Yesterday I went to a movie with my sons (2 and 4 year olds): Fly Me to the Moon.

I didn't have huge expectations, as I checked on www.imdb.com (my favorite reviewing site) and the reviews were aweful (5.4/10). However I did go, because it was the only kid movie playing and I really wanted to go to the movies on a cheap Tuesday night. Maybe because of my low expectations I was impressed with the movie, especially the value of it in the science classroom.

A friend of mine, Nathaniel Lasry, emailed me these clips this morning of him doing some cool science tricks. Here is what he wrote:

We are trying to get as many hits in a week as possible so we can go see Discovery Channel and present a real-world science demos show. Entertaining and educational.
So here's the request: Take a look at both clips (every view is counted) and send them to as many people as you can! If you have 2s rate the clips (5* scale)
If you can have friends/students see the clips (and spread them) that would be awesome.
By all means feel free to let me know how you liked the clips (and if there's anything we can do better).

The clips seem very professional, and I can definitely see Nathanial as a host of a science TV show on the Discovery Channel. I wish him all the luck in the world! Here are the clips:

When I took my education degree, there was a lot of talk about Student-Centered teaching versus Subject-Centered teaching versus Teacher-Centered teaching. I was very young and fresh out of my physics / math degree (where the "real learning" took place); I felt that all this talk on "Teaching" was mumbo-jumbo. I really didn't care about whether I taught the subject, or whether I taught the students. I just wanted to get my certificate so that I could teach math and science in the high schools. The education degree itself was, for me (the young me) a huge waste of time.

One of my blogs from last year got published in a print magazine: Albertaviews (September 2008 issue - page 20). I feel like I'm getting some notoriety, some expertise on educational issues. I'm very proud of myself. Here are the actual two posts: Teaching in Alberta vs. Quebec (Part 1 – The School System) and Teaching in Alberta vs. Quebec (Part 2 - on Provincial Testing). Here is the scanned page from the magazine:

This past year was the first year ever I gave up on a student.

While visiting a farm, a bull had broken his penis. In order to help him with the healing process and any infections that would come from this terrible incident, the farm hand had to administer penicillin to him. On the bottle, there was a dosage of penicillin per 1kg. But she only knew the weight of the animal in pounds --> 900lbs. So she asks... how many kilograms in 900lbs?

I came across this video when I was over at Passon for Puzzles. This is one of the coolest sketching software / smartboard things ever, and I could see myself using this tool in my physics class or science class all the time. Since I love to draw and teach by sketching, with this software, I could actually get my sketches to move - properly. I love it! I was in awe when I watched this video. Take a peak if you have a few minutes to spare:

According to Einstein on one can not able to win money in a roulette game if he does not cheat. If someone is looking for some easy to understand game of gambling, roulette is right option for him or her. This game of gambling has not difficult like craps as well as roulette betting system is also very easy. If one is looking for some easy understand slow paced casino game roulette is the only option for him or her. Roulette betting system is a part of a gambling game in which a ball is dropped on a revolving wheel with numbered compartments.

A BBC News article shows the difference between an entrance exam question into university from China versus England:

For the final project this year, I made my grade 8 students make a Rube Goldberg machine. First, I taught all the simple machines, and then, as a cumulation to the unit, I told them that they had to use all of the machines in their Rube Goldberg machine project - Objective: to build a Rube Goldberg machine with at least 10 steps to light a candle. It had a few restrictions: but mainly the size of 6 feet by 6 feet by 6 feet. (The outline of the project is attached.)

Of course I had to inspire them with a "The Best Rube Goldberg Contraption Ever" You Tube video: