Have You Heard of Computers that Don’t Need an Electricity Connection?
Friday, November 12th, 2010
Well, that’s just what India’s i-slate is. It is a low-cost, low-energy tablet PC that works on solar power. It was designed for schools in remote rural areas of India that do not yet have electricity.
I-slate resulted from a collaborative effort among Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Houston’s Rice University and an Indian NGO, Villages for Development and Learning Foundation (ViDAL). The project is being carried out at NTU’s Institute of Sustainable and Applied Infodynamics (ISAID) under the leadership of Rice University’s Prof. Krishna Palem.
The i-slate uses a new type of ultra-energy-efficient microchip being developed by ISAID and the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology. It needs only a fraction of the electricity consumed by conventional chips and makes it possible to run the i-slate on solar power from panels similar to those used in hand-held calculators.
The i-slate was field tested with a class of 10 to 13 year-olds at a rural school near Hyderabad and the kids reportedly picked up the technology fast. Further tests are scheduled soon.
The development team is now planning to improve the hardware and add more teaching content.
Developments like these help sustainability initiatives and bridge the digital divide between rich and poor sections of society.
Read the news at emerging-technology-talks blog.
Tags: digital divide, education, information technology, solar power pc
Posted in education delivery, information technology | 1 Comment »
Preparing Educators to Develop Whole Persons
Monday, October 25th, 2010
According to a report of National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) of the USA, little effort has been made to base school reform and educator preparation on the developmental sciences. There is a growing volume of evidence that developmental issues have a significant impact on students’ learning.
“A well-functioning school, or a good school culture and climate, can seamlessly reinforce and build on development that took place before school. A dysfunctional or ineffective school environment can interfere with the development of all students, but particularly among those who did not have a good pre-school experience,” said James P. Comer, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Yale Child Study Center School Development Program (SDP).
Many teachers and administrators do not know how to create a school climate or culture that will intentionally focus on development. Teacher education programs need to:
inlcude coursework in the developmental sciences including cognitive science
integrate academic study with opportunities to implement developmental best practices in schools and classrooms
Education policy makers have to consider child and adolescent development issues while designing standards and assessments of student and teacher performance. This is particularly important in developing the approach to turn around low-performing schools.
Read about the NCATE findings and recommendations at Corner School Development Program.
Tags: child and adolescent development, cognitive science, education
Posted in cognitive development, cognitive science, education | No Comments »
Adapting to Student Lifestyles
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
Universities and colleges are adapting to the current lifestyles of students. For example, students are increasingly using smartphones that enable them to access email, organizer and the Web through the phones. Staff and students can tap the potential of this new device to exchange information and stay connected.
The Pierce College, for example, has developed a number of mobile applications and given them free to its students and others. With these, students can access:
- Course lists, past, present and future
- Faculty and staff directories, with contact numbers and details
- Campus data, including campus overview and directions to the college
- Pierce college blog
Students can quickly see:
- Who their faculty members, advisors and financial aid specialists are
- Their classes and schedules
The college found that students are increasingly using their smartphones to access the college website and portal. As such use becomes commonplace, it becomes possible to get many things done more easily and effectively. Conducting research, updating records and collaborating with peers all become easier. More work can be done when you can do things from where you are.
Colleges and universities that choose to deliver information and do other things with these modern devices tend to project an image of leadership and tend to attract better students.
Read about the Pierce College initiative at the Kansascity.com website.
Tags: education, information technology, smartphone apps
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Cognitive Science and Society
Saturday, October 16th, 2010
Cognitive science is apparently hard to define with different defintions emphasizing cognition, information processing, mind and behavior, human intelligence and so on. Is this science being applied to solve the practical problems of our society?
Human personality is developed by both genetics and early experiences during childhood. If parents and teachers are adequately aware of the knowledge gained about early childhood development, it could enable them to control the experiences of children more purposefully. And such control could help develop the children into healthy adults able to function positively in society.
