Lab Out Loud

This week Lab Out Loud welcomes Laurie Wallmark to the show. As a computer science teacher and award-winning children's author, Laurie has been writing picture book biographies that recognize women in STEM. Her breakout book Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books) debuted in 2017 and was readily recognized with numerous awards. Laurie's most recent book, Hedy Lamarr's Double Life, was just released in February from Sterling Children's Books. Listen to the show to hear Laurie discuss Hedy Lamarr in her new book, how she chooses women in STEM to write about, and why her work is so important. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2019/02/episode-202-women-in-stem/  

This week Lab Out Loud welcomes science writer Carl Zimmer to the show. As Zimmer often writes about life, he has been wondering about the concept of life and if there is a way to properly define it. To shed some light on the matter, he recently hosted a series of live conversations with some leading thinkers on life—including chemists, physicists, and a philosopher. Supported by a grant from Science Sandbox, these conversations are now available as a podcast series with seven episodes called "What is Life?" Zimmer joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to discuss the concept of life, shares some insights from his guests and even reveals how his thinking about life changed based on these conversations. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2019/02/episode-201-what-is-life/

For their 200th episode, Lab Out Loud welcomes Phil Plait (The Bad Astronomer) back to the show. Phil joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to discuss the current status of exoplanet discovery and shares a glimpse of what we might find in the future. Listen to the show to hear Phil discuss new techniques and technology in planet hunting, looking for life on other worlds and the role of science in science fiction. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/?p=4458

Are you noticing less insects in your biology textbook? You're not alone. Jennifer Landin, with student and co-author Kiran Gangwani, recently decided to quantify the coverage of insects in college-level introductory biology textbooks over time. By exploring the coverage of insect diversity concepts, the visual representation of insects, and conducting a text analysis of keywords, they discovered a significant decline in biology textbook content dedicated to insects, along with an increasingly neutral tone in addressing the animal kingdom's largest group. Jennifer joins Lab Out Loud to discuss her research, how it mirrors the decline of natural history in education, and the implications that taxonomic bias might have on our understanding of ecosystems and human society. Show notes: https://laboutloud.com/2019/01/episode-199-disappearing-insects/

Gillian King-Cargile and Dr. Kristin Brynteson join co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler this week to talk about STEM Read - a program from Northern Illinois University that uses live and online programs to inspire a broad range of readers to learn more about the science, technology, engineering, and math concepts in popular fiction. Listen to Lab Out Loud to learn more about STEM Read and the educational opportunities it offers, including book-aligned lesson plans, a podcast featuring an author or STEM expert and even a STEM Read Summer Institute.

This week, listen to Lab Out Loud discuss STEM gifts with Monica Cardella and Elizabeth Gajdzik from Purdue’s INSPIRE Research Institute. Each year, the INSPIRE lab evaluates toys, games, and books that engage girls and boys in engineering thinking and design. Monica and Elizabeth join co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about some gifts on the list, how they are evaluated and to share some advice for educators who would like to incorporate STEM toys and Makerspaces in their instruction. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/12/episode-197-stem-toys/

This week co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler talk with Tim Enwall, CEO of Misty Robotics. A spin-off company from Sphero, Inc., Misty Robotics is focused on building personal robots for the home and office. They recently announced Misty II, a first-of-its-kind easily programmable robot, complete with a special program for STEM teachers and students. Listen to Lab Out Loud to hear about the growing robotics industry, Misty II's revolutionary new capabilities, and how teachers and students might use Misty II in the classroom - like taking attendance with a robot! Show notes: https://laboutloud.com/2018/11/episode-196-mistyii/

This week Lab Out Loud talks about time. Extensive time. Time that grounds geologic thinking as a way to unlock the earth's past. Marcia Bjornerud, Professor of Environmental Studies and Geology at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about her recent book Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World. Listen to the show to hear how you can learn about the world using your feet, find connections to earth science careers, and help your students appreciate time as a means to fully view the world in four dimensions. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/11/episode-195-timefulness/

To learn about STEM resources and other learning opportunities within ag science, co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler welcome Leah Gibson to the show. As an Education Specialist from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Leah helps provide and share K-12 educator resources about agriculture. Listen to Lab Out Loud this week to hear Leah talk about STEM challenges and resources found in Purple Plow, games and resources for young learners within My American Farm, and professional development opportunities for educators through On the Farm STEM.   Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/10/episode-194-purpleplow/

