Why Science http://www.whyscience.com Better Students. Better Teachers. Better World. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:30:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Google Science Fair 2012 http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/google-science-fair-2012/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/google-science-fair-2012/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:30:01 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7476 Google is currently running a Google Science Fair 2012 in coordination a number of very well respected brands. Needless to say, as we are a STEM Education Technology Company, we are also big fans of science fairs. In fact we try to write about science fairs often in large part because we hope that our simple act of shinning a bright light on these amazing events will in fact encourage even greater participation in subsequent science fairs. ]]> Google is currently running the Google Science Fair 2012 in coordination a number of very well respected brands.

Needless to say, as we are a STEM Education Technology Company, we are also big fans of science fairs. In fact we try to write about science fairs often in large part because we hope that our simple act of shinning a bright light on these amazing events will encourage even greater participation in subsequent science fairs.

And so, when it comes to what is being billed as The Worlds Largest Online Science Competition everyone here at Why Science can’t help but get excited!

To quote Google Science Fair 2012 in their own words:

Have you asked a question today? What did you do with it?

Did it take you somewhere new? Did it bring you here?

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. Anybody and everybody between 13 and 18 can enter. All you need is an idea.

Geniuses are not always A-grade students. We welcome all mavericks, square-pegs and everybody who likes to ask questions. Simply upload your project here to win some life changing prizes.

Everyone has a question. What’s yours?

We strongly encourage everyone to take a look at the Google Science Fair 2012 site and to see for yourself if it makes sense to join. Even if you don’t join, we are confident that you will enjoy spending some time over there. Just a quick heads up though – all submissions for this year’s fair – competition closes 1 April 2012.

Also, while we know as educators that the biggest prize for entering a science fair is the experience, we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention that the prizes that Google and their partners are offering are truly “once in a lifetime experiences” such as a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

One other item we’d like to address is the interesting way that Google is accepting submissions – you can read all about the submission process here, but what Google has done is allowed entrants a very easy way to create a distinct website page (a Google site) and they are also asking that entrants also include either a 2 minute video or a 20 slide presentation among other assets. 10 years ago the idea that we could ask our students to create such assets was simply outside of the realm of reality – once again the wonders of technology!

Lastly, to all of you who have already submitted an entry or are in the process of doing so we’d like to wish you a heartfelt congratulations!

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/google-science-fair-2012/feed/ 0 Using Technology to Access STEM Education News http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/using-technology-to-access-stem-education-news/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/using-technology-to-access-stem-education-news/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:24:44 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7453 Much like how technology has influenced so much of what happens inside the classroom, technology also is playing a very large roll in how we obtain information for all areas including STEM education. There are of course a number of great blogs as well as more traditional media outlets providing amazing coverage with regard to informing the public as well as our own education community with regard to STEM education but there are also a number of other avenues we can look to as well.]]> Much like how technology has influenced so much of what happens inside the classroom, technology also is playing a very large roll in how we obtain information for all areas including STEM education. There are of course a number of great blogs as well as more traditional media outlets providing amazing coverage with regard to informing the public as well as our own education community with regard to STEM education but there are also a number of other avenues we can look to as well.

In particular one service that has made it on to our radar is a company called Paper.li – they bill themselves as an “online newspaper”. The way this service works is that individuals can go and create online newspapers that are focused on categories a user is interested in. As a result of our STEM education technology company being featured by a number of Paper.li users the overall service quickly came to our attention.

We have since come to appreciate the work that a number of Paper.li users have done in terms of organizing and sharing information specific to STEM education, so below please find a small selection of Paper.li pages focused on STEM learning – some but not all of these pages have in the past featured Why Science. As we think you see, these “curators” are doing some really interesting work and if you are interested in learning more about STEM education the below resources might be a nice addition to your online reading routine:

Here is a partial example of what a Paper.li page looks like:


As you can see from the above, some of these users focus on not only STEM education but they also feature information on other STEM related items such as science, policy, business and health. We suspect you will be very impressed by the interesting ways these Paper.li users have managed to organize and present such a vast amount of information.

