Download or read book Computer Science for Middle School CS4MS How Middle School Administrators and Teachers Implement Computer Science Curricula written by Verjinia Mayer and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Computer science education in K-12 schools is a popular topic of study, especially in quantitative research. Many findings concur that computer science education should be introduced at lower grade levels to provide students with early exposure to computing skills or computational thinking more broadly. While there is substantial research about computer science education implementation at the elementary and high school levels. However, there is a paucity of qualitative research about computer science curriculum implementation at the middle school level. The current case study concentrated on the computer science implementation stories of six teachers and six administrators at six middle schools in a large urban public school district with a large number of socioeconomically disadvantaged and traditionally underrepresented minority students. Through the theoretical framework of diffusion of innovation in organizations, the study investigated the essential elements of a computer science curriculum implementation, as well as the essential elements of sustaining a computer science education implementation. The study also focused on the challenges of computer science education implementation and how the challenges, if any, varied by student population. Lastly, the study sought data on solutions to implementation challenges and how solutions, if any, varied by student population. Study findings show that when middle school teachers do not receive computer science curriculum training, their implementation of the curriculum does not reach the higher stages of diffusion, such as redefining, clarifying, and routinizing. Results also indicate that the middle school computer science teacher's dedication to and enthusiasm for teaching the subject is essential to sustaining the implementation. Furthermore, when the administrator and teacher in charge of computer science education are both committed to the implementation, then they are more likely to exhibit a problem-solving mindset. Challenges to implementing a middle school computer science curriculum include securing funding for training to teach the curriculum, in addition to finding enthusiastic teachers to teach the topic. A further challenge was the lack of teacher support from administrators who were not completely sold on any particular computer science curriculum or plan of implementation. Challenges pertaining to students include teachers not having any assistance with special education students who are not necessarily ready for a computer science classroom environment. Teachers also expressed challenges in terms of student behavior and students' reluctance to work in teams, especially when there is not enough equipment for every student. Solutions to the funding challenge that worked for participants of the study included continuous fundraising and grantwriting. Administrators who were more dedicated to implementing computer science education at their middle schools had all read research about the importance of early exposure to computer science opportunities as well as project-based learning curricula. Solutions related to special education students and others who were not ready for the advanced curriculum included having multiple levels of the work available for students to feel challenged at their level. Teacher enthusiasm and ability to teach CS can be found among existing middle school teachers. Administrators who are informed about middle school CS education are in a better position to make teacher-centered and student-centered decisions about CS implementation. When administrators' visions of CS implementation align with the middle school teacher's vision of CS implementation, the social network that is generated by the administrator and CS teacher working collaboratively makes a CS program more sustainable. The alignment of middle school CS education research with existing research about diffusion of innovations makes these insights more accessible. Consequently, the implementation of middle school CS education can be better understood by using the five stages of diffusion of innovations as a theoretical framework.
Download or read book Resources for Teaching Middle School Science written by Smithsonian Institution and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1998-04-30 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With age-appropriate, inquiry-centered curriculum materials and sound teaching practices, middle school science can capture the interest and energy of adolescent students and expand their understanding of the world around them. Resources for Teaching Middle School Science, developed by the National Science Resources Center (NSRC), is a valuable tool for identifying and selecting effective science curriculum materials that will engage students in grades 6 through 8. The volume describes more than 400 curriculum titles that are aligned with the National Science Education Standards. This completely new guide follows on the success of Resources for Teaching Elementary School Science, the first in the NSRC series of annotated guides to hands-on, inquiry-centered curriculum materials and other resources for science teachers. The curriculum materials in the new guide are grouped in five chapters by scientific areaâ€"Physical Science, Life Science, Environmental Science, Earth and Space Science, and Multidisciplinary and Applied Science. They are also grouped by typeâ€"core materials, supplementary units, and science activity books. Each annotation of curriculum material includes a recommended grade level, a description of the activities involved and of what students can be expected to learn, a list of accompanying materials, a reading level, and ordering information. The curriculum materials included in this book were selected by panels of teachers and scientists using evaluation criteria developed for the guide. The criteria reflect and incorporate goals and principles of the National Science Education Standards. The annotations designate the specific content standards on which these curriculum pieces focus. In addition to the curriculum chapters, the guide contains six chapters of diverse resources that are directly relevant to middle school science. Among these is a chapter on educational software and multimedia programs, chapters on books about science and teaching, directories and guides to science trade books, and periodicals for teachers and students. Another section features institutional resources. One chapter lists about 600 science centers, museums, and zoos where teachers can take middle school students for interactive science experiences. Another chapter describes nearly 140 professional associations and U.S. government agencies that offer resources and assistance. Authoritative, extensive, and thoroughly indexedâ€"and the only guide of its kindâ€"Resources for Teaching Middle School Science will be the most used book on the shelf for science teachers, school administrators, teacher trainers, science curriculum specialists, advocates of hands-on science teaching, and concerned parents.
