November 25, 2008

Doc Gizmo Shares Science with a Message at the Colorado Science Convention

It was easy to spot Doc Gizmo as you wandered through the exhibit hall at the Colorado Science Convention. He was the only person dressed in a tie-dyed lab coat with multi-colored socks and a smile that beamed from ear to ear. Even before watching his program, there was no question that this guy had found his calling. Doc Gizmo, whose real name is Phil Arnold, has been traveling around the Midwest for several years doing his science assembly program for a wide variety of audiences. Phil told the audience that his wife teaches chemistry and physics in Bucklin, Kansas, and he was recruited to build a few science demonstrations for her to use in the classroom. One thing led to the next and Doc Gizmo is traveling the Midwest with his science show speaking to anyone and everyone who wants to learn why science is fun. During the hour long program for an audience of science teachers at the Colorado Science Convention, Doc Gizmo skillfully weaved a handful of classic …

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April 18, 2006

The Ellen Show Called…

When the phone rings, we never know quite what to expect. The phone rang and on the other end was a senior producer at the Ellen Show (you know… Ellen DeGeneres). It seems that this producer had been watching a few of our science videos and wanted to know if Ellen would have fun making huge clouds with liquid nitrogen, shooting potatoes, whipping up a batch of slime or learning how to make toilet paper fly. My response was “yes” to all of the above. But maybe it’s best if you help us decide which science experiments would be most fun to do with Ellen. Of course, the goal of the segment is to show parents how to make learning fun… and what could be more fun than 50 gallons of Insta-Snow erupting on the set? Now this doesn’t mean that I’m automatically on the show… they’re just interested. So, what cool science demos should I pitch to the producers at the Ellen Show?

March 7, 2006

Science in the Rockies - Summer Science Workshop for Teachers - August 3-5, 2006

The dates for Science in the Rockies are etched in stone. Mark your calendar for August 3-5, 2006 (that’s Thursday through Sunday) in Denver, Colorado for another year of bubble blowing, slime-making, potato launching fun… educationally speaking, of course. Last year we had 99 teachers who attended our summer workshop and a small handful were brave enough to do a few science demos on live television at 6:30 AM. Watch the video and read teacher comments from 2005. Learn more about Science in the Rockies 2006

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)