While the above list is by no means definitive, we did find these particular Paper.li pages to be among the strongest but if we missed something feel free to include it in the comments section below and perhaps we’ll update our post. We should also stress that in addition to Paper.li there are many other great resources that one can turn to for additional information.

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/using-technology-to-access-stem-education-news/feed/ 0 2nd Annual White House Science Fair Celebrates STEM! http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/2nd-annual-white-house-science-fair-celebrates-stem/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/2nd-annual-white-house-science-fair-celebrates-stem/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:20:59 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7422 Earlier this week (February 7, 2012) President Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair. This event celebrated student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. As you are well aware if you have spent any [...]]]> US White House LogoEarlier this week (February 7, 2012) President Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair. This event celebrated student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. As you are well aware if you have spent any time here at Why Science, we are HUGE fans of science fairs. Over 100 students representing 30 different student teams were chosen to attend this unique meeting with the President.

In addition to celebrating the participants, President Obama also announced several new initiatives to increase the number of students studying STEM subjects, and to prepare more math and science teachers to teach future engineers, inventors, and innovators.  Here is quick highlight of those initiatives:

  • A priority on undergraduate STEM education reform in the President’s upcoming budget, including a $100 million investment by the National Science Foundation to improve undergraduate STEM education practices.
  • A new K-16 education initiative jointly administered by Department of Education and the National Science Foundation to improve math education.
  • Commitments from private sector groups and coalitions to do more to get students excited about STEM-related.
  • New policies to recruit, support, retain and reward excellent STEM teachers, along with an $80 million investment in the President’s upcoming budget to help prepare effective STEM teachers.
  • A new $22 million investment from the philanthropic and private sector to complement the Administration’s teacher preparation efforts.

When students excel in math and science, they help America compete for the jobs and industries of the future,” That’s why I’m proud to celebrate outstanding students at the White House Science Fair, and to announce new steps my Administration and its partners are taking to help more young people succeed in these critical subjects.

President Obama

President talked with Samantha GarveyAs far as this STEM learning company is concerned, it was very nice to see that our President has made such a big effort to help support STEM education. While we do wholeheartedly agree that the STEM students of today are going to have an ever increasing role in the continually evolving economy of tomorrow, we also think it is really great to see our President using his capacity as the leader of our nation to send such a wonderful and inspiring message to all out students.

And yes, we very much look forward to seeing this tradition continue well beyond our current president’s time in office!

Image Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/2nd-annual-white-house-science-fair-celebrates-stem/feed/ 0 Celebrate Black History Month with Why Science. Ignite a Passion for Reading with Top Science Trade Books http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/ignite-a-passion-for-reading-with-top-science-trade-books/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/ignite-a-passion-for-reading-with-top-science-trade-books/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:00:35 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7241 With countless digital and print books published each year, is finding reading material to engage students a daunting task? For nearly 40 years, NSTA and the Children’s Book Council have collaborated to select the best published each year for their list of Outstanding [...]]]> With countless digital and print books published each year, is finding reading material to engage students a daunting task? For nearly 40 years, NSTA and the Children’s Book Council have collaborated to select the best published each year for their list of Outstanding Science Trade Books (OSTB) for Students K–12, and this year’s list is no exception.

Reading science trade books is the perfect way for students of all ages to build literacy skills while learning science content. One of our favorite books, at Why Science is Dark Emperor. Dark Emperor is a collection of nature poems focusing on the flora and fauna of the woods.  In her poems, Sidman illuminates the nocturnal actions of the snail, primrose moth, great horned owl, orb spider, baby porcupette, cricket, oak tree, mushrooms, eft, tree bat—and provides insight into the moon’s thinking. She brings the dark forest to life with her imagery. Both poetry and art enlighten and shed light on a dark world that most of us are unfamiliar with. Dark Emperor is perfect  for educators who enjoy connecting the culture and practice of science with poetry/literature and art.

Join Why Science  in celebrating Black History Month by igniting a passion for reading in your community with OSTBs.

HOW?  We recommend that you browse reviews of outstanding science trade books for students listed below, and start connecting science with language and art in your classrooms today.  You can also schedule a training program with us to learn how. Many OSTB books available online, on mobile devices as well as in print. Have fun!

