Breakerspaces are areas where students demolish, repurpose, fix, or disassemble appliances, electronics, toys, and other devices to learn how they work, what components were used to create them, and how they were designed. Like any type of construction or demolition work, safety preparation is absolutely critical. When preparing a breakerspace activity, teachers should consider the following safety guidelines.
Personal protective equipment
Be aware of personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and appropriate use of them (e.g., safety glasses or goggles for the eyes and work gloves to protect the hands). Always do a hazard analysis and risk assessment and take appropriate safety action before starting a hands-on activity. If the breakerspace activity requires the use of a screw driver, for example, a hazard could be that the end of the hand tool is sharp. The risk is the potential for cutting or puncturing the skin or eyes. The appropriate safety action would be the use of safety glasses or goggles and work gloves when using a screw driver.
Working with hand tools
When using hand tools,
• inspect tools before using them (e.g., check for cracked handles on hammers and screwdrivers);
• use the right tool for the right job;
• ensure materials are secure so they don’t slip (e.g., use clamps or a vise when appropriate);
• use caution when handling tools to help prevent injuries (e.g., cuts, impalement);
• store and secure tools under lock and key after using them; and
• remove any flammable substances when working with iron or steel hand tools.
Assess hazards and determine risks of materials and equipment
When working with equipment and materials, teachers should be mindful of the following safety considerations.
• Remove the plug or batteries after using electrical equipment.
• Electronic equipment could cause electrical shock. Any electrical device with an AC>DC switch mode (e.g., computers, power supplies) stores about 200 V on its input capacitors and can retain high voltage for a length of time. If the device hasn’t been plugged in for at least several weeks, it should be safer to use. But always use a multimeter to test the voltage on the high-voltage capacitors to be certain.
• Do not work with wet hands or clothing.
• Do not work on electronic devices with any metallic jewelry on your hands.
• Do not use metal and plastic toys and electronic equipment containing lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, bromine, and PVC plastic.
• Be aware of sharp objects, choking hazards, and projectiles.
• Materials and equipment with sharp metal or glass edges can cause cuts and infections.
• Springs and elastics can become airborne and cause injuries.
• Materials and equipment with sharp points or prongs (e.g., wires and nails) can cause cut or stab wounds.
• Hot glue guns and soldering irons can burn the skin.
• Batteries contain hazardous corrosive chemicals.
• Toys or appliances containing screens contain chemicals that hazardous and should not be used.
• Properly dispose of or store materials upon completing the activity.
• Prohibit students form eating food when working in a breakerspace.
• Everyone in the lab should wash their hands to reduce risk of cross contamination.
• Always wash hands with soap and water upon completing the activities.
Safety training
Students need to have training on all of the safety issues discussed in this article and successfully complete a safety assessment before partaking in breakerspace activities.
Supervision
Under “duty or standard of care,” teachers need to continually supervise students engaged in breakerspace activities. This is to ensure that behavioral expectations are being followed and allows teachers to be prepared for safety issues.
Conclusion
Breakerspaces require special attention to safety preparation on the part of both teachers and students. Ongoing teacher review of safety and direct supervision of student behavior are necessary for a safer breakerspace experience.
Submit questions regarding safety in K–12 to Ken Roy at safesci@sbcglobal.net or leave him a comment below. Follow Ken Roy on Twitter: @drroysafersci.
Breakerspaces are areas where students demolish, repurpose, fix, or disassemble appliances, electronics, toys, and other devices to learn how they work, what components were used to create them, and how they were designed. Like any type of construction or demolition work, safety preparation is absolutely critical. When preparing a breakerspace activity, teachers should consider the following safety guidelines.
Personal protective equipment
Ed News: Want More Girls In Science Fields? Check The Images On Your Classroom Walls
This week in education news, new study finds the older students get, the more their image of a “scientist” comes into line with that stereotypical view; new federal appropriation bill pours money into school safety program and early childhood education; ASEE releases statement in support of STEM diversity research; and new study finds that only certain financial incentives make a difference in recruiting more diverse teachers to the profession.
The third- and fourth-graders at Elm City College Prep, clad in protective goggles and facemasks, studied their preserved frogs with the seriousness of med students facing their first cadaver. They had practiced the dissecting procedure in an online interactive, and now they were ready to raise real scalpels and get a look at the frogs’ insides. Read the article featured in The Hechinger Report.
Pop “scientist” into an image search and you’re likely to see people in goggles and white coats, swirling liquids in Erlenmyer flasks or peering into microscopes. A new study finds the older students get, the more their image of a “scientist” comes into line with that stereotypical view. Read the article featured in Education Week.
