Apparently 80% of people in the USA think so, according to a Washington Post article that's been all over Facebook in the last few days. That is, 80% of those polled in the regular Food Demand Survey (by Oklahoma State University's Department of Agricultural Economics) agreed with the proposition that all food containing DNA should be […]
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cows and physics and urban myths
In which we encounter – cow-tipping! This is apparently the focus of both myth & mirth in the US: the idea that cows, asleep on their feet, are regularly tipped over by tipsy youths. Now, apart from the inconvenient little fact that cows tend to sleep lying down & thus are supremely untippable at that […]
Continue readinga surprising misconception
I spent much of the weekend marking first-year biology exam papers. It was a lovely weekend & I really didn't want to miss all the nice weather, so I ended up finishing the task well after midnight last night. And in the process I identified evidence of what is, on the surface, a really puzzling misconception, […]
Continue readingreflections on using AdobeConnect in a tutorial
Recently I went to a couple of seminars/tutorials on using AdobeConnect in teaching & learning. As I vaguely remember saying somewhere else, this bit of software looked a bit like panopto might, if it were on steroids, & I could see how it could be a very useful tool for use in my classes. Not […]
Continue readingpechaflickr, connected courses – education in the future?
Recently I had a blast, attending an inspirational workshop by Alan Levine (I grab professional development opportunities like these with both hands!). The workshop gave me some ideas for new things to try with my students next year, and I thought I would share the notes I made at the time (with commentary) in case there might […]
Continue readingquirky science demonstrations
A very brief post before I dive back into marking! My friend Cathy pointed me at this short, fascinating video that shows some quirky chemistry & physics demonstrations (afficionados of Facebook will find it here). I had a couple of 'wow!' moments while watching it; science teachers will probably get the same response when sharing […]
Continue reading6-second science
This video is a compilation of the best clips from the 'Six-second science fair' run by GE recently. (Apparently it attracted more than 600 entries!) Could be really interesting to set something like this as a classroom project – rapidly changing technology (including the apps) has really opened up the options 🙂
Continue readingpharaoh’s serpent
Definitely don't try this one at home! The changes shown in the linked video are an example of intumescence, where a substance swells when it's heated. Fascinating to watch, but since we're talking mercury fumes it's definitely not one for the classroom.
Continue readingcarl wieman on active learning
Recently I wrote about a paper by Freeman et al: a meta-analysis looking at the impact of active learning on student success in maths, engineering, & the sciences (the 'STEM' subjects). In the same volume of PNAS is an accompanying commentary by Carl Wieman. Wieman is a physics Nobel Laureate who also leads a research group working on […]
Continue reading“If you’re going to get lectured at, you might as well be at home in bunny slippers”
There's an increasing body of literature demonstrating the benefits of active learning for tertiary students taking science subjects. This is a topic I've written about before, but I'm always interested in reading more on the subject. And let's face it, the more evidence the better, when you're wanting to get lecturers in the sciences engaged […]
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