TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

THE FOURTEENTH ANNUAL SCIENCE AND MATH

EDUCATORS CONFERENCE (SMEC 14)

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Science and MathematicsEducationCenter (SMEC)

Department of Education

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

AmericanUniversity of Beirut

Beirut, Lebanon

March 31, 2012

CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRPERSONS

Dr. Saouma BouJaoude

Dr. Murad Jurdak

PROGRAM CHAIRS

Dr. Saouma BouJaoude

Dr. Murad Jurdak

Dr. Rola Khishfe

Dr. Rabih El-Mouhayar

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Name / Institution
Alia Zaidan / BeirutBaptistSchool
Barend Vlaardingerbroek / AUB
Dolla Kanaan / SagesseHigh School
Enja Osman / Hariri High School II
Fady Maalouf / ModernCommunitySchool
Faten Hasan / Al KawtharSchool
George Rizkallah / St. Severius College
Jana Thoumy / BrummanaHigh School
Maggie Yammine / St. JosephSchool, Cornet Chahwan
Maha Al Hariri / Hariri High School II
Marthe Meouchi / St. JosephSchool, Cornet Chahwan
Norma Ghumrawi / College of Education, LebaneseUniversity
Philip Bahout / Jesus and MarySchool, Rabweh
Rabih El-Mouhayar / AUB
Randa Abu Salman / Beirut Orthodox Schools
Ranya Saad / UniversalCollege Aley
Reem Al Hout / AmericanAcademy of Beirut
Rima Khishen / InternationalCollege, Beirut
Rola Khishfe / AUB
Sahar Alameh / AUB
Saouma BouJaoude / AUB

SUPPORT STAFF

Mrs. Dima Basha

Mr. Hanna Helou

Mr. Yusuf Korfali

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The SMEC 14Conference Committee wishes to thank the following persons, organizations, and companies, all of whom contributed significantly to the organization and success of this year’s conference, in no particular order:

Arabia Insurance Company

Dr. Patrick McGreevy, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Ghazi Ghaith, Chair, Department of Education

Mr. Fady Maalouf, ModernCommunitySchool

All Prints Distributors and Publishers

Levant Distributors

Librarie Antoine

Librarie du Liban Publishers

Medilab SARL

Ms. Hiba Hamade, Student Activities

West Hall Staff

Mr. Elie Issa, University Physical Plant

Captain Saadalah Shalak, Campus Protection Office

AUB Information Office

We do apologize for any significant omissions

SMEC 14MISSION STATEMENT

The SMEC Conference is an annual event designed to promote the continued development of a professional community of mathematics and science educators across Lebanon and throughout the region. Specifically, the conference aims to:

  • Provide an intellectual and professional forum for teachers to exchange theoretical and practical ideas regarding the teaching and learning of mathematics and science at the elementary, intermediate, and secondary levels
  • Provide a forum for teacher educators and researchers to share their findings with science and mathematics teachers with a special emphasis on the practical classroom implications of their findings
  • Provide an opportunity for science and mathematics teachers to interact with high-caliber science and mathematics education professionals from abroad
  • Contribute to the ongoing development of a professional culture of science and mathematics teaching at the school level in Lebanon and in the region
  • Raise awareness of science and mathematics teachers about the array of curriculum and supplemental classroom materials available to them through publishers and local distributors

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ATTENDING SESSIONS. Attendance in all sessions is on a first come first served basis. If a session is full please go to other sessions. Also plan what sessions you want to attend beforehand with alternative sessions in case the first one you choose is full.

PUBLISHERS’ EXHIBIT: You are encouraged to visit the publishers’ exhibit located in West Hall, Common Roomat any time during the Conference. Representatives from all the companies will be available to meet with you, answer your questions, and show materials from their respective companies.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES: If you have a medical emergency, go immediately to the West Hall entrance and a Red Cross Worker will be available to administer care.

