M in CoMputational thinking: How long does it take to read a book?

Even at the primary level, computational thinking (CT) can support young students to prepare for participating in futures that are immersed in data. In mathematics classrooms, there are few explanations of the ways CT can support students in formulating and solving complex problems. This paper presents an example of a primary classroom investigation (8-9 year olds) over seven lessons of the problem “How long does it take to read a book?” The aim is to illustrate ways a statistical investigation can provide context for CT and demonstrate how the two complement each other to solve problems involving mathematics. The findings highlight opportunities and challenges that students face across the elements of CT—decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition and modelling, and generalization and algorithmic thinking, including recommendations for teaching.     

As ‘process’ as it can get: students' understanding of biological processes

Students' understanding of biological phenomena are analysed via the ontological categories of processes and matter. The analysis is based on tenth graders' explanations regarding biological phenomena such as photosynthesis, energy resources, temperature regulation and interrelations between living/nonliving worlds. This direction of analysis is an attempt to flow with the more meaningful trend of biological research and thought, that emphasizes the importance and fruitfulness of the process approach. Some implications regarding biology learning and teaching are suggested.     

Dissenting Voices: a Reply to Maskell

Duke Maskell ( Journal of Philosophy of Education , 32.2) argues that ‘our idea of education is puerile’ and that we need to rethink it. Drawing on the work of Jane Austen, he essentially reasserts the classic nineteenth‐century ideal of Liberal Education. Yet in so doing, Maskell fails to acknowledge the social and political implications of this ideal. I argue that if we wish to engage in a rigorous philosophical debate on education, we cannot afford to ignore the social and political context implied by our educational concepts. Furthermore, this debate can be enriched by an understanding of alternative, dissenting positions on education, specifically, in this context, that of early Socialist and Anarchist thinkers.     

When is a song a song? The development of singing in early childhood

During the second year of life, babies actively play with sounds they produce. Their sound-play often has musical qualities such as pitch, rhythm, and melodic contour, but it is not the same as singing. Singing is a complex activity, one requiring skills that usually take the entire preschool years to develop.Lyle Davidson is a professor at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA. W. George Scarlett is a professor of child psychology at Assumption College, Worcester, MA. The research reported on in this article is based on work done at Project Zero, Harvard School of Education, Cambridge, MA.The research reported here was part of a larger study of early symbolization carried out at Project Zero, Harvard School of Education, and funded by the Spencer and Carnegie foundations. The results of this larger study will appear in a formthcoming book,The Making of Meanings, edited by Dennie Wolf and Howard Gardner.     

Childhood Adversity and Self-Care Education for Undergraduate Social Work and Human Services Students

Many students pursuing social work and human services courses have experienced adverse childhoods. This article focuses on their learning about self-care, an important skill for future practice. Interviews with 20 undergraduate students with a history of childhood adversity found unmet needs both for conceptualizing self-care and developing strategies to implement self-care in their day-to-day lives. Many cited limited role modeling and little importance placed on self-care during childhood. Teaching self-care is conceptualized as not only a core skill for practice but also an equity issue for students with a history of childhood adversity.     

Content integration as a factor in math-game effectiveness

In this study we focus on the integration of mathematical learning content (i.e., proportional reasoning) in game-based learning environments (GBLE). More specifically, two kinds of GBLEs are set up: an extrinsically integrated GBLE and an intrinsically integrated GBLE. In the former environment, the mathematical content is not part of the core mechanics and structure of the gaming world. In the latter environment, the mathematical content is delivered through the parts of the game that are the most fun to play and embodied within the structure of the gaming world and the players’ interactions with it. Sixty-four vocational track students participated in the study, all of them working in either version of the self-developed GBLE “Zeldenrust”. The results of this study suggest that the way the content is integrated in a GBLE (i.e., intrinsically or extrinsically) matters: contrary to our expectations, students who played the extrinsically integrated game showed higher learning gains, motivational gains and perceived usefulness than students who played the game in which the content was intrinsically integrated.