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How Do I Engage My Students?

Written by AYVA on . Posted in Success Stories, Success Stories - High School.

Overview

Byrne Creek Community Secondary School first opened its doors in 2005. Since then the school has enjoyed tremendous success, being the only school in Canada to have been awarded the ASCD Award for the work they have done to ensure students are academically challenged, healthy, safe, engaged and supported. Stephen Fuerderer is the Science Department head at Byrne Creek, and has been teaching science in the Burnaby School District since 1986. As an early adopter of technology to enhance instruction, he has seen schools purchase and stockpile various sensors and interface devices that were pricey, had a steep learning curve, and left teachers to learn how to use them without support. Today, Stephen is happy to say that “the PASCO sensors are very affordable, easy to use, much more intuitive to setup and use, and the learning curve isn’t too steep”.

Investigation

Stephen has acquired a variety of new PASCO sensors (Voltage-current, Gas Pressure, Light, Magnetic field sensor to name a few), which he uses for live, in-class demos with real-time data acquisition. The collected data is projected onto a large screen for all students to visualize. Students ask questions, discuss how the experiment might be modified, and predict the outcome of those modifications. Stephen has been using the Voltage-Current sensor in a variety of experiments. Simple Circuit Experiment: using a small light bulb and battery, students investigate what happens to the amount of current in the circuit when more batteries are used. They determine if the light bulb is Ohmic and if a resistor Ohmic. Students are able to explore Kirkhoff’s Laws and Ohm’s Law. RC Circuits: students evaluate which factors affect the charging rate of a capacitor. Investigations are conducted to determine what the effect on charging rate is when capacitors are added in series and parallel. They are also able to investigate the potential difference across capacitors arranged in series or parallel.

Outcome

What started out as a teacher guided demo, turns into an open-inquiry lab where students decide how to design the experiment and which measurements should be made. Once the students start asking questions and suggesting modifications to the experiment, things get very interesting. “The best way to learn science is by doing science”, says Stephen. “These sensor-based investigations provide students with experiential, hands on science. The new wireless sensors are amazing. They provide me with the freedom to quickly setup an experiment in one corner of the room and then have an interactive scientific discussion with my students.” Talk about student engagement!

Byrne Creek Secondary, 7777 – 18th Street, Burnaby, BC

PASCO Products

  • Wireless Voltage Sensor PS-3211
  • Wireless Current Sensor PS-3212
  • Voltage-Current Sensor PS-2115
  • AirLink Interface PS-3200

Success Stories

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What Educators Say About Working With Us

  • A big thanks for all the help and support you provided – I want to take some time to say a big thanks for all the help and support you provided me to select the best equipment in order to make the best possible use of the funds available. It is really exceptional that you happily connected with me multiple times even during the weekend and was always motivated to help. Please accept my big thanks for this.

    Gurpreet Sidhu | Physics Instructor | University College of North | The Pas, MB

  • Wireless Spectrometer Big Hit With Students – PASCO’s wireless spectrometer has been utilized very well by our earth science and physical science teachers. It’s an excellent piece of equipment and we have very much enjoyed its addition to enriching our classroom. It definitely brings students to a higher level of understanding wave interaction at a molecular level.

    Matt Tumbach | Secondary Instructional Technology Leader | Tommy Douglas Collegiate | Saskatoon, SK

  • Excellent Smart Cart – I thought the cart was excellent. The quick sampling rate for force will be very useful for momentum and collision labs we do. I’m recommending we include this in our order for next school year.

    Reed Jeffrey | Science Department Head | Upper Canada College | Toronto ON

  • Your lab equipment is of the highest quality and technical support is always there to help. During the 25 years we have used a wide array of lab equipment including computer interfacing. Your Pasco line has a high profile in our lab and will continue to do so far into the future.

    Bob Chin | Lab Technician | Kwantlen Polytechnic University | Surrey, BC

  • Datalogging Activities are Cross-Curricular

    Throughout the province of Nova Scotia, PASCO’s probeware technology has been merged with the rollout of the new P-6 curriculum. We chose a number of sensors for use with our project-based activities. Both the functionality and mobility of PASCO’s dataloggers enable students to collect authentic, real-world data, test their hypotheses and build knowledge.

    Mark Richards | Technology Integration Consultant | Annapolis Valley R.S.B. | Nova Scotia

  • We have a large number of PASCO wireless spectrometers and love how they have improved the learning experience for our students.

    Shawn McFadden | Technical Specialist | Ryerson University | Toronto, Ontario

  • During distance learning due to COVID-19 school shut down, I was given a short window to collect what I could from my classroom to teach online. The PASCO wireless sensors and Smart Carts were my top priority to collect to implement distance learning. By sharing experimental data with students via SPARKVue, the sensors were pivotal in creating an online experience that still allowed students to grow with their lab skills. It was easy to record videos of the data collection and share the data with my students. They did a phenomenal job examining and interpreting the data.


    Michelle Brosseau | Physics Teacher | Ursuline College Chatham | Chatham, Ontario

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