So I just wanted to find a bunch of science tips! So here are a bunch I found.
1. Spend extra time in preparing your daily lessons to think of some unique (and startling) way to make the lesson memorable. Do something which reaches all the senses. Remember, your goal as a teacher is for your students to remember and understand.
2. Organization is the key to being a successful teacher.
3. Don't hold back your gifted students,challenge them inside and outside the class.
4. Try to change activities every 15-30 minutes, on average. Especially if you teach a Block Schedule. Labs run longer, of course, as do some written assignments. But you could break that up with a game in the middle! Go from quiet to noisy, from individual to pairs, to teams to lab groups, and back to pairs or individual.
5. Put a fun trivia question (scienceon the board during the first few minutes of class. Give a little prize for the correct answer
6. Learn some simple sleight-of-hand magic, or get some easy-to-use special effect devices from a magic shop, practice your presentation, then DO it in class in an appropriate context to make a point about your current topic
I hope some of these were helpful, I liked a few.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
How do I keep my students engaged in a topic they don't care about?
As I began researching my question I came across an abundance of information. Some of the information suprised me and some I expected to see. Many articles and websites mentioned that as a teacher and always a student who is constantly learning, teachers have to put themselves in the position of their students. They must understand what the students are going through and question themselves often on whether or not they would be interested in the topic and how it is being taught. This is an important issue I have not spent much time thinking about, but is one of the utmost importance. How can we ask our students to engage in an activity if we would not even want to participate or care about it ourselves?
Many other articles mention that students often focus on their grades rather than what they are learning. In order for students to really want to learn and participate in a lesson/activity, we must emphasize the lesson itself, not the assessment and grade. Students spend a great deal of time focusing on how to get the best grade possible or how to just slide by, when they are forgetting the true meaning of what they are being taught. By keeping lessons and activities exciting and hands on, we keep students engaged and interested. It is also important to have them be involved and ask questions of them often.
Another important idea brought up in numerous articles was to make the information being taught relevant to their lives. I know it is a daily question of students to ask their teachers why they have to do something or why they need to know something. By making the information connect to their real lives, it allows them to go further in their thinking and analyze how it can relate to their world.
Many other articles mention that students often focus on their grades rather than what they are learning. In order for students to really want to learn and participate in a lesson/activity, we must emphasize the lesson itself, not the assessment and grade. Students spend a great deal of time focusing on how to get the best grade possible or how to just slide by, when they are forgetting the true meaning of what they are being taught. By keeping lessons and activities exciting and hands on, we keep students engaged and interested. It is also important to have them be involved and ask questions of them often.
Another important idea brought up in numerous articles was to make the information being taught relevant to their lives. I know it is a daily question of students to ask their teachers why they have to do something or why they need to know something. By making the information connect to their real lives, it allows them to go further in their thinking and analyze how it can relate to their world.
How to make science fun for me and the students.
I want my science students to have fun in class but I also want my students to learn the process of science. I want to challenge their thinking and reasoning ability. In doing so, I do not want class to be too hard or too difficult for the students. I want my students to learn and enjoy science.
I have always loved my science classes in grade school, middle school and especially in high school. Since I graduated from high school in 1983, we had no Internet or even computers to help us in science. We did a lot of hands on applications and a lot of thinking and reasoning. I had a blast in my classes so I have a desire to make my classes fun and exciting. And hopefully challenging at the same time.
My main focus of this blog is to find fun activities that enhances science and challenges the student's thinking. Of course I want these classes to be fun. I did some looking around on the Internet and found a cool website. This web site is titled Steve Spangler Science, Making Science Fun. There is a great experiment on this page titled Light Sticks. Most kids I know love light sticks and since it is getting closer to Halloween, it seems like a great experiment.
There are a lot of experiments on this web page. The experiment's are broken down by grade levels. The experiments are explained well and there is added information about the experiments that you could use for extensions.
I think the students would find this experiment to be a lot of fun.
