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FALL 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 A Publication of the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning In This Issue: The Day STEM Changed STEM MI Champions Putting the T and E back in STEM Education Classroom Clickers MACUL J O U R N A L STEM in the Classroom

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Page 1: Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 STEM in the Classroom · Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 ... Pennfield Schools maginitt@pennfield.net ... Welcome back to a new school year and the excitement

Fall 2012VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1

A Publication of the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning

In This Issue:The Day STEM Changed

STEM MI ChampionsPutting the T and E back in STEM Education

Classroom Clickers

MaCUl J O U R N a l

STEM in the Classroom

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Getting them there safelyFor over 50 years, Dean

Transportation has been

a proud partner to schools

across Michigan, safely

transporting nearly 20,000

students daily.

DeanSchoolBus.com | DeanTrailways.com

Page 3: Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 STEM in the Classroom · Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 ... Pennfield Schools maginitt@pennfield.net ... Welcome back to a new school year and the excitement

The MACUL Journal is published four times per year (Fall, Winter, Conference Issue, Spring/Summer) by MACUL, the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning, Inc.

MACUL OFFICE3410 Belle Chase Way, Suite 100Lansing, MI 48911

Telephone 517.882.1403Fax 517.882.2362E-mail: [email protected]

Executive Director Ric [email protected]

Executive AssistantIeva [email protected]

Business ManagerBarbara [email protected]

Member Services AssociateKrystal [email protected]

MACUL Journal Editor Judy [email protected]

WebmasterPaul [email protected]

Become a MACUL member for free at www.macul.org/membership, or sign up to become a Friend of MACUL for $20/year and have the MACUL Journal print version mailed to you. The MACUL Journal digital version is available at www.macul.org.

The MACUL Journal welcomes and encourages letters, articles, suggestions, and contributions from readers. Publishing guidelines are posted at: www.macul.org > MACUL Journal. Letters to the Editor should be signed and include author’s address and phone number.

All editorial items and advertising inquiries should be sent to:Judy Paxton, Editor 231.342.4801 E-mail: [email protected]

Composition and design by: Jonathan Guinn

Rogers Printing, Inc. 3350 Main St. Ravenna, MI 49451 Telephone 800.622.5591

Information is available upon request.

Portions of the MACUL Journal may be reprinted with permission as long as the source is clearly acknowledged.

Opinions expressed in the Journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent MACUL.

Publication of items in the MACUL Journal does not imply endorsement by MACUL.

MaCUlJ O U R N a l

A publication of the Michigan Association for Computer Users in LearningFALL 2012 | Volume 32, Issue 4

CONTENTS

Calendar .......................................................................................................... 4

MACUL Officers and Board of Directors ........................................................... 5

Special Interest Group Directors and LISTSERV groups .................................... 5

Welcome Back ................................................................................................. 6

Macul Leadership Changes .............................................................................. 6

The Time is Now .............................................................................................. 7

Making It Happen ............................................................................................ 8

miGoogle Conference ....................................................................................... 8

MI Learning on iTunes U .................................................................................. 9

The day STEM Education Changed ................................................................. 10

STEM MI Champions ..................................................................................... 12

Designing an Online Professional Development Learning Experience for STEM Teachers ......................................................... 14

Building a Better Mousetrap .......................................................................... 18

Putting the T and E back in STEM Education.................................................. 20

Promoting Classroom Discussion with Clickers .............................................. 22

Study Blue: Saving Time and Reducing Errors in the Classroom .................... 24

Using Pen Scanners to Assist Learning .......................................................... 27

Achieving Library 2.0 ..................................................................................... 28

REMC in Focus .............................................................................................. 29

Ric Wiltse ISTE Announcement ...................................................................... 31

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Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning

Founded 1975

An organizational member of The International Society

for Technology in Education

MACUL is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that exists to:

■ provide a state association for educators involved with, or seeking knowledge of, computer-related technology in learning

■ provide for the sharing and exchanging of ideas, techniques, materials, and procedures for the use of computer-related technology through conferences, publications and support services

■ promote and encourage effective, ethical and equitable use of computer-related technology in learning

■ encourage and support research relating to the use of computer-related technology in learning.

E-mail address:[email protected]

Website:www.macul.org

2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3

august 2012

August 13 MACUL Board Meeting, Lansing Community College, West Campus

August 21 Articles due for MACUL Journal 2012 Winter Issue: Social Networking

August 23 21st Century Learning Symposium, St. Clair County RESA,

Marysville High School

September 2012

September 18 MACUL Board Meeting, Lansing Community College, West Campus

September 25 Personalizing Learning - with tablets, iPads, and the web, Holland

Christian High School

October 2012

October 5 Ed Tech 2013: Powering Up Student Success,

MGM Grand Hotel, Detroit

October 16 MACUL Board Meeting, Lansing Community College, West Campus

October 19 MI Google Educators Conference, Southfield Christian School

October 21-23 ISTE Focus Forward Leadership Conference, Indianapolis

November 2012

November 7 MACUL Journal articles due for 2013 Spring issue: Blending

Technology & Curriculum for Today’s Learner

November 15,16 Michigan Digital Learning Conference, Macomb ISD

November 20 MACUL Board Meeting, Plante & Moran, East Lansing

November 28 Student Technology Showcase,

Michigan Capitol Building, Lansing

December 2012

December 13 Michigan Virtual University Symposium, Kellogg Center, MSU.

December 18 MACUL Board Meeting, conference call

January 2013

January 15 MACUL Board Meeting, Lansing Community College, West Campus

February 2013

February 19 MACUL Board Meeting, Lansing Community College, West Campus

March 2013

March 20 - 22 2013 MACUL Conference, Blending Technology & Curriculum

for Today’s Learner, Detroit

april 2013

April 16 MACUL Board Meeting, Lansing Community College, West Campus

June 2013

June 23-26 ISTE 2013 conference, San Antonio, TX

4 | MACULjournal|FALL 2012

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Steve Schiller, President Muskegon Heights Public [email protected]

Pam Shoemaker, President ElectWalled Lake Consolidated [email protected]

Mike Oswalt, Past President Calhoun [email protected]

Pete Mantei, TreasurerSault Ste. Marie Area [email protected]

Tammy Maginity, SecretaryPennfield Schools [email protected]

Kevin ClarkBerrien [email protected]

Laura CummingsOakland [email protected]

Tim DavisREMC 3/[email protected]

Terri GustafsonMichigan State [email protected]

Ron HoutmanKent [email protected]

Tim [email protected]

Ron MadisonFlint Community [email protected]

Carolyn McCarthyShiawassee RESD [email protected]

Julie [email protected]

Todd NeibauerTraverse City Area Public Schools [email protected]

Sandra PlairMichigan State [email protected]

David PrindleByron Center Public [email protected]

Matinga RagatzGrand Ledge Public Schools [email protected]

Mary SaffronFraser Public [email protected]

Barbara FardellMDE [email protected]

Sue SchwartzREMCAM [email protected]

MACUL OFFICERS

MACUL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

5| FALL 2012MACULjournal |

Bill Wiersma SIG Liaison [email protected]

Pamela MooreSIGCSEastern Michigan [email protected]

John PhillipsSIGEEBattle Creek Public [email protected]

Melinda WaffleSIGMMCalhoun [email protected]

Carol Isakson SIGOLPlymouth-Canton Community [email protected]

Gina LovelessSIGPLCalhoun [email protected]

Rose McKenzieSIGSPEDJackson [email protected]

Jeff Trudell SIGTCWyandotte Public [email protected]

Bill Deater SIGTECH [email protected]

Ben RimesMattawan SchoolsSIGWEB

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP DIRECTORS

Go to www.macul.org > Special Interest Groups for complete listing of SIG Officers and SIG

information.

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6 |MACULjournal

| FALL 2012

MACUL LEAdErShIp ChAngESChanges on the MACUL BoardOn behalf of MACUL, I want to recognize and thank two Board members who ended their terms in August. Gina Loveless and Jon Margerum-Leys each served 2 years on the MACUL Board. In addition to Gina chairing the 2012 MACUL annual conference, she has served on many committees including Grants and Awards, the Strategic Plan Communications committee and assisted with the Mobile Learning Conference. Jon served on the Advocacy committee, conference evaluation committee and the exhibitor relations committee. Both Gina and Jon were outstanding Board members who will be greatly missed. We also say good-bye to Tim Staal, MAME Liaison, who has relocated in Mubai, India. Tim served on the Online Services committee, Grants and Awards and conference committees. Catch up with Tim via his blog at tnstaal.blogspot.com.

FroM ThE ExECuTIvE DIrECTor

By RIC WILTSE

Welcome Back!By Steve Schiller

Welcome back to a new school year and the excitement and challenges that it brings. As a 20 plus year member of MACUL, it is truly an honor and privilege to serve as your President for the coming year. I would first like to thank our Past President, Mike Oswalt, for the excellent leadership he provided to MACUL this past year. Among his most noteworthy accomplishments were:• Authoredaproposalsubmittedtothe

fiscal agent for the MI Champions program that brought over $1 million to MACUL.

• EnabledachangeintheMACULbylaws that extended board terms to 3 years, and changed the number of terms board members could serve from 4 to 3. These changes promoted board effectiveness by lengthening terms while still honoring term limits.

