If you have not ever seen anyone jog on a mixture of corn starch and water – “oobleck” – check out the video from the Spanish TV show, "El Hormiguero," included in Wired Magazine’s July 11, 2012 online article, "Defying Gravity: When Strange Liquids Act Like Solids." Water and cornstarch combine to form what in […]
Jun 17 2012
On Teaching and Motivation
Long ago, I trained employees in data and word processing systems and efficient workflow practices. To better prepare me, management sent me off to a conference at the American Society for Training and Development. I was enthralled to discover a focus completely unlike anything I had encountered as a student in public schools and four […]
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May 25 2012
Nature and Children
When I was a child, I roamed the woods and played outdoor games with my friends. Few children today seem to be so lucky. Below are recent articles that point to the lack of outdoor experience among children and why that matters. “Kids These Days: Why Is America’s Youth Staying Indoors?” (Nature Conservancy website) “Only […]
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May 06 2012
Nearby Winners – California State Science Fair
Congratulations to the winners of the California State Science Fair! Winners came from all over, including the following from Northern California. Marin County Neeka A. Mashouf, SPIE Optics & Photonics Award – “for the project best demonstrating scientific research and engineering applications of optical, photonic, imaging, and optoelectronic technologies.” Mendocino County The team of Jessica […]
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Apr 27 2012
Learning without Perks or Punishments
As humans, we are intrinsically motivated to learn. (Animals are, too, but their interests and priorities tend to be vastly different.) I am not saying that people necessarily want to learn what other people want to teach them but rather what they themselves find interesting or valuable. If you have ever been interested in dance […]
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Apr 09 2012
Family Life Expo & Camp Fair
This is the first in what will be a series of articles about science and math education for children, activities, learning philosophy and psychology, and a few summaries and comments about interesting education-related stories from other sources. My assistant Stan Jackson and I enjoyed the March 2012 Family Life Expo & Camp Fair, our first […]
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