Sharing Innovative Technology Across Grades 9-12

Overview

With roughly 840 students, Bernice MacNaughton High School (BMHS) in Moncton, strives to provide a learning environment that promotes academic excellence, active citizenship, and involvement in the community. The Anglophone East School District works closely with local high schools to provide access to cutting edge technologies and resources. Recently Bryan Ouellete – Educational Support Teacher at the District – hosted a working session at the annual NBTA conference titled ‘Hands-on; Mind-on Learning (STEM)’, which focused on implementing inquiry-based learning strategies that provide students with experiential learning opportunities using PASCO probeware. BMHS has worked with the District and with Brilliant Labs in order to secure enough funding to acquire probeware for science instruction.

Investigation

PASCO probes are used in grades 9-12 to collect real-time data for student experiments. Bryan Ouellete asked the teachers at BMHS how the use of probweare has transformed the way their students learn. “When students are measuring data with PASCO they can receive immediate feedback. They can witness how moving a plant closer to the window can increase oxygen production and decrease carbon dioxide inside the Ecozone. Students can measure air pressure daily and relate it to weather conditions. Furthermore, students can measure pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature in our local stream and relate that to water quality”. The school is making the most out of their resources by using the probes across multiple grades and courses. The water quality sensors are used for Science 9/10, Enviro Sci 12 and Bio 11. The motion sensors combined with the Matchgraph software are used in Science 10 and Physics 11, and the Ecozone system, oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors are used in Bio 11 and Science 9/10.

Outcome

When asked if the teachers found the tools beneficial, the response was overwhelmingly positive. “Absolutely! The probeware combined with the Airlink and tablet devices have taken our activities out of the classroom and into the field. We are no longer measuring results from ‘canned’ lab activities. Students are experimenting in realtime and can see instant results. It’s taken our students from being passive recipients of knowledge to being investigators. My plans are to create more opportunities to incorporate investigations with the probes into science classes at BMHS. Perhaps using the water quality sensors in Science 10 in order to combine the chemistry unit with the ecosystems unit.” “The hands-on investigative nature of probeware has allowed students to investigate, measure, collaborate and report in realtime. Why look at data from a text or internet source when we can have the students design an experiment and measure the results for themselves. I would love to have additional sensors in order to create more opportunities for experimentation.” Sharing resources to benefit all!

PASCO Products

• Advanced Water Quality Sensor PS-2230
• Oxygen Sensor PS-2126A
• Carbon Dioxide Sensor PS-2110
• Ecozone ME-6667
• Motion Sensor PS-2103A
• Anemometer PS-2174
• Turbidity Sensor PS-2122
• pH Sensor PS-2182
• Airlink PS-3200