Inquiry and Effective Tech in Physics

1
Inquiry and Effective Tech in Physics

• EARCOS Teacher Conference 2006
• Mechum Purnell
• Seoul International School
• purnellm_at_siskorea.or.kr

2
Introduction

• All resources (plus more) available at
• http//mechum.com/science
• Packet Contents
• Disclaimer

3
The Inquiry / Constructivist Model

• How do we learn?

4
The Inquiry / Constructivist Model

• Constructivism views learning as a process in
  which the learner actively constructs new ideas
  based upon current and past knowledge.
• Learning involves constructing ones own
  knowledge from ones own experiences.

5
The Inquiry / Constructivist Model

• The teacher acts as a facilitator who encourages
  students to discover principles for themselves
  and to construct knowledge by working to solve
  realistic problems, usually in collaboration with
  others.
• Labs!

6
The Inquiry / Constructivist Model

• Activities Employing Inquiry
• Model the scientific process
• Make students scientists
• Are the most effective teaching activities for
  real student learning
• Inquiry skills must be taught

7
The Inquiry / Constructivist Model

• Activities Employing Inquiry
• Discovery Learning
• Interactive Demos
• Inquiry Lessons
• Inquiry Labs
• All In search of the aha! moment

8
Inquiry Labs

• Try to go this way ?

• Inquiry is student-centered

9
Lab Interfaces
10
Lab Interfaces Sensors
11
Lab Interfaces

• Advantages over Traditional Methods
• Allows for some investigations impossible
  otherwise
• Easier data collection (when a lot of data is
  gathered)
• Real-time measurement
• Easy graph production
• Gives students more experience with computers
• Can save money
• Cool

12
Lab Interfaces

• Choices for Setup
• Computers big screens are great
• Old ones work fine
• Fixed-location
• Rollers
• Laptops
• Networking
• Handhelds (Palms)
• No Computers (Pasco GLX)

13
Lab Interfaces

• Be Realistic
• Understand your lab and decide if using sensors
  and computers will help
• Inquiry is more important than computers

14
Integrating Tech with Inquiry

• Interface Company-Developed Labs
• Make it easier to use the interfaces
• Very specific
• Use custom software templates
• Are relatively plug and play

15
Integrating Tech with Inquiry

• Interface Company-Developed Labs
• Tend to be very cookbook
• Are usually inquiry level 1, but often 0
• Are not very interesting
• Are not terribly engaging

16
Integrating Tech with Inquiry

• Converting to Inquiry
• Trim to the essentials
• Give guidelines about the use of the specific
  sensor(s)
• Make your own templates
• Dont give it all away!

17
Integrating Tech with Inquiry

• Before the Lab
• Be sure the lab is doable but not easy
• Demo the sensors so kids can forego the detailed
  instructions
• Be sure they have the necessary topical
  background knowledge
• Time the lab in the unit so they arent too
  familiar with the material
• DO IT YOURSELF

18
Integrating Tech with Inquiry

• During the Lab
• When they ask questions, either dont answer or
  ask more questions
• Ask leading questions when they seem to be going
  astray
• Ensure lab groups are complementary and allow for
  espionage if necessary
• Dont give it all away!

19
Integrating Tech with Inquiry

• Lab Reports
• Can be formal or informal
• Data and graphs are printable
• Focus on procedures proper experimental design
• Focus on error analysis
• Allow anything that can be justified
• Dont get hung up on bad results
• Give extension questions.

20
Now Lets Do It

• iTech Lab Skydivers
• Topics that need to have been covered
• Motion graphing
• Free fall
• Free-body diagrams
• The idea of terminal velocity
• Necessary Software Skills
• Linear regression
• Scaling
• Graph setup and printing