The purpose of "volume zero" of JUSTISE News is to provide the background information necessary for a fuller understanding of the project. Most of the information in this issue is taken directly from the original project proposal.
For more details or additional information, please send email to Tom Lough at the following address: tom.lough@coe.murraystate.edu
Project JUSTISE (Japan & United States Technology In Science Education) is a two-year grass-roots collaborative project between Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, and Toyama University, Toyama, Japan, which focuses on improving student achievement in science through the use of computers and related technology in grades 5 through 9. The project is funded in part by a grant from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.
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The goals of Project JUSTISE are to:
As an important byproduct, teachers in both locations will be expected to build upon the relationships established during Project JUSTISE and involve themselves and their students in future collaborative classroom projects utilizing technology such as electronic mail, interactive video, and other Internet-based applications.
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Japan is a world leader in computers and related technology. However, the incorporation of computers and related technology into Japanese public schools has proceeded relatively slowly. In contrast, United States schools have used computers and related technology for over a decade. Kentucky schools are among the national leaders in the infusion of computers and related technology into the classrooms. By 2001, every Kentucky classroom will have a computer connected to the Internet, every Kentucky classroom teacher will have his /her own computer, and the student-to-computer ratio in Kentucky schools will be 5 to 1. Thus, Kentucky teachers will have ideas, strategies, and practices related to computers that may be of interest to Toyama teachers.
The United States is a world leader in science-related activities. Yet, in recent international science assessments, such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the science achievement scores of United States students, especially in the middle grades, have been below those of Japan. Although some progress can be seen, and some reform effects are being felt, such as those espoused by the National Science Education Standards (NSES), the results are still below expectations for US students. The science achievement results for Japanese students have been consistently high. Toyama teachers will have ideas, strategies, and practices related to science teaching that may be of interest to Kentucky teachers.
This juxtaposition presents the opportunity for a mutually beneficial interaction of great potential: the possibility of Japanese teachers obtaining technology-related ideas from US teachers, and of US teachers learning about science teaching ideas from Japanese teachers. This scenario forms the foundation of Project JUSTISE: Japan & United States Technology In Science Education.
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In the fall of 1999, ten western Kentucky science teachers and ten Toyama science teachers in grades 5 through 9 will write self-descriptions of their teaching strategies, activities, and approaches with respect to science and the use of computers and related technology.
Note: The term "related technology" for this project is taken to include all devices which can be used with a computer, including digital cameras, modems, scanners, projection systems, and universal interfaces.
The ten western Kentucky science teachers will then travel to Toyama, Japan, for professional visitation with assigned colleagues / hosts (the ten Toyama teachers in grades 5 through 9), to observe science teaching and to give ideas about the use of computers and related technology in teaching.
In the fall of 2000, the Japanese colleagues / hosts will write self-descriptions and then visit their counterparts in western Kentucky to observe the use of computers and related technology in teaching, and to give ideas about science teaching.
During the school observation period, each visitor will be the guest of his/her colleague/host. This period is designed for observations Wednesday through Friday, a weekend available for cultural activities, and then additional observations on Monday and Tuesday.
Immediately after the school observation period, visitors and hosts are debriefed, and their preliminary impressions and ideas are recorded. The co-directors will compile and analyze these impressions and ideas, and will disseminate the preliminary results of this analysis through a project web site and through conference presentations.
Upon returning home, each teacher will report on his/her experience to fellow faculty members. After a two-month reflection period, each teacher will write a proposal with details of how he/she plans to utilize information from the trip.
The project co-directors review the proposals in collaboration with local educational organizations, such as the Western Kentucky Educational Consortium and the Region 1 Service Center, and schedule a series of followup contacts and communication sessions. The contents of the proposals will be added to the project web site and to the content of the conference presentations.
At the end of the project time period, all teachers once again will write self-descriptions of their teaching strategies, activities, and approaches with respect to science and the use of computers and related technology. The project co-directors will conduct a content analysis of the two sets of self-descriptions to detect and describe project effects on science teaching methods and computer use. The results of this analysis will be added to the project web site and to the content of the conference presentations.
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The initial travel to Toyama by the Kentucky teachers is scheduled for October 8 through 22, 1999, as follows.
