The Sunshine Science Corner

Glider Building

2011-03-20T15:51:00.002-04:00

The challenge was to build a balsa glider that could be launched by rubber bands from a table carrying a GI Joe action figure. The winning glider actually travelled 440 inches. Here are a few pictures of our students building the gliders.

2011-03-20T15:31:00.001-04:00

Real World Science

2011-03-20T15:14:00.002-04:00

Tsunamis and earthquakes have new meaning for my students. Many have a new appreciation for the importance of knowing about plate tectonics - and more that one of my students knew more about the source of a tsunami than their parents.
what a terrible thing that sometimes real world science also means real world suffering.

High Flying Elementary Students

2011-03-02T18:13:00.003-05:00

My 4th and 5th grade Aeronautics Club members recently visited the Lockheed Martin facility here in Orlando in celebration of national Engineers Week. We were invited to compete as the only elementary school against Middle and High School students in a competition called SeeJoeGo. We were to build a 24 inch glider that would hold a five inch GI Joe figurine launched by rubber band off a table. The object was to see which glider would fly the farthest. We built and brought five gliders to the event.
Amazingly, our gliders out flew all of the competition and we swept 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards! Our students had an incredible understanding of lift, angle of attack, design components, and Bernoulli's Principle of lift.

Aeronautics Clubs

2011-02-18T18:28:00.003-05:00

For the past two years we have placed renewed emphasis on the concept of flight. To enhance the experience we created the Camelot Flyers. Aeronautics Clubs open to our fourth and fifth graders. Under the direction of myself and an incredible parent volunteer (who is an expert RC pilot), our students have learned how to build and fly a variety of radio controlled airplanes. We work with balsa or styrofoam to create electic motor trainers,gliders, and "slow stick airplanes". Through grants and donations we currently have three flight simulators, eight planes with at least 36 or greater wing spans and four radio transmitters. More information will be coming in the future.

Morning launch of Space Shuttle STS 131

2010-04-05T06:37:00.002-04:00

It's 6:35 am EST and I just came in from my front yard where I was watching the STS 131 Shuttle launch. Absolutely perfect - could see the glow of the external tanks drop! Most perfect conditions in years. I was even out early enough to see the Space Station pass over (looked like a plane flying under the moon) minutes before the launch. Only three more launches left.

How do we fund all of this?

2010-03-08T19:57:00.002-05:00

I get asked this a lot. Part of the answer is grant writing. For the last five years I've been able to bring in around $2500 by submitting local, district and national grants. An example is the Air Force Association Educator's grant that we recently were awarded. The amount is $250 which we will use to purchase model rocket kits, rocket engines and airplane supplies. This is the third year we have received this grant. I spend a couple of hours a week in the evening surfing for grants. Never assume you can't get money - it's there.

Our school doesn't provide supplies or materials for my program. I get some money for my annual science night and to register our Science Olympiad competitions. All of the materials you see in the pictures are my personal materials. Unfortunately I do spend a great deal of my own money, but like so many of you, it is the price you pay to teach the way you feel is the most effective. Look for more funding ideas in the future.

A quick Science Lab update

2010-03-08T19:47:00.004-05:00

After a very cold and windy winter we are finally catching up. Though Florida wasn't covered in snow, we have suffered this winter. Our school garden was almost completely destroyed - too many hard freezes! Our fifth grade garden club is quickly cleaning, weeding and replanting. Pictures to follow.
Our two aeronautic clubs have now built four remote controlled airplanes. Our planes are electric powered and use Lipo batteries similar to those used in cell phones. We practice on our flight simulator regularly and are now in the process of issuing a "Camelot Pilot License" to students who have proven successful with the simulator, can identify the parts of a plane and transmitter, and have a good understanding of flight. These students will now begin to fly our remote controlled airplanes on a "buddy box" (think drivers education) under the supervision of our parent volunteer. Look for pictures and videos which will be following shortly.

2K10

2010-01-03T17:02:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! Good bye "aughts" hello 2K10. Finally, mathematical slang! So many wonderful new things to learn about and share regarding elementary science. Briefly - I am so proud of my science clubs this year:
Our two Aerospace clubs, the Camelot Knight Flyers have completed their first remote controlled plane and we will send it on it's first flight this Thursday. A special thanks to Mr. Moses Alicea, our gifted parent volunteer that provides the knowledge and expertise which is allowing our fourth and fifth graders to build and fly these wonderful planes! Pictures to follow.
My garden club has begun construction and has create plans to expand our garden once again! I see garden sculpture, rows of vegetables, and many wind chimes in our future.
The Camelot Science Olympians are going strong as our two teams of fourth and fifth graders prepare for problem solving competitions beginning in the very near future. 2010 pomise to bring even more excitement!

A new look at class rules

2009-11-05T19:17:00.003-05:00

I recently reread an old favorite - Ready, Set, Science by Michaels, Shouse and Schweingruber (National Research Council) and came upon something that I have immediately posted and talked about with my students. I invite you to look it over and consider this thoughtful alternative to "class rules".

Student Rights
You have the right to make a contribution to an attentive, responsive audience.
You have the right to ask questions.
You have the right to be treated civilly.
You have the right to have your ideas discussed, not you, personally.

Student Obligations
You are obligated to speak loudly enough for others to hear.
You are obligated to listen for understanding.
You are obligated to agree or disagree (and explain why) in response to other people’s ideas.

A Garden Update

2009-09-19T10:38:00.003-04:00

Last year our garden club wrote a grant and created rain barrels to irrigate our garden. Each of the barrels was placed under and air conditioner attached to the row of portable classrooms across from our garden. Well life in an elementary school always requires flexibility! This week the last of those portable classrooms was moved off of our campus. My science lab is one of two remaining.
So we adapted and our new garden club has begun to place barrels in the center of each of our raised beds. We will still catch rain water, but through measurements begun at the start of the year, the students have come to realize exactly how much rain it takes to fill a 55 gallon rain barrel with direct precipitation and no additional run off. I believe Noah was brought up in the conversation!
However, we can fill these barrels, attach small soaker hoses and water each bed more efficiently. Less water will be required than using sprinklers, a deeper soaking will result in greater growth, and we have learned a great deal more about gardening and problem solving. I encourage everyone to make a rain barrel (for home or school) and enjoy the benefits of rain collection. And for my northern friends, please share with us how they work with snow!

The Giving Tree

2009-09-07T12:42:00.002-04:00

Teaching in the south provides a multitude of problems when teaching the change in seasons. It doesn’t snow in Florida and we don’t have many colored leaves in the fall. Also we have birds living with us year round. Plus our literature doesn’t help much since it is typically not written for tropic climates. However you can overcome the stereotypes by adopting a tree on your campus.
At the beginning of the school year, in the heat of September, take blankets outside and lie down under a tree on your campus. Draw pictures of what you see – the leaves, squirrels, birds and insects. Record the sounds you hear and take pictures of what you see - digital cameras now make this so easy to download and share. Use twine to place a circle on the ground around the canopy of the tree and observe everything living under the tree. Create a population study by counting the various families of living things seen. Each month pay a visit to the tree. You will begin to notice that different kinds of birds come and go; the leaves will begin to change colors; and the population of insects change. Each month add a new population graph to your scrapbook.
By the end of the year you will have documented a year of change. You will see the gradual changes of insect and bird populations, changes in leaf and bark coloration, temperature changes, and precipitation levels. Conducting long range studies is an important part of becoming scientists. There are seasons in the Deep South, but sometimes you just have to go out and look for the changes.

Start of another school year

2009-08-30T17:02:00.006-04:00

The start of another school year brings review and introduction of some vital science understandings. Classifying is the word of the day at Camelot. One of the ways we do this is through the introduction of a box of very common objects. Games can be played in which objects are grouped according to common characteristics and students from other groups must figure out how the materials have been classified. A science word wall is created with a list of ways that the objects can be classified. We later expand the list to include other ways that scientists use classification in the world around them (plants, animals, rocks and minerals, weather conditions, machines, etc.).
The objects in the boxes can also be measured, magnified, compared and manipulated to explore motion, density, conductivity,and a wide variety of other things.

Welcome!

2009-08-25T20:19:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my students at UCF in SCE 3310, Trends in Elementary Science. Feel free to use the resources provided as you complete your course assignments. Please scroll down to the links and visit a few of the teacher blogs representing teachers from around the country.

Learning anatomy first hand!

2009-07-10T06:11:00.002-04:00

For the past few years I have suffered with something usually associated with babies; women after childbirth; and old, fat men. Being an old, fat man I do not always use good judgement. When you are told not to lift heavy things, bend with your legs, lose some weight, and go to the doctor regularly - then do it! Otherwise your belly button may some day become an "outie", or a character from the movie, "Total Recall". Over the last three years I slowly developed what is referred to as an umbilical hernia, a tear in the abdominal wall which results in an enlarged, and sometimes painful, belly button. Depending upon the severity you can sometimes coexist with the condition, especially if you lose a great deal of weight.
Babies and young children sometimes develop this condition and minor surgery takes care of it quickly.
But when you are older, over weight, don't lose enough weight to make an impact, and keep a very busy schedule - you might ignore the obvious, pretend it will go away, and eventually end up in surgery.
On July 1st I went in for out patient surgery. In this procedure the doctor made a small incision under my belly button and removed a hernia the size of a golf ball. a mesh circle was inserted and attached to the abdominal muscles so that they will eventually grow with the mesh to make my stomach muscles stronger than ever. When the hernia is removed your intestines are pushed back to where they belong, some of the layers of fat are cut off (because they swell with the tissue and don't always fit back in very well)and you are sewn back up. The procedure takes about an hour.
If you are healthy, fit and the hernia is small you have discomfort for about a week, go back to work and don't lift things for 3-4 weeks.
But if you are older, overweight and the mass is larger, then you have about two weeks of nasty pain and six weeks of recovery! I share this not to complain - but as an incentive for anyone reading that puts a diet off until tomorrow, puts off that trip to the doctor until next year, or ignores simple pains that persist. It really isn't worth it!
Google umbilical hernia for some great information and pictures. I knew very little about this until I had to have the procedure done. Enjoy your summer and get a check up!

Space Camp

2009-06-30T18:31:00.002-04:00

I recently spent a week in Huntsville, Alabama as part of an international group of educators attending the US Space Camp. We were there courtesy of Honeywell Corporation. Each year Honeywell employees individually contribute to fund the Honeywell Educator Program. As Honeywell Educators we flew simulated shuttle missions, went to classes where we could bring back lessons on rocketry, problem solving, mathematics, and a multitude of other things. In addition we got to meet Hoot Gibson, shuttle astronaut; a senior member of NASA's Aries Rocket team; and Ed Buckbee, friend to the Mercury astronauts, author and co-founder of Space Camp. We experienced the moon's gravity, were twisted, turned and spun in a fantastic machine, and practiced water survival in a variety of neat things.
I have been interested in Space Camp for years and the opportunity to attend was a dream come true! Thanks so much to Honeywell for giving 220 educators this great opportunity. My group of teachers, Team Destiny, was composed of sixteen teachers from across the country, Canada, Australia and Switzerland.