Download or read book Guide to Teaching Computer Science written by Orit Hazzan and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-04-23 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide presents both a conceptual framework and detailed implementation guidelines for general computer science (CS) teaching. The content is clearly written and structured to be applicable to all levels of CS education and for any teaching organization, without limiting its focus to instruction for any specific curriculum, programming language or paradigm. Features: presents an overview of research in CS education; examines strategies for teaching problem-solving, evaluating pupils, and for dealing with pupils’ misunderstandings; provides learning activities throughout the book; proposes active-learning-based classroom teaching methods, as well as methods specifically for lab-based teaching; discusses various types of questions that a CS instructor, tutor, or trainer can use for a range of different teaching situations; investigates thoroughly issues of lesson planning and course design; describes frameworks by which prospective CS teachers gain their first teaching experience.
Download or read book Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook written by Workman Publishing and published by Workman Publishing Company. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The newest addition to the wildly successful Big Fat Notebook series, with 3.99 million copies in print: a lively, information-packed, and fully illustrated guide to Computer Science and Coding for middle schoolers.
Download or read book A Decade of Middle School Mathematics Curriculum Implementation written by Margaret R. Meyer and published by IAP. This book was released on 2008-12-01 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Associate Editors Fran Arbaugh, University of Missouri–Columbia, David C. Webb, University of Colorado at Boulder and Murrel Brewer Hoover, WVSTEM Center @ Marshall University The purpose of this book is to document the work of the Show-Me Project (1997–2007) and to highlight lessons learned about curriculum implementation. Although the Show-Me Project was charged with promoting the dissemination and implementation of four distinct comprehensive curriculum programs (Connected Mathematics, Mathematics in Context, MathScape, and MathThematics), most of the lessons learned from this work are not curriculum specific. Rather, they cut across the four programs and share commonalities with standards-based curriculum reform at any level. We believe that documenting these lessons learned will be one of the legacies of the Show-Me Project. We anticipate that the comprehensive nature of this work will attract readers from multiple audiences that include state and district mathematics supervisors, middle grades mathematics teachers and administrators involved in curriculum reform, as well as mathematics teacher educators. Those about to embark on the review of curriculum materials will appreciate reading about the processes employed by other districts. Readers with interests in a particular curriculum program will be able to trace the curriculum-specific chapters to gain insights into how the design of the curricula relate to professional development, adoption and implementation issues, and teachers’ personal experience using the curriculum materials. Individuals who provide professional development at the middle grades level will find chapters that they can use for both general and focused discussions. Teachers at all stages of implementation will recognize their own experiences in reading and reflecting on the stories of teacher change. Mathematics educators will find ideas on how these curricula can be used in the preparation of preservice middle grades teachers.
Download or read book Handbook of Research on Tools for Teaching Computational Thinking in P 12 Education written by Kalogiannakis, Michail and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2020-06-26 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the growth of computational thinking has brought new awareness to the importance of computing education, it has also created new challenges. Many educational initiatives focus solely on the programming aspects, such as variables, loops, conditionals, parallelism, operators, and data handling, divorcing computing from real-world contexts and applications. This decontextualization threatens to make learners believe that they do not need to learn computing, as they cannot envision a future in which they will need to use it, just as many see math and physics education as unnecessary. The Handbook of Research on Tools for Teaching Computational Thinking in P-12 Education is a cutting-edge research publication that examines the implementation of computational thinking into school curriculum in order to develop creative problem-solving skills and to build a computational identity which will allow for future STEM growth. Moreover, the book advocates for a new approach to computing education that argues that while learning about computing, young people should also have opportunities to create with computing, which will have a direct impact on their lives and their communities. Featuring a wide range of topics such as assessment, digital teaching, and educational robotics, this book is ideal for academicians, instructional designers, teachers, education professionals, administrators, researchers, and students.
Download or read book Integrating Computer Science Across the Core written by Tom Liam Lynch and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Integrating Computer Science Across the Core is a guide to systematizing computer science and computational thinking practices in your school. While most books explain how to teach computer science as a stand-alone discipline, this innovative approach will help you leverage your existing curriculum to deepen and expand students’ learning experiences in all content areas. Effective, equitable, and sustainable, this blueprint provides principals, curriculum directors, directors of technology, and other members of your school or district leadership team with suggested organizational structures, tips for professional learning, and key resources like planning instruments.
Download or read book The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education written by Vincent A. Anfara and published by IAP. This book was released on 2001-11-01 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Handbook of Research on Integrating Computer Science and Computational Thinking in K 12 Education written by Keengwe, Jared and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2019-12-13 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As technology continues to develop and prove its importance in modern society, certain professions are acclimating. Aspects such as computer science and computational thinking are becoming essential areas of study. Implementing these subject areas into teaching practices is necessary for younger generations to adapt to the developing world. There is a critical need to examine the pedagogical implications of these technological skills and implement them into the global curriculum. The Handbook of Research on Integrating Computer Science and Computational Thinking in K-12 Education is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of computer science curriculum development within primary and secondary education. While highlighting topics including pedagogical implications, comprehensive techniques, and teacher preparation models, this book is ideally designed for teachers, IT consultants, curriculum developers, instructional designers, educational software developers, higher education faculty, administrators, policymakers, researchers, and graduate students.
