ScIC "Science is Cool" Unplugged

In this bonus episode, we have an extension of our conversation with professor, speaker, and author, John Spencer. We dig into his love of project-based learning and how he stays inspired in his classroom.

https://spencerauthor.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@spencereducation

https://twitter.com/spencerideas

https://www.facebook.com/spencereducation/

https://www.instagram.com/spencereducation

Hi, I'm John Spencer. I'm a former middle school teacher and current college professor on a quest to transform schools into bastions of creativity and wonder. I want to see teachers unleash the creative potential in all of their students so that kids can be makers, designers, artists, and engineers. I explore research, interview educators, deconstruct systems, and study real-world examples of design thinking in action. I share what I'm learning in books, blog posts, journal articles, free resources, animated videos, and podcasts.

You can subscribe to John's newsletter at https://spencerauthor.com/newsletter/.

In this week's episode, Dave joins Dr. John Spencer to take a dive deep into the evolution of technology, education, and innovation. Their conversation delves into the importance of project-based learning in education, emphasizing the value of empowering students to explore, experiment, and learn through hands-on experiences. They discuss the significance of embracing failure as an inherent part of the learning process and highlight the parallels between classroom dynamics and real-world industries like music and semiconductor manufacturing. Throughout the episode, they emphasize the need for engaging, curiosity-driven education that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability.

By sharing personal anecdotes and insights, Dave and John underscore the importance of fostering a culture of experimentation and risk-taking in both education and professional fields. They emphasize the power of phenomena-based learning, drawing connections between scientific principles and real-world applications. Through examples ranging from Elton John's music career to Steve Spangler's captivating demonstrations, they illustrate the concept of prolific creation and the iterative nature of success. Ultimately, the episode underscores the need for educators to embrace innovative teaching methodologies that prioritize curiosity, exploration, and resilience, preparing students for a rapidly changing world.

https://spencerauthor.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@spencereducation

https://twitter.com/spencerideas

https://www.facebook.com/spencereducation/

https://www.instagram.com/spencereducation

Hi, I'm John Spencer. I'm a former middle school teacher and current college professor on a quest to transform schools into bastions of creativity and wonder. I want to see teachers unleash the creative potential in all of their students so that kids can be makers, designers, artists, and engineers. I explore research, interview educators, deconstruct systems, and study real-world examples of design thinking in action. I share what I'm learning in books, blog posts, journal articles, free resources, animated videos, and podcasts.

You can subscribe to John's newsletter at https://spencerauthor.com/newsletter/.

In this podcast episode, Dave engages in a conversation with Christa Dillabaugh, Director of the Morpho Institute, discussing their conservation efforts and educational programs in the Amazon rainforest. Krista shares insights into the institute's initiatives, highlighting the delicate balance between progress and conservation in the region. They delve into the challenges of managing biodiversity while accommodating human presence, emphasizing the need for integrated approaches that involve indigenous communities and diverse perspectives.

Furthermore, Christa elaborates on the Morpho Institute's educational programs, detailing their Amazon research program and efforts to broaden participation and diversity. They discuss upcoming projects, including biodiversity monitoring and field investigations, underscoring the importance of hands-on learning experiences for educators and students alike. Through collaborative efforts and thoughtful planning, the Morpho Institute aims to foster a deeper understanding of tropical ecology while advocating for sustainable conservation practices in the Amazon.

https://morphoinstitute.org/

PocketLabs in the Amazon! https://morphoinstitute.org/pocketlab-in-the-amazon/

https://www.instagram.com/morphoinstitute/

https://www.facebook.com/morphoinstitute

Christa's journey through science, biology, and education has been a bit like the Amazon River - lots of curves and switchbacks, but all culminating in where she is today. She is currently the director of the Morpho Institute, a conservation education non-profit that develops field study programs for US K12 educators - all based in the Peruvian Amazon. Her love of the Amazon and neotropical rainforests began while leading expeditions for my middle school students.

Her current passion is blending inquiry, place-based education, and community-based conservation into professional learning experiences for teachers. Her next big project is developing a 'research experience for teachers' that focuses on biodiversity monitoring in the Amazon.

She have a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University and a Masters of Biology from Miami University. Before founding the Morpho Institute, she was a middle and high school science educator. She has also worked as a science consultant for Pearson Education and Discovery Communications, contributing to curriculum and activity guides as well as educator in-service workshops and training materials focusing on STEM and Understanding by Design in the science classroom.

