On Monday, June 6th, the AYVA team attended the OAPT 2022 Conference at McMaster University! Thank you to everyone who visited our table, we hope you enjoyed engaging with many PASCO products. A special thanks to the CAP and OAPT organizers for an awesome event, we are looking forward to connecting with everyone again next year!
Today I got to work through an experiment using PASCO’s Wireless Smart Cart and Blockly code on SPARKvue. I followed the Blockly
Extension: Vector Display lab from the PASCO Experiment Library. This lab guides you to use Blockly code to display text on the screen depending on the speed of the Smart Cart.
I connected the Smart Cart through Bluetooth to SPARKvue and read through the lab procedure. I started off by slowly moving the Smart cart along my desk while observing the velocity graph. I conducted three runs, one to determine a low velocity, a medium velocity, and a high velocity. I took note of these three velocities, as shown in the image on the right, so that they could be included within the code. After getting familiar with the lab, I copied the example code, adjusting the velocity values to 
the ones I recorded, as shown in the image on the left. I tested my code by clicking start and moving the Smart Cart. At first, I was not sure where to look for the displayed text. I realized I had to change my display from a graph to digits. Then, by clicking the variable being displayed, I switched from Sensors to User-entered and chose Velocity Vector (the variable I created in the Blockly code). This time when I pressed start, the vectors I assigned to each velocity displayed on the screen depending on the Smart Cart’s speed. I decided to change the text displayed from vectors to words. As shown in the video below, I used simple terms such as slow, medium, and fast to describe the carts’ velocities.
I found this lab super cool! It was my first time experimenting with the Wireless Smart Cart using Blockly code and I am looking forward to coding more products.
This past week we got to work with the PASCO Basic Optics System, OS-8515C. Using components of the kit, we were able to try out some introductory optics experiments. To start off,
we used the Ray Table, the D-Shaped Lens, and the Light Source to perform a simple refraction experiment, using the PASCO Refraction lab as guidance as shown in the image on the left. This experiment was very easy to set up. All you need to do is plug in the Light Source and follow the instructions in the Refraction lab document. This experiment explores Snell’s Law, describing the relationship between angles of incidence and refraction.
We also conducted the PASCO Virtual Images lab which involved the use of the PASCO Optics Track, Light Source, Lenses, and Viewing Screen. This allowed us to make observations on the virtual image produced by the light source and lenses. By going through this lab, we made multiple observations, for instance, when using the -150 mm concave lens and looking through it the image is upright, smaller, and closer to the lens than the object. When we add the +200 mm convex lens between the concave lens and the screen, a real image is formed on the screen mirrored, inverted, and smaller. After removing the concave lens, the image remained mirrored, inverted, and the image became blurry. The Light Source had to be moved closer to the screen for the image to become clear. We found this lab to be very interesting, making use of many of the components from the Basic Optics System and expanding our knowledge of optics.
If you want to know more about this product as well as other interesting PASCO products, come see us at the OAPT Conference at McMaster University on Monday June 6th!
Coming out of our second year of Engineering at the University of Guelph, we have a newly developed appreciation for working with laboratory equipment. Having missed out on much of our in person labs throughout first year due to the pandemic, we have truly enjoyed being able to interact with the lab equipment this school year in our Fluid Mechanics and Material Science Courses.
This past week, we got to unbox and assemble PASCO’s new PASCObot Sense and Control Kit, giving us an introduction to robotics and simple block coding. We started by assembling the PASCObot body using the instructions. The assembly consisted of screwing on the High Speed Stepper Motors and the wheels. This was followed by plugging in the wires of the motors to the //control.node, screwing in the hold-down and the top frame as shown. The instructions were easy to follow and the box contained everything needed including the screwdriver. Within the kit, there are multiple attachments designed for different applications and activities.
