High school classes: boys making pizza

Inscription: Verso: boys making pizza, 7th grade home economics class, Thompson Jr. High School, Syosset, New York.

Using blogs to enhance the capacity of mathematical communication in High School

The aim of this investigation is to analyze the use of the blog as an educational resource for the development of the mathematical communication in secondary education. With this aim, four aspects are analyzed: organization of mathematical thinking through communication; communication of mathematical thinking; analysis and evaluation of the strategies and mathematical thought of others; and expression of mathematical ideas using mathematical language. The research was conducted from a qualitative approach on an exploratory level, with the case study method of 4 classrooms of second grade of secondary education in a private school in Lima. The observational technique of 20 publications in the blog of the math class was applied; a study of a focal group with a sample of 9 students with different levels of academic performance; and an interview with the academic coordinator of the school was conducted. The results show that the organization of mathematical thinking through communication is carried out in the blog in a written, graphical and oral way through explanations, schemes and videos. Regarding communication of mathematical thinking, the blog is used to describe concepts, arguments and mathematical procedures with words and examples of the students. The analysis and evaluation of the strategies and mathematical thinking is performed through comments and debates about the publications. It was also noted that the blog does not facilitate the use of mathematical language to express mathematical ideas, since it does not allow direct writing of symbols nor graphic representation.

INVESTIGATING THE USE OF MAZE-CBM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Recent legislation and initiatives set forth high academic expectations for all high school graduates in the area of reading (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, 2010; Every Student Succeeds Act, 2015). To determine which students need additional support to meet these reading standards, teachers can conduct universal screening using formative assessments. Maze Curriculum-Based Measurement (Maze-CBM) is a commonly used screening and progress monitoring assessment that the National Center on Intensive Intervention (2013) and the Center on Instruction (Torgesen & Miller, 2009) recommend. Despite the recommendation to use Maze-CBM, little research has been conducted on the reliability and validity of Maze-CBM for measuring reading ability for students at the secondary level (Mitchell & Wexler, 2016). In the papers included in this dissertation, I present an initial investigation into the use of Maze-CBM for secondary students. In the first paper, I investigated prior studies of Maze-CBM for students in Grades 6 through 12. Next, in the second paper, I investigated the alternate-form reliability and validity for screening students in Grades 9 and 10 using signal detection theory methods. In the third paper, I examined the effect of genre on Maze-CBM scores with a sample of students in Grades 9 and 10 using multilevel modeling. When writing these three papers, I discovered several important findings related to Maze-CBM. First, there are few studies that have investigated the technical adequacy of Maze-CBM for screening and progress monitoring students in Grades 6 through 12. Additionally, only two studies (McMaster, Wayman, & Cao, 2006; Pierce, McMaster, & Deno, 2010) examined the technical adequacy of Maze-CBM for high school students. A second finding is that the reliability of Maze-CBM is often below acceptable levels for making screening decisions or progress monitoring decisions (.80 and above and .90 and above, respectively; Salvia, Ysseldyke, & Bolt, 2007) for secondary students. A third finding is that Maze-CBM scores show promise of being a valid screening tool for reading ability of secondary students. Finally, I found that the genre of the text used in the Maze-CBM assessment does impact scores on Maze-CBM for students in Grades 9 and 10.

Interactive storytelling to improve the listening skill of 8th grade at INAN High School

Este trabajo de investigación se trata de Cuentacuentos de respuesta física total y su influencia en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de Inglés como segunda lengua de los estudiantes del octavo grado de Educación General Básica del Colegio "INTEGRACIÓN ANDINA" en la ciudad de Cuenca en el Año Lectivo 2014 y 2015. Es necesario un nuevo sistema educativo para responder a las necesidades de la sociedad actual para permitir el desarrollo general de la educación, implementando un nuevo programa de enseñanza en el aprendizaje del Inglés a través de la narración. La búsqueda de una mejor manera de aprender y enseñar es responsabilidad ineludible de todos los maestros que deben enfrentar los desafíos con entusiasmo mientras se mira hacia innovaciones futuras permitiendo a los estudiantes mejorar sus habilidades de escucha y demás destrezas. Dado que el 90% de conocimiento de un nuevo idioma se adquiere a través de la lectura; el uso de Cuentacuentos ayuda a los estudiantes a adquirir el conocimiento necesario que será la base para un alto nivel cultural, tanto en el aprendizaje y en el desarrollo de habilidades de lenguaje, la lectura es un medio esencial para el desarrollo cultural en Educación. La falta de preparación en la lectura obstaculiza los esfuerzos del maestro secundario para lograr una formación integral en el alumno. Es necesario implementar estrategias para tratar de superar la falta de lectura, mediante el uso de la narración de cuentos en clase para animar a los estudiantes a leer en casa.