LOST & FOUND ITEMS: If you find a lost item, please give it to an usher or SMEC Committee member or bring it to the Lost & Found in the SMEC office, Fisk Hall 241. If you lose something, check in the Lost & Found to see if it has been turned in.

PARTICIPANT CERTIFICATES: Each participant will receive a certificate of participation. Certificates can be picked up at the registration table in West Hall at the end of the Conference on Saturday, March 31, 2012 or anytime during the week following the Conference from SMEC office, Fisk Hall 241. It is preferred if the designated contact person for the school picks up all the certificates for his/her school at one time.

AUB USHERS: Ushers are available to answer your questions or help you find locations of conference events. They are identifiable by their name badges and by their red vests that say “AUB Guides.”

REGISTRATION/CHECK-IN TIMES

SaturdayMarch 31, 2012: Registration begins at 8:00 am

PUBLISHERS’ EXHIBIT

Saturday March 31, 2012: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

SMEC 14has the pleasure to welcome the following publishing and

distribution companies and their representatives and others.

All Prints Distributors and Publishers

Levant Distributors

Librarie Antoine

Librarie du Liban Publishers

Medilab SARL

SMEC 14CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
SATURDAY March 31, 2012

The Publishers’ Exhibit will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in

West Hall Common Room

8:00 – 8:45 am / Conference Registration, West Hall Entrance
8:45 – 9:00 am / Opening Ceremony, Assembly Hall
Assembly Hall
9:15 am- 10:30 am / plenary sessions
SCIENCE
PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STUDENTS: IMPLICATIONS OF AUTHENTIC SCIENTIFIC PRACTICES FOR PRECOLLEGE SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING
FOUAD ABD-EL-KHALICK
Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Assembly Hall / MATH
COMPETENCIES IN MATHEMATICS, AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ COMPETENCIES
MOGEN ALLAN NISS
Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education, RoskildeUniversity (RUC), Denmark
Bathish Auditorium, West Hall
10:30 am–11:00am / COFFEE BREAK, West Hall, 2nd Floor Terrace
RESEARCH SESSION I
11:15 am–1:15 am
West Hall Auditorium A / Title / Presenter
Problem solving at the middle school level: A comparison of different strategies / Juhaina Mucharafieh and Naim Rouadi
Students’ Knowledge and Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Absolute Value Concept in Lebanese Public High Schools. / Samar Tfaili
Elementary Students’ Knowledge and Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge of 2D Representations of 3D Dimensional Geometric Objects. / Sanaa Shehayeb
Sixth Grade Mathematics Students: Expert- Novice Distinctions / Haitham Al-Khateeb, Noof Al- Saadi, Habiba Al-Shawadfy, Zaiynab Khan and Eman El-Naggar
RESEARCH SESSION II
11:15 am–1:15 am
West Hall
Auditorium B / Title / Presenter
Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in Foundation Chemistry: A progress report. / Sheila Qureshi and Phyllis Grifarrd
Diversities in the Indian classrooms through the lens of teachers and students / Sugra Chunawala and Chitra Natarjan
Développement et valuation de l’ExAO comme outil d’investigation scientifique et d’intégration des Sciences et des Mathématiques / Marie-Theresse Saliba
أثر أستخدام أسلوب العصف الذهني في تحصيل طالبات
الصف الأول المتوسط في مادة الرياضيات ومهارات تواصلهن الرياضي / Faeeza Al-Chalabi and Riad Fakher
Concurrent Interactive Sessions
11:15 am–1:15 pm
Developmental Workshops
Session I / Title / Presenter(s) / Audience / Room
Differentiating Instruction in the Math Classroom Using Promethean Interactive Board / Aida Obeid / Math
Intermediate and Secondary / Fisk 104
Hands –On, Minds-On Biology Activities / Amina Harbali / Science
Middle / Nicely 105
تنميةمهاراتالمعلمينفيتفعيلإستراتيجيةالتعلمالقائمعلىالمشكلة / Khadija Al-Balushi / Science
Intermediate and Secondary / Fisk 337
Using Team-Based Learning (TBL) in Middle and Secondary Science Classrooms / Christiane Jaatour / Science
Middle and Secondary / Nicely 214
Teach Math To Students The Way They Want To Learn / Dounia Sawan / Math
Elementary and Middle / Fisk 313
التعلمالخبرويوآلياتتطبيقهفيتدريسالعلوم / Naser Al-Ashab / Science
All Levels / Fisk 339
Rapid Planning Method (RPM): A Practical System for Time- and Life-Management for Success-Seeking Individuals / Nader Hirmas / Math and Science
High School and Beyond / Nicely 212
11:15 am–12:30 pm
Innovative Idea Session I / Virtual Manipulation in the Math Classrooms: Using the Internet in the Math Classrooms / Rima Houssami / Math
Elementary / Nicely 101
Improving the teaching of genetics through research / Enja Osman and Hiba Hamdan / Biology
Middle and Secondary / Nicely 107
معالصّورةالصّفأحلىمكانةالصّورةفيتعليممادةالعلوم / Farah Hankir & Abed El Wahhab Kassir / Science
Elementary and Intermediate / Nicely 103
Integrating the Nature, Connections, and Applications of Science in the Teaching Process / George Rizkallah / Science
Experienced Educators / Nicely 108
LIMITED ENROLMENT WORKSHOP
Interactive Videos: Engaging Students in and out of the classroom / Haitham Solh / Math
Middle, High School and College / Nicely 206
The Revolution of Instructional Technology: Why It Isn’t Happening?Cognitive Tools in Promoting Physics Learning / Sahar Alameh / Physics
Intermediate and Secondary / Fisk 102
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm / Lunch
MINI-PLENARY
2:00pm – 3:15 pm
West Hall Auditorium B / INQUIRY
INQUIRY-STANCE TOWARD ONE'S OWN PRACTICE AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF GOOD TEACHING
Marjorie Henningsen
Wellspring Learning Community
Principal
RESEARCH SESSION III
2:00 pm–4:30 pm
West Hall
Auditorium A / Title / Presenter
Aspects used to promote Classroom discourse in the Upper Basic Stage in Jordan / Sumailah Sabbagh
Grade 7 Physics Students’ Attitudes towards the Use of the QOMO Interactive Whiteboard and Its Effect on their Academic Achievement / Tarek Daoud
تصميم موقع تعليمي على شبكة الإنترنت وأثره في تحصيل مادة الرياضيات والإتجاهات نحو الاستخدام التعليمي للإنترنت لدى طلبة قسم علوم الحاسبات / كلية التربية / Faeeza Al-Chalaby and Riad Fakher
Teachers’ decision making about taught knowledge in classroom interaction / Zeynab Badreddine and Christian Buty