I have always loved my science classes in grade school, middle school and especially in high school. Since I graduated from high school in 1983, we had no Internet or even computers to help us in science. We did a lot of hands on applications and a lot of thinking and reasoning. I had a blast in my classes so I have a desire to make my classes fun and exciting. And hopefully challenging at the same time.
My main focus of this blog is to find fun activities that enhances science and challenges the student's thinking. Of course I want these classes to be fun. I did some looking around on the Internet and found a cool website. This web site is titled Steve Spangler Science, Making Science Fun. There is a great experiment on this page titled Light Sticks. Most kids I know love light sticks and since it is getting closer to Halloween, it seems like a great experiment.
There are a lot of experiments on this web page. The experiment's are broken down by grade levels. The experiments are explained well and there is added information about the experiments that you could use for extensions.
I think the students would find this experiment to be a lot of fun.
What resources are available for professional development?
I forgot to mention in my introduction, that I don't consider myself highly knowledgeable in the area of science. That is why I have decided to research what resources are out there to help teachers stay informed (Or for some of us GET informed). Going into this class I think I assumed I would probably be given materials to teach and that those would be just fine. But, because of all we have learned about how to teach effectively, I realize that whatever materials I am supplied with probably won't amount to an effective science lesson. For this reason, I will be spending the next few weeks looking for places to turn to when I need to better understand concepts, I need ideas for lessons, or I would like something new to think about.
One website I came across is the National Science Teachers Association. The first thing I noticed was the association’s motto "Committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all". I like this motto because it doesn't just suggest the website is for teachers, but for anyone interested in learning. I also read that the websites member's include not only teachers, but also science supervisors, administrators, business representatives, and others involved in the science field. I get the feeling that many knowledgeable individuals (not just in the field of science alone) are involved with this association.
The website suggested a number of events for profession development. The National Science Teachers Association holds a science education conference every year. The conference includes 100's of workshops and demonstrations for what appears to be a wide variety of grade levels and science areas. The website also lists locations for the associations learning centers. Where one on one demonstrations and meetings take place.
Honestly, I'm not sure that I would ever take advantage of a national conference. However, becoming a member of the association grants the user access to several searchable data bases, grade-specific journals and newsletters, lesson plans, and book discounts. It is not free, but for new teachers it is only $34 a year. I think this site would definitely be helpful for beginning teachers in the science field. Also, this site is a great FREE resource for a variety of science literature. The site has a bookstore that carries all types of science materials. I think referring to the site's online store could spark a lot of ideas, even if I didn't purchase anything.
One website I came across is the National Science Teachers Association. The first thing I noticed was the association’s motto "Committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all". I like this motto because it doesn't just suggest the website is for teachers, but for anyone interested in learning. I also read that the websites member's include not only teachers, but also science supervisors, administrators, business representatives, and others involved in the science field. I get the feeling that many knowledgeable individuals (not just in the field of science alone) are involved with this association.
The website suggested a number of events for profession development. The National Science Teachers Association holds a science education conference every year. The conference includes 100's of workshops and demonstrations for what appears to be a wide variety of grade levels and science areas. The website also lists locations for the associations learning centers. Where one on one demonstrations and meetings take place.
Honestly, I'm not sure that I would ever take advantage of a national conference. However, becoming a member of the association grants the user access to several searchable data bases, grade-specific journals and newsletters, lesson plans, and book discounts. It is not free, but for new teachers it is only $34 a year. I think this site would definitely be helpful for beginning teachers in the science field. Also, this site is a great FREE resource for a variety of science literature. The site has a bookstore that carries all types of science materials. I think referring to the site's online store could spark a lot of ideas, even if I didn't purchase anything.
How can we make science fun for EVERY student?
I decided to look into how we, as teachers, can make science more fun for every student and to find methods to help those who dread science class learn to get hooked. I was excited to find a few ideas that really piqued my interest.
