Don Mackay (“Dr. Don”)
Office/Room: 106 High Tech High International 2855 Farragut Road San Diego, CA 92106-6025 619-398-4900 (Front desk) Email: [email protected] Cell Phone: 858-997-5606 Fax: 619-758-1960 Office hours: 3:15-4:30 M-Th Twitter: @DrDzl |
THEMES
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This is an engineering course. We will explore engineering through the lens of Design and Innovation. For example, while you'll learn how mechanical energy is stored in a spring (the physics part), you'll also design ways to use that energy to propel a model car. And you'll innovate ways to release that energy optimally. Of course, since "optimal" is in the eye of the beholder, a critical part of design is figuring out what the client needs. So we'll practice that too. And since this is a project based school, all these skills will be embedded within a project.
Projects are great ways to investigate how the world works, both the natural world of stars and planets and the man-made world of machines and information. In the past, we have generated electricity, stored it in batteries, and converted it into light, motion, and sound. We have compared renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, and fuel cells to traditional sources such as coal and nuclear. This year will be a bit different. We will delve into cyberspace and investigate virtual reality. Sound interesting? |
PROJECTS
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We have two major projects planned for this class. The first is to create a virtual world that meets a need for a particular audience. What audience? What need? That is up to you. Along the way, you will experience VR first hand as you learn to create an immersive virtual experience using the latest VR technology (such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Sony PS4 VR, and Google Cardboard). Hang on, this is going to be intensely unreal!
The second project will be expanding the reach of Qualcomm's Thinkabit lab to middle schoolers around the county. The Thinkabit lab provides a day-long immersive experience into the world of robotics to San Diego middle schoolers. Each of you will have the opportunity to learn about robotics by helping out at the Thinkabit lab for a week in teams of 2-4. Ultimately, we hope you will recreate the lab experience at a middle school in our community. |
ACTIVITIES
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The VR project will take most of the classtime this semester. If there is time, I may include some fun science-type activities which could include traditional instruction (lectures). Math skills are central to engineering and you will use the geometry and algebra skills you learned in your math classes (and even some you haven't learned yet!). The exact timing of if and when we would do these activities is unknown (and unknowable).
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ASSESSMENTS
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Homework. There are few if any traditional homework assignments. Class time is usually sufficient to complete all assignments. However, what ever work cannot be completed in class is expected to be finished at home. Late assignments will not be accepted unless a student missed class time due to an excused absence.
Exams/Quizzes. There are no formal quizzes but there will be a final "practical" exam for the specialists to demonstrate their proficiency in their chosen area. Grading. The grade for the class will be determined largely by assessments performed as part of the VR project. Details are available in the VR Project pages. |
POLICIES
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Cheating
Cheating is not tolerated. Copying reports is cheating. Plagiarism is cheating. However, collaborating on homework is not cheating. Evidence of cheating will result in the LOSS of as many points as the assignment/assessment was worth. Thus, if the assignment or test was worth 50 points, the student will have 50 points DEDUCTED from their total score in addition to getting a zero for that assignment. Communication. As much as possible, use email to communicate outside of class. I read my email several times a day, and will make every effort to respond the same day. All course materials (syllabus, schedule, lectures, etc.) will be made available on the course website at my DP . You may need to login to your HTH account to access some pages. I also use the web site "remind" to send text messages to remind students of assignments and to make last minute changes. This free service allows students to sign up for text message reminders from me without having to divulge their phone numbers. I highly encourage all students to sign up for this service (click here to sign up). Behavior All students have the right to learn in a safe environment conducive to learning. Demonstration of maturity and mutual respect will be the guiding principles for classroom conduct. We, as a class, will come up with an essential agreement on behavior guidelines and expectations ("norms"). We will hold everyone accountable for the agreement we create. Behaviors that don't adhere to the essential agreement may result in a deduction of points from their grade. Continued breaches will result in communication with parents. Points may also be taken away for tardies. Tardy/Absence Tardies and unexcused absences will negatively impact your grade and classroom environment. If you are late for class, you may miss a class quiz or the opportunity to turn in homework for full credit. Please be on time to class! If you have missed class due to an excused absence, you have an extension equivalent to the number of days missed. Assignments are not accepted after this extension without prior approval from the teacher. Work missed due to unexcused absences will not be accepted. If you ever foresee challenges in meeting deadlines, please communicate with Dr. Don as extensions may be granted when deemed appropriate. You are responsible for your own work. If you know you will be missing class or have already missed class, find out what is due by first consulting the class website. Explicit instructions are included when work done in class can be made up at home. If you aren't sure, verify with the teacher through e-mail. In addition, powerpoint presentations and notes may be posted on Dr. Don’s digital portfolio, so you can access them from home as well. Materials and Supplies The Constitution of the State of California requires that we provide a public education to you free of charge. Subject to certain exceptions, your right to a free public education means that we cannot require you or your family to purchase materials, supplies, equipment or uniforms for any school activity. Note taking materials and a scientific calculator are highly useful. If you do not bring the recommended supplies, the school will provide the supplies for you. If you have any questions/comments about this, please contact the director, Brett Petersen Online Access We will be viewing a number of online videos and tutorials to learn new skills. Access to computers during class time may not be sufficient to complete any required tutorials. If computer/Internet access is not available in your home, you should plan to take advantage of school computers available after school. |
TEACHER BACKGROUND
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Teaching this course has been a lifelong goal of mine. No joke. I took biology as a freshman in high school but when I moved after my freshman year, my new school taught biology to sophomores. I didn't want to skip taking a science course but they wouldn't let me take chemistry until I was a junior. To accommodate me, they allowed me to design my own project based science course. I created mutant fruit flies by exposing them to x-rays. It was ok but I thought at the time that it would have been so much more interesting to design an independent course after having taken chemistry and physics. I vowed that if I ever had the chance to influence the choice of an independent science course, I would make sure it came after biology, chemistry and physics. As they say, be careful what you wish for. I couldn't be happier though. I love physics, chemistry and biology. I plan to review all of them during the semester and I hope you find ways to push your knowledge even higher in preparation for college.
I grew up in Canada, Arizona and California. I started college at BYU, continued at Arizona State (BA in chemistry), and finished with a MS and Ph. D. in physical chemistry at UCSD. Since then, I helped start companies both to design drugs (www.accelrys.com) and to teach science (www.sciencemedia.com). I decided to enter the classroom in 2007 partly so I could squeeze in another year at college (ok, maybe not). I hope that my experience will help high school students experience the joy of inquiry and discovery that is science. I have 6 children all of whom are now married and pursuing their own careers. By the time you read this, I'll have 13 grandchildren. When I'm not designing projects, I'll probably be playing tennis, golf, scuba diving, or snowboarding (depending on the season). When it’s too dark to play, I’ll curl up with a good science book. My favorite books while growing up were science fiction, especially Asimov’s Foundation trilogy. Over the summer, my reading list included "The Gene: An Intimate History", "The Hunt for Vulcan: How Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe", "Dark Matter: A Novel", "The Invention of Nature", "In the Plex", "Ordinary Grace", "The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, The Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World", "Greyhound", and "Agent to the Stars". My favorite TV show is "Big Bang Theory" (of course). Favorite movies include "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Finding Nemo", "Memento", and "Crash". |