Grant Writing

2009-06-02T20:04:00.003-04:00

People that visit this site, or come and visit us at Camelot, are amazed at how we fund a garden, clubs, and our many special projects. I can't say enough about writing grants. During the summer and right after school starts I spend a couple of hours each week writing grants - I will try for anything! Never say never! This last year we received grants and awards totaling $3800. Most were small. We paid for garden supplies, model rocket kits, competition entries, team t-shirts, rain barrels, and an amazing assortment of neat new science "toys".
My advice to everyone is take the time to look for grant opportunities and pursue them. It sure has worked for us!

School Garden Competition

2009-06-02T19:58:00.002-04:00

We just received word that our garden won second place in the Florida School Garden competition. We receive a "mousecar" (which is a Mickey Mouse Statue) and a check for $250 to be used in our garden. This is the second time we have competed. In 2005 we took first place. Congratulations to my wonderful Fifth Grade Garden Club for all of you hard work and dedication. The kids are responsible for all of this!

A Moldy Exploration

2009-04-30T18:28:00.003-04:00

Here's a pretty neat lesson exploring mold - courtesy of elementary science teachers in Orange County Public Schools.

KEY QUESTION
What can we grow without water, warmth or sunlight?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Mold is a form of fungus that grows and reproduces very quickly. Mold produces tiny cells with hard coverings called spores. Spores float through the air and land on all kinds of things, including food. That is why bread already has spores on it when placed in a bag.
Molds have both good and bad uses. Some molds make foods taste and smell bad. However, many cheeses depend upon mold for their good taste. The green mold that forms on bread and oranges is used to make penicillin, an important antibiotic.

MATERIALS
small pieces of food such as bread without preservatives,
cheddar cheese, overripe vegetables or fruit
hand lens
resealable plastic bags
paper towels
water
soil or dust
tape and/or marker for labeling bags

TEACHING TIPS
Before beginning this experiment, make sure no students have allergy problems associated with molds. Be sure everyone washes their hands after touching the bags. When experiment is completed, throw the bags away unopened.

A FEW QUESTIONS TO ASK.
What is mold? Have you ever seen mold? Where did you see it? In what type of environment was the mold growing? In what kinds of environments can we test the growth of mold? (e.g., light, dark, moist, dry, etc.)

EXPLORE
1. Have each group collect pieces from a central distribution area. (Or prepare a paper plate with the food pieces for each group ahead of time. One member of the group can pick up the plate.) Have students inflate their seven plastic bags to make sure there are no holes in them. Groups should label each of their 4 bags with group names, the word CONTROL, and one type of food. The other 3 bags should each be labeled with their group name, the word VARIABLE, and the variable being tested.

2. Have students place each kind of food in a different bag. Make sure each group has at least four bags with bits of bread. One bag will be stored in a dark place and serve as a control. The other bags of bread will be used to explore variables of light, temperature, and moisture. Record results in student science notebooks.

3. Have students put a pinch of soil or dust in each bag. This provides spores for the production of molds. There should also be a dampened (not soaking wet) paper towel in each bag.

4. Have students leave a little bit of air in each bag so they don’t lay entirely flat, then zip bags closed.

5. Encourage students to be creative when thinking of places to store the VARIABLE bags of bread. Place one in a refrigerator or another cool place to see if temperature affects mold growth. Place one bag in a place that is sun. Add little or no water to the third variable bag to see if moisture affects mold growth.
6. After several days, mold should appear. Remind students: DO NOT OPEN BAGS. After using hand lenses to examine the mold through the bags, throw unopened bags away. WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING!

NOW ASK STUDENTS THESE QUESTIONS.
How many different colors of molds do you see?
Do different colors and kinds of molds grow on different foods?
How many types of mold are in each bag?
Did all bags in the control group produce mold?
Did all bags in variable group produce mold?
How do the control bags compare with the bags in the variable groups?
What type of environment is best for growing mold?

RECORDING OBSERVATIONS
Have students record observations and draw each type of mold. Emphasize how important it is to make drawings as accurate as possible, in case someone else looks at them for information.
Invite opinions as to whether students think the mold they grew is harmful or helpful.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP.
Let students set up another investigation of molds. Have them pour some tomato soup into 3 clean baby food jars. In jar 1, have students sprinkle some breadcrumbs. In jar 2, let a student dip his or her finger into the soup. A small amount of dirt should be put into jar 3. Have students seal all containers with plastic wrap and tape securely. Jars should be placed in a warm dark area. Have students record observations after a week. Remind students NOT TO OPEN THE JARS!

ASSESSMENT
Have students research mold and list those that are beneficial and/or harmful to humans.

Summer Science Ideas

2009-04-27T19:23:00.002-04:00

Those of us in Florida never quite get enough of the beach. As I am beginning to put together summer packets for my students I wanted to share some interesting science activities that families might consider for a beach vacation. Many of you might also be looking at an end of the year "beach party" and may find these activities helpful.

“Sand Castles” –
Using three different textures of sand, try to build the tallest sand castle. Limit construction to twenty minutes. At the conclusion of the activity what did you observe? What effect did the texture of the sand have on construction? Add water to the sand and repeat the activity. What role does water play in making the different sand samples more or less dense and pliable?

“Collecting Sand” –
Collect three different types of sand or soil. Observe what makes each the same or different. Weigh equal portions of each and compare the results. Observe the samples using a magnifier and describe what you observe.

“Making Sand” –
Collect materials which might be used to make sand. Include crushed shells and rocks. Place all of the materials in a large cloth sack and pound them with a hammer. Take the contents out and compare with various samples of sand.

“Sifting Sands” –
Construct 2’ by 2’ wire frames using wire of different weaves (from hardware cloth to screen). Use the frames as sieves and sift various sands. Is there a relationship between the sieve and the different sands? Will some sands not sift, while others pass through easily? The sieves can also be used for sorting small ocean animal skeletons, shells or other materials.

“What’s in the Water?” –Collect samples of water from various sources (bottle, pond, lake, rivers, puddles, ocean) and observe each through a microscope. How are the samples similar or different? Reflect upon the impact of pollutants.

The Great American Paper Airplane Challenge

2009-04-20T20:06:00.001-04:00

Here is a neat rainy day activity!

Your Challenge:
Use a piece of paper to construct an airplane capable of traveling at least five meters and landing at a designated target.

Materials which may be used:
One sheet of 8” X 11” copy paper
8” X 11” wax paper
8” X 11” cellophane wrap
no more than 12 inches of scotch tape
scissors

Paper Houses

2009-04-20T20:04:00.000-04:00

Here’ a fun problem solving activity based upon a well known fairy tale. Everyone knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. But very few people are aware of the fourth pig. He was so lazy that he didn’t use hay, or stick, or bricks to build a house – he used paper!
Challenge students to construct a structure for the fourth little pig using only a piece of copy paper and a pair of scissors. Your “wolf” will try to knock down the house by placing a heavy object (like a wooden block or book) upon the roof of the house trying to make it collapse.
Allow the students time to plan, test and construct the houses. Finally test the strength of each house and observe the results. Repeat the activity each day for a week, allowing students the opportunity to modify and improve the designs. Consider adding more weight each day as an additional challenge. At the end of the week you will have learned about problem solving, discovered the power of innovation and come to better appreciate a wonderful fairy tale.

A Great Weekend For Education

2009-03-01T20:18:00.002-05:00

Three events took place this weekend at the University of Central Florida which were exciting for education. Six thousand teachers, administrators, school board members, parents, students and friends of education in Florida joined together to send the message to our legislature that there must be no more cuts to our schools. Across Florida citizens are joining to voice their outrage at proposed cuts to our children's future. I have spoken at a number of events and hope that our legislators listen to our voices.

The second wonderful event was the Central Florida Regional Middle School Science Olympiad. I had the opportunity to watch hundreds of excited middle school students from schools across Central Florida compete in problem solving situations testing individuals and teams in a variety of topic areas.

And finally I spoke at the "Expanding Your Horizons" Conference for middle school girls and their parents focusing on careers in science and engineering. While the girls participated in incredible activities designed to excite and kindle a love for math and science, parents participated in a full day of workshops and seminars to give them the tools to help their daughters achieve their goals. I was honored to speak to the parents, answer a few questions and honor their commitment to parenting. It was a wonderful day for education!

Elements of Flight

2009-03-01T17:36:00.003-05:00

Recently we had a guest come and bring a different perspective to our study of flight. Mr. Moses Alicea is a gifted remote control airplane hobbyist who came and share his hobby with our third and fourth graders. You won't find a better way of helping students to understand flight than by watching students in awe as a remote controlled plane flies to almost 1000 feet, goes into a "hammerhead stall" and recover into an inverted pass over our field. Mr. Alicea uses electric engines powered by batteries created as a result of breakthroughs in cell phone and computer battery technology.
The best teaching takes place when students are excited and asking for more. Mr. Alicea is a great teacher and we look forward to the next time he pays us a visit!

A New look at "Ramps and Rollers"

2009-02-24T20:45:00.004-05:00

We've created a high interest alternative to "Ramps and Rollers". Each team received a box with four Hot Wheels cars, a scale, a metric ruler, two pieces of track, and a meter stick. Teams will ask a question, generate a hypothesis, create a materials list and list the procedures for the experiment. The most popular hypotheses have included: The angle of the track will affect the distance a car travels, The weight of the car will effect the distance the car travels, and the texture of the wheels will determine the distance the car travels. Great enthusiasm from my third and fourth graders.

Spring in the Garden

2009-02-24T20:23:00.002-05:00

Just a few looks at our school garden. We had three hard freezes which destroyed a great deal of hard work! But we have seeds sprouting, many new plants are in the ground and our vegetables are taking off! Those are strawberries in the hanging basket.

News from NASA

2009-02-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

A private photographer has used NASA's Mars technology to create a 1,474 megapixel panoramic photo of President Obama's inauguration. The interactive mega-snapshot has become an international sensation, viewed by more than two million people in 186 countries. Science@NASA presents the photo and tells how it was made. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/02feb_gigapan.htm?list938747

NPR All Things Considered

2009-02-02T06:24:00.002-05:00

In a discussion on the educational budget crisis in Florida I shared the stage with my District Superintendent, Ron Blocker and our district PTA President, Stacey Rodriguez. We appeared in the Weekend Edition of NPR's All Things Considered. To listen to our conversation got to http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2.