• ExpandedtheMACULmembershipbythousands of members during his term.

• Endeda36-yearhistoryofchargingmembership dues.

• HeldthelargestMACULconferenceinGrand Rapids in the last 12 years.

• Forgedahistoricstrategicalliancewiththe REMC Association of Michigan that resulted in lower registration fees for our smaller conferences.

• HelpedlaunchthefirsteveriPadandMobile Learning conferences.

As you can see, Mike was a tremendous leader and his legacy will continue on for many years.

In the coming year it is my hope to piggyback off of Mike’s accomplishments,

and continue to position MACUL as a leader in promoting the use of educational technology to ignite learning through meaningful collaboration and innovation. With the talented group of board members, and the equally talented SIG Leadership, we can continue to meet this goal. Our focus will begin with nurturing our fantastic new partnership with the REMC Association of Michigan, and then concentrating on four areas of our Strategic Plan: Professional Development, Collaboration, Advocacy, and Online Learning. At our Board retreat last May the leadership set goals for the upcoming year, and will now be working in earnest to complete those goals.

As a final note, I encourage each of you to take advantage of all that MACUL has to offer. Two things in particular are the AT&T/MACUL Student Technology Showcase which is an excellent opportunity to display your student’s work, and also the MACUL Grants, which could provide you the needed capital to proceed with an innovative technology project that you would like to implement. Haveagreatyeareveryone,andIlookforward to meeting and talking with you at one of the many MACUL sponsored events.Steve Schiller has been an educator since 1976 and is currently the Technology Director for Muskegon Heights Public Schools. He has been a MACUL member since the mid 1980’s and is the 2012-2013 MACUL President.

ChANGES continued on page 30

FroM ThE PrESIDEnT’S DESk

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7| FALL 2012MACULjournal |

The shift from Grade Level Content Expectations to the Common Core Curriculum Standards (CCCS) is one of the most significant opportunities we have had in many years to advance the use of technology by students in our classrooms. We are all scrambling to get ready to fully implement the CCCS by revamping instructional pedagogy and materials, developing new ways to assess learning, and rethinking priorities. The time is NOW to make sure that technology is an integral part of this process to ensure that our students are prepared for tomorrow’s high-tech information economy.

One use of technology in this new era will be the expansion of online test taking. According to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, online testing of the CCCS will begin in the Spring of 2015. Implementation of online testing will require schools to have the infrastructure for large groups of students to use computers simultaneously. It will also be important for students to become comfortable with online test taking, which will require extended time in hands-on settings.However,ourplanningneedsrunsomuchdeeperthan “Do we have enough technology so that students can take the tests electronically?” Whether technology is used to solve math problems, access information, or promote literacy and communication skills, it is vital that technology is part of the learning solution, not viewed as a separate competency and not used simply to support the test-taking process.

Because many aspects of the curriculum will be examined, updated, strengthened, deepened and broadened, adoption of CCCS could, unfortunately, also be an opportunity for us to completely miss the boat or, to extend the metaphor, to be tossed over the side of the boat as excess cargo. It has long been the case that the best uses of technology in teaching and

learning are deeply integrated into teaching and learning tasks. Now more than ever we cannot afford to have technology uses which are (or are viewed as) add-ons.

Most policymakers, economists, and businesspeople agree that society’s long-term economic health depends on innovation, collaboration, and creative problem solving. According to Governor Snyder in his April 2011 special message to Michigan legislators: “Our education system must position our children to compete globally in a knowledge-based economy. To prepare and train the next generation of workers, Michigan needs a capable, nimble and innovative workforce that can adapt to the needs of the emerging knowledge-based economy and compete with any nation.” Technology goes hand-in-hand with these skills that our students need. If we plan and deliver instruction correctly, it will also make learning highly engaging. A learning environment that includes technology to encourage collaboration, multidisciplinary learning, and treating students as creators must be cultivated.

If we do it correctly, the plans that we make as we move to the CCCS can help us improve the educational experiences of our students, as long as we emphasize the application of technology for student use and student learning. Adoption of the CCCS offers the perfect opportunity to continue to emphasize student-centered classroom practice with a special emphasis on active student use of technology. When designing, planning, and evaluating learning activities, it is vital to carefully examine what the students are doing in the classroom. Is the use of technology relegated to students watching a video or passively taking in a presentation that the teacher has created? Or do all of the students have the chance to hold the technology in their hands, actively participating in activities that not only meet the standards but exceed our expectations?

LINkS:• Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium:

www.smarterbalanced.org/ • governor Snyder’s April 2011 Message to Michigan

Legislators: www.michigan.gov/documents/snyder/SpecialMessageonEducationReform_351586_7.pdf

Pam Shoemaker, Ed.S. is the MACUL Advocacy Committee Chairperson and serves as the Instructional Technology Coordinator for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools.

Jon Margerum-Leys, Ph.D. is a member of the MACUL Advocacy Committee and is currently serving as Associate Dean for Students and Curriculum at Eastern Michigan University, where he is also a professor of Educational Media and Technology.

The time is NOW

Don’t Throw

aHuge

Opportunity

Overboard

By Pam Shoemaker and Jon Margerum-Leys

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Margaret “Gigi” Lincoln, District Library Media Specialist for Lakeview School District inBattleCreek,MI,andBarbaraFardell,Manager, Educational Technology at Michigan Department of Education, were honored with the coveted Making It Happen award for their contributions to the successful integration of technology in education in k−12 schools. Each received the notable pink Making It Happen jackets!

During the award ceremony at the 2012 MACUL Conference, Gigi Lincoln was described by Mike Oswalt, MACUL President and Assistant Superintendent of Regional Technology Services at Calhoun ISD, as a tireless champion for the use of media and technology to improve student learning. “Gigi is a leader in Michigan helping educators effectively use media and technology resources to benefit student academic success,” Oswalt stated. “Providing educators with the knowledge and understanding of how to integrate the most appropriate educational technology tools into schools is what Gigi does best. It is clear that

whatever Gigi sets her mind to it is grounded in passion for educating students and empowering educators with resources and experiences that bring learning to life.”

At the surprise presentation during the AdvancED Michigan/MDE School Improvement Conference, Barbara was described by Mike Oswalt as a tireless champion for the use of media and technology to improve student learning. “If a state project involves educational technology, Barbara Fardellisinvolvedonsomelevel,”Oswaltstated. “Of particular note is Michigan’s Online Resources for Educators portal. Educators throughout Michigan and the country benefit from this project, thanks in large part to Barb’s leadershipto‘MakeItHappen.”

Founded in 1995, the Making IT Happen program highlights the dramatic role educators are having on the learning process by using technology and rewards those individuals for their commitment and innovation. To date, nearly 500 individuals have been awarded this recognition through ISTE and its affiliates. For more information: http://www.macul.org/grantsawards/

8 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

Make plans to participate in the first annual Michigan Google in Education conference being held at Southfield Christian School on October 19, 2012. This full day conference will feature over 50 sessions focused on the educational applications for Google products such as search, Docs, Sites, Calendar, YouTube, Earth, Maps, Blogger, and more!

The focus of the miGoogle conference is the educational application and administration of various web-based tools created by Google. The conference is co-sponsored by Google, MACUL, and Southfield Christian School with support from the REMC association of Michigan. Conference sessions will feature a variety of topics for educators, administrators, and IT personnel.

FeaturedpresentersincludeRonaldHo,Google+ product manager, the Nerdy Teacher, Nick Provenzano, Scott Graden, superintendent of Saline Area Schools, and representatives from the Google Apps for Education team.

A Chromebook “lending library” will be available for educators to test drive Google’s new laptop, a perfect opportunity for schools considering 1:1 devices.

Thecostfortheconferenceis$65whichincludeslunchandGoogle swag! Site capacity is limited to 500 and is expected to fill quickly. SBCEU credit is available.

Visit http://bit.ly/mi-google for conference details and to register. Large groups registration (10 or more) can be accommodated by contacting Ieva kule at [email protected]

The 2012 miGoogle conference is collaboratively sponsored by Google, MACUL, and Southfield Christian School with support from the REMC Association of Michigan.

migoogle Conference Quick Facts

What: Michigan Google conference for educators featuring applications, tips, and management strategies for web-based tools created by Google.

• When: October 19, 2012• Time: 8:30 - 4:00 p.m.

• Where: Southfield Christian School, 28650 Lahser Road, Southfield, Michigan 48034

• Cost: $65/person (lunch included)• Register: http://bit.ly/mi-google

• SBCEU Credit Available: Yes

MAkIng IT hAppEn AwArd: MIChIgAn rECIpIEnTS

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9| FALL 2012MACULjournal |

MI LearnIng CoLLeCtIons there are over 115 K12 student, professional development, and Career technology education collections exceeding 150,000 downloads and streams per month. new collections include:

geometric Measurements by anthony DiLaura: this series of geometry lessons includes the study of two dimensional area formulas, three dimensional surface area formulas, volume formulas, and circles.

Moodle 2 for Moodle administrators by Melinda Waffle: these screencasts show how a Moodle administrator can setup and customize a Moodle site using a web browser on a Moodle 2.+ server.

Connected educator series, reMC: the videos in this collection helps educators learn about ideas and practices of exceptional technology using educators throughout Michigan.

