A fourth grade student was given a lengthy assignment that required much Internet “research.” I put the word research in quotes since the word was used, but not necessarily in the spirit of its traditional meaning let alone its direct implications in science. The student spent many hours searching Internet sites for the various facts necessary [...]
What would happen if you could dive in and out of any particular moment of time within a brilliantly conceived visual interface that marries Prezi with the universe? Well, I’m not sure, but I bet it would look something like ChronoZoom. I know it sounds silly or cliché but ChronoZoom (www.ChronoZoomproject.org) is really jaw dropping! [...]
While much of the tablet-interested world was waiting for the latest iteration of the iPad to be announced today, there was another launch of a great looking “tablet” device yesterday. Vernier.com announced the next version of their LabQuest, the LabQuest 2. Back in 2007, still years before the iPad was even in diapers, Vernier launched [...]
TED.com provides “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world,” as videos (streaming, downloadable, podcasts, etc.) captured during the conferences. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Here are some of my favorite TED videos, and this list corresponds to the list published in our Science 2.0 column this month along with a few [...]
The launch of a formal, deliberate, across the board attempt to produce digital textbooks has arrived. Not just digital version of paper texts. Not just .pdf pages mimicking textbooks. Not just webpages trying to walk like a textbook. No, this is a sincere attempt to redefine the concept and use of a textbook firmly planted [...]
I recently talked with a high school senior who wants to become an elementary teacher. “Working with younger students, one thing I won’t have to think about is technology,” she said. She certainly has some misconceptions about elementary students! I thought about her as I read this issue of Science and Children and the examples [...]
I’m using probes in some of my chemistry labs, although I’m sure I could be doing more with them. In addition, I’m still trying to learn how to enhance lessons with the interactive board that was installed this year. I recently attended a workshop featuring several Web 2.0 tools that look interesting, but I now [...]
Being part of a military family, Veterans Day holds special significance for me. Members of my family have served in the Coast Guard, Navy, and Army. Wherever I am on Veterans Day, I seek out a way to reflect on the sacrifices and accomplishments of the men and women who serve in our armed forces. [...]
This morning in New Orleans, as part of the Urban Science Education Leadership (USEL) session, presenters from the Baltimore City Public Schools described their district’s Elementary STEM Teacher Clinic and how it transformed the teachers who participated in it.