No Child Left Inside

2009-01-25T20:11:00.006-05:00

A fellow state Teacher of the Year, April Todd of Maryland, is featured in a great Youtube video endorsing the valued of learning outside the walls of the classroom. Part of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the No Child Left Inside Coalition is working hard to promote the value of real world learning. Since so much of my science lab involves our garden, wildlife habitat and working outdoors, I encourage you to learn more about their efforts. I joined the coalition and invite you to join me. For more information go to :
http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_sub_actioncenter_federal_NCLB

Quote of the Week

2009-01-18T08:57:00.001-05:00

"One of the smartest stimulus moves we could make would be to eliminate federal income taxes on all public schoolteachers so more talented people would choose these careers. I'd also double the salaries of all highly qualified math and science teachers, staple green cards to the diplomas of foreign students who graduate from any U.S. university in math or science -- instead of subsidizing their educations and then sending them home -- and offer full scholarships to needy students who want to go to a public university or community college for the next four years. J.F.K. took us to the moon. Let B.H.O. (Barack Hussein Obama) take America back to school."
-Thomas L. Friedman, from "Tax Cuts for Teachers". The New York Times. January 10, 2009

A Tropical Friend

2009-01-06T20:38:00.003-05:00

So many of my friends from the north associate Florida with alligators and exotic snakes. Though it is true we have our share of unique creatures, I thought I would put it into perspective with a picture of one of our more common garden friends. This is an adult tree frog who lives in our garden feasting on flies and beetles. In the winter months you will find him sunning in the most unusual places - such as on top of a wind chime at the entrance to our room. Actually he greets me every morning and tries to get into the room!

While It's Cold Outside Try This

2009-01-04T15:14:00.001-05:00

Garden in an Egg Carton

What You Need
• Bean seeds
• Plant soil
• Water
• Plastic spoons
• Egg cartons
• Poster paper
• Markers
• Rulers

What to Do
1. Remind children that Johnny Appleseed planted orchards of trees from a sack of
seeds. Invite children to create their own garden of bean plants in an egg
carton.
2. Remove the tops from an appropriate number of egg cartons. Have children scoop
out enough soil to fill each pocket in the egg cartons.
3. Have each child take a seed, and plant it into the soil. Keep track of where each
seed is planted. Place the egg carton in a location where there is plenty of
light, and have children water the seeds regularly.
4. Make a chart to track the growth of each plant. Children can write notes and then
take measurements as their seedlings grow.
5. As a bonus, invite interested children to write a story or put on a play about a
bean-planting character like Johnny Appleseed.

Why I Teach

2008-12-20T05:48:00.007-05:00

Last fall I travelled to New York with my fellow 2008 state Teachers of the Year to participate in a video project sponsored by the Council for Chief State School Officers and by the Pearson Project. Each of our state TOYs created individual video works on the topic "Why I Teach". I think you may find the results interesting and get a greater insight into why I was so amazed and honored to, spend time, and become friends with this amazing group of teachers last year. You can find it by going to http:/www.pearsonfoundation.org/ccsso-toy/2008/.

105 years ago today!!!!

2008-12-17T20:53:00.005-05:00

105 years ago today at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina Orville Wright accomplished what no man before had been able to do - he flew the first successful powered flight. Others had flown gliders, and many were trying to accomplish this goal (many with heavy financial backing), but the Wright Brothers were first.
Many (including the Smithsonian's Langley) were reported to believe that the Wright brothers were unworthy of this achievement because they lacked the academic credentials. The Smithsonian spent almost $100,000 ( early 1900s dollars) on a wind tunnel that the Wrights built for under $100 - and which was found to be a more effective tool to study aerodynamics! Our scientific history is filled with tinkerers, dreamers, and curious people that many would consider amateurs, but who accomplished great things.
So to all of my students, and those students who visit me here at the Science Corner, I challenge you to dream big. We need your dreams! Thank you Orville and Wilbur Wright!

A plug for a friend

2008-12-17T20:39:00.004-05:00

I am an avid follower of my friend, Mike Geisen's blog site. Mike is our 2008 National Teacher of the Year and has been on the road almost non-stop since being introduced at the White House last May. Mike has a unique sense of humor and take on things that is invaluable in his journey. Away from his wife and two young children, Mike is finding balance by sharing his trip with us through this site. It is a must watch. From a video journey through Japan (complete with one of the most hysterical introductions to a hotel room), to his take on the national educational scene, to reflections on his personal journey, Mike gives food for thought to every teaching professional.

I encourage you to follow Mike's journey. If you are like me you will be hooked on this site. Check it out at http//ntoy.blogspot.com (or go to my links below and click on his site).

A Late Fall/Early Winter Update

2008-12-17T20:24:00.003-05:00

For my northern teaching friends looking out at ice, snow or frost I thought a look at our school garden before we go on winter break might be of interest to many of you and your students. Some of our beds are being spruced up with annuals planted by our fifth grade garden club; we are finishing off the last of our tomatoes, replanting onions and broccoli, and awaiting the harvest of our carrot crop; and we are fighting weeds just as any dedicated gardener would! Let us know what you think!

Bragging on a friend

2008-12-09T19:56:00.003-05:00

I want to share the accomplishments of a friend of mine. Paul Gray, 2008 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, recently returned from a trip to Antarctica where he joined the National Geographic Society on expedition. Paul is an AP Geography teacher and was selected from teachers across the country to participate in this great adventure.

I am both proud of Paul's accomplishment and excited that he was able to participate and share with us in this once in a life time experience. I am posting a couple of pictures he has shared of life on this frozen continent.

A journal of Paul's experience can be found at http://www.expeditions.com/DER_Details113.asp?DailyReport=148082&SearchS

When there is no room for student work

2008-12-09T19:39:00.003-05:00

At many of my workshops I am asked to share ideas related to organization. I teach in a portable classroom and see about 725 students each week. There is simply no room to display samples of student investigations or share with students what other classes or grades are working on. My solution has been simplified in this age of digital photography.

I am constantly taking pictures of students at work (with signed permission provided to homeroom teachers at the beginning of each school year). I regularly print the pictures in sheets of six pictures and place them in plastic sheet protectors. These plastic "displays" are attached to the metal cabinets by my front door. As students enter the class and line up to leave the pictures are there to be viewed by all. Kids regularly see their friends and siblings and get a peek into what's going on in other classrooms.

For Open House I have expanded this to a slide show that runs non-stop on my Smart Board for everyone to enjoy. Since my program uses science journals and hands on explorations, rather than product driven projects and worksheets, these pictures becomes documentation and a great source for conveying what takes place in the lab.

Bird Watching

2008-12-09T19:23:00.002-05:00

As our northern friends are enjoying frost and snow, we in Florida welcome the annual migration of "snow birds" taking temporary residence in our trees. This year our third graders are participating in a population study in which we identify and quantify the population of birds found in our adjoining wetlands area. High in the pine and oak trees we are watching daily and recording our observations. Using binoculars, field guides, cameras and data sheets we hope to accurately record how our bird population will change through out the school year.

To date we have been joined by flocks of Crows, Mockingbirds,and Sparrows. We have been joined by two large Owls (see picture),a Red Winged Hawk, a Bald Eagle, Doves, Snowy Egrets and a female Cardinal. We will post our pictures and observations periodically throughout the upcoming months.

Hair Raising Science

2008-12-09T19:13:00.004-05:00

Our fourth and fifth grade have been exploring static electricity and have had a great time with Van DeGraff generators. Pictures illustrate the excitement that can also be generated. if course a cheap alternative can easily be created by placing styrofoam beads (or small pieces of styrofoam peanuts) in a balloon. Blow up the balloon and you have a "supercharged static electricity ball". Rub the balloon on pieces of wool, silk, or fur and watch the beads react!

A special thank you to our principal, Janet Medina-Maestre, for being such a good sport. If you look closely you will see much of her hair beginning to "stand up". Everyone has also enjoyed as I place my head near the ball and catch static electricy bolts jumping to my hair!

An excuse

2008-12-09T19:10:00.002-05:00

A quick apology for the limited recent postings. I have a history of back problems beginning with back surgery twenty years ago and I recently spent a few weeks in bed with more back problems. I'm back in the lab walking with a cane, but still not at 100%. This has limited my time in the evening on the computer. Hopefully I will be more regular with postings.

Another thank you to UCF

2008-11-11T07:35:00.006-05:00

Nothing really beats being recognized by your alma mater. Last Friday evening I was again honored by the University of Central Florida and the College of Education as one of ten recipients of the annual UCF Professional Achievement Award. We were honored at the annual alumni Black and Gold Gala. As I watched the videos and learned about the group of respected judges, community leaders and business people being honored I kept trying to figure out why I was being included. I still do. Regardless, thank you UCF, Dean Sandra Robinson, all of my wonderful friends in the College of Education, and fellow alum, Jennifer Van Kirk, winner of the prestigious Rising Star Award. What a great evening capping an incredible year.

A Few Fall Garden Ideas

2008-11-09T17:31:00.006-05:00

I've had a number of visitors lately who are at schools that would love to garden, but have limited time, space and resources. I found some great ideas last spring visiting the EPCOT Flower and Garden Show that are unique in the use of containers and space and thought I would share as we look to those fall and upcoming spring gardens.

Pumpkin Explorations

2008-11-09T17:09:00.006-05:00

Fall is a great opportunity for taking those pumpkins and using them for science. Thanks to Tracey Powell and her third grade class at Camelot Elementary for sharing their passion for pumpkins. Her students predicted the weight of a pumpkin, debated what a pumpkin looks like inside, estimated the number of seeds you might find and even tested to determine whether or not a pumpkin will float. Enjoy the pictures and the obvious excitement for pumpkins!

Have a safe Halloween

2008-10-30T22:47:00.004-04:00

I love Halloween. I will be out in the yard with my smoke machine, and spooky music, and lots of candy. And looking out our living room window will be our rescued cat, Radar. Radar is a completely black cat that we rescued last spring (along with his brother in the picture, Chairman Meow Meow) and this year we will be quite vigilant as we make sure that he stays in the house. I have shared with the children that there is nothing scary or bad about a black cat. Radar is actually one of the most loving animals I have ever come across. Every year at Halloween black cats become the center of attention - and often cruelty. Please enjoy Halloween. Watch out for little children, tolerate teenagers who are not quite ready to grow up, and keep your cats safe from harms way. Happy Halloween, Radar!
Halloween is a great time to correct many misconceptions. A quick trip to the garden allows us to visit spiders, look for webs and learn more about the importance of these valuable creatures. And a look inside a pumpkin may result in the drying and harvesting of seeds which will be used to begin our next pumpkin patch. After Halloween I recommend keeping that Jack o Lantern and watching the long term changes which take place as it eventually closed up. I know of one school that put one outside and ended up with a pumpkin patch growing out of the rotting pumpkin come early spring. Take advantage of the teachable moment and every opportunity to observe and record changes in a long term study.

