SET Sail at US Naval Academy

I spent the last three days this summer at the US Naval Academy for STEM Educator Training (SET) and wow…where do I start?

So much learning was packed into those three days that I really have had to unpack what I learned. It got me interested in engineering (the part I was missing in my attempt at STEM). I saw how engineering design can improve the scientific method, particularly for my students since my class is supposed to be more hands-on and technology-based. I really got some excellent ideas from my time here and got inspired to further my own knowledge in my chosen field of physics (which I know I am already doing by working on my second masters in physics…but this really made me excited for more knowledge).

Almost every activity I could relate to my students in some way. I think there may have been one activity I can’t use (it was pure biology and health). Everything else I can use in some way…which as you know in most PD that is not the case. You are usually lucky to find ONE idea that you can use…I got 30 or 40. Which causes a problem in itself…how do you catalog that much great information? Granted I am attempting that here in a way…Evernote is useful. (The one thing I didn’t like is they didn’t have E-copies of the “stuff” so now I have to transfer everything to my own files, I live and die by Google Drive and so now I have to get all this stuff there.) But back to the activities…

As a physics teacher, I am always trying to impress upon my students that physics is in EVERYTHING, but sometimes I struggle with real world examples that show this. But now I have some ammo. Like Bernoulli’s principle, planes is the easy one, but sailing and tennis/paddleball spin and those giant granite spin-y balls at the mall waterfall…my students have seen those, played those!!

They gave us multiple design challenges that I will be able to use with my students this year. And the best part of them are they are with cheap materials! Paper plates, balloons, straws, lifesavers, balsa wood, and the list goes on, but they are easy to find and common, which means I can get more of them done.

I have spent my time between class and the start of school (which will be Monday) thinking about how to incorporate all this great material. In planning my first few days I have already found a place for a couple. I am really excited to see how my students handle all this new hands on activity. This is going to be a great year!