Transcript The Graduate Teaching Assistant: Roles and Responsibilities

IMPETUS
for Career Success
Funded by NY State Education Department
Integrated Math and Physics for
Entry to Undergraduate STEM
David Wick & Michael Ramsdell
Clarkson University (Physics)
Katie Fowler & Peter Turner
Clarkson University (Mathematics)
Motivation: National Need
YOU CAN HELP
 Environmental Problems
 Sustainability Issues
 Technology Explosion
 Massive Amounts of Data
 Medicine
 ECONOMY
We need an innovative workforce to
create solutions to problems
which are today unimaginable
Program Components
 School Year Program
 Career/college information
 Research project-conference participation
 Roller coaster design competition
 Graduate/Undergraduate Fellows
 Campus visits /workshops
 Mentoring and Tutoring
 Cyber-learning environment
 Roller Coaster Camp
 Teacher Professional Development
IMPETUS
for Career Success
Funded by NY State Education Department
Unifying Theme
 Integrating Math, Science, and
Technology education through
 Problem and project-based learning
 Enhanced teacher-student understanding of the role
and importance of STEM careers
 Challenge students and teachers
Roller Coaster Camp
• Six-Day Camp for Grades 7-12
• Five days at Clarkson University
“Company Structure”
- Concept Engineers (7-8)
- Design Engineers (9-10)
- Safety Engineers (11-12)
• One day at Great Escape
Company Name:
Crazy Coasters Design Co.
Division Name:
Cool Creations
Concept Engineers
(Roller Coaster Architects):
Archie Ringlepox
Dimple McGee
Responsibilities:
Division Name:
Division Name:
Dangerous Designs
Shameless Safety
Design Engineers
(Kinematics Specialists):
Safety Engineers
(It’s all your fault Engineers):
Barney Bing
Dudley Doorknob
Skip Tipster
Responsibilities:
Teacher
CEOs
Charlie Snorkel
Buster Bowtie
Responsibilities:
Design Phase I:
Design Phase II:
Design Phase III:
Initial Concept Design
including scale drawings
and wire frame model
Potential and kinetic energy
analysis of initial design,
including design report
with modifications to insure
a working roller coaster.
Safety Analysis including
final safety report
documenting expected
accelerations at critical
points.
Design Phase IV:
Final design implementation
in NoLimits Roller Coaster
Simulation package.
Concept Engineers
(“Roller Coaster Architects”)
Concept Design, Drawing to Scale
Task: Design a Roller Coaster to scale that contains the
following elements:
- Start Segment (Hill)
- Loop
- Corkscrew
- Mystery (?)
- End Segment
Design Engineers
(“Kinematics Specialists”)
Roller Coaster Design
Task: Modify the design for each segment to
make the ride realistic.
Will the riders make it to the end of the track?
PE  m gh
KE 
1
mv 2
2
v  2 gh
Safety Engineers
(“It’s all your fault Engineers”)
Safety Analysis: Is this a safe design? Will the riders pass out?
Task: Modify the design for each segment to make the ride
exciting, physically possible, and safe.
- Calculate accelerations (g’s)
v  2 gh
- Check critical points
2
a
v
r
…There’s safety in numbers!
VRC Decoder
Puzzle
What is the name of the unknown segment in the simulated
Roller Coaster ride?
Barrel Roll
Collect altitude and acceleration data!
Saturday: Final Day and Awards Ceremony…
Final Presentations!
Final Jeopardy –
Can you say “Mooooo?”
Final Challenges!
In-School IMPETUS Program
Three primary after school activities for
students, coaches, and CU fellows:
1) Roller Coaster Design Contest (Grades 7-12)
2) Research Projects (Grades 9-12)
3) After School Competitions (Grades 7-12)
- Students and coaches meet once per week.
- Clarkson student fellows go to schools at least once
per month.
Roller Coaster Design Contest
Design and build a working roller coaster model that
will transport a ½ in. diameter steel ball or glass marble
safely (using the AAPT design guidelines).
Use low cost materials such as wood, wire, string,
twine, doweling, toothpicks, cardboard, construction
paper, glue, tape, etc.
ROLLER COASTER SHOWCASE
Roller Coaster Design Contest
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xf5nkQWk9w&featu
re=youtu.be
Campus Visits
 Pi-Day
 National Science and
Engineering Festival
 Career planning
 College preparation
information
 Tutoring
Original Student Research
 Local Competition
 Part of afterschool program
 CU visit showcase
 Statewide Student Conference
 Albany, NY each March
 Research poster competition (roughly 500 students)
 Student-driven professional development workshops
 Inspirational speakers!
 Networking across NY State!
 FUN!
Success Stories!
 3rd place, An Investigation of Floor




Characteristics and Exposure Time on
Bacterial Transfer (Canton CSD, 2008),
1st place, Facial Features and the Human
Response (Norwood Norfolk CSD,
2009), and
3rd place, Effects of Magnetic Fields on
Living Organisms, (Norwood Norfolk
CSD, 2010).
2nd place, Where’s the Body, (Canton
CSD, 2011)
2nd place, Who Spends More Time on Cell
Phones, Boys or Girls, (Harrisville, 2012)
Promote Competitions!

 (6-8th grade) We can provide additional student help to coach
students both in person and online!
 Team of 4 kids plus 2 individuals
 We will pay for the registration fee (February competition)
 Moody’s Mega Math Challenge
 (10-12 grade) Teams of 3 work for ~8 hours on an open-ended
problem
 We can provide facilities and support
 Registration is FREE!
 EVERY HIGHSCHOOL SHOULD DO THIS 
 Science Olympiad!
Personalized 8th Grade Tutoring
 Clarkson Student Mentors visit bi-weekly
 Khan academy personalized goal system
NEW!
 Show proficiency, level-up, remain challenged!
 Linked to Common Core!
 Extendable to other subjects!
 Regents prep
 Science exams
 Accessible from anywhere with internet access
Thank You for Listening!
Stay connected!
Katie Fowler
[email protected]
David Wick
[email protected]
Mike Ramsdell
[email protected]
Gail Gotham
[email protected]
Mary Margaret Small [email protected]
Diane Brouwer
[email protected]