The influences of conceptions of learning and learner self-concept on high school students' approaches to learning

This study investigated the mediating effect of learner selfconcept between conceptions of learning and students' approaches to learning using structural equation modelling. Data were collected using a modified version of Biggs' Learning Process Questionnaire, together with the recently developed 'What is Learning Survey' and 'Learner Self-Concept Scale'. A sample of 355 high school students participated in the study. Results indicate that learner self-concept does mediate between conceptions of meaning and approaches to learning. Students who adopted a deep approach liked learning new things and indirectly viewed learning as experiential, involving social interaction and directly viewed learning as personal development. Implications for teachers are discussed, with consideration given to appropriate classroom practice.

Locking away the mysteries of fair basis : Lockwood v Doric in the High Court

This article updates a previous article on the Lockwood v Doric fair basing case in the Full Court of the Federal Court which was recently appealed to the High Court. The High Court's decision provides a new and welcome level of clarity in this difficult area of patent law. With this new clarity we can finally lock away some of the mysteries that have plagued the area for some time. Already, indications are that Lockwood's guidelines are being usefully applied in the Patent Office and Federal Court.

Visual arts, technology and education : how can teaching and learning in high school visual arts classrooms be enriched by the use of computer technology?

Whilst a variety of studies has appeared over the last decade addressing the gap between the potential promised by computers and the reality experienced in the classroom by teachers and students, few have specifically addressed the situation as it pertains to the visual arts classroom. The aim of this study was to explore the reality of the classroom use of computers for three visual arts highschool teachers and determine how computer technology might enrich visual arts teaching and learning. An action research approach was employed to enable the researcher to understand the situation from the teachers' points of view while contributing to their professional practice. The wider social context surrounding this study is characterised by an increase in visual communications brought about by rapid advances in computer technology. The powerful combination of visual imagery and computer technology is illustrated by continuing developments in the print, film and television industries. In particular, the recent growth of interactive multimedia epitomises this combination and is significant to this study as it represents a new form of publishing of great interest to educators and artists alike. In this social context, visual arts education has a significant role to play. By cultivating a critical awareness of the implications of technology use and promoting a creative approach to the application of computer technology within the visual arts, visual arts education is in a position to provide an essential service to students who will leave high school to participate in a visual information age as both consumers and producers.

Anna Clark (2008) History’s Children: History Wars in the Classroom. UNSW Press, Sydney, 178 pages

“History’s Children” stems from Anna Clark’s 2004 postdoctoral research into the ways in which Australian students connect with the past, and aims at bringing some classroom perspectives into the public debates about Australian history education. Although the title makes reference to the “History Wars”, there is little evidence of contestation, engagement, passion or intellectual excitement in Clark’s conclusions about what happens in history classrooms. Rather, Clark’s small focus groups with 182 high school students in 34 high schools around Australia indicate that “it got a bit dismal hearing student after student being so dismissive of Australian history” (p. 143). Apart from some enthusiasm for the study of Australians at war, a sort of resigned boredom seems to characterise what students have to say about learning Australian history, despite their acknowledgement that it is important to “know about” it.

One approach to finding evidence for the effectiveness of scientific visualisations in high school physics and chemistry education

Enormous amounts of money and energy are being devoted to the development, use and organisation of computer-based scientific visualisations (e.g. animations and simulations) in science education. It seems plausible that visualisations that enable students to gain visual access to scientific phenomena that are too large, too small or occur too quickly or too slowly to be seen by the naked eye, or to scientific concepts and models, would yield enhanced conceptual learning. When the literature is searched, however, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a dearth of quantitative evidence for the effectiveness of scientific visualisations in enhancing students’ learning of science concepts. This paper outlines an Australian project that is using innovative research methodology to gather evidence on this question in physics and chemistry classrooms.

Your voice counts : Listening to the voice of high school students with autism spectrum disorder

Supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in inclusive settings presents both opportunities and significant challenges to school communities. This study, which explored the lived-experience of nine students with ASD in an inclusive high school in Australia, is based on the belief that by listening to the voices of students, school communities will be in a better position to collaboratively create supportive learning and social environments. The findings of this small-scale study deepen our knowledge from the student perspective of the inclusive educational practices that facilitate and constrain the learning and participation of students with ASD. The students’ perspectives were examined in relation to the characteristics of successful inclusive schools identified by Kluth. Implications for inclusive educational practice that meets the needs of students with ASD are presented.