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PASCO Scientific Wireless Sensors & SPARKVue- Changing the Way Teachers Teach Science

Not a day goes by without educators hearing the need for new innovative practices that can stimulate and engage students in the learning process. For the past 5 years we have seen schools begin to focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) through Makerspaces and providing students the opportunity to do cross-curricular projects that entail a variety of academic subjects and design thinking. With the adoption of the <a href="http://www.nextgenscience.org/" target="_blank">Next Generation Science Standards</a> many schools have begun to shift their science programs that now include systems thinking and giving students the opportunities to do hands-on experiments and conduct investigations. With the movement away from rote learning, teachers will need to develop new skills and strategies to have students do science both inside and out of the classroom. A recent study by the Amgen Foundation, <a href="http://changetheequation.org/students-stem" target="_blank">Change the Equation</a>, found that teenagers enjoy science and would welcome the opportunity to do more hands-on learning in their science classrooms. Teens noted that they wanted more hands-on experiences in the classroom and wanted to take more field trips to explore their science interests.  In the past giving students the tools they needed to do hands on experiments could be costly and difficult to manage. However, all of this is changing as companies begin to create tools that are easy to use and at a price point, that makes it is now possible to provide these tools to each student in a science classroom. I recently had the opportunity to review the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor which really changes the paradigm for doing <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTiVwh96BLrO5Mlsc-_QVQB9HloVhY_xXxypotkNG5bvL7lW6-Wp_euRZ_dbsz1lNurwJ6EgZHinlMPyzNEpbAZPD6o0yQ_1yAC1dL8dK_HgbW8R1fomY7-tQP8K9nKu4LHcDgPqQ-k4/s1600/pascowireless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTiVwh96BLrO5Mlsc-_QVQB9HloVhY_xXxypotkNG5bvL7lW6-Wp_euRZ_dbsz1lNurwJ6EgZHinlMPyzNEpbAZPD6o0yQ_1yAC1dL8dK_HgbW8R1fomY7-tQP8K9nKu4LHcDgPqQ-k4/s320/pascowireless.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor</td></tr></tbody></table>science in the classroom. I would like to thank PASCO for sending me a review unit. The PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor is a marvel of technology for $39 dollars that quickly pairs via Bluetooth to just about any device you may have in your classroom. This can include Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Chromebooks as well as smartphones (iPhone, Android). Using the new Low Energy (LE) Bluetooth standard the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor pairs almost instantaneously and is ready to start collecting real time data. Using SPARKVue software which can be downloaded for free to IOS, Android and Chromebooks students will be able to log data. SPARKVue has some excellent built-in analysis tools and allows students to look at the data in a various graphical views as well as looking at the data table, which can be easily exported. The PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor can handle variable sampling rates as well as logging data for <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSh1LVptj6FZxgGEKRiynupLl2ytgp8HAlGMe8STFA_6m0siOjI7AgquvDJdJ0_m4AsEeKMIW1KJfNMXwDnMa30gris1csCKZ97RaZ2rhdYAVi_s4vIBpOyfKV5_CvvvNgYCcBteb48M/s1600/20160223_234956000_iOS.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSh1LVptj6FZxgGEKRiynupLl2ytgp8HAlGMe8STFA_6m0siOjI7AgquvDJdJ0_m4AsEeKMIW1KJfNMXwDnMa30gris1csCKZ97RaZ2rhdYAVi_s4vIBpOyfKV5_CvvvNgYCcBteb48M/s320/20160223_234956000_iOS.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SPARKVue application</td></tr></tbody></table>extended periods of time directly on to the device for long term data collection. I have been really impressed with both the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor and the accompanying software which I have used on a <a href="http://www.kangaroo.cc/" target="_blank">Kangaroo PC</a> (Windows 10), iPhone 6, <a href="http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/2016/01/review-of-dell-chromebook-13-sleek.html" target="_blank">Dell Chromebook</a>, and iPad Air. Under all conditions the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor seamlessly connected to the devices and I was collecting data. When using my Surface Pro 3, and Chromebook, I used the <a href="https://www.pasco.com/prodCatalog/PS/PS-3500_usb-bluetooth-adapter/index.cfm" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">PS-3500 USB Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter</a> which is available from PASCO and simply plugged it into the USB port. Collecting data using the PASCO Wireless Temperature Sensor and the SPARKVue software cannot be any easier and you can tell that PASCO has spent a great deal of time to ensure that the out of the box experience is optimal. PASCO has developed a wide range of wireless sensors that are now available and there are more in the pipeline for the upcoming school year. If you go to the <a href="https://www.pasco.com/" target="_blank">PASCO website</a> you can get more information about the wireless pH sensor, wireless pressure sensor, and the wireless force acceleration sensor. For schools that have invested in the PASSPORT sensors take a look at the <a href="https://www.pasco.com/prodCatalog/PS/PS-3200_airlink/index.cfm" target="_blank">PASCO airlink</a> which can be used as a bridge to make your legacy sensors send data directly to your devices via USB or Bluetooth.  For science teachers who are looking to change their classroom practices and give their students more hands on experience, you need to consider using the latest wireless temperature sensors from PASCO. Using the PASCO Wireless Sensor technology will change the way you teach and give students the perspective of being a scientist doing investigations and collecting data. The PASCO Wireless Sensor gives students the opportunity to log data for long periods of time and analyze data using the tools built into the SPARKVue application. PASCO provides teachers with wonderful resources and <a href="https://www.pasco.com/downloads/sparkvue/sparklabs/index.cfm" target="_blank">activities</a> on various topics that can be used with their sensors to explore science. You will also find handy <a href="https://www.pasco.com/prodCatalog/PS/PS-3301_wireless-sensor-starter-bundle/index.cfm" target="_blank">videos</a> on YouTube and on their website to get you up and running quickly with their sensors. <a href="https://www.pasco.com/" target="_blank">PASCO</a> has hit it out of the ballpark with their new family of wireless sensors, when taking into account cost, ease of use and instructional value. If you have been on the fence about integrating sensors into your science classroom, now is the time to jump in- you will be glad you did!  All ideas and opinions are my own and there was no exchange of money in doing this review <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div>