Oct 8 Automobile travel to Nashville, overnight hotel stay
Oct 9-10 Air travel to Tokyo
Oct 10 Overnight stay, Tokyo hotel
Oct 11 Rail travel to Toyama, check into Toyama hotel, initial briefing and organizational meeting
Oct 12 Detailed cultural and educational briefings, organizational meetings with teacher counterparts, travel to hosts’ housing
Oct 13 - 15 Professional visits and observations at hosts’ schools
Oct 16-17 Cultural activities with hosts
Oct 18-19 Professional visits and observations at hosts’ schools, reassemble at Toyama hotel
Oct 20 Organizational meeting and systematic debriefing, overnight at Toyama hotel
Oct 21 Rail travel to Tokyo, check into Tokyo hotel
Oct 22 Air travel to Nashville, auto travel to Murray
The reciprocation visit by the Toyama teachers to Kentucky in the fall of 2000 will correspond roughly to the scope and sequence of the October 8-22, 1999, schedule detailed above.
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The level of commitment in this project by the participating schools is remarkable, and indicates an extremely high interest in the value of this grass-roots exchange project. With more than 70% of the project costs being funded by the participating schools and institutions of higher learning, the project has an extremely strong financial foundation. The following highlights demonstrate this unusual level of commitment.
· Each school district agrees to contribute up to $750 toward the air fare of each participating teacher, and to provide a substitute teacher during his/her absence.
· Each colleague/host agrees to provide for the logistical needs of his/her visitor during the professional observation period. This will also give the visitor and colleague/host the opportunity to establish a close professional relationship, upon which the success of the project rests.
In summary, the combination of mutual science education and technology interests and of high commitment levels for participating schools strongly suggest that Project JUSTISE has extremely high potential.
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Murray State University (MSU), with an enrollment of about 8,600 under-graduate and graduate students, is a four-year regional higher education institution located in Murray, Kentucky. Established in 1922, MSU is proud of its long-standing reputation for academic excellence and teacher preparation. US News and World Report has consistently ranked Murray State in the top quartile of the South’s regional universities. The MSU College of Education is a leader in teacher preparation and technology integration. In 1996, it established the Kentucky Academy for Technology Education (KATE), with the mission of providing technology services and assistance to public schools in the region, and increasing the effective utilization of education technology throughout Kentucky. The MSU College of Education trains public school Instructional Technology Leaders (ITLs) on the effective use of interactive video for instruction and professional development, and offers educational technology training to public school teachers through interactive video and other media.
Tom Lough is the co-director of Project JUSTISE in the United States. He is an assistant professor of science education in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education of the Murray State University College of Education. His courses include EDU 303 Strategies of Teaching (a general course for education majors), ELE 402 Teaching Elementary Science (a science methods course for elementary education majors), MID 372 Laboratory in Teaching Science: Middle School (a science methods course for middle school science education majors), and ELE 608 Science in the Elementary School (a graduate level science methods course for teachers). He has incorporated technology into his teaching for many years. Last summer, he organized and directed a robotics camp for western Kentucky middle school students at Murray State University. Since 1982, he has written and published extensively on science education and instructional technology topics, while focusing on the Logo computer language. He has active contacts with schools throughout western Kentucky, and maintains an active professional relationship with both the Western Kentucky Educational Collaborative and the Region 1 Educational Service Center.
Toyama University is a national university established in 1949 in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is organized into five faculties (or colleges), including Humanities, Science, Education, Economics, and Engineering, with approximately 7000 undergraduate students. The university also has four graduate schools in Humanities, Education, Economics, and Science & Engineering, with 800 graduate students. The Faculty of Education in Toyama University is a leader in preservice and inservice teacher education. Ten years ago, it established the Department of Computer and Instructional Sciences to meet the educational needs of the information oriented society. It also established the Center for Research and Training in Teacher Education. Many public school teachers in Toyama and the surrounding area come to this department and research center for training, instruction, and design skills for new information technology such as multimedia and the Internet.
Jun-ichi Yamanishi is the co-director of Project JUSTISE in Japan. He is a professor in the Department of Computer and Instructional Sciences of Toyama University, Faculty of Education. He has been active for many years in science education and the use of computers and related technology from an educational technology point of view. Presently, he teaches courses in computer and instructional sciences, and directs programs of study in educational technology and educational methods with information technology utilizing a web-based instruction system. He also supervises masters candidates in the Science and Technology Education programs. Further, every year he teaches open university classes on instruction and class design methods using multimedia and the Internet for inservice teachers. He is a member of Japan Society for Educational Technology, and the Japan Society for Science Education. He is president of the 15th Conference on Educational Technology to be held in Toyama in October, 1999. He has active contacts with many schools in Toyama and maintains an active professional relationship with Board of Education of the Toyama Prefecture.