Wachowski is one of 20 educators who were selected to serve on the state Commissioner’s Teacher Cabinet. The group provides input to officials at the Colorado Department of Education. She talked to Chalkbeat about how she uses parent conferences and classwork to learn students’ stories, why making Rube Goldberg contraptions boosts kids’ confidence, and what happens when she raises her hand in the middle of class. Read the article featured in Chalkbeat.
School safety programs saw big boosts in the latest federal appropriations bill that also proposed increases in early childhood education spending along with smaller bumps for marquee K-12 programs. The House Appropriations Committee in a press release touted $2.3 billion in increases for school safety, with funds coming through programs at the Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services departments. Read the article featured in The 74.
The American Society for Engineering Education published a statement in support of scholarly research on diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering and math education. Read the article featured in Inside Higher Ed.
What works—and what doesn’t work—to attract nonwhite candidates into the teaching profession? School district leaders and state education chiefs have been trying to figure this out for years now, especially because research shows that having a teacher from similar demographic backgrounds has social and academic benefits for students, most of whom are nonwhite. A new analysis from the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution found that when it comes to financial incentives, only certain ones make a difference in recruiting more diverse teachers to the profession. Read the article featured in Education Week.
Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.
The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
Stephen Hawking died recently marking 2018 as another date in science history from which events will be measured. Isaac Newton was born in 1642, the same year Galileo died. And it is that 1642 date that is often used as a convenient moment in time to label as the birth of modern science. Three hundred years later in 1942 Stephen Hawking was born.
Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)
During Dr. Hawking’s academic life, he worked at the University of Cambridge in England, the same university, and in fact the same faculty position as Isaac Newton. On the ground of Cambridge University in the Department of Physics is the Cavendish Laboratory. And in the Cavendish Lab back in 1908, a fellow named Hans Geiger invented something that ultimately led to the creation of the Geiger–Müller tube in 1928. The Geiger–Müller tube is still used today in an instrument we all know and love called the Geiger Counter.
While the design of the Geiger–Müller tube or GM Tube has remained fairly consistent over the decades, the housing and electronics running the show have changed considerably. Early designs were crude but elegant in their simplicity, while the most popular expression of a Geiger Counter is the yellow box version with silver-tube handle commonly known as a Civil Defense Geiger Counter or CD Counter for short. Distributed widely during the Cold War years of the 1950s and 60s, the CD Counters are still found in high school physics classrooms, and were even passed out for free at NSTA conferences at the end of a presentation on how to use it.
Today, however, there have been some remarkable advances in the design and electronics supporting the Geiger–Müller tube. In addition to a small lightweight housing, a rechargeable lithium battery weighing just a few grams can power the counter for hours compared to the five D-cell batteries used in the yellow box version. And since the function of the Geiger–Müller tube is to detect and share information on the number of ionizing radiation particles counted over time, the heavy duty analysis and data visualization can be outsourced to myriad of devices including smartphones (Grammar Girl says I can use ‘myriad’ that way). All that’s needed is a connection from the powered Geiger–Müller tube to the computing device.
For years a cable has served the purpose of connection the Geiger–Müller tube to a display of some sort. On the Civil Defense Counters, the Geiger–Müller tube is connected to the main box by a cord. Later Geiger Counters had built-in Geiger–Müller tubes along with their built-in meters, but also the ability connect to a computer with a cable. Then we moved to just the Geiger–Müller tube in a housing with a cable meaning that the Geiger Counter must be plugged into another device for it to work. And today we have the best of all worlds, a small, light Geiger Counter that has a rechargeable internal battery, a audio signal, a flashing light, a connection/charging cable, and a Bluetooth radio transmitter to physically de-tether the Geiger Counter from everything.
The Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor is at least the fourth in a timeline of Geiger Counters sold by the company over the years, and one of at least 30 different Go Direct sensors. This latest Geiger version is near a dream come true for me. Back when the iPhone was just taking off, the two big things I wanted on a smartphone were a Geiger Counter and a balance. I figured that the touch screen could be calibrated to also preform as a digital balance. While not yet available, the variable pressure touch screens make this feature seem possible. But the Go Direct Radiation Monitor is close enough to mark that one as done.
Using a small Geiger–Müller tube covered by the tradition mica window and protective screen, the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor is familiar enough to other such devices to be recognizable and operational to anyone with previous Geiger Counter experience.
Power is provided by a 3.7v 300mAh lithium ion battery rechargeable through a standard micro-USB connection. And that same micro-USB port can also direct-connect the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor to a computer or compatible tablet providing both power to the sensor and data to the computer. The battery is the same type used in almost all of the Go Direct sensors and Vernier.com offers a replacement is available for $9.
The real breakthrough here, and why I consider my quest for a smartphone/Geiger Counter over is that the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor quickly and reliably connects to computing devices using a Low Energy Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connection. And now in hindsight, I was the pocket-superpowers that the Geiger Counter gives me, but not always in the exact same place as my $700 phone.
