This blog post was written by Rebecca Gaillot, Engineering Teacher at
Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, LA. Her session, Electrical Engineering Beyond light up an LED: Potentiometers and Rotary Encoders, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 9 at the Professional Conference.

How many times do you attend a conference session, sit and listen to a great idea, but then leave thinking it won’t work for you? This session guarantees to be different. You’ll be doing as much or more than you will be listening. We know best practices involve active learning, so this session will aim to do just that.

Join me for a quick exploration of electrical engineering basics. The knowledge behind the lesson can be geared toward pre-engineering class, physics (Ohm’s law), chemistry (atoms and electrons), computer science (coding), or algebra (working with literal equations). It can be tailored to a 45-minute class or a couple of weeks, and the resources are relatively cheap and easy to order.

If you’ve never made an LED light up in a circuit, this will be your starting place. All the materials will be provided for in-session use. Experience the joy of seeing the bulb light up and understanding each element. If you’re feeling more confident, try a parallel circuit or a button. Into coding? Use Arduino software to make the LED blink. AI will help you make intricate patterns with several LEDs in no time.

Since I have presented LED basics at NCSSS in the past, I will also have rotary encoders and potentiometers for those wishing to learn a new area of electronics. These allow you to dim a bulb, or create thresholds in coding. Time in session will be short, so you’ll choose your own adventure while I’m available for help. I’m also happy to continue these conversations during free time at the conference with anyone who would like to explore more!