mcdowell’s blog

We finally got to actually work with our natural fibers yesterday, and we did several tests to check their properties so we can build our I-beam. We decided a beam would be bset to test the overall strength of the fiber composites, plus it will give us something we can use back at the school later on.

We went on the computers this morning and looked at the videos of the experiment. That is how we record our data in the lab, then we analyze it later. Pete and I spent a while taking measurements from the videos, and then put it all into Excell. By the way, I HATE the newest version of Excell, it was SO much EASIER to use in the “old” version. Making a graph takes twice as long, and it will be harder for students comprehend.

I know Microsoft has to change to stay in business, but do they have to make it so glitzy and hard to use? It is totally non-user friendly. Talk about progress… Technology for technology’s sake is not progress, and we all get stuck trying to master useless gobbledygook, when we need to work on our mastery of the core knowledge. Don’t get me wrong, I use lots of technology and I have everything in Powerpoint, Excell, and I use computer probes extensively. I project all of my notes using a projector on a ceiling mounted holder that I made myself out of aluminum. I can just see having to re-teach Excell again because the kids will get all stuck in it and not know how to make a SIMPLE GRAPH. Maybe I should revolt and actually make them use graph paper…

Getting off my soapbox, I can say the lab experience thus far has been very good. It has been a very steep learning curve, but rewarding. I don’t know where we wopuld be without Laurent or Claire, our grad buddies.

The visit to DBI today was good, but I have been there before, so it was not really anything new. But it is always cool to see what they are cooking up in the CAVE. I have taken students over (NHS is across the street).

The people there are very accomodating, and will help arrange things if you ask them to. It is always a great place to go, but I limit it to my better kids, and smaller classes to keep things in order.

Peace

Lots of literature review, getting ready to work with our jute composites. Darcy’s Law concerns the permeability and porosity of a substance, and is VERY heavy in calculation. Especially for a Right brainer like me.

We are working on what kind of 3-d object wew will create, and how the heck to do it. Our graduate students are very helpful, but they already know this stuff, and take it for granted.

We are thinking about an I-beam, since it IS 3-d, and can also be tested fairly simply. We are going to find out this afternoon about what shapes/sizes, etc we need to create.

I have no idea how I am going to incorporate this into a high school classroom, but I’ll figure that our later. We also need to start working on our final project, which is difficult since we don’t know yet what we are going to do fully.

At least I have a long weekend to get caught up at home, I have a million things to get done there as well.

Oh well.

Peace

Today Peter and I got to see how a permeability characterization of a composite fabric is run. We will use this to study how well our natural fiber will take up the plastic resin.

Lots of math is involved to get the proper numbers for permeability and flow rate of the resin, but I will manage with some practice. I am very rusty with some of theres calculations.

Our grad student colleagues are great so far, today we met Laurent. He is from France, and is still an undergrad. He is interning here for the summer like us.

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