1. Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science (TEEMSS): Activities for Any Probe, Any Computer
Carolyn Staudt
Shelley Campbell

2. Ideal Learning Environment
The Concord Consortium is a nonprofit educational research and development organization based in Concord, Massachusetts.
We create interactive materials that exploit the power of information technologies.
Our primary goal in all our work is digital equity -- improving learning opportunities for all students.

3. Ideal Learning Environment
Modeling Tools
Enabling students to interact with the unobservable
Online Learning
Democratizing education with anytime, anywhere learning
Probeware
Developing new tools for data collection and analysis
Handhelds
Moving closer to the promise of ubiquitous computing
Sustainable Development
Confronting global issues with decision-making tools
Assessment Research
Improving methods for measuring deep learning in science

4. TEEMSS 2 Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science
Increasing the use of sensors and models in grades 3-8 science teaching.
Developed with funding from the National Science Foundation
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. TEEMSS2 Overview 15 Activities – grades 3-8 Curriculum
Physical Science, Earth and Space Science,
Life Science, Technology and Engineering, Inquiry
Uses Models and Sensors
Temperature, light, voltage, motion, force, voltage,
gas pressure, relative humidity
- NetLogo and Sound Grapher
Operates using most sensor vendors
Operates on most platforms
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Participating Vendors
Data Harvest - England
EasySense Q
EasySense Q Advanced
(Bluetooth)

7. Participating Vendors
Fourier Systems - Israel
ImagiWorks - California
EcoLog
ImagiProbe

8. Participating Vendors
PASCO - California
Texas Instruments
PASPort Airlink SI
CBL 2
Xplorer - Data Logger

9. Participating Vendors
Vernier - Washington
GoLink!

10. TEEMSS Operates on…
Mac
Windows
Pocket PC
Palm

11. ProbeSight • research • articles • sample activities • bibliography
• curriculum
• suppliers

12. Visualizing with Probes
Displays data that one normally can’t see
with another device immediately
Concord Consortium
Sonar Ranger displays
velocity and acceleration
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

13. Data Collected Over Long Periods of Time
Records and displays data collected over long
periods of time (some even up to a year)
MicroLog
in JASON Academy
Lab Kits
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

14. Collects Data Faster
Faster than normal devices (sometimes over thousands
of times per second)
Concord Consortium
Fast Response thermocouple
Temperature probe
(physiology)
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

15. Derived Data
Use the results of two or more different probes to provide a derived display
Electrical Power
displayed from data collected
from a voltage and current probe
(Concord Consortium
Joule meter)
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

16. Multiple devices
Displays simultaneously on the same graph combines the collection
from multiple probes
pH and light of an
aquarium over a
24 hour period
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

17. Curriculum design Standards driven Backward design - Grant Wiggins
15 units with 2 investigations each
Two weeks of class time per unit
Start with a driving question
Investigation content
Teacher Guide
Technical Hints
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

18. Curriculum units for Grades 3-4
TEEMSS Technology Enhanced Elementary
and Middle School Science
Combines activities, embedded assessments,
sensor components, and all student work
product into an electronic portfolio.
( )
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

19. Curriculum units for Grades 5-6
TEEMSS Technology Enhanced Elementary
and Middle School Science
Combines activities, embedded assessments,
sensor components, and all student work
product into an electronic portfolio.
( )
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

20. Curriculum units for Grades 7-8
TEEMSS Technology Enhanced Elementary
and Middle School Science
Combines activities, embedded assessments,
sensor components, and all student work
product into an electronic portfolio.
( )
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

21. Curriculum Units Sampler
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

22. TEEMSS Test Sites
Copyright © 2006 KidSolve™, Inc. All rights reserved.

23. SensorPortfolio Features
Contains real-time graphs of sensor data.
Contains assessments such as essay questions

24. SensorPortfolio Features
Predict a graph and then capture real data to check prediction
Embed drawing tools

25. SensorPortfolio Features
Ask multiple choice assessment questions, with or without graphics.

26. TEEMSS Unit 0 Activities

27. TEEMSS2 Research Questions
To what extent do students who use TEEMSS2 materials achieve the targeted standards?
How did TEEMSS2 materials contribute to student learning of the standards?
How effective were TEEMSS2 on-line courses in preparing teachers to use the materials?
How well were teachers able to implement the TEEMSS2 materials in their classrooms?
How were TEEMSS2 materials received by teachers and students?

