After reflecting about the experiences I have had
with my discipline, I have chosen two that will illustrate best how they have affected
me and will affect my teaching. The first deals with Legos and the second is
with a bicycle. Growing up I always remember having Legos to play with. There are
the family blocks, which are still enjoyed today by my kids and their cousins. And
then there is my own collection that I slowly accumulated as time went on. In any
case I would spend countless hours huddled over the piles of plastic looking
for the piece that is just the right size to complete that flying car or boat
or castle. How satisfying it was to finish, and even more so if it survived
long enough to show it off to mom and dad.
When I was involved as a Boy Scout, there were many
labor intensive activities that I participated in to earn various merit badges.
The longest for me was the 50 mile bike ride. I had my trusty Huffy bike to carry
me the distance. It was green, had horns, and was a 15 speed. As my troop made
our way along the Jordan River Trail, I utilized the different setting to
compensate for the change in terrain. Several flat tires and a few sore back
sides latter, we all completed the feat.
The way that these two examples may have affected
the way that I think about my major is because in both cases I used aspects of
what I will teach to accomplish a goal. On the bike ride I used gear ratios to
make peddling easier. The bike itself is full of simple machines like levers,
screws and of course the wheel and axle. And Legos taught me about structural integrity
and about the engineering design process.
I know that these experiences will influence my
teaching because they already have. Last Spring I taught a few lessons to high
school students as part of an independent study course. One of the days I taught
was about simple machines. For that lesson, I actually brought my bicycle into
the room and used it to teach with. Showing them how shifting the front and
back sprockets of the bike changed the ratio of how many times the peddle
rotated compared with the rotation of the wheel. As for Legos and the
engineering design process, you can ask the Ag students in our class about the “tractors”
that they had to make as an activity that I lead to illustrate said process. After
they were give the problem, it was up to their groups to brainstorm a solution,
build and test a prototype, and demonstrate its’ capability. This was down by using
special Lego kits. In the end, it comes down to teaching students new concepts
using thing they are already familiar with as a reference point.
I think this is so cool! I would never have thought that legos or a bike could relate to complicated engineering smart things you talk about! Those subjects always confused me the most in school, and I wish my teacher had found a way to make it relatable like this! I know that using things that made sense to you as a kid is a great tool to help your students. It's a good way to help your students relate to you and to your subject.
ReplyDeleteHi Tyler, I like how you were given opportunities to play with legos and bike and generally get your hands dirty. As you know, there are a lack of girls in engineering, and I wonder if it is because girls are often socialized differently than boys. Whereas boys are encouraged to do things like scouting and building things with their dads, girls are often expected to stay clean. So, in sum, you had a lot of great home experiences that sparked your love of engineering. How can you spark a love of engineering in girls who may not have had the same set of home experiences?
ReplyDeleteI love Legos!!! Best way to grow up, I still play with them using my nephew as an excuse. What a great way to provide a visual that they can create and try at home when learning about the different types of structures.
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