21st Century teaching & Learning, Birmingham Public schools: this collection includes a professional development session by Dr. Punya Mishra, MsU. What does 21st Century teaching & learning really mean? What skills do educators need to possess?

the adverse Childhood experiences (aCe) study: this is one of the largest investigations on the links between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being. Permission has been given to MI Learning to post these materials.

MI Champion Lesson Plans: several collections are posted and will continue to be added to the site. these curriculum lesson plans are organized by subject and grade level and are correlated to Michigan curriculum and technology standards. each lesson includes a technology component designed by educators participating in the MI Champions program.

neW CoUrses on MI LearnIng on ItUnes U!

Courses are best viewed with the itunes U app on an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. Check out these courses on an ios device to view the possibilities:

• Google in the Classroom by John Sowash

• Pre-Engineering: Electronics with Microcontrollers by Steve Dickie

Whether sitting at a desk, riding a bus, or exercising on a treadmill, students of all ages can be learning with the resources being provided by Michigan educators through MI Learning on itunes U.

For more information contact:

Judy Paxton, MI Learning Project Manager [email protected]

www.macul.org/milearning

on iTunes U

Join the excitement! Michigan Educators are creating and providing students, staff, and users around the world with access to quality curriculum and professional development resources.

Access Michigan’s MI Learning on iTunes U (macul.org/milearning) to download or stream learning resources for students and staff!

1. Click & Go! Bookmark the MI Learning on iTunes U link on www.macul.org/milearning/ to access the site quickly. Or, open iTunes and search on MI Learning.

2. All collections and courses posted on MI Learning are shared free of charge.

3. Collections, which include MPEG 4 videos and PDF files, can be previewed, streamed and downloaded for use on computers and mobile devices.

4. Subscribe to collections so you receive notification in your iTunes library when new resources are posted.

5. Courses work best on iOS mobile devices with the free iTunes U App.

6. Courses developed for use with the iTunes U App contain an introduction, instructor biography, course outline, and assignments. Assignments can include a wide range of content including weblinks, audio files, videos, PDFs, Apps, and iBooks.

7. All Michigan educators and entities producing learning resources are invited to post collections and courses on MI Learning. Fill out the easy participation form at www.macul.org/milearning/

8. Information about publishing a course using the iTunes U Course Manager through MI Learning is posted at www.macul.org/milearning and also in the Building MI Learning Resources collection on the MI Learning site.

9. Download and organize resources for use in class, on school servers for student use (to avoid streaming at school); link specific resource URLs in documents and in Moodle or other course management systems.

10.Show students how to access MI Learning so they can discover a variety of curriculum resources to meet their learning needs!

10 QUICk TIPS

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10 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

Sometimes, change happens slowly. We can see the change coming from a mile away, and when it reaches us, we educators can easily adapt our instruction to address the change. Take Google and internet search as an example. We had a few years of Yahoo’s early web directories and dodgy web searches to get used to the idea, and Google so greatly refined the process of the internet search (and did so in such an easy manner it didn’t require significant training to learn the tool) that we were ready to pick it up and run with it in our classrooms.

At other times, something comes along that so changes our world as teachers that we don’t really know how to best utilizeit.We’vedonethisbefore,eveninSTEMtopics…Forinstance, how many years did it take for calculators to go from being banned in the classroom to having those wall-mounted calculator cozies for every middle and high school math classroom?Exactly17yearsand4months,giveortakeaday.Why? Because their capabilities cut into what we did as teachers in pretty dramatic ways. Why do I bring all of this up? Because STEM education is going to change completely… all because of one new tool. STEM teachers, welcome to Wolfram Alpha?

WHATISWOLFRAMALPHA?WolframAlphastartedasa new type of search tool, which I like to think of as a “data engine.” If you go to the web site wolframalpha.com, which is actually just one of their many tools, you will see a search interface similar to what you see with Google or Bing - a single text entry box that encourages you to search for something. But, instead of giving you a billion pages that might have information related to your search (along with 2 billion that definitely don’t), Wolfram Alpha digs deeper and tries to actually answer your question with the information you are trying to find, and uses relevantdatatosupportit.Forinstance,ifIwanttoknowmoreabout the climate of our state to see how the weather may have changed over time, I could simply do a search for “climate of Lansing Michigan.” Unlike Google, which might give links to multiple weather sites that give current weather information, as well as broader sites that address the cultural climate, business climate, or other such misnomers, Wolfram Alpha actually gives the relevant climate data, summarized in graphs and tables on the equivalent of a single page of information. And, if I wanted expanded details of this, I can simply click on the “more” link at the bottom of a section to get this. If using the web browser version (as opposed to a dedicated iPad app as shown in the screenshot images), another link at the bottom of each section allows for downloading of the relevant data in a spreadsheet. This is how Wolfram Alpha handles any search that incorporates relevant data.

Wolfram Alpha is also based upon the Mathematica software that Wolfram pioneered over a decade ago, which has become the standard computational and analysis tool for universities and researchers alike. Because of this, you can enter any mathematics expression or function into the Wolfram Alpha search box, and it will solve the equation, graph the function, and if you want, show you the step-by-step process to determine

The Day STEM Education ChangedBy Stephen Best, SIGPL

wolfram Alpha is a data-based “search engine” that generates graphs and tables to show the information you

are looking for, such as the climate data for Michigan.

wolfram Alpha allows you to enter equations to plot, or allows you to solve equations showing steps, using

its computational capabilities.

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11| |FALL 2012MACULjournal | |

a solution. This is just one of the reasons that Wolfram Alpha is a tool that will change STEM education dramatically. Why? Because about 80% of typical mathematics classroom instruction involves this kind of work. If you haven’t made a shift to more problem solving and analysis skills that the Common Core standards suggest for mathematics, Wolfram’s ability to turn six months of your Algebra 2 curriculum into a simple text entry might give you the encouragement to do this.

This computational capacity doesn’t end with pure mathematics; it carries out to applications for all content areas that depend uponusingrelevantdata.Forinstance,thecalculationsImight do in a chemistry class to figure out how to create a specific concentration of a solution, or in a physics class to determine the speed of a falling object can easily be done with a simple search in Wolfram Alpha. And this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Wolfram Alpha can pull in data from external sources, and their companion tools (available to educators for a nominal license fee) and allows you to input your own data for analysis, graphing, or even comparison to relevant data from published research studies. Once again, science and mathematics educators who read this and haven’t seen this functionality for themselves might be hyperventilating a bit now, as you realize that students can now do so much of what we ask of them in our middle and high school (and college)

coursework with a relatively simple search. And if you think that a lack of internet connected hardware in your classroom might prevent such a disruptive tool from your classroom, the iOS apps that allow this to be done on an iPod or cell phone might change your mind. After all, your students might be using Wolfram Alpha in your class without you even knowing it. And, you thought they were just trying to text their friends…

HOWTOUSEWOLFRAMALPHAOne of the amazing things about Wolfram Alpha is its simple learning curve. Rather than having to figure out lots of syntax to find the information you are looking for, Wolfram Alpha automatically lists a set of examples that can be searched to investigate different topics. If you are new to this tool, spend an hour or so using some of the search options they provide, and try a few of your own. You’ll quickly see how this tool can gather relevant information and present it in interesting ways. And, you’ll see the limitations of the tool as well - for instance, it doesn’t really give you any narrative response or explanation.

However,inadditiontothecapabilitiesmentionedearlier,andthe ability to do these with simple text entries, Wolfram Alpha is also an amazing database and search engine for other STEM relatedinformation.Forinstance,typing“AGGACATTGACA”might look like a garbled text entry, but Wolfram Alpha actually recognizes that this might be shorthand for a genetic sequence of amino acids in our DNA, and will tell you what it is and where it might be found based on the mapping of the human or animal genome. A search for “Venus transit” gives diagrams of the dates and paths Venus will take as it crosses our view of the sun for the last time in over a century.

Chemistry calculations are simple using a simple search in wolfram Alpha.

A simple text entry gives results for complex calculation in physics and other science topics.

Stem Education continued on page 30

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12 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

“Howcanwedeterminewhatisneeded for a civilization to survive?” “Will our communities withstand a naturaldisaster?”“Howdidtheneedto construct ancient buildings lead to the discovery of mathematical principles, and how can these principles be used to build temporary shelter after a disaster has occurred?” These are questions middle school students are learning to answer, students whose teachers are participating in the STEM MI Champions project. These thought provoking, challenging, and engaging questions are the catalyst to a style of teaching and learning called Project Based Learning or PBL. The hallmark of the PBL approach is to ignite student curiosity, prompt inquiry and promote discourse. These essential 21st century skills are the keys to success inside and outside of the classroom. Twenty teams of middle school teachers and principals have been working and studying together in the STEM MI Champions Project. During the first year, teams created and implemented two project-based learning (PBL) units that focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). These units challenged students to investigate, inquire and debate real-world issues that are directly connected to the common core state standards. Teams also folded in the Universal Design for Learning framework so that lessons were accessible and resulted in success for all students.

The goal of the STEM MI Champions Project is to give educators the tools and resources they need to design engaging instruction that opens doors to developing 21st Century Skills in STEM for all students. Through on-going professional development and with the added support of project coaches, these teams are striving to redefine and refine their instructional practice.

