First Lab

Today, I taught my first alb.  This was a quick activity where the students were investing the random nature of radioactive decay.  We used coins to represent decayed and undecayed particles.  The students started with 100 or more coins.  They tossed the coins and kept the “heads-up” coins as they represented undecayed particles.  None of the students threw coins at each other!  My 4a class happened to be very well behaved and some of the most mature students on this island.  It definitely makes a difference when students behave themselves because it makes teaching them so much easier.  Next week, I will interlude with a math lesson to model the logarithmic nature of the half-life concept.  They will also have a chance to discuss current events such as the radioactive emissions from the nuclear plants in Japan.  Being able to relate the topics in any discipline to the lives of the students and to real-life situations allows the students to see the importance of what they are studying.  Not to mention, it also makes them global citizens.  If I can do anything in my teaching career, it will be to make my students globally aware of various aspects of life on this planet.

Everyone needs to dive off the reef! More pictures to come in regards to that.

By the way, we had the hottest day of the year so far.  91°F with a “feels-like” temperature of 110ºF.  I hate it for everyone who still has cold weather.