is science in the STEAM strand?
4. Why is STEAM important in science?
5. What is the science behind STEAM?
6. What is STEAM in basic science?

13
Chapter 1– Science

Additional Reading:
● NGSS Standards: https://ngss.nsta.org/
● Kitsap Regional Library’s Designing Steam Guide:
https://www.krl.org/bibliotec/our-guide
● How to Create a Robust STEM Library Program: http://bit.ly/2uq4SqY
● ALSC STEAM Power Your Library: http://bit.ly/2ulTIne
● Inspiring & Facilitating Library Success STEAM Activities List:
https://iflsweb.org/steam
● STEM Clearinghouse: http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/
● ALSC Blog: https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/category/stemsteam/
● Informal Science: http://www.informalscience.org/
● STEM in Libraries: https://steminlibraries.com/
● Show Me Librarian: All Things STEAM:
https://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com/p/all-things-steam.html
● School Library Journal STEAM Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/sljournal/steam/
● PreKinders Science Page: https://www.prekinders.com/science-page/
● Teach Preschool Science and Nature Page:
https://teachpreschool.org/category/science-and-nature/
● Programming Librarian STEM: http://bit.ly/2sMy7nu

References

Definition of SCIENCE. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2019, from Merriam-Webster website:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science
Gleiser, M. (2013, October 30). Every child is born a scientist. NPR. Retrieved April 29,
2019, from https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/10/30/241826390/every-child-is-born-
a-scientist
Morgan, A. (2018, April 5). Beyond the pipeline: Fighting for women and girls of color in
STEM. Ms. Magazine. Retrieved from https://msmagazine.com/2018/04/05/beyond-
pipeline-fighting-women-girls-color-stem/
Speer, J. (2019, November 9). Bye bye, Ms. American Sci: Women and the leaky STEM
pipeline. Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, 41st Annual Fall

14
Chapter 1– Science

Research Conference. Denver, CO. Retrieved from


https://appam.confex.com/appam/2019/webprogram/Paper31669.html
Vigeant, F. (2017, May 14). What is the 5E instructional model? KnowAtom (blog).
Retrieved from https://www.knowatom.com/blog/what-is-the-5e-instructional-model

15
16
CHAPTER 2

TECHNOLOGY

This chapter, you will learn:

2.1 What is Technology?

2.2 The How of Teaching Technology

2.3 Historical Accounts - Digital Natives

2.4 Andrea’s Tech Crew

2.5 Jose Santiago’s Family

2.6 Technology in the Traditional Classroom

2.7 One-to-one Computer Initiatives

2.8 Multimedia Projects

2.9 Extracurricular School Programs

2.10 Uneven Spread

2.11 Technology Instruction and the Library “Curriculum”

2.12 YALSA Basic Learning Outcomes

2.13 What Libraries are Doing


Chapter 2– Technology

2.1 What is Technology?

Technology is “a manner of accomplishing a task, especially using technical


processes, methods, or knowledge”. Merriam-Webster’s definition includes language,
hand tools, text, non-textual/visual representations, fire, and using a rock to break open
a coconut.

In the field of instructional technology or educational technology, the use of


computers, information and communications networks, Internet Web sites, and a wide
variety of mobile devices are examples of technology used in classrooms. There are also
assistive technologies that are specifically used to support learners with a variety of
documented disabilities.

Walter Ong describes the transition of human beings from being primarily oral in
communications to using text and developing literacy. Ong traces the human capacity to
do science, create categories, do logic, and think abstractly to the social transition of
people living primarily in oral cultures.

Technology shapes our thoughts and our social, cultural, and emotional aspects. Ong
seems to share foundational ideas with Vygotskians that describe how tool use changes
our thinking. Despite some obvious unintended consequences, Ong argues that
technology is not bad for us.

A dictionary definition of technology is usually akin to “the practical application of


knowledge” (Merriam-Webster, 2019). Technology is about anything, from the phones
we carry in our pockets to the buildings we live and work in. This makes the technology
part of STEAM instruction often particularly difficult to pull apart from the other parts
of STEAM education. However, we can pull apart a somewhat distinct understanding of
technology to discuss this element. Based on popular STEAM activities that libraries are
currently offering, we will classify technology instruction into the following three
categories: coding and software creation, technology exposure and use, and learning how
technology works (Koester, 2013; Lopez et al., 2019; YALSA, 2019; Shtivelband et al.,
2017).

Instruction designed to teach coding skills could be classes or programs that


explicitly teach a programming language, such as summer code camps held at a library
or activities that teach coding skills. These activities could be computer free, like the

18
Chapter 2– Technology

cup-stacking exercise above, or they could involve simple computer instructions, such
as building paths for easy-to-use programmable robots.

The second category is workshops that aim to expose youth to new types of
technology that they may not otherwise be exposed to due to the expense of the
equipment or a lack of adult expertise in other aspects of their life. This could include
Virtual Reality (VR) technology, high-tech video or photo equipment, 3D printers, or
robotics. Sometimes, these technologies are grouped into a specialized maker space, but
only sometimes. They could also include software technology, such as Photoshop or web
design. The goal here is often to either get children and youth thinking about what they
could do with the technology or to help these populations learn how to use it for new
goals.

The third category involves learning how technology physically works. This type of
technology instruction includes programs such as hosting a robotics team that builds
robots of competition, either from scratch or from kits such as those made by Lego robots.
Other less formal approaches include basic circuitry workshops and take-apart events,
where children and youth take apart old electronics (with safety equipment) from
computers to toy pianos to explore how they work (and also often use the parts to make
art.)

This three-part definition is not meant to limit public librarians in teaching


technology to children and youth but to serve as a framework for how this chapter will
approach technology instruction. Librarians should not hesitate to combine tech
instruction with other parts of STEAM or to find innovative ways to show learners that
technology is all around them. In addition, these categories of technology instruction
activities do not need to be mutually exclusive. For example, a robotics team will likely
be building technology, learning basic coding skills, and potentially exposing users to
new types of technology.

19
Chapter 2– Technology

2.2 The How of Teaching Technology

Teaching technology to youth and


children in a public library setting is
undeniably important. This section will
discuss frameworks to get started and
look at what libraries are already doing.

Figure 2.1 Inquiry-Based Learning Process for Technology Instruction

Inquiry-based learning is a natural framework choice for teaching technology in a


public library setting. Inquiry-based learning focuses on learning through exploration,
with guidance from the instructor to get students started and small group discussions to
solidify findings (Kuhlthau, 2010). There are three main reasons that this framework
works well for tech instruction. The first is that, because technology frequently changes,
giving exact steps to complete an exercise rarely will give students lasting knowledge.
Instead, letting students explore will let them develop a deeper understanding of how
technology works that they can apply to new technologies later. Secondly, a large part
of the impetus for technology instruction in public libraries is the focus on the
exploration of new technology that they may not get in a school setting. Inquiry-based
learning prioritizes this. Finally, technology has historically been taught with a bias
toward specific genders and races. Letting learning be student-driven helps to combat
some of these biases. It also makes adding on-the-fly differentiation possible during the
exploratory phase, which can be particularly important in public libraries, where it is
often unknown if attendees will have particular needs or background knowledge before
the workshop begins.

2.3 Historical Accounts - Digital Natives

Marc Prensky popularized the term in a 2001 report titled Digital Natives, Digital
Immigrants. He says those born before the digital age are digital immigrants. Teachers
who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age) struggle to teach digital
immigrants.

20
Chapter 2– Technology

Teachers could work with students to build understandings and ways of relating that
would not be possible without each generation’s unique histories to the learning setting.
The assertion that the difference between one generation and another is fluency in the
new culture is somewhat dismissive of the experience of immigrants.

2.4 Andrea’s Tech Crew

The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria (TYWLS) is an all-girls school


for grades 6–12. This school is the home of an innovative STEAM education program
led by Andrea Chaves. In 2016, Chaves received the White House Champion of Change
in Computer Science honor.

In the interest of full disclosure, Chaves also happens to be a former student of mine
at Tufts University.

The Tech Crew provides technical support to the school’s instructional technology.
Students work with other students to create an annual Digital Dance program. The Eco-
Friendly Fashion show focuses on promoting the importance of recycling found items.
Chaves currently works with up to 90 students each year. The Tech Crew students have
used the Code.org program as one of their tools to organize the annual Hour of Code.

Younger girls take responsibility for mentoring older girls. Chaves has documented
evidence of successful learning outcomes and students graduating high school and going
on to college.

Chaves provides an example of what is possible when we do away with the artificial
distinctions that divide teachers and students in schools.

Tech Crew is a mentoring program where girls are responsible for teaching each
other how to code and for providing technical support to their school by creating new
performances. Chaves has no formal training in computer science or small business, yet
she received a Champion of Change award for creating these learning environments.

Alexis Chaves is an ordinary teacher doing extraordinary things with her students.
She has created a performative environment and a culture where all kinds of zones of
development are possible. From my observations of her with students, I can tell that she
loves her students and that her students love her.

21
Chapter 2– Technology

2.5 Jose Santiago’s Family

Jose Santiago has an undergraduate degree in psychology. He currently works in a


Brooklyn public school with approximately 500 middle school students. Santiago is the
official NYC Department of Education Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for technology
support at his school.

According to Santiago, Santiago’s first Tech Team was composed of five students.
Today, 14 students, who complete a rigorous selection process, currently staff the Tech
Team. A classroom-based embedded team model provides more opportunities for
students to provide in-classroom technical support.

Santiago believes that students should be able to advocate for themselves. Students
understand that they represent the team and hold each other accountable. Students know
that Santiago has their best interests at heart and that he will intercede in difficult
situations.

Technology teachers are responsible for the maintenance of nearly all of the
equipment in their schools. Students are interested in Tech teachers for the access to
technology that they can provide. Tech teachers are highly visible in the school
community and have flexibility in their Schedules.

Time, flexibility, opportunity, administrative support, student involvement, and a


willingness to take risks are all important factors. Chaves and Santiago’s willingness to
collaborate with students across the digital and generational divide was transformative.

2.6 Technology in the Traditional Classroom

Public librarians must consider what is already being done in traditional classrooms
regarding technology instruction to determine the gaps the public library can fill.
Students are exposed to technology in the modern classroom in various ways. One-to-
one computer programs that aim to provide all students with a tech device such as a
laptop have become more common in the last decade. With students having greater
access to technology both in school and at home, many school teachers are asking
students to complete multimedia projects for classes. In addition, many schools provide
students with extracurricular technology opportunities, such as robotics clubs. However,
these initiatives are rarely applied uniformly and often leave out those who need access
the most.

22
Chapter 2– Technology

2.7 One-to-one Computer Initiatives

One-to-one computer initiatives are those where everyone in the classroom can
access their computing device. These initiatives are implemented around the country and
can start at various grade levels. The most common type of technology used in these
initiatives is laptop computers. When adopted effectively by teachers, one-to-one
technology can allow students to gain twenty-first-century computing skills and think
creatively about technology use. However, they can present initial adoption challenges,
especially at the elementary school level, where students must also learn computer basics,
such as remembering usernames, to complete assignments (Varier et al., 2017). In
addition, public librarians should not assume that one-to-one initiatives equate to equal
access. Some students may not have internet access at home or may be limited by
parental concerns about technology use. This can serve to widen the access gap between
students. Public libraries can supplement the school curriculum in areas with one-to-one
computer initiatives by providing students with reliable wireless internet access as a
service. Instruction can focus on preparing learners with basic computer skills so that
they are prepared once they begin using computers in class and by creating programming
that allows students to use technology in exploratory ways rather than to complete a
given assignment, as they often are tasked to do in the classroom setting (Varier et al.,
2017).

2.8 Multimedia Projects

In many areas, instructors increasingly assign students multimedia projects or


options for projects, such as video production or website creation. While this allows
students to practice using innovative technology skills, it increases the divide for students
who do not have access to equipment at home. Libraries can help by providing internet
access and technologies like video cameras to children and young adults. Still, they can
also help by providing instruction that exposes students to technologies they might not
otherwise explore. This instruction should be user-interest-focused, letting children and
youth explore the technology and to base their learning on their personal goals.
Classroom projects only sometimes allow students to be as creative or explorative as
they wish (Connors & Sullivan, 2012).

2.9 Extracurricular School Programs

23
Chapter 2– Technology

Other school-based activities may include extracurricular clubs or teams such as


robotics programs or STEAM competitions, such as robotics clubs or some Science
Olympiad events. These programs are ideally student-led as much as possible, allowing
students to gain valuable team-working, problem-solving skills, and experience with the
technologies they are utilizing. These teams are usually voluntary, allowing students to
pursue their technological interests more closely than many in-school assignments. They
also often touch on various aspects of technology, including coding, building technology,
and exposure to new technology. However, these programs are dependent on many
factors. Generally, students must have a teacher willing to sponsor after-school events.
The school or the students must also have access to materials and a knowledge base to
complete the projects. In addition, students must be able to stay after school, which can
be difficult for families that rely on bus transportation to get students to and from school.
Some clubs may also charge fees or require travel to events or competitions. This cost,
combined with transportation difficulties, can prevent many students from low-income
families from participating.

While libraries may want to avoid duplicating extracurricular technology initiatives


already offered by local schools, they may consider hosting robotics teams or similar
clubs if local schools do not or cannot offer them or if offering them at the library would
make these initiatives more equitable. This could happen in the library at a time
convenient for families, or it could involve librarians traveling to locations that are
convenient for students, such as after-school programs, community centers, or even the
school itself (Stephen & Locke, 2018).

2.10 Uneven Spread

While technological initiatives in public schools can help prepare students for the
future, they are often unevenly available. Often, the areas that could use more technology
instruction are left out, particularly rural and inner-city areas. Teachers in these areas
need more funding for technology. Since teachers in these schools tend to be less
experienced and highly qualified than teachers in wealthier suburban schools, they may
also lack the knowledge necessary to teach technology (Garcia & Weiss, 2019; Lynch,
2018) confidently. Students in these areas are also less likely to have access to necessary
technology at home. To keep these students from falling behind, public librarians have
the opportunity to expand students’ exposure to technology. This could come from
technology-based instruction inside the library and in partnership with the schools, after-

24
Chapter 2– Technology

school clubs, and other places youth and children are likely to be. Librarians may also
help youth and children by educating teachers on grant-writing opportunities and
offering professional development classes (Johnston, 2018; Lopez et al., 2019).

2.11 Technology Instruction and the Library “Curriculum”

Why should public libraries be the place to teach technology to children and young
adults? As discussed in the introduction to this book, technology instruction intersects
with YALSA learning outcome guidelines, ALSC competencies for children’s library
staff, and general information literacy standards.

2.12 YALSA Basic Learning Outcomes

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has developed a set of
Basic Learning Outcomes (http://bit.ly/2mg1x9U) designed to help those working in
libraries set learning goals for teen programs. These outcomes focus on putting teens
themselves first. Technology instruction can help achieve YALSA goals in a variety of
ways. One focus of the guidelines is community and leadership. Students build
relationships with their peers and instructors with collaborative technology programs,
such as robotics teams or even one-off events where young adults create something
together. Some technology programs allow youth to teach one another or younger
children technology skills, which allows them to give back to the community and display
leadership. The YALSA guidelines also emphasize creativity, learning, and multiple
literacies. Technology instruction allows youth to find new ways of engaging in in-
person expression and opportunities to experiment and think flexibly, create new content
and remix old materials. Understanding and experiencing coding and technology, in
general, allows youth to better “think critically about digital tools and their use,” another
YALSA guideline (YALSA, n.d.). See the Spotlight box below for one example of a
public library program that exemplified many of these YALSA guidelines.

2.13 What Libraries are Doing

At the beginning of this chapter, we discussed three types of technology instruction


in public libraries. This section will examine what public libraries do in these areas
(Koester, 2013; Lopez et al., 2019; YALSA, 2019; Shtivelband et al., 2017).

25
Chapter 2– Technology

2.13.1 Coding and Software Creation

Coding and software creation can take many forms in the public library setting.
Computerless coding activities, which often involve breaking apart a large task into
smaller chunks and then communicating those chunks in order as directions, can serve
as a type of “filler” activity in other programs or as their event (in chunks of no more
than three different activities) and require no programming knowledge on the part of the
instructor. Coding “sandboxes,” such as Scratch, allow for coding exploration on a
computer without too much prior knowledge required from the learners or the instructors.
Small programmable robots, such as Sphero robots, allow for basic coding exploration
while being able to be used with a remote control instead, making them easily adaptable
to a wide variety of workshops. Finally, primarily for young adult learners, actual coding
language instruction in library settings often takes the form of coding camps, which are
great opportunities to collaborate with others in the community if your librarians need
assistance learning languages.

2.13.2 Technology Exposure and Use

This type of instruction can be extremely varied. The main goal is to expose children
and young adults to new types of technology and think about how they can be utilized.
Some instruction on how to create content for the technology may also come into play
as well. This is where a maker space may come into play if your library has one, but it
does not have to. For example, learners could use a 3D printer to make an object based
on specifications in an open-source library or learn to make designs themselves. Other
instruction may involve media equipment, cameras, or virtual reality technology.
Teaching students editing software may also come into play here, as could learning to
create and customize a blog to post content. Personal devices are great to add, but only
assume some students will have a phone. If working with applications, have tablets or
iPods on hand for learners to use and plan to work in groups. Technology can be
expensive and should be chosen carefully. Try to pick items, like programmable robots,
that can be used in various programs. As long as students think about novel ways
technology can be used, anything is fair game.

2.13.3 Building Tech and Learning How it Works

26
Chapter 2– Technology

These workshops, often student-led, encourage students to think about how


technology works and how it may be modified. For example, some workshops called
take-apart parties involve disassembling old electronics and toys to discover how they
might work. The independent parts can then be used to create art or something new. On
the building side of things, robotics clubs, often student-driven, allow students to create
something entirely new. Simpler robotics-building kits from companies like Lego can
also be utilized as a simpler in-point to robotics than building them from scratch.

2.13.4 What About Costs?

Cost is a potential barrier to teaching with and about technology in the public library.
Individual tech items can easily cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, and libraries
must also consider maintenance and repair costs associated with the frequent use of these
tools and the ongoing cost of any consumables (for example, plastic filament for 3D
printers). These costs may be prohibitive for some libraries, and even well-funded
libraries must carefully weigh the benefits and long-term costs of tech purchases to
determine their value to the community.

Luckily, not all tech instruction requires expensive equipment. Consider the
technology-free coding program described at the start of this chapter, which could be
implemented at little to no cost to the library. Some libraries host “tech take-apart” events
where older children and teens are invited to use basic tools to take apart broken or
nonfunctional technology, including computers, VCRs, modems, and more. You may
have items like this at your library already, or you could work with other community
organizations to have them donated. In some cases, participants at the take-apart events
use components from the tech to create something new (a piece of art, for example). You
could also coordinate with your locality’s e-waste recycling program to ensure that you
keep the participants and the environment safe while offering this program. Additional
ideas for free and/or “no-tech” technology programs are linked below.

27
Chapter 2– Technology

Summary

Summary
In this chapter, you have learned the following:

Public libraries are uniquely positioned to give children and youth exposure to
technology and technology building that they may not get in other areas of their lives.
Moving forward allows students to find new ways to express themselves and give back
to the community. Technology is all about remixing existing knowledge to make new
tools. Hence, as you think about technology in public libraries, consider new things
that youth and children can explore and learn.

Question

1. What does technology mean in STEAM?


2. What does the technology stand for in STEAM?
3. What is the difference between technology and engineering in STEAM?
4. How does technology help STEAM students?
5. What are some technology activities?

28
Chapter 2– Technology

Additional Reading:
● 5 Hands-On Activities that Teach Coding Without a Computer from ExtendEd
Notes: http://bit.ly/2kT3Lf3
● 5 Super-Cool Offline Coding Activities from Think Fun: http://bit.ly/2kSVVSC
● CS Fundamentals Unplugged from code.org: http://bit.ly/2klZRes
● 13 Fun and Free Coding Activities for Hour of Code Week from Teach Your Kids
Code: http://bit.ly/2kGWi2S
● Recycled Tech for Teens by Cat Mullen for YALSA’s Teen Programming HQ:
http://bit.ly/2m0lq4Y

References

Alexandria Proclamation on Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning. 2005.


Information literacy. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/publications/beacons-of-the-information-society-the-
alexandria-proclamation-on-information-literacy

ALSC Education Committee. 2015. Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in


Public Libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/alsc/edcareeers/alsccorecomps

Connors, S.P. & Sullivan, R. 2012. “It is That Easy”: Designing Assignments that Blend
Old and New Literacies. Clearing House, 85(6), 221–225.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2012.691569

Garcia, E., & Weiss, E. (2019). U.S. schools struggle to hire and retain teachers. Economic
Policy Institute report. Retrieved from https://www.epi.org/publication/u-s-schools-
struggle-to-hire-and-retain-teachers-the-second-report-in-the-perfect-storm-in-the-teacher-
labor-market-series/

Johnston, M. P. 2018. Supporting STEM Education: Needs Assessment of Southeastern


Rural Teacher Librarians. School Libraries Worldwide, 24(2), 62–79.

Koester, A. (2013). Full Steam Ahead. School Library Journal, 59(10), 1–1.

Kuhlthau, C. C. (2010). Guided Inquiry: School Libraries in the 21st Century. School
Libraries Worldwide, 16(1), 1–12.

Lofton, J. 2017. Students Are Makers! Building Information Literacy Skills Through
Makerspace Programs. CSLA Journal; Long Beach, 40(2), 18-20,16.

29
Chapter 2– Technology

Lopez, M. E., Jacobson, L., Caspe, M., & Hanebutt, R. 2019. Public Libraries Engage
Families in STEM. 18.

Lynch, M. (2018). Poverty and school funding: Why low-income students often suffer.
The Edvocate. Retrieved from https://www.theedadvocate.org/poverty-and-school-
funding-why-low-income-students-often-suffer/

Merriam-Webster. 2019. “Definition of Technology”. Accessed via https://www.merriam-


webster.com/dictionary/technology

Shtivelband, A., Riendeau, L., & Jakubowski, R. 2017. Building Upon the STEM
Movement: Programming Recommendations for Library Professionals. Children &
Libraries; Chicago, 15(4), 23–26.

Song, J.B., & Lee, T.W. (2015). Validation of the Unplugged Robot Education System
Capable of Computerless Coding Education. Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and
Information, 20(6), 151–159. https://doi.org/10.9708/jksci.2015.20.6.151

Stephen, M.L., & Locke, S.M. 2018. Help! I’ve been asked to coach a robotics team.
Science Scope, 41(9), 86–90. https://doi.org/10.2505/4/ss18_041_09_86

Varier, Divya, et al. 2017. Potential of one-to-one technologies in the classroom: teachers
and students weigh in. Educational Technology Research & Development, 65(4), 967–992.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-017-9509-2

YALSA. 2019. YALSA Blog. Accessed via http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/

YALSA. n.d. Teens First: Basic Learning Outcomes Guide. Accessed via
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/Teens%20First_%20Basic%20Le
arning%20Outcomes%20Guide.pdf

30
CHAPTER 3

ENGINEERING

This chapter, you will learn:

3.1 What is Engineering?


3.2 The Maker Movement and Engineering in Education
3.3 Traditional Path in Engineering
3.4 Informal Conversation with Two Young Women
3.5 The Magnet School Approach
3.6 STEM Learning and Special Education
Chapter 3– Engineering

“Maker spaces” are the twenty-first-century versions of a metal shop class. They include
everything from 3D printers to wood routers to soldering irons and sewing machines. In
some school districts, library spaces are being converted to Maker spaces.

J.E. Martinez argues that schools should adopt the Maker movement in classrooms.
Makers share expertise and create partnerships with those who have complementary skill
sets to develop ambitious projects. Assessment strategies might focus on “what students
have learned” as part of ongoing integrated project-based Maker activities.

3.1 What is Engineering?

Among all of the STEAM


domains, engineering may be the
most practical. Engineering can
be broadly defined as applying
science, math, technology, and
design to solve real-world
problems. The National Research
Council distinguished
engineering from science by
stating that science is

Figure 3.1 Adapted from https://www.techengineering.org/k12engineering/designprocess

Focused on asking questions and constructing explanations, engineering focuses on


defining problems and designing solutions (Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New
K-12 Science Education Standards, 2012). Even more than in the other STEAM domains,
engineering education is focused on processes and practices versus memorizable concepts.
Specifically, this discipline is concerned with the process of engineering design: an iterative
approach to problem-solving that involves defining a problem space, imagining multiple
possible solutions, then testing and refining those solutions over multiple cycles. This
process is summarized in the diagram below, adapted from the Engineering Design Process
model created by Teach Engineering (https://www.teachengineering.org/).