While the often-reported range of Bluetooth is about 10 meters, that is from the older version 3.x standard. Version 4.x Bluetooth has a maximum range of 60 meters and carries the same top speed of 25Mbit/s. There is a newer Bluetooth standard called version 5.x (launched June 2016) that doubles the speed and quadruples the range. But I’ve yet to test any v5.x Bluetooth products, and my near-antique iPhone 7 only has Bluetooth 4.2.
The controls on the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor consist of one I/O button, one data/recharging port, one audio I/O switch, and three lights, one each for battery charge/charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and particle count. There is one main Geiger tube window, and access to the side of the tube housing for 90-degree analysis to separate the Alpha from the Beta. There is an identification code on the top of the sensor used to discriminate it from a classroom full of active Bluetooth devices. The underside has a single-screw battery housing door.
Connectivity to a computer using either Bluetooth or a cable is straightforward and effortless the second time. There are obviously separate instructions for connecting via Bluetooth and USB cable, but once the workflow is established, connecting the sensor is a non-issue and follows the protocols of Vernier wireless sensors. Compared other Bluetooth peripherals, however, there is a difference in that you make the initial Bluetooth link between your device and the sensor within the Graphical Analysis 4 App rather than in the Bluetooth system settings.
On the cabled side, the sensor will self-identify to the software so just plug in everything and turn it on. Details of software and hardware compatibility can be found on Vernier’s website.
The Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor works on mobile devices and computers (free Mac/PC/Chrome download here) through the Vernier App called Graphical Analysis 4. However, the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor will flash and chirp just fine on its own in the presence of an ionizing radiation source.
ɑ, β. ɣ. Oh My!
And speaking of ionizing radiation, its time for a brief science lesson. The term radiation has many uses and meanings, but the big scary one is when it applies to ionizing radiation. Common radiations (if that’s a word) include electromagnetics, particles, sound, and gravity. The one we are interested in with the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor is ionizing radiation or particle radiation where there is enough energy to knock electrons off atoms thus ionizing them. The particle flying away at about 1/100 the speed of light or faster include Alpha Particles, Beta Particles, Gamma rays, and X-rays.
An Alpha particle (ɑ) contains two protons and two neutrons, or basically a helium-4 nucleus. But as big as they are, an Alpha can be stopped by skin, paper, and even a few dozen millimeters of air. It is that limited energy that can easily be used to indicate if the ionizing radiation is Alpha simply by inserting a mild barrier like a sheet of paper between the radioactive source and the business end of the Go Direct Radiation Monitor. If paper blocks the radiation, then Alpha is the likely type of particle.
Some popular uses of Alpha particle radiation include Radium-226 in cancer treatment, Polonium-210 in static eliminators, Americium-241 in smoke detectors, Plutonium-238 in pacemaker batteries and interplanetary spacecraft, and Strontium-90 in oceanic buoys and remote sensing stations.
Beta radiation (β) is more persistent than Alpha and may take a few millimeters of aluminum to get its attention. Since some source material emits both Beta and Gamma, a reduction in output might be noticed, but not a full stop. That indicates a dual Beta/Gamma output form your source.
Popular uses of Beta radiation sources include Tritium for making things glow in the dark like watches and gun sights, Carbon-14 as a radiotracer, Phosphorus-32 for short-lived research of DNA, and Nickel-63 in Radioisotope Piezoelectric Generators.
Gamma rays (ɣ) are different from Alpha and Beta particles in that Gamma rays are rays of penetrating electromagnetic radiation created during the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. As a form of ionizing radiation, Gamma rays are much more biologically hazardous and should be treated thusly.
Sources of Gamma rays are two-fold. Radioactive decay can produce Gamma rays and Potassium-40 is a common source. But the real excitement with Gamma ray production is the those large-scale phenomena such as thunderstorms and their terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. Also cosmic rays, Pulsars, magnetars, Quasars, and cosmic Gamma-ray bursts from things like the birth of black holes and the death of stars in a supernova explosion (by the way, all of which are banned in public schools).
What is not banned in schools is background radiation. The Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor will detect background ionizing radiation at a rate of about one count (chirp or blink) every three to ten seconds. It usually won’t affect research results unless you are doing work at the top edge of this sensor’s pay grade. Vernier is clear that this sensor, and all of it’s products for that matter, are for educational use only. I did, however, find one radioactive source that required attention to background radiation. There is a material known as Trinitite that is essentially melted New Mexican desert through the explosion of the world’s first nuclear bomb code named Trinity.
Sixteen milliseconds after the Trinity bomb exploded.