A Marble Track

2008-10-27T19:33:00.004-04:00

Here is a quick and easy addition to any classroom that is guaranteed to excite a class. Paper towel tubes are cut length wise in half to create ramps. Depending upon the surface you can staple them to bulletin boards, tape them to dry erase boards, use velcro on a really large flannel board area. Regardless of how you do it, you have created a marble track that explores acceleration and gravity, friction, the collision of objects, recognizing and controlling variables, construction techniques and a wide assortment of other concepts. Marbles race to the bottom and my students predict how long it will take. They may then change the track to make it take longer or less time. We add bells, drops and anything we can think of - the track is constantly changing all year long. The neatest thing about this is that kids can make one of these at home. One of my students created one on a large garage door a few years ago and the entire neighborhood came out to watch the fun!

F.A.S.T.

2008-10-24T08:11:00.001-04:00

The Florida Association of Science Teachers is holding it's annual conference here in Orlando at the Doubletree Hotel across from Universal Studios. A great opportunity to bring great ideas back to the classroom. I will be presenting two workshops on Elementary Science Labs and hope to see you there.

Fall Gardens

2008-10-09T19:45:00.005-04:00

Many have asked for more information about our school garden. This is a reprint of an article I wrote for KidsGardening.

As many look to the fall season as a time of winding down classroom gardening, there are places where you will find a second gardening season filled with flowers, butterflies and vegetables. Gardening in Florida provides just such an opportunity. As you travel south until fall leaves cease to exist you will find a region of year round gardening that many would envy. As a science lab teacher and native Floridian my students and I do not experience the beauty of fall leaves or excitement of the first snow, but our garden is filled with the color of flowers in December, our garden still hosts caterpillars and butterflies in January and we harvest cucumbers and tomatoes almost year round. Raised beds provide the year round home for dill, mint, pentas, salvia, milkweed, fennel and much more.
For years my elementary school garden has enjoyed the advantages and challenges unique to year round gardening. In the sub tropic zone of Central and South Florida the cool mornings of fall aren’t usually felt until mid November; a winter freeze threat usually exists for only a few weeks in January and February; our spring planting begins in early March; and summer comes to us in May. With the opportunity of an extended growing season come challenges. Garden pests are a year round concern; the depletion of soil nutrients is an ongoing battle; and garden management and maintenance become critical gardening skills.
Because the challenge of year round gardening can be overwhelming, in our school garden we have approached everything in manageable stages. Our research and past experiences helped us to realize that the soil in Florida is mostly composed of sand and organic matter and our rain pattern is seasonally inconsistent. As a result we undertook creating a diverse raised bed garden supported by in-ground sites where appropriate. The decision to rely on raised beds was made due to a number of factors. 1. We could more easily enrich the soil and control moisture, 2. We provide better control of nematodes and other garden pests, 3. All students would have equal access to the garden – from kindergartners to fifth graders to our physically challenged students, 4. We could better control weeds. Most of our beds are large, measuring eight feet square, others much smaller. Container gardens also are found throughout our garden and allow us to provide a greater diversity of plants.
Large beds were developed to provide the following experiences: one bed is filled with assorted mints, lavender, and other scented plants for a sensory experience; one bed contains only annuals so that students may better understand plant life cycles; two beds provide host plants for both caterpillars and butterflies (we have focused on Monarchs, Queens, Viceroys, assorted Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillary and Sulfurs); a bed of perennials is provided to measure plant growth; a bed of ginger and cannas allows us to explore bulbs; a bed dedicated to Southern wildflowers allows students to better understand that one region’s weed in another region’s wildflower ; a bed of vegetables that are constantly harvested; and assorted container groupings of kalanchoe, sunflowers, roses, ornamental trees and other plants.
Soil is revitalized courtesy of our rabbitry which provides the foundation for our large composter. Additional soil is obtained from composted matter available at our county landfill. Irrigation as needed is supplied through web-like hose of connected sprinklers we have created linking each bed to our main water supply. Our goal was to use as little water as possible. Seeds from the garden are collected, dried and added back to the beds as part of our understanding of the life cycle. The garden is maintained by our afterschool gardening club, as well as volunteer classes. Pruning and weeding are ongoing and vital to our gardens. With a mild year round climate many plants will grow at accelerated rates. Without a period of dormancy many plants have been planted in small areas only to eventually take over the entire garden space. Our own experience started one year with a Mexican Petunia staging a revolt and attempting to take over our entire garden through a network of vine-like roots. Unable to learn our lesson, we repeated the cycle with a determined ornamental potato vine.
Water gardening is popular in our state, but has its own challenges. Evaporation leads the list. If fish are part of the water gardening experience then tap water must be ruled out as the water source. Many gardeners have rain barrels or filtration systems designed to provide a constant source of appropriate water. Too much or too little water depletes necessary nutrients creating more work, and our wonderful sun also contributes to high growth of algae! And don’t forget that you may also find the occasional egret or crane looking for his next meal in your water garden!
Regardless of how you approach gardening in Florida the joys far exceed any challenges one might encounter. Our school garden has become such an integral part of our community that last spring it was the site of evening Garden Party attended by over 400 students and their families. Though we might out on miss the colors of fall leaves and the clean fields associated with the first snow, we in the Sunshine State celebrate with an explosion of colors everyday and invite you to come down and share in the warmth and excitement of year round gardening!

A Clean Water Challenge

2008-10-05T14:34:00.005-04:00

Many of us in Florida are combining lessons dealing with water cycles, water conservation and the fragility of ecosystems. This is a lesson I wrote for our district almost 20 years ago and was later published by learning Magazine. You have seen the pictures I have shared on the side and here is the explanation.

While learning about the fragility of our water resources in Florida my fourth graders complete a challenge related to water pollution and reclamation. My students are given the challenge of taking dirty water and cleaning it. The “dirty water” is water to which I have added raisins, coffee grounds, crushed tea leaves, a few drops of vinegar and cooking oil. The result is a pretty good representation of water that might be found at a water treatment plant, only without dangerous parasites and bacteria. Small groups of three or four students are then given the tools for “cleaning” the water. Tools include a strainer, three coffee filters, funnels, extra cups, straws and a spoon. Each group additionally receives a cloth dish towel for clean up and a plastic tub (shoe box size) in which the experiment will take place.

Groups have an hour in (two class periods in the lab) which to clean the water. At the end of the hour all of the cups of water are compared to determine clarity. We discuss if the water is actually clean and talk about things that can’t be seen which may harm us. As a follow up to this activity I take all of the cups of “clean water” and place them in a pot, which we bring to a boil. Using the pot cover as a condensation catcher we distill water. We compare the distilled water to a small sample of what the students cleaned, but we also talk about the amount of energy which was needed to distill water and the materials needed to initially begin our process of reclaiming water.

This activity is the hands on introduction to our real world science understandings. We follow up by going to our local water treatment plant, as well as the Orlando Wetlands Park, which is a wetlands reclamation project of the St. Johns Water District and reintroduces reclaimed water into the St. Johns River. The reaction to this activity has always been one of really appreciating how difficult it is to reclaim water after we have polluted it.

All Things Considered

2008-10-05T14:03:00.002-04:00

This afternoon I will be interviewed on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, Weekend Edition. Along with a parent from Florida we will be sharing our experiences with No Child Left Behind. At the end of our segment we have poised questions to the educational advisers to Obama and McCain campaigns. If you are unable to listen in I invite you to go to the NPR website and listen to the podcast which will be available after 7pm this evening.

A Few Updates Courtesy of Some Friends

2008-09-22T18:07:00.003-04:00

Bev Cox, Elementary Science Resource Teacher for Orange County Public Schools sends incredible information to the teachers of our district on a regular basis. That's Bev in the picture with me at last year's Regional Elementary Science Olympiad. With credit given to Bev I pass on the following:

Earth Science Week
Get ready now for Earth Science Week 2008, which will be celebrated from October 12-18. The organizers hope that the theme "No Child Left Inside" will encourage teachers to not only bring some aspect of Earth Science into the classroom but to take their classroom/students outside as well! http://www.earthsciweek.org/ Teacher’s page: http://www.earthsciweek.org/forteachers/index.html

Doomed Spacecraft
Jules Verne is about to become a fireball. On Sept. 29, with NASA aircraft looking on, the 22-ton European spacecraft will plunge into Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean and harmlessly disintegrate. Jules Verne recently spent five months docked to the space station where it delivered supplies, used its engines to help the station avoid a piece of space junk, and served as an impromptu bedroom for the ISS crew. Mission accomplished, the doomed spacecraft is now making its final orbits around Earth glowing about as brightly as Polaris (the North Star). U.S. and European observers are favored with flybys this weekend. If you'd like to see Jules Verne, check the Simple Satellite Tracker for viewing times: http://spaceweather.com/flybys/

Spetember Equinox

2008-09-22T18:04:00.000-04:00

A Quick Science Note:
Seasons on Earth change much faster than they do on the sun. Today, autumn begins in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere when the sun crosses the celestial equator. The crossing, called the "equinox," took place at 1544 UT (11:44 EDT) today, Monday, September 22. Happy Equinox!

Take Nothing For Granted....

2008-09-09T14:27:00.002-04:00

After visiting a number of science classrooms last year I began to notice a trend. Many of our students do not have mastery of the most basic of measuring tools - the simple balance scale. As we all know, accurate data collection depends upon the ability of our students to first determine if the balance is accurate, and then for them to be able to accurately weigh an object.
With this in mind I created a simple beginning of the year test which I recommend to everyone. The first part of the test is for each table to determine if the scale is balance, and if not they are to balance it. A mini-lesson may necessary before proceeding. Then, at each table I have place a plastic pencil box with 8-10 objects of different size and weight. Each table has identical objects. For my purposes I include a golf ball, a rubber stopper, a D cell battery, a large metal washer, and a variety of other common objects. In my science groups students will identify each object, weigh it and record the weight. Since each table has the same materials (which I weighed before placing in the boxes to determine each is of equal weight) we can assess quite easily the accuracy of the measurements.
This fifteen minute activity may prevent a great deal of inaccuracy for future data collection. Try it.

A source for hot water...

