By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-10-26
By Martin Horejsi
Posted on 2011-10-25
The computer mouse has been a stable since 1984 when it was popularized on the Macintosh computer. And has gone relatively unquestioned since. However, the mouse also prevents us from doing many things. Like what, you might ask? Well, doing those things that we now commonly do with touch-screen tablets and phones.
A computer mouse, regardless of its number of buttons is still a mouse. That means it operates one cursor at one spot on one display. While UIs (user interfaces) have gotten creative with the ever-growing number of mouse buttons, wheels, and clicks, I view the device as going from one to two to three to five to absurd numbers of actionable pressure sensitive spots on a deck-of-cards sized forever-horizontally limited symbolic object trying desperately to mimic a vertically imprisoned arrowhead. Mostly the additional buttons on a mouse operate other features in a faster pathway, but still there are only so many buttons one can keep track of, program, and install updated drivers.
But today, we are learning to love a faster, simpler, and arguably more natural interface using gestures with one or more fingers. While four fingers seems to be the limit right now, possibly because we only have four fingers, the combination of swiping in four directions (up, down, left, right) with one, two, three, or four fingers give sixteen obvious possible combinations. But wait there’s more! Gestures include pinching, stretching, tapping (single, double, triple), and two and three finger rotation (left and right). While not all combinations work together right now, it is clear that the number of possible communications signals that can be sent to the computer from a few activations of a couple muscles operating one hand can be turned into hundreds of possible meanings.
And that’s just one motion going one way. If the computer could respond with submenus (which it can) or pressure sensitivity (which is possible in some programs) or even acceleration which proportions the speed of the gesture with its active effect or duration which are common preferences, the level of control is truly infinite. And all that with just one hand…and without a thumb! I can easily imagine a dual surface vertically positioned pinch interface system giving the opposable digit we are so proud of as a species (well Order anyway) a useful computing purpose beyond punching squares on a tiny keyboard, or sharing a oversized space bar with yet another thumb.
So what does all this mean to science education? Well, I would like to posit that much of the imagination behind our science education teaching with technology is mouse-driven and therefore suffers from two-dimensional thinking. If we could free ourselves from the excruciatingly limited choices of the computer mouse, we might open an entirely new world of rich, interactive content. Imagine navigating the periodic table like you can Google Earth! Imagine moving thorough a complex spreadsheet of data as if you were diving in and out and around a high-resolution photography.
What is the gain? Three things come to mind. First, it will allow a customized presentation (or perspective) of information for the user. Second, it will present the data in ways that will likely allow new discoveries from the same information set. And third, it will spur new, more powerful ways to present, share and manage information.
While the visual computing of Hollywood with the immersion of Minority Report and puppeteer speed of Iron Man coming to mind, it might seem like the wild and visionary techniques for engineering and statistics are a long way off. But as gesture-controlled computing gains traction in school environments, I’d bet the objects of science fiction dreams might be closer than they appear.
The computer mouse has been a stable since 1984 when it was popularized on the Macintosh computer. And has gone relatively unquestioned since. However, the mouse also prevents us from doing many things. Like what, you might ask? Well, doing those things that we now commonly do with touch-screen tablets and phones.
By Debra Shapiro
Posted on 2011-10-25
By Debra Shapiro
Posted on 2011-10-21
By Debra Shapiro
Posted on 2011-10-20
They say “everything old is new again”: The time-honored practice of seed saving is taking a new twist, with seed-lending libraries springing up around the country. California middle school teacher Rebecca Newburn started one at her public library–and helped her students start a seed-lending library at her school. She’ll tell you how seed saving can help you integrate science in your curriculum in this NSTA Reports story.
By Cindy Workosky
Posted on 2011-10-20
Greetings … Interested in learning more about NRC’s Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards now in development, catch one of the many sessions slated for the Hartford Regional Conference.
