It's much harder for a sperm to swim, than it is for a sperm whale. Why? This excellent TEDed video explains: I think I'll use it next year, during the 'reproduction' section of my first-year biology paper 🙂
Continue readingTag: education
how to do citizen science
The other day I was involved in a discussion on setting up a ‘citizen science’ program. The people asking the questions were looking at developing outreach: giving talks, helping with local science-y initiatives, setting up websites, & so on. I responded that it all sounded good, and it was great that they were looking at […]
Continue readinggoogle hangout – a new adventure
A few days back the Uni communications office asked if I'd be willing to chair a google hangout panel discussion. Subject: the chemistry of fluoride. I'm always interested in trying new things, so I said yes, and yesterday we had our hangout and this is the result: It was an interesting experience and – from […]
Continue readingis science really “too hard”, and if it is, what are we doing about it?
Elf Eldridge has just put up this excellent post on a breaking news story. The issue? that it seems schools are increasingly pulling back from making science compulsory in year 11. From the Stuff article: Scientists are alarmed as a growing number of schools considering [sic] ditching science from the compulsory curriculum because it is […]
Continue readingteach creationism, undermine science
Every now & then I've had someone say to me that there's no harm in children hearing about 'other ways of knowing' about the world during their time at school, so why am I worried about creationism being delivered in the classroom? Well, first up, my concerns – & those of most of my colleagues […]
Continue readingcharter schools can teach creationism after all
I first wrote about charter schools just over a year ago. At the time I was commenting on statements that such schools would be able to employ as teachers people who lacked teaching qualifications, wondering how that could sit with the Minister's statements around achieving quality teaching practice. But I also noted concerns that charter […]
Continue readingwhat am i?
This is a version of something that I originally wrote for the Talking Teaching blog. I've been involved in a few discussions lately, on the issue of what 'we' actually are. That is, are those of us who work with students in our lecture rooms, laboratories and tut classes, teachers? Is that the label we […]
Continue readingthe NEW periodic table song
I know I’m straying from my usual round, but this is too good not to share. Enjoy!
Continue readingdoes science literacy matter?
That’s the title of a post over on the Australian site, The Conversation (which I found by way of a piece on "Scientists, the media, & society" by Sir Peter Gluckman). The author of the piece, Ken Friedman, answers his question with an emphatic "yes, and here’s why". As he notes, The big question is […]
Continue readingwhy everyone must understand science
(& a big ‘thank you!’ to Jean Fleming for showing me this on Facebook) This video featuring philosopher A.C. Grayling, on the BBC’s ‘Future’ page (which alas! did not give an embed code), is a must watch for those concerned with (& about) science literacy. Noting that many people feel excluded by science, he explains […]
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