2008-08-27T12:21:00.003-04:00

Hot water is something every science teacher needs, but in an elementary school few of us have. While visiting friends around the district I stumbled upon this exceptional idea for overcoming this problem. All you need to do is find a secure place away from students and remember not to add coffee! A special thanks goes out to Susan Botts at Endeavor Elementary School in Orange County, Florida.

Geology ideas

2008-08-27T07:46:00.004-04:00

In my district we begin the year studying geology. In Florida that provides challenges due to the lack of diversity in available rocks to study. Limestone makes up most of our state and it isn't the pretty rock on the planet. I collected rocks as a boy and try to encourage this through a great machine that hums along all year long - we run a rock tumbler. The picture is a two drum Thumbler that will run forever. We started with a really cheap tumbler that broke within six month and replaced it with this heavy duty machine. Two drums allow us to create complete polished rocks much more quickly since different materials (called grit) we added throughout the process. Everything you will ever want to know about rock tumbling can be found on the web. I bought How To Tumble Polish Rocks into Gems by Edward Smith and have found that it answers everything question I have had. We buy our rocks online and for very little investment you can create enough polished rocks for your entire class in a month. Just remember to only run during school hours - it takes longer, but is safer. This is a great tool to explain erosion in a very dramatic way.
In terms of erosion I don't have an erosion table, we create a huge hill of fill dirt on our concrete area to observe erosion. We measure the circumference at the base of the hill and and the height of the hill, then we observe and record changes daily. You will be able to see the effects of wind and water, weeds will begin to grow on your hill and children can observe how erosion patterns change. For those of us living on flat, sandy soil this has been an effective long term activity. Of course if I lived in an area of the country with hills, clay, rocks and other things, then daily walking field trips would be central to my geology studies.

Rain Totals

2008-08-25T20:13:00.002-04:00

As most have read, Tropical Storm Fay has impacted Florida far beyond what any of us ever expected. If you have heard about flooding let me put it into perspective: Camelot Elementary was 45 miles from the storm's center when it was nearest us: my lab rain gauges measured 14.75 inches in a 3 1/2 day time period (beginning Wednesday, August 20th at 5:00 pm and ending on Sunday, August 24th at 11:00 am. At one point water flowed between our raised garden beds so quickly that there appeared to be a current! As huge levels filled the St. Johns River, Florida will continue to see flooding. The St. Johns is unique in that it's source is the south central part of our state and it's mouth is in the northeast part of the state - in other words, it flows north. So the impact of the high waters will be felt for the next week or so as the swollen waters flow north through much of our state on it's journey to the Atlantic Ocean.

Of course Tropical Storm Fay just begins our season. We now keep our eyes on the Atlantic and Caribbean for tropical depressions. The latest to strengthen is Tropical Storm Gustav.

A final storm bonus - while standing in the rain Thursday morning helping with bus traffic I found a crayfish crossing the bus loop. He is now in a shallow aquarium living under a rock and has been quite happy eating feeder fish. Every year at this time my students bring me six or seven rescued crayfish. We will see how many are found this year.

Rain Maker

2008-08-21T15:50:00.003-04:00

Tropical Storm Fay continues to impact our school and area. Stalled about 46 miles away from us off Florida's coast we have seen dramatic changes. Initially we had light rain and moderate winds. When I left school yesterday I emptied my rain gauges. In the last 24 hours we have seen 6.5 inches of rain and winds that have gusted to over 35 miles an hour (according to my hand held wind gauge)throughout the day. My garden is flooded and there is a stream running between the flower beds. There is erosion at the base of my portable and we brought our students in from the portables all day due to the worsening conditions.

Ponds in our neighborhoods are filled and are now creeping up to the back door of houses, young trees are being uprooted due to winds and loose root systems, but we aren't complaining. Our neighbors in Brevard and Volusia county are having power outages, beach erosion and wide spread flooding.

This is really just the beginning of our tropical system and a reminder of the importance of being prepared. Should be an interesting season. And yes, for those that are wondering, all of my wind socks and wind chimes are safely tucked away for a sunnier day!

Tropical Storm update

2008-08-19T20:29:00.003-04:00

School was out today but Orange County Public Schools reopen Wednesday. Tropical Storm Fay has proven to be a fascinating system. This storm made landfall as a tropical storm and has crossed Florida increasing intensity the entire path. The Everglades and Lake Okeechobee apparently furnished the moisture for the build up. Current predictions have this system exiting Florida near Melbourne (about 40 miles south east of my house) and building up to become a hurricane. It's path isn't completely clear, but most models suggest it will loop back and hit either north Florida or southern Georgia. This is quite unusual for a tropical system and will be studied and discussed for some time.
Meanwhile, we return to the second day of school a day late, a little damp, but ready to go! I have a lot of plants to check and wind socks to put back up. Such is life in Florida!

An exciting start to the new school year!

2008-08-17T20:51:00.003-04:00

We start back to school tomorrow and are closely watching the path of Tropical Storm Fay. Almost exactly four years ago we were closing schools the second week of school and preparing for Hurricane Charlie, the first of three hurricanes we went through (I lost my roof and was without power for almost a week). We will be closely monitoring the National Hurricane Center (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov) for updates. At this time the predictions show this storm intensifying to a category one hurricane and a path to the west of Orange County. Unfortunately history has taught us that hurricanes rarely follow the exact projected path. The reality is it could pass us by completely with little impact or come directly through us. We will no within the next 48 hours.

If we experience this storm I'll try to have pictures on my blog and my classes will provide their descriptions of what is observed. In the meantime I will be spending tomorrow afternoon securing loose garden items, taking down my windsocks and "air toys" and preparing for some bad weather.

Wind Toys

2008-08-14T13:40:00.005-04:00

When I first came to Camelot I knew that I needed to sell science to my students, parents and my administrator. So the first thing I did was to create a visually appealing entrance which allowed us to also learn about wind and weather. Over the years my "air toys" have grown and become an aesthetic part of my outdoor learning lab. My windsocks are attached to 30 foot telescoping fiberglass poles, my six foot spinner is on a twenty foot pole which comes with the spinner. I find my stuff online, craft stores, hobby shops, garden shops and kite shops.
Today my "air toys" are an integral part of my units on air. I can teach about wind direction, wind speed,wind energy, textiles and the effect the sun has on fabrics. Of course my poles can be seen almost a half mile away and advertise the excitement of science!

Rain Barrels

2008-08-11T21:45:00.003-04:00

With much of my garden sitting on an old basketball court it frustrates me to water plants and watch so much end up being wasted as it evaporates from the surface of the concrete. I have also watched with amazement at the amount of water which drips from the air conditioners that are attached to our portable classrooms. So I went to a workshop held by our local county extension office and learned to make rain barrels. The pictures are the result of my efforts. This one fifty five gallon rain barrel fills up with the dripping water from the air conditioner in under THREE DAYS!!!!! I will have a complete section on rain barrels, how to make them and how to use them in the garden within the next two weeks.

An updated look at the garden...

2008-08-11T21:31:00.002-04:00

I've spent the last month and the heat of our Florida summer getting things weeded and back into shape. Expect regular updates regarding the garden, but let me begin with a few updated pictures. We've planted a lot of purple and yellow plants as attractors. In each bed can be found fennel, dill, parsley, milkweed or other food plants for caterpillars. We currently have a rather large population of Swallowtail and Sulfur butterflies.

It's Over!

2008-07-11T21:50:00.004-04:00

Last night was the gala celebration and announcement of the 2009 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to Jean Lamar from Nassau County. Jean now represents the 180,000 teachers of Florida for the upcoming year. I have previously share what a wonderful teacher Jean is and the FLDOE website (listed on this site) has a wonderfully comprehensive overview of her many accomplishments. I wish Jean a fulfilling year; I congratulate the four finalists; and give my thank you to the teachers of Florida for allowing me such a wonderful year.

This has been the single most humbling and rewarding experiences of my life. I will have more to share later, but for now thank you all.

A First Pitch

2008-07-07T22:14:00.004-04:00

My last official function as Florida Teacher of the Year will go down as one of my favorites! I THREW OUT THE FIRST PITCH FOR THE TAMPA RAYS! With the help of Michelle Todd with Governor Crist's office and the Tampa Rays I got to live a dream and throw out the first pitch at the Tampa Rays vs Kansas City Royals baseball game at Tropicana Field this afternoon.

Accompanying me onto the field was my wife, Susan; my best friend, Jim Lange; and my favorite former principal, Andrew Taylor. Andy has spent the last year battling colon cancer and it was great to see him looking better and having the energy to enjoy a day at the park. His progress has been followed by hundreds of his former teachers and colleagues in Orange County and he is an inspiration to us all.

I slept very little last night; my rotator cuff is torn; I don't throw very well anymore; and I desperately wanted to throw a strike. It just didn't happen. Whether it was the nerves, the sore arm, or just no talent - who knows? I threw it straight, flat and pretty hard. But it one hopped at the plate and I was a bit disappointed with myself. However, I had a great day and enjoyed myself immensely. My ball is in a place of honor and my bat is being signed by the entire team and will be sent back to me so that I can share it with the kids at Camelot Elementary.

The pictures: me with Evan Longoria; our motley crew of field rats; the jumbo tron; and one last look on the field!

Say Hello To My Little Friends

2008-07-04T12:01:00.004-04:00

Being on the road this year meant postponing a few things in our family. I have had dogs all of my life until I married Susan and was introduced to cats. With all of the animals in my lab, my students are always amazed that I don't have a zoo at home. In fact we have only had two rescued cats for many years. Penner showed up at our door one day and decided that he would adopt us. We named him in honor of the wonderful children's songwriter, Fred Penner. He became the constant companion of our devoted baseball cat, Sox. Unfortunately Sox was an old cat and last summer (right before the Teacher of the Year thing started) he passed on. So poor Penner has been alone and moping and my mother in law, Gert (who lives with us and is 95 years old) was also lonely. As summer approached and we knew there would be a more normal life ahead we began to search for a cat or dog to join the family.

I was very close to getting a dog when we found out about a litter of very young kittens that had been abandoned in a dumpster. One of the ladies at our veterinarian office was hand feeding them and desperately looking for homes for them. So we agreed to take both of the boys! Say hello to our newest family members: Radar (the little black cat named in honor of Radar O'Reilly from MASH); and Chairman Meow Meow (the Siamese who lives up to his name). Penner and Gertie are very pleased!

Austin, Texas

2008-07-03T20:44:00.003-04:00

I spent the better part of this week at the Education Commission of the States' National Forum on Education Policy. This gathering of governors, state policy makers, and education stakeholders met to share ideas on reshaping the future of education in this country. The national state Teachers of the Year were invited to provide insight and input and 24 teachers participated.