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/ignite-a-passion-for-reading-with-top-science-trade-books/feed/ 0 Will Students Learn More Using Technology? http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/will-students-learn-more-using-technology/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/will-students-learn-more-using-technology/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:44:29 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7391 The question of what is the most effective way to teach students is one that inspires immense passions, distinct opinions and many differing views. This is exactly the sort of question that should generate very big responses because the stakes are so high.

As times change, so to do teaching methods, and today we are [...]]]> The question of what is the most effective way to teach students is one that inspires immense passions, distinct opinions and many differing views. This is exactly the sort of question that should generate very big responses because the stakes are so high.

As times change, so to do teaching methods, and today we are seeing this trend in full effect as our society is in the midst of a massive technology “bloom” which is inspiring so much amazing innovation in technology. Of course as we are all quickly adapting to the classroom of today, we are still asking the important questions, including the one really big one – despite all the hype do students actually learn more when using technology? If ever a year was poised to adequately begin to have a real dialogue around this question 2012 would seem to be it. Over time we have seen how the classroom has adjusted to technology but it is also important that we as educators and “stakeholders” make sure that we are not overtaken by the shiny object syndrome and that we continue to remain vigilant when it comes to outcomes.

That said, the reality is these are extremely exciting times for both educators and students, times filled with amazing potential that could drive much stronger education outcomes that will translate into a higher quality of life for everyone.

Powerful!

Here is just a small sampling of some of the thinking, technologies and reporting that is currently being created to help ask the big question surrounding technology and education – does it work:

Will students learn more using digital textbooks? Apple’s launch last week of new digital-textbook software has educators and experts considering whether students will learn more and better using these and other tablet-based resources. Measuring the effect of these tools may prove complicated, and experts, including Ron Owston of Canada’s York University, say teacher effectiveness and the environment in which the technology is used are important factors. “Kids need some structure. They need guidance. They need feedback. They’re not going to get that from electronic books alone,” Owston said.

Redefining Instruction with Technology: Five Essential Steps: This is a very interesting story about an educator in the fall of 2010, that was awarded a grant that brought 32 iPads to her classroom. Of course she was quickly confronted with another question – now what?

3 Tips on Integrating Technology in the Classroom. Digital Learning Day: Strategies for adopting classroom technology. The Alliance for Excellent Education is promoting the first annual Digital Learning Day, to be held on Feb. 1, when it will recognize educators who are successfully integrating technology into the curriculum. Bob Wise, the group’s president and former West Virginia governor, and Sarah Hall, director of the Alliance’s Center for Secondary School Digital Learning and Policy, suggest that effective use of classroom technology requires planning, a willingness to try new tools, and the ability to choose and combine content and technology to create effective lessons.

“You can’t just slap a netbook [computer] on top of a textbook and say, ‘Great, now we have technology,”

Bob Wise, former governor of West Virginia and president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, an advocacy organization

The Economist recently held a very interesting online debate about technology in education – 56% of those that votes felt that “new technologies and new media do make a significant contribution to the quality of education” but there were some very compelling arguments on the other side as well.

While there has yet to be that critical tipping point moment where we can all say definitively that technology does without a doubt make education better we can all agree that the drive to do better is something that will never end. Fortunately this very drive to continually improve fits in very nicely with one of the underlying principles of technology; the simple idea that over time technology evolves. Our hope here at Why Science is that while technology alone cannot provide solutions to every educational circumstance, technology should be able to work with our educators in such as way that over time our educators will be much better positioned to teach and our students similarly will be much more able to learn.

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/02/will-students-learn-more-using-technology/feed/ 0 Introducing Poly & Mer, A New STEM Learning Technology http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/introducing-poly-mer-a-new-stem-learning-technology/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/introducing-poly-mer-a-new-stem-learning-technology/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:00:45 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7312 On behalf of everyone here at  Why Science, an education technology company focused on STEM learning, we are extremely pleased to announce the pilot launch of our most recent product Adventures with Poly & Mer. Needless to say, this is a major announcement for [...]]]> On behalf of everyone here at  Why Science, an education technology company focused on STEM learning, we are extremely pleased to announce the pilot launch of our most recent product Adventures with Poly & Mer. Needless to say, this is a major announcement for our startup company and this milestone has been met with tremendous pride and also a fair amount of reflection both regarding where our company has come from as well as where we are looking to grow towards.

