November 13, 2008
It was quite a week for our Spangler Science team when we invaded Texas with 24 staff members and Spangler Ambassadors. Half the team headed to Fort Worth for CAST (the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching) and half the team went to Dallas for NAEYC ( the National Association for the Education of Young Children). While our NAEYC team was launching Mentos geysers on the Boy in a Box, the CAST team also found a unique way to use the Geyser Tube… launching our favorite scientist, Beaker , 30-feet in the air in the Geyser Chamber. It was quite a sight at the Spangler Science booth when Beaker when shooting through the air on a stream of Diet Coke.
When the team wasn’t launching stuffed Muppets, they were busy talking with excited science teachers and even presenting workshops at the conference. Spangler Speaker Julie Gintzler presented her Chicka, Chicka - KABOOM workshop. The eager participants were more than a little excited when Julie pulled out the amazing Square Bubble and the “magical” Spot Dot Thumb… now there’s way …
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Tags: 2008 Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching, Beaker, CAST, Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching, Diet Coke Mentos Experiment, Geyser Tube, Julie Gintzler, Mary Pat Weingardt, Mentos Geyser, Spangler Ambassadors
Filed under: Mentos Geyser, Teacher Spotlight
November 11, 2008
If you attended the annual NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) conference last week in Dallas, Texas, it wasn’t hard to find the Steve Spangler Science booth. All you had to do was listen for the shouts of surprise as we launched over 600 Mentos Geysers with the Geyser Tube™ in our own take on the classic dunk tank… the Boy in a Box. It was great to see the teacher reactions when they pulled the string and sent a blast of Coke raining down on our never-tiring Boys in a Box.
As my team can attest, I lost my voice at the conference… just like I do every year… from explaining to everyone who passed by the science behind the Mentos and Diet Coke reaction. It’s important as educators that we don’t just drop some Mentos in a Coke and call it science. The resulting geyser is a great effect, but you are missing the key piece of the lesson. Shoot off a geyser, then listen as your students start to ask questions… “Why does that happen?”… “What if we used more Mentos?”…
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September 24, 2008
We are honored to periodically host the Carnival of Education. Hats off to our good friend Jane Goodwin for all of her work on the latest Carnival. - editor
It’s time to put on our thinking caps and experience the 190th Carnival of Education, right here at Steve Spangler’s blog!
All learning is scientific, you know. The world is a giant laboratory, and every day, we are all, regardless of our ages, making discoveries never before known to mankind.
Perhaps some of you will make some discoveries right here at the Carnival of Education!
Remember now, we don’t all necessarily have to agree on everything to appreciate it, or realize that it has a value.
Let’s begin with some Games for the Brain. That will make us alert and ready for some educational action.
Over at Three Standard Deviations to the Left, there is some discussion about low expectations. Mr. IB lets us know, in no uncertain terms, that HIS expectations are high.
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Tags: adapting, anti-teacher sentiment, apostrophe, artificial turf, Asperger's, autism, brain games, Brainpop, cafeteria food, Carnival of Education, childhood obesity, classroom politics, classroom technology, collaborating teachers, democracy, differentiation, discoveries, educators, electoral, English, equinox, expectations, failures, field trip, foreign language, General, Genuine, giant soap bubbles, Hands on Science Boot Camp, homeschool, humble man, humility, internet dating, Jane Goodwin, John Wilkes Booth, learning style, Links, Mamacita, middle school, moron monday, National Punctuation Day, notecards, Obama, parent-school relationship, paying students, politics, printer, public school, public service messages, quiz, racism, risk, schools, skipping school, steve spangler, students, study hall, stupid, Teachers, technology, toasted pumpkin seeds, video podcasters, wall street bailouts, worksheets, writer's block
Filed under: Hands-on Science Boot Camp, In the News, Podcasts, Science in the Media, Teacher Spotlight, Teaching Moments
August 27, 2008
Once again, the educators that help put together the Carnival of Education have included one of our blog posts in this week’s edition of the Carnival. Check it out and support our fellow bloggers and educators by reading some of the other great blogs over there!
August 14, 2008
Hey, folks, the new Carnival of Education is up and we’re in it! Go check it out… you’ll find all kinds of fantastic resources and information there.