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These organizations and participants are highly qualified to carry out this project because of (a) prior relationships established between Toyama and Kentucky, (b) the caliber of the universities, (c) the qualifications of the directors, and (d) the potential of both universities to expand the project significantly in the near future.
(a) Prior relationships
There is already a relationship between Toyama Prefecture and Kentucky extending back over a period of seventy years.
In 1928, the children of Toyama contributed one-yen coins to pay for a special friendship doll that was sent to the children of Kentucky, as part of a project called Doll Messengers of Goodwill. Miss Toyama, a 32-inch doll dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono and representing the Toyama Prefecture, arrived with her special "passport" and was placed on exhibit at the J. B. Speed Art Museum in Louisville.
In January, 1937, the museum was a victim in a disastrous flood, and Miss Toyama was thought to have been lost. In 1992, however, she was discovered in an old museum storage room, with her original accessories: a parasol, two pairs of sandals, a purse, a folding fan, a silk kimono and undergarment, obi and obijimee belts, and a decorative cloth of obiage. Her legs and feet had been extensively damaged by the flood and by the ravages of time, and her hands, arm, and head had minor damage.
Restoring Miss Toyama became an important project, and Universal Fasteners, Inc. (UFI), a Kentucky-based company owned by YKK of Toyama, Japan, provided funding for the restoration. The Yoshitoku Company of Tokyo, which fabricated the original doll, oversaw the project.
Miss Toyama returned to Kentucky in 1995, and has toured the state, delighting adults and children alike. Mark Mizumoto, president of UFI, notes, "In Japan, we do not think of these dolls as inanimate objects. To us, they are revered almost as people... So, this doll is a very important, grass-roots, ‘kids to kids’ symbol of Japan-American friendship... [We are] truly gratified to present Miss Toyama in her totally restored condition to the Museum for all Kentuckians to enjoy."
Today, it is fitting to build on the relationship begun seventy years ago between the children of Toyama Prefecture and the children of Kentucky. Project JUSTISE seeks to strengthen this bond, first by connecting the teachers of Toyama and Kentucky with each other, and then by connecting the children directly, through the use of educational technology.
Thus, Project JUSTISE is built on a foundation of relationships. As with all relationships, it is necessary to spend time with someone in order to build understanding, familiarity, comfort, and trust. The exchange of visits by teachers from Kentucky to Toyama and then from Toyama to Kentucky establishes and strengthens these relationships so that the objectives of the project can be met.
In support of this project, Murray State University sponsored a planning trip by Professor Tom Lough to visit Professor Jun-ichi Yamanishi of Toyama University in August of 1998. The Kentucky Council of International Education also provided funding in support of the project planning trip. During the visit, Dr. Lough made a presentation to Toyama teachers at a local educational conference, and worked with Dr. Yamanishi on the project concept and plan.
As a result of this visit, a strong working relationship has been established between Dr. Lough and Dr. Yamanishi, and a strong project design has emerged. They are both pleased to update the 1928 relationship originally established by the children of the Toyama Prefecture with the children of Kentucky.
Finally, it is noteworthy that the geographical, financial, and labor benefits of Kentucky have been recognized by Japan business firms. More than 130 of these firms now have subsidiaries operating successfully in Kentucky. This economic base is one additional reason why projects between Kentucky and Japan are important, and how prior relationships can be strengthened.
(b) Caliber of the universities
Murray State University and Toyama University are similar in many ways. Both serve approximately the same number of students, and the Colleges of Education in both universities have strong ties to the surrounding public schools. Both universities have strong teacher preparation programs, and are respected in their fields.
In addition, both have strong educational technology programs, and use Internet-based technology, online instruction, and interactive television effectively as tools of instruction.
In this common ground, many working strengths are found.
(c) Qualifications of the co-directors
As indicated in the Participant Information section, both Professor Yamanishi and Professor Lough are experienced educators, with many years of service in both educational technology and in teacher preparation. Both have managed teacher education projects before, and both have international education experience.
As a result of their collaboration this past August, they have established a close professional working relationship, and they feel a high sense of commitment and teamwork with respect to Project JUSTISE.
