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Descriptors:
Teacher Educators; Teacher Collaboration; Student Improvement; Preservice Teachers; Readiness; Science Instruction; Mathematics Instruction; Preservice Teacher Education; Student Attitudes; Student Experience; Majors (Students); Gender Differences; Inquiry; Field Trips; Action Research; Mixed Methods Research; Multivariate Analysis; Place Based Education; Learning Strategies; Social Environment; Praxis

Abstract:
Since many preservice teachers (PTs) display anxiety over teaching math and science, four PT educators collaborated to better understand the PTs' background experiences and attitudes toward those subjects. The research project provided two avenues for professional learning: the data collected from the PTs and the opportunity for collaborative action research. The mixed method study focused on: the relationship between gender and undergraduate major (science versus non-science) with respect to previous and current engagement in science and math, understanding the processes of inquiry, and learning outside the classroom. A field trip to a science center provided the setting for the data collection. From a sample of 132 PTs, a multivariate analysis showed that the science major of PTs explained most of the gender differences with respect to the PTs' attitudes toward science and mathematics. The process of inquiry is generally poorly interpreted by PTs, and non-science majors prefer a more social approach in their learning to teach science and math. The four educators/collaborators reflect on the impacts of the research on their individual practices, for example, the need to: include place-based learning, attend to the different learning strategies taken by non-science majors, emphasize social and environmental contexts for learning science and math, be more explicit regarding the processes of science inquiry, and provide out-of-classroom experiences for PTs. They conclude that the collaboration, though difficult at times, provided powerful opportunities for examining individual praxis. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
School Culture; Charter Schools; Field Trips; Standardized Tests; Citizenship Education; Civics; Democracy; Neighborhoods; Integrity; Holidays; Citizen Participation; Elementary Secondary Education; Acculturation; Elections; Social Studies; Teacher Education; Competition; Hispanic American Students; Urban Education

Abstract:
This policy brief is the third in a series of in-depth case studies exploring how top-performing charter schools have incorporated civic learning in their school curriculum and school culture. The UNO Charter School Network includes 13 schools serving some 6,500 students across Chicago. Located in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, the network's 12 K-8 schools and one high school serve a student body that is 95 percent Hispanic. UNO fundamentally understands citizenship education as a project of assimilation and Americanization. As UNO sees it, standing for assimilation and Americanization requires standing against certain popular ideas in contemporary culture and pedagogy. With 13 schools, a staff of 450, 11 buildings, 191 instructional days a year, a charter authorizer to satisfy every five years, and several standardized tests to administer annually, UNO has much to do besides directly Americanizing its students. But in doing all that, the network tries to apply its civic principles as broadly as possible. In all grades, and especially in K-8, UNO's civics curriculum is built around the calendar--holidays, days of remembrance, and anniversaries of significant events. These include, from the beginning of the school year until the end: Labor Day, September 11th, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day, and Flag Day. In grades K-8, each of these dates is tied to a curricular "cycle" meant to guide teachers' instruction for up to five days. Guiding UNO's civic education curriculum is a civics committee that designs and helps teachers implement everything from daily lessons to larger units, field trips, mock elections, and more. UNO tells its students that upon graduation, they are expected to be able to compete in the local, national, and global marketplaces; to be civically engaged; to be intellectually curious; and to be people of integrity. These characteristics are easier named than assessed. Devising metrics of healthy citizenship, both for students and for alumni after they graduate, is one of the three near-term goals that UNO leaders have set for themselves regarding civic education. Another is creating more cohesion among the curricula that deal with civic holidays, student identity, and traditional social studies. The third is improving teacher training so that all teachers--in all grades and subjects--are equipped to "capitalize on every opportunity they have" for civic education. (Contains 43 notes.) [For related reports, see "Charter Schools as Nation Builders: Democracy Prep and Civic Education. Policy Brief 4" (ED539459) and "Counting on Character: National Heritage Academies and Civic Education. Policy Brief 5" (ED540539).] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Field Trips; Enrichment Activities; Engineering; Foreign Countries; Summer Science Programs; Course Descriptions; Course Objectives; Science Course Improvement Projects; Hands on Science; Lecture Method; Junior High School Students; College School Cooperation; Participant Satisfaction; Program Effectiveness; Engineering Education; Outreach Programs

