With NASA's Rocket Science 101, a new game designed for computers and
iPad users, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to launch a
spacecraft.
NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP), based at
the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, provides access to space
for the studies of Earth and exploration of our solar system and the
universe. Now, LSP is turning over the virtual selection, construction
and launch of a mission to players who will decide the best rocket to
assemble to launch a spacecraft. Rocket scientists in LSP do the same
thing for real rockets and missions every day.
Players select
their favorite NASA mission and choose from three skill levels for
building a rocket to send the spacecraft into orbit. The Rocket Science
101 challenge provides players an opportunity to learn about NASA
missions and the various components of the launch vehicles, including
how rockets are configured and how they work together to successfully
launch a spacecraft.
June 26, 2012
Scientists Find Learning Is Not 'Hard-Wired'
Neuroscience exploded into the education conversation more than 20
years ago, in step with the evolution of personal computers and the rise
of the Internet, and policymakers hoped medical discoveries could
likewise help doctors and teachers understand the "hard wiring" of the
brain.
That conception of how the brain works, exacerbated by the difficulty in translating research from lab to classroom, spawned a generation of neuro-myths and snake-oil pitches—from programs to improve cross-hemisphere brain communication to teaching practices aimed at "auditory" or "visual" learners.
That conception of how the brain works, exacerbated by the difficulty in translating research from lab to classroom, spawned a generation of neuro-myths and snake-oil pitches—from programs to improve cross-hemisphere brain communication to teaching practices aimed at "auditory" or "visual" learners.
Immediate Rewards for Good Scores Can Boost Student Performance
Test performance can improve dramatically if students are
offered rewards just before they are given standardized tests and if
they receive the incentive immediately afterward, new research at the
University of Chicago shows.
Educators have long debated the value of financial and other rewards as incentives, but a series of experiments in Chicago-area schools showed that with the right kind of rewards, students achievement improved by as much as six months beyond what would be expected.
The rewards apparently provide students with an incentive to take tests more seriously. One implication is that policymakers may underestimate students' ability in otherwise low-performing schools, according to the research team that conducted the experiments.
Educators have long debated the value of financial and other rewards as incentives, but a series of experiments in Chicago-area schools showed that with the right kind of rewards, students achievement improved by as much as six months beyond what would be expected.
The rewards apparently provide students with an incentive to take tests more seriously. One implication is that policymakers may underestimate students' ability in otherwise low-performing schools, according to the research team that conducted the experiments.
June 18, 2012
Why K-8 May Be a Better Approach
Knowing that middle schoolers, even eighth graders, are still the
children who played tag at recess a mere three or four years before, is
not infantilizing, but humanizing to the young adolescent. Middle
schoolers are proud, of course, of their new status as almost teens, but
the almost is what most defines them.
When educators are unaware of how developmentally close the middle schooler is to elementary schooler, we miss the opportunity to teach the whole person, both the child who is leaving childhood behind, as well as the young adult who is looking forward to the challenges of independence.
When educators are unaware of how developmentally close the middle schooler is to elementary schooler, we miss the opportunity to teach the whole person, both the child who is leaving childhood behind, as well as the young adult who is looking forward to the challenges of independence.
Keep Them Part of an Elementary School
Other than the critical early years of child development, there may be
no more essential time in a child’s education than adolescence. All too
often, however, these adolescent years are spent in poorly designed
middle school settings, which increase the likelihood that students will
succumb to peer pressure and fall off the academic track.
The question to consider, therefore, is “what approach and educational design are needed during these years to give students the environment and academic program they need to complete 8th grade poised for success in high school?
The question to consider, therefore, is “what approach and educational design are needed during these years to give students the environment and academic program they need to complete 8th grade poised for success in high school?
June 13, 2012
Studying Engineering Before They Can Spell It
Spurred by growing concerns that American students lack the skills to
compete in a global economy, school districts nationwide are packing
engineering lessons into already crowded schedules for even the youngest
students, giving priority to a subject that was once left to
after-school robotics clubs and summer camps, or else waited until
college.
Supporters say that engineering reinforces math and science skills, promotes critical thinking and creativity, and teaches students not to be afraid of taking intellectual risks.
Supporters say that engineering reinforces math and science skills, promotes critical thinking and creativity, and teaches students not to be afraid of taking intellectual risks.
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