The first attachment we tested was the Gripper, shown in the photo on the left, which consists of two servo motors which attached to the //control.node. These motors allowed the Gripper to open and close its jaws as well as angle them up or down according to the given code. This was an interesting experiment that demonstrated several experimental applications of the PASCObot. For instance, setting up the code was quite simple. In the instructions, it explains how to get started with SPARKvue. The //control.node connects to the software using Bluetooth. The code is presented in a block-like manner, each instruction being in the shape of a puzzle piece. All you have to do is drag one of the puzzle pieces from the Code tool or import them from the PASCO code library, connecting them from top to bottom in the order you want them to function. Each block/puzzle piece states exactly what you want it to do. For example, to make the PASCObot move forward 50 cm, you would select the block “moveADistance with: _ cm” from the PASCO code library and type 50. Students may need a demonstration on how to navigate the code tool however, we were able to figure it out quickly, without having any previous experience with SPARKvue.
This inspired us to film a short clip in which the PASCObot would move a certain distance, turn left, grab a cup of water, turn right, and bring this cup to us. We started by measuring and marking a course then coding the robot using the measurements taken, as shown in the image on the right. We were able to successfully complete this task without spilling any water, and this allowed us to become more familiar with the system.
We then moved on to using the Range Finder Module, shown in the image on the left. This accessory was attached in the front of the PASCObot with two screws. A wire was then used to connect the Range Finder Module to the //control.node. The Range Finder Module uses infrared light to detect the distance from the PASCObot to objects. We followed the “Roving with Sight with the PASCObot” experiment from the PASCO Experiment Library and used the sample code. The code allowed the PASCObot to move on its own, avoiding objects, reacting to its surroundings, and maneuvering around the office floor independently. We found working with the PASCObot super cool and we are excited to try out more experiments.
The PASCO Python Library lets learners, educators, and hobbyists take full control of their PASCO Wireless Sensors using Python code. Visit us on GitHub to download the PASCO Python API, browse sample code, and review tips for getting started.
Blockly is an easy-to-use, block-based programming platform available in both SPARKvue and PASCO Capstone. Unlike Blockly, Python is a text-based programming language that is independent from PASCO software. This library lets you bring Python into the PASCO ecosystem for complete control of your data. With Python, users control all aspects of sensor data collection, from sensor connections and sampling rates to data displays and custom analytics.
Use a Python text to voice plugin to narrate temperatures out loud.
Frankenstein’s Battery La-BOO-ratory Manual
It’s alive, it’s allliiiiiiiiive!!! Your enthusiasm for electrochemistry that is. The La-BOO-ratory Manual, Frankenstein’s Battery, combines creativity with the principles of electrochemistry in a Halloween-themed way. Sounds like a lot, right? But this fun and simple experiment engages students to express themselves while exploring the wonderful world of science.
The premise of the experiment is to use pieces of produce (i.e. potatoes, lemons, etc.) to construct a monster head and then turn that monster head into an electrochemical cell. Students use markers to draw Frankenstein faces on their produce and then, with PASCO’s Wireless Voltage Sensor, detect the voltage once they insert copper wire and a galvanized nail into their monster head. The data is graphed in SPARKvue to let students visualize the voltage readings and witness science in action. Students can also continue to combine electrochemical cells and make a battery to witness how a series connection affects voltage readings.
This experiment ensures to spark students’ interests and scare them straight to a thorough understanding of electricity principles.
The way the Frankenstein Battery works is actually focused on the copper wire and galvanized nail, rather than the produce itself. The electricity comes from the electrodes made of the copper wire and the zinc-coated nail. The produce simply conducts the ions between the electrodes, so it can be called an ionic conductor. Attaching the wires completes the electrical circuit and the positive and negative ions will be conducted through the produce. The difference in electrical potential energy is what the Wireless Voltage Sensor measures and records in SPARKvue.
Produce that is high in potassium, sodium, and acidity make good Frankenstein Batteries due to the high amount of superconductive ions. This means the positive/negative ions that must be conducted through the produce will do so at a more efficient rate in produce that’s higher in sodium than produce that’s lower in sodium. Good Frankenstein Batteries must also have a strong internal structure for efficient conduction. This is why potatoes make such awesome Frankenstein Batteries while produce like tomatoes won’t be as great due to their messy internal structure.
Electrochemistry may seem like a monster of a topic, but engaging experiments like Frankenstein’s Battery will surely produce positive results with students.