Back in 1945 it was thought that Trinitie had formed from radiant thermal energy from the blast, thus it was deemed that Trinitite was safe for use in jewelry and other wearables. Although radioactive jewelry and watches have had a long and rich history with humans, Trinitite was the first time actual radioactive material from a nuclear explosion had found its way into ornamental fashions. Rather than the formation of Trinitite as just desert sand baked by the blast, recent research (2005) by scientists Robert Hermes and William Strickfaden into the creation of Trinitite found that “much of the mineral was formed by sand which was drawn up inside the fireball itself and then rained down in a liquid form.”
Let’s take a quick educational detour for a moment…
“Radium serves you safely and surely. The power of radium at your disposal”
-1921 advertisement for Undark Radium Luminous Paint.
Two related and interesting side issues that can enrich the science curriculum are first, the tragic story of the “Radium Girls” who were employed to paint watch and clock faces (but also painted their own faces, teeth and fingernails) with radioactive radium. They worked on the assembly line until they were too sick to continue due to the effects of radiation poisoning. In the Radium Girls’ defense, they were instructed to shape their radium-covered paintbrush tips using their lips and tongue. The resulting lawsuits and litigation by the Radium Girls and other women in the radium painting industry lead to dramatic changes in American labor laws and occupational safety most notably from a 1938 lawsuit against the Radium Dial Company. Do note, however, that the use of radium to illuminate clock dials continued well into the 1960s but with worker-protections in place on the assembly line.
The second story revolves around a luxury Italian watch brand named Panerai. The advantage of the Panerai watch, for example over a Rolex, was that the bright glowing dial of the Panerai watch could be read in the dark. As the dangers of radioactivity became apparent, the watchmaker was in a pickle. Radium, and Panerai’s flagship watch, the Radiomir,” used radium and its 1600 year half-life to power the nighttime illumination. But customers were understandably concerned about wearing a strong gamma ray source on their wrist all day. With radium radioluminescence off the table, Panerai turned to Tritium, a less radioactive alternative, and renamed the watch the “Laminor.” And in 2009, Panerai again changed the formula of their famous glowing watch faces by using new strontium-based non-radioactive glowing material called Luminova.
Back to Trinitite…
Placing the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor near my specimen of Trinitie produced considerably more chirps and blinks than background radiation alone. But how much more? A few minutes with the Go Direct Radiation Monitor and my laptop and I had the answer. Background radiation was at six counts at the start (~1000m elevation). With the Trinitite next to the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor’s screened window, the count rose to a high of 37 and a low of 25 over the minute of measurement. Then the count dropped to near one when the Trinitite was removed. But Vernier does mention in the instruction manual that background radiation counts can be as high as 25 meaning that there is a theoretical data-point-overlap between my lowest measured count and possible high count of ionizing radioactive background noise.
But the truth is always more complicated. The Alpha and Beta particles being tossed off by the Trinitite sample are low enough in count that there is little risk to humans as long as it remains outside the body. In fact it has been calculated that the danger of external Trinitite exposure is less than one BED unit, or Banana Equivalent Dose. But unlike the banana, if you ate the Trinitite your chances of heath complications like bone cancer in particular go way up. A Beta emitter in Trinitite is Strontium-90, also known as the “Bone Seeker” due to its behavior similar to calcium in the human body, and therefore could be cumulatively stored in bones.
Of course there are significant flaws to generalizing bananas to radioactive exposure, but the humor and potential shock value do come in handy when teaching about the subject. Another “BED” could be the Brazil Nut which contains not only the potassium-40 found in bananas, but also radium found in early generation Panerai watches.
And speaking of radioactivity, the term was coined by Marie Curie who happens to be the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (physics 1903), the first person and only woman to ever win the Nobel Prize twice (chemistry 1911), and the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two different sciences. But wait, there’s more. Her husband Frédéric shared the 1903 prize with her. Their daughter Irène won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1935 together with her husband. And the Curie’s second daughter’s husband Henry Labouisse was the director of UNICEF when that organization won the 1965 Nobel Peace Prize. Just imagine the Curie family dinner conversations over the years!
To measure gamma and X-rays, hold the tip of the Go Direct Radiation Monitor toward the source of radiation. Low-energy gamma radiation (10–40 KeV) cannot penetrate the side of the GM tube, but may be detected through the end window.
To detect alpha radiation, position the monitor so the suspected source of radiation is next to the GM window. Alpha radiation will not travel far through air, so put the source as close as possible (within 1/4″) to the screen without touching it. Even a humid day can limit the already short distance an alpha particle can travel.
To detect beta radiation, point the end window toward the source of radiation. Beta radiation has a longer range through air than alpha particles, but can usually be shielded (e.g., by a few millimeters of aluminum). High energy beta particles may be monitored through the back of the case.