Abstract:
A summer academy is held for grade 9-12 high school students at the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, every year. The academy, dubbed the Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP), is a diverse program that aims to attract domestic and international high school students to engineering and sciences (and possibly recruit them). DEEP also provides them with the opportunity to experience the university setting. This paper discusses the organization of DEEP and presents the details of a DEEP course developed to introduce students to electrical engineering. This course is designed for junior (grades 9 and 10) students and includes lectures, hands-on activities (both in a team and individually), and a field trip. The survey results, collected as both formative and summative feedback, indicate the success of the course. This paper also provides recommendations for future offerings of the course. (Contains 6 tables, 3 figures and 1 footnote.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Teaching Methods; Preservice Teacher Education; Methods Courses; Preservice Teachers; Historiography; History Instruction; Teacher Educators; Field Trips; Local History

Abstract:
Despite more than a decade of groundbreaking research on the advantages and need for more historical thinking and historiography in middle and high school history classrooms, many students continue to receive only modest exposure to these teaching concepts and related strategies. Research indicates that middle and high school students who are not regularly engaged in historical thinking, including the practice of historiographic analysis, often lack skills to process, analyze, or evaluate the past. Perhaps it is not surprising that studies also show students commonly respond to history content and concepts with a general apathetic detachment, and may fail to develop critical understandings of the human condition, past and present. Evidence suggests this apathetic response among students may be traced to testing schedules and the manner in which massive amounts of seemingly disjointed history content is presented. However, it may also be traced to preservice teacher preparation. Although it is likely most secondary social studies methods instructors now introduce concepts and strategies related to historical thinking and historiography, many preservice teachers continue to encounter barriers that dissuade and distract them from honing these skills when they enter the classroom. There are two overarching problems that continue to obstruct a broad implementation of these new ways of perceiving and studying history: (1) many preservice teachers do not have deep backgrounds in historical thinking and historiography; and (2) many middle and high schools do not present preservice teachers with an environment conducive to new or nontraditional--and often time-consuming--strategies. This paper is intended to discuss these and other challenges the author has encountered as a methods course instructor when training preservice teachers in the use of historical thinking and historiography, and to share a project developed to encourage preservice teachers to think historically and engage in historiographic analysis on their own, so to better enable them to engage their students with these dynamic strategies. (Contains 1 figure and 15 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Administrative Policy; Allergy; Child Development; Food; Early Childhood Education; Young Children; School Policy; Classroom Environment; School Health Services; Family School Relationship; Emergency Programs; Special Needs Students; Depression (Psychology); Anxiety; Peer Relationship; Social Isolation; Behavior Disorders; Animals; Field Trips

Abstract:
Food-allergy awareness and management have only lately come to the forefront in early childhood settings, although advocacy organizations have been working on the issue for more than a decade. A national poll (C.S. Mott Children's Hospital 2009) asked parents with children in early education settings if they were aware of what their program does to protect children with food allergies. The poll results indicate that more than three-quarters of these parents knew of one or more preventive actions offered in those settings. Schools have a legal and ethical responsibility to be prepared for children with food allergies, so organization and implementation of allergy policies and procedures should receive the importance and time they deserve. This article reviews administrative policies and procedures, child development concerns, and classroom realities related to food allergies. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Environmental Education; Elementary School Students; Constructivism (Learning); Elementary School Science; Natural Resources; Inquiry; Outdoor Education; Science Instruction; Teaching Methods; Comparative Analysis; Observation; Field Trips; Interpersonal Communication; Learning Strategies; Competition; Games; Journal Writing; Notetaking; Measurement Techniques

Abstract:
There has been an increased use of authentic practices in both science and environmental education in recent years. Such practices can utilize social constructivist frameworks to consider the learning that may be taking place as students become engaged in tool use. The current study focuses on a group of elementary school students studying the Everglades in the field and in a classroom setting during one academic year. In particular, we observed students' use of tools (identified as tool-conventions to include both artifacts and conventions) and compared their use in both settings. We found that in the field, students spent considerable amount of time engaged in data collection activity such as taking observations and measurements that resembled what scientists might be doing and included the invention of new tools to facilitate data gathering. In this context, students generally worked more independently from the teacher, collaborated in small work groups, and engaged in more self-directed inquiry. In the classroom, while some of the scientific field tools were practiced in anticipation of their use in the field, activity included more teacher direction, often resembling what might be found in other types of classroom work and the tools used there often supported this work. Models of tool use based on Yrjo Engestrom's activity approach were constructed for both settings. Implications of the results include the importance of viewing tool use in authentic learning with a sociocultural and activity perspective to reflect the socially constructed nature of such learning. (Contains 5 figures, 1 table, and 3 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Science and Society; STEM Education; Predictor Variables; Use Studies; Teaching Methods; Citizenship Education; Activity Units; Ecology; Field Trips; Novices; Citizenship; Video Games; Role Playing; Expertise; Multiple Literacies; Curriculum Implementation; Classroom Environment; Science Instruction; Science Education; Environmental Education; Educational Technology; Educational Games; Computer Games; Computer Assisted Instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Learning Activities; Mediation Theory; Water; Earth Science