A few articles I found talked about having a current events portion of class once a week. Most of us have seen current events done in a social studies classroom and it is not much different when done with science ideas in mind. Students can cut newspaper articles out and find things online that explain a recent event in the science field. Students then have to bring the article to class and explain it to their peers. This could also be done on a daily basis, especially if your students have blocked science time.
Something I am very curious to use in my clinical classroom is the idea of a weekly or daily scientist. Each day/week a student researches a science fact that has to do with what content is being taught. He or she shares it with the class and the class begins to ask questions. If the weekly/daily scientist knows the answer, they can share it with the class but if it is a deeper question than the scientist came prepared for, it is written on the science question board and can be used as an experiment-starter, to give ideas to students who are "stuck" and can also be a point for other weekly/daily scientists to research and find a fun fact about.
Bottom line is that as science teachers, we need to get creative with our thinking! We have vast resources at our fingertips (the internet) and it is full of great ideas: games, ways to encourage and motivate, ways to involve science vocabulary in everything you do, and ways to engage our students.
Until next week...
***edit - here's the link to the website I used to find this information: http://www.science.org/category/teaching ***
A few articles I found talked about having a current events portion of class once a week. Most of us have seen current events done in a social studies classroom and it is not much different when done with science ideas in mind. Students can cut newspaper articles out and find things online that explain a recent event in the science field. Students then have to bring the article to class and explain it to their peers. This could also be done on a daily basis, especially if your students have blocked science time.
Something I am very curious to use in my clinical classroom is the idea of a weekly or daily scientist. Each day/week a student researches a science fact that has to do with what content is being taught. He or she shares it with the class and the class begins to ask questions. If the weekly/daily scientist knows the answer, they can share it with the class but if it is a deeper question than the scientist came prepared for, it is written on the science question board and can be used as an experiment-starter, to give ideas to students who are "stuck" and can also be a point for other weekly/daily scientists to research and find a fun fact about.
Bottom line is that as science teachers, we need to get creative with our thinking! We have vast resources at our fingertips (the internet) and it is full of great ideas: games, ways to encourage and motivate, ways to involve science vocabulary in everything you do, and ways to engage our students.
Until next week...
***edit - here's the link to the website I used to find this information: http://www.science.org/category/teaching ***
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
How can science be tied into other subjects?
How can science be tied into other subjects?
Science lessons can overlap with other subject's lessons. For instance during science you could integrate math into your lesson by having students measure out their supplies or doing formulas to figure out their data. For instance if you were doing an experiment of what liquid plants grow the best in water, milk, soda, or coffee, you could have your students measure the day to day growth of the plants. Then as they collect more data (depending on the ability level of your students) you could have your students complete math formulas using their data to figure out what liquid plants grow the best in.
You could also incorporate reading and writing into your science lessons. There are many famous scientists throughout the world. You could have your student's research a scientist and make a brochure about them. By doing this your students will be reading and writing will learning about science.
Science lessons can overlap with other subject's lessons. For instance during science you could integrate math into your lesson by having students measure out their supplies or doing formulas to figure out their data. For instance if you were doing an experiment of what liquid plants grow the best in water, milk, soda, or coffee, you could have your students measure the day to day growth of the plants. Then as they collect more data (depending on the ability level of your students) you could have your students complete math formulas using their data to figure out what liquid plants grow the best in.
You could also incorporate reading and writing into your science lessons. There are many famous scientists throughout the world. You could have your student's research a scientist and make a brochure about them. By doing this your students will be reading and writing will learning about science.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Twittering geobern @ #scichat
Well, I just had my first Twitter experience on #scichat. WOW. My twitter experience is very similar to my blogging experience, basically nonexistant! But I survived and managed to squeeze in about 8 tweets. The conversation felt disjointed, and I hated that I have to update my page constantly. I kept thinking that there must be a setting on my computer that automatically refreshes.....but do not have the time to figure it out. Also, I kept getting a security message, that I am sure I could dismiss...again time is NOT on my side! But, I will be back again...not only because it is required for my class, but because, I have a need to succeed!!
