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Eric.ed.gov – 2012 Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Special Report: An Examination of Grant and Loan Forgiveness Programs for Special Populations

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Comprising eleven financial aid programs, the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) provided financial aid to 101,569 students at a cost of $297,589,674 in 2010-11 (Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation [TSAC], 2011). The four largest programs (the HOPE scholarship program, the General Assembly Merit Scholarship program [GAMS], the ASPIRE award, and the Tennessee HOPE ACCESS Grant), which are referred to colloquially as the Hope Scholarship program, account for 70 percent of the students and 91 percent of TELS expenditures. There is a growing body of research focusing on these four programs, including an annual fact book published by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). However, research on the smaller TELS programs remains scant. This report provides a descriptive overview of five of the smaller TELS programs, including: the Dual… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Equity in Math. A Training Module.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Alaska’s sex equity law requires school districts to establish written procedures for: (1) the biennial training of certificated personnel in the recognition of sex bias in instructional materials and in instructional techniques which may be used to overcome the effects of sex bias; (2) the biennial training of guidance and counseling staff in the recognition of bias in counseling materials and in techniques which may be used to overcome the effects of sex bias; (3) the review of textbooks and instructional materials for evidence of sex bias; and (4) the replacement of materials found to exhibit bias. The Alaska Department of Education developed this module for use by local school districts with the intention that district personnel with a minimal amount of experience could conduct an equity… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – ABE Math Standards Project. Formative Evaluation Report.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In May 1992, 22 Massachusetts mathematics educators who either teach or coordinate/direct adult basic education (ABE) and General Educational Development (GED) programs were recruited into a group called the Math Team. During their monthly business/training sessions in central Massachusetts, members worked on various individual and team activities, including review and adaptation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards for adult learning environments and production of newsletter for adult educators called “The Problem Solver.” Team members were interviewed during the eighth month of the yearlong project to determine their attitudes toward the Math Team’s operation and effectiveness as a staff development activity. Interviewees credited the Math Team with improving their understanding of mathematics and ability to reach students, helping them gain energy and motivation from… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Generalizing Expert Misconception Diagnoses through Common Wrong Answer Embedding

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Misconceptions have been an important area of study in STEM education towards improving our understanding of learners’ construction of knowledge. The advent of largescale tutoring systems has given rise to an abundance of data in the form of learner question-answer logs in which signatures of misconceptions can be mined. In this work, we explore the extent to which collected expert misconception diagnoses can be generalized to held-out questions to add misconception semantics. We attempt this generalization by way of a question-answer neural embedding trained on chronological sequences of learner answers. As part of our study, we collect natural language misconception diagnoses from math educators for a sampling of student answers to questions within four topics on Khan Academy. Drawing inspiration from machine translation, we use a multinomial… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Problems in Math and Science Education. Research in Brief.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A conference sponsored by the National Institute of Education (NIE) examined some of the issues associated with the shortage of science and mathematics teachers. This report discusses problems related to the shortage and reviews strategies that have been undertaken to alleviate the shortage. Solutions are proposed and priorities are identified. These include: (1) curriculum improvement directed to make instruction more meaningful for the average student; (2) increased research on classroom learning and instruction; and (3) recruitment and retention of more competent teachers in the areas of science and mathematics. (ML) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Using the Scientific Method to Engage Mathematical Modeling: An Investigation of pi

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this paper is to explain how to use the scientific method as the framework to introduce mathematical model. Two interdisciplinary activities, targeted for students in grade 6 or grade 7, are explained to show the application of the scientific method while building a mathematical model to investigate the relationship between the circumferences and the diameter of circular objects. In the first activity, a research question is pursued as it relates to the stated hypothesis. In the second activity, the same research question is retained; however, the use of exploration helps to build the hypothesis. The activities serve as examples to show how middle school math teachers may use scientific inquiry to motive students’ understanding of mathematical models as well as engage in science beyond… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – A Look at Math Teachers and Problem Solving.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The need for mathematics teachers to incorporate instruction in problem-solving skills into the curriculum is discussed. Results of a study of problem-solving instruction in the classrooms of nine seventh grade teachers are briefly noted. There were significant differences between the teachers in how they planned, organized, and delivered lessons, but there was little difference between regular lessons and problem-solving lessons. Moreover, students showed little improvement in problem solving. A complete description of the study is included. How the teachers taught is described in some detail. Implications are discussed in terms of organizational style, problem-solving content, and other teaching methods. Several figures and tables are supplied. (MNS) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Routines in Expert Math Teachers’ Thoughts and Actions.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This research was designed to elucidate the activity structures and routines of elementary mathematics teachers by describing what they are, analyzing their frequency and duration, analyzing the functions that routines serve for the cognitive processes of teachers, and beginning to model the chains of routines and their fit with planned or spontaneous actions that make up a lesson. Five “expert” teachers and four novice student teachers, along with their classes, comprised the sample. They were observed over a 3-1/2 month period, with note-taking, videotapes and transcribed interviews providing data. For each teacher, transcribed notes and interviews were analyzed and broken down into action records giving duration, action of student, action of teacher, and a name for the action. For two experts and one novice teacher, a more… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Preparing College Teachers To Integrate Math and Language Instruction.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A project to develop special training materials to introduce college teachers to the math-language approach is reported. The materials link language learning techniques to mathematics concept formation and are intended for teachers of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. Specialists in both fields produced a three-part training package consisting of an instructor’s guide and a video program, to be used as an introduction to and rationale for using the approach, and as a general blueprint for a text and workbook produced by the Center for Applied Linguistics and entitled “English Skills for Algebra.” The report describes activities undertaken in developing the materials and assessing their effectiveness as compared to the conventional workshop method of teacher training. Results of interviews and surveys indicate that the materials provide the necessary classroom guidance… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Will “The Way They Teach” Be “The Way They Have Learned”? Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs Concerning Computer Embedding in Math Teaching

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Embedding computers in math teaching is not a totally new issue, but the dilemmas related to it multiply more rapidly than the answers are being supplied. This study asks: What is the most appropriate way to prepare instrumentally and mentally the future math teachers to the reality demanding permanent competent adjustment to rapidly developing computerized environment in math teaching? In order to try to refer to this question at least partially, the authors designed a research project in which they studied the performances of several groups of students, studying several courses at different levels of mathematical knowledge and embedding a variety of computerized tools. Moreover, they induced all of the students to experience at least two-three different computerized tools in different courses during three years of their… Continue Reading