The SC'96 Education Program offers sessions for teachers and other education professionals Sunday November 17 through Tuesday November 19.
A Walk Through a High School Computational Science Project
Jill Snyder, Albuquerque High School
Paula Avery, Moriarty High School
New Mexico Adventures in Supercomputing
This session will explore the development of a high school computational science project by discussing topic selection, research, mathematical and computational modeling, visualization, and interpretation of results. An on-line high school computational science textbook will be used as a resource for this activity. An example project based on population growth models will be used to demonstrate the elements of a computational science project. After determining the mathematical models, workshop participants will manipulate the input of the computational models, visualize the output data, and analyze the results.
This workshop will include activities involving shadow measurement, determination of the epicenter of an earthquake, and sound wave analysis. The Noon Measurement Project involved the measuring of a gnomon's shadow on the spring equinox, summer solstice and fall equinox. These simple shadow measurements may used to determine the Earth's circumference, the Earth's rotation velocity, magnetic variations and the distance to the moon. The Earthquake Project, executed in May 1996, was designed so that students would have to share data in order to determine the epicenter of a hypothetical Maryland quake. Although the earthquake did not actually occur, there was a great deal of excitement generated as the students learned about s and p waves and plotted their circles to find the point of origin. The Sound Wave Project will engage those students who are musically inclined. Sound files, collected with a CBL and TI-82 graphing calculator, will be analyzed with MATLAB for fundamental frequencies and overtones. The students will learn the answer to the question: "How do we know what instrument is playing?"
The Network Montana Project is developing Internet-based K-12 curricular and teacher training materials that integrate mathematics, science, and technology instruction. This workshop will introduce K-12 educators to these materials and a graduate level distance learning course that provides a systematic orientation to these materials.
Computational Modeling at Lee's Summit High School John Biggerstaff, Jackie Snow, and Jim Nazworthy, Lee's Summit (Missouri) High School and Project MOST
This workshop will concentrate on using modeling software such as STELLA II, from High Performance Systems, to create models of real world dynamic systems. This type of modeling allows for an active learning environment with student or teacher directed investigation. Powerful analysis tools allow students to build understanding and multimedia capabilities allow for different learner styles. Sample models created by students and teachers involved with Project MOST, an NSF supported project, will be presented. Participants will help in the development of a dynamic population model during the workshop and will be provided the opportunity to create their own models with the software or to explore further the sample models presented.
With the proliferation of WWW sites, computational scientists have the opportunity to download images and analyze them. For example, it is possible to acquire the image of a snail (Neritina usnea) whose shell has been damaged by barnacles. Certain techniques are used to compute the percent of damage. These same techniques are also necessary for more complex projects such as the analysis of stellar images.
Integrating Computational Collaborative Projects into the Science Classroom-Air and Water Quality Projects in Chemistry and Environmental Science
Maryland Virtual High School teachers:
Phil Hammond, Smithsburg High School
Nusret Hisim, Walkersville High School
Ron Peterman, James Bennett High School
Don Shaffer, North East High School
This workshop will include demonstrations of computational activities involving air and water quality and change of state. The Boiling Point Project, executed in November 1995, was the first collaborative project for MVHS. By compiling data regarding altitude, pressure, water boiling point and naphthalene boiling point, it was hypothesized that a relationship between altitude and boiling point would be determined. The CO2 and Stream Studies Projects are to be executed during the 1996-97 school year. By measuring the level of carbon dioxide in the air in monthly intervals, sharing results with schools in other communities, and plotting the results with Alice software, students will investigate whether CO2 varies with season, location, temperature, or elevation. Using this data, a STELLA model of CO2 production may be developed. The water quality of a stream is measured by its species diversity, but the stream is affected by the land use around it. NIH Image software can be used to analyze remote sensing images of the land. The students in the MVHS schools will collect a variety of data regarding their local stream and will use that data to predict the health of the stream. Results will be shared, plotted and used to create a STELLA model of the factors affecting the health of a stream.
This presentation will describe a program that incorporates the Internet as a teaching and learning tool. During the first session, the outline of GirlTECH '96, a program that the Center for Research on Parallel Computation (CRPC) implemented in the Houston area, will be presented. The basics of the Internet as well as the process of using the Internet as a collaborative instructional tool in mathematics and science classes will be the focus. Lessons developed during GirlTECH will be reviewed. In the hands-on session teachers will explore the various curricular materials that were a product of GirlTECH, critique them, and actually work through the problems. They will be given the opportunity to develop their own ideas and encouraged to post the type of lesson that incorporates the use of the Internet as an integral application or research tool.