This experiment is one of the many ways to use science to express creativity. Enabling students to create monsters and be engaged with a Halloween theme will further the combination of art into science exploration. Science is a wonder-filled world that provokes curiosity, and art is a form of unique self-expression that promotes creativity. In addition to the principles of electricity, this experiment teaches students that they don’t have to choose between creativity and curiosity.
Life has been very interesting for the past 18 months. Did I say interesting? I meant challenging. With a global pandemic in force, how does education adapt? In my area, students had several months of online only learning, followed by online four days a week, then 3 days a week. Some students had full-time school, but they did only 2 classes a day. One class for the entire morning and one in the afternoon. New classes roughly every 10 weeks. How do you teach under these conditions? How do you teach science under these conditions? How do students learn under these conditions?
This blog won’t focus on that though. We are back at full time regular school (albeit with masks) for the first time since March of 2019. The focus is how do we reengage students? How do we bring back that sense of wonder and amazement of the world around them? For me, the answer is almost always the same; do hands on work. Experimentation is science and that is where the magic happens.
Once the dust settled of courses being filled, I knew I need students doing lab work. I couldn’t wait too long. It didn’t need to be anything complicated or deep, I just needed them to be hooked. Enter my PASCO Spark, the MatchGraph app and some Smart Carts.
Just bringing out the equipment got the students excited. “What are those?” I heard more than once. “Do we get to use them?” We did a quick run through and started on the first graph. The energy in the room was off the charts. There was so much buzz; arguments on who could do it better, what were they doing right, what were they doing wrong. This is what a classroom should be and such a simple way to get it.
Soon students were mastering the first linear graph and were looking very proud of themselves. I then told them there were more graphs. Deflation, curiosity and excited sped across their faces (at least their eyes) and they quickly started trying them. Carts were flying across the tabletops. 45 minutes passed in a blink and when I told them class was coming to an end and the equipment needed to be put away there were actual groans. They wanted to keep going! More than one student asked if we were going to use the equipment again. My answer was simple: tomorrow.
The students are hooked. They are excited to be learning. All it took was a little bit of learning play with my Smart carts and PASCO MatchGraph.
Throughout high school I always wondered what my friends at different schools were learning. We were taking the same subjects, attending high schools in the same city, but were we learning the exact same things? We must have been … right?
As a third-year Engineering student at the University of Guelph, something I noticed was the diversity of educational backgrounds. People come from near and far to study at the University or College of their choice, whether it be internationally, nationally, or even locally. Although we all come with the same basic knowledge, the variance of topics covered in secondary education is still surprising. Does this affect our overall success? Is any one region in Canada at more of an advantage or disadvantage when entering post-secondary as a result of their secondary curriculum?
Before starting my post-secondary career, I had heard many times that first year is review. In all honesty, I found this to be true. Having graduated from a Southern Ontario high school entering an Ontario University science and math based program, I found most of my first semester courses, and even parts of my second semester courses, a review. Of course, there was still plenty of learning involved – where concepts were deepened, complexity increased, or topics added – but for the most part, it was review. However, this is not the case for everyone! Sure, I did my homework and worked hard for my grades during high school, but that can only get you so far. First year courses often help put all students on the same page in terms of base knowledge for their respective programs. Given that student’s academic backgrounds differ depending on geographical location and secondary education quality, getting everyone on the same page from the get-go is a necessary transition into post-secondary education. With the majority of students in my program coming from Canadian high schools, I was curious of just how much the curriculum varies depending on province and even location within the province.
During my time at AYVA, I was tasked with creating ‘Curriculum Correlations’ pages for every province and territory in Canada. These pages outline the science based curriculum, of the respective provincial government, and provide PASCO product recommendations for each subject area. The idea is to help educators determine which PASCO products correlate best with their provincial curriculum. In order to accurately provide these correlations, I was required to take a deeper dive into provincial curriculum documents to better understand the structure of secondary science education. Through this I found some interesting differences while comparing and contrasting curriculum requirements from across the country.