Adventures with Poly & Mer is an interactive learning technology platform  designed to provide both students and educators with rich STEM learning opportunities while developing effective problem solving skills. This technology based learning platform integrates science, literacy and technology to build skills for scientific inquiry as well as writing, reading, speaking and listening skills as recommended by the 1996 National Science Education Standards.

From the perspective of students, the experience is very interactive, providing each student with engaging in a hands-on & minds-on immersive learning experience while continually reinforcing critical problem solving skills throughout each learning module.

For educators Adventures with Poly & Mer provides real time insights (learning analytics) on each students’ individual and group performances.  Rather than spending time in front of the classroom in a more traditional lecture format, educators utilizing our STEM learning platform will instead be much more able to provide individualized teaching specific to each student’s needs.

As we conclude our pilot testing for this new platform we will ultimately enable Adventures with Poly & Mer to be playable online in all digital venues including the computer, the tablet, the smartphone and possibly even at home with an interactive TV screen.

Meet Poly & Mer:

Poly & Mer are virtual STEM educators designed to provide guidance supporting the creation of hands-on & minds-on learning environments which foster the progressive development of science process skills and Learning-to-Learn skills while students learn content. These fun animated characters represent what we might consider “holistic STEM parents/instructors” and their role within the game is multi-faceted.

More To Come…

Over the course of the next few months we are looking forwarding to continuing to develop our platform and also to working with our pilot partners to continue to enhance the entire experience.   The early feedback has been nothing short of amazing and also extremely humbling in that we have been fortunate to have had so many wonderful and truly insightful interactions with so many individuals.

So again, on behalf of the entire team here at Why Science as well as our many wonderful partners, we look forward to continuing to move forward with our progress and ultimately to bring Poly & Mer to a screen near you soon!

- The Why Science Team

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/introducing-poly-mer-a-new-stem-learning-technology/feed/ 0 WHY SCIENCE Newsletter Issue 17, January 2012 http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/why-science-newsletter-issue-13/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/why-science-newsletter-issue-13/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:34 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=5713 Current Issue

Bulletin Issue 17, January 30, 2012: Why Science Launching Adventures with Poly & Mer – A New STEM Learning Technology

Past Issues

Bulletin Issue 16, December 22, 2011: “Happy [...]]]> Current Issue

Bulletin Issue 17, January 30, 2012: Why Science Launching Adventures with Poly & Mer – A New STEM Learning Technology

Past Issues

Visit the Why Science Blog to read articles in earlier issues of the Bulletin. Enjoy!

 

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/why-science-newsletter-issue-13/feed/ 0 80 percent of teachers say technology access falls short of their classroom needs, survey finds http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/80-percent-of-teachers-say-technology-access-falls-short-of-their-classroom-needs-survey-finds/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/80-percent-of-teachers-say-technology-access-falls-short-of-their-classroom-needs-survey-finds/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:00:37 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7185 Just because teachers have classroom technology access doesn’t mean they are satisfied with their level of access, according to survey results released Monday at the Florida Education Technology Conference in Orlando. The endeavor from PBS LearningMedia, a digital division of the Public Broadcasting System, found that while more than 9 in 10 teachers [...]]]> Just because teachers have classroom technology access doesn’t mean they are satisfied with their level of access, according to survey results released Monday at the Florida Education Technology Conference in Orlando. The endeavor from PBS LearningMedia, a digital division of the Public Broadcasting System, found that while more than 9 in 10 teachers who responded to a national survey said they have access to computers in classrooms, more than 4 in 5 said that technology access falls short of their needs. About 93% of responding educators said they believed interactive whiteboards enhance classroom learning and 81 percent indicated they felt the same way about tablet computers such as the iPad.

