Field Activity

Interdisciplinary work in Physical computing

Description

For this Field Activity, you will develop an original lesson plan that includes two or more disciplines and aligns with standards, design an assessment that aligns with learning objectives from all of the disciplines, and test the lesson with learners. Your lesson plan must include physical computing (microcontrollers, sensors and actuators, electronics circuits, etc.).

Take into account that the learning objectives and the assessment criteria covers different subjects / knowledge areas.

As an extra challenge you may try to collaborate with another FLA student that is not in the same school. If you succeed some of the projects might be presented in Fab26 at Boston.

Links

Masterclass Recording (opens new window)

Class Miro Board (opens new window)

Steps

1. Choose a collaborator and 2+ content areas
2. Set learning objectives.
3. Develop and test the electronics / programming part of the lesson
4. Integrate the electronics/programming activity into a lesson plan
5. Develop the Assessment protocol for the lesson plan
6. Develop the lesson plan using the SCOPES template
7. Test your lesson plan to receive feedback.
8. Answer the Reflection Questions.
9. Post your lesson to the SCOPES website.
10. Update your learning diary website

Reflection questions

1. Collaboration: Reflect on how you worked with colleagues or FLA participants during the Field Activity. At what stages of development and testing did the collaborator contribute? Please be detailed in your description. How did your collaborator’s perspective change the way you developed the lesson?
2. Instructional Challenges: What challenges did you encounter while teaching this lesson? How did you address or plan to address them? How are diverse learners’ needs being met in the lesson plan facilitation?
3. Integrating Disciplines: Where does your lesson plan fall on the continuum and why? How might you move the lesson plan along the continuum to the next level? Multidisciplinary Interdisciplinary Transdisciplinary
4. AI Usage: If you used AI, describe how it was used and in which steps of the Field Activity.
5. Reflect on the course in general: How has your teaching changed as a result of this course? What are some concepts that you would like to learn more about? How can you support other teachers in your practice to use digital fabrication with their students?

Instructions and Assessment

Step by Step Instructions for the Field Activity (with the assessment rubric) are Here (opens new window)

Resources

Here is an example Lesson Plan from a previous FLA participant

• The Birds Aren't Real, Lauren Kartzman (opens new window)

Here is a good video that steps through using MicroBlocks with the Microbit, and adding in sensors and actuators

• John Maloney: The Power of Tinkerability (opens new window)

Step by Step Instructions on How to setup a SCOPESdf account are here. (opens new window)