Developing and Validating an Instrument to Assess Arabic Speaking Students’ Attitudes toward Science / Fouad Abd El-Khalick
RESEARCH SESSION IV
2:00 pm–4:00 pm
West Hall
Bathish / Title / Presenter
Teaching practices followed in biology education in the Indian context / Meena Kharatmal and Sugra Chunawala
Accreditation, what, why, and how / Nather Simhari and Jaimy Kajaji
الطلاقة الرياضية وعلاقتها ببعض انواع الذكاءات المتعددة لدى طلبة الصف السادس العلمي في محافظة بغداد / Rafid Bahar, Amal Al-Meyahi and Areej Hasan
Teachers discourse and representations during ICT session A case study at grade 12 in electricity / Suzane El-Hage and Christian Buty
Concurrent Interactive Sessions
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Developmental Workshops
Session II / Title / Presenter(s) / Audience / Room
Thinking about Thinking / Sahar Harakeh and Lamis Adada / Science
All Levels / Fisk 313
Creating Mental Math Classrooms / Samia Henaine and Zeina Zaatari / Math
Elementary / Fisk 339
Using Popular Science Writing in Science Teaching / Tamer Amin / Science
Intermediate and Secondary / Nicely 202
Carousel and Active Learning / Wissam Kabbani / Science
All Levels / Nicely 103
The Multitude Functions of the Cell Membrane / Zepure Kalaydjian / Science
Intermediate and Secondary / Nicely 105
The AIO triangle: Aligning Assessment with instructional activities and Objectives / Nibal Barq / Math and Science
Teachers and Coordinators
All Levels / Nicely 101
Chemistry Probeware for Enhanced Laboratory Learning / Nizar Mehtar / Chemistry Teachers / Fisk 208
تعليم العلوم و الرياضيات للتلامذة ذوي الإحتياجات الخاصة في الحلقة الثالثة و المرحلة الثانوية / Zeina Majed and Samar Al-Mukdad / Science and Math All Levels / Nicely 206
2:00 pm–3:15 pm
Innovative Idea
Session II / A Workshop on Development of a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in the Arab Region / Ahmad Qablan &
Sulieman Sulieman / Math and Science
University Faculty, Supervisors and Teachers / Fisk 104
Integrating Technology into your lessons using the ISTE NETS / Mahmud Shihab / Math and Science
All Levels / Fisk 102
التفكيرخارجالصندوق: ألعابلتنميةالإبداععندالطلاب / Mohamad Oweid / Math and Science
All Levels / Fisk 337
Science Across the Curriculum / Narmine Majzoub& Farah Darazi / Science and Math
Elementary / Nicely 107
Démarche scientifique et interdisciplinarité en science au lycée / Rita Khanfour / Math and Science
Secondary / Nicely 212
Science and Literacy in the Elementary Classroom: Making Connections / Hala Kotob / Science
Elementary / Nicely 108
Concurrent Interactive Sessions
3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
Innovative Ideas
Session III / Title / Presenter(s) / Audience / Room
الفضولالعلميوالطريقالىالابداعلدىالمتعلم / Ibtihaj Saleh, Mahmoud Zaatari, Evleen Al-Masri and Kholoud Al Safadi / Science
Intermediate and Secondary / Nicely 101
Math out Loud / Tharwat Baasiri / Math
Elementary / Fisk 104
How do you make Life Science a more interesting course in the first secondary? / Zarifeh Jarjour / Science
Secondary / Fisk 208
Math concepts versus Math procedures / Houssam Kasti / Math
Intermediate and Secondary / Nicely 103
Inquiry-based learning / Rola Hallak and Nisrine Baasiri / Science and Math
Elementary / Nicely 105