PASCO Scientific Wireless Sensors & SPARKVue- Changing the Way Teachers Teach Science

Not a day goes by without educators hearing the need for new innovative practices that can stimulate and engage students in the learning pro...

June 19, 2016

Vernier Go Wireless Link: Creating New Opportunities for Mobile Data Collection

It certainly is exciting times to be involved in the field of educational technology and if your are a science teacher there is even more opportunities with your existing classroom technology to take advantage of using science probeware in your classroom. If you have been following my<a href="http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/2015/04/using-vernier-go-wireless-sensors-in.html" target="_blank"> blog</a>, you know how passionate I am about teachers using <a href="http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/2015/04/using-vernier-go-wireless-sensors-in.html" target="_blank">probeware </a>in the classroom to give students the capability of collecting data in real time. This is an especially important tool if you are supporting students with special needs-in that these tools provide students with a way to see data represented in many different types of ways. Students can view the incoming data in a graph format, table and as a meter.  In July, Vernier Software released the <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a> which opens up all kinds of opportunities for students collecting real time data with mobile devices. The <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a> is a very small data collection interface that allows you to plug in over 35 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfTyeJmbB3sWSpuN-DOGwSnQ8K-cytVKEgqBRAhQ3XOGf6Klu6kJQgUistPJp_cRBhth6HP188IgmDkhNrA-22LGb0ojDH3QhDog-MFSf1zUVg7xS3BMnRqwXtx_SzEstLNWS4mm-FUU/s1600/vernierwireless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfTyeJmbB3sWSpuN-DOGwSnQ8K-cytVKEgqBRAhQ3XOGf6Klu6kJQgUistPJp_cRBhth6HP188IgmDkhNrA-22LGb0ojDH3QhDog-MFSf1zUVg7xS3BMnRqwXtx_SzEstLNWS4mm-FUU/s200/vernierwireless.jpg" width="147" /></a></div>different Vernier sensors and begin to collect data wirelessly to your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Later this summer, Vernier will also support Android devices and the LabQuest 2. The diminutive size of the  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a>  makes it an ideal tool for collecting data in the classroom as well as when you are in the field. The  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a>  uses Bluetooth LE and once turned on it will automatically connect to you device without the need to do any configuration. Simply charge the  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a> with the USB cable provided and then you are ready to begin collecting data.  Using the  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a>, to collect real time data is a breeze. Simply turn on the Go Wirelss Link, connect a compatible sensor, <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZ-pL8ZVPbtC4JHjkMs752xHf0NGjxBHUAmTlW1R2t8CntUWDohHBSh9nTJJ3zGWAimGBAjLmIHtybwyywwFTyhMVuoXxOeK8vHsoAwWJa1oKAd8VbkSl8Gf5oH0_ZgPMBpspNtrS9hI/s1600/handstrength.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZ-pL8ZVPbtC4JHjkMs752xHf0NGjxBHUAmTlW1R2t8CntUWDohHBSh9nTJJ3zGWAimGBAjLmIHtybwyywwFTyhMVuoXxOeK8vHsoAwWJa1oKAd8VbkSl8Gf5oH0_ZgPMBpspNtrS9hI/s320/handstrength.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right Hand Strength</td></tr></tbody></table>launch Graphical Analysis, tap create experiment, choose Wireless Sensor, choose Go Wireless Link and begin your data collection. I have to say that using the  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a> was very straight forward and easy to use. I connected the  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a>  to a Hand Dynamometer and clicked on the Connect button to start my data collection. Within seconds the data was being graphed on the screen as I squeezed the sensor with my right hand.  Using the  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a>  gives students the opportunity to collect data quickly and accurately and because of the size of the interface they can easily use it in the field away from the iPad. The  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a>  has a range of 30 m which would enable teachers and students to keep the device away from water or other hazards when collecting the data.  So if you have existing <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" target="_blank">compatible </a>Vernier sensors and are looking for a great way to connect them to your IOS or Android devices look no further, the  <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/interfaces/gw-link/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless Link</a>  is the perfect interface for getting your students collecting data with mobile devices!

