An amusement park is full of examples that can be made into challenging problems for students, combining mathematical modelling with video analysis, as well as measurements in the rides. Traditional amusement ride related textbook problems include free-fall, circular motion, pendula and energy conservation in roller coasters, where the moving…

An important and interesting area in the study of triangle geometry is the related issue of extrema problems and inequalities. These problems play a significant role in the mathematics study program in high school. In tasks such as these, the difficulty level is high when one does not know in advance what the expected answer is. When one knows…

In 2011, with support from a federal Investing in Innovation grant, the NYC Department of Education launched Innovate NYC Schools. The initiative was designed to address two, related challenges to effectively integrating education technology (ed-tech) into classrooms: First, procurement of ed-tech tools is often hampered by a disconnect between…

When dissolving copper in nitric acid, copper(II) ions produce a blue-colored solution. It is possible to determine the concentration of copper(II) ions, focusing on the hue of the color, using a smartphone camera. A free app can be used to measure the hue of the solution, and with the help of standard copper(II) solutions, one can graph a…

In this article, I introduce a novel applet ("module") for exploring probability distributions, their samples, and various related statistical concepts. The module is primarily designed to be used by the instructor in the introductory course, but it can be used far beyond it as well. It is a free, cross-platform, stand-alone interactive…

This article describes how one science teacher based an activity on designing smartphone apps to clearly and concisely communicate the interdependent relationships of a biological ecosystem. The teacher designed the activity to address several aspects of the latest science standards. Students needed to understand their ecosystem and synthesize new…

This is the fourth and final article in the "PE Metrics" series that focuses on assessing the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE) for Standard 1. The first article focused on assessment of student learning. The second described formative and summative assessments and provided considerations on how to implement assessment within…

The chairperson of the mathematics department of a school that has one of the oldest mandatory computer classes in the country advises emphasizing applications, not programing, in computer classes. (MLF)

Describes how Suffern (New York) High School creates its master class schedule using a computer-generated "conflict matrix" that shows the enrollment for each course and the number of students who would experience scheduling conflicts if any two courses were offered at the same time. (Author/RW)

Describes a computerized attendance accounting system that has reduced teacher concern with clerical tasks, brought attendance problems to the attention of parents and counselors sooner than before, and focused conferences and remediation efforts on objective computer data. (Author/IRT)

A computerized attendance system is presented that includes immediate access to attendance records and allows same-day notification to parents of a child's absence. The system, used at Carson City High School (Nevada), is broken down into five chronological steps, generating several possible attendance updates during the day: (1) compiling a…

The writing center at Central-Hower High School in Akron, Ohio, provides all students access to and assistance in computerized word processing. This article describes the writing center's purpose, goals, hardware, and software, and outlines the processes used to train teachers and students in using the system. (PGD)

Highlights a computer programming contest for high school students held at Old Dominion University. The contest introduced, accented, and accelerated the practical application of computers for education. In addition, the competition was intended to recognize students, teachers, and schools for the best computer programming. Highlights of the…

To investigate ways computers promote social skills and esteem, the first author met weekly with a small group of learning disabled high schoolers around the computer. The most positive results occurred when students were given a chance to share their computer skills with others through a tutoring program. (Author/CL)

Describes the development of an affordable, comprehensive, and easily usable microcomputer-based system at Notre Dame High School (Niles, Illinois) for school administrative functions. Reveals improvements in communication effectiveness and time savings. (DMM)