Title: Using mark out poetry to explore preservice teachers’ understanding of computational thinking: A pilot in progress.
In this descriptive brief paper about work in progress, two science education university faculty and a post-doctoral researcher share an arts-based assessment developed to investigate students’ understanding of computational thinking. The mark out poetry activity was designed for use in an NSF grant funded mixed methods, multi-partner STEM-C research project. Piloted in an undergraduate science teacher education course at a public university, the assessment is intended for later use with public high school juniors and seniors who are partnering in the grant’s work, and likely have little experience with computational thinking. Collected data has the potential to inform the researchers about changes in participants’ understanding of computational thinking over time, as well as the efficacy of the equity-based grant project. This paper includes instructions for the activity, an example of one undergraduate’s work, and a preliminary analysis of the work of the five students in the pilot. This presentation may inform the work of constituents of technological, teacher education, and K-12 learning communities who want to broaden and deepen their assessment practices with the inclusion of qualitative, arts- and equity-based data collection and analysis. (Funding-NSF Grant 1842342.) more »« less
Parrish, Jennifer C.; Higgins, Teresa M.; Taylor, Christina M.; Slykhuis, David A.
(, SITE Interactive Online)
Langran, E.
(Ed.)
In this descriptive brief paper three science education university faculty and a postdoctoral researcher share the difference between the delivery, execution, and assessment of the same educative making learning opportunities assigned to science education preservice teachers first in face-to-face undergraduate courses taught before the COVID-19 pandemic, and then in an online version of the same courses. This presentation may inform the work of constituents of science and teacher education and maker learning communities who want to employ best practices as they modify curriculum for virtual delivery. (Funding-NSF Grant 1842342.)
Science education integrates the study of and practices from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). At the fundamental level, the pedagogy involves teaching and learning that emphasizes the use of scientific inquiry and the engineering design process to develop students’ problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. Unfortunately, funding and professional development for teachers, which is essential to assure successful implementation of science lessons to increase the potential for student achievement, is lacking. Therefore, this NSF-funded science-education research project explored the development of a model that deepens the existing partnerships among grass-roots, non-profit community education organizations, K-12 public schools, and local university partners. Together, they worked collaboratively to develop systems where teachers could implement high-quality, place-based, NGSS-aligned science learning opportunities that actively engage students. This research project may lead to a future proposal for high-quality professional development for teachers, using the Teacher-to-Teacher professional development model, with the goal of impacting student achievement in science. The goals of this research project were to (1) develop a collaborative model that deepens community, public school, and university partnerships designed to support science educators and their students and (2) explore the current academic and social impact of the Teacher-to-Teacher professional development program as a possible solution for the development and implementation of high-quality, place-based, NGSS-aligned learning experiences for and with students. This presentation will focus on the components used to develop the partnership model with community partners, K-12 teachers and administrators, and university professors. Finally, the Teacher-to-Teacher (T2T) model and its new iteration, the Teacher-Plus-Community Partners T+CP Model will be shared for future development of place-based science learning experiences.
Skuratowicz, Eva; Vanderberg, Maggie; Hung, Eping E.; Krause, Gladys; Bradley, Dominique; Wilson, Joseph P.
(, SIGCSE '21: Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education)
null
(Ed.)
In fall 2019, the National Science Foundation awarded Southern Oregon University a two-year Computer Science for All Researcher Practitioner Partnership grant focused on integrating computational thinking (CT) into the K'5 instruction of general elementary and elementary bilingual teachers. This experience report highlights the process of transitioning one essential component of the project an elementary teacher summer institute (SI) from in-person to online due to COVID-19. This report covers the approach the team took to designing the SI to work virtually, the challenges encountered, the experiences of the 15 teachers involved through observations and surveys, and the opportunities for refinement. This report will be of potential interest for other computer science (CS) education researchers who also may be working with elementary teachers to incorporate CS and CT activities into their instruction.
We know that teachers want their students to have plentiful opportunities for scientific sensemaking. Based on our experience, we believe that other teachers will find the SEP Tools very useful for helping them work toward that goal. The SEP Tools are useful whether working solo or in collaboration with other teachers, but we do encourage you to engage in this work with other teachers whenever possible. We found that using the language from the tool in our collaborative conversations really helped us to clarify and align our thinking about what it looks like for middle school students to be fully engaging in the practices, as defined by the NGSS. If you are the sole science teacher in your school or district who wants to use the SEP Tools with a thinking partner, you might consider reaching out to other teachers via your local or state science teacher association, your county office of education, or a professor of science education at a nearby university.
Taylor, Christina; Parrish, Jennifer C.; Slykhuis, David A.
(, SITE Interactive Online)
Langan, E.
(Ed.)
This descriptive brief paper is an abbreviated report about a larger autoethnographic study written by the first author as a post-doctoral research associate working in educative making as part of an NSF grant for which the goal is to attract a diverse population to the career path of mechatronics. Teleworking from home under shelter-in-place orders, she employed the methodology of reflexive embodied autoethnography with applied sensibilities to investigate the cultural experience of her two semesters as a participant observer who built a new university Makerspace in the USA and supported its use by undergraduate science education preservice teachers. Sans the underlying personal experience narrative of the larger study, this account encapsulates its findings with regards to conceptual, physical, and cultural characteristics of the Makerspace and the teaching and learning therein. This report concludes with considerations for the design, utility, and culture of fabrication laboratories which support deep engagement. This account may inform the work of informal and formal science education and educative making learning communities which strive for transformative learning. (Funding - NSF Grant 1842342.)
Taylor, C., Parrish, J., and Slykhuis, D. Using mark out poetry to explore preservice teachers’ understanding of computational thinking: A pilot in progress.. Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10308557. Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference .
Taylor, C., Parrish, J., & Slykhuis, D. Using mark out poetry to explore preservice teachers’ understanding of computational thinking: A pilot in progress.. Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, (). Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10308557.
Taylor, C., Parrish, J., and Slykhuis, D.
"Using mark out poetry to explore preservice teachers’ understanding of computational thinking: A pilot in progress.". Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (). Country unknown/Code not available. https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10308557.
@article{osti_10308557,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
title = {Using mark out poetry to explore preservice teachers’ understanding of computational thinking: A pilot in progress.},
url = {https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10308557},
abstractNote = {In this descriptive brief paper about work in progress, two science education university faculty and a post-doctoral researcher share an arts-based assessment developed to investigate students’ understanding of computational thinking. The mark out poetry activity was designed for use in an NSF grant funded mixed methods, multi-partner STEM-C research project. Piloted in an undergraduate science teacher education course at a public university, the assessment is intended for later use with public high school juniors and seniors who are partnering in the grant’s work, and likely have little experience with computational thinking. Collected data has the potential to inform the researchers about changes in participants’ understanding of computational thinking over time, as well as the efficacy of the equity-based grant project. This paper includes instructions for the activity, an example of one undergraduate’s work, and a preliminary analysis of the work of the five students in the pilot. This presentation may inform the work of constituents of technological, teacher education, and K-12 learning communities who want to broaden and deepen their assessment practices with the inclusion of qualitative, arts- and equity-based data collection and analysis. (Funding-NSF Grant 1842342.)},
journal = {Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference},
author = {Taylor, C. and Parrish, J. and Slykhuis, D.},
editor = {null and null}
}
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