From a broad perspective, curriculum for each province and territory covers the same basic concepts. Especially through grades 11 and 12, curriculum appeared very similar in terms of units and topics in the Chemistry, Biology, and Physics streams. With a closer look though, more differences become apparent.
A significant observation is that not all territories use their own curriculum. Canada’s three territories, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, do not fully follow their own provincial curriculum. This leaves the territories to pull curriculum from other provinces based on geographical location and secondary student enrollment.
Yukon follows all of British Columbia’s curriculum. Situated above, or north, of BC provides the geographical convenience for Yukon schools to follow the curriculum. Additionally, considering Yukon has less than 3 000 secondary students, it also makes sense that they would follow BC’s guidelines instead of creating entirely new curriculum for this low of numbers. The Yukon provincial curriculum states, “Yukon schools follow the BC curriculum, with adaptations to include Yukon content and Yukon First Nations’ ways of knowing and doing.” This means they integrate Yukon First Nations’ language, history, and culture into the BC curriculum (Government of Yukon, 2021).
Similarly, Nunavut follows a mixture of curriculum from various provinces. With their curriculum split into four strands – Uqausiliriniq, Iqqaqqaukkaringniq, Nunavusiutit, and Aulajaaqtut – each pulls curriculum from a different province – Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba or the Northwest Territories. The science curriculum in particular falls under the Iqqaqqaukkaringniq strand, and follows guidelines created in Alberta for grades 7 through 12. These three provinces and one territory are all geographically situated west or south of Nunavut. Although Nunavut has almost double the students as Yukon, it is still only a fraction of secondary enrollment compared to the other provinces, explaining why the curriculum is not entirely their own.
Lastly, although the Northwest Territories has their own curriculum posted, the majority consists of Alberta content. The Northwest Territories have been following Alberta curriculum since the 1970s, and regularly conduct reviews to ensure Alberta curriculum and resources align with the territory’s priorities and values for education (Joannou, 2021). As of March 2021, the Northwest Territories is considering parting with Alberta’s curriculum to realign with BC’s (Joannou, 2021). As with the other territories, secondary school enrollment is low, and the territory is just north of the western provinces, providing consistent geographical location for curriculum sharing.
The arrows indicate which provincial curriculum the originating territory follows
Another significant difference among provincial curriculum is how the Québec education pathway is laid out, ultimately effecting the ‘secondary’ level academic spread. Instead of having the traditional 3-level succession – elementary, secondary, post-secondary – Québec has four levels: preschool/kindergarten, elementary and secondary, College, and University. The College level education is provided by institutions known as CEGEPs and other private colleges. At this level students spend 2-3 years in either pre-university or technical training programs. With the elementary and secondary levels kind of being grouped together, students complete what are known as cycles instead of grades. There are two cycles at the secondary level: cycle one, covering grades 7 and 8; and cycle two, covering grades 9, 10, and 11. After successfully completing these cycles, students achieve access to the next level of education offered at CEGEPs. Due to this unique split of cycles, the curriculum covered is distributed quite differently than any of the other provinces/territories. Much of the College education is also focused on vocational and technical training if a pre-university program is not selected.
In Québec, there are six different science courses: Science and Technology, Environmental Science and Technology, Applied Science and Technology, Science and the Environment, Chemistry, and Physics. The first two are part of the General Education Path, and the second two are part of the Applied General Education Path. As you can infer from the titles, some of these courses are less traditional than the typical science offerings. While reading the curriculum, I found that other than Chemistry and Physics, they tended to incorporate more technology based and technical skills education. The curriculum often implements engineering, technological systems, manufacturing, materials, electrical and biotechnology topics, which is predominantly unique to the Québec education system. I believe these courses are meant to set students up for the next level of education, College, where they may choose programs to explore technical training and trades. In comparison, in many other provinces these technical and engineering topics are covered in post-secondary programs, or high school technology classrooms where students have chosen to study technical skills and trades in hopes of entering the technical workforce.
Having covered the basic curriculum of Canada’s remote, arctic territories, and French-Canadian province, this leaves the maritime, central, and west coast provinces to compare. The differences between these educational guidelines become less apparent, as throughout history schooling was standardized and evolved to support Canada’s progress in the world of academia.