This is a bonus episode of the Science is Cool Unplugged podcast where we get to hear more of our conversation we had with Chuck Nice. They discuss fostering a love for learning and why that is more important than the love of grades and achievement. They also dig into how to create meaningful classroom interactions and more!

https://www.chucknicecomic.com/

A self-confessed science geek, Mr. Nice is an activist masquerading as a comedian who uses his quick wit and warm personality to rally his audience around the most pressing issues of our time: climate change.

Chuck Nice is a 19-year veteran of stand-up comedy with a rich history in both entertainment and climate activism. He has worked across all mediums, including radio, television, and podcasts. Recently, Mr. Nice appeared in "The Week Of" with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, and delivered a TED Talk on the main stage of the Vancouver conference, about the unintended consequence of future tech and human interaction. He is the co-host of Star Talk with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson on Nat Geo. Mr. Nice has also hosted How to Buy Like Mega Millionaire and Home Strange Home on HGTV. He is a regular contributor to the Today Show, has guest hosted The View, and he is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, and HLN. Other credits include: host of Price This Place on HGTV, VH-1's Best Week Ever, TRU TV's World's Dumbest, The Katie Couric Show, Bethany, The Meredith Viera Show, The Juice on Veria Living, The Better Show, Vh-1's 40 Greatest, Black to the Future, Undatable, 100 Greatest Songs of 00's, The Hot Ten on Centric, WE TV's Cinematherapy, That's So House Hunters, the red carpet pre-show for the Independent Spirit Awards and host of "Is It True?" on Discovery.

Despite his busy schedule, he still makes time to regularly perform at New York City comedy clubs. Mr. Nice is currently busy preparing to launch the world's first digital youth climate summit, "Shh...It's Real!"

This is a bonus episode of the Science is Cool Unplugged podcast where we get to hear the extension of our conversation we had with Patti Lawrimore. They discuss how she utilizes Chat GPT in her classroom and the ways she uses it as a tool and not a crutch. They also delve into the importance of science literacy and its interdisciplinary importance.

Patti has been teaching science in Fulton County Georgia for 28 years most recently at Riverwood International as Instructional Lead for science and teaching Environmental Science. She loves teaching "outside the walls" and finding the perfect place on campus to experience science. Her classes have created and sustained food forests , opened an apiary and research garden on campus. Classes always focus on project and problem-based learning, making sure the students are learning how to ask great questions and the way to seek out the answers.

Her latest adventure is starting a STEM outreach program "LabDash". Incorporating vertical instruction, bringing science phenomena to our feeder elementary schools.

She has a Bachelors of Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison in Conservation Biology and has an MEd.-Biology from North Georgia College.

When she's not teaching she is hiking, practicing yoga or playing tennis.

In this week's episode comedian and science television host, Chuck Nice, joins Dave to delve into the fascinating realms of science, education, and the pursuit of knowledge. Chuck shares insights into the importance of generating excitement in learning, emphasizing that the key lies in understanding rather than merely acing tests. Drawing parallels between his experiences and those of renowned scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck highlights the addictive nature of learning and the profound impact of passionate teachers. The conversation navigates through topics like the challenges of traditional grading systems, the value of foundational disciplines like math and science, and anecdotes from Chuck's own journey of discovery. Together, Chuck and Dave explore the dynamic interplay between curiosity, education, and the lifelong pursuit of knowledge.

As the episode unfolds, Chuck and Dave also share humorous anecdotes, touching upon Chuck's son's perspective on the challenges of AP bio and many other jokes. The episode is not only a captivating exploration of science and education but also a celebration of the joy inherent in the learning process. Listeners are treated to insightful discussions, personal stories, and Chuck's trademark humor, making it a humorous and thought-provoking episode.

https://www.chucknicecomic.com/

A self-confessed science geek, Mr. Nice is an activist masquerading as a comedian who uses his quick wit and warm personality to rally his audience around the most pressing issues of our time: climate change.