First,teamsareimmersedinlearningaboutgoodeducationtechnology practice when they attend the annual MACUL Conferences during the multi-year project, 2011 to 2013. They also receive intense professional development during two summer institutes that focus on PBL, UDL, STEM and 21st Century Skills. In addition, they participate in four to six synchronous and asynchronous on-line workshops throughout the project to deepen their understanding of Universal Design for Learning and designing good instruction.

Central to the project’s success is the cadre of STEM MI Champions coaches. These teachers are experts in the field of UDL, PBL or STEM. Coaches work in pairs to provide on-going support to teams and act as facilitators to help teams with their collaborative work. They provide teams with strategies and resources related to technology integration, lesson design and PBL implementation.

The STEM MI Champions Design

This project blends the disciplines of STEM, UDL, PBL, technology integration and 21st century skills into a new set of pedagogical constructs. It takes the best of these complimentary ideas and weaves them into a new structure that enables all students to develop a deeper understanding of the curriculum content.

Here’swhatoneteachersaidfollowingthefirstsummerinstitute:“We are quite excited at the possibility of this new style of teaching and learning (PBL)...it’s motivating for students and effective for reaching all types of learners. Many of us also sense that this type of education (which, for all of us, is VERY different than what we are accustomed to) and the focus on 21st century skills are the future of education in this country and we are grateful to get a head start working in that direction.”

Project-Based Learning serves as the overarching framework for STEM MI Champions instructional units. PBL uses authentic

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STEM MIChaMpIonS

2 1 S T C E N T U R Y S K I L L S • P B L • U D L

STEM MI

ChaMpIonS2 1 S T C E N T U R Y S K I L L S • P B L • U D L

BySusanHardin

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learning activities that engage and motivate students. These activities are designed to solve real world problems and reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside of the classroom. Then, 21st Century skill development is folded into the units. Teachers help students learn to master skills in communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.

Capitalizing on the best of the STEM approach to educational design, educators learn to emphasize problem solving and investigation beyond the classroom. When approaching new problems students are asked to “think like an engineer”. This promotes inquiry and investigation in learning. When students are required to think critically about the information presented, their underlying understanding of the content expands and deepens.

AccordingtoDr.PatriciaFioriello,K-12EducationTrainingSpecialist, “STEM Education attempts to transform the typical teacher-centered classroom by encouraging a curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and requires students to actively engage a situation in order to find its solution.”

Integrating the Universal Design for Learning framework at the lesson level of a PBL unit, teams design lessons that support a variety of learning styles and needs. By removing curriculum barriers and scaffolding instruction with well-placed technology supports, a UDL lesson provides all students with the opportunity to effectively communicate, collaborate and think critically about a topic. Designing a UDL lesson means that teachers provide flexible methods and materials to present information, encourage students to use flexible methods, materials and media to show what they know, and design instruction that is relevant, offers choice and engages student interests.

Technology plays a pivotal role in the STEM MI Champions project. Well-placed technology tools support differentiating instruction, collaboration and communication, engagement, challenge, problem solving,inquiryandSTEM.Forexample,technologytoolssuchas interactive simulations make inquiry and exploration into STEM topics easy. Web 2.0 and social networking tools such as Wikis, Skype, Twitter, Ning, or Edmodo promote collaboration and communication. Science probes, Excel data tables, graphing calculators, digital measurement tools work together to support STEM education.

Technology also allows teachers to efficiently and effectively differentiate instruction. Providing flexible digital media and tools such as Web sites, video clips, and electronic text means that students can select and adjust the information to best meet their learning needs.Forexample,withdigitalcontent,learnerscanmanipulatequalities such as font size, contrast, volume, and text length or activate supports such as text-to-speech and online definitions for new vocabulary words. Providing a variety of electronic tools such as note takers, word processors, video recorders, audio recorders and multimedia authoring software enables students to record and share information with others in a manner that works best for them, allowing them to show what they know.

When the learning in the STEM MI Champions Project takes place outside of the classroom walls, the technology tools need to be

“on-the-go” as well. STEM MI Champions teams receive 5 digital backpacks to use during instruction. Digital Backpacks are designed as highly mobile, flexible and scalable technology solutions for project-based learning (Basham et al, 2009). They are designed to go anywhere that student learning occurs. They contain foundational technology such as iPads with authoring software, modular technology such as audio and video recorders, digital cameras and science probes that change depending on the project. These tools are integrated into the lessons and allow students access to learning and to show others what they’ve learned.

Weaving together the best of PBL, UDL, STEM and technology, the STEM MI Champions project supports teachers as they learn to develop technology rich, relevant, challenging, supportive, flexible, and engaging learning opportunities. The result: enthusiastic, engaged and successful learners who want to know more about the world around them.

FormoreabouttheSTEMMIChampionsProject,gotomacul.org.

To find the additional STEM, UDL, technology resources or to access the STEM MIC PBL units, visit www.leadingpbl.org.Susan Hardin is an Assistive Technology Consultant at Macomb Intermediate School District and serves as the STEM MI Champions Project Manager. She can be reached at: [email protected].

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14 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

The Michigan Virtual University’s®

Michigan LearnPort®, is offering online

professional development courses for

Biology and Chemistry teachers. These

courses address four key questions:

• Do I present science accurately?

• Do my students get the chance to really do biology/chemistry?

• How do I get my students to think harder?

• I taught this so well, why don’t they understand it?

The focus of these courses is on teaching practices for Biology and Chemistry teachers, rather than on the content of Biology and Chemistry. Biology and chemistry content are instead used to provide the context for examples and the teaching practices presented.

The teaching strategies for the units are related to some of those identified in the Framework for K-12 Science Education. The Framework identifies eight science and engineering practices that mirror the practices of professional scientists and engineers. These practices are part of the new science standards called the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Listed below are the science and engineering practices from the Framework:

1. Asking questions and defining problems

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics, information and computer technology, and computational thinking

6. Constructingexplanationsanddesigningsolutions

7. EngaginginArgumentfromevidence

8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information (available online at www.nsta.org/ngss )

DESIgnIng an onLInE ProFESSIonaL DEvELoPMEnTLEarnIng ExPErIEnCE For STEM TEaChErS

By Peggy E. Gaskill, Ph.D.

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15| |FALL 2012MACULjournal | |

As indicated, a number of these practices are incorporated into the four units of each course: Scientific Models, The Nature of Scientific Inquiry, Promoting Student Thinking, and the Learning Cycle.

The overall unit design has been guided by instructional design principles used by Michigan Virtual University’s project team. In this case, the project team included science teacher educators, biology and chemistry classroom teachers, and online course designers. At the core of each unit is a framework described by M. David Merrill as the “First Principles of Instruction,” that includes the instructional phases of activation, demonstration, application, and integration.

• Activation – connect with the learners in terms of what is relevant to them, such as through showing pertinent real world use of the lesson concepts.

• Demonstration – convey the facts, the principles, and the procedures that are relevant to the topic. This is what is most commonly done in “teaching” and the challenge in course development is often to ensure that the course materials don’t simply stop here, with a few problems assigned to work through.

• Application – have the learner work with the content so that they understand how it all fits together, including manipulating it to see how changes impact results. This is a common place where activities are provided.

• Integration –move the learner to applying their learning to their larger world, preferably into real world applications beyond the course content.

Let’s see how these design principles are converted to course components for “Biology for All Online” and “Chemistry for All Online.”

FirstistheActivation or the way to draw the learner into the unit. In these courses, we’ve started with the “dilemma,” a scenario around one of the questions. Our “star” teachers, Derek, Julie, Rani, and Carole, set the stage for the work of the unit. We want to answer the question of the unit such as “How do I get my students to think harder?”

Here’sasampleofthescriptof“Rani”who is trying to resolve this dilemma. Visuals and an audio track are presented in the Moodle classroom to share the dilemma with the professional development teacher (PDT).

RANI: I tell you, I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to keep my students engaged, to get them to actually think about what I’m trying to teach, and all I get is that same, tired, “is-this-going-to-be-on-the-test” expression.

Not all of them, of course. But a lot. Too many.

Like today, I was lecturing on the elements in the periodic table. And I could tell that a lot of them weren’t paying attention. No note taking, A couple even looked like they were nodding off.

And public speaking abilities aside, that shouldn’t be happening.

So I stop and I ask one of the particularly disengaged-looking kids, “Name an element that should have properties very similar to calcium.”

And he straightens up, a bit startled, then stammers out something close but no cigar. Clearly he wasn’t listening.

But at least I’d gotten their attention for the moment. “Hey, guys,” I said. Pleaded almost. “This is really important. I need you to stick with me.”

There was a show of hands from the few that always pay attention, but it’s all the others that I’m worried about.

I mean, I know my question scared them into paying attention, but that only lasts for a few minutes.

I’ve tried class discussions, and it’s like pulling teeth. I always end up doing most of the talking.

And I can’t show a video or have an activity for everything.

How can I get them more engaged, all of them, and stay engaged?

How can get them to listen? To think about what I’m saying and remember it?

I feel like I’m giving them everything they need to succeed here, and then to see so many of them tune out and do poorly on their exams – it’s frustrating.

I work really hard at this. What else can I do?

