My first experience in stem land as volunteer

Jan 22 is my first day as volunteer in STEM land. On that day, we attended the stewardship workshop along with the children in Udavi. The first session was on sourcing inner power where I was able to process my stand and fear. I noticed that my stand  supports me, when I face failure and losing something. I have also got an answer of why I am in STEM land.

The next day at isai ambalam school, i figured out that i want to learn more about who i am and what makes me complete being. In afternoon, we had a meeting with heidi regarding regarding the research papers based on what is done in STEM land. During the session she taught us  how we could conduct an effective survey with the children. Then i learned to display names using 7-segment LED displays and to blink them using astable multi-vibrator.

On Jan 24th and 25th we went to Indira Gandhi higher secondary school for Learning festival. I felt really happy when i was helping children to display their names using 7-segment LED displays. Initially  some children didn’t understand english and were not interested in it. I guided them step by step in their mother tongue. Then they showed lot of interest and become familiar with me. At end of each session, all childrens are able to display their names using 7-segment LED displays and also understand, why human get stock when they touch power cable in their house but not with TV remote battery. They learned how resistor controls current in circuit with analogy of rubber shoe while working with power line. Finally they became expert in displaying their name in LEDs and they became teachers for their teachers.

My first Blog

This is my first blog and I am going to share what I learnt in STEMLand. I learnt the basic connections in a breadboard and about seven segment display. There are two types of seven segment displays, they are Common Anode(CA) and Common Cathode(CC). I figured out the differences I was able to display my name with the use of wires, resistors, battery and breadboard. It was a new experience for me and I learnt a lot..

After displaying the name, I learnt how to turn on off a LED bulb by building an oscillator. Then  connected both the circuits and made my name blink. I was able to find the voltage across a resistor by using a multimeter.

 

In the Learning Festival held at Indira Gandhi Government Higher Secondary School in Pondicherry, I learnt more about the SSD’s. We We held a session for the students and the goal was to write their names on the SSD’s. It was a good and happy experience working with students. I visited other sessions where different people from various background had come They made handmade soap, art using coconut shell, naturally made tooth powder, clay works and many more.

I learnt how to interact with students in many different ways, for solving problems in maths, I also got the opportunity to interact with Swati: she introduced us the chocolate plate method for solving questions in division which was new and interesting to solve.

 

Vegetable garden in Isai Ambalam school

Children in Isai Ambalam made a garden inside their school campus. On Saturdays children come to school and cleaned the place.They formed mother bed and planted some vegetables. This Monday they harvested their garden and brought some broad beens.

They went around the school to every classes showing their beens to their friends and teachers. They were so proud to say that they got it from their garden. They have also brought a tiny potato from their garden. It was their first experience and were so happy to see natures gift for their hard work and their compassion towards nature.

Learned @ STEM Land

-Saranya

7-SEGMENT DISPLAY

Everyday I am learning new things. This week I have learned to display my name using a 7-segment display and then I made it blink my name using an Oscillator and Arduino programming. The components used were a 7-segment display, resistor(1kilo ohm), battery(9v) and wires. Using these components I have made my name. The picture below shows shows my name using 7-segment display.

For oscillator we need two transistors, four resistors (1kilo ohm,18kilo ohm(depends upon the frequency)), capacitor (1uf or 2.2uf or 10uf). In arduino the 13th pin is for LED and the 22nd pin is for ground. Using this components I have made my name to blink. Here is a video for blinking my name using an Oscillator.

SOURCING INNER POWER

I attended a Stewardship for New Emergence workshop.. In that workshop I was able to find who I am. From that workshop I have learned the difference between who am I and my name. When I told that I am Saranya, Ahmed stopped me and said that his name is Ahmed and he is greater than his name. I stand for love and happiness for myself and others I discovered this from the workshop.

LEARNING FESTIVAL

On Jan 24th and 25th we went to Indira Gandhi higher secondary school for the Learning festival. This is the first time a Learning festival has happened in Puducherry. In this learning festival I have learned  how to lead a session for students. This was the first time I have taught electronics to the students. It was nice experience with students and teachers. After the session we went to the other sessions and what they are teaching. I went to a class where I  learned how to make a soap and how to use some things in a several ways(for an example, rope  can be used for skipping(play), suicide, to dry a cloths, to lift something heavy weighted (taking water from the well) etc….). I have met different kind of students. Many students were interested to do electronics. In that festival I motivated them a lot. When they made a mistake I did not help them. I asked them to recheck their connection and after that they checked their connection. They informed me where they made  made a mistake. From that I understood that I should  let them struggle then only they will learn by their own. Finally the Education Minister of Puducherry Mr.V.Narayanaswamy came and visited our session. He saw what the students did with Electronics. Many students did their name and some of the students did their school name. It was good experience.

Learning Festival at Indiranagar higher secondary school in Pondicherry

Learning festival was a workshop which happened in Indiranagar HSC. The workshop was happening for 4 days and we went for 2 days. We were invited to do some session regarding basic electronics. We decided to light up children’s name using a 7 segment display. We took 6 voltage sources, batteries, wires, extension chords, strippers, multi meters, 7 segment displays and our STEMland brochures. On the first day we had three sessions. we started the session with few minutes of concentration. We were informed that per session we will have about 30 students and 4 teachers.

