Back to School with Sensor Apps: The Big Picture
Back to School with Sensor Apps: The Big Picture
Education with sensors and mobile technology is part of a bigger picture than learning science alone. Ten big ideas have been identified by the U.S.' leading scientists and engineers as the most critical for development over the next ten years. Two of these areas directly related to the use of sensor tools...
American Association of Physics Teachers SM18
One July 31 we were invited to give a presentation at the American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting 2018. With about 30 physics educators from secondary schools, colleges, and universities in attendance, we presented our apps with an interactive challenge. We were grateful to be joined by Benjamin Xu of the University of Texas at Austin and Diana Price of the Alexandria Public Library System, both collaborators on our APS Mini Grant to develop Physics Toolbox Play.
Cross-Platform Parity
We recognize that for many teachers who want their students to use smartphone apps, cross-platform parity between Android and iOS is a necessity. We've made significant headway in iOS development--download Physics Toolbox Accelerometer for iOS below. Expect significant improvements and additions to Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite on iOS in the coming week or two, including the addition of recording and exporting features, improved functionality of existing loggers (accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer), and the addition of tone generator and barometer to start.
Get Physics Toolbox Accelerometer for iOS
Physics Toolbox Around the Web
Measure the coefficient of static friction using your smartphone and a chair.
Smartphones on a track: Examples and difficulties. See this open access article from educators in Spain.
Our colleagues in Uruguay are at it again with a full workshop on smartphones! See the Tweet images for examples of beautiful curves for magnetic and light field intensity.
Reddit user u/XiphiasZ posted some beautiful segmented data from a commercial flight.
Where should you put your potted plants in your house? Traditional rules dictate placing them in N, S, E, or W windows, but quantifying light intensity with sensors might be even more helpful.
Uruguayan colleagues Cecilia Cabeza, Ludmila Villareal, Martin Monteiro, and Arturo Marti continue to support the nation's Plan CEIBAL to improve science education through smartphone workshops.
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