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We describe a custom Internet of Things (IoT) device used for tracking barcoded containers end to end in a high-throughput analysis and purification laboratory. Our IoT device fills an important gap that previously prevented us from fully tracking barcoded sample containers through manual steps in a multistep workflow, such as when samples are "parked" for temporary storage, or when using instrumentation not otherwise equipped with barcode scanners, a common occurrence found with specific centrifugal evaporation instruments. The custom device reads container barcodes and sends a small amount of data to our back-end data systems. Once data have been received and processed, users are alerted to any system responses via aural and visual feedback. Components of the IoT system include a low-cost headless IoT computer, a barcode reader, and a multicolor LED strip. We believe that the model for our device will facilitate simple and rapid deployment of IoT to the broader laboratory community. All source code and device configurations will be released into the public domain and made freely available.

This article reports some of the key findings from a practitioner-action research study that analyzed the impact of co-construction on students' quantitative literacy (QL) and attitudes towards mathematics. Coconstruction is a process where students work alongside their teachers to plan units, lessons, and assessments, and this approach was chosen because of its potential to help students advocate for the specific mathematical contexts that would best develop their QL. This yearlong study took place in a public high school, with forty-five students in two different classes participating. Students formally contributed to the development of the course by completing written questionnaires and participating in large-and small-group discussions, and they contributed informally through their participation in class, performance on assessments, and reflections on various assignments, which I considered in field notes and a research journal. I used the constant comparative method to analyze these data, and I arrived at three key themes: (1) co-construction recast traditional roles in the classroom, while still serving as an important form of instruction in itself; (2) developmentally appropriate assignments triggered students' situational interest, while individualized co-construction proved somewhat effective at developing individual interest; and (3) the co-construction process challenged the way I used to think about mathematics teaching, as students and I reconsidered the content, technology, and classroom practices that would best develop students' QL. This study fills an important gap in the QL and co-construction literature, and it also has important implications for mathematics practitioners, and for practitioners who want to give students more of a voice in the classroom.

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