So I twittered... I tweeted. The subject was about evidence-based teaching. What is evidence? We use evidence every day to derive conclusions. The evidence suggests that if I hit my finger with a hammer, it is going to hurt. Sometimes good evidence leads to the wrong conclusions. We had no idea about plate tectonics 45+ years ago. We based our ideas on observations and came up with geosynclines to explain exotic terrances and other continental features. But we need evidence to back our observations and to explain our questions. Sometimes we draw wrong conclusions from the evidence we gather, but if we persist, we hopefully will come to the right conclusions.
Teaching students to question their world and to gather evidence to derive a conclusion is key.
Teaching students to question their world and to gather evidence to derive a conclusion is key.
Tianyan intro
Hi, my name is Tianyan Hartlep. I live in Appleton with my husband Mike and two kids Julia (6) and Joshua (4). I was born in China and went to college in China. I came to USA 20 years ago to go to NC State for my graduate school in wood and paper science. I worked at Appleton for 11 years as a research engineer. before I became stay home Mom. I joined ACT program this fall to start my new journey to be trained to be a high school /middle school science teacher.
I think that our team was named after Kamen because he is an inspiration for us. He is a great teacher. He is persistent on research work. He takes the challenging project and working hard on it. His energy, his passion on his work is truly a good example for us.
I think that our team was named after Kamen because he is an inspiration for us. He is a great teacher. He is persistent on research work. He takes the challenging project and working hard on it. His energy, his passion on his work is truly a good example for us.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Bernadette-Introduction
Introduction:
Hello. My name is Bernadette. I just recently moved Wisconsin from Illinois, and am excited about this new chapter of my life. I never imagined that I would be "blogging." Until recently I had not even read a blog. I did see the movie Julie and Julia; however. I do love to write, so it should be a fairly painless exercise, but apologize in advance if my writing inflicts boredom and/or is less than inspiring!
Background:
I live in the Baraboo, Wisconsin area and am enrolled in the ACT Program. I hope to have my teaching license in a few years. As a geologist, I have learned a great deal about our planet. I am constantly amazed by our natural world, and believe becoming a science teacher is a natural progression for me. I truly enjoy sharing my love of science, and look forward to learning methods to convey science concepts and ideas to students.
Hello. My name is Bernadette. I just recently moved Wisconsin from Illinois, and am excited about this new chapter of my life. I never imagined that I would be "blogging." Until recently I had not even read a blog. I did see the movie Julie and Julia; however. I do love to write, so it should be a fairly painless exercise, but apologize in advance if my writing inflicts boredom and/or is less than inspiring!
Background:
I live in the Baraboo, Wisconsin area and am enrolled in the ACT Program. I hope to have my teaching license in a few years. As a geologist, I have learned a great deal about our planet. I am constantly amazed by our natural world, and believe becoming a science teacher is a natural progression for me. I truly enjoy sharing my love of science, and look forward to learning methods to convey science concepts and ideas to students.
Meghan's intro
Hello, I am Meghan Johnson a student in the ACT! program through the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I am working towards a teachers license in 6-12th grade broad science. I have three children 5,7, and 10. We love spending time outdoors what ever the season. I love pets and happily share my passion of animals with our children.
I believe our team was named after Mr. Kamen because he is always looking to find a better way to do something. He doesn't work alone, always finding the best members for his research teams. Mr. Kamen takes on projects even when he feels that they are impossible. He does not make excuses, just progress.
I believe our team was named after Mr. Kamen because he is always looking to find a better way to do something. He doesn't work alone, always finding the best members for his research teams. Mr. Kamen takes on projects even when he feels that they are impossible. He does not make excuses, just progress.
Kailey
Hello all! My name is Kailey Fucaloro and I'm a 5th year student at Drake University. I'm currently enrolled in the elementary teacher education program there. My endorsements are social studies and reading. I recently left my job to take on 6 methods courses for school.For the past 8 semesters of school, I've taken on 4-5 class and worked an average of 32 hours a week. This is the first time in 6 years I haven't worked. So far I'm loving it! Most of my work background is centered primarily around children (My previous job was a team-lead at a daycare). I love working with kids and can't wait to become a teacher.
