This past October, 2023, we hosted 8th grade science students that attend the STEM Lab, an Adams 12 Five Star School, for a field trip to the Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery. The field trip included a tour of our facilities, one of our immersive light and sound experiences, and a question and answer session. This field trip was part of a Problem-based learning (PBL) project on the topic of: Life on Earth needs a way to survive and thrive in our changing world of sound because, as our population increases, the amount of noise generated has changed the quality of life for organisms. PBL is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem.
Lumonics was one of several activites that the students participated in. As faculty member and STEM Coordinator Elizabeth English wrote:
“Students have heard from an audiologist about how the ear works and mitigates sound, they experienced a light and sound gallery performance to see the positive effects of sound, they conducted a decibel experience at a local park to hear noise outside, they learned from an acoustics firm the different materials for sound absorptions to create mock rooms and then they heard them through an audio machine to test their capabilities… So their exploration is expansive and there are many ways they will chose to solve this complex problem!”
Today, my teammate Marc Billard and I (Barry Raphael) participated in a follow-up in the school library at the STEM Lab. Several groups of 4 students each presented their solutions to reduce the amount of noise which included headphones, ear buds, and noise-reducing panels. Some groups built prototypes and some groups described theoretical projects. Part of their concern was the sound levels at music concerts which is damaging the hearing of young people. Some groups tested the decibel level even in their school classrooms and one group found the social studies classroom tested higher than the Language classroom. They also were concerned about industrial noise and also its effect on animals.
Marc and I enjoyed the presentations and asked them about their vocational interests. Several replies were bio-medicine and aeronautical engineering. I encouraged them that it is good to have a direction but stay open-minded as their interests change and there will be professions available to them that have not even been invented yet. They may even invent these professions!
I believe I am a good example of that because I had been a Language Arts teacher at a junior high school taking graduate courses in Guidance and Counseling. I had read in The Whole Earth Catalog about “radical counseling” which was encouraging students to go into alternative professions out of the mainstream. When I heard about Lumonics and experienced an immersive performance, I realized that this was the ultimate field trip for students. Lumonics provided the setting to stimulate the imagination, expand awareness, and foster a sense of wonder. I asked the artists and founders, the now deceased Mel And Dorothy Tanner, if I could volunteer, and I have been part of this project for over 50 years. My teammate Marc Billard was also looking for a breakthrough in his life and came to Lumonics the same year as I did, 1972. The future is unwritten, and expect surprises!
Special thanks to Elizabeth English and her wonderful team at the STEM Lab. I hope we can continue to be in touch with both the faculty and the students for years to come.
photo by Elizabeth English of Marc and I at one of the group presentations
The rest of the photos are by Barry.
Why the presentation boards are in reverse is something I have to take up with my mobile phone. 🙂
Students preparing for their presentations in the libary:
