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Robert Tinker, President of The Concord Consortium, announces that through a series of grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Education, the Concord Consortium has been able to produce amazing and innovative software packages and have incorporated them into hundreds of powerful learning activities. Whatever subject being taught, at whatever level, Tinker says that they probably have software-based learning activities that can improve teaching. Although their strengths are in science at high school and college levels, they also have algebra software and sustainable development materials that can be used across all disciplines. This article describes the models, learning activities that use them, and how you can get them. Although free, Tinker says that these are very high quality and have been extensively tested in real classrooms. By using these, providing the Consortium with feedback, and letting it monitor student progress, teachers can help the company collect research data. But that is not required--there are no strings attached.

The Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science II project (TEEMSS), funded by the National Science Foundation, produced 15 inquiry-based instructional science units for teaching in grades 3-8. Each unit uses computers and probeware to support students' investigations of real-world phenomena using probes (e.g., for temperature or pressure) or, in one case, virtual environments based on mathematical models. TEEMSS units were used in more than 100 classrooms by over 60 teachers and thousands of students. This paper reports on cases in which groups of teachers taught science topics without TEEMSS materials in school year 2004-2005 and then the same teachers taught those topics using TEEMSS materials in 2005-2006. There are eight TEEMSS units for which such comparison data are available. Students showed significant learning gains for all eight. In four cases (sound and electricity, both for grades 3-4; temperature, grades 5-6; and motion, grades 7-8) there were significant differences in science learning favoring the students who used the TEEMSS materials. The effect sizes are 0.58, 0.94, 1.54, and 0.49, respectively. For the other four units there were no significant differences in science learning between TEEMSS and non-TEEMSS students. We discuss the implications of these results for science education.

This paper reports a test on the feasibility and educational value of probeware and associated instructional materials in middle school science education. We addressed feasibility through consideration of costs, teacher professional development, and instructional design. In order to test our approach, we developed 2 middle school science curriculum units, 6 low-cost probes that interface between handheld Palm computers, and CCLabBook software for the Palms that presents the curriculum, interfaces with the probes for data collection and visualization, and supports guided exploration. The materials were tested by 30 teachers in the first year, and in a follow-up study by 8 of those teachers the second year. We found that teachers were able to conduct the investigations successfully in their classrooms, and that student learning was enhanced through the use of the probes and handhelds. Specifically, students experienced the physical correlation between phenomenon and modeling, which helped them to develop understanding and to confront misconceptions.

The studies reported in this paper are an initial effort to explore the applicability of computational models in introductory science learning. Two instructional interventions are described that use a molecular dynamics model embedded in a set of online learning activities with middle and high school students in 10 classrooms. The studies indicate that middle and high schools students can acquire robust mental models of the states of matter through guided explorations of computational models of matter based on molecular dynamics. Using this approach, students accurately recall arrangements of the different states of matter, and can reason about atomic interactions. These results are independent of gender and they hold for a number of different classroom contexts. Follow-up interviews indicate that students are able to transfer their understanding of phases of matter to new contexts.

Discusses the role of ubiquitous and handheld computers in education. Summarizes the contributions of the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT) and describes the ubiquitous computing sessions at the CILT2000 Conference. (Author/YDS)

Describes eight characteristics of the Concord model of online course instruction: Asynchronous collaboration, limited enrollment, expert facilities, trust, clear schedules, excellent materials, good pedagogy, and quality assurance. Discusses cost and benefits of implementing the Concord model of online course instruction. (Contains 16 references.) (PKP)

The National Science Foundation-funded Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT) is designed to be a national resource for stimulating research and development of technology-enabled solutions to critical problems in K-14 science, math, engineering, and technology learning. The rationale and operations of the Center and first-year progress in defining a set of CILT partnership projects with other institutions are described. Contains 67 references. (Author/AEF)

Explores student-scientist partnerships (SSPs) that help students gain a unique understanding of both the content and the process of science. Discusses the potential of SSPs, the range of SSP activities, a strategy for national impact, the educational importance of SSPs, the research importance of SSPs, and technology as a facilitator. (JRH)

Assisted by a U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant, the Hudson (Massachusetts) Public Schools, the Concord Consortium Educational Technology Lab, and 30 collaborating high schools across the nation have developed a virtual high school over the Internet. Through Internet-based courses, Virtual High School significantly enhances each school's curricular offerings and integrates "best" technologies. (MLH)

One of the simulation engines of an open-source program called the Molecular Workbench, which can simulate thermodynamics of chemical reactions, is described. This type of real-time, interactive simulation and visualization of chemical reactions at the atomic scale could help students understand the connections between chemical reaction equations and atomic interactions.