I could really feel the passion from Mr. Kamen's presentation. He did an excellent job explaining the process they used for creating the artificial limbs. Kamen was able to explain this process in a way of which any person, regardless of background knowledge, could understand. This reminds me of myself. So perhaps we are all educators that have the ability to covey complex ideas to students, enabling them to understand these ideas.
I could really feel the passion from Mr. Kamen's presentation. He did an excellent job explaining the process they used for creating the artificial limbs. Kamen was able to explain this process in a way of which any person, regardless of background knowledge, could understand. This reminds me of myself. So perhaps we are all educators that have the ability to covey complex ideas to students, enabling them to understand these ideas.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
About Will
Hello,
I'm Will at senior (5th year) at UW-Oshkosh, I'm an elementary education major and math minor. I am passionate about my family and friends, sports, and of course children.
I thought that this speech was very heartfelt and real. It was nice to see something that isn't fake like most stuff on tv. It is amazing how far behind prosthetic technolgy was/is and how much can be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time. I was really glad I watched this video.
I'm Will at senior (5th year) at UW-Oshkosh, I'm an elementary education major and math minor. I am passionate about my family and friends, sports, and of course children.
I thought that this speech was very heartfelt and real. It was nice to see something that isn't fake like most stuff on tv. It is amazing how far behind prosthetic technolgy was/is and how much can be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time. I was really glad I watched this video.
Introduction
Hi Everyone. I'm Andrea and I'm a junior at Drake University. I'm majoring in elementary education with endorsements in both social studies and reading. I'm from the Des Moines area and plan to stay here after I graduate. I love being outdoors in all seasons except winter, spending time with friends, and most of all spending time with my two-year-old son, Rome.
After watching the clip about Kamen it's clear that he is an extraordinary person. I think the easiest explanation of why this team was named after him is that we should all strive to be extraordinary teachers. I liked that Kamen included the detail about what a busy schedule he already had, before being asked to create what seemed like an impossible piece of technology. As teachers, that is something to keep in mind. Even though many of us will have busy schedules and limited availability, taking the time to help our students reach even what seem like impossible goals is something that should take top priority.
After watching the clip about Kamen it's clear that he is an extraordinary person. I think the easiest explanation of why this team was named after him is that we should all strive to be extraordinary teachers. I liked that Kamen included the detail about what a busy schedule he already had, before being asked to create what seemed like an impossible piece of technology. As teachers, that is something to keep in mind. Even though many of us will have busy schedules and limited availability, taking the time to help our students reach even what seem like impossible goals is something that should take top priority.
Alisa's Info
Hi everyone! My name is Alisa Roth, I am a senior elementary education major at Drake University with endorsements in reading, early childhood, and coaching. I absolutely love kids and I'm so interested in what goes on in their minds and why they do the things they do. I play volleyball at Drake so it takes up most of my time along with school. I have had a great experience at Drake and cannot wait to make a difference in children's lives.
I find Mr. Kamen's work very inspiring. I feel honored to be the team named after him. Anyone who accomplishes something that was once said could never be done is a hero in my book. Mr. Kamen had a very busy schedule but he still took time out of his day to help the kids that needed an arm. He found the technology to help these kids and changed their lives. I can only hope that one day I help children the way he did.
I find Mr. Kamen's work very inspiring. I feel honored to be the team named after him. Anyone who accomplishes something that was once said could never be done is a hero in my book. Mr. Kamen had a very busy schedule but he still took time out of his day to help the kids that needed an arm. He found the technology to help these kids and changed their lives. I can only hope that one day I help children the way he did.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
About me
Hello! My name is Colleen and I am a senior at Drake. I will be student teaching in the spring and am very excited! My endorsements are in English/Literature, Theater/Speech, and Reading. I am from Peoria, IL which is four hours from Des Moines. After I graduate in May, I would love to start teaching in the classroom, either in Des Moines, Peoria, or at least somewhere in the midwest!