  

  

  Day 1

On the first day the first session was handled by Sanjeev and we all supported him. We got 30 students and we split them in a group 3 to 4. He started the session by showing the example name board made by Saranya. Then he introduced the multi meter. In multi meter he showed them continuity mode. He explained how that once they connect two probes from the multi meter they will receive a beep sound. After that he introduced 7 segment display. Then he gave a 7 segment display to each student. Then asked them to draw it on their note. Next he show how to connect a multi meter with a 7 segment display to light up each segment. He asked them to find pin connection for each  segment. When students figured the pin connection connection he introduced bread board connection to the children. He explained bread board connections and how it works. Then each one of us started to support them in small group. Since we were running out of time. At end of the session children and teacher were able to light up at least 2 alphabets using the display.  Children and teacher felt that they learnt something new and they were excited when they lit the first alphabet with the display. Then the next two session was handled by Sundar. After the session we went around to see other events that were happening in the workshop.

  Day 2

On the second day we had 5 session and each session was handled by a facilitator from STEM land. The first session was handled by Saranya, Ranjith, logeshwari, Poovizhi and Pratap. We also two children from Isai Ambalam School to support us. These two children actually did a great job in handling a group and engaging all the children in their group.

       

A Student who came for the first session couldn’t accomplish what he wanted accomplish. His name was John and he asked that he wanted to come tomorrow to finish his name.We told him to come. Then the next day he turned up and started to connect the 7 segment display to light up his name. He was able to lit his name before lunch time. Then he started to handle a group in the afternoon. The boy was able to inspire a teacher who came to visit our session. Then the teacher also started to learn and he was able to light up 3 alphabets. In the evening the education minister came to meets us that time John showed his work to him and it was an inspiring moment.

    

Sat school with Isaiambalam

We had Saturday school with Isaiambalam children in Udavi school. Children were back from republic day holiday. Children had a lot of enthu playing games. Some of the children went to STEMland. Initially they were all playing games. Some of them were  interested in doing something with the computer.

Some of the younger children from 3rd grade were doing programming in scratch. One of the children from 5th grade made an Alice program. He was very excited when he made his first animation in Alice.

One of the children from 3rd grade made a scratch program which made a cat to move when he puts the mouse over the cat. These were tiny programs they made but they were very excited when they could do such things on their own with the computer.

Note: I will share the Alice program and scratch program editing this blog soon.

Building a microscope by hacking a web cam

Some of the 8th and 7th graders decided to come to school on their first day of Pongal holiday. Each person of the team came up different modules to build. I had an unused web cam and decided to turn it into an microscope. Naveen and Agalya were interested and so the Hack began

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Agalya unscrewed the web cam and separated all the components.

The hack was to reverse the lens.

Once the lens was reversed the children where able to see different objects we had initially checked out the display to see the RGB components.

Inverter with Arduino

Barani from 8th standard wanted to learnt something in electronics. He came and asked that he wanted to build an inverter using a Arduino. It was new for me so I told him lets learn together. Then we took all the components that are need to build a inverter. We started by writing a code to blink a LED at 50Hz. Then we dumped the program in the Arduino. Then we connected it with a CRO to see the square waveform. The square waveform was generated and we were able to see it. Then we connected the remaining circuit on bread board. We used a voltage source from which we got 9 volt DC input and fed it to a transformer. The transformer was giving 230 volt AC output. Then we connected a 5 Watts bulb to the output. The bulb turned on. We leant That using a 9 volt DC supply can give a 230 volt AC output. We really enjoyed doing that. During the week we had a Skype call with a school in Italy. Barani was able to explain the whole process to them. He felt very happy to show and share his project and learnings to them.

New strategy Games in STEM Land

After Pongal (Harvesting festival) holidays children were back to school wearing their Pongal dress. They came to STEM Land for their math class . During the circle time we announced that we have got new games to STEM Land. Children were  eager to play the new games. They went to the iSMART class room and played the new games. We bought three games in which they played two of them since the other one arrived the day after. One of the game was squashed and the other one was Brix. Children split into two groups and took turns to play both the games. One group played Brix in which they had to build a wall where they had 22 blocks. They started the game by choosing their symbol and color.Then they played the game till they get four X’s in a row while the other child tried to get four O’s in a row and the same with the colors.

The other group played Squashed. Where children rolled a die during their turns and move that many spaces and were so enthusiastic to flip the cube so that the other players coins get Squashed. They did the same till the last coin was alive who is the winner. They enjoyed played it and also shared the rules to their friends who were playing the other game. It was fun to look at them playing and while some of their friends were trying to help each other saying move your coin this way, these many steps and squash the other person’s coin! They had a good time.

Pongal @ Isai Ambalam

Children from Isai Ambalam School celebrated Pongal on 11/01/18. They made Kolams along with the teachers. Sweet Pongal was also made. After doing a pooja, the children and teachers made a circle and sang songs about farming. Then everyone had sweet pongal in the end! The elder children helped in distributing pongal to the other children.