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1. Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions of Computer Vision

   Swisher, K. (January 2023, SITE 2023 - New Orleans, LA, United States, March 13-17, 2023)

   For decades, the use of computer vision as a component of STEM learning has been encouraged at all levels of education—from K-12 to the university levels . A program was developed to support in-service teachers’ development of computer vision. Professional development was provided to middle school teachers while middle school students also attended a summer camp on computer vision. Our research question was: After in-service teachers engaged in artificial intelligence professional development emphasizing computer vision, how did their perceptions of computer vision change? Personal Construct Theory (Kelly, 1955) was used as our methodology. Pairwise comparisons yielded constructs administered in the form of repertory grids. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed and clusters were identified. Results showed that in-service teachers’ perspectives of computer vision changed after engaging in computer vision-based professional development. 

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2. Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions of Computer Vision

   Swisher, K.; Kurz, T.; Jayasuriya, S.; Covert, J.; Mativo, J.; Pidaparti, R.; Robinson, D. (January 2023, Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference)

   Langran, E. (Ed.)

   For decades, the use of computer vision as a component of STEM learning has been encouraged at all levels of education—from K-12 to the university levels. A program was developed to support in-service teachers’ development of computer vision. Professional development was provided to middle school teachers while middle school students also attended a summer camp on computer vision. Our research question was: After in-service teachers engaged in artificial intelligence professional development emphasizing computer vision, how did their perceptions of computer vision change? Personal Construct Theory (Kelly, 1955) was used as our methodology. Pairwise comparisons yielded constructs administered in the form of repertory grids. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed and clusters were identified. Results showed that in-service teachers’ perspectives of computer vision changed after engaging in computer vision-based professional development. 

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3. Teaching A Computer To Sing (TACTS): Integrating Computing and Music in a Middle School, After‐School Program

   Heines, Jesse M.; Walzer, Daniel A. (June 2018, Journal of computing sciences in colleges)

   This paper reports on an after‐school program that introduced middle school students to computing through music. The program ran for two years, from October 2015 through April 2017. It involved singing, encoding music with ABC notation, and programming music with Pencil Code. We describe the program’s goals and the activities students pursued, as well as suggestions for improvement. While rigorous evaluation of such a program is difficult, we present survey and focus group results that show that students’ attitudes toward the program were positive and that they did learn some programming. 

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4. Examining the Design and Outcomes of an After-School Physical Computing Program in Middle-School

   Veng, S.; Mouza, C.; Pollock, L. (January 2023, Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference)

   This work examines the application of high-quality pedagogical practices in the design and implementation of an after-school physical computing program aimed at providing middle school students with access to computer science (CS) education. It subsequently examines how the program influenced students’ learning of CS concepts and attitudes towards computing. The program was designed and implemented through a school-university partnership, and 66 middle school students voluntarily participated. There were two cohorts of students in the study. Results indicate that the program had a positive impact on students’ understanding of CS concepts, and a significant impact on attitudes towards computing was seen among those in the second cohort. Implications are drawn for the design of informal after-school programs aimed at broadening participation in computing. 

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5. EYE: A Middle School STEM Unit on Energy Flow

   Zangori, L; Otto, S (October 2023, Missouri Association for Rural Educators (MARE))

   This middle school STEM unit called Energy in Your Environment (EYE) was co-created by middle school science teachers, architectural studies, and science education faculty with the goal of improving students’ energy literacy and energy conservation knowledge. The unit fosters place-based education by using the school building to enhance systems thinking about energy consumption and flow between the building and surrounding environment. Within the unit, students explore the role of electrical, thermal, and light energy in their school building and consider how building features (such as windows, lighting, and insulation) impact energy flow and conservation. Students use their energy systems knowledge to design and build a desk-top one-room energy efficient building using simple materials to explain how and why their design impacts energy flow. Five teachers implemented the unit with over 200 students. The growth from pre- to post-measurements was statistically significant for students energy flow knowledge and tracing the path of energy (F(1, 209) = 3118.3, p = 0.001). In our presentation, we will provide an overview of the unit, our student learning data, and result summary. 

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