Professor Yamanishi is well-informed on the goals and objectives of the Education Reform Plan of the Monbusho, and is actively involved in bringing about many of the aspects related to educational technology. For example, he delivered an invited followup speech at the UK and Japan Symposium on Everyday Communication for Internationalization with the Internet this past July in Northern Ireland.
Professor Lough is active in issues related to the National Science Education Standards of the United States. In addition to reviewing preliminary versions of the standards, he has also co-chaired with a representative of the National Research Council a series of three standards-related panel discussions at the national meetings of the National Science Teachers Association.
Taken together, Professors Yamanishi and Lough form a highly motivated and effective team. They understand the true potential of Project JUSTISE, and are committed to fulfill that potential.
(d) potential for future expansion
Like any grass-roots project, Project JUSTISE has the potential to take on a life of its own. In this particular case, however, that additional life has exceptional potential. With Kentucky among the top five states in the USA for progress in integrating computers and related technology into the public schools, and with the aggressive Monbusho plan for computer integration within Japan schools, the relationships developed among the project teachers could explode into productivity.
The participating teachers will be expected to build on the relationships established by Project JUSTISE and to create additional related projects. These future projects could include the interactive sharing of weather data, the emailing of nature and environmental observations, the exchange of digital photographs of similar experiments, or sending sound (.wav) files of classes singing science songs in English and in Japanese.
However, the most exciting aspect of this potential rests with the school children themselves. Seventy years ago, the children of Toyama saved one-yen coins for a friendship doll to send to the children of Kentucky. Today, Project JUSTISE could help to transform this exchange into the first beam in a significant bridge of educational communication and exchange. The children of Toyama and of Kentucky can use the tools of technology to reinforce that bridge and bring themselves -- and all of us -- closer together. This is the type of outreach and communication that can truly transform the world -- starting with the children! One can only imagine the levels of learning to which they may soar!
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Project JUSTISE would add significantly to the body of international knowledge about the effectiveness of science teaching and the effective use of technology in science education. It is well documented (for example, see the Third International Mathematics and Science Study -- TIMSS) that United States students in the middle grades (5 through 9) do not perform as well in science as students from other countries, including Japan. Moreover, science teachers in the United States are attempting to identify and implement more effective science teaching practices at a variety of levels (for example, see the National Science Education Standards). At the same time, Japanese teachers are preparing to integrate technology into all subjects and levels of their schools, including science, and are investigating alternatives (see the 1998 Monbusho Curriculum Council Interim Report).
However, there is little literature documenting specifically how each country specifically could assist the other in the areas of science teaching and the use of educational technology. Moreover, there appears to be little grass-roots activity to provide teachers in Japan and the United States with direct access to the ideas, strategies, and instructional approaches of each other. This picture is improving with the recently-initiated series of Fulbright teacher exchange visits. However, the need for a science and technology focus still exists.
The results of this project would articulate such information and help educators throughout Japan and the United States take advantage of the additional ideas and strategies identified by the project.
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The project success will be evaluated based on the degree to which the operational and process objectives are achieved. This would be done as follows.
The goals of Project JUSTISE are to:
- promote the exchange of information between teachers in grades 5 through 9 in schools in Japan (Toyama area) and in the United States (Kentucky area) about the effective use of computers and related technology in science education,
Evaluation: Compile information from debriefing meetings and from two-month reflections of participating teachers. Examine the quantity and quality of information exchanged.
- increase the effectiveness of the science instruction and the use of technology in science teaching in grades 5 through 9 in schools in Japan (Toyama area) and in the United States (Kentucky area),
Evaluation: Compare self-descriptions of science instructional approaches, activities, and strategies written prior to the project to self-descriptions written afterwards. Survey the levels of computer and related technology use before and after the project.
- build relationships between teachers and students in grades 5 through 9 in schools in Japan (Toyama area) and their counterparts in the United States (Kentucky area).
Evaluation: Survey frequency of communication between counterparts during and after the project period. Monitor level of additional activity between teachers and students in Kentucky and Toyama.
The operational objectives of Project JUSTISE are to:
- (a) give US teachers access to science teaching ideas and strategies of the Japanese schools in the Toyama area,
Evaluation: Compile information from debriefing meetings and from two-month reflections of participating teachers to determine the extent to which they gained access to science teaching ideas and strategies with potential.