In addition to all of the heady discussions, having the chance to talk with Secretary of Education Spellings, and spending time with my NSTOY family there were a few opportunities for socializing. We dined at the Texas Museum of History; watched the 1.2 million bats leave the Little Colorado Bridge (I was five feet above the swarm of fur and wings!) as dusk approached; and listened to incredible Austin City Blues in an establishment (Antone's) that was made famous as a frequent venue of the late great rock and roll bluesman, Stevie Ray Vaughn. The group I listened to for over two hours was incredible!

And of course I spent a lot of quality time flying and sitting in airports reading. It's good to be home!

Big Event!

2008-06-29T18:34:00.003-04:00

Yes I have conferences coming up, yes the new Florida TOY will be announced, and yes I will be at Space Camp the end of July. But the biggest news is that I will be throwing out the first pitch at the Tampa Rays home game on July 7th. They play the Kansas City Royals and I just want to get the throw across the plate! I've been practicing, my shoulder is sore and I have a 50/50 chance of really messing up. Joining me on the field will be my wife, Susan; our best friends, Jim and Linda Lange; and our great friends, principal, Ellen and Andy Taylor. Andy is my former principal and a former PE coach. Updates to follow.

Upcoming Events

2008-06-23T17:14:00.003-04:00

The next few weeks will be quite busy. I thought I would take a moment to update:

Next week I fly to Austin, Texas to attend the Education Commission of the States' 2008 National Forum on Education Policy. I will be joining many of my fellow state Teachers of the Year as guests of the ECS and will be participating in an invitation-only discussion forum to address the topic: " How Should We Define a Highly Effective Teacher?". Also in attendance will be ECS commissioners, state policy advisors, state school executive officers and other education leaders. The three day conference should give me incredible information to process and share with others in Florida.

The 2009 Florida Teacher of the Year Roundtable and announcement of the new 2009 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year will take place July 8 - 11th. The actual announcement event (at the Orlando Hard Rock Center) will take place the evening of July 10th. This should be a great week! All of the Florida district TOYs will get together for workshops, fellowship and excitement at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Orlando. I can't wait to turn this over to one of the incredible finalists I have earlier spoken of.

July 16th I will be the keynote speaker at the National Staff Development Council Conference being held at the Orlando World Center Marriott. The theme of this year's conference is "Creating a World of Wonder through School-based Professional Learning". As a new member of Pi Lambda Theta I also look forward to seeing other members at this event.

Transitioning Home

2008-06-19T20:49:00.004-04:00

Yes!!!! I am getting back into my lab, cleaning up, reorganizing, unpacking, overseeing the installation of my new SMART Board and beginning to rebuild my garden.

I attended my last OCPS Foundation function as a board member last week; I spent an afternoon visiting Tools for Teaching (look for more about this great place in the future); I have been in week long district training with our district elementary lab teachers; and I was part of our OCPS District Retirement Celebration (which was a fantastic chance to see old friends). I am officially back in my element and can't wait for school to begin.

I have been asked if I would miss the excitement of representing Florida teachers as this year's Teacher of the Year. My answer is that I am replacing it with the excitement of science with my elementary students. It's a great trade!

As my year as Florida Teacher of the Year winds down I am trying to decide the fate of this website. Part of me thinks I will continue to blog, but gradually transform this into a teacher resource site. Next school year I will be a part time district science trainer for our new state science standards and I can see the value of keeping a site. On the other hand, maybe it has run it's course. let me know.

North East Florida Educational Consortium - SUMS Academy

2008-06-09T19:28:00.002-04:00

This morning I had the pleasure of being part of the kick off for a group of North Florida school districts coming together to learn more about more effective math and science instruction. On this hot Monday at Fort White High School teachers from Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Putnam, Suwannee, Union and Taylor Counties came together after just finishing their school years.

These teachers will spend the week exploring inquiry science and effective math strategies that will be taken back to their classrooms in August to better meet the needs of students. The SUMS Academy will take place for the next three weeks with new groups being trained each week. This is an incredible undertaking by a group of small school districts that have found the effectiveness of partnership. Thanks to Paula Hollingsworth, Anna Meetze and Nancy Thompson for allowing me to be a part of this great experience.

Air and Space Museum

2008-06-07T20:13:00.003-04:00

I seem to get photos on a daily basis highlighting this year. I even got my letter from President Bush last week! And I was extremely excited to get pictures from my training as a Smithsonian Ambassador while I was in Washington, DC. While visiting the Air and Space Museum I have previously shared my excitement with learning so much about the Wright Brothers and the Wright Flyer. Here are a couple of pictures from the visit.

A group picture of our Florida TOY Finalists

2008-06-03T11:41:00.001-04:00

A Special Dinner

2008-06-02T20:06:00.005-04:00

Sunday I drove back up to Tallahassee to host a special dinner. This was my opportunity to honor our 2009 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year finalists. All five came to Tallahassee to be interviewed by Commissioner Smith and a selection committee tasked with choosing our next Florida Teacher of the Year. When I came up last year with my fellow finalists it was a special time. We got to know each other, we bonded and we became friends. It is my hope this new group shared a similar experience. The only thing missing for us last year was the opportunity to have many of our questions answered by the only person who could answer them. So this year I decided that a new tradition should begin and I set this dinner up as a get together and an opportunity for each of the finalists to ask their questions. It is my hope that the next Florida TOY will think this was a valuable experience and will continue the tradition.Meanwhile I headed home this morning while they each enjoyed a day of interviews.

So, congratulations to each of the finalists:

Jean Lamar from Callahan Middle School in Nassau County

Jennifer Bohn from Evans High School in Orange County

Danny Whittenton from Kathleen High School in Polk County

Kevin Holland from Pace High School in Santa Rosa County

Jeanne Wright from Cypress Creek Elementary School in Volusia County

You are each incredible representatives of teaching in Florida and I will be honored to have any of you representing us as the next 2009 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year. It was a pleasure to meet each of you and have the opportunity to spend the evening getting to know you all better. The Florida Teacher of the Year Roundtable is just around the corner and I'm just glad it isn't me waiting this year!

A Sunshine Science Moment

2008-05-29T07:08:00.003-04:00

Wednesday I had the opportunity of creating a new Teacher of the Year experience. I traveled to Tallahassee after Memorial Day and dropped some things off at the DOE, spent the night there and got up early Thursday morning to drive into the Central Time Zone to Chipley, Florida and the television studios of PAEC (Panhandle Area Educational Consortium). PAEC has an incredibly extensive online and on-air collection of teacher resources and classes (including the Florida Education Channel) that are accessed across Florida and the south.

I was asked to come up and tape a series of 10-15 minute inservice lessons that I created called: "A Sunshine Science Moment". With the inclusion of our new state science standards this year there has become a need for inservice to support these new standards. There is a state wide initiative , The PROMISE grant that I have been involved with that will address most of our inservice, but these mini lessons will also be used as additional support. This is my opportunity to share the information I have gathered as I've travelled to schools giving workshops and speaking with teachers throughout this year.

"A Sunshine Science Moment" takes on quick activity linked to the state Big Ideas,includes ideas to integrate the benchmarks into other areas of the curriculum and just tries to give teachers a quick boost toward putting together new units. It is my hope that each Florida Teacher of the Year who follows me will create his/her own series of min lessons related to their particular field of study and that all of theses lesson eventually become an online library of former TOY lessons. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, I had a great day thanks to the generosity and expertise of Chris Harding, Lisa Schofield, Charles Walker and all of the wonderful people at PAEC. Now for the long drive back to Orlando. As my year winds down I will look back on this experience with a great deal of satisfaction.

Orlando Rotary Club

2008-05-20T20:22:00.003-04:00

This morning I had breakfast with the Downtown Orlando Rotary Club. Great Bacon! I had a great time meeting so many of our community leaders and sharing my experiences with them. I am especially proud that this Rotary Club has adopted Orange Center Elementary School in Orlando and is doing wonderful things to help children who live in poverty to succeed and have a wonderful elementary school experience. I taught at Orange Center many years ago and look back at those years fondly. I have visited the school this year and am proud of the strides being made by the students. Thanks to Orlando Rotary for the tremendous work you are doing for this wonderful school.

Science Olympiad

2008-05-18T08:40:00.005-04:00

After spending the better part of the week battling a persistent, and painful case of gout I was back in action Saturday attending an event I have waited years for. At the University of Central Florida I helped to judge the first annual Regional Elementary Science Olympiad. Science Olympiad incorporates problem solving, science, engineering, team work and creativity as student teams create solutions to specific challenges. Orange County fourth and fifth grade teams responded to "egg drop" challenges, created paper helicopters being judged by the longest flight, aluminum barges which were judged by how much weight they could hold, and a number of other challenging events.
For a first time event this was incredible: 37 teams from across our district with well over 500 students and parents in attendance. Kudos to Mike McKee and his team of UCF and OCPS volunteers that made that an event to remembered. Those of us in elementary science have looked for an alternative to the traditional science fair (and it's problems) for years and have tried at various times to make this work. It took Mike and his team, with the strong support of our OCPS District Science Staff (Bev Cox, Molly Malloy, Yvonne Fonnett, and Joan Walker) to finally make this a reality.

Civic Oration Contest

2008-05-09T18:20:00.002-04:00

Today I helped to judge the Level Three Regional Civic Oration Contest. Sponsored by the Modern Woodsmen of America, this speaking contest has been an annual event in Orange County for fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders for over twenty years. This years topic, "an American Landmark" provided a diverse and tough group of speeches to choose from. Students are judges on material organization, deliver, presentation and overall effectiveness. This was one of the tougher things I've done because they were all great.
I have a connection to this event because both of my sons competed (and one of them won) regional competitions of this event. A special thanks to Modern Woodmen of America for your continued support of an extraordinary event. And congratulations to all of the participants today who inspired me and made my job so hard!

TV Time

2008-05-09T08:31:00.003-04:00

I was up early Thursday for a visit to FOX35 television studios for a morning interview. This is Teacher Appreciation Week and I was asked on to help celebrate teaching in Florida. The producer of Fox's morning news has a connection to me because he is married to one of my favorite Camelot teachers, April Kennedy. April teachers fifth grade and I love to have her kids come to my lab. She brings out their excitement and enthusiasm for learning and always has a smile on her face. They lover her and it shows!
I was asked about my year and why I love teaching - easy question! Among the background footage shown I loved the fact that a picture of my wife, Susan, was seen from our visit to the Rose Garden. Susan is a 31 year kindergarten teaching veteran and my inspiration. She is the best teacher in our house and I was glad see her in the footage. Of course she looks really good too!
The afternoon was spent in a meeting of the Orange County Public Schools Foundation discussing even more that will be done in the years to come for education. Education in the 21st Century will only thrive through the strength of community partnerships and the OCPS Foundation is a model for a great one!