Chuck Nice is a 19-year veteran of stand-up comedy with a rich history in both entertainment and climate activism. He has worked across all mediums, including radio, television, and podcasts. Recently, Mr. Nice appeared in "The Week Of" with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, and delivered a TED Talk on the main stage of the Vancouver conference, about the unintended consequence of future tech and human interaction. He is the co-host of Star Talk with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson on Nat Geo. Mr. Nice has also hosted How to Buy Like Mega Millionaire and Home Strange Home on HGTV. He is a regular contributor to the Today Show, has guest hosted The View, and he is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, and HLN. Other credits include: host of Price This Place on HGTV, VH-1's Best Week Ever, TRU TV's World's Dumbest, The Katie Couric Show, Bethany, The Meredith Viera Show, The Juice on Veria Living, The Better Show, Vh-1's 40 Greatest, Black to the Future, Undatable, 100 Greatest Songs of 00's, The Hot Ten on Centric, WE TV's Cinematherapy, That's So House Hunters, the red carpet pre-show for the Independent Spirit Awards and host of "Is It True?" on Discovery.

Despite his busy schedule, he still makes time to regularly perform at New York City comedy clubs. Mr. Nice is currently busy preparing to launch the world's first digital youth climate summit, "Shh...It's Real!"

In this episode, Science Educator Patti Lawrimore joins Dave to share her passion for science education and the joy she gets from seeing students enthusiastic about what they are learning and discovering. She shares the ways she changes classroom structure in response to the students and their learning styles and requests and the ways it helps them connect to the material. They discuss ways to assess student understanding and the place of standardized testing in a learning environment. They emphasize the importance of learning scientific discovery skills and how they carry into fields other than science.

She talks about her current project, LabDash, a portable science experience that brings experiments and discovery play to feeder schools and promotes learning while having fun. It provides application opportunities for high schoolers and exploration opportunities for junior high and elementary schools.

They touch on other education points like science literacy, student connection, and meeting student's needs. She has a passion for earth science, student interaction, and getting students out of the classroom environment. She describes science as the physical education of the core classes and what's it to be the place where students get to "exercise" their brains past what happens in the other classes.

Patti has been teaching science in Fulton County Georgia for 28 years most recently at Riverwood International as Instructional Lead for science and teaching Environmental Science. She loves teaching "outside the walls" and finding the perfect place on campus to experience science. Her classes have created and sustained food forests , opened an apiary and research garden on campus. Classes always focus on project and problem-based learning, making sure the students are learning how to ask great questions and the way to seek out the answers.

Her latest adventure is starting a STEM outreach program "LabDash". Incorporating vertical instruction, bringing science phenomena to our feeder elementary schools.

She has a Bachelors of Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison in Conservation Biology and has an MEd.-Biology from North Georgia College.

When she's not teaching she is hiking, practicing yoga or playing tennis.

In this episode, science educator and founder of Kesler Science, Chris Kesler, joins Dave to discuss how to create student-focused learning that teaches them not just science concepts but how to learn and grow on their own by creating meaningful classroom experiences. They emphasize the importance of knowing your classroom and being attentive to student needs while keeping the focus on fostering a lifelong love of scientific discovery that can be carried into all aspects of learning. They acknowledge and discuss funding issues within science departments and give some advice on possibly how to gain funding and to encourage districts to invest in interactive science tools. They also discuss the importance of science to the learning mind and emphasize the use of science to teach important math and reading combination skills.

They emphasize Texas and the changes that are being made within Texas curriculum and the importance of those improvements. Chris has a passion for customizable learning and adaptation of lessons and concepts to fit whatever type of classroom a teacher might find themself in.

Find Kesler Science at: https://keslerscience.com/

Connect with Chris at: https://www.facebook.com/chrisjkesler

Chris Kesler is a former award-winning middle school science teacher. When he started teaching, he was underwhelmed by the lack of meaningful resources and overwhelmed by the small amount of time he had to create experiences for his students. He spent thousands of hours of his own time creating lessons, all designed from the ground up with four non-negotiables in mind:

• Experiences have to be engaging.

• Lessons have to build relationships.

• Activities need to be student-centered and allow for student choice.

• Students need to connect their learning to the real-world.

With these principles in place, the transformation that happened in his class was nothing short of spectacular. He noticed an increase in participation and engagement throughout the year. His test scores improved. More importantly, students made connections to the content, which built their confidence and gave them a sense of responsibility for their learning. Chris eventually stepped out of the classroom to focus on helping other teachers feel less stressed and more confident in their day-to-day teaching. He created Kesler Science LLC, and today his materials have been used by tens of thousands of teachers across the country and around the world.

In this episode, Dave and STEM educator and TV personality, Steve Spangler have an enlightening conversation about the interest students and young people naturally have in science and how to bring that to life in the classroom. They discuss Steves's success with the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment and how it captured the attention of millions in and out of the classroom. Steve draws on his experience as a magician and how that influences the way he teaches and engages the classroom. He talks about is experience making videos with Sick Science, and how they have changed their social media presence and strategy over the years.