Abstract:
Research has shown that video games can be good for learning, particularly for STEM topics. However, in order for games to be scalable and sustainable, associated research must move beyond considerations of efficacy towards theories that account for classroom ecologies of students and teachers. This study asks how a digital game called "Citizen Science", built using tropes and conventions from modern games, might help learners develop identities as citizen scientists within the domain of lake ecology. We conducted an expert-novice study, revealing that games literacy was a mediating variable for content understanding. In a follow-up classroom implementation, games literacy also operated as a variable, although students drove the activity, which mediated this concern. The teacher devised a number of novel pedagogies, such as a field trip, in response to the unit. We found evidence for the most powerful learning occurring through these activities that were reinforced via the curriculum. Students were most engaged by Citizen Science's most "gamelike" features, and learners took up the core ideas of the game. Users also reported the experience was short of commercial gaming experiences, suggesting a tension between game cultures for learning and schools. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Cultural Background; Internet; Handheld Devices; Telecommunications; Teaching Methods; Museums; Educational Technology; Web Sites; Field Trips; Geographic Information Systems; Case Studies; Vignettes; Guides; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
The needs of everyday life for communication and interactivity anywhere and at anytime have led to the tremendous development of mobile devices and applications. Nowadays, we want to have access to enhanced services with high quality at indoor and outdoor environments. Smartphone is a clever new media that supports interactivity and communication among users at various environments permitting the transmission of multimedia content. A cultural heritage site is a special type of environment where users need the provision of high-quality smart services like virtual guides in a friendly, portable, cheap and highly interactive way. The use of their own smartphone devices gives an answer to the user's needs. In this work, we investigate the capabilities and limitations of smartphone devices as an educational device in a cultural heritage site and environment. We classify users and cultural content of cultural heritage sites aiming at proposing educational scenarios that cover the needs of various user groups such as curators, teachers, students etc. Especially, we propose services which will give users the opportunity to have an interactive virtual tour at a cultural site. We also propose a role-based access control scheme for the use of the proposed services. Finally, we give guidelines for the implementation of the proposed educational services that promote visiting cultural heritage sites. (Contains 12 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Urban Environment; Undergraduate Students; Assignments; Educational Policy; Administrative Policy; Social Justice; Student Attitudes; College Environment; College Role; Introductory Courses; Sustainable Development; Environmental Education; Science and Society; Social Responsibility; Instructional Effectiveness; Campuses; Educational Facilities; Educational Facilities Design; Site Development; Horticulture; Field Trips

Abstract:
This paper presents a campus tour assignment in a first-year undergraduate environmental studies course at York University, Toronto, Canada. As a pedagogical tool, the assignment enables students to interrogate the dominant narratives of a university's immediate physical spaces and to apply broader theoretical and practical concepts to their meanings and understandings. An exploration of three sites on the tour is offered as illustrations: a storm water pond, a woodlot, and a native species garden. Complicating the histories of these sites provides entry points for a variety of conversations and debates in reference to environmental sustainability, social justice, and civic engagement. The main objective of the campus tour is to prompt students to move beyond description to analysis and to raise questions about campus features by making connections to historical choices, policy alternatives and self-reflexivity. Many of the ideas presented could be modified for use on other campuses and could invite a larger discursive discussion on social and sustainability issues. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Field Trips; Rural Areas; Distance Education; Career Exploration; Program Evaluation; Scientists; Science Careers; Student Attitudes; Middle School Students; Science Education

Abstract:
Physical field trips to scientists' work places have been shown to enhance student perceptions of science, scientists and science careers. Although virtual field trips (VFTs) have emerged as viable alternatives (or supplements) to traditional physical fieldtrips, little is known about the potential of virtual field trips to provide the same or similar science career exploration advantages as physical field trips. The overarching goal of this paper is to describe a VFT, zipTrips[TM], designed to provide middle school students, especially those in resource limited rural areas, with access to university scientists. Using zipTrips as a case example, the paper identifies and describes some of the core characteristics and elements of high quality authentic VFTs that foster student-scientist interactions. In addition, the paper uses program evaluation data to examine the impact of zipTrips on student perceptions of scientists. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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