To determine whether radiation is alpha, beta, or gamma, hold the tip of the monitor toward the specimen. If there is an indication of radioactivity, it is most likely gamma or high energy beta. Place a piece of aluminum about 3 mm (1/8″) thick between the case and the specimen. If the indication stops, the radiation is most likely beta. (To some degree, most common radioactive isotopes emit both beta and gamma radiation.) If there is no indication through the back of the case, position the end window close to, but not touching, the specimen. If there is an indication, it is probably alpha or beta. If a sheet of paper is placed between the window, and the indication stops, the radiation is most likely alpha. In order to avoid particles falling into the instrument, do not hold the specimen directly above the end window.
The Radiation Monitor does not detect neutron, microwave, radio frequency (RF), laser, infrared, or ultraviolet radiation. Some isotopes it will detect relatively well are cesium-137, cobalt-60, technicium-99m, phosphorus-32, and strontium-90.
Some types of radiation are very difficult or impossible for this GM tube to detect. Beta emissions from tritium are too weak to detect using the Radiation Monitor. Americium-241, used in some smoke detectors, can overexcite the GM tube and give an indication of a higher level of radiation than is actually present.
And speaking of X-rays, I cannot wait until my next flight. I hope to run the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor through the TSA X-ray machine while collecting data on my iPhone. Of course I’ll continue to take measurements while flying as well, which, by the way, is a thing and happens to be a global flying pastime genre on Youtube including one of my earlier videos I posted back in 2011 called simply “Flight radiation.” Perhaps the boring name is why it’s been watched only 96 times in its seven years on Youtube.
A basic understanding of ionizing radiation is important now more than ever since the potential for encountering a source of radiation, whether in medicine or terrorism, is both a reality of 21st century life and completely undetectable by human senses. Additionally, the quantity of misinformation about ionizing radiation, and even just radiation in general is not limited to the overall population. Schools are doing their part as well. But that latter point is easily remedied, and with that cure society will follow.
The EPA.gov has an excellent collection of information about both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Here are a couple excerpts addressing dangers and health:
Regarding Alpha particles:
The health effect from exposure to alpha particles depends greatly on how a person is exposed. Alpha particles lack the energy to penetrate even the outer layer of skin, so exposure to the outside of the body is not a major concern. Inside the body, however, they can be very harmful. If alpha-emitters are inhaled, swallowed, or get into the body through a cut, the alpha particles can damage sensitive living tissue. The way these large, heavy particles cause damage makes them more dangerous than other types of radiation. The ionizations they cause are very close together – they can release all their energy in a few cells. This results in more severe damage to cells and DNA.
Regarding Beta Particles:
Beta particles are more penetrating than alpha particles, but are less damaging to living tissue and DNA because the ionizations they produce are more widely spaced. They travel farther in air than alpha particles, but can be stopped by a layer of clothing or by a thin layer of a substance such as aluminum. Some beta particles are capable of penetrating the skin and causing damage such as skin burns. However, as with alpha-emitters, beta-emitters are most hazardous when they are inhaled or swallowed.
And regarding Gamma rays:
Gamma rays are a radiation hazard for the entire body. They can easily penetrate barriers that can stop alpha and beta particles, such as skin and clothing. Gamma rays have so much penetrating power that several inches of a dense material like lead, or even a few feet of concrete may be required to stop them. Gamma rays can pass completely through the human body; as they pass through, they can cause ionizations that damage tissue and DNA.
In addition to the pair of radiation monitors Vernier offers, there is also a freely downloadable book titled Nuclear Radiation with Vernier. This 96 page PDF book was published in 2016 and contains six lab exercises. Along with the digital book are several other folders in the download including instructor information with answers to the questions, and student worksheets.
Vernier offers a few more exciting things you can do with the Go Direct Radiation Monitor on their website under the heading Lab Ideas and Innovative Uses. One idea, “An Inexpensive Beta Radiation Spectrometer” is listed on the Go Direct Radiation Monitor page and seven more links to innovative uses are found on the cabled version of the radiation monitor. Make sure to check out the one named “LabQuest 2 on a Balloon Flight Near Space.” Remarkable!
As mentioned before, this is at least the fourth radiation sensor product Vernier has offered. Currently there are two radiation sensors actively listed on the Vernier website; this Go Direct Radiation Sensor, and a cabled Vernier Radiation Monitor. Only $10 separates the two with the Go Direct commanding the extra Hamilton.
The Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor weighs 94 grams or about one-half of the weight of my iPhone 7 in a basic case. The monitor measures about three centimeters thick, six centimeters wide, and 12cm from base to snout. So at about half the density of water, the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor will most certainly float for a while. But do not immerse the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor to water. If water does get into the sensor, Vernier recommends immediately disconnecting and powering down the sensor and allowing it to fully dry before restarting it.
The smooth plastic housing of the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor is somewhat slippery. Given the portability-encouraging design, I would like to have a silicon armor case around the sensor for field work and transportation.