A Walk Through a High School Computational Science Project [Repeated session -- see description on Sunday 11/17, 10:30 - 12:00]
Mathematica is commercial software distributed by Wolfram Research, Inc., which has numeric, symbolic and graphical capabilities combined with a work-processor. Although Mathematica was developed for high-end users, the WAVE Project takes advantage of its graphical capabilities to provide computer demos for the high school math classroom to assist instruction to a level which cannot be achieved with hand-held graphing calculators alone. About sixty WAVE notebooks are available for downloading to any teaching with the Mathematica software and access to the Internet. This workshop will provide teachers with basic training in using Mathematica software, and in downloading and using the notebooks made available by the WAVE Project. The WAVE notebooks will run on either IBM or Mac platforms and are distributed free-of-charge.
Computational Modeling at Lee's Summit High School [Repeated session -- see description on Sunday 11/17, 1:30 - 3:00]
This workshop will concentrate on the use of STELLA to model populations, diseases, and biological systems. Wild animal population management is of great concern throughout the United States. What are the factors that contribute to a population change? How does one attempt to predict the future? What role does human intervention play? These questions are addressed in the Garrett County Bear Model. The spread of disease has always concerned mankind. The Ebola virus is frequently studied as a particularly lethal one. How can a computer model clarify some of the issues involved in the stages of a disease and its spread to others? Every science consists of systems that change over time. Some of these are difficult to study in the typical high school laboratory, and others involve concepts that are complex in nature. STELLA can be used to clarify the components of the system and thereby increase student comprehension. One example is Cellular Respiration.
Integrating Computational Collaborative Projects into the Science Classroom-Using Alice Data Tools and Matlab in Physics and Earth Science
Maryland Virtual High School teachers:
Don Higdon, Arundel High School
Don Shaffer, North East High School
Charlotte Trout, Williamsport High School
This workshop will include activities involving shadow measurement, determination of the epicenter of an earthquake, and sound wave analysis. The Noon Measurement Project involved the measuring of a gnomon's shadow on the spring equinox, summer solstice and fall equinox. These simple shadow measurements may used to determine the Earth's circumference, the Earth's rotation velocity, magnetic variations and the distance to the moon. The Earthquake Project, executed in May 1996, was designed so that students would have to share data in order to determine the epicenter of a hypothetical Maryland quake. Although the earthquake did not actually occur, there was a great deal of excitement generated as the students learned about s and p waves and plotted their circles to find the point of origin. The Sound Wave Project will engage those students who are musically inclined. Sound files, collected with a CBL and TI-82 graphing calculator, will be analyzed with MATLAB for fundamental frequencies and overtones. The students will learn the answer to the question: "How do we know what instrument is playing?"
Strategies and Tools for Assessing Students' Learning in Project-Based, Computational Science Courses Kallen Tsikalas, Center for Children & Technology
For the past three years, EDC's Center for Children & Technology has worked with the Department of Energy's Adventures in Supercomputing (AiS) program to evaluate how well students learn in project-based, computational science courses on the high school level. Students who participate in AiS spend several months developing and revising research questions, mathematical models, and computer programs. Based on this research, the Center has designed a suite of Web-enabled software tools/templates to help teachers support and assess their students' learning. These tools enable teachers to collect useful information about aspects of their students' work that are both most elusive but also necessary for a thorough evaluation of student learning. These tools externalize those processes of student reasoning that are normally implicit, thereby providing teachers and mentors with a window into student thinking and an opportunity to shape thinking processes. In this session, the tools will be further described and demonstrated.
The Electronic School is a new and dynamic initiative which provides educational offerings for all students utilizing the technological and telecommunication infrastructure currently in place in schools connected to the Internet. Delivering education via this Electronic School provides students with an avenue to be able to take additional courses to satisfy the new graduation requirements. Students will also be able to take courses which can accelerate their course of study, are not available at their present school site, or which can help them acquire workplace skills. The Electronic School is designed to provide an alternative delivery system for course instruction for secondary students. The curriculum extends beyond classrooms to a network of worldwide resources. It includes an on ramp to the Information SuperHighway (Internet), instant access to worldwide information, and global communication services. Electronic School classrooms extend the traditional school day and expand awareness by including experiences from around the world.
Girls and Computational Science
Gypsy Abbott, University of Alabama at Birmingham
John Ziebarth, National Center for Supercomputing Applications
Gina Sullivan, Bob Jones (Alabama) High School.
