Activity Log

Thursday May 29th 7-8 PM
Engaged in flash player and Java installations necessary for running simulations from CSUN physics simulations collection. Explored the use of light and optics simulations: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/lightandcolor/java.html
I have discovered how the simulations model abstract physics concepts such as virtual images in lenses and curved mirrors; while textbook diagrams may display this information (with drawn-in principle rays), the simulations are manipulable and show the effects of changing the lens/mirror curves on focal length, principle ray vectors, and real/virtual image positions.

Tuesday June 3rd 9-10 PM
I dabbled with the CSUN link to Fowler's Physics Applets from the University of Virginia.
http://galileoandeinstein.physics.virginia.edu/more_stuff/Applets/home.html
I experienced the joy of displaying a manipulable simulation of Group and Phase velocities in sine waves; the two are very difficult to visualize for students (myself included) and are very important for the study of quantum mechanics and wave-particle motion in modern physics. The page itself provides a useful block of text to explain the difference in the two velocities of wave propagation, explaining how the simulation even applies to sound waves. Requires Java plugin.

Friday June 6th 9-10 PM
Ran into troubles with Firefox security settings allowing simulations in Vector Arithmetic (http://www.pa.uky.edu/~phy211/VecArith/index.html) and Virtual Lab (http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/) to run in browser. I have explored the settings of Firefox and determined the solution for this issue, as the instructor planning on using these programs will have to work around his or her educational institution's machines and internet browsers in order to prepare these simulations in class.
The problem is difficult to fix as the user requires admin access in order to allow the Java plugin to work on these two (and possibly other) pages; while it is easily amended in a home setting on the instructor's personal computer, there may be issues getting access with administrator-only permissions in a publicly used computer. I recommend providing students with a link to view and manipulate these simulations on their own at home rather than attempting to work through solutions in class.

Saturday June 7th 1-2:30 PM
Read external sources:
Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations by Margaret A. Honey and Margaret Hilton http://www.nsta.org/recommends/ViewProduct.aspx?ProductID=20823
I quote from the NSTA review: "The use of simulations and games in the classroom requires thoughtful discernment and reflection on the teacher's part. Unfortunately, families and community members may see gaming as antagonistic to academics." While this is true, there is no denying the utility of manipulable, well-programmed, academic simulations; they provide visual learning support for things that are difficult to conduct experiments and observations on in classrooms (such as nuclear reactions).

Sunday June 8th 5-7 PM
Designed lesson plan to incorporate technology use in the classroom, specifically the animation for projectile motion with manipulable parameters of initial launch height and angle. http://faraday.physics.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/Flash/ClassMechanics/Projectile/Projectile.html


Reflection

I learned from Olivia and Selina's blogs about how diverse the PHeT simulations are, and how they are applicable in Earth System Sciences and Biological Sciences. While simulations are very useful for physics for students to visualize motions and reactions, the simulations for ESS and Biology are very different and focus on providing full-scale curriculum benefits. For example, Selina's blog analyzed the differences in atmosphere temperature and humidity at different "Ages" of the Earth: present, industrial revolution, and Ice Age.
As for incorporating these into a lesson plan, Selina was particularly interesting in that she used her blog to show how a simulation can be used as the Engage portion rather than a simple add-on to a lesson. I might not find simulations as useful as engaging science phenomena, because it isn't an in-person demonstration observed and worked with other than on a computer. I find this distinction important, because computers simulate many things that are very inaccurate for how the world actually works. I wouldn't want my students working with simulation programs as the first step in learning, say, nuclear reactions when they go home and play video games using outdated physics engines.