Sensors,programming and devices in Art Education sessions. One case in the context of primary education / Sensores,programación y dispositivos en sesiones de Educación Artística. Un caso en el contexto de Educación Primaria

The pedagogical integration of computing is interesting in educational contexts based on the contributions of Seymour Papert and Wing’s concept of computational thinking. Integrating arts in education can lead to the design of activities using Scratch combined with devices. The main goal is to evaluate the integration of computational thinking in art education making use of technological resources, sensor cards and minicomputers, with a student-centred pedagogical approach. This research assesses the results of a control group of 35 students and an experimental group of 109 students in four different schools, using Mann-Whitney’s U-test for independent samples assessing ‘Active Learning’, ‘computational concepts’ and ‘fun’ scales. Applying data triangulation, and consistent with design-based research, the results of interviews and focus groups reinforced the results obtained in the aforementioned test, providing validity to the study. There are advantages regarding student interest, motivation and commitment related to programming technologies in art and education, particularly pedagogical sessions with music. Handling devices, sensors and Raspberry Pi provides participating students with a factor of commitment and enthusiasm, with significant improvements. Working with coding and devices brings an additional advantage in the development of computational thinking and digital competence. The results show an increase in creativity and artistic competence related to the ability to create music from the activities and technological resources described in the technological intervention.     

Influences on teacher education student attitudes toward youth who are HIV+

The expectations, attributions, and reactions toward children and youth who have contracted HIV/AIDS warrant close attention from parents, teachers, related service personnel, and others who will interact with these students in the schools. Those who are misinformed or unaware of their beliefs may inadvertently discriminate against children and youth with the disease. This study examined factors that influence judgments about children and youth with HIV/AIDS in a sample of teacher education students. Course of infection of HIV accounted for significant differences in the participants' judgments about responsibility and blame for contracting the disease and also fearfulness and attitudes reflecting isolation for these youth. Educational professionals should be aware of the many negative attributions placed on adolescents who are diagnosed as HIV⁺ and be prepared to act as facilitators when designing appropriate interventions to assist these students. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 211–219, 2004.     

Learning in nature

This paper traces the evolution of a theory of learning in nature in order to explain how people learn in natural settings. The intellectual roots of the theory in informal learning, cognition, affective development, experiential and meaningful learning are described and the synthesis into a comprehensive theory of learning in nature are explained. The evolution of the theory is traced through several iterations describing the addition of organizing concepts as well as efforts seeking simplicity in its conceptualization. An in‐depth case study of meaningful learning about bogs illustrates how the theory can be applied to explain environmental learning experiences. The implications for this theory in terms of environmental education are discussed.     

Der Mathematikunterricht der PISA-Schülerinnen und -Schüler

Der Beitrag besch?ftigt sich mit dem Mathematikunterricht der PISA-Schülerinnen und -Schüler in Deutschland und berichtet über Ergebnisse aus einer Zusatzstudie zu PISA 2003. Aufbauend auf der mathematik-didaktischen Rahmenkonzeption von PISA, die Unterricht als Gelegenheitsstruktur für verst?ndnisvolle Lernprozesse versteht, wurden Schülerinnen und Schüler und ihre Mathematiklehrkr?fte zu Merkmalen der Unterrichtsqualit?t befragt. Es zeigen sich schulformspezifische Unterrichtskulturen: Ein kognitiv aktivierender Umgang mit mathematischen Inhalten ist eher in Gymnasien zu beobachten, w?hrend vor allem in Hauptschulen die Unterrichtsform mit geringem kognitiven Gehalt und ausgepr?gter Unterstützung überwiegt. Dennoch wird die Angebotsstruktur des Mathematikunterrichts von Jugendlichen an Hauptschulen positiv beurteilt, w?hrend Gymnasiasten ihren Unterricht eher kritisch bewerten. Diese Differenzen sind vor allem durch Unterschiede in der individuellen Lernunterstützung durch die Lehrkr?fte zu erkl?ren, welche von Schülerinnen und Schülern an Hauptschulen als besonders ausgepr?gt, an Gymnasien eher als gering beschrieben wird.     

Newton's First Law: Text,Translations, Interpretations and Physics Education

The translation from Latin of Newton's First Law (NFL) was considered in a historical perspective. The study showed that Newton's original yields two versions of complementary meanings, one temporal and the other quantitative. The latter is especially important in presenting the idea of inertia of massive bodies, and a new paradigm of understanding motion. The presentation of NFL in physics textbooks was reviewed and a decline in the status of NFL in the physics curriculum was noted. As a rule, if quoted at all, NFL is presented in its temporal form, while the quantitative form does not appear. Normally, NFL is interpreted as a special case: a trivial deduction from Newton's Second Law. Some advanced textbooks replace NFL by a modernized claim, which abandons its original meaning. We advocate the importance and nontrivial meaning of NFL, and call for its `rehabilitation' in physics instruction within the discourse mode of education.     

The Role of Discourse Novelty in Early Word Learning

2 studies of word learning are reported. In Study 1, 24-month-old children and 2 adults played with 3 nameless objects. These objects were placed in a clear box along with a novel nameless object. The adults then displayed excitement about the contents of the box and modeled a new word. Comparison with a control condition indicated significant learning of the new word for the novel object. Study 2 followed the same procedure with one difference: the children played with the novel object while the adults were absent. Thus, at the time of the language model the target object was novel only to the adults, not to the children. Again subjects displayed significant learning of the new word. This last finding suggests that 24-month-old children understand that adults use language for things that are novel to the discourse context and that this novelty is determined from the speaker's point of view.     

Has California's Passage of Proposition 227 Made a Difference in the Way We Teach?

The Urban Review - Passage of Proposition 227 has almost effectively eliminated bilingual education in California public schools, tying the hands of teachers who still have to educate students not...