And while making suggestions for improvement, it would be nice to see a tripod socket on the underside of the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor for both laboratory staging, and to add distance between sensor and scientist. Looking at the sensor’s design, it would be very easy to make both silicon case, and an aftermarket battery cover containing a tripod screw hole. In the meantime I can just use a smartphone holder that mounts on a tripod. Or…maybe not.
Upon closer inspection it seems there is plenty of room in the battery compartment for a tripod screw to spin in to. Like many electronics these days, much of the internal volume of the box is full of air. So I pulled out my drill and went to work. To make a tripod socket I first removed the battery cover, then the foam padding that keeps the small battery from bouncing around in its large housing. Then I drilled a 15/64 inch hole into the center of the battery compartment lid. Then I used a 1/4 inch tap to thread the hole in the plastic. A standard 1/4-20 tripod-threaded nut was superglued to the inside of the case with it’s threads aligned with those tapped into the plastic lid. Although there is little additional strength of the threaded plastic compared to the metal nut, I don’t have the heart to deliberately strip out the plastic, nor use a drill bit larger than necessary.
After replacing the foam, I’m not worried that the hole will allow anymore of the universe to get into the sensor body than before because the battery cover is neither airtight nor watertight. The overall result was a good mod (teen-talk for a modification) that increased the sensor’s mounting capability and added to the many ways the sensor can be used. To really leverage the detethering of Bluetooth, the number of attachment options needs to be maximized. However, I do suspect that I may have voided the five-year warranty of the sensor (one year on the G-M tube). Or at a minimum the warranty of the battery cover. If I were redoing this mod, I think I would move the tripod socket hole forward of door-center by a centimeter or two placing it closer to the balance point of the sensor.
With the Vernier Go Direct Radiation Monitor sitting atop a small tripod, I found the look a little similar to the three-legged tripod alien “Fighting Machines” in H. G. Wells’ 1898 book War of the Worlds, a story Stephen Hawking was no doubt familiar. War of the Worlds is about Martians landing on earth in search of resources. Using their fighting machines, the aliens inadvertently started the popular literary genre of humans fighting machines (the origins of the word ‘robot’ was still two decades away).
At the Zeitgeist 2015 conference in London, Stephen Hawking said, “Computers will overtake humans with AI at some time within the next 100 years. When that happens, we need to make sure the computers have goals aligned with ours.”
This was not the first foray into this man vs machine realm for Dr. Hawking. Earlier in 2015 Stephen Hawking added his name to an open letter titled Research Priorities for Robust and Beneficial Artificial Intelligence. You can read the letter here. And add your name to the 8000+ names already included. The letter ends with, “In summary, we believe that research on how to make AI systems robust and beneficial is both important and timely, and that there are concrete research directions that can be pursued today.”
In my dream of having a smarter smartphone through the addition of a Geiger Counter, something I would always have with me, and can use in the classroom with almost no technology-overhead chewing up precious instructional time, I also run the risk of moving further down the rabbit hole of relying on technology to teach. At the moment I am going to follow the path and the priorities that Stephen Hawking envisioned for AI as long as the educational technologies have their goals aligned with ours.
In the meantime, it’s becoming evermore clear that Vernier’s Go Direct theme of Bluetooth transmitting, self-contained, self-powered, self-identifying (but not yet self-aware) sensors are not just another evolutionary branch on the probeware tree, but, in fact, the Go Direct family is an entirely new species of instructional technology that has the potential to cause a global pandemic of effective science education.
Stephen Hawking died recently marking 2018 as another date in science history from which events will be measured. Isaac Newton was born in 1642, the same year Galileo died. And it is that 1642 date that is often used as a convenient moment in time to label as the birth of modern science. Three hundred years later in 1942 Stephen Hawking was born.
Ed News: How P-16 Education Can Increase Women In STEM Fields
This week in education news, the majority of the nation’s seniors will graduate having never taken physics; report finds teacher shortage and lack of supplies delay rollout of the new science standards in California; new study shows women dominate the education workforce, but still earn less than men; California science teachers wins $20,000 science lab makeover; and the House Education Committee voted to introduce a concurrent resolution repeating its earlier call for deleting portions of Idaho’s proposed new school science standards.
Nationwide, ninth-graders don’t usually take physics. In fact, the majority of the nation’s seniors will graduate having never taken physics at all. And Sarita’s students, Spanish-speaking Latinos attending a high-poverty school, are an even unlikelier bunch to catch in a physics lab. Physics is widely considered to be a building block for a range of STEM disciplines— science, technology, engineering and math — and taking the course in high school is strongly correlated with getting a degree in a STEM field. Read the article featured in The Hechinger Report.
Often said in jest, the phrase “I’m not a math person” can provoke more than just laughter, particularly if said around students. To Erin Maloney, it can send the message that there are some people gifted in arithmetic skills and those that will never be — and that’s the wrong note to ever send to a child. Read the article featured in Education DIVE.
