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Week 4

Assignments

  1. Design a simple electronic circuit using a simulator: put in a battery, an LED, and a sensor or switch. Use TinkerCAD (or other). Take a screenshot of your circuit for your Learning Diary.
  2. Build simple circuits using battery, LED and different conductors: copper film, pencil… Post a photo on your Learning Diary.
  3. (Optional) Use a Makey Makey board (or similar) to interact with a computer game/program. Explain in your learning diary briefly what you have done. Not recommended use yet microncontrollers board such as Arduino, Microbit or similar, unless you have already experience.

**4. Answer the following reflection questions:

** Imagine an educational activity using simple electronics components (preferably without microcontrollers) that is suitable for the age group that you are teaching. Describe it (provide goals of activity and methodologies). **

Using the Design Thinking Process with 3rd graders they designed the “Guatemalan city of the future”. From there students need to present a model that shows different solutions to Guatemalan issues related with traffic, water and trash management and the lack of public parks for families. In their physical model and according to the criterias, students need to show how they will use a circuit in their model. Goals: a. Identify Guatemalan issues related to city development. b. Compare different solutions studying other cities around the world. c. Identify the components of a simple circuit and light up a LED in the model. Methodology: Design Thinking Process

*** Consider also the role of the kids: would you classify it as Digital Fabrication for kids or with kids? Why? It is preferable that you integrate any of the circuits you have created in step 1 or 2.**

Since materials are safe I consider that is a great opportunity to do Digital Fabrication with kids. The age is properly good for the activity and the unit can be enriched with basic learning about circuits.

*** What are the challenges of using electronics in your space? How can this support your students in learning classroom content?** This experience can be provided in the STEAM lab I lead. This project might be integrated with a Social Studies unit about maps where Guatemalan city is studied. Also could be connected with a NGSS standard about energy ( 4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.)

The only challenge I see is the amount of teachers that can guide them for the circuit part where kids might need some assistance or help.

  • What has been your experience using Project Based Learning / Problem based learning in the past? What were the main challenges? After the master class I learned more about the difference between PjBL and PBL. I didn’t go deeply in PjBL before so now I realize that I work both depending on the lesson, grade level and content. The PjBL I mentioned before was made for 3rd graders without the circuit part. I noticed that circuits can be integrated and fit perfectly there. The main challenges I see are time to develop the project and to talk to teachers during integration. Maintaining communication is not easy but is possible.