Another Spangler Science Lesson from SONIC® Drive-In
Now you can eat a burger, drink a limeade and enjoy some cool science experiments from Steve Spangler Science at your local SONIC, America’s Drive-In. We’re excited to announce the release of 4 new books and toys created in partnership with SONIC as part of their Wacky Pack® kids’ meal. This Deep Space series includes a Flying Saucer optical illusion, a Levitating Coney Rocket, a Planet Decoder and a Deep Space Experiment Guide developed in conjunction with our good friend and amazing space educator, Eddie Goldstein.

“SONIC is delighted to partner with Steve Spangler Science as part of our Accent on Education program,” said Tamara Stanley, director of segment marketing for SONIC® Drive-In®. “At SONIC, we blend fun with education by including interactive educational toys in our Wacky Pack kids’ meal. The Deep Space books and toys are a great example of how we help our youngest guests understand how fun learning can be.”

All of the SONIC Wacky Pack toys are cool, but my personal favorites are the Deep Space Adventures book and Planet Decoder - a special red filter decodes the science information about each planet.

Visit www.sonicdrivein.com to find a SONIC Drive-In near you.

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Cruel and unusual experiments with eggs are just par for the course in March. The Naked Eggs experiment brought lots of e-mails and photos from students (and teachers) doing their version of the experiment. Anything new on the naked egg front?

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I recently recorded a conversation held between me and Stephan Spencer, president of search engine optimization company, Netconcepts.

Spencer talks about the basics of both social networking sites, such as whether or not you should make your profile private if you are worried about your job, or prospective jobs. There are plenty of cases where exactly this has happened.

I can recall myself a time when my company was hiring and it was possible for us to gather a lot of personal information about the candidates just by going to their social networking profile. I had never thought of using these websites to learn more about the prospective employees, but it does work.

It’s not just making your profile private, but you also have to be weary when you are making comments on other people’s public profiles which can then later be associated back to you.

I also link it back to teachers, making the point that teachers could make a better connection with their students if they were found on the social networking sites. All they have to do is make sure they are actively moderating comments for anything that may be inappropriate.

Make sure you listen to this conversation for more information about the two popular social networking sites.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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… but nothing was stolen or broken or vandalized… unless you consider turning everything green an act of vandalism. It all makes sense when you remember the date - March 17th - St. Patrick’s Day. That “someone” was either a Leprechaun or a teacher with a very funny sense of humor. Sure, there was the usual St. Patrick’s Day stuff like coloring the water in all of the toilets green, rearranging furniture and other general mischief things, but this person went the extra mile. The water coming out of the sink faucets was green!

The first person to discover this was a second grade teacher who always arrives early and has taken it upon herself to start the coffee brewing. When she turned on the water this morning to fill the coffee pot, the water came out of the faucet green. No kidding. News about the green water spread like wildfire as teachers throughout the school tested each faucet. Just how did someone turn the water green… and who’s responsible for the greatest St. Patrick’s Day stunt ever pulled off at this school (maybe any school)?

Turning the water green is easy (if you know the secret) and doesn’t cause any damage to anything… other than to drive everyone crazy trying to figure out how to do it. Last year, Leprechauns turned the water green at our house and my three boys will never forget the experience.

But this blog post is not about the green water… it’s about a school filled with wonder and laughter long before the first child stepped through the front door. One of the teachers (maybe more) took the initiative to come in over the weekend and rig up all of the sinks, just for the joy of doing it! Since the person (or Leprechaun) didn’t reveal his or her identity, everyone was talking to anyone who thought they had some inside information. By the time the kids gathered up their St. Patrick’s Day treats and headed out to the buses, absolutely everyone person in the school knew about the green water. In fact, the embellishments to the story grew by the hour. Who knows what those kids told their parents… other than to say what fun everyone had at school today. And no one is certain who to blame for all of the laughter and smiles on this St. Patrick’s Day at Wilder Elementary. I wonder what those Leprechauns have in store for next year. Okay, enough is enough… who did it?

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Just goes to show you that video cameras are everywhere! Thanks to Mark Lee for posting the video on YouTube… and a huge thanks to Terry Monahan who knocked the tray out of the way, the cardboard tubes flew past the glasses and gravity went to work on the eggs… with a perfect splash down.

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I'm in Boston having dinner at Fenway Park with some really amazing people. No, I didn't meet any sports stars or television celebrities - I met the people who are directly responsible for making all of those catalogs and coupons appear in my mailbox at home. I was honored to get to speak at the New England Mail Order Association (NEMOA) Spring conference. I met the marketing geniuses behind so many of the top name catalogs that fill our mailboxes, and I gained some very interesting insights…

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Ooops… that should have read… Freezing an Unforgettable Science Experience in the Minds of Young Children (but the first one is so much more catchy…)

I spend a lot of time training early childhood teachers in ways to make science more fun and meaningful in their classrooms. Gone are the days of collecting leaves in a plastic baggie and calling it science. Today, the best early childhood professionals are pulling out the stops and do everything possible to expose their children to real science. Of course, with real science comes real fun. Nan Papiernik and Beth Dovenspike from Colorado College Children’s Center are both amazing early childhood science teachers who are reaching out to the community and finding real science experience for their children. Nan and Beth called upon Professor Kristina Lang from Colorado College to introduce children to the concept of changing temperature to make things freeze. What could be better than using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream?

The genius part of this strategy is… Read the rest of this entry »

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