Archive for August 2011

My robot is better than your robot

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Entertainers are doing a curious thing.

This past Sunday, Will.I.Am. from the Black Eyed Peas teamed up with inventor Dean Kamen from FIRST Robotics for a back to school special titled “i.am.FIRST.”  The message of this special is not only that scientists are rock stars, but that science deserves just as much promotion as sports teams in schools.  Watch the trailer to wet your appetite below…

My “back-to-school” question is this: what is the benefit of having celebrities host a show like this?  Is it counterproductive or does it have a positive effect?  I know that my young cousin simply adores Justin Bieber and so I wouldn’t be surprised if children take his opinion seriously, but is this really a solution?  I am troubled by some of the comments already on Youtube, including this one by Cutiemode – “Ironic that performers are telling us the importance of education.”  Oh Will.I.Am, you have given us so much to think about.

So colleagues, I ask for your input and opinions.  If you had an hour of primetime television to sell science to society, would it look something like i.am.FIRST?  Or what would it look like?

Need more to solidify your thoughts?  You can find the entire program on Youtube – the first part is linked here.

UPDATE:
So, I will admit that I originally posted this without actually watching the entire program first. I caught the tail end of it on Sunday, but just went back and watched the whole thing. Here’s my thoughts:
1.) I adore Will.I.Am. Sometimes I disregard celebrity opinions, especially when reading about all the shenanigans they get themselves into on Perez Hilton. But, Will.I.Am has some great soundbites, especially within the first ten minutes.
2.) As a teacher, the FIRST robotics competition makes me root for kids. I actually got emotional watching the small spotlight on the Noble Nuts. I do hope that one girl fulfills her dream of becoming a lab tech in a hospital.
3.) I like how the program was set up. The trailer almost makes it look like celebrities talking about the importance of science education, but that is not the case at all. The focus really was on the robotics competition, which drives home the point that the focus should be on STEM education.
4.) Lab coats are science fashion. Love it.
5.) Yes, Stephen Tyler, science is about creativity. You are awesome. On the other hand, Jack Black, you sound a little fake. (But I loved you in “Kung Fu Panda.”)

Long story short, if you can spare an hour, definitely watch this program. (You can even skip through the music performances if you prefer to not “Whip Your Hair.”)

Posted in Big Picture, Response | 2 Comments »

Haiku Wednesday IV

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

(Soon I will stop using Roman Numerals to keep track of these recurring posts, simply because I will lose count.)

A mass extinction
Killed all of the dinosaurs.
Which species is next?

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Preach, Joanne Manaster!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Today I stumbled upon a blog post in Scientific American called “Can Scientists Reform Science Education?”  I scoffed at this.  Of course not!  Didn’t we have a lengthy conversation in our Integrating Science and Literacy class about how scientists are the problem?  Didn’t we come to the conclusion that we must change the minds of lab primary investigators and convince them that children are, in fact, the future of science?  Well, future science educators, throw out the names of Dr. Stephen Ekker and Alom Shaha, because they are two of many scientists who have taken the initiative towards reform in science education.

Watch this video!  They’re doing what we’re doing!  (I love the principal’s quote at the end.)

So, what I’m interested in is this question: can we do inquiry-based science without a group like the Mayo Clinic?  We just spent time working on a mini-grant for Donor’s Choose for our Integrating Science and Technology class, so we’re getting the message that money is a factor here.  Can we do inquiry science on a budget?   Should schools be partnering with research universities or research companies in order to do more science?  Do such companies have a place in science education in elementary and secondary schools?

P.S. – I want to say I’m sorry for giving us more to think about during our break from classes, but I’m not sorry at all.
P.P.S. – No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop blogging.

 

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Haiku Wednesday V

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

This week I’m sharing some inclusion haikus.  Preach.

Inclusion for kids
Is a good change in our schools.
Acceptance for all.

Modification
Think about which one to use
Accommodation

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Technology Philosophy

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Technology is all around us, and it is difficult to argue otherwise.  Technology moves fast and sometimes it can be hard to keep up.  But, as it stands, youth culture is fabulous at keeping up to date on new technology, and defining what is cool and usable, or what should be thrown to the wayside.

Affordances:
1.) Ability to add a deeper level of understanding to a topic.  You can look at water all you want, but you see so much more under a microscope.  Or when you plate it to check for bacteria.  Or when you take a turbidity measurement.  I could go on forever, but I won’t.
2.) Ability to keep records.  Whiteboards are great, but wouldn’t it be awesome to save your notes from a day just with the click of a mouse?  Enter SMARTboard!  (Disclaimer: A SMARTboard is not a fancy whiteboard.  See professional development post here.)  Want a gradebook you can carry around, without the hassle of a paper gradebook?  I’ve heard there’s many gradebook apps for that fancy new iPad.
3.) Encourage discovery.  Technology can be an inquiry tool or a way to assess knowledge.  Blogs are a perfect example of this.  I’ve found things to blog about on other blogs, but I’ve also shared my knowledge and opinions with the cyber-world.

Limitations:
1.) Expensive.  When we think of technology, we usually think of an item made of shiny metal and bright LED lights.  And yes, while this is usually the case, we don’t have to fall into that trap!  Check out this list of free assistive technology from The Innovative Educator.
2.) Reliability.  Technology has its glitches so it’s always necessary to have a back-up plan.  Does this mean more work in your lesson plans?  Sure.  If you have a PowerPoint, you should probably have a way to print out slides for all your students.  But you’ll thank yourself for all that hard work.  And your kids will be happy for that opportunity to use technology.

So how has my technology philosophy changed in regards to teaching?  I used to think that I would have to keep up on technology all by myself.  But this doesn’t have to be the case.  When my brother and I were kids, we prided ourselves on figuring out different gadgets without reading the directions and then telling Mom and Dad all about it.  I’m more willing to give power over to my students and let them teach me a thing or two.  Many youth love technology, and I don’t want to take that away from them, especially in a science classroom.

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Camp Monday: Presentations

Monday, August 1, 2011

I was so proud of our campers today.  I couldn’t walk through the room this morning without gushing about everything our kids had accomplished.  Occasionally, one camper would wander off and wouldn’t be explaining science to their visitors, but it was usually easy to pull them back into the group.  The campers were proud of their work and wanted to share it with the public.

K explaining some water samples

N showing another student a bacterial plate

Campers explaining their models for “the perfect cleaner beach” to younger students

Overall, it was a great end to a wonderful week.  I really will miss these kids.

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