33
Chapter 3– Engineering

Although distinct from the other STEAM domains in some ways, the National Academy of
Engineering emphasized that engineering relies on science, math, and technology to support
design activities (Katehi, Pearson, & Feder, 2009). The arts are just as critical to effective
engineering design since many engineered products are developed as much for form as for
function (for more on this, see the next chapter).

3.2 The Maker Movement and Engineering in Education

The Maker movement comprises engineering enthusiasts, artists, craftspeople, and


entrepreneurs. It is a “do-it-yourself” entrepreneurial environment that is finding its way into
educational settings. Many educators view the Maker movement as an entry point to
engineering education.

3.3 Traditional Path in Engineering

The preparation of engineers begins in high school. Students with strong academic
standing in mathematics, physics, and science apply to engineer schools in a competitive
application process. Upon graduation, entry-level jobs are obtainable. However, obtaining
professional licensure is recommended.

Some students who exhibit early interest in engineering can participate in specialized
programs. While there is a movement to increase the number of young women and minorities
entering the engineering fields, there may be some work yet to be done on developing
alternative pathways into engineering.

3.4 Informal Conversation with Two Young Women

In 2012, I co-taught a Career Discovery course in the School of Engineering and


Computing Sciences at NYIT. Young women and young men were coming/seemed to do
engineering work with different stories and interests. Some had been building computers and
repairing mobile devices for years.

Innovative educators are creating opportunities for students to engage in hands-on


STEM and design activities in primary school settings that might help them compete later.
While these educators may not use words like “performance,” what they describe are new
performances in school for themselves and their students.

34
Chapter 3– Engineering

3.5 The Magnet School Approach

According to the U.S. Department of Education Web site, The Magnet Schools
Assistance program provides funding to public schools in the U.S. One of the themes that
Magnet School administrators have prioritized is the creation of STEM-themed schools.
There are significant challenges for educators who take on the task of turning existing
schools into STEM-themed schools.

3.6 STEM Learning and Special Education

Gina Tesoriero is a special education teacher who provides STEM education


experiences for students. She is a member of the New York City Common Core Math
Fellows. She has co-authored two publications and has presented at national conferences on
STEM education.

The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) is a science museum with many science
education and teacher professional development programs. They host an annual Maker Fair
and are committed to helping bridge the gaps between informal science learning and science
learning in the school environment.

Darensbourg and Tesoriero are creating opportunities for students of color and students
living in poverty to be exposed to engineering concepts and STEM activities. They show
that innovation and creativity are possible using experiential learning strategies, including
hands-on, project-based learning.

35
Chapter 3– Engineering

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:

The world will always need people who can identify problems and find
workable solutions, whether or not those people are professional engineers. This
recognition has led to the gradual, incomplete, and unequal incorporation of
engineering education into the public school curriculum. Teaching children and teens
to use the engineering design process might help them obtain an engineering job one
day, or it might simply help them approach their challenges more systematically and
with more tolerance for ambiguity and failure. However, it is difficult to argue that
this type of education is not valuable. Libraries can help bridge gaps in the quality and
quantity of engineering education that children and teens receive, especially when we
focus on the processes and practices of engineering rather than its more technical
aspects.

Question

1. What does engineering mean in STEAM?


2. Why is engineering important in STEAM?
3. How much do STEAM engineers make?
4. How do you become a STEAM engineer?
5. What is engineering in simple words?

36
Chapter 3– Engineering

Additional Reading:
● Engineering design activities from Teach Engineering: http://bit.ly/2SJpYdU
● Design challenges from Technovation Families:
https://www.curiositymachine.org/challenges/
● Engineering design activities from Try Engineering:
https://tryengineering.org/teachers/lesson-plans/
● Engineering design challenges for libraries from STARnet: http://bit.ly/2SGhu71

References

Definition of SCIENCE. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2019, from Merriam-Webster website:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science

Gleiser, M. (2013, October 30). Every child is born a scientist. NPR. Retrieved April 29,

2019, from https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/10/30/241826390/every-child-is-born-


a-scientist

Morgan, A. (2018, April 5). Beyond the pipeline: Fighting for women and girls of color in
STEM. Ms. Magazine. Retrieved from https://msmagazine.com/2018/04/05/beyond-
pipeline-fighting-women-girls-color-stem/

Speer, J. (2019, November 9). Bye bye Ms. American Sci: Women and the leaky STEM
pipeline. Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, 41st Annual Fall
Research Conference. Denver, CO. Retrieved from
https://appam.confex.com/appam/2019/webprogram/Paper31669.html

Vigeant, F. (2017, May 14). What is the 5E instructional model? KnowAtom (blog).
Retrieved from https://www.knowatom.com/blog/what-is-the-5e-instructional-model

37
CHAPTER 4

ART

This chapter, you will learn:

4.1 What does the “A” Contribute to in STEAM?


4,2 Performance and Preparation
4.3 A Playful Interdisciplinary Artist
4.4 Vygotsky, Creative and Art
4.5 Dismantling Some Arts-in-STEAM Stereotypes
4.6 Arts-Based STEAM for All Ages
4.7 Culturally Competent Arts-Based STEAM
Chapter 4– Art

This chapter will explore how STEM became STEAM, then explain how arts-based
STEAM programs can relate to learning goals and/or competencies within the current
Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the Association for Library Services to Children
(ALSC), and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), all of which have
some influence over how school and/or public library programs are designed. The second
part of this chapter will focus on schools and public libraries across the nation that are
currently incorporating arts-based STEAM into their programming. Finally, we will present
tips for integrating arts-based STEAM into your public library programming and what
variables you should consider to ensure that your programs are culturally competent and
inclusive of youth from all backgrounds, ages, languages, abilities, and cultures.

4.1 What does the “A” Contribute to in STEAM?

As STEAM learning becomes part of the curriculum, educators must make practical
choices about how integration will happen. Who gets to make those decisions, and how will
those decisions be made? These are good content-related and administrative questions that
cannot be answered in the abstract.

The acronym STEAM came into widespread use in the early 2010s, after then-President
of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) John Maeda and his colleagues began
advocating for the incorporation of the letter ‘A’ for the ‘Arts’ into STEM pedagogical
practices. The arts can include visual arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, and computer
graphics; performance arts like dance, singing, and poetry; and more. In a 2012 interview,
Maeda made the case that “extending STEM to STEAM by adding art makes sense, because
STEM by itself is extremely powerful. Its scale is amazing. But that alone does not create
warmth and humanity and connection” (Roach, 2012, “How do you accomplish that at RISD,”
para. 3).

Since Maeda’s initial call for a shift from STEM to STEAM, many other artists, STEM
professionals, and educators have embraced the idea. In his 2015 article, aptly titled “An
Artist’s Argument for STEAM Education,” Curt Bailey argued that arts integration could
add beauty, emotion, and eccentricity to STEM work. He noted that products have as much
functional and aesthetic appeal as they do emotionally. For example, you might decide on a
new car based not only on its technical specifications but also on its design and how it makes
you feel: excited, playful, responsible, daring, and safe. STEM professionals who do not
understand the emotional impact of their designs may arrive at solutions and products that

40
Chapter 4– Art

are functional but not interesting or desirable. In terms of eccentricity, Bailey argued that art
helps people learn to be comfortable with the out-of-the-ordinary, allowing us to design
things that are not just out-of-the-ordinary but are extraordinary. As he summarized, “art is
the discipline that most celebrates, encourages, and embraces the original and creative”
(Bailey, 2015, para. 9). See the callout box below for a quick example of an out-of-the-
ordinary product design.

4.2 Performance and Preparation

Author J.E. Martinez creates an imaginary scene featuring two college professors and
actors. The actors are Kim Snyder and Marian Rich, who perform as a business executive,
and a woman performing as a cabaret entertainer. In the middle of the interview, Martinez
asks for applause.

Kim and Marian seem open to creating new performances with science and math.
Students in performative learning environments become scientists and are doing work and
becoming chemists, and engineers. It is possible to use predetermined tools without being
predetermined by them.

4.3 A Playful Interdisciplinary Artist

Yuko Oda is a visual artist and professor of fine arts in New York. Oda earned her
M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her animations, installations, sculptures,
and drawings have been exhibited at many art galleries.

Computer animation would be impossible without the computer, and computer science
is without artistic purpose if an artistic voice does not emerge. Oda leads her students in the
process of discovery that encourages them to engage in the uncertainty of creating something
new.

Oda’s experience as a kindergarten teacher is fascinating because she provides an


example of the development that Newman and Holzman describe. Oda’s interaction with
young children provided a chance for them to experience how play and art, not being
predetermined by the process, come together in a creative activity.

4.4 Vygotsky, Creative and Art

N. Catherine Connery (2010) notes that Vygotsky’s dissertation attempted to address


the psychological questions related to art. He was interested in art’s potential to curate

41
Chapter 4– Art

psychological problems. His early work resonates with our discussion of art and the powerful
force of “artistic vision”.

Oreck and Nicoll (2010) note that “complex relationships are involved in the
development of dances and dance artists.” This idea about teaching art bears a resemblance
to what Yuko offers when she works to develop the “artistic vision” of her students. The
pressure to intellectualize connects with Yuko’s description of having a “playful spirit.”

Lois Holzman (2010) notes that Vygotsky made a distinction between the zone of
proximal development (ZPD) of “play development” and the ZPD of “learning-instruction
development.” Holzman suggests that difference does not need to be as sharp as Vygotsky
describes.

In Vygotsky and Creativity, editors Ana Marjanovic-Shane, M. Catherine Connery, and


Vera John- Steiner offer the following critique of education. The very structure and practices
of our K-12 system restrict, retard, or prevent imagination, play, and creative ingenuity.

4.5 Dismantling Some Arts-in-STEAM Stereotypes

Perhaps because the integration of arts and STEM domains is still relatively new, several
misconceptions about arts, STEM, and the library are common.

First is the idea that all arts-based programs are STEAM programs. If that were the case,
virtually every public library could say that they already offer extensive STEAM
programming since arts and crafts activities are common in existing programming for kids
and teens. As discussed in earlier chapters of this book, STEAM is all about integration
across domains, emphasizing their points of connection and interaction. A program where
kids listen to a story and then draw the characters might be engaging and instructive. Still, it
probably is not a STEAM program unless intentional connections to STEM domains are
included. The example programs described later in this chapter highlight instruction that
includes, or even focuses on, art but also integrates science, technology, engineering, and/or
math.

Another misconception is that deciding to include the arts in your STEAM programming
will somehow take away from the learning opportunities that your science, technology,
engineering, or math programs already have. Each discipline has its unique purpose, time,
and place. Pairing one or two with art may seem clunky and forced at first. However, the
ultimate goal of this integration is to improve and enrich your STEM instruction by

42
Chapter 4– Art

providing learners with a different way into this content than they might have been offered
in formal education environments. Likewise, STEM content can improve and enrich arts
instruction as learners understand how many of our perceptions of beauty, style, and
proportionality are rooted in scientific and mathematical principles and formulas.

One final misconception is that some people are not creative and will not enjoy or excel
in arts-based programs (either as the instructor or as a participant). However, I believe that
you—yes, the reader—are creative and have a place in arts-based STEAM education! We
each have individual talents and experiences that we bring to our jobs, as unique as our
fingerprints. No matter your age, skill level, training, or prior appreciation for the arts, it is
essential that you recognize the fact that you are creative (in one aspect or several aspects)
and identify your passion(s), such as music or web design. Once you are in touch with your
passions, you can work those into the programming you provide and enjoy facilitating the
experience even more. You cannot be a maker until you feel like a maker and know you are
one.

4.6 Arts-Based STEAM for All Ages

Arts-based STEAM programming can be implemented with children and teens of all
ages. For example, one art-based activity for elementary-age students is “Build the Library!”
which has children recreate their local library or another local building out of Legos (Pard,
2018). You can have the children craft blueprints, decide on the building’s size, and
brainstorm what sized Legos will fit best in certain areas. Then you can display this building
in a display case in the children’s section or the front of the library (Pard, 2018).

Arts-based STEAM programs are great candidates for regular weekly or monthly
programs. Some examples of these types of programs are a Knitting/Crochet Club
(combining math with art) and a Lego Club (combining engineering and art). These
programs are great because they are easily customizable to fit the age group you are working
with and are easy ways to solicit community partnerships. For example, suppose you want
to host a Knitting or Crochet Club for middle school students. In that case, you can invite
local community members who enjoy crochet and/or knitting to teach children how to make
a simple hat or scarf by following a YouTube tutorial (combining technology, math, and art).
All you need to do is provide the craft supplies and physical space. This type of activity
gives the children access to hands-on instruction, counting and literacy comprehension
experience (such as counting the number of stitches and reading the crochet/knitting pattern),

43
Chapter 4– Art

and the ability to take the project home, work on it, and bring it back the following week to
receive constructive feedback and more instruction.

You can host a weekly Creative Writing afterschool program for middle-grade and high-
school teens focusing on STEM themes such as outer space, technological dystopias, or
disease pandemics. These programs are also great opportunities for collaboration. You could
invite local/regional authors or English teachers to lead writing or brainstorming sessions.
Again, this builds a friendly rapport between community members and allows them to
showcase their talents and assist others in developing their writing skills. This can also be a
chance for students who are normally underrepresented in libraries such as English-as-a-
second-language (ESL) patrons to participate and create written pieces in their native
languages in an affinity or caucus group.

Arts-based STEAM programs can also be offered as one-shot events or passive


programs. For example, you might offer a nature drawing program with a guided walk
outdoors accompanied by botanical illustration instruction. Alternatively, you could include
a sketchbook and charcoal pencils or watercolors in “nature walk packs” available for
checkout at the library desk, encouraging users of all ages to incorporate art into their
outdoor adventures.

4.7 Culturally Competent Arts-Based STEAM

Library science researcher Patricia Montiel Overall (2009) defines cultural competency
as “[…] a highly developed ability to understand and respect cultural differences and to
address issues of disparity among diverse populations competently” (p. 176). As a LIS
professional, you should not only be consciously aware of the many cultures and experiences
your patrons bring to the library but strive to acknowledge, support, and educate others about
these cultures and experiences in the programming you provide, including your STEAM
programming.

Since art focuses on personal expression, it offers rich opportunities for culturally
relevant instruction. One way to do this is through hosting a Culturally Relevant Storytelling
program (CRS), which invites children to use colored paper, markers, scissors, and
technology—such as Stop Motion video—to create stories in response to prompts about their
own lives or books read during story time (Hunter-Doniger, Howard, Harris, & Hall, 2018).
Such prompts could include, “Where are you from?”, “Describe your family’s culture,” or
“What makes your culture special/unique?” These prompts are broad enough that children

44
Chapter 4– Art

can easily come up with answers that they can then illustrate to tell an engaging and
informative story that other program attendees can learn or compare and contrast their stories
with too, depending on the participants’ ages. With the participants’ permission (and their
parents or guardians’), finished projects can be displayed in the youth/teen area or near the
library’s front entrance to showcase the diversity of cultures in your community. “When
invited to explore artistically, [children] can access their imaginations, pushing the
boundaries of their own cultural identity into a space that is unfamiliar,” which will no doubt
educate other children and spark new conversations and understandings about differences
(Hunter-Doniger, Howard, Harris, & Hall, 2018, pg. 47).

Arts-based STEAM programs should not subliminally cater to one specific demographic
of a larger diverse population. Tween or teen patrons who identify outside of the dominant
gender/sexual binaries, race/ethnicity/culture, or language in your community may not feel
as welcome at—or may even feel like they are excluded from—certain arts events because
they do not see an aspect of themselves reflected in the program. These reasons could include
their identity being misrepresented or unrepresented by the instructor or guest of the event,
the event’s activity or theme(s), or the language and imagery with which the program is
promoted. One way to change this dynamic is by inviting local or regionally identified
LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, and Person of Color (BIPOC), and/or English-as-a-second-
language (ESL) authors, visual and/or performing artists or community organizations to
partner with you in hosting arts-focused STEAM events. You can also dedicate a certain
area of the library, such as a section in the Youth/Teen area, for minority youth to form
affinity groups, safe and brave spaces where they can gather together and share their thoughts
and experiences that might be separate from the program’s dominant participants. No matter
our age, we all want to feel like we belong somewhere. If your library can be where that
feeling of belonging occurs for disadvantaged youth, that should make your programming
even more powerful.

Lastly, it would help if you considered external factors or barriers that may impact one’s
ability to attend your arts-based STEAM programs. Factors like socioeconomic status,
transportation, familial obligations, or work/school schedules may require you to switch the
hours of an arts-based STEAM event or host it off-site so that all who want to attend
physically can access the space. Suppose your library is one branch of a larger regional
system. In that case, you can partner with other branch libraries to host certain events, similar
to what the APL did earlier in this chapter with their “Teen STEAM” events. If you are a
smaller library in a rural area, you can bring these events to nearby schools and work with

45
Chapter 4– Art

the school district to create after-school programs. These modifications not only make events
physically accessible for those that struggle with transportation or mobility issues, but ease
anxiety or “otherness” that patrons may feel in a traditional library setting.

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:


Summary
Over the past decade, with the addition of the Arts into STEM pedagogy,
STEAM has evolved into a national movement to prepare youth for higher education
and/or career readiness, as well as instilling in them the importance of the arts in
everyday life. Public library arts-based STEAM programs represent a unique
opportunity to provide free access to arts-making materials and technologies that
children might not have available at home or school. Furthermore, community
partnerships can be incredibly effective for arts-based STEAM programs in the
library. Building relationships with local/regional talents, including writers, artists,
and musicians, can show youth that a lot is possible outside of the ‘traditional’ STEM
fields. These programs will be much more enjoyable and long-lasting for all youth
who attend if they can see themselves reflected in the program’s material, theme, or
participants.
As Andrew Watson (2017) has said, “STEAM is more than a lesson or class;
it is a culture focused on engaging students to solve real-world problems” (p. 15).
Arguably, the public library is the perfect place where students can engage in this
culture of problem-solving through artmaking in an informal learning environment.
As our world’s problems become increasingly complex, we must continue providing
external resources, personal guidance, and access to STEAM programs that are not
only arts-inclusive but also considerate of all cultures, experiences, and abilities. The
options to incorporate the arts into STEAM are endless—you might have to be
creative about it.

46
Chapter 4– Art

Question

1. What is STEAM in art?


2. Why are the arts important in STEAM?
3. Why are arts a part of STEAM?
4. How is art used in STEAM?
5. Is art a STEAM career?

References

Allwine, J., Penoyar, J., & Spevacek, K. (2017). STEAM: Tiny libraries can do it
too! Alki, 33(3), 22–23.Association for Library Service to Children (2015).
Competencies for librarians serving children in public libraries. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/alsc/edcareeers/alsccorecomps

Bailey, C. (2015). An artist’s argument for STEAM education. Education Digest,


81(1), 21–23. Retrieved from
https://www.modeldmedia.com/features/artsinSTEM033115.aspx

Fink, J. L. W. (2018). Explore doesn’t explain: Encouraging kids to explore while


doing science is where true learning comes in. Scholastic Teacher, 127(3), 27-29.

Gess, A. H. (2017). STEAM education: Separating fact from fiction. Technology &
Engineering Teacher, 77(3), 39–41.

Grant, A. (2017, June 26). MIT study finds poorer kids benefit more from summer
reading programs. Boston Globe. Retrieved from
https://www3.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/06/26/mit-study-finds-poorer-kids-
benefit-more-from-summer-reading-
programs/UQwO4xh3caCbJYZUDpWGPI/story.html?arc404=true

Hunter-Doniger, T., Howard, C., Harris, R., & Hall, C. (2018). STEAM through
culturally relevant teaching and storytelling. Art Education, 71(1), 46–51.

Loewenberg, D. (2017). New NAEP data: Deep rifts in access to arts education.
Education Writers Association. Retrieved from https://www.ewa.org/blog-
educated-reporter/new-naep-data-deep-rifts-access-arts-education

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Chapter 4– Art

New York State Library (2019). Importance of summer reading: A research brief
on summer reading and public library summer reading programs. Retrieved from
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/summer/research.htm

Overall, P .M. (2009). Cultural competence: A Conceptual framework for library


and information

science professionals. Library Quarterly, 79(2), 175-204.

Pard, C. (2018). STEM programming for all ages: A practical guide for librarians.
Lanham, MD: Roman and Littlefield.

Pierce, D., & Goode, L. (2018, December 7). The WIRED guide to the iPhone.
Wired. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/guide-iphone/

Roach, D. (2012, February 22). STEM to STEAM: An interview with RISD’s


President, John Maeda. Huffington Post. Retrieved from
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-maeda-interview_b_1254548

Tan, T. (2017). Full STEAM ahead: Creating learning opportunities for students.
Leadership, 46(3), 22–27.

Thinkery Austin (2016). Free STEAM for your teen.” Retrieved from
https://thinkeryaustin.org/blog/teen-steam-austin-public-library/

University of Southern California (2019). How summer reading programs help


avoid the “summer slide.” Retrieved from
https://librarysciencedegree.usc.edu/blog/how-summer-reading-programs-help-
avoid-the-summer-slide/

University of Texas-Arlington. (2017). Benefits of converting STEM programs to


STEAM. Retrieved from
https://academicpartnerships.uta.edu/articles/education/the-benefits-of-converting-
stem-programs-to-steam.aspx

Watson, A. (2017). What is STEAM and why does it matter? National Association
of Elementary School Principals, 41(2), 14–15.

Young Adult Library Services Association (2017). Teen services competencies for
library staff. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/guidelines/yacompetencies

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Chapter 4– Art

CHAPTER 5

MATH

In this chapter, you will learn:

5.1 What “Mathematics” Means for Library Instructors


5.2 How is Math Taught in K-12 Schools?
5.3 Performance of Math Conversations
5.4 It is Hard to be Developmental
5.5 Brains Pre-Equipped for doing Math in Social Settings
5.6 Performative Tool
5.7 Why Math Learning is Hard
5.8 Mathematics Programming for All Ages
5.9 Teens and Young Adults
Chapter 5– Math

School boards and school districts determine the mathematics that we learn in school.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is one of the primary influencers
of math standards. Publishers use math standards to outline what students should be able to
do at the end of a course of study.

NAEP Trends in Academic Progress report provides trends on reading and math
assessments dating back to the 1970s. Over 43 years in mathematics education, we have
improved achievement levels for 9- and 13-year-olds. But those gains do not translate into
higher performance by the time students are 17.

Spending, curriculum, standards, and teacher preparation have changed over the past 43
years. We may need to look at how we teach math and evaluate the outcomes of instruction.
I hold very little hope that data-driven instruction will change mathematics education.

5.1 What “Mathematics” Means for Library Instructors

As we have already seen, librarians only somewhat universally beloved math. While
more evidence may be needed to state conclusively, Baek (2013) suggests that much of this
anxiety is a product of a lack of qualification. Librarians often come from non-STEAM –
especially non-math– backgrounds and thus feel apprehensive about teaching math as “non-
mathematicians.” Kliman, Jaumot-Pascual, and Martin (2013) suggest that mathematics is
seen as “without context” (i e., divorced from the “real world”), and librarians’ math anxiety
is often a result of a narrow or incomplete conception of what math is.

Let’s briefly consider just what math is before turning to the specifics of planning and
leading math instruction in libraries. The traditional understanding of what counts as math
is likely something akin to Dudley’s (2010) view of mathematics as “algebra, trigonometry,
calculus, linear algebra, and so on: all those subjects beyond arithmetic” (p.608); in essence,
math is applied arithmetic and the more esoteric formulations beyond those subjects covered
in primary school. While this definition is certainly not incorrect, it is limited, and more
helpful ways exist to approach this question. Hersh and Ekeland (1997) offer a more organic
articulation that might be better suited for our purposes: they argue that math is the name we
give to a set of social objects. Rather than being a set of natural laws “out there” in the
universe waiting to be discovered, math is a human-created system that we can use to
understand the universe and solve problems. The rules, figures, concepts, and math problems
are occasionally grounded in some physical reality, but most often, they are shared social
conventions. For example, we typically use the base-10 or decimal number system (with

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Chapter 5– Math

digits from 0-9) in everyday life, but some cultures use a base-8 system, and computer
programmers use a base-16 (hexadecimal) system. There is nothing fundamentally more
“natural” about base-10. We have agreed as a society to use this system for most
mathematical applications.

Understanding math as a human-created system may help alleviate math anxiety


somewhat. If math is the name for a set of social objects and librarians already perform
countless social tasks, then librarians likely already possess substantial knowledge about
math and math instruction. Math is already part of every story-time, especially those with
shapes, numbers, or sizes; math happens in every Lego club; math undergirds every maker
space. In short, libraries are full of math already, and librarians make that math happen. Our
true challenge is recognizing those objects and knowledge and channeling them into action.