I did a quick online search about Dean Kamen to learn more about him. I had a FIRST team founded at my high school my junior year and their numbers grew rapidly. Many of the students on the team went on to major in engineering, premed, or other science degrees. I believe that we were named after Dean Kamen because he wanted to get students interested in science and get them motivated- hopefully to the point of pursuing a degree in science in their higher education. His many inventions have also been great additions to society and he encourages others to use their creativity and higher level thinking.
I did a quick online search about Dean Kamen to learn more about him. I had a FIRST team founded at my high school my junior year and their numbers grew rapidly. Many of the students on the team went on to major in engineering, premed, or other science degrees. I believe that we were named after Dean Kamen because he wanted to get students interested in science and get them motivated- hopefully to the point of pursuing a degree in science in their higher education. His many inventions have also been great additions to society and he encourages others to use their creativity and higher level thinking.
Desiree's Intro.
Hi there everyone! My name is Desiree and I am in my fifth year (also known as a second year senior!) here at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I am a DUAL major in both Elementary and Special Education and am currently in my Block B semester. I was born and raised in Oshkosh and it is a city I truly love.
I believe that we were given the name Kamen because his story is nothing short of inspiration. Stories like this are ones that give me a fire and desire to help others and teaching is one way this can be possible. What especially stood out to me was the fact that he even admitted that he was extremely busy and didn't know where he'd have time to take on such an extraordinary project, he still put his heart into the work. You could hear the passion and concern in his voice and see that he created a truly amazing product. A product that will change the lives of so many deserving people. This story proves that you can set your mind to anything and change the lives of others drastically! It is the perfect name for others who are ready to work hard and try to achieve a sliver of what he has done.
I believe that we were given the name Kamen because his story is nothing short of inspiration. Stories like this are ones that give me a fire and desire to help others and teaching is one way this can be possible. What especially stood out to me was the fact that he even admitted that he was extremely busy and didn't know where he'd have time to take on such an extraordinary project, he still put his heart into the work. You could hear the passion and concern in his voice and see that he created a truly amazing product. A product that will change the lives of so many deserving people. This story proves that you can set your mind to anything and change the lives of others drastically! It is the perfect name for others who are ready to work hard and try to achieve a sliver of what he has done.
Hi, my name is Nancy Phelps. I am a non-traditional student at Drake University. I am pursuing a degree in elementary education with an endorsement in reading. This is my last semester at Drake before I start my student teaching. I have two children; Jackie, age 23 and Drew age 20. I have many hobbies which include running, biking, and swimming. I also spend a lot of my time with my boyfriend Steve. And I love to travel.
The video of out team's namesake is moving. I admire people who face a challenge and conquer that challenge. I admire Mr. Kamen for his dedication to this project. I can only imagine how far this will go in our world. The soldiers that have put their life on the line for our freedom will benefit so vastly from this technology. I have seen robotics in the movies but in real life it is even more impressive. I hope that I can meet my challenges as Mr. Kamen has and I hope to also make positive changes in my student's lives.
The video of out team's namesake is moving. I admire people who face a challenge and conquer that challenge. I admire Mr. Kamen for his dedication to this project. I can only imagine how far this will go in our world. The soldiers that have put their life on the line for our freedom will benefit so vastly from this technology. I have seen robotics in the movies but in real life it is even more impressive. I hope that I can meet my challenges as Mr. Kamen has and I hope to also make positive changes in my student's lives.
About Ken
My name is Ken Vacek and I am a non-traditional student at Drake University in Des Moines. I am married and we have three kids, all of them in elementary school. I am currently working in the insurance industry where I have held a number of positions over the past 13 years. I am working towards a Master of Science in Teaching for elementary education and a reading endorsement. I will be student teaching in the spring and then heading out to the teaching world!
The video on Dean Kamen was inspirational. The work he did has impacted the lives of many and will continue to be improved upon. The technology that he created is a significant leap from previous prosthetics and will be a good baseline for future people to work to improve. Team Kamen is definitely well named.
