Bits and Bytes

Vernier Sensors Get on the Bus
The A.P.P.L.E. Bus (Awesome Practical Powerful Learning Experience) is a project that Deb Wickerham, Barb Tidd, Ron Bowerman (Department Chair, St. Wendelin Catholic HS), and Mike Eier designed to aid instructional water-quality studies in the field. The bus is equipped with a Vernier Water Quality Deluxe sensor package, Data Pro Palm software, and Logger Pro 3 software. All of this equipment is used for the study of forest, meadow, stream, and lake ecosystems.

The bus is based at Van Buren State Park near Van Buren, Ohio, where Ron Bowerman is a natural history and technology aide. Ron will assist other schools in Hancock and surrounding counties, home-school students, youth organizations, and even senior citizens to use the bus. Vernier sent an experienced teacher/consultant, Jackie Bonneau, to train the 40 teachers, home-school parents, Ohio EPA water personnel, school technology coordinators, and university interns in a water-testing technology session on August 3rd at the park.

Immediate plans are to take the bus to local schools to make use of school grounds or land labs. Ron says that this will be a tremendous savings to schools in transportation costs and technology expenses. Schools can also use the bus at Van Buren State Park and benefit from the park’s natural history.

New Science CSI Kit
We have teamed up with Apple Computer and Bodelin Technologies to create a new Concentrated Science Investigation (CSI) Kit. This is a starter kit for data collection that includes a ProScope USB microscope, Go! Link interface, three Vernier sensors, and investigation-themed activities. Students are challenged to solve mysteries including “The Case of the Falling Gargoyles,” “The Case of the Bad Lunch,” and more. For more information, see www.apple.com/education/k12/curriculumsolutions/science/csikit.html.

LabPro Covered in REALbasic Developer
The July/August 2004 issue of REALbasic Developer magazine featured an article by William H Murray and Chris H. Pappas entitled, “Data In. Using Vernier’s LabPro to collect data from probes.” Vernier’s datacollection technology was featured on the front cover. This article is a detailed look at how to program LabPro for data collection in the programming language REALbasic. A follow-up article will be in the next issue of REALbasic Developer. Check out http://www.rbdeveloper.com/. We have sample REALbasic programs at www.vernier.com/realbasic.

Vernier and the College Board®
Vernier Software & Technology and the College Board®—two long-time supporters of excellence in education—will collaborate in a joint sponsorship program to improve support for innovative teaching practices, including the use of technology in science and math classrooms. The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®).

The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns. Education professionals will find teaching resources and information about the College Board’s professional development resources at AP Central (apcentral.collegeboard.com).

Through our association, we will be exploring ways to improve teachers’ access to and training in the use of technology, so that all middle and high school students can enjoy high quality, successful laboratory experiences that enhance their understanding of science and math concepts.

20 Years Ago in The Caliper…
We announced our newest program for Apple II: Temperature Plotter, and we discussed compatibility issues with the new Apple IIc. We also announced our first (and only) Commodore 64 program, Precision Timer.

Science Humor
Q: If a bear in Yosemite and a bear from Alaska fall into the water, which one dissolves faster?
A: The one in Alaska, because it is Polar.

Q: Two cats are on a roof. Which slides off first?
A: The one with the smaller µ.

Did you know that a radioactive cat has 18 half-lives?