Can Computers Make Us Healthier? Help Us Find Out!
My students need programming books, a variety of biometric sensors, and sensor boards to combine computer programming with student-designed experiments.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Wolf's classroom raised $999
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
"Know Thyself" dates back to Plato and Ancient Greece, but Plato couldn't have imagined ways technology like thermometers and glucose sensors allow us to understand our own bodies. If we had the right biosensors to talk to computers, my students could study and educate others about their health.
My students are an amazing group of young men and women who have come from all over the world to build a better life here in the United States.
They speak over a dozen languages and come from almost every continent. At our school, they work collaboratively in every class to learn English and master the skills and content they will need to succeed after graduation. In addition to their native language and the English they acquire, another necessary language is computer programming. Like most of us, my students use technology to consume games, music, and movies, but they don't truly understand the power of the tools in their pockets. More and more students are facing a world where they will need computer programming to be successful at their jobs. I want to make sure my students have the opportunity to learn these skills in my science class through experiments they design. With these materials, we can turn pulse, reaction time, or muscle twitch into inputs our programs can read.
My Project
For a computer program to receive from or send input to a device is called physical computing. When we next design experiments to test student hypotheses about their bodies and their physical health, I want them to use the power of the Scratch programming language to record, visualize, and maybe even interact with physical measurements in real-time. Inexpensive sensors like pulse and moisture sensors work on very simple principles that can be read by a computer, then translated into characters jumping, talking, or cars racing on the screen. To do this requires well-designed hardware to interact with software in a way that is not intimidating for students. The Make!Sense boards are just the tool that gives students flexibility in the types of sensors they use (sound, pulse, speed) and the simplicity to interact with computers quickly without getting bogged down in syntax errors. For students ready for the challenge, they can even reprogram how the boards work.
When I encountered Scratch and Make!Sense at the Logo Summer Institute (thanks to Donorschoose), I was blown away by their potential.
These materials will teach students how to control computers at the same time they learn something about their own bodies. Please help my students better know science, computers, and most importantly, themselves as they develop the skills and language they will need for a bright future. Your donation will open a new world of opportunity for my students!
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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