MIDDLETON, Idaho — Editor's note: This content is sponsored by CapEd Credit Union.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other technology is used on a daily basis, but how it works is rarely thought about. A ninth grade class in Middleton is diving into the world of electricity and magnetism.
This week's Innovative Educator helps her students troubleshoot their findings. In Katherine Ribordy's classroom at Sage International School of Middleton, students go beyond the basics of science and engineering.
"We were learning about electricity and how electricity is generated, and how its transported throughout the country," Ribordy said.
The lessons also taught students how some of their favorite technology works. More specifically, the ninth graders are learning about the complexity of electricity and magnetism.
"They were able to make their own electric circuits," Ribordy said. "We were able to make our own electromagnets and we were able to measure electric current induced by a magnet with Galvano meters."
The students also discovered some issues through their findings.
"We learned that a lot of the infrastructure for electricity is really outdated, and it's costing us a lot of money," Ribordy said. "It's also just really not very efficient."
Their study led them to learn more about power outages and why they happen with Ribordy's guidance.
"We talked about the power outage in Texas that happened a few years ago that was really bad," Ribordy said. "My students were able to see like the real world consequences of this lack of really great electrical infrastructure."
Not only did the Middleton students see the real-world impacts, but they went to work to find a solution.
"They were able to really apply what we were learning to these hands-on labs, and that allowed them to come up with – they wrote essays where they came up with solutions for a problem that had to do with our use of electricity today," Ribordy said.
Ribordy said the type of learning is one of a kind and crucial for outside the classroom.
"I think having the lens of science, right, being able to inquire and investigate things, is really important in all aspects of life," Ribordy said.
The Innovative Educator supports critical thinking, regardless of what life path each student chooses.
"Even if you don't consider yourself a scientist, a lot of people practice science every day," Ribordy said.
She hopes her students practice what they learn in her classroom, and said "I want my students to be innovators."
Ribordy received a CapEd grant in December, allowing her to get more materials for her classroom.
Educators, for information on submitting an application for a classroom grant through the Idaho CapEd Foundation, visit www.capedfoundation.org. If you would like to nominate an Innovative Educator, send us an email to innovativeeducator@ktvb.com.
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