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Rebekah K. Nix, Ph.D. |
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ED4372: Offered in the Fall and Spring full sessions. Emphasis is placed on the use of technology to support the teaching and learning process. Information about specific instructional applications is presented to provide concrete examples of principles and procedures. Focuses on electronic instructional media, multimedia, telecommunications, multi-user networks, and their real-world applications to the secondary classroom. (3 semester hours) The course content is focused on the Technology Applications Standards I-IV, specifically Competency 009 of the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Test Framework. Delivered completely online, the course pedagogy demonstrates critical aspects of technology integration across all Domains I-IV.
ED5320: Offered in the Fall full session. This course addresses two key technological issues that directly impact education: information overload and non-linear processing. These same challenges offer the key to effective design and integration of web-based media into the classroom learning environment. By presenting educational technology as an open framework, teachers, administrators, researchers and curriculum developers will learn how to select/apply appropriate tools and develop/adapt to relevant resources that simplify and enhance their classroom teaching and everyday tasks. Anxiety is transformed into a natural productivity. Activities focus on process skills that are emphasized at all grade levels and facilitate integration across the curriculum. Techniques for fostering critical thinking and higher level reasoning are modeled, then related to specific participant issues.
SCE 5v06: Seminar-based instruction to explore research in science education to enrich classroom implementation and research integration. This course explores the topics of learning environments, experimental creativity, and research awareness to stimulate new ways for approaching science and education. Video clips from the Center for Science Education Research's Seminars for Lifelong Learners provide a springboard for discussion and interactive team collaboration. 'Lessons Learned' is an elective course for the Master of Arts in Teaching - Science Education (MAT-SE) Online degree. Students earn 3 semester credit hours upon successful completion.
SCI 5325: Note required materials and texts for this course! No matter what your primary science degree is in, Integrated Earth Science for Teachers gives you a look at the content from the perspective of a teacher dealing with diverse populations. Earth science examines the topics of astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, physical geology, structural geology, and historical geology; however, in this class we will be adding physical and life sciences to the integration. Other topics included in the class milieu are reading, and mathematics. Focus is also placed on understanding how the classroom learning environment (through neurocognitive science) makes a difference in students’ motivation to learn. This course is one of three in the integrated science strand of the Master of Arts in Teaching - Science Education (MAT-SE) Online degree. Students earn 3 semester credit hours upon successful completion.
SCI 5325: Note required materials and texts for this course! Investigation of physical science standards using pedagogical models of best practice applicable to a variety of learners in diverse contexts. Inquiry-based investigations feature Newton’s laws, atoms, chemical and physical reactions, Bernoulli’s law, simple machines, electricity, magnetism, light and heat, and energy – with a hands-on emphasis on the latest scientific research and educational application. This course is one of three in the integrated science strand of the Master of Arts in Teaching - Science Education (MAT-SE) Online degree. Students earn 3 semester credit hours upon successful completion.
ED 4372 Educational Technology (update) Re-design of original course to meet needs of today's pre-service teachers This undergraduate level course has been taught completely online via UTTC since 2001. This course update is important in that ED 4372 is now required for all students seeking Texas state teacher certification through TDC. Funds will be used to enhance existing content resources, to address recent advances in information technology, to leverage new tools and resources for distance education, and to integrate literacy objectives overtly with best practices. Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will be able to execute the educational technologies utilized in an asynchronous, online course. 2. The student will be able to choose tools and resources to improve educational practice within their field. 3. The student will be able to construct electronic media to support their ideas for enhancing teaching and learning with educational technologies.
Space relations and abstract reasoning online Research collaboration with Palma J. Longo. Ph.D. The goal of this investigation is to determine to what extent visual thinking networking influenced the encoding and reconstruction of knowledge in memory for adults in an integrated earth science students. Abstract reasoning can be defined as the capacity to reason when problems are presented in terms of size, shape, or position, or quantity, or other non-verbal, non-numerical forms (Bennett, Seashore, & Wesman, 1974). This is important to us because it seems to correlate with increased problem-solving ability. The VTN metacogntive learning strategy did indeed improve Abstract Reasoning abilities in science learners online! A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test revealed a statistically significant increase in abstract reasoning ability by using Visual Thinking Networking in an online science course, z = -2.432, p = .015 with a large effect size (r = .56). The median score on the Differential Abilities Test for Abstract Reasoning increased from pre-VTN (Md =58) to post-VTN (Md = 68).
MAT-SE Online! UTTC Program Development | Master of Arts in Teaching - Science Education Grant award - Science Education: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas The MAT-SE Online! is an distance education option of the thesis strand of UTD's 36-hour Master of Arts in Teaching – Science Education (MAT-SE) degree. Launched in Fall 2006, this completely-online, fully-asynchronous program was jointly developed by the Science/Mathematics Education Department and Teacher Development Center at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve science teachers around the globe. It is made possible by a 2005-2006 award from the UT-System TeleCampus. Not only are the MAT-SE Online! courses student-centered, but so are the program options in order to better serve a diverse population with specific needs. Degree plans can accommodate elective hours to fulfill prerequisite deficiencies and content hours to address specialization area interests. Course sequencing enables students to maintain a full or partial load over independent semesters. Thesis research is scalable from district-wide evaluations to individual case studies, as well as the range of possibilities within virtually unlimited bounds.
