Corridor In The News

Hands-on learning

Wednesday, January 26, 2011
By SAMANTHA GHOLAR
sgholar@newssun.com

Caitlin Salvagno, 12, participates in a simulation exercise Tuesday under the direction of Emergency Medical Services Instructor Randy Chancey at SFCC in Avon Park.AVON PARK -- Students from Sebring Middle School visited the South Florida Community College on Tuesday learning the ins and outs of physics and applied sciences.

Nearly 30 students started the day participating in hands-on experiments and ended their visit by rotating between three simulation stations where they learned more about SFCC's applied sciences.

Dr. Jeffrey Bindell, a physics professor at the University of Central Florida in Orlando as well as a member of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, said program strives to attract curious minds, employees, and especially students, to the industry of science and technology.

"We have to make kids aware that science and math is fun. If they wait to become interested in physics and math when they are 10th- or 11th-graders then it's too late. There is too much making up to do," said Bindell.

The program singles out sixth-graders so that professors, instructors and science programs are able to grab the attention of the students at a younger age.

Bindell, with the help of colleague Dr. Ahlam Al-Rawi, puts on two programs monthly hoping to give students the opportunity to experience and learn about high tech career opportunities.

Numerous experiments were conducted the first half of the day including a wave machine, which demonstrated the physics of sound and waves using string, and the students favorite, the Van de Graaff generator.

The generator is a machine that conducts electricity by touch delivering up to 500,000 volts to whatever is in contact with it. Natalie McGathey, 12, gave the room full of her friends and on-lookers a laugh as the Van de Graaff generator made dozens of strands of her hair stand on end.

After the experiments, students broke into three groups, each going to a stimulation center to learn a little more about the applied sciences at SFCC.

SFCC Dean of Applied Sciences and Technologies Kevin Brown joined one group of students at the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) simulation. Brown explained what the students would be learning from the station.

Randy Chancey, EMS Instructor and Steve Ashworth, EMS program director, spent 25 minutes answering questions about injuries and procedures while teaching the middle schoolers the basics of what EMS students learn.

The students seemed fully interested and excited to be a part of the program. Many of the students carried their own digital cameras to snap pictures and show off all they learned throughout the day.

The FHTCC plans to hold many more programs and partner with SFCC in the future to bring awareness and fun to the world of science and math.