Better Late than Never

Hey guys! So exciting news! I sent out my survey today!! There was many problems with the IRB accepting our proposal, but they have been figured out and I am on my way! I know it is a little late considering this is my last week onsite, but I can analyze the results at home! I will link a copy of the survey at the bottom of this post!

Survey link: http://tinyurl.com/SRPSurvey2015

Until next time! 
Val

Almost There

The surveys could not be sent out yet, :( I had to make revisions to the IRB (basically an ethics board for research done on humans) form, and that has to be approved before I can send out the surveys. Hopefully it will be approved very soon!

Also, this week I helped Ruth organize articles into a convenient Excel document. This involved a lot of reading and a lot more copy and pasting.  Ruth is working on submitting a paper so this will really come in handy when she is looking for sources and how to cite them, all the information is right there. 

I will see you all next week!

Val

Survey Madness

Hello everyone! This week at my SRP I was mostly working on completing my survey! (which is almost done and should be released either Monday or Tuesday of next week! :D)

 On Thursday, we had an all hands on deck meeting to see where everyone was at with their part of the digital textbooks process. Everyone read my survey draft and made notes and suggestions on it. It was a very helpful experience!!

I will be using a mixture of likert scale questions, short response, and multiple choice questions in my survey.

I apologize for the brevity of this post, I have no been feeling well this week and have been in and out of doctor's offices. Hopefully next week goes better!

See you in a week!
Val

Post Its Are a Girl's Best Friend

Hey guys! Long time no see!

Quick recap: I was on spring break last week! And man, it was a good one! (Hint: its because I got my motorcycle license :D)

Quick update on my life: I committed to Knox College to play soccer and run track for the next 4 years! Can't wait to go! Only 151 days...but not like I'm counting down or anything.. :D

Anyway back to my project! So, this week I worked on creating a survey that I will send out to teachers in the valley. It includes demographic questions, questing using the likert scale (if you don't know that's the scale with the 5 different options including strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree, or some variation of those words), and some short answer type questions. The questions relate to the teachers' concerns about technology (computers, tablets, smartphones, etc.) use in the classroom. Let me know what you think the greatest concern will be in the comments! I will be using Google form to create this survey, which is a fantastic tool and cannot thank Ruth enough for introducing me to it!

On Wednesday, I realized how useful post it notes are. Me, Ruth, and another member of the digital textbook team sat at a table and tried to organize 65 different articles/ topics into cohesive categories. We wrote down the number of the article and a few words about what the article was about on a post it and then the fun began. Sorting that many ideas into groups is a daunting task, especially if you have no idea what categories you are going to create! But we finished! And it was a great success! :D

This is basically what our table looked like in the beginning.

I will see you guys next week!
Val

[Minor] Changes [By David Bowie]

Hello again! So, as promised I have some updates about my project. And you have probably guessed by the title there are some minor changes!

I will be researching the obstacles faced by implementing and adopting technology into classrooms at the high school level. More specifically, I will be conducting this research in the perspective of teachers. I will also be comparing these results based on whether a school is a charter or public school. I will still be working on the digital textbook project at ASU CSI, but their research is more in the perspective of the student. I wanted to take a differ approach.

After much reading, and searching Google Scholar, I have found many many articles talking about the problems teachers face with technology in classrooms at a university level, but very little on a high school level.

On a completely unrelated note, Wednesday was a very productive day! I read a bunch of articles relating to my research, but before my eyes could start to tear up, Ruth assigned me a little project. I was to organize imagination boxes! (Sounds pretty cool huh?) Well in short, they are these boxes with tons of supplies, like colored tape, markers, scissors, sticky shapes, ect. So, here's a before and after shot of that.

Before

After

I have to go for now! I'll talk to you all later!

P.S I'm taking my spring break next week, so if I don't post that is why! If anything interesting happens I'll be sure to let you guys know! 

Bye! :)

Val

Emerging from Childhood: Arts and Crafts Still Exist

Hey all! This is kind of a random post, and I will have more updates about my project tomorrow! (of if not by the end of the week for sure, so stay tuned!)

Another project I am working on is called Emerge. It is an event embracing ideas from the future. It is about what you, the person, thinks the future will hold! (Oh, PS they have having this really cool event on March 6, at ASU's Skysong Innovation Center in Scottsdale from 3p.m. to midnight. If you want more info or me to explain more let me know :D)

Anyway, back to my day. So as interns, me and Preeya (and a few other staff members who wanted to embrace their inner child and take a break from real world work) were able to test one of the projects that will be going on at the event. Everyone receives a fortune cookie! Delicious I know. But these weren't just normal fortune cookies, they were CUSTOM MADE. (Yeah, I didn't know that was a thing, but apparently you can order custom made cookies online.) Each cookie had a question about the how things will work in the future. Here was mine:

How do we moderate temperature or Control our environments  in the future?