Taking them to the top! II Grant award - Science Education: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas Taking them to the top! II is a year-long professional development program that was jointly developed by the Science/Mathematics Education Department and Teacher Development Center at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve science teachers in north Texas. It is made possible by a 2005-2006 award from the Teacher Quality Professional Development Grants Programs, which in Texas are administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Designed specifically for current or prospective middle school teachers, the year-long instruction includes an intensive summer field experience followed by on-campus meetings and on-line modules. Scientific investigations will use hands-on activities and infuse technology innovations into classroom instruction. A cohort of teachers will be instructed in the use of various scientific and educational technologies and exposed to an array of curriculum tools and resources.
Action-Interaction-Reaction: YOU are THE key! Grant award - Science Education: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas YOU are THE key! is a 1-day professional development workshop that was jointly developed by the Teacher Development Center and the Science/Mathematics Education Department at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve K-12 teachers in north Texas. It is made possible by a 2004 award from the North Texas Clean Air Coalition Community Grants Program, which was funded by TXU. Participation is designed to inspire the artistry of teaching by enabling teachers to experience different types of learning and by empowering them to use a range of valuable curriculum tools and resources. Offered to current or prospective classroom school teachers, the 7-hour instruction specifically promotes the awareness and understanding of air quality - a critical resource that most of us take for granted. Virtually invisible, it is a difficult concept to master and a challenging topic to teach.
Taking them to the top: Grant award - Science Education: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas Taking them to the top! is a year-long professional development program that was jointly developed by the Science/Mathematics Education Department and Teacher Development Center at the University of Texas at Dallas to serve science teachers in north Texas. It is made possible by a 2004-2005 award from the Teacher Quality Professional Development Grants Programs, which in Texas are administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Designed specifically for current or prospective middle school teachers, the year-long instruction includes an intensive summer field experience followed by on-campus meetings and on-line modules. Scientific investigations will use hands-on activities and infuse technology innovations into classroom instruction. Coursework will support the development of a comprehensive virtual field trip web site. To that end, a cohort of teachers will be instructed in the use of various scientific and educational technologies and exposed to an array of curriculum tools and resources.
MT SCIENCE: Mobile Technology for teaching and learning SCIENCE in the real world Grant award - Science Education: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas MT SCIENCE is an innovative and critical resource made possible by a grant from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board. As the teachers of our teachers, we must update our higher education infrastructures to assure access to current information technology and meet the demands of an increasingly technological citizenry. UT-Dallas' past successes in delivering field-based programs within a multi-faceted learning environment make both content and pedagogy relevant. Using that same approach, supported by appropriate information technology, we will be enabled to provide a tangible opportunity for teachers to gain organized knowledge to make practical changes in education.
Virtual field trips: Using information technology to create an integrated science learning environment Doctoral thesis - Science Education: Curtin University of Technology - Perth, Australia Research focused on developing a model to create a unique learning environment that results in a positive change in science teachers' attitude toward and understanding of educational applications of information technology. A "transparent" information technology learning environment unifies the three "classic" learning environments enabling direct transfer of knowledge through development of a virtual field trip. Specifically, this study determines if the program design fosters individual communication, collaboration and creativity.
What educators want from the World Wide Web Masters thesis - Science Education: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas Research focused on defining what educators want from the World Wide Web and how content providers and administrators might fulfill needs with emerging multimedia tools. Studies included advanced educational research and science courses, in addition to development of lessons/units that reflect original applications of technology in teaching.
Teaching Units for Science Educators These units were created by R. Nix in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts in Teaching - Science Education degree at UT Dallas. Teachers are welcome to save/edit the following resources for educational use in their own school classrooms. Save the PPTs to your hard drive to see the presentation notes in 'normal view'. Although the technology is a bit aged, hopefully new ideas and approaches will be inspired! Supporting materials will be added as soon as possible.
You need the QuickTime Player to view the video clips and listen to the audio snippets and the Acrobat Reader to view and print the activity descriptions. Just click on the links to download the free players to enjoy or implement: Just one good reason to use these activities… Why Ask Why video clip! Special thanks to all of the CAST workshop attendees, UTD Science/Mathematics Education MAT students, and Dallas ISD AC students who were enthusiastic participants in the activities – and supportive 'stars' who helped us get started by allowing us to create these video supplements - and to SCE Associates and RNIX Company for the use of these activities. Use them freely for your own educational purposes (with proper citations).
Copyright 2008 © Rebekah K. Nix, Ph.D. All rights reserved. These items may be used by UTD students and graduates in their respective classrooms. Email rnix@utdallas.edu for permission to use these items in other ways or for commercial use. |
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