SAVY 2019: Session 4, Day 5 – Circuitry, Systems, and Design (Rising 3rd/4th)
What an exciting and action-packed, final day of Session 3 SAVY!
Right off the bat, students were given an example of how their understanding of electricity and circuitry is harnessed in our information and data age. How do you store or represent information using electricity? We shared only a part of this code.org video, but it is well worth another, fuller view! What are the implications for our learning about switches and currents? How is mathematical understanding necessary for a future in electrical engineering or a related field? We really enjoyed hearing from an expert, but it was just as rewarding to hear how he developed his talents over time. What personal (internal) and external factors impeded or promoted development for our expert with electricity? What opportunities can we use or create to learn more, as suggested by our field expert? How can we innovate or create new products and ideas in order to show a high level of performance? Developing expertise in whatever area of study or task we choose is no accident, but the result of purposeful steps toward developing our talents.
Students were given time to collaborate and create a final product – a rudimentary design of a complex city electrical grid with planning in regard to compound problem scenarios. Using all they had learned about systems that are interactive and interdependent, they worked to negotiate priorities and plan for safe and reliable delivery of energy to various users and expectant customers. This required sensitivity and advanced communication skills about knowledge, reasoning, and values. Many students said this was their favorite part of the course!
Finally, it was our pleasure to share our work with you. Thank you for evaluating your present level of knowledge about the materials, asking questions, and making predictions as you investigated those different materials with your child for conductivity. Hopefully, you are still asking questions with your child and discovering new ways to challenge your present thinking. I hope to see you another day, in another SAVY Course Parent Open House!
Mrs. Byrd
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