5.2 How is Math Taught in K-12 Schools?

Before exploring how math can be incorporated into library programming and services,
we will briefly discuss how it is currently taught in public K-12 classrooms. If you haven’t
been in a K-12 setting since 2010 or so, math instruction likely looks very different now
compared to what you experienced as a student. That is due to the national adoption of the
Common Core State Standards, which has transformed math and Language Arts instruction
in the United States.

Rather than teaching students the quickest way to solve mathematical problems or the
one “right” way to solve a problem, Common Core math aims to help students understand
mathematical operations and the relationships among them conceptually. This often involves
teaching students multiple approaches to the same mathematical operation, focusing on the
process as much as the answers, and encouraging argumentation and logical reasoning. With
that said, it’s important to understand that the Common Core is a set of standards –
benchmarks for what students should learn and be able to do at each grade level. Common
Core is not a curriculum. It does not dictate what happens in individual classrooms to help
students reach those standards. Many complaints about Common Core math shared on social
media and in the news are about the materials used to teach the standards rather than the
standards themselves (search “Common Core math memes” if you’re not already familiar
with them).

The center of the Common Core math standards is a set of eight Standards for Mathematical
Practice that cut across all grade levels (http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/).

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Chapter 5– Math

These standards, like the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), emphasize
mathematical processes rather than specific operations or “facts”:

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them


2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
4. Model with mathematics
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision
7. Look for and make use of the structure
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

Also, like the NGSS, these standards connect to the skills we already teach in the library.
For example, YALSA Teens First Learning Outcomes such as “Teens can think flexibly”
and “Teens can show perseverance” (http://bit.ly/2mg1x9U) aligns well with the first two
standards above.

Although Common Core math has been in place for nearly a decade, the jury is still
unsure whether it has improved student learning. National research studies have found mixed
results on this question, though Common Core proponents point to several reasons why the
evidence may not yet point to its unqualified success: teachers are still getting used to the
new curriculum, classroom materials continue to be refined, and improved, and national tests
such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, may not accurately measure the
thinking that Common Core is trying to develop (Barnum, 2019). Regardless, Common Core
math is here to stay.

Now that we have discussed math and how it is taught in schools, we can move on to
more specific strategies for incorporating math instruction into public library programming
and services.

5.3 Performance of Math Conversations

The tables and chairs were arranged in a large U-shape with the open end pointing to
the front of the room. Group-based learning was a norm in our school, where students
worked collaboratively.

Students discussed the properties of numbers that I had forgotten or never learned.
Professor Smith only asked questions and did not indicate whether what a student said was

53
Chapter 5– Math

right or wrong. It had been a long time since I had been in middle school, and this was all
new to me.

J.E. MARTINEZ and J.R. SMITH were both parts of the New York City Teaching
Fellows program that provided us with alternative routes into teaching. Unlike many math
teachers, Smith was a professional mathematician and gifted math student.

The Common Core State Standards for Math should help teachers create a more
developmental learning environment. In my teacher’s class, I saw students imitate how she
led group conversations. Mathematics became a complex social activity, something that
everyone could be organized to do.

5.4 It is Hard to be Developmental

Vincent Accardi is a mathematics teacher in New York State who has been teaching
math using the Common Core State Standards, and he is also a student of mine in a graduate
course. Below are some of his posts in an online course (edited for clarity). He shares some
of his thoughts on why math is hard to learn in school despite standards that encourage
developmental approaches:

Post 1

In math, students attempt to understand the problem before trying it. Students use
drawings, graphs, and physical models to help solve problems. As much as we don’t want
to admit it, we teach the test with deadlines and due dates.

Post 2

Collaboration is something that I tried to stay away from in my education.


Collaboration and group success are what I celebrate now. There are always winners and
losers in the classroom. Some students must feel the same way when they enter a classroom,
which is sad.

Post 3

Students are graduating with a memory of procedural fluency that will almost certainly
be lost within a few months. “Conceptual understanding” is a phrase that’s tossed around.
According to J.E. MARTIN, most students need to have all the conceptual understandings
they should.

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Chapter 5– Math

He identifies teaching to the test, competition in math, and the need to cover material at
a certain pace. His self-identify movement went from being competitive and not
collaborating to encouraging collaboration.

5.5 Brains Pre-Equipped for Doing Math in Social Settings

We are all born with what is referred to as number sense, and we do not need language
to experience numbers. Research conducted by Gallistel and Gelman has led them to
compare human and non-human cognitive mechanisms in the number sense. The researchers
assert that non-verbal tools for mathematical reasoning develop at the same time that
children become aware of the world.

In the 1980s, Jean Lave conducted studies that contrasted the abilities of shoppers to do
mental mathematics calculations while shopping with their abilities to do the same
calculations in school. Lave found that shoppers who considered themselves poor math
students performed better in the supermarket than in conditions that felt more like a test.

Barbara Rogoff argues that human cognition (including mathematical cognition) is


situated in social practice. According to Rogoff, these guides could be peers and adults who
explain, discuss, model, observe, and influence how children participate in cultural activity.

Vygotskian theory suggests that mathematical reasoning is as social and natural to


human beings as our capacities to use language and technology. Creating more opportunities
for “math talk” in the classroom may help students and teachers create new math
performances in classrooms.

A student who achieves 100% on a test receives positive reinforcement and is expected
to maintain that level of achievement. Students who receive a grade less than 100 are
challenged to do better. The testing system competitively ranks students against each other
rather than creating an apples-to-asters.

Students ask questions about the relevance of math instruction throughout their K-12
experiences. When mathematics is part of social activity, including shopping, play, and
puzzle solving, the question of relevance disappears. Mike Askew suggests providing
students with opportunities to rehearse in the classroom before being asked to present.

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Chapter 5– Math

5.6 Performative Tool

The Math Video Project is a relational “tool and result” type tool. The project created
“new wants,” which should not be confused with motivation. Jeff Lisciandrello created new
wants for himself and his students with assessment and training technology in the math
classroom.

The following dialogue is from a meeting with Lisciandrello, a former student of mine.
He was a fifth-grade math teacher in New York City. He describes his experience using
technology to transform math learning and assessment in his classroom. The dialogue has
been edited for clarity.

Lisciandrello provides the Light Bot™ software as a fun and interactive mathematical
activity. The software provides students with multiple attempts at problems. It provides
targeted information based on what types of challenges and activities the student succeeds
at and those that present a struggle.

Lisciandrello’s students responded differently to his attempts at interventions.


Technology enabled him to look at his students’ situations in new ways. He says that
grouping is less evident when students are allowed to work collaboratively on a project-
based learning project.

Carole Anne Tomlinson is often credited as being a leader in the differentiated


instruction movement. The idea behind self-instruction was to make schooling fit the child,
not the other way around. This revolutionary moment in education gave way to the
established institutional order of the time.

Differentiation attempts to develop different entry points to the same concept or the
same learning task. Jeff Lisciandrello discovered this when working with two boys and
technology in his math class. In contrast, we can create learning communities with many
tasks and no goals.

5.7 Why Math Learning is Hard

The performative approach prioritizes building relationships with math as a social


activity. This includes conversations, project-based learning, and performing math in
everyday contexts. Teaching math in a way that transforms it into a social activity should be
both collaborative and celebratory.

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Chapter 5– Math

5.8 Mathematics Programming for All Ages

Although math instruction may get much more complex at higher levels, it can begin
with something as simple as learning concepts like “less and more” or counting to ten. This
means that math instruction in the library can begin with programming for our very youngest
users.

5.8.1 Preschool

Math education for preschool-age children is one area where librarians may already be
well prepared. Moreover, this is one of the areas where library instruction in math can make
the biggest difference for learners, as evidence suggests fostering math skills at this
developmental stage is strongly correlated to long-term academic success (Park, Bermudez,
Roberts, & Brannon, 2016). For learners in this age group, math instruction is often intended
to develop students’ number sense (Baroody, Eilan, & Thompson, 2009), which has three
sequential components: first, developing counting strategies using objects or words (i.e.,
inductive reasoning); next, reasoning skills that add patterns and relationships to those
counting processes (i.e., deductive reasoning); and last, retrieval strategies that move those
earlier skills to long-term memories which learners can more easily recall. Outside of
number sense, mathematics instruction in this age range also fosters spatial-geometric sense
and interest by emphasizing the exploration of shape and size (Sarama & Clements, 2004).
These three stages rely on skills that libraries and librarians regularly help develop.

With an understanding of the skills we are looking to develop, let’s consider a successful
example of mathematics instruction for this age group to see some of the tools and techniques
available to library instructors.

5.8.2 Elementary School

As children transition from preschool into primary school, the challenges posed by and
approaches to mathematics instruction in the library change considerably. While preschool-
age math instruction tends toward fostering mathematical literacies through abstract
connections and properties (e.g., “shapes,” “sizes,” “numeracy,” etc.), math instruction for
elementary school-age children tends toward further developing those skills through
concrete, explicitly “mathematical” tasks (i.e., “math problems”) (Stein, Grover, &
Henningsen, 1996). However, while the materials themselves are more definitively
mathematical, the ideas they express are considerably more abstruse. A student, for example,
can easily understand that the elephant in the story is larger than the cat; she can refer to the

57
Chapter 5– Math

pictures, she may have a direct experience to reference, or the story itself might provide
contextual clues with which the student can deduce the answer. That question becomes
significantly more esoteric when presented symbolically using numerical representations of
the animals’ respective sizes.

Complicating matters further, one now needs to reconsider the purpose of library
mathematics instruction given these changes in form and content. In her literature review,
Frederiksen (2009) found that libraries and librarians tend to see the role of their instruction
as both a supplement and complement to the curriculum and standards of their local schools.
Moreover, since this is the age group in which math anxiety most commonly begins
occurring, libraries and library instruction can be the relaxed, fun environment children need
to overcome those anxieties and successfully internalize mathematical concepts (Spencer &
Huss, 2013).

With the understanding that mathematics library instruction for this age group can
reinforce and expand the local standards and curricula and act as a low-stress environment
to help ease math anxiety, let’s now examine a successful model of mathematics instruction
for elementary school-age children in the library.

5.8.3 Middle Grades

The differences in needs and considerations between elementary school-age children


and those in the middle grades are subtle but significant. The aims and purposes for library
math instruction are generally similar between these two groups. Frederiksen’s (2009)
findings seemed to be as applicable to learners in this age range as they were to their slightly
younger counterparts; that is, library instruction for learners in this age range tends to be a
matter of reinforcing and supplementing the school curricula for these learners. The key
difference for librarians is that the subject matter may be slightly more sophisticated and
abstract.

Crucially, however, there are some additional affective and ethical concerns for teaching
these learners one should consider. Students’ self-perceptions seem to become a major
determinant of success in this demographic (Pajares, Britner, & Valiante, 2000), and this is
the age at which learners begin to report seeing math as useless or impractical (Parajes &
Graham, 1999). Two possible implications for instructors are the potential inclusion of
multi-goal lessons into a curriculum so learners can feel successful early and often in the
process and working to tie those lessons to “useful” real-world situations. Moreover, learners

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Chapter 5– Math

in this age range can handle and benefit from multi-tiered problems (Van de Walle, 1998).
One of the desired math competencies for this demographic is an ability to answer problems
requiring iterative thinking.

Finally, we should consider library math instruction for middle-grade learners relating
to our technological and educational conjuncture. Responsible and proficient computer use
is doubtlessly an important skill for learners, and evidence (Herro, Quigley, & Jacques, 2018)
suggests that this age group is ideal for developing those understandings. These learners
likely have the mathematical thinking capacities and the broader intellectual and emotional
sophistication to begin handling both the technical and ethical aspects of computer use.
Furthermore, as Spencer and Huss (2013) demonstrated, the library can provide the ideal,
low-stress environment for grappling with ideas challenging to learners on both cognitive
and affective levels.

Since we have now seen how the needs of middle-grade learners closely align but
remain critically distinct from those of elementary-age learners, let’s revisit the model we
examined for the latter group and see how one can adjust that program to suit the needs of
an older cohort better.

5.9 Teens and Young Adults

Much like the leap from elementary-age to middle-grade learners, the needs and
considerations for math instruction for teenagers and young adults are like those of middle-
grade and elementary-age learners but distinct in key ways. Perhaps the strongest similarity
between teens and their younger counterparts is the benefits of contextualizing math
instruction. Stressing math’s importance in life after primary school ends is particularly
beneficial in math instruction for teens (Burress, Atkins, & Burns, 2018); for instance, Tyson,
Lee, Borman, and Hanson (2007) found that exposure to math in a STEM-career focused
context in high school is a powerful predictor for whether a student will obtain a bachelor’s
degree in a STEM field.

Beyond career and higher educational implications, however, library math instruction’s
value for teens —especially today’s teenagers—is a matter of rectifying a social-contractual
failure for which teens are now paying the price. As Harris (2017) noted in his exhaustive
evidence survey, primary education in the 21st Century has been defined by two major
federal policies: 2001’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and 2009’s Race to the Top
(RTTP) program. While each policy differed in its specific requirements, enforcement

59
Chapter 5– Math

mechanisms, and aims, Harris observed that they shared two common characteristics: an
emphasis on standardized testing as a means of evaluation and the push for universal learning
standards. These two factors profoundly changed education for learners, shifting classroom
time towards the dreaded “teaching to the test” and a classroom focus on the subjects those
tests measured – STEM and language arts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harris found that the
increased quantity of math education was the pure quantity and nearly no quality math
instruction. For example, he found that much “math” instruction focused on successfully
eliminating incorrect answers on tests to increase the likelihood of randomly selecting the
right answer to a problem. Furthermore, teens bear the brunt of these negative consequences,
as their education has been entirely within this framework. Since the compulsory portion of
their education is ending, they may not see an alternative model.

This is where math instruction in the library can make a profound difference. Since the
library was and is not subject to these mandates, it can provide the stimulation and
exploration schoolroom instruction can no longer afford to offer. Moreover, as the Pew
Research Center (Horrigan, 2015) found, the people most likely to use the library or attend
a library program are those disproportionately burdened by math anxiety and instructional
inequalities: women, people of color, and low-income households. Thus, one of the greatest
benefits of library math instruction –for all ages, particularly teens and young adults– is that
it provides meaningful math instruction; an opportunity increasingly rare in other
educational settings.

With the role and importance of math instruction established, we should now consider
one effective model for library math instruction for teenagers.

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Chapter 5– Math

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:

Math anxiety is an unfortunate reality of math education, at least as presently


constructed. It is likely that both you, the library instructor, and your learners at least
occasionally struggle with it. The goal of this chapter was not to provide a cure for
math anxiety but rather to develop a program of math anxiety mindfulness to limit its
effects on library math instruction. Our plan for combatting math anxiety involved
situating math and math instruction in the right conceptual framework, identifying
helpful library resources and exploring options for collection expansion through low
and no-cost means, and examining the needs and considerations of different age
groups matching them to exemplary programs. Successful math instruction, however,
does not end with overcoming math anxiety.
As librarians, mathematics is not likely to ever be your favorite subject
(Kliman, Jaumot-Pascual, & Martin, 2013). However, you will also likely encounter
learners for whom math is a favorite subject. Moreover, a three-year longitudinal
study of 20 schools found that students who rank mathematics as their favorite subject
often feel as though they are alone in their preference and, thus, atypical or unusual
(Attard, 2011). That study also found that regardless of preference, students saw a
“good” math instructor as: (as what? Passionate?)
Therefore, the final component of successful math instruction is bringing
genuine enthusiasm for math to your lesson plans. Whether you find some property
or branch of mathematics that sparks your interest in the subject or enthusiasm for
fostering a love for mathematics in your learners, truly excellent math instruction
comes from passionate math instructors.

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Chapter 5– Math

Question

1. What does math mean in STEAM?


2. What are the 5 components of STEAM?
3. Why is math important in STEAM?
4. How is mathematics related to STEAM?
5. What kind of math is in STEAM?
6. What is the importance of math for you as STEAM students?
7. What are the 7 foundational elements of STEAM?

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Anderton, H. (2012). STEM, teens, and public libraries it’s easier than you think! Young
Adult Library Services, 10(2), 44–46.

Arnold, R., & Colburn, N. (2009). First steps. 55, 19–19.

Attard, C. (2011). “My favourite subject is maths. For some reason no-one really agrees with
me”: Student perspectives of mathematics teaching and learning in the upper primary
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Barnum, M. (2019, April 29). Nearly a decade later, did the Common Core work? New
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Burress, R., Atkins, C., & Burns, C. (2018). Learning commons as a catlyst for instructional
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65
CHAPTER 6

THE EDUCATION FOR


WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
PARADIGM

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Weak Links
6.3 Accountability and Achievement
6.4 Standard
6.5 Don’t Reform, Perform!
Chapter 6– The Education for Workforce Development Paradigm

This Chapter explores various approaches to building a positive interdisciplinary


STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, arts, and math) learning environment as
described by educators across the K-20 educational ladder. Crucial to their success, Martinez
finds, is the playful and performative approach they employ in their teaching.

6.1 Introduction

Using the idea of a paradigm as a lens for viewing the purpose of education in the USA
helps make the complex social structure and limits of policies, practice, and problem
domains visible. How the USA approaches STEAM and STEM education is presented here
by reviewing how leaders and practitioners address STEAM education knowledge and
practices challenges.

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Some
definitions indicate that STEAM stands for art and design; others suggest it stands for
architecture. This book uses the definition of STEAM in a congressional resolution of May
1, 2015.

The STEM Education Act became law in October 2015. Among other things, the Act
provided funding for prospective teachers to apply for scholarships and for the NSF to fund
education research in informal learning settings. The report states that more support for
STEM education is necessary to develop a STEM workforce for manufacturers, high-tech
companies, and small businesses.

Congressional resolutions and various committee reports are how policy advocates
communicate their views, practices, and understandings of STEAM and STEM education.
As stated in the STEM Education Act of 2015 report, the primary concern is to improve how
the future workforce is prepared to fill “in-demand STEM jobs”.

6.2 Weak Links

Michael S. Teitelbaum’s book analyzes questions related to American competitiveness


in the STEM disciplines and workforce demand. He concludes that there is no consensus
among researchers about the preparedness of the US workforce to meet the needs of national
interests. His book provides a historical analysis of STEM workforce funding that he
describes as “alarm-boom-bust”.

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Chapter 6– The Education for Workforce Development Paradigm

Teitelbaum argues that “boom” and “bust” funding for science, education, and research
has led to a crisis in global economic competitiveness. The US federal government shutdown
in 2013 is an example of a bust event that unexpectedly constrained discretionary spending
at NSF and the National Institutes of Health.

In chapter after chapter, Steven Teitelbaum challenges the certainty of general assertions
regarding STEM labor shortages and educational failure. He argues that the USA is still
competitive despite the limitations of inconsistent federal funding cycles, misalignments in
workforce development, and overstatement of workforce needs.

Teitelbaum: No evidence that improving student achievement in school will lead to


improved national competitiveness. Lowell and Salzman’s report suggests we should be
concerned about addressing the learning of students performing at the lowest levels if
improving the international ranking of students is the primary issue.

This selective review reveals that in dialogue with business and government, the
scientific and education research community is responsible for raising the alarms and
delivering the alarmists’ critique. According to Kuhn, scientists’ response to a “crisis” is to
identify where the discrepancy is in the field. “The problem is labeled [sic] and set aside for
a future generation with more developed tools” (Kuhn 2012, p. 84).

6.3 Accountability and Achievement

The previous discussion of the education for workforce development paradigm


highlighted reports framing the debate about education problems. The practices that
currently dominate conversations about teaching and learning include measurement of
accountability and achievement, standardizing curriculum, and improving the qualifications
of teachers.

The No Child Left Behind legislation of 2001 (NCLB) was an education reform
designed to increase teacher accountability. In 2016, the Obama administration admitted that
its revision to NCLB mandates, known as Race to the Top, fell short of having the desired
impact.

The problem of student achievement gaps in science and mathematics is another


significant concern pursued in the education for workforce development paradigm. Despite
all the money, efforts, and improvements, gaps persist. There is some utility in defining gaps

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Chapter 6– The Education for Workforce Development Paradigm

to motivate educational reform. NCLB legislation linked standardized testing results to


criteria for judging teaching effectiveness in schools.

6.4 Standard

The fourth definition in Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary for the word standard
reads as follows: something set up and established by authority as a rule for measuring
quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality. Standards work very well in manufacturing
environments where processes and materials are controllable. The education for workforce
development paradigm provides the framework for preparing students to participate in work
environments. Measuring student performance is not just desirable but necessary for
determining whether or not students are achieving expectations. It may be helpful to
illustrate how standards come into being with an example from mathematics education.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is concerned with advocacy,


research, professional development, teaching and learning standards, issues of access and
equity, and practices. The common Core State Standards initiative was brought about by the
need to grant waivers to continue federal funding to states that could not meet NCLB
performance standards.

6.5 Don’t Reform, Perform!

Many educators will relate to STEAM and STEM education legislation and funding
efforts as the latest in a series of workforce competitiveness reforms. They will use the tools
they have always used and work on problems like they always have. We can expect those
efforts' good and bad results to be recognizable as attempts at refining existing ideas about
teaching and learning and measuring achievement. The frustration that people experience
with education reforms and policy will likely continue. How could it be otherwise if the
same tools and ways of looking at problems continue to be used? A new way of creating
change is needed.

Uncritical acceptance of what I have described as the education for workforce


development paradigm will make it hard to embrace new ideas and create new practices in
STEAM education. The school system works for some students and some teachers and only
works for a few students and teachers. Everyone agrees that more creativity and innovation
in schools is desirable; it is in the congressional record. In my experience, thinking of
innovation and creativity as something that needs to fit into existing practices is the wrong
approach. When innovation and creativity happen in an institution or a learning activity, a

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transformation occurs, and everything changes. STEAM educators are calling current
teaching practices into question as they create new interdisciplinary practices and ways of
being in educational institutions. Their actions, projects, and new relationships are the
critiques or the new performances that underscore our need to go beyond reform to
achieve/create/realize the transformation of educational institutions that we are all hoping
for.

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Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:


There’s a reason we talk about “steam” programming as opposed to “s-t-e-a-
m” programming: just as these five letters combine to form a single word, the five
domains they stand for can also combine to create instruction and programming that
is more than the sum of its parts. Whether your library integrates just two of the
STEAM components in a program or all five, encouraging children and teens to see
the connections among them, and to make new connections themselves, needs to be
at the heart of your work. The challenges and issues facing today’s youth will require
cross-disciplinary approaches. And on a more positive note, the interests and passions
of these children and teens can also be enriched when they are equipped to make
connections across subject areas, as illustrated by the many program and activity
examples shared in this chapter.
In the following five chapters, we will explore each of the five STEAM
domains separately, looking at how these subjects are taught in school, their relation
to information literacy and other library-related content, and considerations for
integrating this content into library instruction. As you read these chapters, we
encourage you to keep these connections in mind.

Question

1. What are STEAM education pedagogical approaches and practices?


2. How was STEAM Pedagogy used as an approach for teacher professional
development?
3. Integrating Art and Engineering: What do faculty think?
4. What factors influence teacher quality and quality teaching and their effects on
student achievement? Four areas are examined in this report and describe what
is known about preparing quality teachers and their impact on K-12 student
achievement in mathematics and science.
5. Please explain the 6 steps to achieving the new leadership development
paradigm.

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References

Adams, R.S., & Forin, T. (2014). Working together across differences. In B. Williams, J.
Figueiredo, & J. Trevelyan (Eds.), Engineering practice in a global context: Understanding
the technical and the social. The Netherlands: CRC Press.

Barlow, J.P. (1996). A declaration of the independence of cyberspace. Retrieved from


https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence

Brown, L.L. (2012, May 7). The benefits of music education. PBS for parents. Retrieved
from https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/the-benefits-of-music-education

Committee on Integrated STEM Education (2014). STEM integration in K-12 education:


Status, prospects, and an agenda for research. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.

Csorny, L. (2013). Careers in the growing field of information technology services. Bureau
of Labor Statistics: Beyond the numbers. Retrieved from
https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-2/careers-in-growing-field-of-information-
technology-services.htm

Dowker, A., Sarkar, A., & Looi, C. Y. (2016). Mathematics anxiety: What have we learned
in 60 years?. Frontiers in psychology, 7, article 508.