Abstracts

Plenary Sessions

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STUDENTS: IMPLICATIONS OF AUTHENTIC SCIENTIFIC PRACTICES FOR PRECOLLEGE SCIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING
FOUAD ABD EL- KHALICK, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Meaningful engagement with the products of science, especially scientific knowledge, continues to be a mainstay of precollege science education in an increasingly scientific and technologically laden 21st century global economy. However, the goal of achieving scientific literacy might fall short of preparing the next generation science students, who are not only capable of consuming scientific knowledge, but equally enabled to engage with the very production of such knowledge. Reframing precollege science education to prepare the next generation science students is an urgent need in the context of the Arab world if we hope to move from being consumers to becoming producers of scientific knowledge. This talk will provide an overview of the most recent thinking about precollege science curriculum as outlined in the 2011 Framework for K-12 Science Education in the USA by the National Research Council, as well as embodied in the thinking underlying the accompanying “Next Generation Science Standards” currently under development. The framework and standards place special emphasis on bringing authentic scientific practices into precollege science classrooms. The talk will outline the benefits and burdens associated with such an emphasis, as well as discuss specific and practical ways in which science teachers need to recast their instructional practice to achieve goals associated with enabling their students to eventually contribute to the production of scientific knowledge.
Short Biography of Fouad Abd El-Khalick, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Fouad Abd-El-Khalick is Professor of Science Education and Head of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to coming to Illinois in 2000, he was a faculty member at the AmericanUniversity of Beirut. He holds a Ph.D. in Science Education, and master’s and BS degrees from AUB. His research focuses on the teaching and learning about nature of science (NOS) in precollege grades, and in preservice and inservice science teacher education settings. He is currently leading a large-scale initiative funded by the US National Science Foundation aimed at preparing a new generation of science teacher leaders by integrating social and entrepreneurial leadership into existing modalities for preparing teacher leaders. He also maintains an active international program of educational research and development in Egypt, Lebanon, and Qatar. Professor Abd-El-Khalick served as an elected member of the Executive Board of the National Association for Research on Science Teaching (NARST) (2004-2007). He also served as associate editor for the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and School Science and Mathematics Journal, and sits on the editorial boards for the International Journal of Science Education, Science & Education, and Journal of Science Education and Technology. From NARST, he has received the Early Research Career Award (2003), Journal of Research in Science Teaching Award (2001), and Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award (1999). From Illinois, he received the College of Education Distinguished Scholar Award (2005) and Distinguished Senior Scholar Award (2011), and was named University of Illinois Scholar (2006-2009). He was recently elected to the rank of Fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science for, according to the Association, “his outstanding research on teachers’ and students’ conceptions of the nature of science that helped provide a foundation for this field of research.”
COMPETENCIES IN MATHEMATICS, AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ COMPETENCIES
MOGEN ALLAN NISS, MATHEMATICS EDUCATION, ROSKILDEUNIVERSITY (RUC), DENMARK
In the last couple of decades various attempts at coming to grips with what it means to master mathematics across different educational levels and across different mathematical topics have been seen in a number of countries. These attempts have been made in response to certain intellectual and practoco-political challenges. The lecture will provide examples of some of these attempts, with a special focus on a Danish approach undertaken under the direction of the speaker, the so-called KOM-project, which is focused on what is named a system of eight mathematical competencies and three forms of overview and judgment with regard to mathematics as a discipline, In the talk, special emphasis will be placed on the ways in which this system of competencies etc. can be employed for normative as well as descriptive / analytic purposes in designing and understanding mathematics teaching and learning.
Another significant issue is to do with the education and professional and development of mathematics teachers. The pertinent question here is "What does it mean to be good mathematics teacher?” Over the years different answers to this question have been put forward, e.g. Shulman's, based the distinction between subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, and that of Ball et al. who have introduced the notion of mathematical knowledge for teaching. The KOM project has taken yet another approach, based on the notion of mathematics teacher competencies. In the talk these competencies will be presented and discussed.
Short Biography of Mogan Allan Niss, Mathematics Education, Roskilde University (RUC), Denmark
Mogens Niss, professor of mathematics and mathematics education, Roskilde University (RUC), Denmark. Dr. Niss was trained as a pure mathematician. He received a PhD from the University of Copenhagen, 1968. The main field of research of Dr. Mogens Niss is mathematics education, where he has published above a hundred papers in scholarly journals and books, as well as twelve books. His research interests are focused on the justification problem in mathematics education, on applications and modelling in the teaching and learning of mathematics, on assessment, on the nature of mathematics education research as a scientific discipline, and on mathematical competencies in mathematics education. Dr. Niss has given hundreds of keynote addresses in national and international meetings and conferences.
Dr. Niss is well-known in the international mathematics education community. He was the chair of the International Programme Committee of ICME-10, Copenhagen 2004, a member of the International Programme Committee for ICME-11 (Monterrey, Mexico, 2008), Chair of ICMI Awards Committee. He is or has been a member or a chair of a very large number of national and international committees, including the ICMI-Denmark national sub-commission, OECD PISA’s mathematics expert group, director of the project Competencies and the Learning of Mathematics. He is currently a member of the Education Committee of the European Mathematical Society. He was a member of the board of trustees of the Nordic Graduate School of Mathematics Education throughout its duration and the chair of the Danish government’s Committee for innovation of school mathematics at primary and lower secondary levels.

ResearchSession I