An Educational Method for Theoretical Fields Through Dynamic Visualization

This chapter proposes a new educational methodology for theoretical contents. It aims to effectively transmit theoretical content meanings. Here, the effects of content visualization enhance the transmission of meaning. By processing visual information, the human brain can immediately understand the mutual relationships between elements in addition to the whole meaning. Comprehension becomes increasingly effective when movement is added to static information. The new educational methodology proposed here is based on such visualization. It is called “The Dynamic Visualization Method.” It is designed so students can visually set allowable conditions before processing them. This selective freedom enables students to extract their hidden leaning interests. Mathematical processes were used to verify the effectiveness of this methodology. A variety of items were thus adopted ranging from the elementary-school to university levels. The contents of those items are visualized in this chapter. The educational effects are then discussed.

Computer-Driven Technologies for Effective Teaching in K-12 Classrooms in Nigeria

The world is changing and so is the educational sector. The major driver of this change is technological advancements, so it is imperative that educators investigate ways to prepare students to fit into the 21st century technology-driven workforce by adopting digital alternatives to the pens and books that still dominate present-day classroom resources, especially in developing countries. This chapter discusses the importance of computer-driven technologies in teaching. In doing so, this chapter highlights the present situation of technology integration in schools in Nigeria and the challenges teachers face in their use of classroom technologies. It is the author's opinion that teachers have a responsibility to pursue personal professional development in addition to whatever kind of training provided on the job. This chapter intends to help educators learn how to leverage free digital tools to support and meet the needs of diverse learners in the classroom.

Gifted School Activities With DropTalk, Parent-Teacher Notebook, and SmileNote for Students With Disabilities

Three programs, DropTalk, Parent-Teacher Notebook, and SmileNote, were developed by teachers at schools for special needs education to help students with various disabilities, in collaboration with businesses supportive of students with disabilities. DropTalk was developed to help students with nonverbal communication by using Pictogram and text overlaid with voice/sound. A digital-based Parent-Teacher Notebook was developed to share the valuable data on each student between their home and school. The shared data are effectively used to build up individual support plans. SmileNote was developed to help students with nonverbal communication disabilities present their wills, hopes, and desires to the classmates and others. In this chapter, the aims and valuable functions in three software applications are described in detail, and self-made contents created with the software and gifted school activities conducted at several schools for special needs education are depicted.

Software for Creating Self-Made Content With Multimedia-Enabled Dot Codes and Gifted School Activities for Students With Disabilities

Gifted school activities for students with various disabilities were presented with self-made original content created with newly-developed software—Sound Linker, File Linker, GM Authoring Tool, and Gridmark Content Viewer software—that can handle multimedia-enabled dot codes, originally developed by Gridmark, Inc. Each dot codes can link up to four multimedia mediums—such as a movie—in addition to up to four voices/sounds. Touching dot codes with a speaking-pen enables audio files to be replayed, and touching dot codes with a dot-code reader enables multimedia to be replayed on iOS and Windows OS devices. Software and Post-it® sticker icon overlaid with dot codes and a speaking-pen and dot-code reader are distributed for free to school teachers. All the teachers can now create their own self-made original content and can conduct related school activities without buying any costly software and tools. Basic information on (1) creating original teaching materials using the developed software and (2) its use in schools for students with various difficulties is presented in this chapter.

Learning Support System for Programming Language Python

In the new course of study starting next year, programming education starts in all elementary schools in Japan. However, the definition of programming education is not so clear, and an independent compulsory subject for programming education is not available, yet. Almost all of the teachers are not good at programming; they do not have enough ideas on how to teach “programming” in ordinary required subjects. It is expected, however, that this new engagement on programming education at elementary school will promote the development of new ways of teaching programming education in junior and senior high schools. The authors developed a new client-server web system that can help teachers teach Python programming and also help gifted and talented students learn by themselves. In this chapter, the authors detail such a client-server Web system and the activities performed at a juku (private tutoring) school.

Effects of Software on Gifted Students Achievement and Activities in Elementary Education

This chapter aims to compare the ways that teachers in both countries, Oman and Canada, respond to the needs of gifted students and deal with them in elementary schools, with a focus on the use of instructional software and their impacts on gifted students' achievement and activities. It reviews the literature in this field, explains and analyzes the collected data and findings of a small-scale study conducted with teachers of gifted students in the two countries. The chapter then presents the schoolteachers' perceptions about the impacts of instructional software on gifted students. Conclusions are drawn and future prospectives are pointed out.

Philosophy and Psychology as Influences on Gifted and Talented Education in the 21st Century Education

The purpose of this chapter is to clarify varying beliefs of those within (and those commenting on) education. A review of literature on educational philosophy and educational psychology is followed by an analysis of what these various beliefs mean for those working with gifted and talented students, how these beliefs relate to technology, and the role technology can play to optimize gifted and talented students' education. The focus is on the teacher's beliefs about the truth and purpose of education and about how students learn these beliefs will influence instructional decisions and determine the value of technology in education.

Emergence of EdTech Products in South Asia

The chapter presents a comparative analysis of the emergence of EdTech companies in South Asia and discovers the motivating factors behind it. It has a global perspective regarding scope of EdTech and then a specific perspective according to South Asian countries. As all the countries in this region fall under developing nations, it is interesting to see how these countries are embracing the education technology, what is the scope of expansion in EdTech sector, what are the encouraging and limiting factors that are promoting or restricting the growth of EdTech in this region. An exploratory and qualitative approach is opted to collect and analyze data related to EdTech growth in South Asia. The findings suggest that, barring India, no other South Asian country has a stable EdTech market. The availability of high-speed internet connectivity, younger population, affordability are the factors that work in favor of India whereas poor digital infrastructure, credibility issues, affordability, and poor student engagement are the reasons for slow EdTech penetration in rest of the countries.

Mobile Technology of Learning and Communication for Students With Disabilities

This chapter presents a mobile application to support children and students with hearing difficulties and/or developmental disorders in interacting, understanding, and preparing for learning in their daily, school, and social lives. The authors think that a learning and communication support technique using a combination of characters, pictograms, and photographs is effective for people with disabilities. The application recognizes words spoken by their communication partners by using a speech recognition system and arranges the pictures corresponding to the words in a sequence. The results of two demonstration experiments show that PICTONGUE promotes mutual understanding between students who have hearing difficulties and/or developmental disorders by utilizing pictograms and photographs in combination with speech. The authors suggest that PICTONGUE supports visualization and feedback for planning and learning as a new way of communication for children and students with hearing difficulties and developmental disorders.

Virtual Reality

Moving beyond the traditional K-12 classroom environment, this chapter examines the pedagogical benefits virtual learning offer gifted and talented students. The use of virtual reality as a learning tool is relatively new in the field of education. A discussion is provided how virtual reality promote and support learning theories such as Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Constructivism, and Connectivism. The benefits of virtual reality in terms of spatial awareness and the use in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) areas the technology offers to K-12 gifted and talented students are also discussed. On a global level, the use of three-dimensional software and computer devices can help students discover and understand abstract and complex concepts. This chapter provides an overview of current research and projects relating to the use of virtual technology devices within the field of education.