August 4, 2016
Joule Fellow: Sandra Nichols
Joule Fellow Experience

This summer we had the unique privilege of being part of the Joule Fellows Program sponsored by  UCONN Department of Engineering and a grant funded by NSF.   The fellowship not only partnered us with other teachers from all over Connecticut but also allowed us to take part in an engineering research program at the Biomechanics department.

Under the direction of Dr. David Pierce and the guidance of our Joule Buddy, Ph.D. candidate Franz Maier, we worked intensely in the Interdisciplinary Mechanics Laboratory.  Our fellowship exposed us to current research being done on the biomechanics of cartilage.  We witnessed the effects of triaxial shearing of cartilage and experienced the methodical development of protocols.

While the specifics of this research are beyond the scope of our curriculum, we found many valuable take away experiences to share with our students.  Being Joule Fellows enriched our understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards such as asking questions and defining problems, planning and carrying out investigations, and analyzing and interpreting data. Overall we have a better grasp on how to develop lessons that break down real-world problems into smaller tasks solved through engineering.

In addition, the Joule Fellowship allowed us to collaborate, communicate and use new cutting-edge technology.  During the school year, there isn’t enough time to practice these 21st-century skills to the depth that this experience allowed for us.  For example,  we are currently designing a lesson about tensegrity to be submitted to the Teach Engineering website even though we teach in different districts and at different levels. This is possible because we had time for in-depth discussions of cross-cutting concepts that apply.

The lesson includes the use of video clips set in a genuine research lab as well as having students create models to represent the mechanics of the knee joint.  Students will be asked to design, build and test their models to simulate real-life injuries. By applying engineering processes, students will not only better understand the effects of tension and compression on the knee, but will also gain valuable insight into how engineers use research to address real-world problems.  Students will apply their understanding to make predictions and offer solutions to problems that they themselves may face.

We are excited to bring these new ideas not only to our classrooms but to our districts as well.   We greatly appreciate the rich learning opportunities our Joule Fellowship generated for us.  We will highly recommend this program not only to fellow science teachers but other staff as well.