The top 3 ways educators use technology in the classroom were:

  • Increase student motivation to learn (77 %)
  • Reinforce and expand on content being taught (76 %)
  • Respond to a variety of learning styles (76 %)

At  Why Science, an education technology company we believe that technology should support classroom instruction and not supplant it. Thus  we are very excited that these survey results reflect our core principles for creating  Poly & Mer technology for STEM teaching and learning.

See related stories about this survey at Education Week Blog (1/23)  T.H.E. Journal (1/23)



]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/80-percent-of-teachers-say-technology-access-falls-short-of-their-classroom-needs-survey-finds/feed/ 0 How Technology is Changing Education http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/how-technology-is-changing-education/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/how-technology-is-changing-education/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:01 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7194 Of late we have seen so much potential emerging from the world of technology as relates specifically to education. From the perspective of Why Science, an education technology company, not only the pace of these breakthroughs, but also the scope of many of them has been extremely encouraging and we suspect [...]]]> Of late we have seen so much potential emerging from the world of technology as relates specifically to education. From the perspective of Why Science, an education technology company, not only the pace of these breakthroughs, but also the scope of many of them has been extremely encouraging and we suspect that given the recent announcement by Apple regarding their push towards the classroom this will be a big year it terms of the merging of technology and the classroom.

Below are a few recent articles that we thought were noteworthy not only based on their achievements but also because when you think about these stories in the context of how we have educated our students, ALL of these stories would have been impossible to write even five years ago!

1. Capitalizing student engagement with mobile devices

Students spend a lot of time outside of school using high tech forms of communication. Why not capture these skills to improve student learning? Technology Director Anthony A. Luscre of Mogadore Local Schools challenges educators to use students’ mobile devices to provide technology-rich, highly engaging, and fun learning experiences that reflect real-world skills. T.H.E. (1/20)

2. iPad in classroom provide 20 percent jump in math scores, study says

Students in an iPad tablet computer pilot program in a Riverside, Calif., middle school achieved math test scores that were 20% higher than the scores of those using traditional textbooks. The yearlong program, sponsored by publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, used the Fuse program, the first algebra curriculum designed exclusively for the iPad. CNET (01/20)

3. How technology enhanced  flipped instruction helps principal improve student outcomes at his school

Flipped instruction can offer solutions for improving education at impoverished schools, says Greg Green, principal of a financially struggling high school in Michigan. At Green’s school, a flipped model has been in place for 18 months and led to a rise in attendance and decreases in failure rates and discipline cases, he writes. CNN (01/18)

4.  The promise of Education Apps

How are apps going to change the way we deliver educational content? The collection of iPhone and iPad educational applications aimed at young children is growing rapidly, now making up more than 75% of all educational apps available on iTunes, according to a new study by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at the Sesame Workshop. In addition, almost 60% of children’s apps target toddlers and preschoolers, while 14% of apps were designed to be used in the classroom, the study found. The analysis presented in this study highlights industry best practices and future opportunities for developers, educators and researchers by closely examining the content of 200+ children’s apps within the education apps category of Apple’s App Store. Click here to read full iLearn II report

]]> http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/how-technology-is-changing-education/feed/ 0 Obama’s State of the Union: Teachers Matter. http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/obamas-state-of-the-union-teachers-matter/ http://www.whyscience.com/2012/01/obamas-state-of-the-union-teachers-matter/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:49 +0000 WHY SCIENCE http://www.whyscience.com/?p=7155 Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his third annual state of the union address. In a speech heavily focused on manufacturing, job training and tax reform, Obama took the time to outline why teachers matter. Our education technology company is committed to many of the same strategies and approaches to education [...]]]>

Jan. 24: President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill, as Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner, right, applaud. Source: Fox News

Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his third annual state of the union address. In a speech heavily focused on manufacturing, job training and tax reform, Obama took the time to outline why teachers matter. Our education technology company is committed to many of the same strategies and approaches to education that President Obama shared in his state of the union address. Hopefully between the President and our current Congress they will find ways to overcome their differences when it comes to educating our students.

At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced States to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies – just to make a difference.

Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.

- President Barack Obama, State of the Union 2012

Read Full transcript of President Obama’s Speech at USA TODAY

 

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