This sets the stage, or activates, the professional development teacher (PDT) for continuing on in this unit on Promoting Student Thinking. The next phase in the design process is Demonstration. This is the opportunity for instruction about ways that the PDT might resolve the dilemma. The pedagogical concepts are now integrated with pertinent content from biology or chemistry, depending on the course the PDT is taking. After an on-screen activity about remembering words, the PDTs read an article about effective questioning that describes how to use the SATIC Code Checklist to evaluate their own questions.

In the Application phase of the unit, PDTs have an opportunity to practice what was demonstrated. PDTs use the SATIC Code Checklist to analyze some transcripts, both bad and good, and then compare their analysis to an exemplar. They are able to experience using questions to encourage deep thinking on the part of their own students.

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16 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

2012M i c h i g a n D i g i t a l L e a r n i n g C o n f e r e n c e

Learn more at macul.org

Innovations in Student Centered Learning

November 15–16, 2012

Macomb Intermediate School DistrictClinton Twp., Michigan

November 15 – Preconference SessionsNovember 16 – Keynote and Conference Sessions

Featuring

Leslie Fisher

PDTs next have an opportunity to “Show What You Know,” where they start relating the concepts of the unit to their own teaching situation. In this specific unit, they are asked to record 5-10 minutes of their own teaching and then use the SATIC Code Checklist to evaluate their own questioning interaction patterns with students and reflect on the results. Other Application assignments in this course include revising one of their own tests to reflect the model nature of science; write an outline and rationale for a textbook chapter about how scientists really work; and create a lesson plan for a Learning Cycle lesson. All of these can be used by the PDT in his/her classroom.

The final part of the unit, the Integration, in these courses is called “Closing the Circle.” This is where PDTs can re-consider the original dilemma, review postings of their peers about that

dilemma on the Social Network that accompanies these courses, and reflect on how their thoughts and practices in their own classroom will change as a result of the work of the unit.

These courses also incorporate the use of a social network to extend the learning beyond the time length of a professional development course. The STEM for All Social Network was built using the Ning social networking platform.

PDTs are able to post coursework on the social networking site and interact with both course and non-course biology and chemistry teachers to discuss issues, practices, resources, and exchange successful lessons based on various best practices such as scientific models, scientific inquiry, how to promote student thinking, and the learning cycle of the professional development courses. These experiences will continue and expand the learning of those who have had the online courses. You can view a STEM related social network example (and join if you’d like) at our Algebra 4 All Social Network (http://a4a.learnport.org ).

We’ve taken the liberty in this article to speak to the science aspect of “STEM in the Classroom,” and share an approach to online professional development that supports STEM learning in the classroom. With the approach described in this article, we hope to not only provide an engaging and effective professional

development experience for high school biology and chemistry teachers, but to also apply it to other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professional development in the future.

You may enroll in either or both of these courses (“Biology for All Online” and “Chemistry for All Online”) at www.learnport.org .

References Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43-59. A link to the original article for your review is http://mdavidmerrill.com/Papers/firstprinciplesbymerrill.pdf

The Framework for K-12 Science Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are available online from the National Science Teachers Association at www.nsta.org/ngss.Dr. Peggy E. Gaskill is a consultant to the Michigan Virtual University who serves as a Project Manager in the Product Development group guiding the design of online student courses for the Michigan Virtual School® and online professional development courses for Michigan LearnPort. She may be contacted at [email protected] .

Dr. Gaskill would like to recognize the contributions to the development of these online courses by the MVU team of science teachers, teacher educators, and instructional designers including: Peter Arashiro, Jan Eberhardt, Andrew Vanden Heuvel, Ken Bergwerff, Crystal Bruxvoort, Jim Jadrich, Jennifer Koning, Norman Hoekstra, Paula Geller, Roberta Jacobowitz, Jonathan Langdon, and Casey Swan.

Page 17: Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 STEM in the Classroom · Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 ... Pennfield Schools maginitt@pennfield.net ... Welcome back to a new school year and the excitement

Math, science and technology courses for middle and high school students

22 Math CoursesIncluding Algebra 1-2, Calculus, Probability and Statistics and Trigonometry

27 sCienCe CoursesIncluding Anatomy and Physiology, Bioethics, Forensic Science, Physics and Chemistry

7 teChnology CoursesIncluding Flash Animation, Java Programming and Visual Basic.net

11 aP CoursesIncluding 1 technology, 3 math & 7 science offerings

Visit www.learnport.org Visit www.mivhs.org

SCIENCE • TECHNOLOGY • ENGINEERING • MATHEMATICS

In The OnlIne ClASSrOOm

Professional development courses and resources at your fingertips

Biology for all onlineAddresses the challenges of teaching high school biology by integrating research-supported pedagogy with specific applications to the biology classroom.

CheMistry for all onlineAddresses the challenges of teaching high school chemistry by integrating research-supported pedagogy with specific applications to the chemistry classroom.

algeBra for all onlineFunctions-based approach provides a means to reach all students more effectively by emphasizing relationships between variables, real-world applications, multiple representations of concepts, and problem solving.

MVU®, along with the Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network, the Michigan Department of Education and many other organizations, supports the Michigan STEM Partnership. Check it out at www.mistempartnership.com.

mVU AddreSSeS

ST M

www.mivu.org

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18 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

By M

arily

n W

este

rnUsing Technology in theElementary Classroom

MouSETraPWhat could be more fun than scrounging through a box of ‘stuff’ to find materials to make an invention or to build a contraption? How about using the computer and the Internet to experiment with virtual materials! There are more and more interactive web sites popping up that can give your students practice in problem solving, visual thinking, and learning via exploration. Let’s take a look at a few of them. How do they fit into your Science/Engineering curriculum?

1. Fantastic Contraption www.fantasticcontraption.com • Grade 1+Student needs to build a machine (aka contraption) with assorted tools to move a pink object into the pink goal. Start with the simple tutorial to show you just how this site works. The tutorial works nicely in a whole group/small group

setting at an interactive whiteboard before moving to individual computers for single students or pairs to try solving each of the 11 levels. Register (need email) to keep track of your level scores. Registration not mandatory. Available for iPad ($). Want more? Fantastic Contraption2 http://www.sparkworkz.com/fc2/

2. TinkerBall www.inventionatplay.org/playhouse_tinker.html • Grade 1+

Move objects to get the ball into the cup. Limited supply of strange but creative objects (just like in real life!). No tutorial needed – just move and rotate objects. No one ‘right’ way – experiment to see what individuals come up with! No penalties for trying over and over. No registration.

3. LaunchBall www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/educators/classroom_and_homework_resources/

resources/launchball.aspx/ • Grade 5+30 levels of problems to solve. Start by testing to observe what happens. Then place a variety of block-containing tools and test again. Roll your mouse over objects for information about them (e.g.: This copper block conducts heat and glows red when hot. It also conducts electricity.) Timer tracks how fast you solve the problem. After 1 minute, it will offer a

hint. Students can also create their own levels. If you save a level, you will receive a code to return to that level. Lots of science/engineering to apply!

4.physicsgames.net www.physicsgames.net/ • Grade 3+

A clearinghouse of 200+ games based on the properties of physics. A variety of game types: block removal, construction,

demolition, platform, projectile, and stacking. Some start with an advertisement. Each game offers a tutorial. Each game comes with an embed code that you can use to put the game directly on your web site/blog/wiki: a nice way to ‘direct’ students to a particular game as the main page can be overwhelming. These activities would be fun on an interactive white board and a great learning opportunity during indoor recess or when finished with work.

5. roller Coaster designers 5+For students studying force and motion, these sites will give lots of experience in exploring track heights, shapes, and dips to create the ultimate thrill ride.

roller Coaster designer http://puzzling.caret.cam.ac.uk/game.php?game=rollerFossweb roller Coaster Builder www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/BalanceandMotion/activities/rollercoaster.htmlSpark roller Coaster www.abc.net.au/spark/games/rollercoaster.htmpark world plot www.engineeringinteract.org/resources/parkworldplot.htm

There are enough interactive physics games here to set up a different one on each classroom computer, giving students a choice and opportunity for learning the ‘rules’ of physics! Remember, these sites are creative, enticing, and full of exploratory learning, but should not take the place of real hands-on experiences.

Marilyn Western is the 2008 MACUL Teacher of the Year, a former member of the MACUL Board of Directors, a Discovery Educator Network (DEN) scholar, and a Mt. Pleasant Public Schools 5th/6th grade computer lab teacher. Outside of the classroom, she has worked as the 1998-99 MDE Technology Using Educator on Loan, a MI Champions course designer and instructor, a technology trainer for Clare Gladwin RESD, Gratiot Isabella RESD and Bay Arenac ISD, a national presenter for the Bureau of Education & Research, and a district Tech Guru. She can be reached via [email protected].

B U I L d I n g A B E T T E r

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19| |FALL 2012MACULjournal | |

Effective Educational Technology Practices

Connected Educator Series

For more information contact

The Video Library

technology in innovative

found at:

Page 20: Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 STEM in the Classroom · Fall 2012 VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 ... Pennfield Schools maginitt@pennfield.net ... Welcome back to a new school year and the excitement

20 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

A funny thing happened a couple decades ago that we are still struggling with now. In the late 80’s and beyond, as reports like “A Nation at Risk” were coming out and students from other countries began showing up American students in mathematics and science, the standards movement was born. We realized that one of the possible reasons that we were no longer leading the world was that the education provided to our students was inconsistent. So, we reacted… putting together standards for mathematics and science by defining the content for the classes we already had in place in our schools (biology, chemistry, algebra, etc.). And, to strengthen those, we virtually ignored the CONNECTIONS and APPLICATIONS that were possible in those topics.