Vernier Go Wireless Link: Creating New Opportunities for Mobile Data Collection

It certainly is exciting times to be involved in the field of educational technology and if your are a science teacher there is even more op...

July 23, 2015

Using Vernier Go Wireless Sensors in the Classroom

I have always enjoyed my science classes when I was in school, especially when we did hands on labs. Unfortunately, as I reflect on my education many years later, there just were not enough labs integrated into my science classrooms. In retrospect, with the equipment we had <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="7fdec801-bf4d-45ef-9cc2-1ee4e2b65520" id="db1b8ae4-0978-417f-b62f-27b6f573684b">in</gs> the day, it just took too much time to set up and labs took an inordinate amount of time which were always thought to take away from the instruction at hand. Nothing could be further from the truth-but it was the best we could do at the time when I was in high school science classes in the early 1970s. Jump to 2015, and there is a vast array of technology that science teachers can use in their classrooms to help students to better understand key scientific concepts.  Giving students the opportunity to experience firsthand how to collect data with science probes and sensors lets them quickly and efficiently collect real time data very much as a scientist would. While we often struggled to collect accurate data when I was in high school this factor is eliminated when using digital probes and sensors. Now students can spend their time analyzing and making sense of the data collected instead of expending all their energy in pursuit of recording the data. Using probes and sensors with the iPad has revolutionized the way students can collect data in real time and now with the advent of a family of probes with built-in wireless technologies from <a href="http://vernier.com/" target="_blank">Vernier Software & Technology</a>, students don’t need to be tethered to the device to collect data during an experiment. I recently started to use the Vernier Go Wireless Temp and the Vernier Go Wireless pH with my iPad Air and want to share my impressions.   <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4MyoL4WZr-XJnTyKoBwPAWHritKy-T2sBzgo2Vq5tuinZF5MJXlcafzTR0YZOBS4zV9-OWBJ0NGEnhXSQOdxcpyMBqQV91LqTesNe3E1pWlHoHDAL-MibFSgO1MYsSPO126h7NxKIq4/s1600/VernierTemp.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4MyoL4WZr-XJnTyKoBwPAWHritKy-T2sBzgo2Vq5tuinZF5MJXlcafzTR0YZOBS4zV9-OWBJ0NGEnhXSQOdxcpyMBqQV91LqTesNe3E1pWlHoHDAL-MibFSgO1MYsSPO126h7NxKIq4/s1600/VernierTemp.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plotting Temperature Data Using Vernier Go Wireless Temp Probe</td></tr></tbody></table>The first thing you will need to do before using the Vernier Go Wireless Temp ($75) and the Vernier Go Wireless pH ($99) is download the Vernier Go Wireless app from the Apple App Store. To use the probe you simply hold down the power button to turn it on and then launch the Go Wireless app. Select the sensor that you are using, in this case we will start off with the Vernier Go Wireless Temp. Once you select the sensor you are ready to begin collecting your data. To switch between Centigrade and Fahrenheit simply tap on the oval with the current read out. To begin your data collection simply press on Collect which is at the top of the window. As soon as do this you will begin to see your data points graphed against time. For me, what is really exciting is how this technology allows students multiple representations of the data as it is being collected which is really important for the type of students I work with learning differences. It can provide a digital read out in a numeric format, and as visual bar chart and in a graphical format. Students can click anywhere on the graph and find out the temperature value at a specific time. If a student is using <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="e32c7b15-0eec-4343-8765-88c803cf9aaa" id="9e886c6b-fa8b-4d75-a593-57fadacc0573">VoiceOver</gs> ton he iPad it will read aloud the data value on the screen. For students who would like to do further analysis they can always email the data set and open the file in Excel.  