So after we brainstormed for a bit, it was time to get crafting! The only thing I could think of is Wow I really wish I payed more attention in 3D art class. It was fun regardless of my artistic abilities, or rather lack thereof. Here is a picture of what I managed to create:

Yes I know its rough looking, but hey I tried! Now, I'm not going to mention too much about what it is suppose to do because that's what I want YOU to do! Leave a comment on what you think a possible device is and what it does to fix that aforementioned fortune question! 

A side note: at the Emerge event these models will be used by improv actors in an entertaining show :)

See you all later! 

Val

But Dad I Need My Laptop

Oh the irony! Last week my laptop decided to give up and die on me. My dad, being the computer nerd (on occasion a genius) that he is wanted to try and fix it himself. Long story short, he can't. Hooray for new hard drives and system boards! Hopefully this situation is resolved soon. 

Anyway this whole situation got me thinking about to things: potential problems with implementing digital textbooks into the classroom and how dependent people are on technology. 

I'll address the former point first. What if this malfunction occurred during school and I could no longer access my school textbook? How would I access the information I needed? I started referring to some articles I read that spoke to my concerns about these problems. One possible solution is to have print textbooks available in the classroom in addition to the digital ones. Another solution, although maybe not the best way, is to work off a smart phone, or other devices with internet access. Third possible solution, download a pdf of the textbook. This solution kind of defeats the purpose of redefining the digital textbook because new features would not work in the pdf version. Lastly, have an amazing tech support team on speed dial and have them fix your computer in seconds. 

                                                         

Onto the ladder point, and most importantly HOW HAVE I SURVIVED WITHOUT NETFLIX?! Wow, I really am dependent on this thing. On average, a young adult spends about 10 plus hours a day connected to technology. (I actually expected more, but I guess mortals need sleep.) The argument here is because students are spending so much time integrated with technology, they need it in the classroom as well. Everything in the 'real world' involves knowledge of technology. So by integrating technology and creating classrooms of the future (as I like to call them), it is preparing students for life beyond the classroom. While I see the point being made, for arguments sake, I would pose that students need less time connected to technology. Maybe they should go out and see the stars in the sky, not just from a constellation map app. Or go and see science labs hands on, not just observing them. Obviously the whole issue of money and budgets is at play here. I'm not saying one way is better for than the other. This is what we are trying to figure out after all. 

Anyway I'll leave you with those thoughts. Feel free to leave your own. :) 

Good bye for now! 

Val

Get Your Answers Here

Hello again! After much anticipation, THE ANSWERS ARE FINALLY HERE! I want to say thank you to everyone who took the time and answer the questions. So lets get started!

1. MYTH. The students who are learning in the igeneration (they never knew what it was like to learn without the aid of technology) are better at multitasking and will learn better through the use of many digital additions to the classroom.  

Explanation: Do you ever Google something and then realize an hour later that you are on a web page that is no where near what you originally were searching for? This is one of the ideas of this generation of students. They are simply going from page to page, not absorbing the material, but rather only touching the surface of it. The term "Homo Zappiens" was used a lot in this section of the article. It refers to the students who "develop on their own without instruction." Onto the topic of multitasking. As most of you probably already know, it is impossible to simultaneously perform two or more activities that require conscience effort. Instead, the brain rapidly switches focus from activity to activity, providing the illusion of multitasking. 

2. MYTH. Students know best and can decide for themselves what type of learner they are and what type of learning style best suits them. (Visual vs. Verbal vs. Hands on, etc)

Explanation: It is common to think that everyone has a certain type of style of learning, whether that be a visual learner or a verbal learner or an impulsive learner or a reflective one. However, some people do not fit into these pigeon hole categories. For example, there is a test to determine if you are more of a reflective or an impulsive learner where the subject is given a standard photo and then 8 alternatives. The subject has to then match one of the 8 alternatives to the original. To be impulsive is to complete this task quickly, but with more errors. Reflective learners complete it slower and with less mistakes. However, there are also those that complete the task fast and with few errors or slow and inaccurately. It is also shown that some types or learning are better given a specific situation, no matter what type of learner that specific person thinks he or she is. 

