Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. The first study to examine the link between student loans and the mental health of young adults has been published, and the results are bleak. Lead Author Katrina Walsemann from the University of South Carolina and her …
Category: Education
Giving science in the spirit of the holidays
For years, I spent the holidays in a state of listlessness. Without a car, I’m unable to find a way home to visit my family for Christmas, and all of my friends went home to theirs. I found my sanity and solution to the listlessness in giving science at a local hospital children’s ward.
That’s Why It’s Called “Space”: Teaching Abstract Concepts About Space, Size, and Time
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. In the article “10 Scientific Ideas that Scientists Wish You Would Stop Misusing,” Annalee Newitz spotlights a few common scientific misconceptions. To halt the trend, learners need accurate information, in a way they can process it, at …
Afraid of math? You’re not alone.
Racing pulse and sweaty palms ─ math tests can cause symptoms that are similar to a heart attack, but are in fact the signs of math anxiety. This form of angst is unlike other forms of anxiety; it has nothing to do with intelligence or working memory yet it has been defined as a negative …
Raytheon’s MathAlive! Gets Kids Excited About Math
This summer, kids in the Boston area are learning just how important math is in their everyday lives, thanks to Raytheon’s 2theXtreme: MathAlive! exhibition at the Museum of Science, Boston. Presented nationally by Raytheon Company, the highly interactive traveling exhibit is designed to inspire, to spark the imagination and to reveal not only math at …
Experimenting with the medium: Lessons in teaching science
I have mentioned before that I’ve worked with bored teens and university students alike. I’ve even been a bored student in any given class. However, I’ve noticed that the way the material is delivered can make a huge difference. Presentation can make an already difficult class even more so, or it could make it far …
My motivation for starting a science literacy program
Science literacy. It’s more than a buzz-phrase, it is a foundation stone of science itself. Without it, we would not have lively debates, new ideas building off old ideas, and the all important critical thinking to keep the cycle going. Generally, teachers look for “literacy” in the form of understanding and doing well on exams. …
Show and tell of science
“Show me, don’t tell me!”, the English professor cried at us for the 15th time that week. It was frustrating, really. How does one show a dog walking with its owner? If I thought that was hard, then showing the various aspects of my own research would be a challenge. Fast forward to several years …
Field trips: A good way to become interdisciplinary in your own field
If you work in a particular field, you know that it’s all about specialisation. I am a geoarchaeoligist that dabbles in chemistry. Like any good archaeologist, I’ve taken classes in the basics, and I’ve even had the chance to practise a few of the skills in the field. Moreso with being a geologist since I’ve …
A trick for teens: Generating interest among the apathetic
Getting kids interested and engaged in science can be a difficult task. Getting them interested for the duration of a full school year is near impossible. This task is potentially more difficult for middle school teachers than any other educator I have had the pleasure to work with. Here is a tale of how the …