The video on Dean Kamen was inspirational. The work he did has impacted the lives of many and will continue to be improved upon. The technology that he created is a significant leap from previous prosthetics and will be a good baseline for future people to work to improve. Team Kamen is definitely well named.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
About Michelle
Hello everyone, my name is Michelle and I am a Elementary education major. (PreK-6) I love working and being around children. Therefore, I am very excited and looking forward to the clinical and student teaching experiences this year.
I believe that Dean Kamen was chosen for our group name because he is an inspirational scientist. Through his own personal questions and concerns, he came up with a product that will make many people's lives better and easier. Dean Kamen is a great leader and role model for children as well as adults. Therefore, I think Dean Kamen is a great representation for our team.
I believe that Dean Kamen was chosen for our group name because he is an inspirational scientist. Through his own personal questions and concerns, he came up with a product that will make many people's lives better and easier. Dean Kamen is a great leader and role model for children as well as adults. Therefore, I think Dean Kamen is a great representation for our team.
Monday, September 20, 2010
About Jessie
Hi! This is Jessie. I am earning a degree in early childhood education for grades 4K-6. I have two daughters who are 7 and 4 years old, and I love spending as much time as possible playing with them and teaching them everything they want to learn.
Before watching his video, I had never heard of Dean Kamen before. After watching the video, I realize why he was chosen as our team's namesake. He is an amazing inventor who is passionate about what he does. The video was about his invention of a robotic-type prosthetic arm that he was asked to make for soldiers who had lost their limbs. Because of Kamen, these soldiers are now able to do things that they thought they would never be able to do again. This is a true leader who knows what people need, and is able to meet those needs in astounding ways through his inventions. In addition to his inventions, he also has the goal to get more children interested in science and engineering. There seems to be no task too big for this man to tackle, and I think he was a great choice to use as our namesake.
Before watching his video, I had never heard of Dean Kamen before. After watching the video, I realize why he was chosen as our team's namesake. He is an amazing inventor who is passionate about what he does. The video was about his invention of a robotic-type prosthetic arm that he was asked to make for soldiers who had lost their limbs. Because of Kamen, these soldiers are now able to do things that they thought they would never be able to do again. This is a true leader who knows what people need, and is able to meet those needs in astounding ways through his inventions. In addition to his inventions, he also has the goal to get more children interested in science and engineering. There seems to be no task too big for this man to tackle, and I think he was a great choice to use as our namesake.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Sara's Introduction
Hi everyone, I'm Sara! I'm an Elementary Ed (grades 1-8) major and a science minor. I graduate in December and couldn't be happier!
I think our team is named Kamen after Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway. He also founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to get students excited about and interested in science, engineering, and technology. FIRST runs a robotic competition for students called FIRST Robotics Competition and has other robotics clubs for all students from elementary school all the way through high school. Not only has Dean Kamen helped kids find a love of science, he's done it in a fun way and has reached out and encouraged those students who excel at robotics. Plus, he lives in a hexagonal house with secret passageways (how cool is that?!), has his own island, and his company DEKA is working on developing a brain-powered prosthetic limb. This guy is awesome :)
All information taken from Wired Magazine (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.09/kamen.html?pg=1&topic=&topic_set=)
and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Kamen).
I think our team is named Kamen after Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway. He also founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to get students excited about and interested in science, engineering, and technology. FIRST runs a robotic competition for students called FIRST Robotics Competition and has other robotics clubs for all students from elementary school all the way through high school. Not only has Dean Kamen helped kids find a love of science, he's done it in a fun way and has reached out and encouraged those students who excel at robotics. Plus, he lives in a hexagonal house with secret passageways (how cool is that?!), has his own island, and his company DEKA is working on developing a brain-powered prosthetic limb. This guy is awesome :)
All information taken from Wired Magazine (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.09/kamen.html?pg=1&topic=&topic_set=)
and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Kamen).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)