Education Law

Rube Goldberg: hands on STEM education

BoardBuzz woke up this morning thinking, what’s the best way to keep kids interesting in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields? Lo’ and behold, Ars Technica presents us with an answer:

We know that giving kids hands-on experience is one of the best ways to spark and keep their interest in STEM-related fields, and to this end, high schoolers all over the country are getting an opportunity to learn and apply STEM knowledge by participating in the annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.

Reuben Lucius Goldberg (July 4, 1883 ? December 7, 1970) was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. He is best known for a series of popular cartoons he created depicting complex devices that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways ? now known as Rube Goldberg machines.

If you’re having trouble envisioning such a machine, BoardBuzz would like to direct you to a recent video by the band OK Go. The band?s front man Damian Kulash sometimes makes big declarations like ?We?re trying to be a DIY band in a post-major label world.? They are best known for making rather original and interesting music videos. In their latest, they teamed up with as many as 60 engineers and designers to create an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine synced to their song “This Too Shall Pass.” Check it out below.

According to Ars, in 1949, two engineering fraternities at Purdue University began a competition to devise the most complex machine to accomplish a given goal. Sometime in the 1980s, Purdue University revived the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, organized by the Phi Chapter of Theta Tau, a national engineering fraternity. The competition culminated in the first national Rube Goldberg Machine Contest in 1988. Starting in 2007, high schools were invited to participate in the national contest, exposing young minds to one of the most exciting and diabolical engineering competitions ever.

Today, the contest brings Rube?s comic genius to life for millions of fans. Covered widely by the national media, the winning team and their working invention always gets lots of attention. To get a real window into the machine contest, go to www.mousetraptomars.com where you can watch a 2 minute clip from the upcoming documentary that chronicles three teams vying for the winning slot.

This year’s goal: Dispense an appropriate amount of hand sanitizer into a hand.

So what’s so great about this contest? Most of the advisers agree that giving students a hands-on opportunity is a critical aspect of participating in the competition. “It’s a great way to get kids who might otherwise be intimidated by the math or hard science involved and interested in STEM,” says Alexis Kovacs, advisor for the Jones College Prep team. “For those that are already interested in science or engineering fields, this helps them be able to solve real problems and really use their hands.”

Clearly, at a time when the U.S. is looking to inspire young minds, Rube Goldberg?s legacy represents the best in American innovation, humor and unconventional thinking; an inspiring model for us all. Check out Ars Technica for complete coverage of this exciting contest.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on March 19, 2010 (boomark / email).