Of particular relevance is childhood education. Enriching the early experiences of children can have positive outcomes, according to findings of the science. How this finding is applied depends on the educational policy adopted by concerned policymakers. Equally important is the need to recognize those periods of childhood development when experiences have particularly strong impact and to ensure that children receive rich experiences during those periods.
Deliberate attention needs to be paid to the different dimensions of development – cognitive, emotional and social. Merely trying to cram information into an unreceptive mind or developing math or other skills will not produce the kind of adults that society needs.
Read views about neuro-education initiatives and other topics at the BrainBlogger.
Tags: child development, childhood experiences, cognitive science, education
Posted in cognitive development, cognitive science, education, learning | No Comments »
Educating the Child and Developmental Science
Monday, October 11th, 2010
Developmental science studies how various capabilities develop. Its findings can help teach mathematics, reading skills and more to children. However, teachers are not always trained in developmental science with the result that they are unaware of current findings that could help them teach better. Instead, outdated theories are used to teach children.
Focus is mostly on the subject and lesson plans for mathematics, science and literacy. The capability to learn actually depends on the child’s development as well as way these are taught.
Child development during elementary school is quite dramatic. They learn to do things they do not really want to do, such as doing what the teacher says rather than what they like. They also learn to represent physical things with words and to commit things to memory and reinforce the memory. All the learning tasks are facilitated by the right kind of relationships with adults.
A teacher who is aware of these developmental dimensions can observe the child and help the person learn better by adapting the approach ever so slightly as needed. Another teacher who is unaware of these niceties might try to use a “brute” approach to make the child learn things including how to behave. Children differ in their development depending on such factors as their family background and effective teachers should be able to help the developmental process itself in addition to teaching the subjects.
The resource Using Developmental Science … discusses these topics in some detail.
Tags: child development, cognitive science, education, teaching effectiveness
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Developing Scientists of Tomorrow
Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Children are naturally inquisitive, eager to learn all the intricacies of what they see. However, unless nurtured, this inquisitiveness is not developed. In fact, inquisitiveness might even be discouraged and the child taught to accept “authority” without question. Are such children obedient to authority likely to become scientists who are supposed to question even “obvious” statements?
Recent K-12 U.S. education standards mention competence in scientific investigation as a key curriculum goal. From early grades on, children should learn to:
* Formulate a question
* Design an investigation
* Analyze data
* Draw conclusions
Even the National Council of Teachers of English (a non-scientific subject) mention their goal as: “Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources … to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.”
To be effective, it is necessary how the cognitive skills involved in such activities actually develop, and how these can be supported through education. The natural curiosity of children need to be developed into full “scientific thinking” habits. And this needs a clear definition of what scientific thinking involves.
All of us, from childhood, tend to construct “theories” that help us make sense of what we see. And these theories tend to be revised in the light of new experience. Scientific thinking can, for example, probably be defined as the conversion of the above “unconscious” process into a formal thinking process.
Read the article Science Learning by pearlfreeman elaborating on this topic.
Tags: cognitive science, education, scientific thinking, thinking skills
Posted in cognitive science, education, thinking skills | No Comments »
Nanotechnology Opens new Career and Investment Opportunities
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Nanotechnology works with molecular structures of less than 100 nanometers (one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). It can modify the molecular structures of materials, resulting in changed properties, and even create new materials. We can thus produce self-cleaning surfaces, faster electronic microprocessors, superior water-filtration systems and more.
But nanotechnology is not a science by itself unlike, say physics, biology or chemistry. Instead, it can work in all these fields with the essential requirement being the ability to work at nanoscale. Working at nanoscale involves advanced and high-precision equipment, such as scanning probe microscopes with probes that can work with materials invisible to the naked eye.
Nanotechnology research needs researchers with a sound basic training in sciences, engineering and medicine, and with the additional skill to work at nanoscale. Nanotechnology is also an interdisciplinary field combining the disciplines of physics, chemistry and biology. Nanotechnology courses will thus have to ensure that trainees have the needed fundamental training in one of the sciences.