Feldman, A. (2015). STEAM rising: Why we need to put the arts into STEM education.
Retrieved from https://slate.com/technology/2015/06/steam-vs-stem-why-we-need-to-put-
the-arts-into-stem-education.html

Gunn, J. (2017, November 3). The evolution of STEM and STEAM in the U.S. Room 241
(blog). Retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-
resources/evolution-of-stem-and-steam-in-the-united-states/

Hille, K., Gust, K., Bitz, U., & Kammer, T. (2011). Associations between music education, intelligence,
and spelling ability in elementary school. Advances in cognitive psychology, 7, 1–6.

Lortie, D. (1975). Schoolteacher: A sociological study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

Spread Music Now (2019). Why music? Retrieved from


https://www.spreadmusicnow.org/why-music

73
CHAPTER 7

METHODOLOGICAL
APPROACHES TO STEM/STEAM
LEARNING

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Thoughts on Centeredness
7.3 Project-Based Learning Professional Development
7.4 Disequilibrium
7.5 Dispositions
7.6 Systematic Approaches
7.7 Performing With(in) a System - A Slight Digression
7.8 Irony and the PBL Workshop
7.9 Experiential Approaches
Chapter 7– Methodological Approaches to STEM/STEAM Learning

7.1 Introduction

A teaching method is a tool that can be reused to achieve a planned result or outcome.
Teachers benefit from professional development (PD) opportunities schools and school
districts provide. School administrators can motivate teachers to take PD
classes/seminars/training in new methods.

7.2 Thoughts on Centeredness

A “teacher-centered” methodological approach to creating learning environments


features the teacher as the prime motivator of what happens in the classroom. Teacher-
centered methods include the lecture, using the blackboard or electronic whiteboard, reading
to students, demonstrations, and questioning students. The teacher also decides (as far as the
students are concerned) what topics will be studied and how students will learn them. The
progressive education and curriculum design movement has trended away from teacher-
centered approaches to student-centered ones. Student-centered approaches have been
proposed to organize teaching in school systems since the late 1890s to address the specific
learning needs of students (differentiation) and to respond to low student achievement in
schools (Franklin 2005). Most student-centered approaches to teaching allocate the majority
of time in a lesson for students to be engaged in cooperative or collaborative activities with
peers.

“Centeredness” in learning environments means that there is a focal point around which
instruction revolves. Whether teacher-centered or student-centered, classroom instruction
obscures or oversimplifies the complex cognitive, social, and emotional interactions teachers
and students have. I have heard many educators claim that practice in the classroom is
student-centered. However, it is impossible to determine what is going on in the classroom
simply because it has been labeled “student-centered.”

I see “student-centered” as a shortcut for describing what happens in the classroom. This
shortcut to communicating may be helpful when we do not want to or need to take the time
to provide the specifics of student-centered activities. The shortcut does not help when trying
new ways of thinking or innovating in the classroom. What I do think will help is teacher
narratives. I’ve noticed that teachers tend to tell stories about what goes on in classrooms.
The stories contain detailed descriptions of social interactions in the classroom. Sometimes
there are interesting digressions to provide listeners with historical background, and there is
often a point being made about teaching in that particular circumstance. These narratives are

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a genuine and powerful means of engaging adult and youthful learners. To create
developmental STEAM learning environments, we will have to tell each other stories. In the
next section, I will tell an ironic story about learning to use project-based learning (PBL) as
a methodology in the classroom. Training in project-based learning has emerged as a popular
method for preparing teachers to use student projects to make STEM and STEAM
interdisciplinary learning fit into the existing curriculum. PBL training comes with a system
of forms and instructions to produce a documented process (unit plans and lesson plans) that
will ultimately result in descriptions of student learning outcomes tied to explicit learning
goals, standards, and products demonstrating evidence of learning. What follows is an
experience observing and participating in teacher professional development that features
project-based learning.

7.3 Project-Based learning Professional Development

During the summer of July 2014, I was invited to attend three all-day professional
development sessions with elementary teachers. The focus of the professional development
was to initiate the creation of PBL unit plans. The trainers were knowledgeable and could
bring computer technology and lesson planning resources to bear that are useful in various
schools.

Typically, attendance is taken at the beginning of a PD workshop. Teachers drink coffee,


eat bagels, and workshop organizers hold off on starting the day until they get close to the
expected number of attendees. When that happens, the workshop organizers start making
introductions and remind teachers to sign attendance sheets to receive what is known as “per-
session” training pay. The workshop leaders introduced me as a researcher and university-
based partner on this occasion. I had an opportunity to introduce myself and speak about
some of my priorities, and I took a few minutes to teach and play an improvisation game.
The game “Yes, and” creates a collective story and is designed to help players listen to,
accept, and build upon the conversational “offers” that others may contribute to telling a
collective story. This is a good game to play when I anticipate being in environments where
many people will begin their comments with “No, but” or “Yes, but,” which work to negate
what has been said and brings conversations to a halt or initiates a dispute. The “Yes, and”
collective story is one of my methodological tools for creating developmental learning
environments.

The workshop plan was for the participants, all pre-K–5 teachers from three different
elementary schools, to work in groups and use instructional technologies, such as laptop

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computers, the Internet, and Google Apps for Education, to develop STEM-based PBL unit
plans. Their PBL plans required identifying a problem and developing a curricular unit that
resulted in solutions to the problem. They were required to produce documents using PBL
management templates and Web-based resources set up by the school district to provide
teachers with easy access. In addition to the materials listed above, teachers had curriculum
maps (a schedule of the content to be taught each month) for the grades they taught and the
appropriate Common Core State Standards.

As teachers began to work, I became aware of some resistance to the new ideas and
some of the work. Some teachers rejected offers of help. Some teachers seemed to be
working on using the PBL framework to retrofit classroom projects. Others appeared to be
continuing work started in an earlier workshop. Many teachers I worked with had chosen
their comfort zones as a starting point for a PBL-integrated lesson and were trying to identify
a relevant problem to associate with the project unit they were developing. Over the 3 days,
even as the teachers became increasingly comfortable with the PBL framework, they
struggled to align the standards, curriculum, and ideas. Many teachers experienced
frustration at trying to “make it all fit” into their existing understandings of their teaching
contexts. I hoped people would remember the “Yes, and” performance when they wanted to
say “but.” However, many sentences started with the word but.

7.4 Disequilibrium

According to some of the research literature on teacher professional development,


disequilibrium is necessary for teacher learning (Opfer and Peder 2011; Wilson and Berne
1999). For teachers to learn something new, existing practices and beliefs must be
challenged. Teachers’ responses to the PD were consistent with the research literature. Some
teachers demonstrated “resistance” to the experience. I interpreted the failure of participants
to make eye contact with the lecturer, their reluctance to ask questions, and their tendency
to make statements that began with “but” to be an indicator of this.

Another phenomenon identified in teacher professional learning research is that teachers


will not adopt new approaches unless they see the benefits regarding improved student
achievement (Adey et al. 2004). During the workshop, some of the teachers I interacted with
expressed concerns about making PBL structured projects fit within the realities of a school
day, meeting the expectations of administrators, aligning projects with standardized testing,
and teaching the students. Many teachers who referenced standardized testing said they
could not see how PBL prepared students for the test. Given these conditions, it was

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reasonable to expect teachers to resist adopting new technologies and methods until they
saw the benefits.

Interdisciplinary connections across content areas are part of the natural progression in
a PBL unit plan. Teachers with more experience and subject-matter expertise had less
difficulty seeing interdisciplinary connections than less experienced teachers. One group of
less experienced teachers admitted that they needed more research for their interdisciplinary
unit on the migrations of native North American peoples. If the goal of a PBL unit is to
generate a process of inquiry, why did teachers feel they had to know the answers in advance?
Why could not students and teachers discover things together?

The relevance of instruction to students’ lives is another key feature of PBL instructional
units, and was one of the objectives of the U.S. Department of Education Magnet Schools
grant that funded the teacher professional development at the school I was visiting. Teachers
decide what students will learn based on the curriculum and standards in these workshops.
It needed to be clarified how much input students or the community expected to have in
these units. In my interactions with some teachers, it was unclear whether they had an
understanding of the socioeconomic realities of the community they worked in or how their
social class biases might lead them to take certain things for granted about the lives of their
students when making decisions about the relevance of PBL units. For example, one group
planned on having third-grade students create a travel brochure for visiting the Galapagos
Islands. I couldn’t see how the lesson plan related to the lives of the children in that
community, and those connections would still need to be made in the lesson plan if indeed
they could be made.

I observed that experienced teachers could increase pedagogical options in the PBL
plans of less experienced teachers, and they seemed willing to share and provide guidance.
The beneficial impact of experienced teachers on novice teachers is consistent with some
research findings (Adey et al. 2004).

PBL is process-oriented, inquiry-driven and presumes an iterative development cycle.


The tendency of some traditional approaches to teaching is toward facilitating knowledge
acquisition by explaining and motivating students to complete the task. Some units ended
with a final assessment of whether or not student-created products met the criteria
established by standards. Workshop leaders noted during the workshop that starting the
actual hands-on project work at the end of the unit as the assessment instrument was an
indicator of teachers’ thinking in more traditional terms. The PBL process uses hands-on

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activities to raise questions throughout inquiry learning units. Based on my observations, it


was evident that many teachers in the room did experience dis-equilibrium and were
struggling with new ideas. At one point in the workshop, one facilitator did remind teachers
of the “Yes, and” story in response to a series of statements where different teachers were
saying, “but.” It is not the first time I observed someone reaching for an improv method in
a moment of frustration.

7.5 Dispositions

During the lecture portion of each day, I observed many teachers with “eyes on screens”
or who refused to make eye contact with the speaker. This was frustrating for the trainer,
evidenced by the phrase, “You need to pay attention to this.” One possible explanation for
this behavior is that the teachers were multitasking. I am sure that many workshop
participants would claim to have been multitasking. I did see some laptop screens showing
emails, the PBL forms, and other relevant-looking materials. Another explanation, as
previously noted, is “resistance,” which may be due to indifference, embarrassment at not
knowing the material, being unprepared, or being bored. Alternatively, trainers may have
mistaken a lack of eye contact for lack of teacher understanding. Teacher resistance is a
source of frustration in PD environments for trainers and workshop participants. The
professional development literature helps explain and diagnose teacher resistance, its forms,
and possible treatments. But getting to the root causes of the symptoms is not one of the
things that can easily be accomplished in a PD workshop.

I engaged in conversations with several teachers and was heartened by their enthusiasm
and willingness to plan to take risks with the material. Several of these teachers had already
been given formal leadership roles as Magnet School specialists. These were senior teachers
who self-selected and interviewed for teaching positions that would be funded through the
Magnet Schools grant. These teachers were highly motivated and willing to take on
significant challenges, and their performance at the workshop differed from many
participants. Other teachers were being paid by the hour during the summer to be in the
workshop, but their performances told different stories about their reasons for and comfort
with being there. This was a clue to moving beyond describing and diagnosing teacher
resistance and understanding it.

There are many approaches to providing teachers with support in examining their
expectations for students and their beliefs about learning. The best type of support comes
from peers and opportunities to reflect openly on teaching practices. In this professional

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development workshop, there was a plan to provide opportunities for reflection and to use
the Critical Friends protocol for feedback. The Critical Friends protocol originated from
work at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. It is a professional
learning community designed to structure peer interactions to improve teaching (Moore and
Carter-Hicks 2014). The Critical Friends process has a set of protocols, including
implementing a “tuning” protocol as a first step that provides the group with practice in
going through each of the steps together. The outline described by Moore and Carter-Hicks
specifies 68 min from the introductory activity to the closing debriefing (Moore and Carter-
Hicks 2014, p. 7). However, circumstances drove workshop facilitators to cut short the
feedback and reflection portions (20min) to cover PBL curriculum development issues. Time
for reflection and feedback was traded away for covering the curriculum. I have participated
in the Critical Friends protocol and have observed others using it. I view the protocol as a
highly scripted ensemble performance. I was an observer, and the interactions seemed a bit
rushed. It was hard for me to determine how anyone felt about the process. I think the
reflection portion is as important or almost as important as the content/curriculum of the
workshop.

I think understanding how people felt about the process would (1) help improve the
process and (2) probably provide insight into what the takeaway for teachers was.

The 3-day PBL workshops proceeded along familiar patterns and would be recognizable
as being of high quality despite the varying levels of enthusiasm. The teachers responded
along the lines predicted in the literature on teacher professional development. A few days
after the workshop, I gave workshop organizers feedback on the training. The specific
feedback is irrelevant here; I responded to them with suggestions from a best practices
perspective. My goal was to continue building my relationship with these teachers and
schools, which meant I had to work with what they offered, which was an opportunity to
provide useful feedback on their terms.

Many teachers feel like they need a choice regarding professional development, and
choices are difficult for PD trainers to create. Empowered teachers, such as those identified
leaders (the Magnet School specialists) in a PD workshop environment, will exhibit
enthusiasm. The Critical Friends protocols can work when they are routinely part of school
teacher practices. In my experience, teachers believe there are opportunities for choice-
making and risk-taking in schools where new ideas take hold. Teachers are also receptive to
new ideas if they think that administrators trust them and that they can trust their colleagues.

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Schools should invest the same effort in creating trusting environments as they do in
developing professional knowledge and other professional practices.

7.6 Systematic Approaches

Based on my observations of efforts in STEM education, PBL will be the approach


many schools will take toward STEAM education. Collaboration and creativity in
classrooms will also be encouraged in STEAM teaching and learning. However, it is still
being determined whether creativity and collaboration will be central to STEAM education
practices or be viewed as add-ons to what I regard as a systematic approach to learning in
schools. Systematic approaches to learning in school sequence and coordinate learning
activities. A measurable outcome can be described when the learning process is broken down
into distinct steps. For example, “the student will be able to write her name” is a measurable
outcome.

The differences become apparent when we compare early childhood learning to formal
school-based learning, such as toddlers’ engagement. The developmental performative
learning of children outside of school may include, for example, a child’s exploration of a
living room. Exploring a room by a child has many possible outcomes, some that are
observable and others that are not. The outcomes of exploration may not be measurable.
What a child learns while exploring the room may not have direct, causal relationships to
what develops and is not predictable.

In a systematic learning activity, for instance, in a kindergarten classroom, a morning


routine might involve children signing into the class by writing their names in crayons on a
large sheet of paper. Name writing is reinforced through the systematic instruction of the
alphabet, posting the children’s names on personal items, and having them practice writing
their names on worksheets and other items. As the school year progresses, teachers will
document each child’s ability to write her name and form the letters of the alphabet. The
expected outcome of instruction and immersion in text production is a child who can write
her name, recognize letters, and form and space the letters to create words. There is no doubt
that a system of learning helps with measuring learning and ensuring that students have
opportunities to learn the things that are a priority. However, a systematic approach to
learning only recognizes or values the expected outcomes. We cannot discover other
important things about children using systematic methods. Fortunately, kindergarten and
other elementary school teachers do many things that are, in my view, performative.

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7.7 Performing With(in) a System—A Slight Digression

The morning sign-in activity is a non-threatening, formative assessment strategy that is


also fun for the students. Elementary school teachers perform many unsystematic formative
assessments of children and their families in daily interactions. For instance, elementary
school teachers note how parents and children perform the morning routine. They
consciously and unconsciously track changes in the routine, noting troubling drop-off
incidents, children who look sick, or changes in the drop-off caregiver. Any change to the
routine may trigger an improvisational response from the teacher. I’ve known many
excellent elementary school teachers who are great improvisers and astute observers of
children and families. Those skills and approaches to assessment are performative and vital
to creating welcoming and safe environments for children. In less happy circumstances,
where teachers have much less autonomy and do not perform, bureaucratic (systematic)
responses prevail, and there is little evidence of development, improvisation, or good
conditions for learning. I have worked in hard-to-staff schools, failing schools where the
systematic approach to learning dominates, and there are many unpleasant trips to the
principal’s office. I have had many conversations with teachers about “the system,” where
they tell me that the system does not allow them to teach, much less perform in the ways I
suggest. I encourage them to perform within the system and play with the system. I further
remind them that teaching is a political act, and they have a civic responsibility to be
advocates for children and families.

7.8 Irony and the PBL Workshop

A pedagogical approach like PBL prioritizes and documents what is to be studied. A


PBL may involve many well-defined tasks to produce one or more expected STEAM
learning outcomes. However, if PBL outcomes must be predetermined, how will the
possibilities associated with unplanned learning be recognized and valued? More important,
if PBL and other recently used methods in progressive education are reused for STEAM,
would there be justification for expecting different results than those for STEM or other
initiatives to improve math and science learning?

Ironically, the PBL method was not used to teach teachers in the professional
development session described earlier in the chapter. Professional development workshops
are product oriented. Teachers must produce unit plans for teaching, and the workshop is a
process for production, not a process that prioritizes inquiry or facilitates the involvement of
stakeholders (members of the community, students, etc.) in developing the unit plans. For

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teachers, learning the PBL method can get disconnected from practicing the method. To be
sure, many teachers produce PBL units that are engaging and efficient in this manner.
However, I question the sustainability of this approach. The PBL system generates a
significant amount of documentation that details what students need to do, how activities
will meet standards, and how student performance will be assessed. Unit plans also include
listings of required materials, interdisciplinary connections, differentiated strategies, and
expected outcomes. Teachers will tend to reuse and perhaps revise units, but what will occur
when there is a change in the curriculum or the standards? What will happen when a second-
grade teacher is reassigned to teach the fourth grade, and her PBL units are no longer relevant?
Will she be offered someone else’s fourth-grade PBL units? Will she find them appropriate
for how she envisions teaching the fourth grade? What will happen when funding for teacher
PD and new curriculum development efforts ends? One of the major challenges of having
any system is ensuring that it can be maintained in the face of changing conditions or
assumptions. Another challenge of systems is that they encourage more systems, which can
lead to fewer opportunities for creativity and autonomy.

Despite my questions about the PBL approach, it is possible to use systematic


approaches creatively. We can play and perform with and within the system if we need to.
The value of project-based learning is that it does provide students with hands-on learning
experiences. When a PBL unit is ambitious and well-designed, there are opportunities for
collaborative learning experiences with peers and adults inside and outside the classroom.

7.9 Experiential Approaches

Project-based learning provides a type of experiential learning. Experiential learning


can include but is not limited to field trips, collaborative research projects, internships,
service learning, and study abroad experiences. Descriptions of experiential learning usually
include something other than imaginative play, rule-based play, team sports, improvisational
performance, theatrical performance, and organizing public exhibitions. I believe the play
and performance activities that I’ve added to the list are all forms of experiential learning
that should be part of any approach to developmental STEAM education. Experiential
approaches to learning provide students with opportunities to reflect on what they are doing
and learning. The reflective process of experiential learning can be about more than
generating a piece of writing that will be submitted at the end of a lesson. Reflection can be
a part of an ongoing process that informs creative development. What I find most powerful
about experiential approaches to learning is that they often occur in a “real world” context.

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When the outcomes are not overly predictable or predetermined, students must bring the
entirety of their being to bear on figuring out what they need to do, not just report on some
knowledge they acquired. However, even experiential approaches to learning can be made
to be as systematic as any other kind of approach. What makes one approach to learning
systematic and another unsystematic or performative?

The Math Video Project discussed earlier was designed as a developmental,


performative approach to learning. I could not predict the outcomes and did not predetermine
what learning standards would be met. Furthermore, I couldn’t claim that I “knew what I
was doing” because I had never done it before. I was confident that something positive would
come out of it because students were supported to collaborate, use new tools, and have
complex challenges relevant to their lives.

If I were to make the Math Video Project systematic, I would determine specific content
knowledge covered by all videos. For example, using seventh-grade math content, the theme
of the videos might be to understand the concept of pi. Each video would have to meet
criteria that aligned with learning standards in mathematics and presentation skills. Each
team member would be assigned specific roles in the project and would be responsible for
specific tasks. There would be a test at the end of the production of videos to confirm that
everyone learned something about pi. I would still expect various videos, but they would all
be about pi. The students still have opportunities for choices, fun, and engagement because
they use technology.

The overall experience would be different because I have done projects with students
using performative developmental approaches and systematic approaches. Students and
teachers can become very comfortable with systematic approaches to learning because they
know what to expect and what is required. Knowledge is acquired incrementally, and
progress is predictable and measurable as long as a student stays caught up.

When I have used performative approaches with middle school students, I upset the
order of things. Students will ask questions about the requirements when they see a few.
They will express uncertainty about whether they are doing their projects correctly. Students
will often discover that certain approaches to a project can lead to dead ends. Students tap
into their areas of strength, and some discover things about themselves that they would like
to improve. Many students are often more self-critical about their performances than I would
ever be of them. A performative approach to teaching is more fun and interesting, and it
creates opportunities for different kinds of wonderful conversations with students. My

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conversations with students contain feedback they can use to continue developing their
performances. I also build better relationships with students when I use performative
approaches. Experiential learning, especially when there are opportunities for “real world”
interactions, creates development in many of the same ways that a performative approach
would. Experiential approaches to learning help create stages for performative approaches
to learning and development.

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Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:

What methods and approaches will the school use to train teachers to
implement STEM and STEAM learning? Unfortunately, the answer is the same
methods we have used for everything else! We can investigate why this is so by
examining how methods and ideas for organizing classroom learning become
available to teachers. For this discussion, a teaching method is a tool that can be
reused to achieve a planned result or outcome. Teacher-preparation programs
typically provide new teachers with many opportunities to try out different
established teaching methods. The variety of teaching methods available to the
profession is beyond the scope of this discussion, but it is safe to say that there is no
shortage of access to methods thanks to the Internet. Teachers also benefit from
professional development (PD) opportunities provided by schools and school
districts. The PD provided by schools figures prominently in how new methods are
integrated into teaching practices. School administrators can motivate teachers to take
PD classes/seminars/training in the new methods and ideas that a school or school
district has decided to budget for. The other way that teachers learn new methods is
through additional state-certified professional licensing or non-degree certificate
programs. I can often tell where certain school districts focus on professional
development budgets by the phrases and acronyms teachers use when talking about
teaching. One prominent phrase I’ve heard over the last 10 years is “student-
centeredness.”

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Question

1. Who started STEM education?


2. Why is STEAM important to 21st Century education?
3. How is STEAM used in the classroom?
4. Why are STEM and STEAM important?
5. What are the principles and philosophies of STEAM education?
6. Are you familiar with the STEAM approach to education?
7. How do you get your students excited about learning?
8. Which teaching methods do you prefer?

References

Adey, P., Hewitt, G., Hewitt, J., & Landau, N. (2004). The professional development of
teachers: Practice and theory. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic.
Franklin, B. M. (2005). Progressivism and curriculum differentiation: Special classes in
the Atlanta public schools 1898–1923. In J. L. Rury (Ed.), Urban education in the
United States, a historical reader (pp. 119–135). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Moore, J. A., & Carter-Hicks, J. (2014). Let’s talk! Facilitating a faculty learning
community using a critical friends group approach. International Journal for the
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, 8(2), 1–17.
Opfer, V. D., & Pedder, D. (2011). Conceptualizing teacher professional learning.
Review of Educational Research, 81(3), 376–407. Retrieved from http://
doi.org/10.3102/0034654311413609.
Wilson, S. M., & Berne, J. (1999). Teacher learning and the acquisition of
professional knowledge: An examination of research on contemporary professional
development consulting editors: Deborah Ball and Pamela L. Grossman. Review of
Research in Education, 24(1), 173–209.

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CHAPTER 8

SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

8.1 Organizing in Academia


8.2 Improv Games
8.3 Building an Environment with Relationships
8.4 Creating New Stages
8.5 Producing School
8.6 Zones of Proximal Development in STEM Learning
Environments
8.7 Being and Becoming
8.8 Performance Activism
Chapter 8– Service-Learning Project

8.1 Organizing in Academia

I started my current appointment as an assistant professor in 2011. I was an untenured


faculty member on a tenure track in my late forties, teaching teachers to use technology in
the classroom. The experience of working in academia was different from the public schools
and corporate environments I had worked in for most of my professional life. I had to create
a new performance. Fortunately, I had plenty of life experience to draw on. My scholarship
and teaching were grounded in Vygotskian cultural performative approaches to learning, but
there were no other Vygotskians to be found on the faculty at my school. Recognizing this,
I prioritized maintaining and developing relationships outside of my school. It was a decision
that served me well. My method for navigating through my first academic year was
introducing everyone I met to my “Yes, and” performance. “Yes, and” is an improvisation
exercise that I play to teach people how to create a collective story. In faculty meetings, “No,
but” or “Yes, but” were typical responses to new ideas and suggestions. I made it a point to
offer “Yes, and” as an alternative response when my colleagues interacted with me. I
playfully did this, explaining that “Yes, and” was a straightforward method for building
collaborative environments. Like many new faculty members, I found academia intimidating
and tended to say “yes” to suggestions to volunteer for committees or take on additional
work. The amazing thing about “Yes, and” is that it creates new possibilities.