Reports the results of an in-depth examination of middle school children's graphing skills and misconceptions. Also discusses a study in which students learned graphing skills through microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL). (ML)

The revolution in electronics is discussed as it applies to instructional potential in the school science laboratory. Electronic instruction (instrumentation) is included. (SA)

Discusses the use of microcomputers as a universal instrument to replace more expensive instrumentation in many traditional labs. Describes the availability of microcomputers as inexpensive educational tools which can be used successfully in labs with minimal requirements on the computer. (SK)

The article discusses economic considerations for public spending in Great Britain up to the year 2030. Topics included are the mission of the Fabian Society's Commission on Future Spending Choices to strike a balance between spending reductions and the promotion of economic growth as well as prospects for reducing the deficit.

The incredible educational promise of information and communication technologies is too often wasted on trivial applications such as electronic texts and video lectures. To help distinguish between trivial and optimal applications of technology, educators have started using the term "Deeply Digital". Deeply Digital materials take full advantage of the many ways that information technologies can enhance education. To provide specific examples, two computer assisted drawing (CAD) tools used for analysing buildings that support learning about heat transfer, design under constraint, and the properties of fluids will be demonstrated. Students learn by using the tool, and teachers can track student learning. The tools log everything that a student does, and the logs can be analyzed to provide detailed information about student thinking and skills development. Deeply digital applications like these have the potential to transform engineering education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of phone-hacking practices of "New of the World" periodical owned by Rupert Murdoch, 2009 Parliamentary expenses affair and the unrepentant bankers' behavior after the 2008 near financial market collapse. It is noted that the 3 cases exposed the gap between decision making and the democracy efficacy of the public. The article cited Jürgen Habermas' "The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere," which described private citizens' political efficacy.

The new Mind, Body & Spirits Inspired Dining Organic Restaurant, located at 301 S. Main Street in downtown Rochester, MI, opened in November of 2008. It is located on the southwest corner of S. Main Street and W. Third Street. It is housed in an existing two-story brick building with a full basement and has a New Greenhouse / Kitchen / Restrooms / Dining Deck Addition located in the former rear parking lot area to the west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses students learning better through the use of computational models. Other topics include skills needed by science and engineering professionals, molecular dynamics (MD) as an intensive scientific research technique, and the Molecular Workbench (MW;http://mw.concord.org), a computational online engine that supports learning.

The article discusses the use of molecular dynamic simulations for the study of chemical reactions. Simulation engines like the Molecular Workbench can simulate thermodynamics of chemical reactions. Since the advent of microcomputers, educators have been interested in molecular dynamics software. Early efforts employed a hard-sphere model that could reproduce ideal gas behavior remarkably well. More recently, the programming language NetLogo has been used to enable students to create their own models of ideal gases. These models are not suitable for simulating liquids or solids since they lack attractive forces among atoms, although attractions could be easily added to NetLogo. Attractive forces between atoms are needed to simulate any condensed state and most phase transitions. Attractive forces-based molecular dynamics educational programs have rarely been developed, probably because the computers available to students have only recently had the computational ability required.

The article presents a discussion on an online professional development program for teachers. The Public Broadcasting Service TeacherLine project (TeacherLine.pbs.org) and the Concord Consortium's Seeing Math Telecommunications project (seeingmath.concord.org) have joined to create a program called Ready to Teach. Ready to Teach is an effective online professional development program for teachers. It provides basic elements for an online pre-service mathematics methods course or for a component of a secondary mathematics alternative-certification program.