Abstract not available at time of printing.
EDC's Center for Children and Technology has teamed up with the Department of Energy's Adventure's in Supercomputing program to utilize the strengths of telecommunication technology in providing on-line support to female high school students interested in science research. Telementoring for Young Women pairs successful female scientists with high school girls to provide on-line guidance and share experiences of women in science and technical fields. Researchers and teachers will report on the impact such programs have on young women's interests and on the challenges teachers identified.
Student Outcomes for the Alabama ASPIRE Program
Gypsy Abbott, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Carl Davis and Edna Gentry, University of Alabama at Huntsville
Abstract not available at time of printing.
The New Mexico High School Supercomputing Challenge is an academic program dedicated to increasing interest in science and math among high school students by introducing them to high performance computing. This report provides a summary and evaluation of the first six years of the program, describes the program and shows the impact that it has had on high school students, their teachers, and their communities. Goals and objectives are reviewed and evaluated, growth and development of the program are analyzed, and future directions are discussed.
In the spring and summer of 1996 students who participated in SuperQuest programs between 1988-92 were located using the addresses of parents from program rosters. A brief survey was sent to those students who responded to the initial request for participation. The survey comprised these questions, among others: Did you choose math, science, or engineering as your undergraduate major? Have you started or completed graduate work in your field? To what extent did your participation in SuperQuest effect your choice of college/university, major, and/or career? A summary of the responses to the survey questions and a report of anecdotal information gathered via telephone surveys with selected participants will be presented.
K-12 Computing and Communications and the National Mathematics and Science Education Standards Margo Berg, MJB Consulting Office, moderator
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the National Research Council (NRC) have respectively developed standards for mathematics and science education. These standards, along with many new state curriculum frameworks, require teachers to evaluate their classroom practices and in some cases re-think their approach to teaching. High performance computing and communications (HPCC) technologies - modeling, simulation, visualization, the Internet, and the World Wide Web - can facilitate the kind of teaching and learning called for in these standards.
A brief introduction and overview of the national math and science education standards, with a focus on the content and teaching standards, will be presented. A panel comprising representatives of NCTM, NRC, and NSTA (the National Science Teachers Association) and teachers experienced with the use of HPCC technologies in the classroom will be invited to react and respond to such as these: Which of the math/science content and teaching standards are best suited to HPCC technologies? What strategies can teachers use to inform their school administration and parents about the way that HPCC technologies support the standards?
Integration of Computing and Communications Technologies in Teacher Preparation and Professional Development David Thomas, Montana State University, moderator
A panel comprising speakers from colleges of education; undergraduate departments in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, computer science, information sciences/technology; state departments of education; school district staff; and/or organizations that provide K-12 teacher professional development will discuss how and to what extent computing and communications technologies are being incorporated in pre-service teacher education and in-service teacher professional development.
Bringing the Outside In: Critical Issues in Designing Educational Mentoring & Telementoring
Kallen Tsikalas, Center for Children & Technology, moderator
Dorothy Bennett, Center for Children & Technology
Gary Johnson, TechCorps of America
Laura DeMarotta, Horace Maynard High School
Bruce Bennett, North Polk High School
Increasingly, educators are asked to juggle the complex agendas of educational reform: to create instruction that is student-centered, that engages young people on their own level about their own interests, while at the same time keeping pace with technology and adhering to assessment standards. In this ever-changing environment, teachers and educational reformers are looking outside the classroom for ideas and assistance. This panel session addresses the following questions related to bringing the outside in: What do we perceive as the role of outside mentor/experts in our classes? How are these roles different in on-line vs. in-person contexts? How do we best prepare students and mentor/experts for these experiences? How do we manage and assess such mentoring experiences? These issues are explored in the context of three educational initiatives with substantial mentoring components: Adventures in Supercomputing; Telementoring Young Women in Science, Mathematics & Computing; and Tech Corps.
Ten Years of K-12 High Performance Computing and Communications:
What have we learned? What are we building for the future?
Wally Feurzeig, BBN Educational Technologies, organizer
John Ziebarth, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, moderator
Programs such as Adventures in Supercomputing (AiS), the Alabama Supercomputing Program to Inspire computational Research in Education (ASPIRE), EarthVision, the National Education Supercomputer Program (NESP), the PSC High School Initiative, SuperQuest, and others have been offering in-depth training and experience with computational science tools and methods to teachers for a decade. This roundtable will offer a forum for those involved to discuss the successes and failures of these efforts and to communicate needs and goals for future efforts.