And now, twenty years later, we are still trying to fix this. The Common Core standards for mathematics focus on using mathematical ideas in project based activities to engage in higher order thinking. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which just finished their second public review and will be released during the coming school year, extend this further by incorporating Engineering and Technology cross-cutting strands across all core ideas at every grade level. SteM education will now become STEM.

So,whatdoesthismeanforourclassrooms?Herearethreeitemsfor what to consider to put the T and E in your STEM program, as well as some examples of projects that other teachers are doing that can give you ideas for what to do.

Technology does not just mean computer applications. I know that saying this to MACUL members is like saying there is no Santa Claus, but maybe it is time for us to think more broadly about technology. NGSS suggests that we include all types of human-made systems and processes as technology; not just modern computing and communication tools. This requires a shift in thinking, but helps students better understand the purpose, function, and role of technologies in our lives.

Engineering, technology, design, and real-world applications of STEM topics should not exist in a vacuum. Some are tempted to think that adding technology and engineering means adding new lessons or units to the existing curriculum and instruction, which makes us all more anxious about “covering content”. This is not about covering content, but radically rethinking what we do in our current science and mathematics courses and units. The idea is to integrate engineering design and considerations of technology into the learning activities for students so that they make the connections between topics.

Design requires a different way of thinking and teaching. Unlike the focused skills and knowledge we often teach in science and mathematics, a focus on engineering and technology introduces something dramatic and fearful to some - creativity. There isn’t just one solution, but rather, a range of options that students can develop that incorporate the science and mathematics concepts, but also introduce design processes. What does this look like in real life? It’s

Putting the

t and e

back in

steM

education

By Stephen Best, SIGPL

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21| |FALL 2012MACULjournal | | 21| |MACULjournal | |

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a wide-open field, but here are what some educators are doing now to address these ideas.

MiddleschoolstudentsatHarperWoodsMiddleSchoolintheSWIiM project (Student Water Initiative in Michigan) examine freshwater resources in their community and the Great Lakes by engaging in a number of investigations and stewardship efforts. June Teisan and her students created “BOB” - the Basic Observation Buoy - using ideas and plans from engineering faculty, to create a buoythatgathersandreportswaterqualitydata24/7throughtheirweb site.

The Square One Education Network (squareonenetwork.org) encourages engineering opportunities, providing both suggestions and guidance for projects and grants to help fund teacher efforts. They host a Synergy Summit in August every year to showcase student work and provide suggestions and strategies for integrating technology and engineering into k–12 education. Projects funded include student designs of alternative energy vehicles, underwater robots that can collect data and explore lake bottoms, and software design projects that aid local non-profit groups.

Some students in southeast Michigan have long looked at engineering practices by engaging in design projects that use artifactsatTheHenryFordandGreenfieldVillageassourcesofinspiration.Forinstance,anexaminationofrealbuildingsinthevillage, along with virtual models that show underlying structures, allow students to create and test designs for new buildings that

need to include considerations for transporting building materials, designing for extreme environments (such as Antarctica or the Sahara Desert), and construction of the structure.Using new free Core Math Tools from the Core Plus mathematics project at Western Michigan University and Michigan State University, students can create their own mathematical models. Available at the NCTM website (nctm.org), these tools allow students to test complex interactions using real data, which could include water quality or weather data from the Great Lakes region, or population data to look at strategies for “growing” a city or region.

There are limitless possibilities, so where might you start? A simplecollaborationisprobablythebestbet.Findanengineerortechnologist in your community. Michigan’s network of 19 colleges and universities that have engineering programs recently convened to develop strategies and suggestions for engaging k–12 educators in engineering and technology topics - they are looking for partners. Contact one of your local universities’ engineering programs to see about their interest in working with you and your classes, or contact groups like Square One to find out more about what they do, or your regional Math/Science Center to see what options they might know about.

Stephen Best is an Education Consultant for the Michigan Department of Education in the School Reform Office. He is the past director of MACUL SIG-PL, and planned the iPads in the Classroom and Teaching and Learning in the Cloud conferences for MACUL. His work includes designing learning programs for teachers in STEM topics.

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22 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

The Journey BeginsWhat began as a way to engage students while reinforcing their understanding of science content ended up being a journey of dynamicclassroomdiscussionsandenergeticdebates.Foryears,researchers and educators have touted benefits associated with using student response systems (SRS), commonly referred to as ‘clickers’. Benefits commonly espoused are increased stu-dent engagement and enhanced content knowledge (Collins, 2007;Kenwright,2009;Ribbens,2007).Ridingthiswaveofencouragement, several articles and websites are now focused on classroom activities and methods that utilize SRS (Center for Research on Learning and Teaching: University of Michigan; ClydeFreeman,2006;“EngagingTechnologies:educatinganewgeneration”).

So here I was, with a new classroom set of eInstruction clickers and a classroom full of students. We were excited to take them out and start working with them. After about two weeks of tin-kering, the kinks were worked out (the best spot for the receiver, the appropriate screen displays, answering without shouting out the answer) and we were ready to go!

Ulterior MotivesThe unfamiliarity with the software prompted a slow start. At first, the clickers were simply used to take attendance. As the students and I became more comfortable with using them, new methodsofimplementationwereused.Forexample,clickerswere used at the beginning of class to check student retention of concepts introduced the day before. Soon SRS were used throughout the lessons to guide the direction of lectures and lessons. But I had an ulterior motive. While I aimed to improve student engagement and content knowledge, my ultimate goal was to emphasize the nature of science (or how science works).

The nature of science (NOS) is a critical component for scien-tific literacy. It is given prominence in both national and state sciencestandards(MichiganDepartmentofEducation,2006;American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993). However,despitethisprominenceNOSisdifficulttoteach,andeven more difficult to assess. As opposed to a concrete scientific concept, such as the equation of photosynthesis, NOS is ambig-uous. When exploring NOS students negotiate territory such as:

• Whatbiasesareinherentinscientists?Canscientistseverbetrulyobjectiveintheirendeavors?

• Howdoessocietyshapescience?Howdoesscienceshapesociety?

• Whatconstitutesreliableevidence?Whenisevidencecompromised?

• Whatfactorsshouldyou,asacitizen,beconcernedwithwhenscientistsdisagree?

Thus, my ulterior motive was to utilize SRS to promote discus-sions about the nature of science to promote scientific literacy!

MakingStudentsUncomfortable Students entered class one day to find the following ques-tion on the board [Slide 1]. They picked up their clickers and

promptly sat dumbfounded with what to do. They looked from one another to me and then back at one another. I just sat and waited.Finally,onebravesoleaskedwhattheyweresupposedtodo. “Answer the question,” I replied. Again, more blank stares. A second student remarked, “But we didn’t cover this in class. You never went over this.” I reassured the students, “I know that we haven’t covered this. I want to know what you think.” One by one, students tentatively began to click in their answers, peering over at one another to see what letter their friends had picked. The students were definitely out of their comfort zone, but a great discussion took place once they saw that the results of the poll were relatively evenly distributed amongst the pos-sible choices. As students deliberated, the following questions emerged:

• Whatroledid/doesgenderplayinscience?

• Howmuchofscienceiswhoyouknowratherthanwhatyouknow?

• Howdidtheygettheirevidence?Howmuchevidencedidtheyhave?Howreliablewastheirevidence?

All items listed could arguably be considered the most important factor!

Promoting Classroom Discussion with ClickersByAmiJ.Friedman,Ph.D.,MACULGrantRecipient

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All of these factors are important considerations for scientifically literate citizens.

Asking reflective questions, as in the previous example, is only one way of using SRS to spur discussion in classrooms. Another example is to provide a prompt (for example, “The major flaw in the kettlewell study was…”) for students to discuss in groups of two or three. The class was challenged to come up with a “Top Ten” list of flaws in kettlewell’s study by submitting one idea per group. Their “Top Ten” list ended up being a “Top Seven” list due to repeated ideas [Slide 2]. Using the class-generated list,

students were polled and a large-group discussion took place. Students’ arguments surrounded ideas such as:

• WhatfactorsdidKettlewellcontrol?Whatfactorswerebeyondhiscontrol?

• Howimportantisfundingtofieldstudies?Withmorefundingcouldhehavecollectedmoredata?

• Isitethicaltoomitdatathatdoesnotsupportyourpremise?Inwhatcases,ifany,isitappropriatetodoso?

Rich discussion, in this case, occurred twice; once when generat-ing the list and a second time when discussing the poll results. Again, these ideas are all at the crux of engaging with the nature of science and developing scientific literacy.

Another example of promoting class discussion and exploring the nature of science was to ask content questions that had more than one correct answer displayed [Slide 3]. In this way, students could engage in dialogue that teases out the specific circum-stancesinwhicheachcorrectcaseistrue.Forexample:

• Inwhatcircumstancesischoice‘b’(oralternatively‘c’)correct?