8.2 Improv Games

In my first year as a faculty member, I accepted an assignment to create a professional


development program for an elementary school in Harlem. The school had U.S. Department
of Education Magnet Schools Assistance program funding. The funding could be used to
pay for teacher professional development. This school contacted my institution and sent me
to work with them. I created a program that introduced many of the same instructional
technologies I used in the graduate program I taught in. I also included improv games that I
used to create new performances and ways of being in the classroom. My friend and mentor,
Carrie Lobman, had written Unscripted Learning: Using Improv Activities Across the K-8
Curriculum (2009). I used many activities in the book in my professional development work.
Leading strangers in improv games is not as easy as it looks, and I was encouraged that no
one rejected my improvisational offers. Formal teaching observations and feedback from
workshop participants were also positive and encouraging.

The professional development program with the Magnet School had me committed to
one Saturday morning a month at the school for ten months and a weeklong summer institute.

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Ellen Darensbourg was the school’s Magnet specialist and my primary point of contact. I
worked with Darensbourg to plan the workshops, train the teachers, and debrief the sessions
afterward. After several months of working together, we developed a trusting working
relationship that would become the foundation of our subsequent efforts in STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Math) education and service learning.

8.3 Building an Environment with Relationships

“Yes, and” and other improved games are methods for connecting with people, leveling
the playing field, and creating an environment for new possibilities to emerge. Everyone is
uncomfortable at the beginning of an improv game, and an individual’s academic rank or
area of expertise does not provide a competitive advantage as it might in a faculty or business
meeting. Having a group experience that provides everyone with an equal opportunity to
contribute to the group’s efforts is a necessary preparation for developing the capacity to
collaborate. The initial work with the Magnet school was considered successful by my
institution; it brought non-tuition revenues to the university. I eventually managed to expand
my efforts to include other Magnet schools. Darensbourg and I worked on continuing to
expand our efforts together, but I was also bothered by my experience with teacher
professional development. I did not see much development going on despite our best efforts.

Teachers learned to use technology and would demonstrate that they learned it, but they
were not changing their classroom practices, and their attitudes toward technology use did
not change. To them, the technology was an add-on, not an essential part of the classroom
experience. They insisted on knowing what to do with the technology before trying to use it.
They were not comfortable playing around with the technology or exploring it. They did not
have the same views toward technology I knew children had. Children learn technology
developmentally like they learn language; they do not have to learn about technology before
using it. A few hours a month in professional development wasn’t producing much
developmental learning. The teachers insisted that they were uncomfortable allowing
students to use technology in the classroom that they did not understand. From my
perspective, the teachers unintentionally got in the way of developmental learning.

8.4 Creating New Stages

Sometimes you have to risk walking onto an empty stage when the audience invites you.
Despite my efforts to create new practices for teachers using technology, they were merely
learning how to use technology and sometimes applying it. One day, Darensbourg explained

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to me that she believed that the goal of STEM education was to teach children to think like
engineers, scientists, technologists, and mathematicians. I didn’t see how that would be
possible, given my experience teaching teachers to use technology. I thought like a
technologist, yet teachers do not think about technology or use technology the way I do. I
was concerned that I’d failed to create a zone of proximal development (ZPD) where
thinking like a technologist or learning developmentally was possible (Vygotsky 1978). The
idea of teaching children to think like a scientist was appealing, even though I didn’t believe
it was possible to teach children to think like a scientist or technologists. As I saw it, a
developmental approach to learning should create opportunities to engage in activities that
might be developmental precursors to thinking as STEM professionals do. Children could
pretend to be scientists and engineers like they pretend to be Mommy or the Teacher. They
needed to interact with STEM professionals in STEM activities to learn to create those
performances, just like they did at home.

I decided that I liked the challenge. I wanted to do something to create a developmental


learning environment, a ZPD for interdisciplinary STEM education. Could we create an
environment where learning to think like a scientist or engineer was possible in school? My
STEM journey included curiosity about technology, formal training in computer science at
college, extensive use of computers on my own time, and immersion in a professional
technology culture. Like a technologist (and a Vygotskian), there was no way that a
schooling experience could reproduce a process that had developed over 20 years or create
a significant shortcut.

I learned from my work with the All Stars Project that youth development is produced
on a new stage. The new stage could be an All-Stars Talent Show Network stage in a public
school auditorium or a corporate boardroom down on Wall Street. I knew I needed to create
stages and organize audiences for the show. That stage had to be where elementary school
children could participate in shared activities with people with STEM knowledge and
practices. I needed to learn how to get STEM people like scientists and engineers into an
elementary school consistently and meaningfully. I am trying to remember how much time
I spent mulling the idea over (it may have been a couple of months), but the answer came
unexpectedly in the early spring semester of 2012.

In February, Fran, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) director at NYIT,
invited me to a student demonstration of a course capstone project in the School of
Engineering and Computing Sciences. I was impressed by how the young engineering and

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computer science students presented their projects. They talked about Gantt charts, the
challenges of planning their project, and the technical aspects of building technology-based
solutions to problems in a collaborative environment. They sounded like the technologists
and engineers I had worked with in my former career. I asked the tough questions, and I was
satisfied with the answers. At that moment, a new idea occurred to me.

At the end of the presentation, I congratulated the students and asked Fran and the course
instructor if it was possible to have engineering students show up at a public school to work
with children. The instructor could not help me, but Fran suggested I meet with Amy Bravo.
Bravo is the Director of International Education and Experiential Learning at the university.
It turned out that her office was down the hall from mine, but we still needed to meet. I
scheduled a meeting with Bravo and gave her a copy of my previous book as an introduction
and preparation for our meeting.

It was an unusual meeting for me because it seemed that 5 minutes into explaining what
I wanted to do, she stopped me and told me that the way to place students studying
engineering and computer science at an elementary school was through service learning. I
asked, “What’s that?” The rest, as they say, is history. In Bravo, I found a fellow community
organizer and an instant friend. By the time we had completed our first meeting, we were
already finishing each other’s sentences and planning to find a course for me to co-teach as
a service-learning course in the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences. I’d
discovered my stage (a service-learning course), my performers (college students, teachers,
and children), and my producer (Bravo). Now we had to organize everyone to get to the
show.

8.5 Producing School

Between March 2012 and September 2012, Bravo, Darensbourg, and I figured out how
to bring students in the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences into elementary
schools. We embedded service learning into a first-year Career Discovery course. When I
imagined bringing undergraduates into elementary school, I had been thinking of juniors and
seniors. Still, we were dependent on what there was to work with, not what we thought was
ideal. No grant money was associated with this project. Bravo and I asked academic deans
to contribute from their discretionary budgets to cover the students’ travel expenses between
the campus and the school. Bravo negotiated all administrative details with the School of
Engineering and Computing Sciences dean. Darensbourg worked with her administration to
convince them that it was a good idea for 25 college students to visit an elementary school

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for ten weeks. The college students would be traveling in small teams and pairs on different
weekdays and scheduled to work for an hour on each visit. I convinced my academic dean
that service learning would be part of my research portfolio and that I would publish the
work.

The idea was that the undergraduates would arrive at the school at regularly scheduled
times and participate in activities. The first-year students could participate in one of three
ways: the classroom hands-on learning project teams in grades pre-K through 5, fixing and
upgrading equipment on the tech team, or video recording and photographing the experience
with the documentary team. The work that the college students did in school was in addition
to the coursework they were expected to complete. I taught the career discovery aspect of
the course during one of the two weekly sessions with the college students with my co-
instructor, who taught the academic engineering content.

During class time, I created a performance that was familiar to me and one that might
be useful to college students. I was a corporate technology project manager in corporate
America, and that skill set would be valuable to display. I became the project manager of all
the school projects the college students were working on. Darensbourg, the teachers, and the
children were the clients. The college students comprised the project teams assigned to
different aspects of a large-scale integration project. Each team had a project leader and
various responsibilities assigned to each member, and each team had different tasks, and we
were all working toward creating a public performance.

We had a large group meeting at the beginning of the semester before the students
started service learning in the schools. The visit began with the teams traveling to the school
and doing a neighborhood walk to get familiar with the route to the school. Darensbourg was
introduced and provided an overview and history of the Magnet schools movement. Bravo
asked the students to consider the civic engagement aspect of our work and asked them
questions about what they observed about their new surroundings. She asked questions about
creating change and creating connections to the community.

The college students signed up for project assignments and scheduled the days they
would visit the schools. Darensbourg, Bravo, and I had agreed at the beginning of the
semester to share our work at a community showcase event. The plan was to invite the entire
elementary school—100 children, their teachers, and parents—to the event. Every week
when I met with the teams in the class, we would discuss project tasks, milestones, and
progress toward being ready for the Showcase Event. I had project leaders report on progress

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and present problems with projects and challenges to get teams to collaborate. The students
felt the pressure of the new demands on them. I gave performance directions and saw new
performances of collaboration, communication, and creating projects.

Darensbourg worked to track 25 college students coming and going to the elementary
school every week. Service learning students visited the school three days a week, some
teams in the morning and some in the afternoon. It was chaotic, but there seemed to be
enough that was positive to keep everyone engaged in the project. Bravo supported the
project and kept encouraging my teaching and organizing efforts during our debriefing
sessions together to discuss weekly progress. We were changing everything about what it
meant to learn in formal schooling settings, and it was stressful and hard to determine
whether anyone was learning from week to week. Everyone was out of their comfort zones,
and we (Bravo, Darensbourg, and I) had nothing but trust in each other. I also had a
Vygotskian theory of human development that suggested that putting young adults in
classrooms with children could produce positive things (development) if they were engaged
in meaningful activities with each other.

The tech team fixed computer equipment, upgraded software, and helped teachers put
it to good use. Members of that team felt it was wasteful to have so many computers in
disrepair, and they were enthusiastic about getting them into service in the classrooms. The
teachers figured out that they could create more group activities and use more technology
with college students in the room. That provided many opportunities for the children to work
with the college students in small groups with technology. Teachers noticed that the kids
were more excited to be in school on the days the college students visited. The engineering
majors started making suggestions about engaging in engineering activities, and the
documentary group captured the enthusiasm of the school community as the changes were
occurring. We would eventually discover that the changes were tangible and visible to
outside observers.

On December 10, 2012, we held our Showcase Event. Four college students from our
class took to the auditorium stage with two teachers. I moderated our performance of a panel
discussion for 100 children, teachers, parents, faculty, deans, and the university’s provost.
The college students produced a 15-min-long documentary video, and we had a forty-minute
panel discussion that an education reporter covered for WNYC Radio in New York City
(Fertig 2012). It was the first time the teachers and the students had ever been on a panel on
stage in front of an audience. It was the first time elementary school students had ever been

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in a college auditorium. We had produced ten weeks of school material, performing as


project teams and learning about civically engaging in a public school, and everyone was
happy with the results.

8.6 Zones of Proximal Development in STEM Learning Environments

“This work is messy.” That’s what Bravo says when she describes our efforts in creating
new learning environments with a civic engagement learning component. The messiness is
not limited to the chaos of a large project with moving parts. Many emotions are also
experienced. Emotional development happens in groups that struggle at many levels
(Holzman 2009, pp. 26–37). Working with people when they are struggling is “messy”
compared to the highly scripted approaches to schooling, which is common when the
primary task is to achieve specific learning goals. I find working with the messiness
rewarding, and I grow personally and professionally.

We (our service-learning community) experienced many emotions from the beginning


to the end of our project. What became apparent through the documentary video and the
discussion on the panel was that although we did not understand the exact impact on the
children academically, we had achieved high levels of enthusiasm for being at school and
high engagement in all kinds of learning activities. One surprising result, at least for the
teachers, included the children looking forward to being in school and doing project-based
learning with the college students. The teachers had yet to expect to be able to utilize the
undergraduates so well. They discovered that having an “extra pair of hands” in the
classroom was useful. The college students assisted with small-group learning, providing
individual attention to children and using more technology in the classroom. Learning
activities varied from investigating the stability of structures by building with blocks, using
Lego RoboticsTM, and learning to use computer-aided design software that rendered 3D
images of objects.

The college students reported new respect for teachers and their hard work. They
enjoyed working with the children and connecting with them on many different levels.
Several college students identified with the kids personally and stated that the children
reminded them of themselves at the same age. Many college students performed more
service hours than were required. Some had even been able to find jobs as interns at the
school after the course ended. There were many different outcomes from this work. It all
happened in a messy and creative process.

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We discovered that everyone experienced lots of uncertainty at the beginning of the


service-learning project. Week-by-week plans laid out early in the semester unraveled
because of changing school conditions and college the students’ lives. We came to value the
uncertainty that the project produced. People who run public schools do not typically
appreciate the kinds of change that disrupt normal routines. Administrators expect the
lessons to happen at a particular time of day. Students are required to internalize expectations
of an orderly day and are supposed to know what the academic and behavioral expectations
for them are. Schools assume that a systematic process will result in student learning.

Despite the messiness, most of our college students reported that they had grown from
the experience and that the children they worked with benefited in ways they could observe.
The Showcase Event, our ensemble performance, made our growth and development visible
to audience members, including school district administrators. The Magnet school district
officials were so impressed by the Showcase Event that they asked for a meeting. That
meeting resulted in an invitation to scale up our project as part of the next round of Magnet
grant funding to schools in Jamaica, Queens, and New York, from 2013 to 2016.

The ten weeks of service learning allowed us to create a collective experience for college
students, teachers, and children. Our work together was a social and emotional experience
and a cognitive experience. Teachers were surprised at the emotional impact the college
students had on the children, and they explained how they were disappointed that the
experience seemed to end too soon. The college students reflected on how they were taken
aback by the project’s demands and the immediacy of the benefit of their presence. They felt
proud that they were making a difference. Darensbourg, Bravo, and I were exhausted but
proud and amazed that we had pulled everything off and that it all looked so good when
presented in the video and on stage. When I first proposed to the college students that there
was an opportunity to be part of a panel on stage, I only had a few volunteers and had to
convince the students who did participate that they could do it. Immediately after the
showcase, as I congratulated students, I could hear college students who had chosen not to
take part in the panel talk about how they felt they had missed out on an opportunity.

Holzman writes that “the ZPD is a dyadic relationship of assisting rather than the
collective activity of creating” in most contemporary Vygotskian approaches (Holzman
2009, p. 29). We undertake the “collective activity of creating” when we do service learning
in schools. The college students were not merely mentoring or tutoring the children with
scripted materials. They created conversations, interacted in projects, told stories, and asked

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the children to talk about their lives and interests. Everyone became more creative, and they
felt good about it. The college students were role models and creators of learning
environments where STEM learning was happening and technology was used.

Since that first service-learning project, there have been several others, and college
students consistently underestimate their impact on the school environment. They will report
on how enthusiastic the elementary school students are and how ready to learn and smart
they are. I remind them that the enthusiasm they have observed is what they have created
with the children. It is not typically the case that elementary school children in underserved
communities are eager to be in school or considered smart and ready to learn. In this zone
of emotional development (Holzman 2009), building enthusiasm for being in school creates
different performances for children. Those new performances also convinced college
students that they were smart, ready to learn, and prepared for STEM careers. Taking pride
in someone else’s new performance is an emotional development for college students and
professors.

8.7 Being and Becoming

I lived in a continuous state of worry while I worked on the confusion, the missed project
dates, and the obstacles, and at the same time, I was confident. The college students knew
that they had my support when things did not go well at school. I was becoming confident
that we were creating an environment where development was happening. I felt from the
weekly reports and conversations I had with the college students that learning was happening.
I was confident the Showcase Event would be transformative and that we would see the
transformation at the event. I was confident because I was creatively imitating a model of
learning and development that I knew very well.

All Stars Project is a national youth development program with a 12-week leadership
program for high school students called the Development School for Youth (DSY). In that
program, adult volunteers work with inner-city high school students to create new
performances that prepare them for corporate summer internships. The students,
predominately Black, Hispanic, and poor, would learn a “White middle-class professional
performance” from the adults. Upon completion of the program, students would perform
their “graduation” in front of an audience of adult volunteers, parents, financial contributors,
and internship sponsors. The program is based on Newman and Holzman’s social
therapeutics and the benefits of performance and creating opportunities for young people to
perform. I was one of the first adults who volunteered in the program in the late 1990s. We

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discovered then that supporting the development of young people through performance was
developmental for us (adults) as well. Having had that experience, I was very confident that
positioning college students to support the development of children would promote college
student development. The college student “outcomes” included the development of
communication skills, empathy for others, increased awareness of societal issues impacting
education, and connecting career goals to the context of civic engagement. My creative
“imitation” is Vygotsky’s term for what happens in a ZPD (1978, p. 87). My “imitation” of
the DSY program and Newman and Holzman’s approach to creating learning environments
is what Holzman refers to as “a type of performance”—a “becoming,” a way of taking
“whom we are” and creating something new (Holzman 2009, p. 31). It is an ongoing
dialectical process that is developmental and creates development.

We took college students who are STEM majors and put them in an elementary school.
We created something new, and it was valued. Did the children learn anything about Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math? Have they acquired the practices of STEM majors?
According to college students and teachers, children are learning the things they must teach.
The children are also trying to “be” like their college mentors. The following written
reflection by a Magnet school coordinator is below (summarized and edited for clarity).

Ms. H, one of the Magnet school specialists, reported that she was part of an elementary
school students’ conversation during a math learning session where they practiced math
skills. The children talked about the college students they had met through the service-
learning project. They talked about how they liked the way the undergraduate students
worked with them and talked with them. They were excited to tell the college students how
they were “working like machines” at their math stations. While solving their math problems,
they discussed the college student’s choice of study to become engineers and how they
needed to do well in math if they chose the same path. While working at their math stations,
the students asked Ms. H if she noticed that they were working in their groups the same way
they would if the college students had been there. Ms. H was surprised and thrilled to be part
of the conversation with the children.

Ms. H describes the “math talk” and creative imitation of children in the “process of
being and becoming” college students. That process might not be visible to college students,
but it became visible to teachers. It is also a process that cannot be measured using a
standardized assessment. The standardized assessment does not capture the enthusiasm for
learning math; as a matter of fact, standardized assessment tools kill enthusiasm for math.

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The following is an anecdote provided by a public school administrator commenting on the


impact of service learning in one of the schools in Jamaica, Queens (summarized and edited
for clarity).

I will end this reflection with an experience one of our Magnet teachers shared with our
evaluation team during a recent site visit to her school. She said the college students have
skills, talents, and insights quite different from hers. She discussed one of her students who
was having trouble in class, both academically and socially. She talked about how this little
boy was a loner, was often disengaged in the classroom, and did not participate in a class or
complete assignments. She said he did not think of himself as “smart” or “talented” in any
way. She recalled how the college students worked with this child on a hands-on STEM
activity. The teacher was unfamiliar with the activity. She said the college students noticed
that the child had done something particularly elegant and sophisticated in this STEM
activity. During the wrap-up at the end of the lesson, the college students complimented the
boy and shared his work with the class, pointing out his skill and talent to the other children
and her. The college students could not have known this recognition’s impact on that child,
but it was profound. The teacher said—and this is what I find most moving—that she would
never have recognized this child’s ability on her own because she was not very “tech-savvy”
and only had a basic layperson’s understanding of the STEM activity. She was thankful that
the college students had been in the classroom to recognize the little boy’s talent, encourage
him, and help him see himself differently! She conveyed that this experience made her
question how many other students might have talents that she is unaware of, but that might
be recognized and nurtured if people had the experience and knowledge to see them. This
event helped her understand more deeply the importance of exposing her students to
individuals and experiences outside the classroom and the school community.

8.8 Performance Activism

Bravo, Darensbourg, and I have grown our project from one school in Harlem to three
elementary schools in Jamaica, Queens, and New York. Darensbourg moved from Harlem
to Queens with the Magnet funding and continues to be instrumental in coordinating our
efforts in the schools. We’ve embedded service-learning into two courses in the College of
Arts and Sciences that seem well suited to service learning. They are titled “Foundations of
Inquiry” and “Foundations of Scientific Process,” and they work to focus college students
on discovering new things about learning, community engagement, and methods of inquiry
in public schools. As a result of our growth and getting funding for our partnership with the

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schools, we have run three concurrent service-learning courses in three schools with three
different faculty members. I took on the role of researcher. Bravo continued to provide
administration to the program and taught one of the courses. We both worked on recruiting
and training other faculty to teach the courses. One faculty member, Lauren Rigney, has
become so skilled that she has transformed her approach to teaching and assessment in the
“Foundations of Scientific Process” course. In her class, there are no tests, and students
provide weekly journals on their observations, “experiments” in the classroom, and “stories
of discovery.” Rigney teaches content from astronomy, chemistry, biology, and physics and
connects that content to civic engagement in STEM learning activities.

During the focus groups I conducted in each course, college students asked me about
my interests and what I expected to happen next. I tell them that I consider public schools to
be places that are anti-developmental, uncreative, and in desperate need of radical change.
Service learning provides an opportunity to reinitiate development in formal learning
environments while still trying to achieve the goals of schools. What is clear to me is that
what we can do in schools is learn to perform as scientists, engineers, technologists, or
mathematicians. Children can pretend to be parents and teachers when they play among
themselves. With service learning, we have created an environment where they not merely
“pretend” to be scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, but they “become” scientists,
engineers, and mathematicians with young adults who are in the process of becoming
scientists, engineers, and mathematicians (see in this chapter).

I hope to continue to grow the project and make service-learning with public schools a
permanent part of the curriculum for STEAM majors at my university and others. We have
demonstrated a cultural performative approach to learning and creativity, and we have
developed the capacity to organize communities of learners across cultures and institutions.
Now we must be more insistent on getting increasing support for our efforts and broader
participation from faculty. I hope to inspire other institutions and educators to imitate our
efforts or join us in creating developmental learning environments. Based on feedback at
conference presentations, we have developed a useful framework for building service-
learning partnerships and creating productive and performative environments. My work in
service learning was the foundation for my interest in interdisciplinary learning and the
questions I started to ask.

Service learning and the challenges of creating development across disciplinary,


institutional, and cultural boundaries inspired my search for a method in STEAM education.

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Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:


In 2011, an untenured tenure-track professor taught teachers how to use
technology in the classroom. Scholarship and teaching were grounded in Vygotskian
cultural performative approaches to learning. “Yes, and” is an improvisation exercise
that I play to teach people how to create a collective story. Fortunately, the STEAM
community is just as interested in collaboration. Just like public librarians, they want
to share STEAM knowledge with the community, generate enthusiasm for STEAM
topics, and foster a desire to use knowledge to shape our world meaningfully. By
following best practices for collaboration and focusing on shared goals, public libraries
and members of the STEAM field can come together to build networks of education
and encouragement that will uplift their communities and empower the public to
impact their future.

Question

1. What is an example of a service-learning project?


2. What are the 5 stages of service learning?
3. What is the purpose of a service-learning project?
4. What are service-learning projects connected to?
5. What are the benefits of service learning?
6. What are the 3 types of service learning?
7. What is the importance of service learning toward community engagement?
8. What is the concept of service learning?
9. What are the characteristics of service learning?
10. How does service learning affect students?

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References

Fertig, B. (2012). College STEM Students Offer Hands-On Mentoring. Retrieved


December 5, 2016, from http://www.wnyc.org/story/303162- college-stem-students-
offer-hands-on-mentoring/.
Holzman, L. (2009). Vygotsky at work and play. London: Routledge.
Vygotsky, L., Cole, M., John-Steiner, V., Scribner, S., & Soberman, E. (1978). In M.
Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Soberman (Eds.), Mind in society: The
development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press.

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CHAPTER 9

REFLECTIONS

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

9.1 Performing Approach to Developmental Interdisciplinary


STEAM Learning
9.2 Context
9.3 Performance
9.4 Play
9.5 Imagining a TED Talk on Preparing for the Real World
Chapter 9– Reflections

9.1 A Performing Approach to Developmental Interdisciplinary STEAM Learning

Throughout this book, I’ve presented examples of successful approaches to STEAM


and STEM education initiatives. The practices and voices of interdisciplinary and innovative
educators have been prominent. I’ve argued for creating alternatives to traditional
educational approaches by showing that educators are improvising with and within the
school systems they work in. They use traditional and non-traditional methods and
collaborate with students and external partners. Finally, I’ve presented a Vygotskian cultural
performative approach to creating developmental STEAM learning environments through
middle school classroom and college service-learning projects. I hope that others interested
in STEAM education are encouraged to be performative, playful, and creative due to reading
this book.

