Computerized Data Collection

My physics classroom has an impressive collection of digital data collection devices that can be connected to a laptop and used to measure all sorts of things - everything from linear and centripetal acceleration to electric field strength to light intensity to gas pressure.  I have occasionally busted them out, along with the accompanying cookie cutter lab from the workbook, and let me students have at it.  I can't say I was really sold on the things.

That changed after I attended an exceptional AP Institute this week, where our consultant demonstrated a number of exceptional activities that students could do with this stuff.  He was creating live PV diagrams of gases, generating beautiful acceleration graphs, doing all of the things that seemed to be so difficult for my students to execute in the classroom.

The difference, I realized, is that he wasn't caught up in the nuts and bolts of the procedures; he had a basic fluency for how to use the software, which empowered him to craft more meaningful activities without search for random menu options, data collection buttons and embedded spreadsheets.

I think that with appropriately sequenced training, I can have my students doing the same things, and it will be extremely beneficial for their physics learning.  There's a storied history of physics learning built on meter sticks and stopwatches.  You can do a lot with analogue technology.  But with these gadgets, students can come close to really experience a huge array of physical phenomena in a quantitative way; if you're a constructivist in your pedagogy, that's a REALLY big deal.

Let me know if your students can do this with a stopwatch and meter stick:

If you're interested in see what other possibilities are out there, check out some of the other toys Vernier has to offer.  I've had great experiences with their products thus far.

Flipped Classroom Tech

I am not an advocate of technology for technology's sake; in some ways, I'm a bit of a luddite.  That being said, I think that one way that technology is already transforming the experience in certain classroom is as a component of the "flipped classroom" movement.

What is "flipping"?
If you're new to the concept, here's the short version - it's a teaching model where students process basic information at home, and work on problems and activities in class.  The traditional model where students receive lecture in a classroom then go home and attempt homework problems has been flipped, thus the name.  For a more expansive discussion, check out this helpful info sheet.

image courtesy of V.I.P. schools

Why flip?

The internet isn't going away.  The generation of students entering high schools now have lived their entire lives in the digital age, where information is easy to come by.  Teachers aren't the gatekeepers of information anymore, nor should we be.  I think this implies two strong arguments in favor of the flip:

a. Students aren't motivated to memorize information - why would they when they can fit terabytes of data in their pocket?  They don't need to memorize.  They need to be taught information sorting and processing skills.

b. The ability of teachers to add value now rests in interactions that can be exclusively mediated by humans in face-to-face settings; that means tactile, kinesthetic activities, fast-paced discussions, laboratories, and so on.  By flipping, more time is made available in the school day for these activities.

To Steal or not to Steal?

This is a delicate question.  Experienced teachers know there isn't much reason to reinvent the wheel - when teachers are stumped for analogies, activities, and so on, they look to their colleagues.  Why not do the same for flipped lectures?

Khan Academy might be the most famous example at this point of flipped lectures - many teachers already use them.  The problem, in my view, is that when students perceive that you're just directing them to pre-existing resources, you lose your position as a content authority, and you lose your ability to build and leverage relationships.  Even though Khan has probably already made a video for any math topic you'd like to teach, your students are more likely to watch and appreciate it if it's your face in the video, and they're more likely to seek you out for follow-up questions, which is a key component of the flipping process.