To perform these comparisons, I created a Microsoft Excel sheet, outlining the topics and concepts covered for the three main science subjects – Biology, Chemistry, and Physics – and at which grade level they are taught. In fact, the biggest variances appeared at which grade level each topic was taught per province. For example, the learning of projectile motion in Physics. As you can see in the screenshot below, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Ontario all teach this topic in grade 11. However, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan teach projectile motion in grade 12.
This same pattern can be seen throughout the subjects, where in some provinces it is taught in grade 11 and others in grade 12. I found this to be most prominent in Physics, probably because the topics are the most conventional across the board, whereas in Biology and Chemistry there are many small side topics or different routes of study.
One of the only concepts in physics that is not covered in every province is Quantum and Modern Physics. As shown in the screenshot below, only Alberta, Northwest Territories (since they currently follow Alberta curriculum), Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan cover topics included in this more theoretical side of the subject.
Accordingly, these tough concepts are covered in grade 12 for all of the provinces that teach it. Considering Quantum, Modern, and Nuclear Physics are much trickier and less fundamental topics, it is understandable that not all of Canada has added this to their curriculum. It also explains why it is consistently taught at the grade 12 level in the provinces where it appears.
Some other Physics topics that varied quite a bit across grades include: impulse and momentum, electric circuits, and Ohm’s and Kirchoff’s laws.
As I move to Chemistry and Biology, things become a little less clear. There is more bouncing around of topics, which are less standard, making them harder to directly compare. The topic that surprised me the most though was organic chemistry. As an Ontario student, I was introduced to organic chemistry in grade 12. It was one of the harder topics, in my opinion, and it took up a significant amount of the semester. I was surprised to find that quite a few of the provinces started organic chemistry in grade 11.
While Alberta, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, and Saskatchewan also teach organic chemistry in grade 12; BC, Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, and PEI seem more ambitious, introducing the topic in grade 11. This is where post-secondary courses come in to play. My first year, first semester chemistry course covered a lot of organic chemistry concepts. While most of it was review, it was an exceptional way of getting students on the same page in terms of understanding and fundamental organic chemistry knowledge.
Another area I found interesting were the gas laws topics. Similar to quantum physics, the chemical gas laws – ideal gas law, Charles’ Law, and Boyle’s Law – are not required to be taught in every province, but are consistently taught at the same grade where they appear. Alberta, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories and Ontario all teach their students these topics in grade 11.
Finally, when considering Biology courses, things start to look a bit more sporadic. With a number of different sub-topics, there are multiple routes, so to speak. Instead of just having a ‘Biology’ course for both grades 11 and 12, a few provinces choose to name them differently, offering more of a focus on different niches within the Biology field. In BC, grade 11 biology is called ‘Life Science,’ and seems to have more of a focus on the molecular and evolutionary side, hence the word ‘life’ in the course title. Comparably, the grade 12 course is known as ‘Anatomy and Physiology,’ and includes everything related to human systems, functions and wellness.
Saskatchewan has 3 biology themed courses – Health Science (grade 11), Environmental Science (grade 11) and Biology (grade 12). As per the titles, the Health Science stream focuses more on the human and medical side of biology, where the Environmental stream is all about Earth and non-human biology. Both of these courses feed into the grade 12 Biology course, where topics from both the human and non-human sides of the subject are taught.
When comparing the grade levels at which each topic is taught, some provinces are opposite to others. For example, in Ontario grade 11 covers Diversity, Evolution, an intro to Genetics, Plants and some of the Human Systems, while grade 12 covers Homeostasis, Molecular Genetics, and Biochemistry. On the contrary, Manitoba curriculum seems to teach Homeostasis and Human Systems in depth in grade 11 whilst Evolution, Diversity, Genetics and Population Dynamics is taught in grade 12. As you can see in the figures below, many topics are covered in opposite grades, as indicated by the red eclipses.
