The availability of sophisticated computer programs such as "Wolfram Alpha" has made many problems found in the secondary mathematics curriculum somewhat obsolete for they can be easily solved by the software. Against this background, an interplay between the power of a modern tool of technology and educational constraints it presents is…

This article describes a method of instruction using an active learning strategy for teaching stoichiometry through a process of gradual knowledge building. Students identify their misconceptions and progress through a sequence of questions based on the same chemical equation. An infrared device and software registered as the TurningPoint Audience…

How can the key concept of equivalent expressions be addressed so that students strengthen their representational fluency with symbols, graphs, and numbers? How can research inform the synergistic use of both paper-and-pencil analysis and computer algebra systems (CAS) in a classroom learning environment? These and other related questions have…

Library and Information Science (LIS) as a discipline is guided by core values that emphasize equal access to information, freedom of expression, democracy, and education. Importantly, diversity and social responsibility are specifically called out as foundations of the profession (American Library Association, 2004). Following from this, there…

Passage of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in 2000 established requirements for public libraries and schools to adopt Internet filters on their computers in order to receive federal funding. That has firmly, if unintentionally, established the World Wide Web as a no man's land in public education, where few are allowed to tread…

Educational technologists may advance the state of the field by increasing capacity to develop software tools and instructional applications. Presently, few academic programs in educational technology require even a single computer programming course. Further, the educational technologists who develop software generally work independently or in…

Technology can be both a blessing and a curse in the classroom. Although technology can provide greater access to information and increase student engagement, if screen time replaces time spent outside, then students stand to lose awareness and connectivity to the surrounding natural environment. This article describes how Google Earth can foster…

With the increased availability of modern technology and handheld probeware for classrooms, the iPad and the Video Physics application developed by Vernier are used to capture and analyze the motion of an ice hockey puck within secondary-level physics education. Students collect, analyze, and generate digital modes of representation of physics…

Discrepant events are surprising occurrences that challenge learners' preconceptions. These events puzzle students because the results are contrary to what they believe should happen. Due to the unexpected outcome, students experience cognitive disequilibrium, and this often leads to a desire to solve the problem. Discrepant events are great…

Over the past 20 years, the biological sciences have increasingly incorporated chemistry, physics, computer science, and mathematics to aid in the development and use of mathematical models. Such combined approaches have been used to address problems from protein structure-function relationships to the workings of complex biological systems.…

Improving the involvement of families in the lives of school students in Russia can be achieved through the use of electronic communication, but only if teachers and parents are given the knowledge and motivation that are necessary to make greater use of the Internet.

A hands-on model of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) is presented. It uses near-field imaging with sound and computer assisted visualization to create acoustic mappings of resonator arrangements. Due to the (partial) analogy of matter and sound waves the images closely resemble STM scans of atoms. Moreover, the method can be extended to build…

Incorporating realistic data and research examples into quantitative (e.g., statistics and research methods) courses has been widely recommended for enhancing student engagement and comprehension. One way to achieve these ends is to use a data generator to emulate the data in published research articles. "MorseGen" is a free data generator that…

We describe our experiences teaching MapReduce in a large undergraduate lecture course using public cloud services and the standard Hadoop API. Using the standard API, students directly experienced the quality of industrial big-data tools. Using the cloud, every student could carry out scalability benchmarking assignments on realistic hardware,…

A portfolio can document student skills, abilities, growth, achievement, and attitudes. It can also reflect students' learning processes and subsequently guide new teaching strategies. Portfolio proponents have used these arguments to justify the time and organization needed to successfully implement them in their classrooms and in their school…