3. MYTH. Students should be self educators and should be in control over what they learn and how they learn it.

Explanation: Students may have the infinitely large internet to work with and learn from, but they are not effectively using it. Also with the vastness of the internet there are countless choices on what to learn. This leads to frustration. It is better to give the student "limited control" of his or her education, which allows them to choose to learn about something from a list of suggestions. 

I hope you all enjoyed the answers and are not too disappointed with them. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment :). And congratulations to Angela for correctly answering all the questions! (If we were still in school I'd give you a cookie, but this is all I have for now.)

Week 2: So as it appears, my week was filled with lots and lots of reading. I don't think i have ever read so much in such a short amount of time. But the good news is all the articles I read are so interesting! I am really getting into the whole how the brain works while learning and what makes a textbook effective in a classroom. 

Hope to see you all again next week (or maybe in a few days who knows)

TaTa for now! :)

Val

All information regarding the explanations of the questions was taken from "Urban legends: do learners really know best."

Sources:

Kirschner, P. A., & van Merriënboer, J. J. (2013). Do learners really know best? Urban legends in education. Educational Psychologist, 48(3), 169-183.

Fact or Fiction: Learning Edition

Hey guys! I know it's pretty early in the week to describe how my week is going, but I came across an interesting article I wanted to share. Well, I'll officially share it with you later, for now I have a quick quiz.*GASP*  I know, I know you thought you were done with quizzes and test for a while, but I promise this is not that bad!!

I'm going to list 3 (see not so bad) common thoughts about learning and I want you to comment whether you think each statement is fact or a myth. I'll post the answers along with an explanation at the end of the week along with my weekly recap. :)

1. The students who are learning in the igeneration (they never knew what it was like to learn without the aid of technology) are better at multitasking and will learn better through the use of many digital additions to the classroom.

2. Students know best and can decide for themselves what type of learner they are and what type of learning style best suits them. (Visual vs. Verbal vs. Hands on, etc)

3.  Students should be self educators and should be in control over what they learn and how they learn it.

See you soon!
Val

Bagels, Meetings, and Training! Oh my!

February 12, 2015

To-do List:

1. Met with Ruth (my onsite mentor) and be taken on a tour of the space. ✔
2. Participate in meeting (with Ruth's generosity bagels were provided! Thanks Ruth!) about where the digital textbook project is going. (Let me be the first to say I am super excited about this and cannot wait to let you guys in on what I am going to be working on!) ✔
3. Be introduced to staff and their projects. Did you know there might be a better way to communicate with someone not in the same room as you? And I don't mean video chat. Stay tuned for the solution! ✔
4. Head out to lunch with Ruth and Preeya (who is a senior at BASIS Peoria completing her senior research project at CSI (Center for Science and the Imagination) as well. I'm super excited to work with her and see how her project unfolds! ✔
5. Fire drill. Let's just say that was unexpected. ✔
6. Complete online CITI course on research ethics. Unfortunately, no check mark for this one. Hopefully I will be able to complete this task tomorrow so I can move onto bigger and better tasks! 

I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit nervous about starting today, but today could not have gone better! (besides that part where I got lost and and got awkward stares from people who could hear siri directing me where to go.) I met some amazing people I will be working with and learned a lot about the direction this project will be taking! I am so excited to be a part of this! 

If you are curious, this is post is a to-do list because that is what I was given today and felt like this accurately depicts my first day as an intern. Feel free to leave a question in the comments! :)

Until next time

Val

Let the Journey Begin

Hello to people of the blogging world!
I am Valarie Varanese and this is my first experience blogging, so forgive me if it's a bit rough in the beginning.  Here's a little bit about myself: I am a current senior at BASIS Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona; my favorite hobbies include playing soccer, running track, and learning about pretty much anything.

As a senior, BASIS allows me to take of the third trimester of the school year to pursue a research project in any area of my interest. This is formally called the Senior Research Project or SRP for short. For my SRP I decided to work with my off-site mentor Dr. Anne Duffy, my high school chemistry teacher, and work with my on-site mentors Ruth Wylie and Joey Eschrich who are the assistant director and program manager/ editor, respectively, at Arizona State University's center for science and the imagination, located at ASU's Downtown Phoenix Campus. I will link my project proposal to this blog, so if you wish you can read in detail what it is I hope to accomplish.

Have you ever been frustrated with the layout of an online textbook? Or upset because you don't feel the online version is as good as the real version? Have you ever felt like you weren't learning the material well enough just through the online version? I will be researching how to fix these problems and many more over the course of 10 weeks. Now that digital textbooks are an option, a much cheaper option at that, for students it is time to design them for maximum amount of learning.

I hope you will come on the journey with me!

-Val