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Classes begin
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Cool opportunity to build a model that we could potentially give to future students. Beginning to understand the process of the EDP around this time.
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We got the opportunity to make cars from a packet that is usually for kids. I enjoy getting to do the activities from a student's point of view. I enjoyed testing our cars and racing them, and noticing which cars did better than the others. The ones that did best were the least lopsided and the wheels and the bars connected to them were evenly distributed.
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This week we had a reflection that I enjoyed, discussing the design process and proposed questions/ideas that I could take away. "Is the problem solvable?" is a great question to propose as well as "what does the project satisfy?" Asking these questions is important for students to understand prior to diving into a project so that they may be aware of the likeliness of making a solution to a problem.
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This week we got the opportunity to all make 3 different types of planes and test fly them, seeing how far we can make it. Multiple things added to how far the plane flew. The height of the throw, the angle, and how the thrower threw the plane. We measured the distance of how far the planes threw and it was interesting to compare how the same planes we made, flew different distances. Some varied in distance more than others.
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In the reading, the writers look at the educational theories of constructivism and constructionism, emphasizing that learning is not something passive but something actively built by the learner; there has to be effort put in by the student, they have to want to learn. When learners tinker, make, engineer and experiment, they engage in constructionist experiences by creating meaningful objects and inventions, they engage more deeply with their ideas.
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This one was an interesting one to put together. It was simple and straightforward. However, it was interesting trying to figure out how to collect data for the windmill. Trying to figure it out before help from Dr. Kimori was very difficult. It was the hardest one to put together besides the camera. I kept mixing up the direction of the propellers. Thank goodness for the help of classmates and directions that have pictures!