Download or read book Doing Good Science in Middle School Expanded 2nd Edition written by Olaf Jorgenson and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “We are among those who have come to enjoy the blossoming intellects, often comical behaviors, and insatiable curiosity of middle schoolers—and choose to work with them! With more than 130 years of combined experience in the profession, we’ve gathered a lot of ideas to share. We know from our interactions with educators around the country that precious few quality resources exist to assist science teachers ‘in the middle,’ and this was a central impetus for updating Doing Good Science in Middle School.” —From the preface This lively book contains the kind of guidance that could only come from veterans of the middle school science trenches. The authors know you’re crazy-busy, so they made the book easy to use, whether you want to read it cover to cover or pick out sections to help you with lesson planning and classroom management. They also know you face new challenges, so they thoroughly revised this second edition to meet the needs of today’s students. The book contains: • big-picture concepts, such as how to understand middle school learners and explore the nature of science with them; • a comprehensive overview of science and engineering practices, STEM, and inquiry-based middle school science instruction, aligned with A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards; • 10 new and updated teacher-tested activities that integrate STEM with literacy skill-building; • information on best instructional practices and professional-development resources; and • connections to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. If you’re a new teacher, you’ll gain a solid foundation in how to teach science and engineering practices while better understanding your often-enigmatic middle-grade students. If you’re a veteran teacher, you’ll benefit from a fresh view of what your colleagues are doing in new times. Either way, Doing Good Science in Middle School is a rich opportunity to reaffirm that what you do is “good science.”
Download or read book Computer Science Education in the 21st Century written by Tony Greening and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1999-11-30 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world is experiencing unprecedented rapidity of change, originating from pervasive technological developments. This book considers the effects of such rapid change from within computing disciplines, by allowing computing educationalists to deliver a considered verdict on the future of their discipline. The targeted future, the year 2020, was chosen to be distant enough to encourage authors to risk being visionary, while being close enough to ensure some anchorage to reality. The result is a scholarly set of contributions expressing the visions, hopes, concerns, predictions and analyses of trends for the future.
Download or read book Media Skills for Middle Schools written by Lucille W. Van Vliet and published by Libraries Unlimited. This book was released on 1999-01-15 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These practical and useful lesson plans promote teaching information and computer skills as an integral part of the middle school curriculum. Emphasizing the vital role shared by media specialists, teachers, and administrators in connecting students to the Information Superhighway, this new edition contains current goals, terminology, learning strategies, and resources that encompass the Information Age.
Download or read book Middle School Science Software Curriculum written by Robert Paul Pascua and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In order for computer hardware to be utilized to its potential in the middle school classroom, relevant computer software programs must be readily available for teacher and student use. Computer use has increased both in school and home settings and with this increased use comes an increased need for programs suitable for the subject matter taught in the classroom.
Download or read book Teaching Computational Thinking and Coding in Primary Schools written by David Morris and published by Learning Matters. This book was released on 2017-05-22 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a guide to the teaching of computing and coding in primary schools, and an exploration of how children develop their computational thinking. It covers all areas of the National Curriculum for primary computing and offers insight into effective teaching. The text considers three strands of computer science, digital literacy and information technology. The teaching of coding is especially challenging for primary teachers, so it highlights learning on this, giving practical examples of how this can be taught. For all areas of the computing curriculum the text also provides guidance on planning age-appropriate activities with step-by-step guides and details of educationally appropriate software and hardware. This book helps you to connect what you need to teach with how it can be taught, and opens up opportunities in the new curriculum for creative and imaginative teaching. It also includes the full National Curriculum Programme of Study for Computing, key stages 1 and 2 as a useful reference for trainee teachers.
Download or read book Fostering Computational Thinking Among Underrepresented Students in STEM written by Jacqueline Leonard and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-08-11 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book broadly educates preservice teachers and scholars about current research on computational thinking (CT). More specifically, attention is given to computational algorithmic thinking (CAT), particularly among underrepresented K–12 student groups in STEM education. Computational algorithmic thinking (CAT)—a precursor to CT—is explored in this text as the ability to design, implement, and evaluate the application of algorithms to solve a variety of problems. Drawing on observations from research studies that focused on innovative STEM programs, including underrepresented students in rural, suburban, and urban contexts, the authors reflect on project-based learning experiences, pedagogy, and evaluation that are conducive to developing advanced computational thinking, specifically among diverse student populations. This practical text includes vignettes and visual examples to illustrate how coding, computer modeling, robotics, and drones may be used to promote CT and CAT among students in diverse classrooms.
Download or read book A Middle School Curriculum written by James A. Beane and published by National Middle School Association. This book was released on 1993 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thoughtfully and thoroughly reviews the past, analyzes the separate subject approach, and outlines a proposal for a new general education program that would transform the middle level school.
Download or read book The Middle School We Need written by Thomas Earl Gatewood and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
