This week’s featured technology platform was Google Science Journal (soon to be Arduino Science Journal as of Dec 11, 2020). I tried the “Getting Started with Science Journal” and “Getting Started with Light” tutorials. It looks like a very interesting setup, although the light sensor on my phone did not react as expected to moving my hand close or even covering the sensor altogether…probably because it can’t handle how pale I am #gingerproblems
In principle, I am very excited about the possibilities that this platform creates for students exploring how science works. I have often thought about how science is taught to kids in public schools, particularly as it relates to their adulthood needs. Unless they grow up to be a scientist specializing in a relevant area, they really don’t need to know how glucose is created in the Calvin Cycle, how far Saturn is from the sun, or the atomic mass of Cesium. However, being a good citizen of our society will require of them that they understand the principles of scientific experimentation and analysis enough to see through fraudulent pseudoscience claims and not buy into false theories based on faulty “evidence” they find online.
I am intrigued enough to continue experimenting with the Science Journal platform, and perhaps even trying out an experiment or two with my daughter, who is eight and a half but very precocious about this sort of thing.