9.2 Context

In my experience, interdisciplinary STEAM education experiences are collaborative,


creative, and developmental ensemble performances. Like a child uttering her first words or
taking her first steps, STEAM education ensembles struggle to make sense, contend with
uncertainty, and seem awkward. The service-learning project featured in Chapter Eight
started with uncertainty and felt awkward for a couple of years, but it is now an experience
in learning produced by our ever-changing ensemble with great confidence. The ensemble
performance of service learning is one way my colleagues and I create our method of
interdisciplinary STEAM education. There are many other possibilities: the Cultivating
Ensembles in STEM Education Research Conference, the Performing the World Conference,
and the All Stars Talent Show Network presentations are other examples of bringing
different people and communities together to produce culturally performative
interdisciplinary learning experiences.

The STEAM education movement offers us opportunities to develop new attitudes


about education. I framed current efforts at reform as an education for a workforce
development paradigm in Part I to show what limits our attitudes about education. The
paradigm is the box we are all in, and performative approaches are outside the box. Being
out of the box is disorienting and entails a certain amount of risk-taking. I believe risk-taking
and uncertainty must exist to create developmental learning in institutional settings. It also
helps if support, coaches, champions, and teams can be organized outside the box.

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Chapter 9– Reflections

It is possible to create performative experiences that break people out of our institutions’
predetermined scripts. STEAM education is a new mandate to introduce creativity and
innovation into education. For a short time, the STEAM education movement will be open-
ended, and we will have an opportunity to explore and create educational alternatives and
share them. Many of the existing tools we use for educational assessment were created to
measure learning in traditional settings. We will need to build new tools to understand
developmental learning in schools.

Successful STEAM education projects will have teams of people from different
backgrounds who have all agreed to create a learning experience or project together. The
roles people take on in interdisciplinary teams will be unclear since the projects they create
will change as learning environments develop. STEAM educators will be the organizers,
directors, leaders, and producers of developmental learning environments. STEAM
educators will have to locate resources and expertise outside of schools and bring them into
the school through physical and technological means. When bringing in resources is
impossible, students and educators will go out into communities where the STEAM
activities are happening.

9.3 Performance

Teaching is a performance; there is an audience, a loose script, and an opportunity to


improvise. One of the “stage directions” I offer teachers is to enable student choice and
participation in creating the scripted curricula in their classrooms. Responses to that
direction have varied widely, but as I demonstrate to the teachers that I teach, providing
students with options makes them work harder because making choices and contributing to
creating the learning environment is challenging work.

Research is a performance, and interdisciplinary research is a new performance.


Researchers involved in interdisciplinary collaborations spend a fair amount of time sorting
out what they are doing together. The goals may sometimes be vague, and the route to the
goals will need to be discovered. Communication, social and emotional skills, and openness
to new ideas will be critical to cultivating ensembles in STEAM education research.
Fostering playful and performative attitudes through theatrical performance and creativity
exercises will be helpful to the development of interdisciplinary ensembles.

STEAM education ensembles will build communities created by different communities


of practitioners coming together. Bringing together diverse groups of people who would not

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Chapter 9– Reflections

typically meet is, in part, made possible by twenty-first-century technologies that are now
accessible to many cultures around the world. We have the technical capacity to create
developmental learning environments that cross borders of every type.

STEAM education has to happen at the grassroots community level for it to be


developmental and transformative. Grassroots community building is labor-intensive,
socially and emotionally demanding work. Providing the leadership to create inclusive and
diverse communities is an area we all need to develop.

STEAM educators do not work, create, play, or perform alone. That is the most
significant finding that I can offer. STEAM educators and interdisciplinary practitioners are
grassroots leaders willing to lead their students and colleagues. They succeed and fail in
small ways, and they try again. They recruit peers and outsiders to their efforts, and they
succeed and fail again in different ways, and their efforts eventually get noticed. They are
learning how to organize people and build developmental learning environments. I’ve
observed that STEAM educators are opportunistic; they see opportunities in breaks in the
institutional routines, unique events, indifferent supervisors, and interested ones. STEAM
educators are restless innovators and are unaccepting of the way things are.

STEAM educators and interdisciplinary practitioners work on reorganizing our


institutions’ fundamental structures or building new ones. In Chapter 4, students working
with teachers transformed the use of technology in schools by contributing their knowledge
and skills and creating development for themselves and others. Students working with
teachers created a new structure within the institution: student-led teams that fixed
technology and mentored other students.

The knowledge acquisition approach to learning in math, science, and other subjects
will not likely deliver the hoped-for transformations of STEAM education. I don’t see how
introducing innovation and creativity into the education for a workforce development
paradigm will result in developmental learning. Why would we expect that putting more
reforms into the educational reform box would result in anything other than small
incremental change? The search for method in STEAM education explores a new
performative and transformative approach to education. I am an educational outsider and
insider, and I’m encouraging a performative approach to education that is interdisciplinary
and comes from outside formal education institutions. It is a methodological approach with
a history of success in after-school youth development programs, community development
projects, therapeutic environments, and formal educational settings. A performative

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approach is needed for the transformations that we would all like to see and that some of us
feel are necessary to bring about educational change. The teacher-student collaborative
projects and descriptions of activities and approaches to learning described in this book
indicate that educators are discovering performative alternatives and that creativity and
innovation are possible even within the constraints of traditional learning environments.

9.4 Play

When people hear me talk about performance and play in schools, they look at me as if
I had broken a rule. On several occasions, students, colleagues, and administrators have
rephrased my comments about play, adding, “They can play to learn specific things.” To be
clear, I believe that children should be allowed to play in school (and maybe play school)
and be encouraged to perform what they are learning. I do not believe that play needs to or
can serve specific purposes in school. If the students cannot opt-out of the play activity or
cannot change the activity, then whatever it is that is going on is merely masquerading as
play. STEAM educators must embrace the collaborative playfulness inherent in imaginary
play and art. A suggestion I can make here is one that I have benefited from: Encourage
students and collaborators to participate in improvisational play, and lead the play.
Afterward, have a conversation about what happened and what it felt like. I’m sure your
ensemble will have discovered something new.

9.5 Imagining a TED Talk on Preparing for the Real World

There have been times in my recent career when teachers have worked with me in the
classroom or read something that I wrote and then started a sentence with, “But in the real
world...” I’d like to imagine a TED Talk about the real world and write a script. According
to its Website (http://www.ted.com), TED is a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to spreading
ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. TED began in 1984 as a conference where
Technology, Entertainment, and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics, from
science to business to global issues. I want to present one more creative performance before
the curtain drops.

The TED Talks video starts with the familiar TED logo and audience applause. Martinez
is standing on a darkened stage within the spotlight. In the background, a large screen
displays a video clip from a service-learning project in STEAM education. Martinez raises
his mic and addresses the audience.

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Chapter 9– Reflections

Many say things like “school prepares children for real life” or “you have to go to school
so you can find a job in the real world in the future.” The video you just saw is only a couple
of minutes long, but it is pretty clear that we brought people together who ordinarily
wouldn’t meet. In the video, college and elementary school students were engaged in
STEAM learning activities and conversations. The video didn’t show preparation for a job
in the real world. What you saw was the real-life practice of valuable real-world skills. When
I watch the video, I see teachers, children, and community partners together, developing and
learning the skills they need to transform what it means to be in school.

I think that people relate to school as not being part of the real world because there are
so many things about school that don’t happen outside of school. For example, school is the
only place requiring children to sit for nearly six hours daily. No parent should wish this on
a child, no matter how attractive that might sound. Also, school is the only place where
adults are isolated from other adults for nearly six hours a day. Again, parents at home with
the kids know what that’s like and often look forward to being with other adults at the end
of the day. The bottom line is that school life doesn’t feel like life outside school. Many
people might think that this is the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t. I think there is an
opportunity in the STEAM education movement to recreate schooling so that we can’t tell
the difference between school and any other part of life in the real world. We have to create
a new performance of schooling. Unfortunately, the people who run schools can’t do this by
themselves. They need our support to create a new performance of schooling. I call it a
cultural performative approach to developmental interdisciplinary STEAM learning. It’s a
mouthful, and I don’t have a clever acronym, but we can call it a performative approach or
developmental STEAM learning.

Creating developmental learning environments is something I’ve been doing in after-


school and formal educational settings for the last 20 years. In these developmental
environments, I’ve experienced how young people and students develop when invited to
perform as leaders and learners. When I started doing this work in after-school settings, I
discovered that I was studying, developing, and performing while I was supporting young
people to perform and develop. The service learning work is bringing after-school
development to the school day. Our service-learning college students aren’t teachers, but
they are creating learning activities with children there. The college students report that they
learn important things about communication, civic engagement, learning, and building
relationships from interactions with children. Our teachers realize that with the extra adults
in the classroom, they can take on new performances as facilitators, directors, and producers

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Chapter 9– Reflections

of the learning environment. Everyone is supported by someone else to do something they


don’t know how to do. We create developmental STEAM learning with college students
volunteering for an hour a week for just ten weeks. For a child that attends school for 6 hours
a day, 180 days a year, that’s less than 1% of their time in school. We know that
developmental learning has an impact because we’ve been doing it in after-school programs
for decades. Now college students and teachers report that children benefit from the tiny
development opportunities we create during the school day in our STEAM education
projects. It’s a win for college students, a win for teachers, and a win for children. Imagine
what students and teachers might be able to do if we increased the number of hours of
developmental learning with community partners in schools to 5% or even 10%.

Service-learning and afterschool programs aren’t the only ways to create developmental
STEAM learning environments. Teachers who have become invested in bringing STEAM
education to schools have discovered that their students are great collaborators when they
contribute as leaders and experts at school. I’ve seen how teachers have organized students
who wanted to volunteer to become members of technical support teams and peer mentoring
groups. These teachers have been creative, playful, and performative in building
relationships that create interdisciplinary STEAM education. They’ve been creative in
spotting opportunities to change the way things are. They’ve been playful in acknowledging
that they need help from others and that it doesn’t mean they have failed at something. They
are performative when they perform as leaders and support leadership in others. The STEAM
education movement has allowed us to build new stages for new performances at school.

What does it take to get up on a stage and perform? Performing for an audience can be
a very scary proposition. It takes preparation, practice, and a willingness to be playful in
front of an audience. Those are the same things any good teacher can do. I encourage you to
go out and find your STEAM ensemble or team and create your performance of
interdisciplinary STEAM development. The good news is that many other educators, artists,
and performers can help. I’ve even written a book that can help you get started.

Some might challenge your efforts at playing, performing, or making a fun STEAM
project in a formal educational setting. They might ask how playing and performing will
translate into preparing students to compete for jobs in the real world. You might say that
students who develop the ability to collaborate, see old problems from new perspectives,
and lead others in efforts to solve complex interdisciplinary problems won’t need to compete.
They are busy transforming the world right now.

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Chapter 9– Reflections

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:


Program evaluation is nothing new for public libraries. Attention to this aspect
of library work has only grown in recent years as libraries, and all public entities have
been under pressure to justify their value in the face of shrinking or stagnant budgets.
Still, a focus on teaching and learning can greatly expand our understanding of the
purpose and process of evaluation. It can generate new data that makes a compelling
case for our services and resources. In this chapter, we will explore how assessment
and evaluation methods from informal and formal education environments can be
effectively applied to STEAM learning experiences in the public library.

Question

1. What are program evaluation questions?


2. When should program evaluation begin?
3. What are the three main questions program evaluation can answer?
4. What are examples of program evaluation?
5. How do you write an evaluation question?
6. What is the main goal of program evaluation?
7. What is the purpose of program evaluation?
8. What are program evaluation methods?
9. What is the process of program evaluation?
10. What is the concept of program evaluation?

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Chapter 9– Reflections

References

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2010). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom
assessment. Phi Delta Kappan Magazine, 92(1), 81-90. doi:10.1177/003172171009200119

Booth, C. (2011). Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning: Instructional Literacy for


Library Educators. Chicago: American Library Association.

Caplan, M. (2018). Assessment of the impact of summer STEAM programs on high school
participants’ content knowledge and attitude towards STEAM careers. ASEE IL-IN
Section Conference. 2. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/aseeilinsectionconference/2018/k12ol/2

Carter, T. M. (2013). Use what you have: Authentic assessment of in-class activities.
Reference Services Review, 41(1), 49-61. doi:10.1108/00907321311300875

Charles, L. H. (2015). Using an information literacy curriculum map as a means of


communication and accountability for stakeholders in higher education. Journal of
Information Literacy, 9(1), 47–61. https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.11645/9.1.1959

Cun, A., Abramovich, S., & Smith, J. M. (2019). An assessment matrix for library
makerspaces. Library and Information Science Research, 41(1), 39-47.
doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2019.02.008

Frey, B. (2018). Authentic Assessment. In The SAGE encyclopedia of educational


research, measurement, and evaluation (Vols. 1-4). Thousand Oaks,, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781506326139

Frey, B. (2018). Formative Assessment. In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational


Research, Measurement, and Evaluation (Vols. 1-4). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781506326139

Frey, B. (2018). Summative Assessment. In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational


Research, Measurement, and Evaluation (Vols. 1-4). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781506326139

Gureckis, T. M., & Markant, D. B. (2012). Self-directed learning: A cognitive and


computational perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(5) 464-481.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612454304

Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assessment: What do teachers need to know and do? Phi
Delta Kappan, 89(2), 140–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170708900210

Jackson, S., C. Hansen, and L. Fowler. 2005. Using selected assessment data to inform
information literacy program planning with campus partners. Research Strategies 20, 44–
56. doi:10.1016/j.resstr.2005.10.004

National Research Council. (2009). Learning Science in Informal Environments: People,


Places, and Pursuits. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from
www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12190

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Oakleaf, M. (2010). Writing information literacy assessment plans: A guide to best


practice. Communications in Information Literacy, 3(2), 80-90.
doi:10.15760/comminfolit.2010.3.2.73

Public Library Association. (2019). Advocacy. http://www.ala.org/pla/leadership/advocacy

Paberza, K. (2010). Towards an assessment of public library value: Statistics on the policy
makers’ agenda. Performance Measurement and Metrics, 11(1), 83-92.
doi:10.1108/14678041011026892

Radnor Memorial Library. (2016). Crazy 8’s Math Club: Geometry. [Website]. Retrieved
from https://radnorlibrarysmartkids.wordpress.com/2016/11/03/crazy-8s-math-club-
geometry/

Radnor Memorial Library. (n.d.). S.M.Art Kids: Science, Math, and the Arts at Radnor
Memorial Library. [Website]. Retrieved from
https://radnorlibrarysmartkids.wordpress.com/

Samson, S., & McLure, M. (2007). Library instruction assessment through 360°. Public
Services Quarterly, 3(1/2), 9–28. https://doi-
org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1300/J295v03n01_02

Seeber, K. (2013). Using assessment results to reinforce campus partnerships. College &
Undergraduate Libraries, 20(3–4), 352–365. https://doi-
org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1080/10691316.2013.82

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CHAPTER 10

GETTING STARTED WITH


ARDUINO

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

10.1 What is Arduino?

10.2 What Can You Do With Arduino?

10.3 Preparations to Using Arduino

10.4 Explore Arduino Boards

10.5 Using Arduino with Sensor and Actuator


Chapter 10– Getting Started with Arduino

Learning Goal: After understanding what an Arduino is and what preparations are needed to
operate the Arduino, learn the composition of the Arduino board.

10.1 What is Arduino?

Arduino is a small computer with a micro-computer that can input (sensor) and
output (control).
Arduino was designed at IDII (Interaction Design Institute) in Italy in 2005 to allow
students unfamiliar with hardware to control their design work easily.

Figure 10.1 Arduino Board

Since the circuit Arduino is open source, anyone can make and modify the board
directly. Arduino can create objects interacting with the environment by receiving input
values from various switches or sensors and controlling the output with electronic
devices such as LEDs and motors. For example, various products such as simple robots,
thermo-hygrometers, motion sensors, music and sound devices, smart home
implementation, infant toys, and robot education programs can be developed based on
Arduino. Arduino receives various inputs from switches or sensors as follows:

Information

Figure 10.2 Arduino Input Devices

In addition, Arduino outputs various outputs such as LEDs or buzzers as follows:

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Chapter 10– Getting Started with Arduino

Commands

Figure 10.3 Arduino Output Devices

10.2 What Can You Do With Arduino?

Using Arduino, we can make many things we can imagine. After connecting the Arduino
to the computer, you can write commands (codes) and upload them to the memory to control
various devices, such as sensors and motors connected to the board. For example, you can
create a system that controls a greenhouse by connecting a temperature sensor and a motor.
If the temperature rises above a certain level to grow crops in the greenhouse, you can request
a text message to lower the temperature or have the greenhouse open automatically. If the
temperature is the desired one, you can send a text message saying it is normal. It is also
possible to make robots necessary for real life. For example, it is possible to create various
devices or appliances that can be used in real life, such as a robot vacuum cleaner, a device
that feeds pets at a set time, and a device that automatically opens and closes curtains on a
balcony or living room depending on the amount of light. These devices do not require
advanced knowledge of hardware, and even ordinary people can make their own devices
with a little study of Arduino.

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Figure 10.4 Robots Projects Make by Arduino

10.3 Preparations to Using Arduino

To use Arduino, an Arduino board, Arduino software, breadboard, jump wire, and other
sensor parts must be prepared.

10.3.1 Arduino Board

Arduino boards is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use


hardware and software.
Since Arduino is an open-source platform with an open hardware structure, there are
various kinds of official boards and numerous boards compatible with the official boards.
The representative official Arduino board types, are as follows.

Arduino Uno
- Most used basic Arduino board.
- 8-bit atmega328p microcomputer is used
- The pin arrangement of the board is used as
standard.

Arduino Nano
- It has almost the same configuration as the
Arduino Uno board and is much smaller than the
Uno board.

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Arduino Leonardo
- Use an 8-bit Atmega32u4 microcomputer with a
built-in USB function.
- Two hardware serial ports are available.

Arduino Mega
- 8bit Atmega2560 microcomputer is used.
- It has more functions and more pins than the Uno
board.

Figure 10.5 Types of Arduino Board

10.3.2 Arduino Software

Arduino software can be downloaded from the official Arduino website. Supported
operating systems are Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, and you can download the software
appropriate for the operating system you are using on your system. After compiling and
writing the source in Arduino sketch, Arduino software can be uploaded to the Arduino board,
and the result can be checked through the board.

Figure 10.6 Site for Downloading Arduino Software

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10.3.3 USB Cable

The following USB cable is required to connect the Arduino board to the PC.

Figure 10.7 Arduino USB Cable

This cable is a USB 2.0 A(M) to B(M) cable. The Arduino board receives power and
communication with the computer using a USB cable.

10.4 Explore Arduino Boards

The Arduino board consists of 14 digital input/output pins, six analog input pins, power
(5V, GND), status LED (L, TX, RX), and a reset button. Power can be supplied by USB port
and DC power.

Figure 10.8 Arduino Board Description

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Chapter 10– Getting Started with Arduino

❶ Reset Button
❷ Power (GND)
❸ Digital I/O Pins
❹ USB Connector
❺ Status LED
❻ DC Power Connector
❼ Power (5V, GND)
❽ Analog Input Pins
The digital input/output pin plays the role of receiving 0V or 5V values internally or
externally. The analog input pin receives an analog input value from the outside and connects
it with the sensor. The analog input value is read by dividing the voltage value between 0 and
5V into 256 steps.

10.5 Using Arduino with Sensor and Actuator

Used for Arduino, and it is essential to use various sensors and actuators.

10.5.1 Breadboard and a Jumper Wire

➊ Arduino Uno➋ Breadboard ➌ USB cable ➍ Jumper Wire (M to M) ➎ Jumper Wire


(M to F)

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10.5.2 Arduino Output: Actuator

6~10. LED, 14~15. Piezo Buzzer, 16. Servo Motor, 17. Seven Segments, 18. Four Seven
Segments, 19. Dot Matrix

20. Push Button 21. Variable Resistance 22. CDS 23. Joystick 24. Ultrasonic Sensor

10.6 Start Arduino Sketch

Arduino Sketch is based on the C/C++ language. These languages start with a ‘main’
function. Arduino sketch consists of two basic functions, ‘setup’ and ‘loop’.

➊ The setup function is executed only once when the code starts executing. This is the
operation to initialize the hardware (sensor, motor, etc.) to be used. All functions start
with { and end with }.

➋ The ‘loop’ function is repeatedly executed and is a working that repeatedly operates
hardware.

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➌ When the Arduino board is powered on, the setup() function is executed once, and the
loop function is repeated infinitely.

➍ // stands for program description and comments, and it is a part of memos and
explanations about the code regardless of program execution.

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CHAPTER 11

ARDUINO’S BASIC SKILLS


In this chapter, you will learn the following:

11.1 The Digital Write Function

11.2 Turn Arduino LED On and Off

11.3 Arduino LED Turn on and Off the Loop

11.4 Understanding the Breadboard

11.5 Controlling LEDs with Arduino

11.6 Control the LED with the Switch Button

11.7 Communicate Serial with PC

11.8 Making a Streetlight

11.9 Using a Potentiometer

11.10 Adjust LED Brightness According to Potentiometer Input Values

11.11 Digital LED Bar Meter

11.12 Play Music with Arduino

11.13 Making a Digital Piano

11.14 Making a Button Piano

11.15 Measuring Distance Using an Ultrasonic Sensor

11.16 Control the Angle of the Servomotor

11.17 Using a Joystick

11.18 Numbers and Word Display with 7 Segment

11.19 Making a Decimal Counter with 4 Digits 7 Segments


Chapter 11– Arduino's basic skills

11.1 The digitalWrite Function

When controlling LEDs using an Arduino sketch, we usually use the following three
functions:

pinMode(pin, mode)
digitalWrite(pin, value)
delay(ms)

PinMode Function
The pinMode() function configures a pin as either an input or an output.

❶ The pin number to set ❷ The mode to set., INPUT or


OUTPUT
To use the pinMode() function, you pass the pin number to configure and the constant
INPUT or OUTPUT. You can use the pin numbers from 2 to 13. You also can use Analog 0
to 5 and number those from 14 to 19. There are three kinds of modes, INPUT, OUTPUT, and
INPUT_PULLUP. Turning on a LED is an output. Therefore you use the OUTPUT, whereas
you use the INPUT when using the input of the Button. In the case of the Arduino internal
resistance, we use INPUT_PULLUP.

digitalWrite Function
The digitalWrite() function outputs a value on a pin. It sets a pin as HIGH or LOW.

❶ The pin number to control ❷ HIGH or LOW


The digitalWrite function uses HIGH(=1) and LOW(=0) values as digital pins. In the case
of HIGH, the corresponding pin is set to 5V, and in the case of LOW, it is set to 0V pin.

Delay Function
The delay function stops progressing the program by the time of the factor.

❶ Milliseconds to stop(ms)

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11.2 Turn Arduino LED On and Off

➀ Turn on the LED connected to the 13th pin of Arduino Uno. The Arduino pin 13 is
connected to an LED marked L on the board.

1. const int LED = 13;


2.
3. void setup() {
4. pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
5.
6. digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);
7. }
8.
9. void loop() {
10.
11.
12. }

➁ Select the Tools menu and select Ports as follows (depending on your computer).

Figure 11.1 Select Arduino Port

➂ Compile and upload

➃ When the message “Uploading completed” appears in the message area, check if it is on
the main LED next to pin 13 of the Arduino.

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Figure 11.2 Arduino Output

The method to turn off the LED using the digitalWrite() function is as follows: Input LOW
value to LED of digitalWrite().

1. const int LED = 13;


2. void setup() {
3. pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
4.
5. digitalWrite(LED, LOW);
6. }
7. void loop() {
8. }

11.3 Arduino LED Turn On and Off the Loop

Turning the LED on and off repeatedly using the digitalWrite function:

1. const int LED = 13;


2.
3. void setup() {
4. pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
5. }
6.
7. void loop() {
8. digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);
9. delay(50);
10. digitalWrite(LED, LOW);
11. delay(50);
12. }

In the case of the above example, it blinks 100 times per second because it is repeatedly
turned on and off every 50ms.

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11.4 Understanding the Breadboard

The Breadboard combines the English words ‘Bread’ and ‘Board’. The Breadboards are
devices that are used to make prototypes of electronic circuits. They do not require soldering
and can be reused. The breadboard varies in size and type. The most popular breadboard is a
400-hole breadboard. It is about half the size of an adult’s palm, and this 400-hole breadboard
is enough for the following learning material.

Figure 11.3 Breadboard Arduino

First, the green lines of the breadboard have five holes connected in the vertical direction.