- (b) give Japanese teachers access to teaching ideas and strategies of the United States schools in western Kentucky that incorporate the use of computers.
Evaluation: Compile information from debriefing meetings and from two-month reflections of participating teachers to determine the extent to which they gained access to educational technology ideas and strategies with potential.
The process objectives of Project JUSTISE are to:
- (a) organize and manage the project effectively,
Evaluation: Project deadlines and schedules are met. Project reports are compiled and submitted. Project results are disseminated as planned. Project budget is properly and accurately administered.
- (b) provide ten days of professional interaction between visiting Kentucky teachers and teachers in Toyama public schools,
Evaluation: Kentucky teachers were able to complete ten days of professional observations and interactions with Toyama teachers.
- (c) provide ten days of professional interaction between visiting Toyama teachers and teachers in Kentucky public schools,
Evaluation: Toyama teachers were able to complete ten days of professional observations and interactions with Kentucky teachers.
- (d) evaluate the effectiveness of project activities,
Evaluation: Compare self-descriptions of science instructional approaches, activities, and strategies written prior to the project to self-descriptions written afterwards. Survey the levels of computer and related technology use before and after the project.
- (e) integrate project findings into teacher preparation programs at Murray State University and Toyama University,
Evaluation: Professors Yamanishi and Lough incorporate project aspects into their assigned courses, deliver project seminars to their respective departments, and encourage colleagues to make use of project results and materials.
- (f) disseminate project findings to teachers in Japan, the United States, and in other interested countries.
Evaluation: A Project JUSTISE web site is established at Murray State University with a mirror site at Toyama University. Project information and results are posted to the web site on a timely basis. Professors Yamanishi and Lough make Project JUSTISE presentations at conferences for educational technology leaders and science education professionals.
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The main tangible outcome of the project will be a description of teaching approaches, strategies, and techniques generated from the visits. The form of this outcome is a series of two reports, one based on the visit of the Kentucky teachers in Toyama, and the other based on the visit of the Toyama teacher in Kentucky.
The reports will be compiled from data taken at pre- and post-observation meetings, follow-up interviews, and written teacher reflections.
The information in the reports will be disseminated through a Project JUSTISE web site established in Kentucky and mirrored in Toyama, and through a series of national conference presentations in both Japan and the United States.
The tentative conference presentation schedule is as follows:
United States - Professor Lough
Kentucky Educational Technology Conference March 2000
National Science Teachers Association March 2000
Kentucky Educational Technology Conference March 2001
National Science
Teachers Association April 2001
Japan - Professor Yamanishi
Conference on Educational Technology October 1999
Intl Conference on Computers in Education November 1999
Conference on Educational Technology October 2000
Japan Society for Science Education Spring 2001
A second outcome will be a report based on a content analysis of the self-descriptions of the participating teachers written before and after the project. This report will contain details of the impact of the project in providing teaching approaches, strategies, and techniques in the areas of science instruction and technology use. This impact is expected to increase the effectiveness of both Toyama and Kentucky teachers.
However, there is a significant intangible product of the project as well -- the professional relationships that will be established between the Toyama and Kentucky teachers. As detailed on page 9, these relationships will form the basis for future collaborative work, especially for projects involving interactions among the school children themselves.
In conclusion, Project JUSTISE has the potential to create a significant impact in the areas of science instruction and technology use for the teachers and the children of Toyama, Japan, and of Kentucky, USA. The project team is committed to fulfilling this potential, and the participating organizations and teachers are committed to contributing a significant proportion of the necessary support so that Project JUSTISE fulfill its potential.
