Parts of Canada and the US experienced an incredibly mild winter this year.
In some places, allergy season has started weeks ahead of schedule thanks to early-blooming plants. Some animal species – including birds and frogs – have come out of hibernation and begun migrating earlier than usual.
We often forget how tied we are to weather and the environment. A slight shift in temperature over a prolonged period of time can influence just about everything – from food production to our health to our living environments.
The weather is fascinating in many ways and provides students with a unique opportunity to study variety of scientific phenomenon simultaneously. With the help of our broad range of sensors and training panels, students can now enhance their understanding in a classroom and field setting. Our Weather Sensor (PS-2154) allows students to collect and observe six key measurements (temperature, barometric pressure, relative and absolute humidity, dew point and altitude). They can also measure other elements of the weather such as wind speed and wind chill using the weather/Anemometer Sensor (PS-2174).
Budding meteorologists can learn more about environmental science on our homepage.
A recent article on Parent Central reports that the Toronto District School Board’s four-year ban on electronic devices in the classroom has been lifted.
Starting next September, smartphones, laptops and mp3 players will be allowed in all Toronto classrooms, following a decision by the school board to embrace “the evolving nature of such technology, its value as a tool to enhance student learning and support curriculum delivery, as well as the growing role it plays in school communication.”
Here at Ayva, we have long supported the use of mobile and electronic devices in the science classroom. It’s no secret that the students of today thrive in a technological environment that provides a reliable, interactive platform for learning.
Our PASCO SPARKvue iPhone app has been proven to be a popular teaching aid, granting students and educators alike the flexibility to collect data anytime using their mobile Apple device.
Teachers in other provinces have demonstrated that technology can successfully be integrated into the science classroom. For example Bob Van Duren – a teacher at Hudson high school – uses PASCO’s Airlink2, a single-sensor interface that connects to a Bluetooth-enabled computer, to teach students how to build their own rockets while using PASCO’s sensors to collect and analyze real-time data.
Back in Toronto, teachers have discussed the possibility of integrating educational apps into their curriculums and providing students with the opportunity to text their answers to the teacher instead of raising their hand, providing a better opportunity to assess if “everyone [is] grasping the concept being taught.”
We applaud the Toronto District School Board on their progressive decision.
A combination of cutting-edge technology with a learning-based platform is an effective first step in reaching out – and connecting – with today’s tech-savvy student population.
* photo credit
Easter is right around the corner and with it comes chocolate, bunnies and family gatherings.
A turkey with all the trimmings is a staple this time of year, and the PASCO team has food on the brain as well.
Inspired by the upcoming holiday, two PASCO scientists set out to determine exactly how much damage a frozen turkey could make if it came into contact with the floor.
Motivated by a segment from the popular television show Mythbusters, Brian Perone and Robert Morrison decided to use PASCO equipment to conduct their own in-house experiment.
Using a 78 N (or 17.5 lb) frozen turkey, Brian and Robert dropped the large bird onto a PASCO force platform from a height which simulated a drop from the freezer section of a refrigerator. An Xplorer GLX was used to record the data, and it was determined that the turkey exerted a maximum force of 4667 N. This translates into approximately 1000 lbs of force, which could easily flatten any object that crosses its path.
Interestingly, PASCO’s equipment was found to be more accurate than that of the Mythbusters gang.
According to the PASCO website:
“Mythbusters … came to the same general conclusion [as PASCO]. However, their equipment did not sample fast enough, causing them to miss the peak force. They reported only 1900 N, less than half the actual maximum force.”
Click here to see a video of the PASCO turkey drop.
In case you were wondering, no food was wasted in the making of this experiment. In fact, we were informed that the turkey made a lovely dinner for Robert and his family!
In an increasingly complex, technology-driven world, the demand for science-based expertise is on the rise. Science literacy is fast becoming an essential skill in the 21st century.
Today’s modern student thrives in a technological environment. Interactivity, simplicity and reliability are the cornerstones of a successful science literacy campaign. Many educators have begun to embrace technology in the science classroom, turning to easy-to-use tools that explain the fundamentals in a manner that meets education standards while also adding an element of ‘fun’ to the learning process.
Since its debut in 2009, PASCO’s SPARKvue probeware has been steadily gaining industry buzz – particularly for its ease-of-use and powerful features. Winner of two 2010 CODiE Awards for Best Education Solution for Mobile or Hand-held Devices and Best Education Use of a Technology Device, as well as the 2010 Worddidac Award for Excellence in Education, SPARKvue provides an elegant method for gathering accurate data and graph results in real-time.
The SPARK has a colour-rich, interactive touch screen and multiple measurement tools designed to analyze data in a broad range of disciplines – from physics to earth sciences. A user friendly interface that is compatible on both Macs and PCs helps to keep students engaged.
SPARKvue software is complex enough to be utilized in post-secondary science labs, but also has a place in the elementary classroom. Educators almost unanimously agree that the technology is easy to use and quick to master.
PASCO has also released two Apple apps, granting student flexibility to collect data at any time using an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
By effortlessly combining cutting-edge innovation with a science-based learning platform, the SPARK Science framework is an essential and effective tool for promoting science literacy among a tech-savvy student population.
