Preparing students with 21st Century Skills through STEM related teaching is needed, especially at the elementary level. However, most teacher education preparation programs do not focus on STEM education. To provide an exemplary STEM unit, we transformed an inquiry-based unit on moon phases from a traditional science activity into a technology-rich, digital unit for pre-service teachers (PSTs). In this presentation, we will describe lessons learned related to the development and implementation of this STEM unit in an undergraduate elementary methods course. We explore the impact of this on PSTs’ perceptions of inquiry-based science instruction. Findings indicate that PSTs held absolutist beliefs and had a need for instruction on inquiry-based learning prior to engaging in an on-going inquiry. In addition, we determined that explicit examples of effective and ineffective technology use are needed to help PSTs develop an understanding of meaningful technology integration. Finally, our design approach resulted in a successful modification of the unit, but caused the usability of our digital instructional materials to suffer. Findings suggest that inquiry-based STEM units can be implemented in existing programs; however, development requires significant effort and requires that designs be tested for successful implementation.

Teachers and administrators face an increasingly common dilemma in classrooms and schools nationwide: the haphazard integration of technology. It has become ubiquitously accepted that the integration of technology into all aspects of teaching and learning is not only beneficial but also necessary (Nickerson & Zodhiates, 2014). Yet, little consideration is typically given with respect to how that technology is selected, implemented, and evaluated (Edyburn, 2014). This haphazard approach can lead to the selection and adoption of technology for the sake of technology rather than identification of relevant technology built on a strong foundation of need. Too often word of mouth or brief Internet searches are the sole basis for the adoption of devices and systems impacting students and teachers. By applying what works in a personal context (e.g., a quick android app search for tracking exercise) to the professional context, educators are in danger of selecting technology that is ineffective, misaligned, or incompatible with (a) the desired outcomes and (b) philosophies of learning and behavior management. Therefore, a systematic process for identifying, implementing, and evaluating technology use in schools is warranted.

We have established the Software Identification Evaluation and Decision-making (SIED) project to develop a framework to guide education stakeholders (e.g., administrators, teachers, students, and parents) in identifying and leveraging advanced technologies to improve student outcomes. In this presentation we will present a systematic process based on the Project SIED conceptual model to guide educators through the initial identification of need (i.e., what is the problem), followed by the selection, implementation and evaluation of relevant technology (i.e., how can we meet this need).

This session will be an attempt to dig deep into how we interact with the tools we create. With social media heavily ingrained in our culture today, what do we make of it? What can we make of it? What should we make of it? As an Amish person once said “We don’t stop asking at what a tool does. We ask about what kind of people we become when we use it.” In this session the presenter will describe her own journey into online communities and will then engage the audience in discussion and activities around which they can discover their own behavior and opinions about it all. Once we know how we have changed, we can begin to use (or not use) our tools creatively, productively, and most importantly, mindfully.

There will be discussion in small groups, and an activity done both individually and within a small group. The activity will have the participants explore their own use of technology – from a pencil to a high powered computer, from word processing to twitter and blogging. With the use of some visuals, the group will map their use, time spent, benefits, and distractions and get a holistic picture of what kind of people we as a whole have become as we use (and/or abuse) the tools available to us. The purpose of this activity is to help people stand back and become mindful of what they are doing. They then can take this new knowledge back into their classrooms, business, or community.

This study sought to determine the extent to which high school students’ attitudes toward mathematics change during the course of their mathematics class delivered via the flipped classroom model. This study examined how the implementation of flipped classroom affects the students’ self-confidence, motivation, enjoyment, and value of Mathematics — the four subscales of students’ attitudes toward Mathematics. Students enrolled in four different Mathematics courses that used the flipped classroom pedagogy at Barstow High School in Barstow, CA were given the Attitude towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) before and after the implementation of flipped classroom. In order to determine the effect of flipped classroom model on the students’ attitude towards Mathematics, a t-test on the difference in the students’ average score before and after the implementation of flipped classroom in each of the four subscales of the ATMI were conducted.

Gamify, gamify, gamify! We’ve heard this buzzword a lot lately. How do we use games purposefully in our college classes? Can gamifying be efficient for the quiz creator? Can it facilitate high-quality student engagement?

Quizzes are often silent, linear, and lonely. Students come to college over tested and underprepared to engage in discussion or live problem solving. In my quest to address this, I began giving quizzes as live group activities. Students still study and earn grades for the quiz, and I’ve seen increased engagement with the content. In teams, students become competitive and more motivated to clarify something they don’t understand. Somehow, students perceive higher stakes, and are more motivated to “play.”

I’m a teacher, not a game designer. I began seeking templates for quiz games that would allow me to convey and test my content without sacrificing too much of my teaching time. Enter PPT game show templates. These templates can be found all over the web and mimic popular game shows such as Jeopardy! and Family Feud. They are customizable and have been a big hit with my students. Through them, I’m able to deliver and test the same content, but students exhibit greater engagement and results.

I’ve tried various gamifying technologies, and find the game show PPT templates to be engaging, efficient, and easy to create.

The goal of this workshop is to share with fellow educators tips and tricks for leveraging the best of open culture quiz game templates. Educators will leave the workshop having the skills to implement a game show-facilitated quiz in their class. These interactive PPT/Video/Audio game templates can be used in any content area.