Considering the potential of nanotechnology to create products tailored to our expectations, it is a huge investment area. Investors are interested in tangible products and are more likely to be interested in nano-manufacturing than just nano-science as such.
Read about the job potential of nanotechnology at Atlanta Post.
Tags: education, nanotech applications, nanotechnology, scanning probe microscope
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Cognitive Science in Education
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
WestEd’s National Center for Cognition and Mathematics Instruction (NCCMI) is redesigning its existing mathematics curriculum using principles of cognitive science to improve student outcomes. It will use current cognitive science knowledge about how we acquire, retain and transfer knowledge for the redesign project. The project will then evaluate whether the new curriculum has indeed improved students’ mathematics achievement.
The project focus will be on the widely used Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) curriculum for middle schools. The evaluation of the revised project will be done through multiple studies.
The team that will execute the project includes experienced and accomplished experts in cognitive research, mathematics instruction specialists, assessment and measurement experts, curriculum writers, professional developers and national advisers.
WestEd will work on the project along with partners such as CMP, Carnegie Mellon University, Temple University and other universities, and Apple Computer Inc. They will also establish a diverse community of users to learn from and apply the NCCMI research.
WestEd is a research, development and service agency that works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity and improve learning. The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences is funding the research.
Read more at WestEd website.
Tags: cognitive science, education, imparting knowledge, student outcomes
Posted in cognitive science, cognitive tutor, education, learning | No Comments »
Nanoeducator to Train Students in Nanotechnology
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
The potential of nanotechnology in solving some of the greatest problems we face, including sustainable and non-polluting energy, is becoming increasingly evident. At the same time it is extremely difficult to work with matter at nanoscale (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). The risks of working with materials at this scale (which can permeate the human skin, for example) is also a major factor.
Education on all these aspects is essential if nanotechnology is to fulfill its promise.
Nanoeducator is a device that was developed by two Russian foundations, Foundation of Assistance to Development of Small Forms of the Enterprises in Scientific and Technical Sphere and Foundation of education and science (Alferov’s foundation).
The device includes a basic scanning microscope (SPM) and other incidentals, including a text book that teaches how to use SPM microscopy and nanolithography fundamentals. It comes with scientific training software that works under Mac OS or Windows XP. The student oriented device can be used for applications in biology, materials science, data storage devices, micro and nano structures and inspection of parts made with MEMS technology.
The device can be used in AFM, AFM lithography and STM modes. The software can be used for STM manipulation and image processing/analysis.
Read more at NT-MDT page.
Tags: education, nanotechnology, training device
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Catching Them Young with Nanotechnology
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
The Oklahoma Nanotechnology Initiative (ONI) seeks to create statewide awareness about emerging nanotechnology in the state of Oklahoma. It also seeks to explore the potential of nanotechnology industry and what it can do for Oklahoma. In particular, ONI seeks to encourage nanotechnology businesses to select the state as their location.
The ONI website provides information about everything nano. There are sections for nano news, nano products, nano companies in the state, nano t-shirts and a nanotechnology video, among others. There is even a small window for streaming nanotechnology tidbits. One great initiative is a PowerPoint presentation on Nanotechnology for Students.
The presentation starts with the attention catching statement that the ‘Next “Big Thing” is very, very, very small,’ and goes on to quote The National Science and Technology Council, “Nanotechnology is an enabling technology that will change the nature of almost every human-made object in the next century.”
“Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at nanometer scale to create novel structures, devices and systems,” the next slide begins to elaborate on the applications of the technology. New materials (structures), sensors (devices) and NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems) are provided as examples, to arouse the curiosity of the curious.
The presentation includes links to several educational resources on nanotechnology such as NanoKids for students and NanoZone for teachers. There are also links to more advanced resources such as the nanotech page of NASA.
ONI seems determined to catch them young with nanotechnology.
Tags: education, nanodevices, nanomaterials, nanosystems, nanotechnology
Posted in education, nanotechnology | 2 Comments »
