A brief discussion/reflection of my time at WISRD
The work I have done with WISRD can be distilled into the
following four categories:
1. Engine deconstruction/reconstruction
2. Classical mechanics course + quantum mechanics course
3. UCLA Plasma Lab
4. WISRD Board
The engine project was fun for me to do and I enjoyed learning
how to use a mill, lathe, etc. toward the goal of fixing the
engine. It was a valuable experience to work with Gene (the
Harley guy). The summer workshop I led with the engine was
helpful to my own growth and was a good way of “creating value”
for the broader WISRD community. The basic weakness of the
project, though, was that it was not also traditionally
educational. Did I learn how that engine worked? Yes, but did I
learn about the chemistry behind fuel mixtures, the concrete
physics behind really any of it? No, not really.
This is contrasted with the two physics courses I worked
through. These were helpful for me in learning how to learn very
independently and also in content. These were not terribly
helpful in adding value to the institute. They added value in
the sense that I, as a member of the institute, became better
equipped to contribute to institute, but they did not really add
value that would last beyond me. Unlike the engine project, what
I learned from these courses was rigorous and canonical.
WISRD, as a new educational model, must address the issues with
more traditional educational models. Traditional models are
typically able to inform students about a subject, though are
unable to provide a necessary intuition to accompany that
information. Because of this, it can be difficult for a student
to properly and consistently apply that information.
With many current WISRD projects/endeavors, we find the opposite
of this problem. These projects provide WISRD members with an
intuition for what is really going on, though frequently do not
provide the accompanying information. This creates the same
problem with the student in that they experience difficulty with
applying their intuition in a way that can solve a variety of
problems.
I think that all educational models ideally seek to provide
students with an understanding. Intuition combined with
information creates understanding. It is difficult to argue that
WISRD is better than a traditional model (or rather that WISRD
should exist) if students do not leave WISRD with a good
understanding of whatever topic/research they were involved
with. As an Institution, we should try to better balance
intuition with information.
With the UCLA plasma lab, I think I
balance. I will leave my time there
the work that we did and the theory
something about this a little while
was able to find that
with a good understanding of
behind that work. I wrote
ago which I’ve copied below:
“Towards the very end of my sophomore year, I started doing
research at the UCLA Plasma Physics Lab with the Los Angeles
Physics Teachers Alliance Group (LAPTAG). I joined a group of
intellectually excited high schoolers every Saturday to design
and run plasma physics experiments.
When I first joined, I was particularly lost. The theory behind
what we were doing was significantly beyond me, and I was unsure
of how to help and participate. As I continued, though, I began
to understand that the other high schoolers had been in the same
situation as I was– constantly and desperately trying to keep
up. To a lessened capacity, many of them were still in a similar
situation. We were all drawing on the science and math classes
we had taken before to create a somewhat shaky foundation for
the plasma physics we were learning through the lab. I
understood, then, that being confused and constantly learning
were integral parts of LAPTAG.
A few months into my participation in LAPTAG, we got to present
our research at an American Physical Society meeting. I was able
to articulate and explain our experiment at length, which
represented an important change for me, as I began to feel more
confident in my role at the plasma lab. I also got to spend more
time with the other high schoolers, and I felt fully integrated
into LAPTAG.
In the second semester of my junior year, many of the then
seniors started coming to the plasma lab less and several new
members joined. With the relative absence of the seniors and the
presence of the newcomers, I began to feel as though I possessed
some seniority. I recognized that the newcomers were in the same
position as I had been, and I understood that I was now equipped
to help them transition into working well at the plasma lab.
Between junior and senior year, I spent most of my time at the
plasma lab. While most of the other members came only on
Saturdays, or maybe once during the week, I was there six days a
week, working on the projects we had started. I believe that
this solidified my position of seniority. I was now guiding my
peers in what to do while the professors were absent.
Towards the end of the summer, I started working on my own
project at the lab, separate from the main work of LAPTAG. I
have somewhat stepped away from the leadership role I held over
to summer to pursue my own research.”
The last bit of work that I’ve done at WISRD was with the Board.
I’m happy that we now have a Constitution, Bylaws, and a
leadership-transfer structure in place.
The most important things that I took from these experiences
(UCLA + Board) were 1) how to learn; and 2) how to selfadvocate.