Most teachers are embracing California’s new science standards, but the rollout has been hampered by teacher shortages, lackluster elementary science education, lack of supplies and other obstacles, according to a new report. Read the article featured in EdSource.
Data show only 29% of the science and engineering workforce is comprised of women. And with the onus resting on the shoulders of higher education leaders to provide graduates for gaps in the workforce, as well as significant ROI for students — barriers in the pathway create not only moral challenges, but economic ones. Read the article featured in Education DIVE.
Women dominate the education workforce, yet they can’t count on equal pay for equal work, a new study shows. Despite many school districts’ use of apparently neutral uniform salary schedules, females in the education workforce are typically paid less than males for similar roles, according to an analysis of educators’ salaries and pension benefits in Illinois by the nonprofit Bellwether Education Partners. Read the article featured in Education Week.
Last fall, Oakland science teacher Lauren Brown tried to teach a lesson on exothermic chemical reactions by having her 7th-graders mix hydrogen peroxide, yeast and warm water. The results? Not quite the multi-colored explosion that was promised in the textbook. It was more like a dull fizzle. Read the article featured in EdSource.
Amid much confusion, the House Education Committee voted along party lines to introduce a concurrent resolution repeating its earlier call for deleting portions of Idaho’s proposed new school science standards, even though the Senate Education Committee already has voted to approve the standards – which means they’ll take effect. Read the article featured in The Spokesman-Review.
It’s no secret that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields have a problem retaining women and racial minorities. Now, a new study provides quantitative evidence that the same problem applies to some sexual minorities—a group that anecdotally has been known to experience challenges in STEM but has eluded thorough examination owing to a lack of data. But there’s a twist: Retention is lower for men who identify as LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer), while LGBQ women are actually more likely to persist in STEM than their heterosexual peers. Read the article featured in Science magazine.
Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.
The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
It is day 2 of the NSTA National Conference! One of my favorite ways to start the day is the Elementary Extravaganza—it’s a great event with lots of hands-on activities and demonstrations specifically for elementary educators. While walking through the extravaganza, I could not help noticing all the fun education and science themed shirts—one teacher said her team invites students to design a T-shirt each year and they select a winning design to print on their shirts.
I’m always impressed with the connections attendees make at the conference—and even some surprise reunions! I overhead two people greet each other in surprise: The woman exclaimed she was so happy to see a former student at the conference and discover he’d become a teacher, too!
Meet Me in the Middle—which obviously focuses on middle level educators—is later today and the high school share-a-thon is scheduled for tomorrow.
It is day 2 of the NSTA National Conference! One of my favorite ways to start the day is the Elementary Extravaganza—it’s a great event with lots of hands-on activities and demonstrations specifically for elementary educators.
#NSTA18 Atlanta: Day 1
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
What a day! If your shoulders are not throbbing, bags not over-flowing, and brain not racing… you may have not been at the same conference as I was. I teach middle school Earth & Space Science and Environmental Science at an Independent school in Miami, Florida–Gulliver Schools. I still consider myself a newbie at NSTA “conferencing,” but having attended the NSTA STEM Forum & Expo this past summer in Orlando, my expectations are rightfully through the roof. Back in the summer I walked away from the STEM Forum with my passion ignited, with projects I am currently using to infuse my class with the type of lessons that may have other teachers asking me to “CLOSE MY DOOR” like Ron Clark mentioned this morning in his keynote. But that was exactly the type of makeover my classes needed. I’m here this week because I got a taste of NSTA and was hooked!!
Needless to say, Day 1 did not disappoint. I walked into the Georgia World Congress Center this morning with heart open to absorb all that was about to come at me. It began with Rob Clark’s keynote!
My Top Takeaways
Take time to genuinely check-in with people in your communities, schools, and classrooms.
If you feel it in your heart, DO IT!
Thank the RUNNERS in our lives who drive the “bus” forward, pulling and inspiring us in their wake.
And be willing to take different paths.
His session left me energized for my own presentation with my SEEC Crew from Space Center Houston.
The main goal of our session was to share a lesson we created to help educators to use the engineering design process while teaching about the Orion Mission in a simple and entertaining way. Giving teachers the chance to ideate, build, test, and fail refreshed our perspective–being on the other side of the desk.
