Darwin Daugaard

Daugaard’s innovative teaching idea, “Motorized Marbles,” is focused on using robotic technology to help students learn about velocity and acceleration in an exciting way. Students will use app-enabled robotic balls called Sphero 2.0 that connect through Bluetooth to a tablet and allow students to control them and make various kinds of measurements and graphs. The equipment will allow Daugaard’s students to perform a variety of experiments with velocity, acceleration and friction. Students also will learn how to graph by pencil and paper and with their tablets. Daugaard will have students graph by hand so that they will understand the basic principles, and then encourage them to use computers and tablets so they can learn the real-life tools they will be expected to use in research or on the job.