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a. About Me*:
I attended Petaluma High School way back in 80's, graduated with a diploma area of concentration in the Industrial Arts. My next adventure after high school was to become a police officer. I took the necessary courses Santa Rosa Junior college, but as time progressed my lower back had an extremely slipped disk after several surgeries, I realized I needed to take my life in a set direction.
I started studying physics and some basic engineering. I had to return to Santa Rosa, CA, I decided to study chemistry at Santa Rosa Junior College which lead me to Sonoma State University to finish with a BS in Chemistry and a teaching credential allowing me to teach Chemistry, Physics, and Math. Now I am working on a Makers Certificate to enhance and bring ownership to my students of science labs resulting understanding of science concepts. My hope is that my students take that ownership into becoming critical thinkers, who are not afraid to be creative learners.
b. Maker Philosophy*:
To move into a maker-space as applied to a traditional science course to bring a constructivist environment to science where students develop their an agency mentality. “Agency is when learning involves the activity and initiative of the learner, more than the inputs that are transmitted to the learner from the teacher,” see http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/learning-agency. Once a students takes control of their learning both through traditional guided and constructivist learning, they are more adapted to retain and apply what they learned to life and career.
c. Maker Artifacts (at least two) and Reflection*
1a
1b
1c
Image 1a is a breadboard I designed to help students understand how a breadboards works, made in my Introduction to Making Class (Oakland)
Image 1b was beginning of how a student would wire in motors which will be attached to Arduino to produce a constant motion cart for AP Physics, made in my Introduction to Making Class (Oakland)
Image 1c is what I call an "Orbital Bot." It is my attempt to model atomic orbital theory using a squiggly bot. I install to two onto a strawberry basket to represent the 1st energy orbital, and eight pen on the outer ring for the second energy level, made in my Making For Educator Course, (Santa Rosa Middle School)
The Youtube link above is a video of my Orbital Bot in action.
2a
2b
2c
2d
Image 2a, I was taught how to silk screen onto T-Shirt. I envision teaching silk screening in chemistry and have produce personalize T-shirts in chemistry, made in my Making For Educator Course, (Santa Rosa Middle School)
Image 2b, I this little mini flashlight using an LED, copper tape, and coin battery, then decorating it with pipe cleaner wire. This a great project for teaching series and parallel circuits in physics. Made in my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
Image 2c, Is a laser cut plastic Klingon design, using Inkscape to vectorize the image for the laser cutter. Image will be used a projector image for the flashlight, see Image 2d. Made in my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
3a
Image 2d is a flashlight I made using a large LED, which is very bright flashlight. I cut slit for the plastic Klingon design (2c) to be project onto a wall. Due the lensing effect of the LED this a great optics activity for physics students. Made in my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
3b
Image 3a, is an AM Radio that I build, I learned how to hone my soldering skills and determine the direction of various diodes. This is great project for AP Physics 1 students to go beyond the simple circuit they need to learn to pass the AP exam. Made in my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
The Youtube link above is a video of my AM Radio in action.
CAD: AutoDesk's TinkerCad, and SolidWorks
Inkscape
Makey Makey: http://makeymakey.com/
i. Virtual tour of your Makerspace
I teach both Chemistry and Physics at Petaluma High School in a chemistry classroom, so I have plenty of safety equipment and space to have my students build and make projects.
I just found out this week have a laser cutter in our wood shop. I have spoken with our metal shop about have my students cutter wood and various materials to produce constant velocity carts and more, see Full Spectrum Laser pictures above.
ii. Shared Maker lesson plans (video, pictures, video!!!)
Monday List: are activities that can be done on the spur, yet developing academic and critical thinking skills.
Above is an Aluminum Boat activity wheret I made that held about 442 pennies before sinking. This is a great buoyancy lesson for physics students. Made in my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
Above image is the materials for the Marble Run activity, where a marble is release from the highest altitude track to travel furtherest. This activity can be made into a competition. My colleague never sent to the picture of the completed track. We did produce the longest but not the furtherest distance. Made in my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
Above image is the Make a Speaker Activity, where students make a speaker, using paper cups or plates with enameled copper wire and two ceramic magnets. The speaker is attached to an amplifier and using an iPod sound was produced. An application for this speaker is in the sound unit in physics and study of how to make an electromagnetic due to current in a coiled wire.
Above if you look closely I used a vinyl cutter to produce two types of sticks of the Star Trek captain's emblem. One dark blue filled-in and one that is an outline. Students can use a vinyl cutter to decorator or produce reminders of scientific concepts. Made in my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
Someday Projects list: are projects and activities that require equipment or materials that I have not acquired yet due beginning to moving into the Maker Movement.
Above images is a Wind Tunnel made by using a 12 inch fan with large plastic sheet wrapped into a tube. There is slot below that is large enough to allow students test their aerodynamic objects. Students should be able to draw and calculate the vector forces on their object. Seen at my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
Above is one my favorite projects a Hover Craft by by using meat cartons and motors. If a persons looks at the center photo, it can be seen that there is a small center hole to produce the air force needed to have the cart hover; I found that a great balance act that will build my students critical think skills without applying high level math. By thinking out how to make this hover craft my AP Physics 1 students should be able to attach an Arduino with the ArduiMoto to control via cell phone. Seen at my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
Above image is a Makey-Makey used to control a computer using online apps. I would like my students use the Makey-Makey to learn and feel comfortable using electronics. I found the Makey-Makey to be very simple to use but a confidence builder. Seen and used at my Making For Educator Course, (White Hill Middle School, FairFax)
My student's learn to wire LED's to an Arduino to produce a Morse Code generating message, this a project for my EDUCT 803 Sonoma State University's Extended Education course.
Getting the job done, a multi-line Morse Blinking light box.
Preparing the LEDs for the electric scene of the Addam’s Family Play
Starting to put their SOS Blink project together
Oh, no the code is messed-up, don’t worry the code was fixed.
Success!
The electric chair is ready for the play, thank you to Chris Merklin for all the coding and wiring.
iii. Alignment with Common Core State Standards and/or the Next Generation Science Standards:
HS Forces and Interactions:
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
HS Energy:
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
The standards above can be found by clicking the High School link at the following website: http://www.nextgenscience.org/overview-topics
iv. Maker Resources: great websites: Maker website, funding resources (Donor Too, Local Grants, Money Activity), Instructables, exploratrium etc.
Maker Faire ask for donation, sell flashlights, Google Cardboard
Send kids home with bag asking parents for thing you need for your maker
Miranda Lux foundation
Significant events will help fund your program, like my colleague Phil’s BBQ to fund Marine Science
v. Supply List:
e. Contact Information:
Victor Brazil
Petaluma High School
201 Fair St
Petaluma, CA 94952
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