iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

For years I have referred readers to the University of Nottingham's Periodic Table of Videos. That table provides a video about every element that is in the Periodic Table. A few years ago the producers of the Periodic Table of Videos partnered with TED-Ed to create lessons about every element in the Periodic Table.

A heads up: Dyson has "created 44 engineering and science activities for children to try out while at home during the coronavirus pandemic, from making a balloon-powered car to building a bridge from spaghetti," writes the Dezeen website. They go on to add: "Comprised of 22 science tasks and 22 engineering activities, the Challenge Cards can be completed by children using common household items such as eggs, string and balloons." You can also find a related playlist of videos on YouTube, one of which appears above.

ExploreLearning Gizmos provides over 400 math and science online simulations that power inquiry and understanding. It has a free Gizmos account available for science and math educators with a curated collection of Gizmos that change every January/July. Aligned to NGSS and state standards, each Gizmo comes with teacher guides and customizable lesson materials to help teachers and students delve deeper into the material.

Eighth-grader Liam Bayne has always liked math and science -- that’s one reason his family sent him to The Alternative School For Math and Science (ASMS). But he was surprised and excited when his sixth-grade science class started each new topic with experimentation, not lecture or textbook learning.

“I was really excited because the first thing we did was experiments and hands-on stuff, which is my favorite part,” Liam said. At ASMS the teaching philosophy centers around giving students experiences that pique their interest to know more. Their science curriculum is based on a program called Full Option Science System (FOSS), but has changed over time as teachers bring new ideas to the curriculum and focus on meeting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Recently, my students gave me one of those golden moments in teaching.  Allow me to set the stage.

We were over six weeks into a project-based life science unit in which students apply systems-thinking to closely examine the inner workings of a body system and relate that system to others as a subsystem. The set of standards housing our work is juicy with Crosscutting Concepts and ripe with potential for Science and Engineering Practices.  We began the unit exploring how cells themselves, a structure students often initially perceive as an end-all-be-all baseline to life, are instead a very complex system of subsystems.  That particular day, students were outlining components of their selected body system in preparation for writing  a podcast.

"What Was Google’s Original Name?  Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!"

"The mission of the Young Scientist Lab is to foster a new generation of scientists who are inspired to improve the world with science. For teachers, students and parents seeking a place to explore the world of scientific innovations and opportunities, Discovery Education and 3M developed this interactive portal filled with engaging activities and standards-aligned teaching tools, anchored by the award-winning annual Young Scientist Challenge."

Jefferson Lab's YouTube channel includes a playlist titled Frostbite Theater. The first time I looked at the playlist a few years ago it had about fifty videos. The playlist has now expanded to 87 videos. The playlist features videos of science demonstrations and experiments. Many of the demonstrations involve the use of liquid nitrogen. You'll also find videos about electricity, insects, and lasers. The video from the playlist that I've embedded below is about measuring the speed of light.

“What’s the best scientific formula for a powerful rocket with oxidizer and fuel?” In this video clip from Bang Goes The Theory Series 5, via BBC Earth Lab, we get a quick peek at the mix of chemistry and physics that goes into making a perfectly performing rocket.

Did you know your phone, especially if it's an up to date model, is packed full of little instruments you can actually use to perform some basic experiments?

Many of these tiny instruments are used by the phone's basic software, and third-party apps, to act as data collectors to help with some of its features, like GPS etc. 

At last count, there were over 80,000 educational apps available to teachers. There are apps for everything: literacy, STEM, productivity, audiovisual, etc. There are apps which improve accessibility for students with different learning challenges, i.e. text to voice, voice to text, etc.

While many of these may be a dream come true for educators, the dizzying array of choices is also a nightmare. Teachers just don’t have time to filter through thousands of apps to find the one that works best for the needs of their students. To help, we started to create curated lists of the best apps in a variety of education related categories. In this installment, we will present the best science apps for elementary school students.

Teaching about coronavirus can make learning more relevant while helping students cope with feelings of uncertainty and instability

When a teacher noticed her kids fighting at recess, she turned to neuroscience and mindfulness practice to help them take control of their emotions.

Back to school always felt like a fresh start for me.  One of my favorite parts about teaching was that each year I got a chance to correct the wrongs from the previous year.  I used the first few weeks of school to build relationships with students and to put them into situations that helped build our class culture.  I’ve put together a list of my favorite back to school resources for a middle school science teacher.

The Washington Post just published These DIY experiments on YouTube might inspire you to give science a try, which includes descriptions and sample videos from some excellent YouTube channels.

Most of them include clips of experiments you can do at home or in the classroom, though some are more for viewing – only.

In addition to all those videos, though, I also have to highlight Brainchild, Netflix’s new science series for young people.

I’m embedding its trailer below, and you might also want to read NPR’s article about it, New Netflix Show ‘Brainchild’ Makes Science Fun For Kids.

Discussions of maker education often dazzle with stories of fanciful robots, exotic materials, and whimsical ideas for cross-disciplinary projects. These impressive examples showcase the amazing things creative people can do, but when I wanted to build making into my freshman biology course, I felt stymied. When I reframed making as integral rather than optional, I found a way to let students create.

Do you want to celebrate the end of another year by relaxing in front of a great informative documentary? Nobody would blame you! Fortunately, 2018 was a great year for tech- and science-focused factual filmmaking.
Here are our choices for the best science and technology documentaries 2018 had to offer.

"Your smartphone is packed with sensors and miniaturized equipment. Instead of using them to snap photos or message friends, harness those instruments for the sake of science. Software can turn a phone into a mobile science laboratory, letting you make research observations, track earthquakes, study birds and stars and the elements, and even project a virtual particle accelerator. Here are some of our favorite apps for doing science on your smartphone."

Let's Talk Energy is a national program that aims to enhance energy awareness and literacy among Canadians to contribute to a sustainable energy future.

Foodskey is a site produced by The University of Nottingham who also produces the Periodic Table of Videos. Foodskey is a set of fourteen videos about the science of food. The videos cover topics like nutrition, food security, and crop technology.

"Learning shouldn't stop after school ends, and the women of YouTube's STEM channels prove that.

These aren't the boring science lessons that you had to sit through in stuffy high school classrooms or massive college lecture halls. There are no tests, no grades, and no assignments. You will, however, need a sense of curiosity and a love for all things science. 

If you're driven by a desire to learn new things, check out these six women who are making STEM more accessible. "

50+ Genius STEM Activities for Kids. Toys from Trash. MAKE HOMEMADE SCIENCE TOYS AND PROJECTS. Project-Based Engineering for Kids. Www.robives.com. Science. 2.