Five holes are vertically connected if you look at ①’s black arrow. However, ②’s horizontal

holes are not connected. ③’s blue line and ④’s red line are connected to all holes in a straight
long horizontal axis. However, the holes in the red and blue lines are not connected. The part
⑤ is not connected to the upper and lower parts.

11.5 Controlling LEDs with Arduino

Now, we will control the LED’s power by outputting a HIGH(1) or LOW(0) signal
through a digital pin of the Arduino.
Parts Required

Figure 11.4 Uno Board / Breadboard / Jumper Wire / LEDs / 220 ohms(Ω)

Figure 11.5 The Polarity of LED: Long Side is Anode(+), the Short Side is Cathode(-)

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Figure 11.6 Structure of LED Light

Connect the LED’s (-) pole to the Arduino GND.


Connect the (+) pole of the LED to the digital pin 8 of the Arduino.
(Connect with a 220-ohm resistor in the middle.)

1. void setup() {
2. pinMode(8, OUTPUT); // Set digital pin 8 as output mode.
3. }
4.
5. void loop() {
6. digitalWrite(8, HIGH); // Output the HIGH signal (5V) to pin 8.
7. delay(1000); // hold for 1 second
8. digitalWrite(8, LOW); // Output the LOW signal (0V) to pin 8.
9. delay(1000); // hold for 1 second.
10. }

Figure 11.7 Demo on Real Arduino Board


After setting the digital pin 8 to which the LED is connected as the output mode, the
power of the LED is repeatedly turned on and off by outputting a HIGH (5V) signal for 1
second and a LOW (0V) signal for 1 second.

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※ Advanced Learning 1

Make a blinking LED using two or more LEDs.


※ Advanced Learning 2

Let’s make a traffic light using 3 LEDs and a resistor. Red is 5 seconds, yellow is 1
second, and green is 5 seconds.
Parts Required: Uno R3, USB cable, Breadboard, red, yellow-green LED, 220Ω resistor (3
pcs), Jumper wire.

Figure 11.8 Structure of Traffic Light Project

1. int REDpin = 6;
2. int YELLOWpin = 5;
3. int GREENpin = 4;
4.
5. void setup()
6. {
7. pinMode(REDpin, OUTPUT);
8. pinMode(YELLOWpin, OUTPUT);
9. pinMode(GREENpin, OUTPUT);
10. }
11.
12. void loop()
13. {
14. digitalWrite(REDpin, HIGH);
15. delay(5000);
16. digitalWrite(REDpin, LOW);
17. digitalWrite(YELLOWpin, HIGH);
18. delay(1000);
19. digitalWrite(YELLOWpin, LOW);
20. digitalWrite(GREENpin, HIGH);
21. delay(5000);
22. digitalWrite(GREENpin, LOW);
23. }

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Figure 11.9 Output Traffic Light Using 3 LEDs

※ Advanced learning - Constructing Complex LED Circuits


After connecting 8 LEDs in a line, create an array to operate the LEDs efficiently.

Figure 11.10 Structure of Connecting 8 LEDs Light

8 LEDs are arranged as shown in the figure above. A resistor connects each LED’s cathode
(-) to GND. Connect the 8 LED anodes to pins 2~9 of the Arduino board in order from the
left with wires.

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1) Turn on all LEDs


The code is as follows:
1. const unsigned int led_0 = 2;
2. const unsigned int led_1 = 3;
3. const unsigned int led_2 = 4;
4. const unsigned int led_3 = 5;
5. const unsigned int led_4 = 6;
6. const unsigned int led_5 = 7;
7. const unsigned int led_6 = 8;
8. const unsigned int led_7 = 9;
9.
10. void setup() {
11. // led initialization
12. pinMode(led_0, OUTPUT);
13. pinMode(led_1, OUTPUT);
14. pinMode(led_2, OUTPUT);
15. pinMode(led_3, OUTPUT);
16. pinMode(led_4, OUTPUT);
17. pinMode(led_5, OUTPUT);
18. pinMode(led_6, OUTPUT);
19. pinMode(led_7, OUTPUT);
20.
21. // turn on the led
22. digitalWrite(led_0, HIGH);
23. digitalWrite(led_1, HIGH);
24. digitalWrite(led_2, HIGH);
25. digitalWrite(led_3, HIGH);
26. digitalWrite(led_4, HIGH);
27. digitalWrite(led_5, HIGH);
28. digitalWrite(led_6, HIGH);
29. digitalWrite(led_7, HIGH);
30. }
31.
32. void loop() {
33.
34. }

Second, check that all of the eight LEDs are turned on as follows:

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Figure 11.11 Output Connecting 8 LEDs

2) Turn the LEDs on and off in turn


Now, let’s repeat the eight LEDs on and off in sequence. If you reduce the on-off time
interval, you can make all eight LEDs appear to be on at the same time. Modify the
example to turn on all the LEDs as in the following code:

1. const unsigned int led[8] = { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 };


2.
3. void setup() {
4. for(int x=0;x<=7;x++) {
5. pinMode(led[x], OUTPUT);
6. }
7. }
8.
9. void loop() {
10. for(int x=0;x<=7;x++) {
11.
12. // turn off all LEDs
13. for(int x=0;x<=7;x++) {
14. digitalWrite(led[x], LOW);
15. }
16.
17. digitalWrite(led[x], HIGH);
18.
19. delay(1);//1/4=0.25Hz
20. }
21. }

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It takes 0.5 seconds to turn on and off one LED and 4 seconds to turn on and off eight
LEDs one at a time. Make sure you get a result like the pictures below:

Figure 11.12 Output Connecting 8 LEDs with Turn On and Off

Modify line 19 as follows:

1. delay(5); //100/4=25Hz

The eight LEDs turn on and off in turn at 0.005-second intervals, but they are so fast that
you can’t see them properly, and so it seems like the entire LED is waving.

Figure 11.13 Output Connecting 8 LEDs by time intervals

11.6 Control the LED with the Switch Button

1) Turn on LED using the Push Input Button


Parts Required: Uno R3, USB cable, Push Button, 10K resistor, red LED, 220Ω resistor,
Jumper Wire.

Figure 11.14 Switch Button

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When you want to turn the LED on or off using a button, use the digitalRead function to
know whether the button is pressed or released.
When the push button is open (not pressed), there is no connection between the two legs of
the button. Without a pull-down resistor, the logical value of the pin is very vague. A 10K
resistor is used as a pull-down resistor to ensure that the Arduino pin is a LOW signal. The
pull-up resistor will keep it HIGH and go LOW when the button is pressed.

The following pins can read 1, 0 through the digitalRead function.

Figure 2.14 Digital Pins Able to Read 1 and 0 Through the digitalRead Function

You need to use the following two functions when you want to know whether a
button is pressed or released through an Arduino sketch:

1. pinMode(pin, mode)
2. digitalRead(pin)

digitalRead is a command to read the value of a specific pin.

➊ Returns the HIGH or LOW value of the pin number to be read.


The digitalRead function is a function that logically reads 1, 0 depending on the state of
the allocated pin connected to VCC (=5V) or GND. When the assigned pin is connected to
VCC (=5V), it reads 1, and when connected to GND, it reads 0.
Configure the circuit for the button circuit input and LED output as follows.

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Figure 11.15 Structure Switch LED Turn On/Off Using Switch Button

1. int buttonpin = 2;
2. int LED = 11;
3.
4. void setup() {
5. pinMode(buttonpin, INPUT);
6. pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
7. }
8.
9. void loop() {
10. int buttoninput = digitalRead(buttonpin);
11. if (buttoninput == 1)
12. {
13. digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);
14. }
15. else
16. {
17. digitalWrite(LED, LOW);
18. }
19. }

Result: The LED will be on when the pushbutton is pressed and off when not.
※ Advanced Learning 1: Adjust the LED brightness according to the button’s value.
Write a program so that the brightness of LED 10 changes when the button is pressed, and
the LED turns off when the button is released.
First, configure the circuit as follows:

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Figure 11.16 Structure Adjusting LED Brightness by Value Switch Button

Connect the LED’s long pin (+) to pin 10 of the Arduino board. The LED’s short pin (-)
connects to the GND pin through a 220Ω or 330Ω resistor. Connect one pin of the button to
5V (red wire). The other pin of the button is connected to GND through a 1KΩ resistor
(black wire). Connect the other pin of the resistor to pin 2.

1. const int ledPin = 10;


2. const int buttonPin = 2;
3.
4. void setup() {
5. pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);
6. }
7.
8. void loop() {
9. int buttonInput = digitalRead(buttonPin);
10. if(buttonInput == HIGH) {
11. for(int t_high=0;t_high<=255;t_high++) {
12. analogWrite(ledPin, t_high); //t_high value is changed periodically from 0 to 255
13. delay(4); // 4 milliseconds delay
14. }
15. } else {
16. analogWrite(ledPin, 0);
17. }
18. }
※ Advanced Learning 2: Making LED Dice
Write a program so that when the button is pressed, 6 LEDs are turned on at a fast speed,
and when the button is released, only the LEDs are turned on. The position value of the lit LED
becomes the dice value. First, configure the circuit as follows:

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Figure 11.17 Structure of Making LED Dice 1

Place 6 LEDs as shown in the figure. The cathode of each LED is connected to GND through
a resistor. Connect the anodes of 6 LEDs to pins 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the Arduino board, as
shown in the figure.

11.7 Communicate Serial with PC

1) 1) Communicate through a Serial monitor.


Output to Serial monitor.

1. void setup()
2. {
3. Serial.begin(9600);
4. }
5.
6. void loop()
7. {
8. Serial.println("Hello Arduino");
9. delay(1000);
10. }

1
Project Repository at t.ly/r-cT

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Figure 11.18 Output of Serial Monitor

• Serial.begin(baud) sets the data rate per second when transmitting data. Usually, wireless
communication is set as a default of 9600bps for XBee or Bluetooth. If the board speed
is increased, data can be sent faster, but data may be lost during communication.

• Serial.println(val, format) or Serial.println(val) may output data in a new line.

11.8 Making a Streetlight

1) What is Cds?

Cds is called cadmium sulfide or Photoresist. Cds is a sensor whose resistance value varies
depending on the amount of light. It is used to judge the degree of lightness and darkness
according to the standard without measuring the LUX value. It has the advantage that the
price is relatively low and the disadvantage that the precision is greatly reduced.

Figure 11.19 Cadmium Sulfide or Photoresist

These days, cadmium-based heavy metals are included and are related to environmental
pollution, so Phototransistors that are more expensive but can measure precise values are
used.

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2) Making a Streetlight Using Cds

Part Name Quantity Part Name Quantity


Resistor 220Ω 1ea Resistor 10kΩ 1ea
LED 1ea Cds sensor 1ea

Construct the circuit as follows.

Figure 11.20 Structure of Streetlight Using Cds

Open the sketch, input the code as follows and upload it.

1.
2. const int ledPin = 10;
3. const int analogPin = A0;
4.
5. void setup() {
6.
7. }
8.
9. void loop() {
10. int sensorInput = analogRead(analogPin);
11. analogWrite(ledPin, sensorInput/4);
12. }

Expose the light sensor to light or hide it from the light, and check the value change.

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11.9 Using a Potentiometer

11.9.1 Analog Signal Input/Output

The Arduino board has analog input pins, but analog output pins cannot be found on the
board. This is because the Arduino board operates on a digital basis. However, there are
times when you need to use an analog output when using an Arduino. In this case, PWM is
used. PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) can be used on the pins with ‘~’ next to the digital
pin number. The Arduino Uno board can output PWM on pins 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11.

Figure 11.21 Digital PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)

A potentiometer is a resistor in which the user can arbitrarily


change the resistance value. And The potentiometer has three pins.
Suppose the resistance value changes after connecting power to both
pins, a signal modified according to the resistance value is output.
When the potentiometer value is turned to the + pole, the maximum
value comes out, and when it is turned to the - pole, it approaches 0.
Potentiometers have three legs, but polarity doesn’t matter. It works if only Vout is
connected to an analog pin.

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11.9.2 Circuit Configuration and Programming

Construct a potentiometer circuit as follows:

Figure 11.22 Structure of Using a Potentiometer


Connect the pins at both ends of the potentiometer to 5V and GND, respectively. Connect
the center pin of the potentiometer to the A0 pin of the Arduino board.

1. const int analogPin = A0;


2.
3. void setup() {
4. Serial.begin(115200);
5. }
6.
7. void loop() {
8. int analogValue = analogRead(analogPin);
9. Serial.println(analogValue);
10. }

When the serial monitor window appears, set the communication speed to 115200 in the
lower right corner.
If you use a potentiometer, you can see that a value between 0 and 1023 comes out.

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11.10 Adjust LED Brightness According to Potentiometer Input Values

To adjust the brightness of the LED according to the potentiometer value, configure the
circuit as follows:

Figure 11.23 Structure to adjust LED Brightness Based on a Potentiometer

Add the LED circuit to the previously constructed circuit and modify the example.

1. const int ledPin = 10;


2. const int analogPin = A0;
3.
4. void setup() {
5.
6. }
7.
8. void loop() {
9. int sensorInput = analogRead(analogPin);
10. analogWrite(ledPin, sensorInput/4);
11. }

The analogRead function reads the analog value of the pin passed as an argument as a value
between 0 and 1023. The sensorInput value read by the analogRead function is divided by four
and sent to ledPin. A value between 0 and 1023 can be divided by 4 to export a value between
0 and 255. Turning the potentiometer value to one end turns the LED off, and turning it to the
other achieves maximum brightness.

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11.11 Digital LED Bar Meter

After composing 6 LEDs in a row, turn on the LED as much as the potentiometer is
turned on. The input value of the potentiometer is a value between 0 and 1023, and this
section is divided by 7. There are six boundary points: 146, 292, 438, 584, 730, and 876.
The LED is turned on one by one every time each boundary point is passed.

Figure 11.24 LEDs that light up one by one depending on the size of the potentiometer

Construct the circuit as follows:

Figure 11.25 Structure of Digital LED Bar Meter

Configure to 6 LEDs as shown in the circuit. The cathode of each LED is connected to
GND through a resistor. Connect the anodes of the 6 LEDs to pins 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of
the Arduino board sequentially from the left with wires. Connect the pins at both ends of
the potentiometer to 5V and GND, respectively. Connect the center pin of the
potentiometer to pin A0 of the Arduino board.

1. const int led[6] = { 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 };


2. const int analogPin = A0;
3.

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4. void setup() {
5. for(int x=0;x<=5;x++) {
6. pinMode(led[x], OUTPUT);
7. }
8. }
9.
10. void loop() {
11. int sensorInput = analogRead(analogPin);
12.
13. if(sensorInput > 1024/7*(1+0)) // 146
14. digitalWrite(led[0], HIGH);
15. else digitalWrite(led[0], LOW);
16.
17. if(sensorInput > 1024/7*(1+1)) // 292
18. digitalWrite(led[1], HIGH);
19. else digitalWrite(led[1], LOW);
20.
21. if(sensorInput > 1024/7*(1+2)) // 438
22. digitalWrite(led[2], HIGH);
23. else digitalWrite(led[2], LOW);
24.
25. if(sensorInput > 1024/7*(1+3)) // 584
26. digitalWrite(led[3], HIGH);
27. else digitalWrite(led[3], LOW);
28.
29. if(sensorInput > 1024/7*(1+4)) // 730
30. digitalWrite(led[4], HIGH);
31. else digitalWrite(led[4], LOW);
32.
33. if(sensorInput > 1024/7*(1+5)) // 876
34. digitalWrite(led[5], HIGH);
35. else digitalWrite(led[5], LOW);
36. }

Set the pinMode() function to the OUTPUT of each item of the array, which is the
led[0]~led[5] pins. Call the analogRead() function to read the analogPin value as sensorInput
variable. If the sensorInput value is greater than 146, which is 1024/7, the first LED is turned
on by calling the digitalWrite() function and giving a HIGH value to the led[0] pin. If the
sensorInput value is less than or equal to 146, a LOW value is given to the led[0] pin to turn
the first LED off. In the same way for the rest of the LEDs, if the threshold value of the
corresponding LED exceeds, the LED is turned on. Otherwise, the LED is turned off.

This code can be generalized using the for a statement as follows:

1. const int led[6] = { 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 };


2. const int analogPin = A0;
3.
4. void setup() {
5. for(int x=0;x<=5;x++) {

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6. pinMode(led[x], OUTPUT);
7. }
8. }
9.
10. void loop() {
11. int sensorInput = analogRead(analogPin);
12.
13. for(int n=0;n<=5;n++) {
14. if(sensorInput > 1024/7*(1+n))
15. digitalWrite(led[n], HIGH);
16. else digitalWrite(led[n], LOW);
17.
18. }
19. }

11.12 Play Music with Arduino

11.12.1 Make a Sound Using a Buzzer

The Piezo buzzer is a device that uses crystal properties (piezoelectric material) such as
crystal or ceramic, and a thin plate is placed on the piezoelectric material to make a sound due
to the piezoelectric effect.

- Piezoelectric material: A material using the principle that an electric potential


difference (voltage) occurs when pressure is applied to a certain crystal, and
conversely, when the electric potential difference (voltage) occurs in this material,
physical displacement is generated.
- Piezoelectric effect: When pressure is applied, a voltage is generated, or when a
voltage is given, pressure (expansion, condensation) is generated.

In other words, the principle of sound generation in the Piezo buzzer is as follows: When
a thin plate is placed on the piezoelectric material, and a voltage is applied to the
piezoelectric material, the piezoelectric material vibrates and collides with the plate to make
a sound. Piezo buzzers can be purchased at a price of less than 1,000 won.

The buzzer has different sounds depending on the frequency. For example, if a sound of 440
Hz is made, 440 Hz means vibration 440 times per second. The time it takes to vibrate once is
as follows: 1/440 = 0.00227272...[s]. It is about 2.2727ms (milliseconds) and 2272.7272us
(microseconds). Since 0 and 1 are repeated for 2273us seconds by rounding, one is repeated
for 2273/2us, and 0 is repeated for 2273/2us.

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11.12.2 How to Use a Buzzer

The Piezo buzzer consists of two electrode terminals and has polarity. The upper surface
of the Piezo buzzer is written as (+), or the (+) electrode can be connected to the side with a
small groove next to it. However, there is also a Piezo buzzer that does not have to worry
about the (+) and (-) electrodes of the component. The Piezo buzzer we will use can be
connected to the Arduino board regardless of polarity. The table below shows octaves and
the scale’s standard frequencies. By giving a frequency signal to the Piezo buzzer, it makes
the desired sound of the scale.

Figure 11.26 Table Showing Octaves and Scale’s Standard Frequencies

The scale we are familiar with is 4 octaves. The sound “Do” is a sound with a frequency of
261.6256 Hz, which is “C” in a 4-octave scale.

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Figure 11.27 Structure of Using Buzzer

1. int speakerSensor=8; // store 8, in the speakerSensor variable


2. void setup() {
3. pinMode(speakerSensor, OUTPUT); // It is output through pin 8
4. }
5.
6. void loop() {
7. digitalWrite(speakerSensor, HIGH);
8. delay(1000); // wait 1 second
9. digitalWrite(speakerSensor, LOW);
10. delay(1000);
11. }

2) Expressing the Scale


The buzzer does not just make a “tick” sound only. Using the tone() function, you can
express a scale such as “CDEFGAB”. Let's express the “CDEFGAB” scale as a function of
tone().

1) Tone() Function:

tone(pin number, pitch,duration)


- pin number: Set the pin number connected to the buzzer.
- pitch: pitch settings.
- duration: Setting the time to make a sound.

2) Expressing the sound scales as software:

1. int note_c4=262;
2. int note_d4=294;
3. int note_e4=330;
4. int note_f4=349;
5. int note_g4=392;
6. int note_a4=440;

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7. int note_b4=494;
8. int note_c5=523;
9.
10. int speakerSensor=8;
11. int noteDuration=500;
12.
13. void setup() {
14. pinMode(speakerSensor,OUTPUT);
15. }
16.
17. void loop() {
18. tone(speakerSensor,note_c4, noteDuration);
19. delay(500);
20. tone(speakerSensor,note_d4, noteDuration);
21. delay(500);
22. tone(speakerSensor,note_e4, noteDuration);
23. delay(500);
24. tone(speakerSensor,note_f4, noteDuration);
25. delay(500);
26. tone(speakerSensor,note_g4, noteDuration);
27. delay(500);
28. tone(speakerSensor,note_a4, noteDuration);
29. delay(500);
30. tone(speakerSensor,note_b4, noteDuration);
31. delay(500);
32. tone(speakerSensor,note_c5, noteDuration);
33. delay(500);
34. }

3) Expressing airplane songs to software:

1. int piezo = 3;
2. int numTones = 25;
3. int tones[] = {330, 294, 261, 294, 330, 330, 330, 294, 294, 294,
4. 330, 392, 392, 330, 294, 261, 294, 330, 330, 330,
5. 294, 294, 330, 294, 261};
6.
7. void setup() {
8. pinMode(piezo, OUTPUT);
9. }
10.
11. void loop() {
12. for (int i = 0; i < numTones; i++) {
13. tone(piezo, tones[i]);
14. delay(500);
15. }
16. noTone(piezo);
17. delay(5000);
18. }

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11.13 Making a Digital Piano

Parts required: Arduino board, Breadboard, Piezo buzzer, Button 3ea, Resistor(1KΩ) 3ea,
Jumper Wire

Figure 11.28 Structure of Using Buttons and Buzzer

1. int Pin[]={2,3,4};
2. int Note[]={262,294,330};
3.
4. void setup() {
5. for(int i=0;i<3;i++){
6. pinMode(Pin[i], INPUT);
7. }
8. }
9.
10. void loop() {
11. for(int i=0;i<3;i++){
12. if(digitalRead(Pin[i])==HIGH){
13. tone(13, Note[i],20);
14. }
15. }
16. }

11.14 Making a Button Piano

Connect the Manual buzzer and push the button to the Arduino board.

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Figure 11.29 Structure of Button Piano Using Buzzer

Connect the + pin of the buzzer to pin 10 of the Arduino board. The other pin of the buzzer
is connected to the GND pin. Place eight buttons as shown in the picture and connect one pin
of each button with 5V. (red wire part). Connect the other pin of each button to GND through
a 10KΩ resistor (black wire part). Connect the other pin of each resistor to pins 2~9 of Arduino
in order. At this time, be careful that the legs of the resistor do not touch each other.

After completing the circuit configuration, write the code as follows:

1. const int BUZZER = 10;


2. const int button[8] = { 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 };
3.
4. const int note[8] = {
5. 262, 294, 330, 349, 393, 440, 494, 523,
6. };
7.
8. void setup() {
9. for(int n=0;n<=7;n++) {
10. pinMode(button[n], INPUT);
11. }
12. }
13.
14. void loop() {
15. if(digitalRead(button[0]) == HIGH) {
16. tone(BUZZER, note[0]);
17. } else if(digitalRead(button[1]) == HIGH) {
18. tone(BUZZER, note[1]);
19. } else if(digitalRead(button[2]) == HIGH) {
20. tone(BUZZER, note[2]);
21. } else if(digitalRead(button[3]) == HIGH) {
22. tone(BUZZER, note[3]);

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23. } else if(digitalRead(button[4]) == HIGH) {


24. tone(BUZZER, note[4]);
25. } else if(digitalRead(button[5]) == HIGH) {
26. tone(BUZZER, note[5]);
27. } else if(digitalRead(button[6]) == HIGH) {
28. tone(BUZZER, note[6]);
29. } else if(digitalRead(button[7]) == HIGH) {
30. tone(BUZZER, note[7]);
31. } else {
32. noTone(BUZZER);
33. }
34. }

Declare the BUZZER constant and enter pin 10. Declare the constant button array and enter
pins from 9 to 2. Declare a constant note array and enter a frequency corresponding to each
sound. If the value of the button[0] pin is HIGH by calling the digitalRead() function, the tone()
function is called to output a sound corresponding to note[0] to the BUZZER pin. Process the
rest of button[1]~button[7] similarly. If no button is pressed, the buzzer stops by calling the
noTone() function.

11.15 Measuring Distance Using an Ultrasonic Sensor

Ultrasound refers to a sound with a high frequency (about 20 kHz or higher) that is inaudible
to the human ear, and the ultrasonic sensor uses it. The ultrasonic sensor is a sensor that
measures distance using ultrasonic waves. In addition, ultrasonic sensors can measure speed,
concentration and viscosity, and water level or snow cover.

