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Summer08WorkshopWorkshop Home Agenda Readings Materials Social and Info Participant Write-Ups Dear teachers—the 2008 iSENSE workshop is full. But we will be offering it again. Please send an email to pprocter@cs.uml.edu if you are interested in being kept informed. Thank you.  click on image for poster PDFHands-On Inquiry Science with Networked Sensor Probesa workshop for middle and high school teachers and other educators August 5 through 8, 2008 UMass Lowell North Campus This is hands-on workshop for teachers who are interested in using sensors, data probes, and computers for science experimentation. Working with other participants and workshop leaders, you will develop inquiry skills as you pose your own questions, formulate experimental designs, collect data, and then make sense of this data. We will use several hand-held and portable devices to collect data, including sensor probes from Vernier and Pasco, the new “SunSpot” data gatherer from Sun Microsystems, and the Handy Cricket. We will also use a newly-developed system, called “iSENSE” (internet system for networked sensor experimentation) which lets you and your students collect and share data with other classrooms using the internet. The iSENSE technology lets you upload data directly to an internet-based data repository, and then create graphs that include your own data and data that is collected by other iSENSE users. (See more at isenseproject.org.) You can use your existing Pasco or Vernier science probes, or our own data collection hardware, in conjunction with your classroom PCs or Macs. The last day of the workshop will focus on approaches for bringing the materials into your science classroom. We are particularly interested in science applications with social, environmental, and/or public health dimensions. The workshop leaders are university educators and researchers from UMass Lowell (Profs. Fred Martin, Michelle Scribner-MacLean, and Sarah Kuhn) and educational technologists from Machine Science Inc. (Sam Christy and Ivan Rudnicki). A stipend of $100/day ($350 total) is available for participating teachers; we can alternatively provide an equivalent amount to support travel to the workshop. We would be happy to award PDPs as well, and we wish to collaborate further with you as you implement related activities in your classroom. To register for the workshop, please use this registration form. Please fax it to Phyllis Procter (use cover sheet) at: (fax) 978/934–3551, or email Phyllis the info at pprocter@cs.uml.edu. You can also reach her at (voice) 978/934–3625
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)1. What will I be doing exactly in this workshop? In the workshop, you will work with hand-held data loggers and sensor probes that are connected to our new, internet-based “iSENSE” system. You will carry out several mini-projects using the technology, studying real phenomena in downtown Lowell, including weather conditions, water quality, and environmental factors. You will create experiments, collect data, visualize data, and share with others. We will work individually and in small teams, contribute to each others’ interpretation and conclusions. We will also have conversations about how to bring the iSENSE materials and approaches into your classrooms.
Please see the Agenda, below, for more details.
2. Is the workshop for middle school or high school science teachers? The workshop is intended for educators of any level who are interested in science inquiry and data analysis. We will make sure that you personally have a meaningful experience with these ideas, and we will support you in finding ways to adapt our materials to your teaching situation.
One of the members of the iSENSE team will be bringing the materials into her undergraduate liberal arts classroom.
So the short answer is, “yes”—we expect the workshop to be valuable for teachers working with students from age 12 and up.
3. Do I need to already have sensor probes to participate? No, we will loan you all of the materials you need during the workshop, including sensor probes and a laptop computer (if you don’t have your own).
4. Will I keep the materials after the workshop? The iSENSE project and workshop is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, and we are interested in working with you as you bring the project ideas and materials back to your classroom.
If you will be using iSENSE with your students, equipment grants will be available.
5. What sensors and devices exactly work with iSENSE? We are developing iSENSE to work with a range of devices, including the Super Cricket, SunSPOT, the MIT Scratch Board, and sensor probes from Vernier Software & Technology.
We will have support for sensing temperature, light, sound, movement, and other sensors.
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