28. TEEMSS2 Research Design
57 teachers, grades 3-8
Recruited from Missouri, Texas, and Maine
2 year testing plan
Group 1: 30 teachers who will use TEEMSS2 materials in years 1 and 2
Group 2: 27 teachers who will test both years but use TEEMSS2 only in year 2

29. TEEMSS2 Teacher Groups Group 1 Group 2 Y1 Use TEEMSS2
Jan-Jun 05
Use TEEMSS2
Use current practices Y2
Sep 05-Jun 06
Each Group 1 teacher will test at least 2 of the 5 units at their grade level.
Each teacher will give student pre/post tests each year.
Group 2 teachers provide comparison data

30. Year 1 Data Collection Student pre/post tests Teacher pre/post-surveys
Test questions piloted and validated
Teacher pre/post-surveys
Classroom observations
Teacher participation in online course

31. Year 1 Curriculum Units Standard Grade 3-4 Grade 5-6 Grade 7-8 Inquiry
Sound
Water and Air Temperature
Air Pressure
Physical Science
Electricity
Levers and Machines
Motion
Life Science
Sensing
Monitoring a Living Plant
Adaptation
Earth & Space Science
Weather
Sun,Earth, Seasons
Water Cycle
Technology/ Engineering
Design a Playground
Design a Greenhouse
Design a Measurement

32. Year 1 Implementation
24 of the 30 teachers in Group 1 reported using the materials with their students, and spent an average of about 6 hours of classroom time on the units.
19 of the 30 Group 1 teachers gave at least one matched pre/post-test to their students, 26 of 27 Group 2 teachers gave 3 sets of pre/ post-tests.
There were 5 units for which we have pre/post-test data from both groups: Sound, Sensing, Temperature, Pressure, Motion

33. Pre/Post Test Scores
Number of students
Pretest Mean
Pretest SD
Posttest Mean
Posttest SD
Difference
Sound G1 38
12.08
2.67
12.92
2.39
+0.84
Sound G2
154
11.95
2.37
13.48
2.45
+1.53
Sensing G1
126
3.66
1.51
4.17
1.43
+0.52
Sensing G2 35
3.80
0.87
4.09
1.39
+0.29
Temp G1
252
8.29
0.70
8.44
4.49
+0.15
Temp G2
140
6.98
4.27
6.86
4.25
-0.10
Pressure G1 30
5.33
1.21
6.57
2.00
+1.23
Pressure G2 42
6.60
1.90
6.05
2.74
-0.55
Motion G1
244
8.01
2.69
+1.44
Motion G2 44
6.93
2.27
7.84
2.28
+0.91

34. Quantitative Findings
Of the five tests for which we have data from both group 1 and group 2
Group 1 (treatment) students showed statistically significant gains on all five tests
Group 2 (non-treatment) students showed statistically significant gains on only one of the five tests

35. Qualitative Findings: Online Course
All group 1 teachers participated in the on-line professional development course, in which they learned how to use the materials themselves and then tested them out with their students.
The teachers posted enthusiastic reviews about the units, reporting that the students were eager to use the sensors, and that "this high interest contributes to the student learning."

36. Qualitative Findings: Surveys & Observations
“[My students] have never understood any graph's meaning as well as they did when they had to actually make their own body motion match the line drawn on the pre-existing graph for them. It was incredible to watch even my most cynical students concentrating so hard trying to make their bodies behave the way the predrawn graph did.”
“My students are using the sound grapher and are really enjoying 'seeing' sounds they make themselves. It is so neat to see the graphic for sound waves. We've learned a lot.”

37. Year 2 Participants 42 teachers participating in year 2:
24 grade 3-4 teachers with 437 students (average 18 students/teacher)
10 grade 5-6 teachers with 386 students (average 37 students/teacher)
8 grade 7-8 teachers with 360 students (average 45 students/teacher)
Teachers used an average of 2.5 units with their students.

38. Curriculum Units Standard Grade 3-4 Grade 5-6 Grade 7-8 Inquiry Sound
Water and Air Temperature
Air Pressure
Physical Science
Electricity
Levers and Machines
Motion
Life Science
Sensing
Monitoring a Living Plant
Adaptation
Earth & Space Science
Weather
Sun,Earth, Seasons
Water Cycle
Technology/ Engineering
Design a Playground
Design a Greenhouse
Design a Measurement

39. Year 2 Data Collection Student pre/post tests (2100+ tests)
Teacher pre/post surveys
Classroom observations
Teacher participation in online course
Student portfolios with embedded assessments
Student demographic data
Signpost unit surveys
Student post-surveys

40. Concluding Remarks Data analysis for Year 2 is underway
Teacher feedback has been very positive
Contact Shari Metcalf next year for results!
Visit our website:

41. Technology Enhanced Elementary and Middle School Science (TEEMSS):
Activities for Any Probe, Any Computer
Carolyn Staudt
Shelley Campbell