Featured Panel: Stephen Pruitt, Achieve, and Francis Eberle, NSTA
Thursday, October 27
12:30–1:30 PM
Connecticut Convention Center, Ballroom A
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Helen Quinn, NRC Study Director
Friday, October 28
12:30–1:30 PM
Connecticut Convention Center, Ballroom A
Exploring the Science Framework; Harold Pratt and Francis Eberle, NSTA
FRIDAY, October 28 (CORRECTION)
2:00–3:00 PM
Connecticut Convention Center, Ballroom A
If you need more information on the conference, click here.
Greetings … Interested in learning more about NRC’s Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards now in development, catch one of the many sessions slated for the Hartford Regional Conference.
Featured Panel: Stephen Pruitt, Achieve, and Francis Eberle, NSTA
Thursday, October 27
12:30–1:30 PM
Connecticut Convention Center, Ballroom A
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-10-19
I recently became the science department chairperson. My meetings are a disaster! People arrive late and complain when I try to discuss issues. I don’t think we accomplish anything. What can I do to make meetings more productive?
—Irene from Wisconsin
As a new chairperson, you may run into some resistance from teachers used to an existing format (or lack of one) for faculty meetings. Their resistance often results in off-task behaviors that interfere with your goals. We teachers complain there’s little opportunity to collaborate, yet without any structure, faculty meetings often become gripe and gossip sessions. If meetings in previous years were seen as a waste of time, you may have to be persistent to let people know that things are going to be different—and then make sure they are different.
Send out an agenda a few days in advance and send a copy to the principal. Use e-mail or an attachment to the agenda to communicate information items so the meeting time can be spent more productively. Rather than a bulleted list of agenda items, phrase them in the form of a question for your colleagues to consider. For example, instead of “Safety,” ask, “What do you do to ensure that students work safely in your lab?”
Be respectful of people’s time. For afterschool meetings, give your colleagues a few minutes to tidy up their classrooms, but start and end the meeting at the designated times. Follow the agenda (unless the discussion becomes really interesting or productive). Set aside a few minutes to recognize new issues or other concerns but use the “parking lot” idea for those that could or should be addressed at another time. Celebrate any of your colleague’s successes or accomplishments, too. (One of my principals would give out posters, tote bags, or other goodies he picked up at conferences as door prizes at meetings. Some thought it was trivial, but most of us appreciated his efforts). Some treats at the end of a long day may sweeten the meeting atmosphere.
Rather than giving advice or mandates as the department chair, ask questions to start discussions: “What happens when…? Have you ever tried…? Did you notice that…?” Get to know the curriculum and standards for areas of science in addition to your own so you can ask meaningful questions and help others make connections among subjects. The cooperative learning strategies you use in class (e.g., jigsaw or think-pair-share) could be modified for small-group discussions at your meetings. And listen to your colleagues. Sometimes they just need to think out loud. However, if someone tries to sidetrack the meeting, return to the agenda.
It may be helpful if the meetings have a theme or purpose. Perhaps the teachers would be willing to use meeting time for tasks such as developing a safety contract, creating rubrics for student work, or establishing guidelines for notebooks or science projects. These activities may take more than one meeting to accomplish and can be standing items on the agenda. Introducing new technology or applications and providing time for teachers to work together with them can also be productive. But you don’t have to do this all yourself. Are any of your colleagues willing to demonstrate technology or share instructional strategies with the rest of the group.
At the end of the meeting, ask each participant to submit an exit slip with any comments, commendations, or recommendations. Send meeting minutes to all members of the department and to the principal to keep him/her in the loop.
It may take a while for teachers to adapt to a new format outside of their comfort zone, so give yourself (and them) some time.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/3479000511/sizes/s/in/photostream/
I recently became the science department chairperson. My meetings are a disaster! People arrive late and complain when I try to discuss issues. I don’t think we accomplish anything. What can I do to make meetings more productive?
—Irene from Wisconsin
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2011-10-17
By Debra Shapiro
Posted on 2011-10-17