Awesome Learning Spaces: Wallenberg Hall

This Fall, Splash started a partnership with Wallenberg Hall to provide hi-tech options for our teachers. Besides obvious applications like programming classes, Wallenberg's flexible classroom environments create new opportunities for non-techie teachers to present their material in a more interactive way. We strongly encourage experienced teachers to consider designing curricula with technological solutions in mind. Because there can be a steep learning curve, Wallenberg staff have agreed to meet one-on-one with teachers who want to use their space. Check out http://wallenberg.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/teachingandlearning/ to see more about the advantages and difficulties of teaching in a hi-tech space or http://wallenberg.stanford.edu/resources/index.html to see the rooms themselves. We've reserved rooms 120-127 and the Learning Theater.

Crazy Bikes!

Exciting Classes At Splash:

H511: Unusual Bicycle design and construction techniques

Taught by Tom Kabat

Students in the class learned about how to make very unique bikes. After an explanation of different design strategies and construction techniques (cardboard designs, wood designs), the students worked in teams to design their own bikes. These designs were reviewed at the end with ergonomics, integrity, and uniqueness in mind. Check out more classes here!

Music Theory!

Exciting Classes At Splash:

P452: Intro to Music Theory

Taught by Michelle Zeman

Students learned about how to read treble and bass clef staffs, identify keys, learned notes and time signatures, and how to construct simple chords. The solfege system (do-re-mi) was taught and students participated in some simple sight-reading exercises. The kids got their MUSIC ON!

Can You Predict the Future?

Feats of Students:

Bridge Failure Prediction

During this two hour class the students reviewed the Labor Day reconfiguration of the Bay Bridge. A girl gave an opinion as to why a certain eye-bar cracked. This same girl, noting that this reconfiguration was unintentionally putting large stresses on undeserving bridge components, predicted that the bridge would fail in a specific way. The amazing part is that later the same week THIS EXACT FAILURE OCCURRED.

You might ask: can I use the knowledge I gain from Splash to keep the rest of the world safe? One student, who took a class by Michael Daly (E479: San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Project - an Overview), did just this.
	So by just taking a simple class at Splash, a student was able to understand and apply the knowledge she gained to a real-life situation and predict a bridge failure. "It's too bad the CalTrans Officials didn't take this class" Daly Wrote. Too true, Michael, too true. There are no limits to what you could potentially learn at Splash, and you'll just never know when it will come in handy!

Cooking!

Class In Review:

H534: Simple Indian cooking

Taught by Rani Agrawal

Students watched and learned about Traditional Indian food that can be cooked quickly and effortlessly. Students were taught how to interlace spices into meals and learned the varied effects of specific spices. Not to mention the got to EAT some of the delicious food prepared before their eyes!

Juggling!

Class In Review:

H607: Let's Throw Things! Juggling 101

Taught by Melody Lu and Daniel Newburger

In this class, not only were you taught how to juggle, but you get to make your own juggling balls out of everyday materials! But the BEST part is that you get to KEEP the juggling balls you make!

Ukuleles!

Class In Review:

L533: Learn to Play the Ukulele

Taught By Scott Meyer

This is a class where a small group 6 students were taught how to play a stringed instrument. By the end of the class these students (who had no prior knowledge of how to play a guitar) were able to play Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles.

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Origami Yoda!

Class in Review:

H595: Giant Origami!
Taught By: Aviv Ovadya

In this class, students worked in teams to fold origami out of very large pieces of paper. This year two life-size Yodas were made! Click on the photos below to enlarge them!

Class Reviews Coming Soon....

Did you miss Splash this last time? Maybe you were able to make it but didn't get a chance to take all the classes you wanted to. We're going to highlight a few of the classes to show you what you missed! Maybe you took the class we review, and you might be in some of the pictures!

Splash Fall 2009!

Thanks to everybody who made Splash Fall 2009 such a great success! Nearly 700 students attended more than 200 classes on topics ranging from web programming to creative writing to solving Rubik's cubes. We're exited that so many people came together to have fun and learn at the same time, and we can't wait to bring even more cool subjects to students for Splash Spring 2010. Stay tuned for information about future Splash events!

Welcome to the Stanford ESP Blog!

Stanford ESP is super-excited to announce the creation of our blog! We'll be sharing stories from Splash students and alumni, and passing along insights as we organize new Splashes and grow Stanford ESP.

We hope you'll join us!