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June 1999 Final selection of project participants in Kentucky and Toyama
July 1999 Purchase tickets and make hotel and other transportation reservations
September 1999 Self-descriptions due from all participating teachers
October 1999 Kentucky teachers visit Toyama schools
November 1999 Presentation at Intl Conference on Computers in Education, Chiba, Japan
December 1999 Two-month reflections due from Kentucky teachers
January 2000 Web site operational with preliminary results
March 2000 Presentation at Kentucky
Educational Technology Conference,
Louisville, KY
March 2000 Presentation at National Science Teachers Assn Conference, Orlando, FL
October 2000 Presentation at Conference on Educational Technology, Naruto, Japan
October 2000 Toyama teachers visit Kentucky schools
December 2000 Two-month reflections due from Toyama teachers
January 2001 Additional results posted on project web site
March 2001 Presentation at Kentucky Educational Technology Conference, Louisville, KY
April 2001 Presentation at National Science Teachers Assn Conference, St. Louis, MO
Spring 2001 Presentation at Japan Society for Science Education Conference
Final project report published
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Education:
Master of Business Administration,
with emphasis on finance,
University of Hartford, Hartford,
CT, 1995
Ph.D., Educational Psychology,
with emphasis on physics teacher training,
University of Virginia, Charlottesville,
VA, 1990
Master of Science, Physics, University of Virginia, 1983
Master of Science, Geodetic Science, The Ohio State University, 1972
Bachelor of Science, Engineering, United States Military Academy, 1964
Dissertation:
A case study of a televised distance learning inservice course for high school physics teachers (Dissertation Abstracts 9100759)
Teaching and Other Employment:
1997 - Present
Assistant Professor, Murray
State University, Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education, with responsibilities for teaching courses in
science methods and teaching strategies,
supervising student teachers, and serving
the university and public school community through appropriate professional
educational activities.
1989 - 1997
Curriculum Coordinator and Project
Manager for LEGO Dacta, the educational
division of the LEGO Group. Managed the development of national
and international curriculum materials and educational products for
science and technology at the elementary
and middle school level.
1987 - 1988
Full-time doctoral student at
the University of Virginia as the winner of the Dean's
Fellowship competition. Coordinated summer institutes for high school
physics teachers at the University of Virginia, as part of a successful
grant proposal from the National
Science Foundation.
1983 - 1987:
Assistant professor, Piedmont
Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, VA.
Taught physics and mathematics at PVCC, and served as a computer
consultant to the Curry School of
Education at the University of Virginia.
1978 - 1983:
Graduate student in physics
at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.
1974 - 1978:
Taught earth science (meteorology,
oceanography, geology, astronomy), mathematics,
and physics at Montevideo High School, Penn Laird, VA. Reinstated
a high school physics program of studies that had been dropped.
1964 - 1974:
Served in the Corps of Engineers
of the United States Army in a variety of assignments.
Was promoted to the rank of Major before leaving the service.
Other Professional Accomplishments:
Founded The National Logo Exchange newsletter in September, 1982, to serve the needs of teachers using the Logo computer language. Since its inception, the periodical has grown to include subscribers around the world, and is now Logo Exchange, an international peer-reviewed journal published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) at the University of Oregon.
Author or co-author of more than two dozen articles for educational publications such as The Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, The Physics Teacher, Arithmetic Teacher, Instructor, Teaching and Computers, Classroom Computing News, Electronic Learning, The Computing Teacher, and Collegiate Microcomputing, as well as a continuous series of editorials spanning more than sixteen years in the Logo Exchange journal.
Chaired or delivered more than one dozen presentations at national and international conferences, including National Council for Teachers of Mathematics national meeting, National Science Teachers Association national meeting, National Educational Computing Conference, American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, World Congress on Education and Technology, and World Conference on Computers in Education. Also served on the steering committee for a series of international Logo conferences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1984 - 1986. Initiated the East Coast Logo Conference series in 1987 and served as co-chair.
Coordinated the 1987 and 1988 University of Virginia (UVA) Summer High School Physics Teacher Institutes, sponsored by the UVA Physics Department and the UVA Center for the Liberal Arts, and funded by a $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and a matching University of Virginia grant.
Was selected by a competitive process as one of two specialists-in-residence for the United States Information Agency Cultural Exchange Exhibition to Moscow, June, 1987. Duties included responding to questions from Russian education officials and teachers about educational computing in the United States, and lecturing at neighboring institutions of higher learning.
Served on the Scholastic, Inc., Educational Computer Advisory Board for Teaching and Computers magazine from 1983 to 1987.
Publications and Awards:
Curriculum Publications:
· Author and project director, Teacher Notes and Worksheets for LEGO Dacta Set 9618, Structures II, LEGO Dacta, 1998. 34-page packet of lesson plans, pretests, posttests, and worksheet copymasters for both US and UK teachers, containing lesson plans and hands-on elementary and middle school student activities for models incorporating structures concepts.
· Author and project director, Pneumatics Guide, LEGO Dacta, 1998. 32-page teacher guide including lesson plans, pretests, posttests, and worksheet copymasters in both US and UK editions, containing lesson plans and hands-on elementary and middle school student activities for models incorporating pneumatic elements and compressed air concepts.
