Power Balance

Have any of your students come into class with a new piece of learning technlogy lately? No, not a netbook, iphone, i pad or any of the newest apps that seem to pop up every second day but a little piece of plastic. Yes I’m talking about those wrist bands- Power Balance. For those of you who do not know what these are they are hologramedwristbandshttp://www.powerbalance.com/international/?hl=id  that promised enhanced performance, and the professional athletes that flog these swear that it helps them perform (nevermind the gijillion hours of training they do each month….).

 Anyhow, these little creatures multiplied on the wrists of my grade 1 class like the movie Gremlins (okay Im dating myself here circa 1984) but of you know the show ….you know what Im on about. So gradually kids in my class have these, they are not really sure what they are for, so I think they have been bought by some very optimistic (and hopeful) consumers.

So we just happen to be  weighing stuff in our math session using balance scales when something odd happens. A student cried out LOOK! The student did make the scale balance- the task was to find 2 different objects in the room to make the scale balance, however this crafty kid had PUT HIS POWER BALANCE ON TOP OF THE BALANCE SCALE! I though wow, how creative..and misguided. We decided that this might need a bit more inquiry. Was the Power Balance band REALLY the reason the scale was balanced, so as natural inquirers do, we made some hypotheses and ran some tests. I think you can guess the result. Oh and if you dont believe me then see what The Therapeutic Goods Complaints Resolution Panel found. http://tinyurl.com/2ffww3q

La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia has gone one step further and are testing the Power Balance claims. Stay tuned- results out in December 2010. OR …..you could just get a few grade 1’s together……