GearSketch is a learning environment for the gears domain, aimed at students in the final years of primary school. It is designed for use with a touchscreen device and is based on ideas from drawing-based learning and research on cognitive tutors. At the heart of GearSketch is a domain model that is used to transform learners' strokes into…

Presents a lesson developed for a Montessori Elementary Level II class using the Turtle Math program. Students used mathematics, geometry, and logical thinking to identify the basic formula for drawing stars with any desired number of points. (KB)

The primary objective of this project was to design a responsive environment using a computer-controlled organ for children to learn music principles. Three secondary objectives set in the development of this environment were to create the means for: 1) entering, storing, and replaying complex music; 2) viewing the time-space relationships…

Originally part of a symposium on educational media for the deaf, the paper discusses the use of animated sequences which illustrate linguistic principles. The work of the Computer Graphics Research Group at Ohio State University is highlighted. It has been discovered that computer-assisted instructional systems enhance learning through greater…

Discusses ways in which software (available at most school computing sites) can be used to create interesting visuals for lesson plans and activities. Describes a series of computer-generated graphics (created using Microsoft PowerPoint) designed to support a unit on families and diversity. (MJP)

Suggests that microcomputers permit even young children to investigate mathematical relationships and to solve problems. Activities, both on the computer and off the computer, are suggested. (PK)

Relatively few individuals have attempted to view the future of computers in education, and those who have done so often tend to focus too much upon present capabilities rather than thinking about the changes that new technology will introduce in the future. George Leonard's book "Education and Ecstasy" provides an interesting picture of…

Computer-based technologies are rapidly changing fundamental concepts about texts and how students interact with and learn from those texts. Early use of microcomputers included drill and practice work, tutorial programs, and word processing. In conjunction with information storage devices like magnetic and laser disc, the microcomputer has also…

Describes a sequence of activities for experimenting with scaling and includes a method for revising any turtle graphic procedure so that it can be drawn to a variety of scales. (PK)

Describes how grade 3-8 inner-city students created multimedia, multicultural dictionaries. Highlights student reflections on the project using Kid Pix software, and their ideas for future uses for the dictionaries. Argues that technology-driven lexicography can serve as a catalyst for engaging students. (PEN)

Compiled are ten papers describing computer hardware and computer use in elementary and secondary school instruction presented at the Association for Educational Data Systems (AEDS) 1976 convention. An oral/aural terminal is described followed by two papers about the use of minicomputers and microprocessors. Seven papers discuss various uses of…

This book enables educators at the elementary level to conduct formative evaluations of their technology programs in minimum time. Most of the technology is computer related, including word processing, graphics, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, databases, instructional software, programming, and telecommunications. The design of the book is aimed…

Because density is unobservable and must be inferred from knowledge about weight and size, it is a difficult concept to teach and learn. Even after traditional instruction, many students still have an undifferentiated concept that mixes characteristics of both weight and density. In this study, researchers tested the effectiveness of a unit they…

Students and teachers need to develop skills in using available technological capacities. The curriculum described here is designed to familiarize students and teachers with equipment and software available at the Escuela Internacional Sampedrana's Primary School (EIS) in Honduras. Key features of the curriculum include the use of the Internet and…

Density is the first intensive physical quantity students encounter that can be understood in terms of an underlying model, the particulate theory of matter. Learning about density provides students with explanations for a range of phenomena such as sinking and floating, and changes of state. Teachers report, however, that density is a difficult…