Overall, despite the differences between the grades at which topics are taught, in Canada we are all taught the same fundamental concepts. I have come to the conclusion that a lot of what we learn in high school is up to the discretion of the teachers, and even indirectly, the students. Depending on how comfortable they are teaching certain topics, or how in-depth or detailed they teach ultimately determines what the students learn. The amount of time allotted to cover each topic also affects the level of complexity to which a concept can be covered and if units can be completed. For example in Physics, often times the Quantum/Modern Physics unit gets cut short, whether it be a time or complexity issue. In the long-run, we are lucky that the country we call home has such an amazing secondary education program. After high school, we are able to go to practically any school in Canada with our secondary diploma and knowledge, and pick back up where we left off, no matter the province. Although it is interesting to see how each province has a slightly different curriculum layout, the differences do not make a major impact when transitioning to post-secondary education within Canada. Every student’s high school education is different, and small-scale differences are often corrected within the first year of higher education. So, does this affect our success? The short answer – no! Everyone’s first year experience is different, and the majority of academics is dependent on the individual. What I determined from my analysis is that the differences in curriculum across the country does not put any region at an advantage or disadvantage. The best way for a student to set themselves up for success is to put the effort into learning as much as they can from what they are taught to prepare for their post-secondary journey!
References
Gouvernement du Québec. (2018, May 16). Secondary. Secondary | Ministère de l’Éducation et Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur. http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/en/teachers/quebec-education-program/secondary/.
Government of Alberta. (2016, January 22). Science (10-12) : Programs of study. https://education.alberta.ca/science-10-12/programs-of-study/everyone/programs-of-study/.
Government of British Columbia. (2018, April 13). Science. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science.
Government of Manitoba. (2013, January 31). Science | Manitoba Education. https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/science/scicurr.html.
Government of New Brunswick. (2021, August 11). Curriculum development https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/education/k12/content/anglophone_sector/curriculum_anglophone.html.
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. (2020, July 16). Education. https://www.gov.nl.ca/education/k12/curriculum/guides/science/.
Government of Northwest Territories. (2016, January 22). Science. https://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/en/services/curriculum/science.
Government of Nova Scotia. (2019, December 3). High school science: Education & early childhood development. https://curriculum.novascotia.ca/english-programs/science/high-school.
Government of Nunavut. (2021, August 13). Nunavut Approved Curriculum and Teaching Resources. https://www.gov.nu.ca/education/curriculum.
Government of Ontario. (2009, January 15). Science. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/science.html.
Government of Prince Edward Island. (2021, June 28). Science curriculum. https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/education-and-lifelong-learning/science-curriculum.
Government of Saskatchewan. (2020, May 28). Saskatchewan curriculum: Science. https://www.edonline.sk.ca/webapps/moe-curriculum-BB5f208b6da4613/CurriculumHome?id=62.
Government of Yukon. (2021, March 9). Learn about Yukon’s school curriculum. https://yukon.ca/en/school-curriculum.
Joannou, A. (2021, March 9). NWT considering dropping Alberta curriculum. Edmonton Journal. .
Are you reading this blog on a digital device or computer? Did you drive anywhere today and pass a stop light? Maybe you had a recent doctor’s appointment and needed the use of a medical device? If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then you have been impacted by the technology filled world we are now living in. In this digital world, coding has become a basic literacy and it is crucial for kids and young people to be able to understand and work with the technology around it. After all, it will not become an invaluable skill anytime soon.
I am a third-year Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Guelph, and I have experienced first-hand the effects of coding education, or possibly the lack thereof, and understand why it is so essential that this topic is taught before college or university. Entering my first year of university, I had no prior knowledge of almost any basic coding skills. During this year, I was required to take my first ever computer science course: Introduction to Programming. With not much background knowledge, plus the pre-existing lack of confidence with being a first year student, this class became quite intimidating. Beyond that one course, I also had to complete a first year engineering design project, and as I’m sure you can guess, coding was needed for that too. See I told you it wasn’t going anywhere. Again, during this project, with little knowledge of coding and its applications, trying to program a mini robot became more than a challenge.