They discuss some of the issues teachers face today in the classroom and barriers to using creative teacher techniques. He shares his love for creating memorable classroom experiences over forgettable work and fostering a love within students that will stay with them beyond the classroom.

Get in touch with Steve: https://stevespangler.com/

He's a bestselling author, STEM educator, and business leader branded by TIME Magazine as one of their "most influential people of the year" because of his passion for inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

With more than 2,100 television appearances and multiple Emmy awards to his credit, Steve Spangler understands the power of using television to make learning science fun.

Steve's catalog of videos featured on social media has more than 1.5 billion views, and parents and educators widely use his books and online experiments to increase student engagement and inspire young scientists to learn more about STEM-based careers.

Nationally known as a teacher's teacher, Steve travels extensively, working with educators at all levels in ways to make learning more connected and engaging in the 21st-century classroom. Steve's in-person and virtual professional development workshops focus on inquiry-based learning that highlights best practices for classroom teachers with research-guided strategies for purpose-driven engagement.

But Steve Spangler feels most at home when he's on stage sharing insights and creating those amazing experiences audiences remember for a lifetime. Steve brings over 30 years of experience (6,500+ presentations) to the platform every time he speaks.

In July 2010, members of the National Speakers Association inducted Steve into the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame. He is among an elite group of only 242 professional speakers in the world to receive this honor.

In 2022, Spangler joined the faculty at High Point University (High Point, North Carolina) as the STEM Educator in Residence. Steve works with students and faculty to create transformational experiences that inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

For the past two years, Steve Spangler has been honored to be included in the Global Gurus Top 30 in Education. This achievement recognizes Steve's passion for finding the most creative ways to inspire students and educators worldwide.

Whether you're looking for an amazing keynote speaker to kick-off your event, teacher training and professional development opportunities to help you become a more effective STEM educator, or personalized consulting and coaching, Steve Spangler can help you create your own transformational experiences in business and education.

In this podcast episode, Dave and educator Xochitl engage in a dynamic conversation about the challenges and rewards of project-based learning (PBL) in science classrooms. They discuss the importance of rethinking the nature of projects, emphasizing the difference between low and high-quality PBL. Xochitl emphasizes the need for authenticity in projects, encouraging teachers to provide diverse exemplars that showcase creativity and depth. The conversation delves into the complexities of resource curation for teachers and the challenge of balancing hands-on experiences with existing bodies of knowledge. They explore the role of science media in inspiring curiosity and framing phenomena, ultimately highlighting the inherently creative nature of teaching. The episode also touches on the significance of teacher creativity in maintaining the joy of learning in the classroom.

The duo shares insights into the ongoing efforts to support teachers in project design, discussing the need for curated materials, exemplars, and resources aligned with standards. They explore the role of feedback and adaptability in teaching, recognizing the importance of acknowledging students as individuals capable of figuring things out. The episode provides a rich exploration of the intricacies of project-based learning, emphasizing the creative and adaptive nature of effective teaching.

Xochitl Garcia is an experienced educator and instructional coach committed to working with schools and nonprofits to create more equitable learning environments for young people. She brings over 17 years of experience as an educator, curriculum developer, professional development leader, and program manager. Xochitl is an education consultant working with districts nationally on educator and leader professional development, selection and development of instructional materials, and the redesign of school systems and structures to create the best learning spaces for young people and those who work with them.

Most recently, Xochitl served as the K-12 education program manager at Science Friday, where she facilitated a community of teacher leaders that worked to develop science experiences based on current research, designed and led STEM professional development, and programming to increase justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work in STEM. Before that, she was the Manager of Instruction and School Design at Springpoint: Partners in School Design, where she worked nationally to both design and redesign high school models with a focus on equitable design grounded in student and community voices. Xochitl was a teacher for seven years in the South Bronx in New York City, where she led work in special Education and STEM. Xochitl began her career working with GEAR-UP Project Higher Learning in LAUSD to develop peer mentoring programs to increase support and access to post-secondary opportunities.

Xochitl can be found pursuing curiosity about this strange and wonderful world we live in (can we talk about dark plastic, please!?!), tinkering around to figure out how to generate models and experiences that help explain the natural world, and playing board games with her family at home in NYC.