Using the Vernier Go Wireless pH sensor it is just as easy, select the sensor from the Vernier Go Wireless app and place the probe in the liquid solution and press on the Keep button which will then allow you to record the pH for the sample. When you press the Keep button a small dialog box opens up that lets you enter a description and your observation along with the pH reading. Students have the opportunity to enter a note in the Observation field which would be a good place to record their observations. If you like students could also record their observations using the built-in speech recognition feature found in the iPad. Again, students are given a clean and simple interface to record the pH of the solutions that they are working with. The pH readout is clearly delineated on the top left of the screen along with a bar that runs along the left side of the screen that clearly marks the pH <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpQ2X8j1tUN1O9rPsn4C6rjw11YwyIHYqQHXElX97THbRBBV4HngQriXOFWowtZ-pJdOw2fFo9JsZlaXtb445gq9kHGPpU5ouc1eTM5eEgc6xxYWIdEKQoX_nvgY4IafqiZKn5MekXjw/s1600/VernierpH.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ph Data" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpQ2X8j1tUN1O9rPsn4C6rjw11YwyIHYqQHXElX97THbRBBV4HngQriXOFWowtZ-pJdOw2fFo9JsZlaXtb445gq9kHGPpU5ouc1eTM5eEgc6xxYWIdEKQoX_nvgY4IafqiZKn5MekXjw/s1600/VernierpH.png" title="ph Data" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recording pH with Vernier Go Wireless pH Probe</td></tr></tbody></table><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="8296cb55-5c49-4c1f-bee1-5d0ea9a0a574" id="ff74f800-3c9e-47c7-af18-d43209b2681e">range</gs> which goes from 0 to 14. A demarcation line makes it easy for students to clearly see the pH of the solution. Students can export the data table to Excel for further analysis. As you can see in the screenshot, I recorded the pH of tap water, vinegar, shower cleaner, and bottled water with my observations. Recording the pH of the solutions was very quick and straight forward. For advanced data analysis and graphing capabilities with the Go Wireless sensors on the iPad you can download the Vernier Graphical Analysis. Using the Vernier Graphical Analysis students can annotate their graphs and obtain statistical data on their data set. From my perspective, Vernier has spent a lot of time making the experience of using the wireless sensors as full proof as possible so students can spend their energy collecting and analyzing the data. Setting up the Vernier Go Wireless sensors were a breeze and were immediately recognized on my iPad, without the need for me to manually pair them in any way. This point is important because it is these little details that can bring a <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="43b24cdd-71ef-4665-a253-701c5beb4f46" id="1e530a6e-eb9f-4bdc-b0cc-91a7ccb58b39">lab</gs> down when you are using technology in the classroom. If you are not using sensors in your classroom you need to take a look at the Vernier Go Wireless sensors to get you started. Having access to tools like the Vernier Go Wireless sensors will empower your students and let them have hands-on experience collecting data as a scientist would do. So jump in and see how you can provide your students with experiences that can transform their understanding of scientific concepts with <a href="http://www.vernier.com/products/sensors/wireless-sensors/go-wireless-sensors/" target="_blank">Vernier Go Wireless</a> sensors for more information go to <a href="http://vernier.com/">Vernier.com</a>  <div> </div>

Using Vernier Go Wireless Sensors in the Classroom

I have always enjoyed my science classes when I was in school, especially when we did hands on labs. Unfortunately, as I reflect on my educa...

April 11, 2015