August 28, 2005

Teaching teachers to do magic

A teacher can be an amazing teacher. In science workshops and seminars, I teach teachers how to do magic. I grew up in a family of professional magicians, but my 13 years in the classroom didn't involve a lot of magic other than science magic, like water floating upside down in a glass, or a ping pong ball floating on a stream of air. Teachers are aware of how important it is to teach content. Sometimes they need to stop for a moment and learn how to be a presenter of science. I teach you how to put the coin in your hand and make it disappear. It's a technique used by magicians to grab our attention. It excites us. Makes us want to know how it works. And it can be worked into the Five E's: it excites the kids, makes them want to explore, engages them in learning and experiment in the process and, finally, evaluates their learning. And it can be as simple as a little experiment with the vanishing coin. Listen to my podcast to hear how teachers can do magic in the classroom (File size is 0.8 MB) (Show length 3 minutes 20 seconds)

August 22, 2005

How to be an amazing teacher by taking the lid off the box

How to be amazing teacher? Try this! Get organized. The hardest thing is to take all the ideas we learn at conferences, workshops and seminars and put them to use. Don't put science demonstrations in a closed box - because they will stay there. Throw the lid away, so you constantly have to look at those materials. If they are staring you in the face, you are more likely to build them into your curriculum. Once you get organized, you start using your resources better. And you will be a more effective science teacher with those tools right at your fingertips. Listen to my podcast on how to be an amazing teacher by taking the lid off the box (File size is 1.1 MB) (Show length 4 minutes 4 seconds)

August 7, 2005

Teachers need learning too - say yes to staff development

I think the #1 thing an elementary teacher can do today to be a better teacher is to go to as many professional staff development opportunities as possible. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference is one of the best to prepare you to teach science. Imagine thousands of teachers in one place, all focused on one area -to help children think like a scientist. It all boils down to this. How do we prepare kids for the real world and help them to think critically, and to help make decisions that make the world a better place. Beg, plead, borrow... whatever you need to do to go to one of those conferences. You'll be hooked. You will realize how important it is to be at the cutting edge of science education. If you don't know anything about the NSTA, go to www.nsta.org for more information. Listen to my podcast on professional development for teachers (File size is 1.4 MB) (Show length 2 minutes 54 seconds)

April 3, 2005

Teachers Advocate Stealing?

I just returned from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) convention in Dallas and the experience was fantastic. The convention organizers knocked everyone's socks off with a first rate conference. But there was one little probelm. What was the "buzz" this year among teachers? In a word, stealing. The convention opened with the general session speaker who told the packed audience of over 4,000 K-12 teachers to "steal their way to success." Of course, "stealing" refers to the taking of another person's teaching ideas, lesson plans, classroom management practices or their favorite science demonstration in hopes of becoming a better teacher. The keynote speaker concluded with, "... if you didn't like this speech, I'm not offended because I stole it!" This theme of theft prevailed throughout the conference as presenter after presenter jokingly recommended this sort of tongue and cheek robbery. On my way to a session, a teacher stopped me and said, "I just wanted to let you know that I've stolen all of your ideas! They're great." This was intended to be a compliment, I think. However, my response caught her off guard. "How could you have stolen the ideas if I gave them to you in my … (more...)

April 2, 2005

Great Workshop at NSTA 2005

What do you get when you cram 83 teachers into a small room with an endless supply of kitchen chemistry ingredients? You get an outstanding teacher workshop at the NSTA 2005 convention in Dallas. Kathy Denman, Mary Pat Weingardt, and John Walsh presented a great workshop entitled, "Eye-catching Demos Guaranteed to Get Kids Excited About Learning." This picture was taken just seconds after the eruption of a giant Mentos Fountain. Kathy shared her experiences connecting science with popular pieces of children's literature. On his way to the convention, John Walsh discovered that the TSA agents at the airport also like science. That's why they decided to keep (confiscate) over half of his demos. But John's a true pro and pulled together some great demos centered around light and optical illusions. John finshed up with a vinegar-powered rocket that lauched nicely, but covered the entire front row in residue! Mary Pat Weingardt presented a wonderful collection of classic pieces of children's literature and build solid connections to hands-on science activities. It's no wonder Mary Pat is a Presidential Award recipient in math and science.