➀ HC-SR04 Features ➁ Specifications


- Analog signal - Operating voltage 5V
- High performance, low price - Operating current 15mA
- Sensor using ultrasonic - Operating frequency 40Hz
- Generation frequency 40kHz
- Measuring distance 2~400cm
- Size 45x 20 x 15mm

➂ Pinout ➃ Operating principle of ultrasonic sensor

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The time at which the


ultrasonic wave was
reflected and arrived /
distance between objects
Vcc / Trig / Echo / Gnd

The distance to the object in front can be calculated using the time it takes for the
ultrasonic wave to return to the echo from the 40 kHz ultrasonic wave from the Trig. The
speed of sound is 340 m/s, and it takes 29 microseconds (μs*) to travel 1 cm.
Distance (cm) = Time / 29 / 2
Parts required: Arduino board, Breadboard, Piezo Buzzer, Melody IC, one resistor (1KΩ), Wire

Figure 11.30 Structure of Using an Ultrasonic Sensor

1. int trigPin=2;
2. int echoPin=3;
3.
4. void setup() {
5. pinMode(echoPin, INPUT);
6. pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT);
7. Serial.begin(9600);
8. }
9.
10. void loop(){
11. long duration;
12. float dis;
13. digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
14. delayMicroseconds(2);
15. digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
16. delayMicroseconds(10);
17. digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
18. duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);
19. dis=duration/29/2;
20. Serial.print(dis);
21. Serial.print(“cm”);
22. Serial.println();
23. delay(100);
24. }

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• Using the ultrasonic sensor and 3 LEDs (Red, Yellow, and Green), let’s turn the LED
on according to the distance. The green LED turns on when the distance is greater
than 5cm. When the distance is less than 5cm, the yellow LED turns on, and when
the distance is less than 2cm, the red LED turns on.

• Let’s make a harp that plays notes according to the distance using the ultrasonic sensor

11.16 Control the Angle of the Servomotor

A motor is an electronic component that converts electrical energy into rotational or


linear motion. Motors are also used in many fields, such as automobiles, fans, and robots in
real life. The servo motor (SG90) we will use is a servo motor that can rotate 0 to 180
degrees instead of 360 degrees. The rotation angle or speed can be controlled by
controlling the rotation position. To use the SG90, you need to handle the PWM signal,
and let’s control the SG90 through Arduino.

� Rotation angle 0~180 degrees


� control to angle and speed
� Operating voltage 4.8~7.2V
�Current voltage 0.2~0.7A
� Three connecting wires
- VCC is red, GND is brown, and the
signal line is orange
�Torque 1.8kg.cm
�Size 22.2 x 11.8 x 31 mm

- Uno board: Total of 6 PWM output pins


(~3, ~5, ~6, ~9, ~10, ~11)
- A wave (~) is displayed on the digital pin
side.
- PWM output: Abbreviation for Pulse
Width Modulation, which means to control Arduino can divide 0-5V into 0-255
the width of vibration. (256 types) signals by outputting a PWM
• An output method that creates an signal through the PWM pin
analog signal by adjusting the duty of
HIGH for each cycle

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Parts required: Arduino Board, Servo Motor, Wire

Figure 11.31 Structure of Using Servo Motor

※ setting to the Servo Motor center

1. #include <Servo.h> //Include the Servo.h library.


2. Servo myservo; //Declare servo motor (myservo)
3.
4. void setup(){
5. myservo.attach(9); // Connect the servo motor signal line to digital number 9
(PWM) myservo.write(90); //Move the servo motor to the 90-degree position.
6. }
7.
8. void loop(){
9. delay(100); //0.1 second delay
10. }

※ Precautions when using ‘Servo.h’ library


- It can control up to 12 servo motors
- When using Uno board, the PWM of digital pins 9 and 10 cannot be used even if a servo
motor is not connected to the corresponding pin.
- The maximum current that can be supplied from one pin on the Uno board is 40mA. The
maximum current supplied from all pins cannot exceed 200mA, so it is necessary to
check when driving the motor. If necessary, an external power source should be used. In
this case, the GND of the Arduino and the GND of the external power should be
connected.

※ Changing the servo motor angle

1. #include <Servo.h> //Include the Servo.h library.


2. Servo myservo; //Declare servo motor (myservo)
3. int pos=0; //Declare variable pos (display the servo position)
4.
5. void setup(){

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6. myservo.attach(9); // Connect the servo motor signal line to digital number 9


(PWM)
7. }
8. void loop(){
9. for(pos=0; pos<=180;pos+=1){ //Start pos from 0 and add 1 to 180.
10. myservo.write(pos); //Move the servo motor to the pos position.
11. delay(15); //0.015 second delay
12. }
13. for(pos=180; pos>=0;pos-=1){ // Subtract pos by 1 from 180 to 0.
14. myservo.write(pos); //Move the servo motor to the pos position.
15. delay(15); //0.015 second delay
16. }
17. }

※ Changing the servo motor angle using a potentiometer


Parts required: Arduino Board, Servo Motor, Potentiometer 10K, Jumper Wire

Figure 11.32 Structure of Changing the Servo Motor Angle Using a Potentiometer

1. #include <Servo.h> //Include the Servo.h library.


2. Servo myservo; //Declare servo motor (myservo)
3.
4. void setup(){
5. myservo.attach(7); // Connect the servo motor signal line to digital number 7
(PWM)
6. }
7.
8. void loop(){
9. int pos = analogRead(A0); //Read the potentiometer value from A0 pin.
10. pos = map(value, 0, 1023, 0, 179); // Converts the value input to pin A0 into an
angle.
11. myservo.write(pos); //Move the servo motor to the pos position.
12. delay(20);
13. }

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11.17 Using a Joystick

A Joystick is a device capable of detecting movement in all directions, including front, rear,
left, right, and diagonal directions, using a handle. The Joystick consists of two potentiometers
and one push button. The two potentiometers indicate in which direction the potentiometers
were pressed. The switch sends a LOW value when the Joystick handle is pressed.

The Joystick is connected to the Arduino by five pins. The three pins are input pins to
Arduino, and VCC and GND connect the other two pins.

Figure 11.33 Structure of Joystick

To control the Joystick handle, you need to understand which direction is X and which
direction is Y. In addition, it is necessary to know whether the Joystick handles move in the
X or Y direction. Arduino measures the position of the Joystick handle using analog input.
Analog input provides a range value between 0 and 1023.

Figure 11.34 Direction of Joystick Output

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To receive Joystick input, write an example as follows:

1. const int Xin= A0; //Joystick X coordinate input pin


2. const int Yin = A1; // Joystick Y coordinate input pin
3. const int KEYin = 3; // Joystick push button input pin
4.
5. void setup () {
6. pinMode (KEYin, INPUT);
7. Serial.begin (115200);
8. }
9.
10. void loop () {
11. int xVal = analogRead (Xin);
12. int yVal = analogRead (Yin);
13. int buttonVal = digitalRead (KEYin);
14.
15. Serial.print("X = ");
16. Serial.println (xVal, DEC);
17.
18. Serial.print ("Y = ");
19. Serial.println (yVal, DEC);
20.
21. Serial.print("Button is ");
22. if (buttonVal == HIGH) {
23. Serial.println ("not pressed");
24. } else {
25. Serial.println ("PRESSED");
26. }
27. }

The Xin constant is Arduino’s A0 pin and receives the X coordinates of the Joystick. The
Yin constant is Arduino’s A1 pin and receives the Y coordinates of the Joystick. The KEYin
constant is three pins and receives a button from the Joystick. The analogRead function is
called to input the Xin pin value to the xVal variable and the Yin pin value to the yVal
variable. The value received from the analogRead function is between 0 and 1023. Call the
digitalRead function and enter the KEYin pin value into the buttonVal variable. When the
button is pressed (High), the phrase “Button is PRESSED” is output, and when the button is
not pressed (LOW), the message “Button is not pressed” is output.
It is checked that the X and Y values change by moving up, down, left, and right using a
Joystick. Check that the button is pressed when pressing the Joystick.

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11.18 Numbers and Word Display with 7 Segment

7-segment is a device that can display decimal digits from 0 to 9 by arranging LEDs, as
shown in the figure, and selecting some of them to emit light. There are seven 7-segment
types: a common cathode type and an anode type. GND is connected to the cathode type,
and Vcc is connected to the composition for the anode type. Here, let’s practice with the
anode type.

Figure 11.35 Structure of 7 Segments


Parts required: Arduino Board, Breadboard, 7 Segments, 1 Resistor (330Ω), Wire

Figure 11.36 Structure of Using 7 Segment

First, initialize all of the 7-segment a~g LEDs and turn them on:

1. const unsigned int led_a = 2;


2. const unsigned int led_b = 3;
3. const unsigned int led_c = 4;
4. const unsigned int led_d = 5;
5. const unsigned int led_e = 6;

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6. const unsigned int led_f = 7;


7. const unsigned int led_g = 8;
8.
9. void setup() {
10. // Initialize the led
11. pinMode(led_a, OUTPUT);
12. pinMode(led_b, OUTPUT);
13. pinMode(led_c, OUTPUT);
14. pinMode(led_d, OUTPUT);
15. pinMode(led_e, OUTPUT);
16. pinMode(led_f, OUTPUT);
17. pinMode(led_g, OUTPUT);
18.
19. // turn on the led
20. digitalWrite(led_a, HIGH);
21. digitalWrite(led_b, HIGH);
22. digitalWrite(led_c, HIGH);
23. digitalWrite(led_d, HIGH);
24. digitalWrite(led_e, HIGH);
25. digitalWrite(led_f, HIGH);
26. digitalWrite(led_g, HIGH);
27. }
28.
29. void loop() {
30.
31. }

This time, the above example is generalized using a for statement and a primary array.
Modify the example as follows:

1. const unsigned int led[7] = { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 };


2.
3. void setup() {
4. // Initialize the led
5. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
6. pinMode(led[x], OUTPUT);
7. }
8.
9. // turn on the led
10. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
11. digitalWrite(led[x], HIGH);
12. }
13. }
14.
15. void loop() {
16.
17. }

This time, it repeats turning on and off the LEDs from a~ g in sequence:

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1. const unsigned int led[7] = { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 };


2.
3. void setup() {
4. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
5. pinMode(led[x], OUTPUT);
6. }
7. }
8.
9. void loop() {
10. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
11.
12. // turn off all LEDs
13. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
14. digitalWrite(led[x], LOW);
15. }
16.
17. digitalWrite(led[x], HIGH);
18.
19. delay(1);//1/3.5=0.286Hz
20. }
21. }

Since it takes 0.5 seconds to turn each LED on and off, it takes about 3.5 seconds in total.
To display a number, you can check if 0 is displayed by writing an example like this:

1. const unsigned int led[7] = { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 };


2.
3. const unsigned int num_0[7] = { 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0 };/*0*/
4.
5. void display_init() {
6. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
7. pinMode(led[x], OUTPUT);
8. }
9. }
10.
11. void display_clear() {
12. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
13. digitalWrite(led[x], LOW);
14. }
15. }
16.
17. void setup() {
18. display_init();
19.
20. display_clear();
21.
22. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
23. digitalWrite(led[x], num_0[x]==1?HIGH:LOW);
24. }

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25. }
26.
27. void loop() {
28.
29. }

Using a secondary array, you can display any number from 0 to 9:

1. const unsigned int led[7] = { 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 };


2.
3. const unsigned int num[10][7] = {
4. { 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, },/*0*/
5. { 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, },/*1*/
6. { 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, },/*2*/
7. { 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, },/*3*/
8. { 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, },/*4*/
9. { 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, },/*5*/
10. { 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, },/*6*/
11. { 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, },/*7*/
12. { 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, },/*8*/
13. { 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, },/*9*/
14. };
15.
16. void display_init() {
17. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
18. pinMode(led[x], OUTPUT);
19. }
20. }
21.
22. void display_clear() {
23. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
24. digitalWrite(led[x], LOW);
25. }
26. }
27.
28. void display_number(int n) {
29. if(0<=n&&n<=9) {
30. for(int x=0;x<7;x++) {
31. digitalWrite(led[x], num[n][x]==1?HIGH:LOW);
32. }
33. }
34. }
35.
36. void setup() {
37. display_init();
38. }
39.
40. void loop() {

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41. for(int n=0;n<=9;n++) {


42. display_clear();
43. display_number(n);
44. delay(500);
45. }
46. }

11.19 Making a Decimal Counter with Four Digit 7 segments

This time, let’s display a number in 4 digits, 7 segments of 4 digits. The 4-digit 7-
segment consists of the following 4 with 7-segments.

Figure 11.37 Structure of 4 Digit 7 Segments

Each 7 segment consists of a figure 8 LED. In practice, 8 LEDs are used per segment, so 56
LEDs can be turned on and off. The 8th LED is a dot to the right of the number, which can
indicate a decimal point. Each LED has a name from A to G. The LED representing the
decimal point is DP (decimal point). The pins that separate each segment are COM1, COM2,
COM3, and COM4. These pins must be controlled with high frequency to display different
numbers.

The 4-digit and 7-segment circuits have a common cathode and a common anode circuit,
so they must be used separately. If the LED corresponding to an of the leftmost 7-segment
is turned on by composing the circuit, it is a common cathode.

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Figure 11.38 Structure of Using 4 Digit 7 Segment

Compose the circuit as follows: if the LED corresponding to an of the leftmost 7-segment
is turned on, it is a common anode.

To connect the 4-digit segment circuit, configure the circuit as follows. Connect pins a, b,
c, d, e, f, and g of the 4-digit 7-segment to pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the Arduino board
through 220Ω resistors. Connect the 4-digit 7-segment COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4
common cathode to pins 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the Arduino.

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1. byte digits[10][7] = // cathode


2. {
3. {1,1,1,1,1,1,0}, //0
4. {0,1,1,0,0,0,0}, //1
5. {1,1,0,1,1,0,1}, //2
6. {1,1,1,1,0,0,1}, //3
7. {0,1,1,0,0,1,1}, //4
8. {1,0,1,1,0,1,1}, //5
9. {1,0,1,1,1,1,1}, //6
10. {1,1,1,0,0,0,0}, //7
11. {1,1,1,1,1,1,1}, //8
12. {1,1,1,0,0,1,1}, //9
13. };
14.
15. byte seg_DP = 11, k = 0;
16. int num=0, num0, num1, num2, num3;
17. int delaySeg = 1, delayDigit = 1, delayTime = 1000;
18. unsigned long previousMillis = 0;
19.
20. void setup() {
21. // put your setup code here to run once:
22. for(int i=4; i<16; i++)
23. pinMode(i, OUTPUT);
24. digitalWrite(seg_DP, LOW); // DP pin is always Off
25. }
26.
27. void loop() {
28. // put your main code here to run repeatedly:
29. unsigned long currentMillis = millis();
30. if(currentMillis - previousMillis >= delayTime){
31. previousMillis = currentMillis;
32. Segment_counter();

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33. }
34. switch(k)
35. {
36. case 0:
37. displayDigit(num3);
38. DIG_num(3);
39. delay(delayDigit);
40. clearSeg();
41. break;
42. case 1:
43. displayDigit(num2);
44. DIG_num(2);
45. delay(delayDigit);
46. clearSeg();
47. break;
48. case 2:
49. displayDigit(num1);
50. DIG_num(1);
51. delay(delayDigit);
52. clearSeg();
53. break;
54. case 3:
55. displayDigit(num0);
56. DIG_num(0);
57. delay(delayDigit);
58. clearSeg();
59. break;
60. case 4:
61. clearSeg();
62. delay(delayDigit);
63. break;
64. default:
65. break;
66. }
67. k++;
68. k = k % 5; // infinite loop between 0 and 4 ( 0->1->2->3->4->0...)
69. }
70.
71. void displayDigit(int num)
72. {
73. for(int i=0; i<7; i++)
74. {
75. digitalWrite(4+i, digits[num][i]);
76. //delay(delaySeg);
77. }
78. }
79.
80. void Segment_counter()
81. {
82. num++;
83. num3 = num/1000; // thousands place.
84. num2 = (num/100)%10; // hundreds place

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85. num1 = (num/10)%10; // tens place


86. num0 = num%10; // ones place
87. if(num > 9999) num = 0;
88. }
89.
90. void DIG_num(int n)
91. {
92. for(int m=0; m<4; m++)
93. {
94. if(m==n) digitalWrite(15-m, LOW);
95. else digitalWrite(15-m, HIGH);
96. //digitalWrite(15-m, LOW);
97. }
98. }
99.
100. void clearSeg()
101. {
102. for(int i=12; i<16; i++) digitalWrite(i, HIGH);
103. }

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CHAPTER 12

ICT for STEM and Innovation

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

12.1 Experiment with Measuring Electrical Current

12.2 Experiment with Electrification

12.3 Newton’s Laws


Chapter 12– ICT for STEM and Innovation

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:


- Describe how to do experiments on measuring electrical current, voltage, solve the
exercise using algorithm and resistance using ICT tools
- Indicate the value of electrical current, voltage, and resistance using ICT tools
- Possess a spirit of using ICT for learning Physics (formatting-should be on 1st page)

12.1 Experiment with Measuring Electrical Current

Discovering
In order to turn on the light bulb, a device
such as a battery and a wire is required. By
connecting these devices to configure the
electrical circuit, you can light it on the bulb. In
order to keep the light on the bulb, the current
must continue to flow. How can I measure the
flowing current?
Analyzing
What happens to the strength of the current as the voltage
Measuring Voltage
increases?
What are the characteristics of the way the resistors are
Measuring Resistance
connected?
Practice 1

1. Access to the website www.javalab.org


2. Find a simulation called “Electric Circuit Simulator”.
3. You can make the electric circuit you want by connecting batteries, wires, light bulbs,

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voltmeters, and ammeters.


4. You can adjust the resistor value by clicking the resistor. (In the case of Android,
press and hold for about 1 second, depending on the model.) You can adjust the
supply voltage by clicking the battery. (In the case of Android, press and hold for
about 1 second, depending on the model.)
Optional:
- Drag ‘Battery’ and drop where you want.
- Drag ‘Bulb’ and drop where you want.
- Use ‘Conductor’ to link the left side of ‘Bulb’ and ‘Battery’.
- Use ‘Resistance’ and ‘Ammeter’ to link the right side of ‘Bulb’ and ‘Battery’.
- Click ‘Resistance’ to adjust the value of resistance.
- Click ‘Battery’ to adjust the value of voltage.
Doing by Yourself
1. Click “Battery” and increase the value of Voltage by 1.5V. Measure the value of
Current(mA) and write in the table (Resistance should be set as 10Ω).
voltage(V) 0 1.5 3.0 4.5 6.0
current(mA)
2. Click “Battery” and increase the value of Voltage by 1.5V. Measure the value of
Current(mA) and write in the table (Resistance should be set as 60Ω).
voltage(V) 0 1.5 3.0 4.5 6.0
current(mA)
Practice 2

1. Access to the website www.javalab.org


2. Find a simulation called “Electric Circuit Simulator”.
3. Connect three resistors in series in the circuit on the left.

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4. Observe how the speed of the current changes while removing the connected
resistance one by one.
5. Connect the three resistors in parallel in the circuit on the right.
6. Observe how the speed of the current changes while removing the connected
resistance one by one.)
Doing by Yourself
1. Let’s summarize the characteristics according to the connection method of
resistance. Write down in your notebook.
Serial connection Parallel connection

12.2 Experiment with Electrification

Discovering
Wind turbines generate electricity by
rotating wings when the wind blows. In
hydroelectric power plants, falling water turns
turbines to generate electricity. In this exercise,
let’s find out how electric energy is created in a
generator.
Analysis

Electrification How can I turn on the light bulbs with magnets and coils?

Electrification in
How does electrical energy come from a generator?
a generator

Practices

1. Access the ‘PhET Simulations’.


2. Find an experiment called ‘Faraday’s Electromagnetic Lab’.

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- Pickup Coil: use a magnet to change the level of brightness. You can try to
change the level of brightness and observe the brightness of the light bulb using
a magnet.
- Electromagnet: is a kind of magnet where the magnetic field is created by an
electric current. The magnetic strength of an electromagnet can be easily altered
by varying the amount of electric current and its polarity can be changed by
varying the direction of the electric current.
- Transformer: Transformers are used to transfer current from one circuit to
another without any physical contact between them and without changing the
frequency or phase.
- Generator: change water energy to electrical energy. You can switch on the
faucet and observe the change in light bulb brightness

Doing by Yourself
1. In the ‘Pickup Coil’, how do you use a magnet to make the bulbs turn on?
2. Compare
3. In the ‘Generator’, explain how electrical energy is generated in a generator.
Doing Together
1. In the ‘Generator’, how can we make a light bulb’s brightness strengthen
using a faucet?
Self-Evaluation
Items Evaluation
I can understand and explain the core concepts I have learned at
◯◯◯◯◯
this time.
I will apply what I learn to real life. ◯◯◯◯◯
I helped my friends to complete the activity successfully. ◯◯◯◯◯

12.3 Newton’s Laws

Discovering
The movement of an object is closely related
to the force acting on it. Whether a tennis player
swings a racquet to hit the ball over the net or a
defender stops the ball being driven by an attacker in
a soccer match, both apply force to the ball and
change the motion of an object. Let’s examine the

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relationship between the force and the motion of an object when a force is applied to it.
Analyzing
- How can I test Newton’s first law of motion on video?
- How can I test Newton’s second law of motion on video?
- How can I test Newton’s third law of motion on video?
Practice 1

1. Access the ‘PhET Simulations’.


2. Find a simulation called ‘Force and Motion: Acceleration.
- Acceleration: used to speed up. You can speed up to move the box.
Doing by Yourself
1. Use the simulation to answer each of the questions below (Use complete sentences
to answer each question):
a. How do you make the box speed up?
b. How do you make the box move at a constant speed?
c. Once the box is moving how do you make it stop?
d. Once the box is moving how do you make it change direction?
e. Describe the motion the box undergoes when you make it change direction.
2. Any change in motion is called acceleration. When does the box accelerate?
Practice 2

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Chapter 12– ICT for STEM and Innovation

1. Access the ‘PhET Simulations’.


2. Find a simulation called ‘Force and Motion: Basic’.
- Acceleration: used to speed up. You can speed up to move the box.
Doing by Yourself
Investigate the acceleration using Newton’s second law (F=MA). Draw the table below in
your notebook and fill in the blanks.
Acceleration
Mass (kilograms) Force (Newton’s)
(meters/second2)
40kg 100N
50kg 100N
80kg 100N
100kg 100N
200kg 100N

1. What happens if you increase mass?


2. Was your prediction correct? Explain it in your notebook.

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned the following:


1. Relationship between voltage, current, and resistance: The intensity of the
current flowing through the wire is proportional to the voltage and inversely
proportional to the resistance.
2. Serial connection: When two resistors are connected in a series, the flow of
each current is slower than that of one resistor.
3. Parallel connection: When two resistors are connected in parallel, the flow
of each current is equal to the speed at which the current flows when one
resistor is connected.
4. Principle of generator: When moving a magnet around the coil, the magnetic
field passing through the coil changes and current flows through the coil.
5. Wind Power generator: Wind Mechanical Energy → Electrical Energy
6. Water Power generator: Water Mechanical Energy → Electrical Energy
Newton’s Laws of Motion
a. Newton’s first Law of Motion (Law of Inertia): An object remains at rest or moving
at a constant speed unless a net force acts on it.
b. Newton’s second law of motion: When a force acts on an object, the object will
accelerate in the direction of the net force, and the acceleration a is proportional to the
net force F acting on the object and inversely proportional to the mass m. Expressing
𝐹𝐹
this as a formula, a= , that is, F=ma.
𝑚𝑚
c. Newton’s third law of motion (law of action and reaction): If object A exerts a
force on object B, object B also exerts a force of the same magnitude and opposite
direction on object A.

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Chapter 12– ICT for STEM and Innovation

Questions

1. Let’s summarize the similarities and differences between the first two experimental results. Let’s
write it down in your notebook.
Similarities Differences

2. Let’s explain the relationship between voltage and current.


3. Look for electrical appliances with multiple resistors and see how they are connected. Let’s write
it down in your notebook.
Electric appliances using serial Electric appliances using parallel
connection connection

4. When a magnet is moved around the coil, (………..) flows through the coil.
5. In a generator consisting of magnets and coils, (………..) energy is converted into electrical
energy.

Exercises

1. Write your answers to all the above questions by using an OpenOffice Writer
application and prepare them nicely.
2. Send the answers attached to your teacher by email.
3. Or follow instructions from your teacher (i.e., : “Just take a photo of your notes
and send it to your teacher’s telegram via mobile phone”).

180
This book has been developed with the cooperation
of the Cambodia Ministry of Education, Youth and
Sport (MoEYS) under the Project of ICT Capacity
Building of Lower Secondary Education in Cambodia
supported by KOICA.

Korea National University


of Education

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