• Arethereanycircumstancesinwhichmorethanonechoiceiscorrectatthesametime?

• Whatdoesthissayaboutthelimitationsofscientificknowledge?

• Whenisitimportantforcitizenstounderstandtheselimitations?Whenisitnotimportant?

Once again, these discussions are at the heart of being a scientifi-cally literate citizen while reinforcing content.

Just the BeginningInitially, I was inspired by the promise of using SRS to engage my students and enhance their science content knowledge. The more I thought about it, the more I saw this as an opportunity to promote scientific literacy by using SRS to explore the nature of science and an ulterior motive emerged. The anonymous nature of the clickers fostered honest responses from students without the fear of ridicule. Students ultimately relished engaging in these (initially) uncomfortable techniques and resulting discus-sions. The full-fledged debates demonstrated they were actively engaged. All of the methods described above to increase student discussion also reinforced science content and skills associated with scientific literacy.

While last year’s journey has come to its conclusion, I can’t help but feel as though it is just the beginning…

ReferencesAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks

for Science Literacy. New York: Oxford University Press.Center for Research on Learning and Teaching: University of Michigan.

from www.crlt.umich.edu/inst/clickeractivities.phpClydeFreeman,H.(2006).“Clicker”Cases:IntroducingCaseStudy

Teaching Into Large Classrooms. Journal of College Science Teaching, 36(2), 43.

Collins,L.J.(2007).LiveningUptheClassroom:UsingAudienceResponseSystems to Promote Active Learning. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 26(1), 81-88.

Engaging Technologies: educating a new generation. from www.engaging-technologies.com/clicker-activities.html

kenwright, k. (2009). Clickers in the Classroom. TechTrends, 53(1),74.MichiganDepartmentofEducation.(2006).High School Science Content

Expectations.Ribbens,E.(2007).WhyILikeClickerPersonalResponseSystems.Journal

of College Science Teaching, 37(2),60.

Ami Friedman teaches and science at Walled Lake Western High School in Walled Lake, MI; email: [email protected]. She also serves on the executive board of the International History, Philosophy, and Science Teaching Group (IHPST.net). In her spare time, she travels and enjoys photography.

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Student-generated List!

Choices ‘B’ and ‘C’ are both correct under Certain circumstances!

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STUDYBLUE

Saving Time and Reducing eRRoRS in The claSSRoom

By Brianne Rhoades and Amanda Yaklin

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Read these scenarios and consider whether they reflect any moments in your own classroom:The students are studying vocabulary while the teacher is checking that they have made their flash cards. She realizes that many flash cards contain mistakes, and now the students are drilling themselves on incorrect material.

By the time the teacher has written the full problem on the board, some students have turned their attention to less productive pursuits. Now more time is wasted while the class settles back down.

If either of these situations seems familiar to you, then maybe you could use an alternative to physical flash cards, or a way to get problems on the board faster. We would like to introduce you to Study Blue (www.studyblue.com), a great way to incorporate technology into secondary education, both in and out of the classroom.

Whatisit?Study Blue is a Web 2.0 tool for making and studying flash cards. Anyone can create a free account and either make sets of flash cards, or search for sets that others have made. If you want to prevent the frequent mistakes that often appear in flash cards that students create, then you can create one set of cards for the class, and each student can create an account, find the set you have made, and study the terms. They can even send flash cards to their smart phones, so they can study on the go. Under a free account, Study Blue will even send scheduled e-mail and text reminders (up to 30/month) that prompt the student to study their flash cards.

Whatelsedoesitdo?Other than the standard option of quizzing users on the full deck of flashcards, Study Blue can help streamline the process of studying by narrowing down the cards to only include those the user marked as

incorrect during the previous study session. The student can use this function to review only the terms with which he or she is struggling, or reset the deck to review all of the cards again. Users who want to switch up the way they are studying can print out the terms and definitions in a review sheet, or have the site shuffle them into a multiple choice, true/false, or fill in the blank quiz.

Classroom Time-SaverStudy Blue is an excellent in-class tool for a room equipped with digital projectors. The teacher can project a flash card with a problem (a math problem, a sentence to translate, a question about types of government) onto the whiteboard or wall, and students write down their answers. The teacher can then flip the card over to quickly reveal the correct answer, and the students can compare it to their own responses. As soon as the class is ready to move on, the next card is immediately available. This process eliminates the time that is usually wasted erasing problems and writing new ones on the board when there is no more space left, thereby increasing the amount of time in a given class period that students can be engaged with the content.

This sounds interesting. Give me more details!Each time you create a deck of flash cards, you candecidewhetheritispublicorprivate.Forexample, you may decide that you will make public decks for students to study at home, but private decks for in-class review sessions. You can change a public deck to private or publish a private deck. There is no limit on the number of decks you can have, and you may edit your existing decks at any time. Students do need to create an account and log in to use Study Blue, but the process of creating an account only requires a valid email address, and filling in the fields for first and last name. The student can choose to use initials or a pseudonym to increase privacy.

When a Study Blue user finds a useful deck of flash cards that was created by someone else, she can save it to the backpack on her account, where it will stay up to date with any future edits the owner of the deck may make. In addition to providing a backpack for efficient flash card deck organization and retrieval, Study Blue allows its users to create classes. If you create a class, other users can choose to subscribe to it. When you add a new deck of flash cards to your class, it automatically appears in your subscribers’ backpacks. Once your students subscribe to your class, each new deck you add to it will automatically appear on their accounts, eliminating one more step that typically stands between your students and an effective study session.

Saving a deck to your account is easy!

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There is a more feature rich level of Study Blue, which costs $10 each month, or $80 for a year. A paying subscriber to Study Blue can choose from a more comprehensive list of options when studying, such as hiding cards he knows and ordering the deck from easiest to hardest or vice versa. Study Blue keeps track of how often a paying user gets a given card right or wrong over time, and that is how it decides how difficult the card is. Other benefits of a paid account with Study Blue are unlimited study reminders that can be sent to your email or cell phone (as opposed to 30/month with the free account) and the ability to combine multiple decks of cards into one group when studying for a midterm or final exam. These extra capabilities may be attractive to students who are especially enthusiastic about studying with online flash cards, but we think that everything a teacher needs is available through the basic free account.

Overall, Study Blue is an excellent tool for helping to make efficient use of time in the classroom, and is offers a way for students to have error-free study resources available both in and out of the classroom. It is a free application that can even be used on a computer or on the go through a smart phone. This is a great addition to your teaching toolbox that can be utilized in a variety of contexts, and helps to move an age-old study skill into the modern world of technology. Go visit Study Blue’s website today (www.studyblue.com)!

Brianne Rhoades is a student in the Masters and Certification Program – Secondary Education at the University of Michigan. After receiving her certification in German and English, she plans to move to Alaska and have adventures.

Amanda Yaklin is a student in the Masters and Certification Program – Secondary Education at the University of Michigan. Her teaching majors are Math and Physical Education, and she delights in coaching high school volleyball.

A student uses the fill-in-the-blank format to test her knowledge of german verb forms.

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Using pen Scanners to Assist LearningBy Dawn Adanti, MACUL Grant Recipient

The goal for winning this grant was to provide students with meaningful opportunities to meet GLCEs and METs through technology and reading comprehension. I am a para-professional at a small alternative high school of about 110 students and 13 faculty and staff members. My students are all high risk and are in my class for various reasons such as attendance, behavioral, and/or academic issues. We also have a teen-mom day-care program. We are part of DCTC consortium that provides alternative education and transportation for nine school districts.

In an alternative educational setting, we have a huge array of learning styles, levels and abilities. Although we follow the same standards, benchmarks and curriculum, we step out of the box and try alternative methods. Our slogan is “An alternative school not an Alternative to school.” Motivation is a key factor for get-ting these students interested in learning and we try to do many things to engage students’ interest. We focus on differentiation and project-based learning, striving to encourage our students not only academically, but also socially.

Sometimes lack of funding hinders these efforts, so winning a MACUL Grant helped meet this need. Wizcom worked with my grant budget so I could purchase a classroom set of 10 pen scanners and 10 sets of headphones. Using assistive technology to engage students is so beneficial. Many of our students are very low-level readers. If a student can’t understand a word, their frustration level escalates which causes another issue. These pens make learning fun and less stressful. This in turn leads to a more successful learning environment and higher test scores.

pen scanners are amazingly valuable tools for every student in my multi-level alternative education classroom. The use of these pens helps students acquire and apply strategies to identify unknown words and construct meaning in order to be more successful in school and increase reading compre-hension and grade level. These pens easily scan text in order to hear it spoken aloud and obtain definition, spelling, syllable understanding and cor-

rect pronunciation. All words can be transferred to a computer for further practice. Students use them for reference, to study new terminology and to save something for a later date. The pen scanners have created a more engaging learning environment. Students use these technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and to promote creativity.

Many people are not quite sure what pen scanners are, or how they work. Wizcom describes them as “Portable, multi-function, hand-held scanning translators that can scan a word or a full line of text and provide immediate word-by-word translation, including idioms and phrases. Provides audio pronunciation of individual words or full lines of text in selected languages,” http://www.wizcomtech.com/. It scans over a word on students’ schoolwork, tests, novels or any other type of text and pronounces it. If a student doesn’t know the definition of the word, it will give the definition too. So, it is like a portable dictionary/translator in a really cool pen!

