Daniela Perez
University of Delaware
DE

Fri, Dec 15, 2023 11:01 AM
An Inside Perspective of Everyday Technology

The directions are very specific, but easy to understand. It is a bit of an investment to find all of the ideal materials such as a radio with a strong enough amplifier, but the construction is simple and explicitly shows how this technology works. I like that this article suggests questions you could ask and discussion probes you could use with students to check their understanding along the way. I think the fact that it uses everyday materials will inspire students to view their surroundings with more potential.

Tue, Dec 12, 2023 9:52 PM
Need to Know for OpenSciEd Unit 8.3

I started this book knowing nothing about magnets or electricity besides that opposite poles attract. Now, I feel comfortable enough with my understanding that I would feel comfortable guiding students through investigations in the OpenSciEd eighth grade unit on "forces at a distance". Conceptualizing unseen forces such as electromagnetic fields can be difficult, especially for students. Seeing and interacting with the simulations and models in this book gave me an eye for how to represent these invisible forces to potential students and the short quizzes gave me a good idea of how to break up so much information into digestible parcels. Many of the examples they give to "try at home" such as the balloon/confetti experiment are cheap, easily accessible, and represent the phenomena in a relatable way.