· Author and project director, Simple and Motorized Machines, LEGO Dacta, 1997. 80-page teacher guide and 31 worksheet copymasters in both US and UK editions, containing lesson plans and hands-on elementary and middle school student activities for models with gears, levers, pulleys, and wheels and axles.
· Author and project director, Control System: Integrating Mathematics and Science for Upper Elementary Schools, LEGO Dacta, 1994. 8-page quick reference guide, 32-page setup guide, and 78-page teacher guide with lesson plans and hands-on student activities for motion, work, power, energy, and electricity generation using software, hardware, and a LEGO manipulative set for grades 5 and up.
· Author, series of four teacher guides entitled Gears, Levers, Pulleys, and Wheels & Axles, LEGO Dacta, 1993-1995. Each 20-page guide contains lesson plans and student activities for hands-on introductions to the simple machines using special LEGO sets for grades 3 and 4.
· Editor and project director, Hands-On Activities for TECHNIC II: Physical Science, LEGO Dacta, 1991. 100-page binder with lesson plans and hands-on student activities for motion, work, power, energy, and electricity generation with a LEGO motorized set for grades 5 and up.
· Editor, TECHNIC I Activity Center, LEGO Dacta, 1990. 144-page teacher guide, 28-page teacher supplement, and 90 student activity cards designed for hands-on teaching of the simple machines concepts using a LEGO building set for grades 5 and 6.
Representative Periodical Articles:
· with Eleanor Mills. "Day of Science: An Elementary Adventure." Science and Children, currently in press.
· "Just a Little Bit." Logo Exchange, Summer, 1998, Vol. 16, No. 4.
· with Judi Harris. "A Computerized LEGO Kit Has Students Building LOGO-Motives." Electronic Learning, March 1988.
· with Carolyn Markuson and Joyce Tobias. "Logo Fever." Instructor, January 1983 (Selected for reprinting in Exemplary Practice Series: Mathematics, [Phi Delta Kappa], September 1987, and in Arithmetic Teacher, September 1983).
· "Logo in the Physics Class." Collegiate Microcomputer, November 1986.
· "Logo and Physics." The Physics Teacher, January 1986 cover feature article (Selected for reprinting in The Information Age Classroom: Using the Computer as a Tool, Terrence R. Cannings and Stephen W. Brown (eds.), Franklin, Beedle and Associates, 1986).
· with Steve Tipps. "Learning with Logo." A regular column published in The Journal for Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 1985 - 1987.
· "WATERCROSS: A Logo Exploration." The Computing Teacher, November 1982.
· with George T. Gillies and Rogers C. Ritter. "A Sagnac Interferometer Modified for Use as a Centrifugal Encoder." Bulletin of the Technical University of Istanbul, Volume 36, Number 1, 1983.
Books:
· Author, MicroWorlds Pro User Guide, Logo Computer Systems, Inc., 1999.
· Coauthor of chapter on Logo in Computers and Exceptional Individuals, Jimmy Lindsey (ed.), Merrill, 1986.
· Coauthor of the educational computing chapter in Classroom Teaching Skills, 3rd edition, James Cooper (ed.), D. C. Heath, 1986.
· Consulting editor for Logo Physics, Holt, Rinehart and Winston,1985.
· Writing team coordinator and coauthor of Exploring IBM Logo, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985.
· Writing team coordinator and coauthor of Beyond Mindstorms, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985.
· Writing team coordinator and contributing editor for Nudges: IBM Logo Projects and for Nudges: Apple Logo Projects, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984 and 1985.
Conference Related Publications:
· Editor or co-editor, Logo Bibliography, published as part of the annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology Logo 84, Logo 85, and Logo 86 conference proceedings, 1984, 1985, and 1986.
· "Logo and Physics PVCC Style: Instructional Methods and Techniques Used with Logo in a Calculus-Based Physics Course." Logo 85 Conference Proceedings, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1985.
· Co-editor, East Coast Logo Conference '87 Proceedings, Meckler
Publishing, 1987.
Representative Conference Activities:
· Panel Discussion Co-chair and Discussant, "National Science Education Standards and Curriculum Materials - Moving from Vision to Practice," National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) national convention, Las Vegas, NV, April, 1998.