Despite the frustration and lack of understanding myself and so many other students feel, there is a solution that exists! Now more than ever, it is evident that coding concepts and applications need to be taught in school if we want our future engineers, web developers, computer programmers, and a huge portion of the next generation to succeed. Instead of teaching students a specific coding language, the greatest benefit we can give them is education on foundational coding concepts because this will provide them with diverse knowledge and transferable skills. When we talk about teaching coding to highschool or elementary students, we aren’t asking them to build an entire app, but instead to begin to understand basic coding topics. Some of these topics include algorithms, variables, functions, control elements and coding applications. The //code.Node from PASCO paired with Blockly Coding is the perfect answer we are looking for to fill this gap in coding education!
Blockly is a programming software, integrated within SPARKvue, that provides students with a visual method for developing strong coding foundations, without having to worry about their syntax. Students are able to simply drag and connect coloured coding blocks that correlate with correct coding elements to cover essential concepts, such as variables, commands and loops. To advance coding education even further, it is important for students to not only understand the basic concepts, but also learn about programming applications, including sensors and the code that controls them. The //code.Node and all PASCO Wireless Sensors can be used with Blockly coding, to bring these applications to life.
To put these tools to the test, I used Blockly and the Wireless Temperature Sensor to perform a lab activity from PASCO’s experiment library, where I developed a program to test the efficiency of two different light bulbs.
Constructing the code for this experiment was made very simple with Blockly. I was easily able to browse through the different elements, such as logic components, loops, variables and functions, and drag and connect them together as I was building. The goal of this program was to use the Temperature Sensor or //code.Node to determine the temperature of each light bulb. If the temperature was less than or equal to 27 degrees celsius, then the program output displayed “higher efficiency”. Furthermore, if the temperature was above 27 degrees celsius, the output for the bulb displayed “lower efficiency”.
Just in this one simple exercise, I was able to learn about coding elements, such as while loops, if else statements, retrieving inputs, displaying outputs and more! Not only did I create a program, but I also had the opportunity to put my code to use with the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor, seeing a real-world application of programming.
Incorporating exercises like these, both simple ones and more advanced, is the easiest and most beneficial way to bring coding and its applications into the classroom. Whether that classroom is physics, chemistry, biology, environmental, computer science, or robotics, Blockly coding and the //code.Node are designed to fit in perfectly. Understanding computers and learning the basics of coding, has numerous other benefits for students as well, including developing problem solving skills and teaching them how to think. Computer programming isn’t just about teaching how to type lines of code. It is more about teaching how to think differently. Students will be able to use computational thinking, to see a large problem and break it down into smaller pieces in order to solve it in an effective manner. With tools such as the //code.Node and Blockly, there is no reason that coding cannot be implemented into our education. Together, let’s make sure that we set our students up for success in the technology driven future that we are entering.
We are thrilled to announce that the //code.Node Solution Set has won a Bett Award! Based in London, the Bett Awards are an international celebration of the inspiring creativity and innovation found throughout educational technology. It is truly an honor to have our innovation in STEM coding recognized among the best and brightest in educational technology. You can check out the judges’ comments below!
The //code.Node Solution Set provides teachers with a revolutionary method for engaging students in coding and computational thinking in science learning. Rather than simply teaching students how to code, the //code.Node Solution Set skillfully scaffolds coding into essential science concepts, making it easy for students to build a wide range of competencies as they use code to investigate, measure, and analyze scientific phenomena.
The complete set includes a //code.Node, a //code.Node Holder, SPARKvue software with Blockly coding, a digital teacher’s manual, and an interactive, browser-based flipbook with embedded videos and reading for students. Browse the Flipbook for free here.
Here’s what the judges at the 2021 Bett Awards had to say about the //code.Node Solution Set:
This compact device, with its many built-in sensors offers versatility across STEM subjects and many opportunities for students to learn through hands on activities which relate to everyday science. The support videos embedded in the manual are also helpful for teachers to gain ideas for use in lessons.
Since entering the 2021 Bett Awards, we’ve continued our innovation with STEM Sense — an exciting new line of ready-to-use solutions designed to help educators integrate computational thinking, crosscutting concepts, and career awareness into science learning. You can explore our growing line of STEM Sense solutions here.
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