In the rush of “not missing sessions” and logging conference mileage on my imaginary fitbit, I gave myself the opportunity to simply talk to other attendees! Just like Ron suggested, I asked “How are you”? Their answers reminded me that no matter our subject, grade level, state, years in the “biz,” we are all here on a quest for to make sense of what we see and wonder what makes our students curious. Like Melanie from Tallahassee, I want my students to explore Argument-Driven Inquiry to differentiate my classroom and get NGSS standard-connected lessons. Like Cecilia from NYC, I want to find lessons I can apply right away and am looking to refuel my teaching spirit. Like Sheila from Broward, Florida, I’m here for the hands-on workshops that will get my kids moving, jumping, and falling in love with my subject. Like Joshua & Ranell from Northern Illinois, I’m here for content to back up the fireworks! I want to find ways for my students to delve deeper into topics with access to real DATA. Like Carl from West Virginia who works with inner city youth, I too want to connect my students with the real world career goals that will inspire them to “push through” when obstacles come up in their lives. And we can all admit we will never forgo some out-of-this-world/ready-Use/teacher approved activities that can be tweaked for #MAKINGMondayGREAT!
Why We Exist as Educators
Stephen Hawking passed away yesterday, having dedicated his life to inquiring “Why it is that we and the universe exist…?” Conferences like these may not hold the answers to life’s most probing questions, but I hope they remind us why we exist as educators. May we never stop being curious or infusing our classrooms with the type of curiosity that inspires students to grow into adults who live with passion. “We need to be the phenomenal teachers that we are lacking in our country in order to inspire the next generation of scientists who can change the world!” – Ron Clark
So tomorrow, I can’t want to see you bright and early! ( Here are some Tips in case you missed them for Hacking “Conferencing”: https://youtu.be/ETkFclxoWV4.) With comfy shoes, reset fitbits, charged devices, and recharged internal batteries! Make some space for all the emotional, intellectual, and physical goodies you will gather! Most importantly though, make time to CONNECT with each other!
Looking forward to Day 2!
Valeria Rodriguez
Creator. Educator. Mentor
“Design the Life you want to live”-Rachel Roy valeriasketches@gmail.com
@GA_scienceRodva
More About the 2018 National Conference on Science Education
Ms. Valeria (@GA_ScienceRodva) captured the essence of Ron Clark’s dynamic presentation to thousands of science teachers first thing Thursday morning with her sketchnotes.
More About the 2018 National Conference on Science Education
Ms. Valeria (@GA_ScienceRodva) captured the essence of Ron Clark’s dynamic presentation to thousands of science teachers first thing Thursday morning with her sketchnotes.
More About the 2018 National Conference on Science Education
#NSTA18 Atlanta: Tweet All About It!
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Learned “what’s new in physics” from @Perimeter this afternoon and my head is still spinning. Best PD session that I’ve ever been to! I even got some new materials for my astrophysics unit next month!! #NSTA18pic.twitter.com/ZgGUtONLZ4
Play may mean many things, but in early childhood education it can include learning science concepts. Looking for resources on “Learning Science Concepts Through Play“? Check the The NSTA Learning Center Early Childhood Forum, a community that includes early childhood educators in all roles in the profession and is free to all with registration.
Experienced educators share their ideas on how to choose science experiences and activities (see “Pinterest” in the Elementary forum) and preservice teachers share the resources and ideas they find most useful in their beginning practice. One of the experienced educators I look for is Maureen Stover. See her questions for identifying worthy lesson plans online:
I do quite a bit of my lesson planning by searching for ideas and activities on the internet. Like all resources on the internet, you do need to be cautious of information and ideas you find online to ensure they are legitimate and valid. Here’s my mental checklist that I run through when I’m evaluating an internet resource: 1. Is this an activity/resource that meets my lesson objective/goal? 2. Is this activity on grade level (or can I easily modify it)? 3. Is this activity reasonable to complete in my classroom? 4. Is this activity safe? 5. Is this activity affordable? 6. Will this activity engage my students? Also, whenever I am downloading a resource or looking up content knowledge, I try to validate the information from several sources to ensure the information is accurate.
Play may mean many things, but in early childhood education it can include learning science concepts. Looking for resources on “Learning Science Concepts Through Play“?
The Sunlight Science e-book engages readers through an interactive story that features a family outing at the beach. Learners investigate, along with the characters, the phenomenon of sunlight heating sand, rocks, water, and other surfaces. Readers also explore how objects can block the sunlight resulting in shady, cooler areas. Interactive elements and questions guide readers to explore the cause and effect of sunlight on different surfaces, as well as how blocking the Sun creates shade and cooler areas.
Join
It is day 2 of the NSTA National Conference! One of my favorite ways to start the day is the Elementary Extravaganza—it’s a great event with lots of hands-on activities and demonstrations specifically for elementary educators. While walking through the extravaganza, I could not help noticing all the fun education and science themed shirts—one teacher said her team invites students to design a T-shirt each year and they select a winning design to print on their shirts.
I’m always impressed with the connections attendees make at the conference—and even some surprise reunions! I overhead two people greet each other in surprise: The woman exclaimed she was so happy to see a former student at the conference and discover he’d become a teacher, too!