Macy's

2008-05-07T20:12:00.003-04:00

Early this morning I flew to Fort Lauderdale where I was picked up by a town car and driven to the Miami where I spoke at Macy's annual "Star Academy Awards". Macy's annually honors outstanding employees with a gala event which really does resemble the Oscars!
It was my pleasure to speak and thank the employees of Macy's for a 20 year partnership with the teachers of Florida. Through their work with the Department of Education the Florida Teacher of the Year recognition program is a model that few states come close to copying. I was happy to give back to the people who have done so much to make this year special.
THANK YOU MACY'S OF FLORIDA !!!!!

The picture

2008-05-05T19:50:00.001-04:00

Everyone has asked and I just got it.My picture with the President.

Graduation!

2008-05-05T17:15:00.002-04:00

We flew home Saturday evening and got up early (5:00am) Sunday morning to drive to Gainesville for the highlight of our busy week - the graduation from college of our youngest son, Zachary. Zach is our youngest son and is a finance major at the University of Florida.
Sunday we were joined by his fiance, Emily (they were engaged in Central Park over Thanksgiving during our trip to the Macy's Parade)for the big event. We had great seats and this was truly the best moment of the week. I enjoyed Washington and meeting President Bush, but I would have given it all up if it had meant missing Zach's graduation. It seems like only yesterday that I was playing catch with my little guy and now my grown son begins his job in Orlando with Seimens Corporation in two weeks. Wow am I old!

A Visit to the Ball Park

2008-05-05T17:04:00.002-04:00

Friday afternoon we went to see the Washington Nationals play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Washington has a new stadium that I really wanted to see. You can get there directly using the Metro and we got there plenty early and sat in the bleachers watching batting practice. When it got closer to game time we took our seats - lower level hugging the right field foul pole. Nice!!!!

The stadium is nice - though I'm spoiled with trips to St. Louis and Busch Stadium. The food was adequate and the game was slow. In the fourth inning a generator blew and they lost half the lights. The game was suspended for almost an hour until they could fix everything - this was a first for me in a major league park.

We stayed until the eighth and left to avoid the crowds. We still have to pack and get ready for a morning flight home. Great way to end our Washington, DC adventure!

Arlington Cemetery

2008-05-05T16:06:00.002-04:00

Friday was spent at Arlington. It was an emotional and rewarding day. We took the Metro and walked to the entrance where we took the tour bus. First stop was President John F. Kennedy's grave site. Home to the eternal flame it brought back memories of his funeral that I remember watching on television as a boy. Then over to the grave of Bobby Kennedy. I worked on his presidential campaign and he would have been my President. I admired both men immensely and it was a tough visit with thoughts of what should have been.

We walked up the hill to the former home of Robert E. Lee. The view is magnificent and walking among the graves was a huge history lesson. Interestingly, Arlington was picked as the site of the National Cemetery by a gentleman who blamed Lee for carrying on the Civil War ten days longer than necessary. As a result the gentleman lost his only son. His revenge was in seizing the property (which was actually the family home of his wife - a descendant of George Washington) and surrounding the home with the graves of Union soldiers. The slain son's remains are interned looking directly over the house.

We walked the path from this Civil War history to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier commemorating more modern wars. We stood silently and watched the changing of the guards. Guard duty at Arlington is among the highest honor that can be given to an enlisted soldier. I found myself explaining a bit of this to a group of Middle School students. I am so concerned that if our history is not taught we will someday find ourselves repeating past mistakes.

Smithsonian Ambassador

2008-05-05T15:50:00.003-04:00

Thursday was spent at the Smithsonian being trained and learning more about the Smithsonian Ambassador program. We met first at the Smithsonian Castle, the home of the original museum. Our first meeting of the day, and lunch, took place in the Board of Directors hall. This was the original exhibit hall and still houses an incredible array of objects which represent all of the museums. The jet pilot helmet was originally worn by Chuck Yeager when be first broke the sound barrier flying in the special Bell 1 jet, Glamorous Glennis.

We broke into interest groups and I returned to the Air and Space Museum to learn more about the history of Air Transportation exhibit. We were honored to meet the principal designer and Wright Brothers expert, Dr. Jakobs who told us more about the Wright Brothers as we looked on at the original Wright Flyer. We learned how the exhibit was planned and designed and what visitors should get from the experience. At lunch we shared our experiences with TOYs who visited other museums and compared note. In my links section you will find mew Smithsonian link that I learned more about that I think you will find useful.

Mike Geisen, 2008 National Teacher of the Year

2008-05-05T09:34:00.003-04:00

It seems only fitting that I talk about Mike. First of all he will represent all of us well. Mike has taught for seven years in middle school and is the kind of teacher we would all want or own children to be taught by. He is relaxed, irreverent, smart and poised - I've spent time with him and like him a lot. I want to include the article written by the Oregon newspapers:

Crook County Middle School science teacher Michael Geisen was in the middle of a lesson when he got a message from the school's front office: The White House was on the line.
He was terribly sorry, Geisen responded, but could they call him later? He was with his seventh-graders, and they mattered more.
That attitude is one of the reasons Geisen was to be named the 2008 national teacher of the year Wednesday at a White House Rose Garden ceremony hosted by President Bush.
''I've done demos involving 14,000 volts and lived to explain them,'' Geisen wrote in his 13-page application to the Council of Chief State School Officers, which runs the teacher of the year program. ''I've totaled my vehicle in a 60 mph crash on the way to work, but taught the whole day anyway. I have yet to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I have my top students working on it. Most importantly, though, I've taught with the integrity, passion and heart that inspire those around me to become better at what they do.''
Originally trained as a forester, Geisen realized he belonged in a classroom one foggy day as he stood alone atop a deep chasm, missing the students he'd worked with as a forestry teaching assistant at the University of Washington.
When his first child was an infant, he went to Southern Oregon University in Ashland for a master's in teaching. He ended up at Crook County Middle School in the central Oregon town of Prineville, where he's known for making science fun.
To keep students involved, he writes songs, develops games, and helped start ''The Night of the Electric Creation,'' in which they design projects to show off their energy knowledge.
''In a field that is thought of as very left-brain and analytical, I try and infuse as much creativity as possible,'' Geisen said.
Rocky Miner, the principal at Crook County Middle School, said that several summers ago, Geisen spent weeks fundraising, then persuaded students to help him build a rock climbing wall at the school, complete with a mural of nearby Smith Rock.
He also worked with his fellow science teachers to turn a school courtyard into a garden that reflects Oregon's vegetation zones. And a presentation he put together on the deadly effects of microbes on children in the developing world inspired several of his students to raise money for third-world disease relief.
At lunchtime and before school, Geisen's room is often full of students who have come to visit his turtle, join him for an impromptu jam session on their guitars, or just sit and talk. Geisen sometimes calls it the ''Ketchup Club,'' since he's around to offer help to any student who has fallen behind and needs to ''catch up.''
Geisen, 35, plans to continue teaching, but he'll spend most of the next year traveling around the country, speaking about teaching and learning.
''Hey, I am used to dealing with seventh-graders,'' he said. ''Adults who want to hear what I have to say will be a piece of cake.''

Sounds like a great choice! Congratulations Mike!!!

The White House

2008-05-05T08:43:00.005-04:00

Wednesday was the big day. After breakfast with the TOY families we headed to the White House to meet President Bush. Let me first say that regardless of your politics and views regarding this President, the honor of being received in the White House and meeting the President of the United States is overwhelming. From the gardens to the honor guards to the West Wing this was a once in a life time experience.

Our families arrived separately and were escorted to a brief reception followed by seating in the Rose Garden. Susan said that everything was regal, beautiful and tasteful. Though the roses weren't in bloom the gardens were magnificent with Tulips, Azaleas and Wisteria growing everywhere.

The state Teachers of the Year were escorted to the Roosevelt Room which adjoins the Oval Office. I was one of only two who brought a camera and I took pictures of everything. I've included pictures of the famous portrait of Teddy Roosevelt at the Charge of San Juan Hill, waiting to go in, other state TOYs, and the Rose Garden. When things were ready we were announced and presented individually to President Bush and Education Secretary Spellings. Mr. Bush was very warm. He asked where I lived, how long I had been teaching and what I teach. He thanked me for my service, shook my hand again and they took our picture. We talked very briefly again, I met Secretary Spellings and went to the entrance of the Rose Garden. My name was then announced and I came onto a stage where the press corp took my picture. I was seated in front of the stage and waited for everyone else to go through the same process.

Mike Geisen, our new National Teacher of the Year (from Oregon) was presented with his family and the President. Mr. Bush spoke and was then followed by Mike, who did an excellent job. He will represent the teachers across America admirably. I will talk more about Mike in another Blog.

After the ceremony we took pictures, slowly left taking pictures and departed for the hotel.

The afternoon was spent meeting both Florida Senator Mel Martinez and Florida Senator Bill Nelson. This was set up by the office of Governor Charlie Crist and I want to thank Michael Belitzky, Policy Analyst for Governor Crist for arranging and making the introductions for these meetings. Michael's mother is an administrator in the Miami-Dade Schools and he has a great understanding of eduction.

Our evening was culminated by a black tie formal affair at a location near Georgetown. Very fancy, very nice. There were several speakers, including our new National Teacher of the Year and it was all great fun.

Wednesday in Washington, DC

2008-05-05T08:05:00.004-04:00

Wednesday began my adventure with the other state Teachers of the Year. At breakfast we had a chance to get back together, introduce our families and reconnect. As our families headed out to a day of sight seeing we were taken to Arlington, Virginia for another day of training with Smart Boards. My new Smart Board has been delivered to school and will be installed this summer. I'm extremely excited by the prospect of using this wonderful tool in the lab. Space is so limited in my portable that I see this tool as a real life saver since everything I work on with a class can be saved and used the very next time they are with me. The ability to introduce graphics, charts and pictures is incredibly useful. I'm also going to be teleconferencing with other Teachers of the Year and their classrooms across the country so my kids can learn more about places outside the Sunshine State. This was an incredibly productive day.

At the end of the day we were taken to the Iowa Jima Memorial for a group picture. This monument is incredibly beautiful and inspiring.

The on to an evening reception hosted by the SMART Foundation. This wonderful organization has a ten year commitment to the National TOY program and gives each state winner over $15,000 in hardware and software for their classroom and school. That amount to well over half a million dollars contributed over ten years! Thank you SMART Foundation!

