Harper Collins Video

Last year, I was contacted by Harper Collins in the UK and they asked if they could include an edited copy of my chemical weathering video on a video resource disc that was going to be included with one of their science textbooks. They came across the video while browsing Youtube.

Of course, I said yes!

After we worked through a few video encoding issues, they were nice enough to send me a copy of the disc along with a check. I have to say that Harper Collins was a pleasure to work with. Thanks again Harper Collins.

Maury Project

This year, I was selected as a participant for the Maury Project. The Maury Project is a 2 week long national program of teacher training based on studies of the physical foundations of oceanography. The goal of the Maury Project is to train members of underrepresented fields in the sciences and significant numbers of pre-college students from underrepresented groups. The Maury project is offered by the American Meteorological Society in conjunction with the US Naval Academy and NOAA.

Held at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, this intensive workshop will include lectures, tutorials, seminars, research cruises, hands-on laboratory exercises, and field trips. Faculty members from the USNA, and Navy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other scientists, and science educators will present work shop topics.The workshop will focus on the physical foundations of selected oceanographic topics and issues. The major topics presented will center on waves, tides, density- and wind-driven ocean circulations, and sea-air interactions.

I will be at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis from July 11 to the 24th and I will be updating ScienceBoom during the PD.

One of the requirements of the program is that I have to conduct several PD’s on oceanography when I return. If you are interested please contact me and I will let you know when the workshops will be scheduled.

The New York City Teaching Fellows program recognized me for my participation in this workshop in one of their weekly newsletters.

National Board Certification

I just finished the assessment center exam which is the last requirement I had to fulfill for National Board Certification. The entire process of national certificationIt was challenging, but not impossible.

I was awarded the Albert Shanker grant by New York state which helped fund my nation certification attempt. The grant is available for all NYC teachers with at least 3 years teaching experience.

National Board certification has several benefits besides sounding impressive. If you have not yet reached the top of the pay scale, NBPTS certification can be substituted for the 30 and above putting you at the top of the scale. It is faster than taking P-credits and free if you apply for the grant. If you are self motivated, I highly recommend the process. That being said, I hope I passed. Scores will be available after December.

Overall this was an exciting year. I hope you stay tuned for my posts on the Maury Project and a few more exciting updates.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

As the London Times reported of the processes that created the striations displayed in these unusual candy-striped icebergs:

Keith Makinson, of the British Antarctic Survey, said that icebergs that seemed to show stripes were quite common in southern waters, but it was the first time that he

had seen brown stripes. They are believed to be created when ice crystals form under the water and, in a process described as “inverted snow”, rise to stick to the bottom of the ice shelf. As the ice crystals form a new layer at the bottom of the ice shelf, which later fragments to float away as icebergs, tiny particles of organic matter are trapped.

Parts of dead marine creatures such as krill form much of the trapped material and have the effect of creating coloured stripes, mainly blues and greens, in icebergs. Dr Makinson said that the brown stripes in this example were likely to have been formed from sediment washing underneath the ice shelf.

Photographs of similarly-patterned icebergs can be viewed at the web site of the Australian Antarctic Division.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.

Download your copy of our book "101 Science Misconceptions" provided by ScienceBoom.