· Wheel and Axle Workshop, Combined state conference, Kentucky Science Teachers Association (KSTA) and Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics (KCTM), Louisville, KY, November, 1997.
Other:
· Consultant for LEGO Contraptions, interactive book with LEGO bricks produced by Klutz Press, 1998.
· Consultant for MARS 2020, an educational science board game produced by Aristoplay, Ltd., 1998.
· Writing team coordinator and author of physics questions for NOVA True Science, an educational science board game produced by Aristoplay, Ltd., for NOVA, WGBH PBS, 1994.
Awards:
1993 The LEGO Dacta Award, division award for demonstrated excellence above and beyond the LEGO Dacta standard.
1990 The Outstanding Student in Graduate Education Award, presented by the University of Virginia chapter of Phi Delta Kappa.
1987 The Dean's Fellowship Award from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.
Current Professional Memberships:
National Science Teachers Association
Kentucky Science Teachers Association
Kentucky Association for Environmental Education
Phi Delta Kappa
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Name:
Family name: Yamanishi Forename: Jun-ichi
Nationality: Japanese
Mailing address: Department of Computer and Instructional Sciences,
Faculty of Education, Toyama University
3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555 Japan
E-mail: yamanisi@edu.toyama-u.ac.jp
Office Fax: 001-81-764-45-6383
Tel: 001-81-764-45-6333
Home Tel: 001-81-764-25-0457
Education:
1969-1973 Faculty of Engineering, Toyama University
Awarded the degree of BSc in Electrical Engineering
1973-1975 School of Biological Engineering, Toyama University
Awarded the degree of MSc in Engineering
1975-1980 Department of Engineering and Sciences,
School of Biological Engineering, Osaka University
Awarded the degree of PhD in Biological Engineering
Research and professional experiences:
1982-1984 Instructor of Educational Technology at the Center for Research and Training in Teacher Education, Toyama University
1984-1988 Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the Center for Research and Training in Teacher Education, Toyama University
1988-1991 Associate Professor at Department of Computer and Instructional Sciences (newly established), Faculty of Education, Toyama University
1991-present Professor at Department of Computer and Instructional Sciences, Faculty of Education, Toyama University
From 1998: Holds an additional post of Director of Computer and Network services, Toyama University
Teaches such subjects as educational technology, computer and human information processing, educational methods with information technology.
Membership of academic societies:
Japan Society of Educational Technology
Japan Society of Science Education
Japan Society of Electronics, Information, and Communication Engineers
Japan Society of Ergonomics
President of Conference on Education and Computer in Toyama
Recent Publications (Japanese):
Role of TV Conference at Intercultural Exchange, Technical Report of Institute of Electronics, Information, and Communication Engineering, Vol.98 No.433, pp 1-6, 1998.
Evaluating Learning Environment for Distance Learning, Technical Report of Institute of Electronics, Information, and Communication Engineering, Vol.98 No.433, pp 7-12, 1998.
Fundamentals of Information Technology for Junior High School, Technical Report of Institute of Electronics, Information, and Communication Engineering, Vol.98 No.433, pp 83-90, 1998.
Study on the Stress for the Children in Computer Based Education, Proceedings of Biological and Physiological Engineering, pp 525-528, 1998.
The Effect of Text Layout Variables in Web Pages on Ease of Reading, Technical Report of Japan Educational Technology, Vol.3. pp 1-6, 1998.
How to Use ATM-LAN Technology on Distance Education, Technical Report of Japan Educational Technology, Vol.3. pp 75-80, 1998.
Design and Evaluation of Teacher Training Programs; Information Activities are being Provided, Technical Report of Japan Science Education, Vol.12, No.6, pp 43-48, 1998.
Recent Presentations
How to Use Multimedia and Internet in Your Class, Conference of Computer Based Education in Toyama City, Nov. 5, 1998. Kounan junior high-school, Toyama.
How to Make Effective Web Design, Open Lecture for life long study in Toyama University, Oct. 30, 1998. Toyama University.
Reform of Education for Information Oriented Society, Invited speech in Dalian University, Oct.12,1998. Dalian University, Dalian, China.
Multimedia and Internet for Children, Open lecture for school children in Toyama University, Sept.12-13, 1998. Toyama University.
Problems and Ideas for Fundamentals of Information Technology, Conference of Teacher Training for Fundamentals of Information Technology by Monbusho, Sept.11, 1998. Toyama
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