There have been many case studies on how well students benefit from these. Check out the case studies from teachers to see how you can use these pens and how well students have done during and after using them:http://tinyurl.com/Wizcomtech-1145

http://www.wizcomtech.com/eng/catalog/a/readingpen2/

The pen scanners enable the classroom teacher to incorporate both the curriculum of the Michigan Department of Education Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs), as listed in the chart, as well as the Michigan Educational Technology Standards (METS). Even though I am no longer at the same school, I keep in close contact with the middle school teacher, Mrs. Leslie Guizetti, who uses the scanner pens in the classroom. They have been amazing tools and I’m so excited that I won this grant!

Dawn Adanti, MAT, is a Project Manager at Westwood Cyber High School and can be reached at [email protected]

Michigan gLCEs:

CE 2.1.1 - Use a variety of pre-reading and previewing strategies…

CE 3.2.5 - respond to literature in a variety of ways…providing examples of how texts affect their lives, connect them with the contemporary world, and communicate across time.

CE 3.3.3 - draw on a variety of critical perspectives to respond to and analyze works of literature…

CE 3.3.4 - demonstrate knowledge of American minority literature and the contributions of minority writers.

CE 3.4.1 - Use methods of close and contextualized reading and viewing to examine, interpret, and evaluate print and visual media and other works from popular culture

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28 | | MACULjournal| |FALL 2012

Essential ConditionsAs we examine what it takes for a school library to work towards achieving Library 2.0 status, it would be helpful to define what Library 2.0 means. Here’s my definition of Library 2.0:The concept of Library 2.0 is an offshoot of the Web 2.0 (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Web_2_point_0.html) idea. Most folks agree that Web 1.0 was mostly a web where users were primarily consumers of information, and Web 2.0 provides users access to tools that enable us to become producers, manipulators and “re-configurers” of information. Web 2.0 is also a place that allows people to connect to others and work together with others on creating information.

Library 2.0 then is similarly a library environment in which users can not only find and access the information that they need, but also have access to the tools that enable them to become producers, manipulators, and “re-configurers” of information. It also becomes an environment that encourages and enables collaboration between and among its clients.

People interested in more information about the Library 2.0 concept may want to explore this web site: Library 2.0: the future of libraries in the digital age, http://www.library20.com/.

So using that definition, for a library to become a Library 2.0 library, we need to provide more than just resources in which students and teachers can find information. We need to provide access to tools for them to produce, manipulate and configure

information. We need to provide spaces and tools for people to connect and work together with information.

Over the course of the next few articles what I’d like to do is examine some of the essential conditions for a school library to become a library 2.0 library using that definition.

It seems to me that the very first essential condition is the culture of the library or media center. A Library 2.0 culture has to come from the librarian/media specialist in charge of the library. A library 2.0 library is not a place where simply quiet, individual research is going on - although that too has to remain a part of it. It has to be a place where students and teachers are working together and individually on projects, collaborating, creating documents, presentations, audio and video clips as well as many other types of materials. The culture of the library has to be one that embraces activity and productivity, and not stereotypically concerned simply about maintaining quiet and preserving materials. This culture has to be fostered by the librarian, but also embraced by the leadership and administration of the school and may mean a change in the entire culture of the school.

Doug Johnson, one of our featured speakers at the 2012 MACUL Conference has a very thought-provoking blog post about the culture of libraries and technology departments, based on 8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses by Geoffrey James, Inc. April 23, 2012 (via Stephen’s Lighthouse). Here’s the link to Doug’s blog post: http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2012/5/29/core-beliefs-of-extraordinary-bosses.html.

In addition to changing from a culture of finding information to one of producing and sharing information, a Library 2.0 culture becomes one that moves from a definition of information or knowledge as independent of the learner to a definition of information and knowledge as a result of social and collaborative processes that the learner is involved in. Thus the culture of the library moves from independent learning of “facts” to collaborative exploration of ideas and creation of new information or ways of understanding that information.

Another good resource you may wish to explore is a new PowerPoint presentation by Thomas Hapke of University Library, Hamburg University of Technology, Germany, on Information culture. Here’s a link to that presentation on the blog of Sheila Webber, Director of the Centre for Information Literacy Research at the University of Sheffield, UK. http://information-literacy.blogspot.fr/2012/05/information-culture-different-views-on.html

Tim Staal is a past-president of MACUL and formerly the Executive Director of MAME. He is currently living in Mumbai, India, where he is serving as Head Librarian at the American School of Bombay: http://www.asbindia.org/. Tim’s Email: [email protected].

AChiEving LiBRARY 2.0

By Tim Staal

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29| |FALL 2012MACULjournal | |

http://remc.orgBy Sue Schwartz, Executive Director

In the state of Michigan, all teachers face the challenge of being proficient in the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning within their classrooms. Administrators call for it, parents expect it, and students advocate for it. However, teachers across the state have limited time, resources and access to the latest uses of instructional technology.

As budgets continue to be reduced across the state, opportunities for educators to attend conferences and professional development opportunities are becoming very limited. Teachers need access to the latest effective teaching strategies utilizing technology so they can make a greater impact in their instruction.

The REMC Association of Michigan is fulfilling this need through its REMC Connected Educator Series. This series of twenty-seven short videos features exceptional Michigan educators who incorporate technology into instruction on a daily basis. These educators demonstrate how to use the technology in the classroom and give ideas and steps for getting started in your own classroom.

Connected Educator titles include: Video Story Problems QR Codes Blogging, Skyping and Wikis M.O.R.E./MeL and the Media Specialist/Teacher

Collaboration Challenge Based Learning Blended Learning Google Apps in Education Plus, many more!

Making it easy to find and easy to use this content is an important feature of the series. Teachers and administrators can easily access the videos in the Connected Educators series directly from their desktop or other devices. They can play or replay them over and over at their convenience. The Connected Educator series is available at remc.org/connectededucator, mistreamnet.org and macul.org/milearning on ITunes U.

If you have any questions about the REMC Association or its Projects, please contact me at [email protected].

Sue Schwartz is the Executive Director for The REMC Association. If you have any questions about the REMC Association or its projects, contact Sue at [email protected].

REMCFOCUS

In

Wiltse Elected ISTE Board Treasurer Ric Wiltse, MACUL Executive Director, has been unanimously elected treasurer of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) board of directors at the board’s meeting in San Diego last June. Ric was elected to the board last year as affiliate representative and is in his second year of a two year term. Wiltse is pictured receiving the bronze President’s Volunteer Service Award from ISTE Board President Holly Jobe for logging over 230 hours of service to ISTE in the past year. The award was presented in San Diego at the 2012 ISTE conference.

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Stem Educationcontinued from page 11

Leadership changescontinued from page 7

MACUL welcomes new Board members Terri Gustafson, David Prindle, Ron HoutmanandMarySaffron.WealsowelcomeBarbFardellasournewMichigan Department of Education Liaison.

The 2012-2013 program year will be led by these Board officers: Steve Schiller, President; Pam Shoemaker, President Elect; Pete Mantei, Treasurer; and Tammy Maginity, Secretary. We greatly thank outgoing Board President Mike Oswalt,

Past President Tim kamps and Secretary Gina Loveless.

SIG Leader Changes

We also say goodbye and thanks to Andy Losik, SIGEE Director; Lisa Wickman, SIGMM Director; Mary Saffron, SIGOL Director; Chris Skoglund, SIGSPED Assistant Director; Steve Best, SIGPL Director; David Prindle, SIGPL Assistant Director; and Scott Schopierary, SIGPL Communications Director. MACUL welcomes these new SIG leaders: Jen

Omo, SIGEE Communications Officer; Eric Strommer SIGMM Communications Officer; Danielle Letter, SIGOL Communications Officer; Doug kish, SIGSPED Assistant Director; Gina Loveless, SIGPL Director; Jason kalis, SIGPL Assistant Director; and Julia VanderMolen, SIGPL Communications Officer.

If you are interested in becoming more involved in a leadership role in MACUL, contact me at [email protected].

However,WolframAlphaisn’ttheonlinetool that is going to replace what we doaseducators.Itcan’texplainHOWa particular computation is relevant to an experiment you might be doing, and it doesn’t really give much narrative or context (you’ll still want to use Google or Wikipedia for some of these things) to what you might be studying. Rather, it is just a tool for searching data. Science fiction fans might think of it like the omnipresent “computer” from Star Trek episodes that can do calculations and give you plain English responses when you ask. But, in those episodes, it isn’t flying the ship. Rather, it is a tool that can do so much of the heavy lifting of research and computation that we otherwise spend our time on in STEM classrooms, and that can and should facilitate a move toward higher order thinking and conceptualization in our classes… just like the calculator did so many years ago.

Stephen Best is an Education Consultant for the Michigan Department of Education in the School Reform Office. He is the past director of MACUL SIG-PL, and planned the iPads in the Classroom and Teaching and Learning in the Cloud conferences for MACUL. His work includes designing learning programs for teachers in STEM topics.

In addition to data, wolfram Alpha can generate simple diagrams relevant to the search topic, such as this astronomical diagram showing the recent transit of Venus across the sun from the earth.

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31| |FALL 2012MACULjournal | |

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