Johnson City Middle School Teacher Libbie Haller had been toying with the idea of designing science activity birthday parties or Girl Scout badges for a few years. She was motivated to act when she started reading social media posts by parents struggling to support their student's remote learning this spring. She created "Mad Scientist 607" to post short do-at-home science experiments for families. With a nod to her home county in the name, Mad Scientist 607, is committed to giving kids interactive, fun science experiences! Science is so cool and anyone who experiences these crazy and wacky programs will think so too! The experiments are geared for younger elementary students with supplies which may be at home or in the grocery story, another helpful part for families. Mrs. Haller's lab assistants, Eggert, Olaf and Petey the Pirate, have engaged students in great ways: "My 5th Grader LOVED THIS video! We are definitely going to try it!!!" and "This was great! My 4th grader thought it was hysterical!"
You too can watch MadScientist607 on YouTube and Facebook.
For National DNA Day on April 25, the CR Personal Genetics Professional Learning Team (PLT) organized a Virtual Genetics Conference attended by more than 80 elementary, middle and high school Master Teachers from across the state. Robin Bowman, a Professional Development Associate at Harvard Medical School’s Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd), led a virtual tour of the pgEd labs and shared a wealth of classroom resources. Attendees appreciated learning about what is available to educators, commenting “I am so excited to have access to all of these amazing resources about Personal Genetics. The presenters were very knowledgeable.” PLT Co-facilitator Connie Woytowich and event co-organizer commented that the “feedback that we received from the event was excellent. Participants said that they learned new strategies for student engagement and that the information was not only insightful, but promoted awareness of materials for genetics that are relevant for their classrooms. Relating genetics to personal health, history, and socio-scientific issues such as genetic engineering and testing, as well as informed consent are just a few of the topics covered.” The PLT worked with pgEd to shift the conference online. Several MTs commented on the effective use of video conferencing: “Being able to do this conference virtually was fantastic. Kudos to everyone involved in setting it up. I didn’t know you could use breakout rooms - I love that!”
Many teachers create websites to help their students access classroom materials for review. Over time, the websites become a catalogue of teacher-tested resources. Kim Linkinhoker’s students have access to current assignments and a plethora of resources that she has reviewed over the course of her 30+ years teaching. If you are - or know - a teacher or student of Living Environment or Environmental Science, direct them to this resource. Mrs. Linkinhoker's passion for helping young people understand key environmental issues, along with ways to protect natural resources and live more sustainable lifestyles is clear. And aren’t all people - young and not so young - looking for ways to take care of the planet? Thanks to a teacher at Cicero-North Syracuse high school, we can all learn how and why.
Finger Lakes Master Teacher Amy Gilbert introduces her blog, The Nurtured Neuron, saying "After receiving several requests from friends for science resources, I decided to create a page where I could curate science education materials for parents and teachers. As a parent enduring the task of homeschooling while working from home, I was getting overwhelmed with all of the emails and various resources being thrown my way. Don’t get me wrong…I am very appreciative, but overwhelmed nonetheless..." Mrs. Gilbert brings her 19 years of experience as a science teacher to a list of tools that can be used by teachers and families, adding comments based on what she has utilized with her own students. The tools are organized by grade levels, Pre-K through 12, and there are sections for Virtual Field Trips, Science Podcasts and Citizen Science Projects too. If you have questions, email her via The Nurtured Neuron Be sure to ask her about the Monarch Butterflies.
Many teachers have created websites to share classroom news with families. The photos and lesson details have surely inspired great dinner time conversations.
To support STEM-at-home, the STEM teachers in the Three Village Central School District have updated their classroom website. According to LI Master Teacher, Sean Dowling, "the website details, grade-by-grade, some of the STEM activities that Three Village students take part in throughout the year. There are also various STEM links that take viewers to other websites. Lastly, there is a page of the ‘Distance Learning 2020’ activities students are doing while we wait to return to our normal school day." Organized by grades, K-2 & 3-6, "Distance Learning 2020" guides students and their families through the engineering design process.
Everything is there - videos to support student research to learn about the task, a supply list (items all found at home), and real-world examples. Long Island Master Teachers Sean Dowling and Gina Varacchi and their colleagues maintain the website, updating the page throughout the coming weeks. Teachers and families not in the Three Village District are welcome to click on the links, and of course, work with the budding engineers in their homes.
If you have any questions, email Sean or Gina through the 3V Elementary STEM website.