After dinner Susan and I joined Paul Cain (2008 Texas Teacher of the Year) and his family for a walk to the Vietnam Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. Paul served with distinction in Vietnam (he was in three different helicopters shot down over water) and has been teaching in El Paso, Texas for over 30 years. At the wall we both located friends lost. The Lincoln Memorial at night is incredible. There is so much strength to be drawn from Lincoln's words and it was the perfect conclusion to a fantastic day.

Tuesday in Washington, DC

2008-05-05T07:48:00.004-04:00

Tuesday was wet! We took a cab to the Air and Space Museum and had a great adventure. I am a bonafide air and space nut and was in heaven! I'm including just a few airplane pictures from the History of Air Transportation exhibit. One of the planes is a 1934 Ford Trimotor. In its day it provided luxury travel across our country. I flew in one about twenty years ago and I question the term luxury. it is really loud, you smell aviation fuel, the aluminum sides rattle and it kind of free floats when throttled down a bit. The cockpit has two really big steering wheels and a large "gear stick" between the pilot and copilot seats. I loved every minute of this bird! We also took in the IMAX show "Fighter Pilots" and just had a great day.

That evening we went to a well known French Restaurant, Marcel's, for dinner. Afterwards we were taken by limo to an evening at the Kennedy Center listening to the French National Symphony. I had never been to the Kennedy Center and this was quite the treat. During intermission we walked out to the patio areas and looked at the sights of the monuments lighted for the evening. An incredible day with my incredible wife!

A Day of Art

2008-05-04T21:19:00.002-04:00

Sunday morning we got up early and took the Metro (Washington, D.C. subway) to Union Station which is the DC train depot. Great stores, including one for the Mint! We then set off to the Museum of Modern Art. I proceeded to fall flat on my face on an uneven sidewalk and proceeded with my dignity partially intact. At the art museums spent the day in awe of Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and the Impressionist masters. But we also spent time with the modern genius of Pollack and Calder.
Alexander Calder is a particular favorite of mine because of his wonderful sculptures and mobiles. There is incredible science and math involved in these works of art and I am constantly fascinated by each piece.

Washington, D.C.

2008-05-04T21:09:00.004-04:00

Saturday morning my wife and I flew to Washington, D.C. to spend the week with Teachers of the Year from across the country as the new National TOY would be announced at the White House. It was a very full week.
We arrived late afternoon Saturday, checked into the Washington Marriott near Georgetown and went out walking. What a beautiful area! Tulips, Cherry Trees, Wisteria and other plants we just don't see in Orlando were in full bloom. Great first look at DC.

A Birthday Present

2008-05-04T18:10:00.002-04:00

While in Tallahassee working on the Depth of Knowledge I celebrated my 55th birthday. When I got home Friday (April 25th) I received an incredible surprise. As I have shared in earlier postings I am extremely attached to the children's book: The Lion's Paw by Robb White. I told you of Brady Hodgerson in Monroe County and the incredible connection we have through this remarkable book. On this website I refer to The Lion's Paw as the "holy grail" because it has been out of print for over 30 years, is extremely difficult to find, and extremely expensive to find in good condition. Unfortunately I gave my copy to a student many years ago and haven't seen another since Brady showed me his in Key West.
Until that Friday. For my 55th birthday my wonderful wife, Susan surprised me beyond words. She found a mint hard back copy of this wonderful book and presented it to me for my 55th! Susan - you are the best!
And to make this even better - the company she bought the book from takes the profits from rare book sales to buy books that are given to schools, libraries and students in underdeveloped areas of the world.

More Science Standards

2008-05-04T17:58:00.002-04:00

April 23rd through April 25th were spent on the Florida State University campus attending a workshop and work sessions exploring Webb's Depth of Knowledge Levels and assigning values to the new Florida Science Standards. Working with Jay Matteson and his team from the Florida Center for Research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FCR\STEM)teams spent time recognizing levels of cognitive complexity within the new standards and assigning values. These values will be the basis for creating curriculum, in service and assessments for future teams of writers.
It was an honor and privilege to be allowed to serve in this capacity with educators from around the state. The three days were both draining and enlightening.

Catching Up!

2008-05-04T17:33:00.004-04:00

It has been a quick few weeks and I need to catch up. Leaving Glade County on April 17th I crossed the state and visited Longwood Elementary School in Fort Pierce where I visited the science lab and garden. Tuesday, May 22nd found me back in Tallahassee visiting the Challenger Science Center (a wonderful place that I would highly recommend to any class visiting the State Capitol)and later that evening I spoke to the Leon Association of Science Teachers. What a great evening of over 100 of Leon County's science teachers who came together to celebrate science learning.

Glades County TOY Celebration

2008-04-18T06:30:00.004-04:00

Thursday I drove down US 27 through the heart of Florida for a three hour drive to Moore Haven. I was speaking at the Glades County celebration for past and present Teachers of the Year. My trip to the south-central part of our state was shared with lots of trucks. This part of Florida is home to orange groves, cattle and sugar cane - lots of sugar cane.

It was a wonderful banquet and I was happy to help recognize Glades County teachers. A special congratulations to Sherri Fleming, Glades County District 2009 Teacher of the Year from West Glades School. One of the things which made this evening so special were presentations and words from students from each of the finalist's schools. Speaking in front of a large audience is never easy and each of these students acted like seasoned orators. Each was a credit to the teacher being honored.

Jellybean Landscape Club

2008-04-16T06:42:00.003-04:00

Between the workshops and meetings it was my pleasure to spend part of my day at Wekiva Elementary in the kindergarten classroom of Allison Prose. I taught kindergarten for ten years and it was great to share a finger play, listen to letters read to me and visit gardens create by this class. At Wekiva these kindergartners are know as the Jellybean Landscape Club and they have create butterfly habitats, taken a rotting pumpkin and started a new pumpkin patch with the seeds, made creative scarecrows and tend a wonderful vegetable garden. All of the produce harvested from this garden is donated to the homeless. What great examples these young gardeners are to us all.
Thank you Mrs. Prose and the Jellybean Landscape Club for such a wonderful gift today. Such a wonderful kindergarten!

Council for Educational Change

2008-04-14T13:25:00.002-04:00

Thursday I left Jacksonville and headed for Tampa. On the way I took a quick stop in Gainesville to have lunch with my youngest son and enjoy the beautiful day. Friday morning I participate in the Wachovia Foundation Teachers and Teaching Initiative Workshop. This program matches new teachers with mentors for training. Participating schools are identified as at risk and partner with businesses for additional mentoring. I visited with the group last September and was excited to get back and find out what kind of progress was made this year.

This great group of teachers gave up their last Saturday of Spring Break to attend and I heard great stories of success. There are incredible challenges before these teachers because this is not easy teaching, but I didn't hear anyone giving up! A great day to share in teaching.

Florida Association of Partners in Education

2008-04-13T20:38:00.003-04:00

I drove Wednesday to Jacksonville to the Hyatt Riverfront Hotel, overlooking the St. Johns River, to attend the annual conference of FAPE - the Florida Association of Partners in Education. It was an eventful trip. The drive was nice, the hotel was great and I loved meeting these wonderful people. Thursday morning I was to first introduce the keynote speaker for the morning and later give a workshop. About fifteen minutes before everything was to begin I was asked to replace the keynote speaker. She was grounded and unable to make the meeting due to airline problems reported across the country! I was asked if I could give an impromptu 30-45 minute speech. Wow! No notes, no Power Point, no props - just get up and do it. I also couldn't steal from the workshop I would be giving right after this speech. I love it! For the kid who has never been able to shut up, the adult who has always loved telling stories and the teacher who has relished every crazy classroom misadventure I loved this challenge. I hope it went well, I enjoyed myself and appreciated the patience of my audience. However, I don't want to make a habit of this.

My morning adventures were followed with a wonderful meeting with our new Commissioner of Education, Dr. Eric Smith. I like Dr. Smith a lot and believe he can help Florida continue to make great strides in education. He is an incredibly articulate, intelligent person who leaves you with no doubt that he has never forgotten his classroom roots. he is the perfect person to lead us through the hard financial times that are upon our state.

Thursday evening I attended the Commissioner's Dinner honoring Florida's outstanding Partners in Education. I was amazed and ovewhelmed by the partnerships being honored. I learned about ncredible sums of money, volunteer hours and support for classrooms and schools across our state and it was a privilege to help honor our wonderful business partners.

On the Road: A Perspective

2008-04-08T19:50:00.002-04:00

I've spent the last couple of days writing new speeches, creating a couple of new Power Points and getting caught up on my paper work. While getting everything ready I created a tally of how my time has been spent. It looks like this:
As of today ...
I have visited 25 schools
I have attended 15 conferences
I have given 13 media interviews
I have presented 20 workshops
I have given 38 speeches
I have spent 46 nights in hotel rooms
I have driven over 37,000 miles

And in 93 days (July 10th) we will announce the 2009 Florida Department of Education/Macy's Teacher of the Year.

UCF Breakfast

2008-04-02T17:22:00.005-04:00

Today I was a guest of the University of Central Florida College of Education as they continue to celebrate 40 years and honor staff and students. It was an honor to share the podium with former Florida Lt. Governor Toni Jennings; UCF President John Hitt and Dean Sandra Robinson. Everyone knows how proud I am to be a UCF Knight and today I got to say thank you to the College and those wonderful people who helped to shape my career.
Thank you Dr. Mike Hynes, Dr. Chuck Dzubian, Dr. Pat Manning, Dr. Mary Palmer, Coach Torchy Clark, Dr. Cal Miller and Dr. Bob Martin. Thanks to all of the wonderful instructors who were not able to attend, to the great ones who have passed on and to an exceptional College for shaping this elementary teacher. GO KNIGHTS!!!

The Sandwich Generation

2008-04-02T17:10:00.002-04:00

Actually I'm not talking about ham and cheese! I'm talking about a part of my year that many my age experience. As many of you know, my mother-in-law, Gertrude (94 years old) has lived with us for the past fifteen years. A part of my TOY year is being away from home and leaving my wife to care for her Mom alone. We have a wonderful person who stays with Gert during the day, but this year on the road has required sacrifice from a lot of people. Thank you Susan and Gert! During the last month, my Dad had a pacemaker installed and also stayed with us for a while. Thankfully Dad is better and has returned home with some supervision.

Those of us that are reaching middle age with senior parents are now referred to as the Sandwich Generation. Many of us have children at home or away at school while we are also taking care of elderly parents. We are "sandwiched" between these two groups. There is nothing empty about our nests! I share this not to complain - we have chosen our path; but to share with many of you out there in a similar position. I took on State TOY this year because my wife took this on. I'm looking forward to returning to my lab and students, and also to being home to help out more.