This week Lab Out Loud talks about science in art that can be done with some of our youngest learners. To talk about their experiences with preschoolers learning science concepts through ephemeral art, co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler welcome to the show Sandra Redmore (director of the Clarendon Childcare Center in Arlington, VA) and Peggy Ashbrook (an early childhood science teacher and The Early Years columnist for NSTA's Science and Children). Listen to the show to hear how you can get started making ephemeral art to learn science with any age learner. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/10/episode-193-ephemeral-art/

For this week's episode, Lab Out Loud invites Eric Pyle to the show to discuss NSTA’s recent adoption of a position statement on the teaching of climate science. In addition to helping write the position statement, Eric is a Professor in the Department of Geology & Environmental Science and the Coordinator of Science Teacher Preparation at James Madison University in Virginia. Listen to the show to learn about what the position statement says about teaching climate science, how it can be used to support teachers, administrators and school boards, and where you can find more resources in the teaching of climate science.   Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/10/episode-192-teaching-climate-science 

Recognizing that CRISPR and other genome editing technologies have rapidly outpaced standard textbook knowledge, Lab Out Loud reached out to R. Alta Charo, professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Alta joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about the ethics of CRISPR and genome editing, what current students and parents might need to know about biotechnological advances in genome editing, and the increasing importance of careers at the intersection of science, policy and law. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/09/episode-191-bioethics-of-crispr/

NSTA members will probably recognize our guest as the man behind Blick on Flicks: Jacob Clark Blickenstaff. As we both podcast for NSTA, we thought it was time to invite Jacob to the show and geek out about science and movies! Listen to the show to hear Jacob talk to us about his column and podcast, offer some hints for finding science anomalies in the media that we watch, and share some STEM opportunities through his new job at Microsoft. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/09/episode-190-blick-on-flicks/

To kick off season 12, Lab Out Loud looks for inspiration in science education from an unlikely classroom setting - within the juvenile justice system. Michael Krezmien and Martina Nieswandt (both Associate Professors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst) join co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about Project RAISE: Reclaiming Access to Inquiry-based Science Education. Developed with the help of a three million dollar NSF grant, Project RAISE delivers an innovative digital biology curriculum to incarcerated students in the Massachusetts juvenile justice system. Through a unique iPad app developed by Project RAISE that adheres to principles of universal design for learning (UDL), students engage with science through project-based inquiry activities and virtual laboratory experiences. Listen to the show to hear more about Project RAISE, how it addresses challenging factors within the justice system and how it adapts the learning environment for various learning styles and educational needs. Show

As science teachers are preparing for the summer, many will be planning lessons and purchasing supplies for their classes next year. But just how much do science teachers spend on their classes from their own personal funds? After conducting a nationwide survey of middle and high school science teachers, a research team at North Carolina State University has an answer for us. Their research revealed that 70 percent of science teachers do not have adequate funding to support science instruction for their students, leading to almost 95% of science teachers spending their own money to support learning in their classroom. To discuss their research and its implications for science instruction in urban, rural and suburban schools, Emily Cayton (Graduate Research Assistant) and M. Gail Jones (professor of STEM Education) join co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to close out season 11 of Lab Out Loud. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/06/episode-188-science-teacher-spending

Have you ever had a good idea for a game where kids can learn science? Lab Out Loud's guest this week has, and he has even made those ideas into a reality! Nathan Schreiber joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler this week to talk about his Science Ninjas games that teach real science with engaging graphics, fun characters, and easy-to-follow instructions. Listen to learn how you might teach with Valence, a game that combines advanced chemistry with simple rules and ninjas! Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/05/episode-187-science-ninjas/

Do you have middle and high school students doing original research? Consider connecting them with the open-access Journal of Emerging Investigators for guidance and a chance to publish their findings. Jamilla Akhund-Zade (Co-Editor-In-Chief) and Nico Wagner (Director of Outreach) join Lab Out Loud to talk about the Journal of Emerging Investigators and how it can guide young scientists in the research process that ultimately helps them develop the skills they need to publish their own research. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/04/episode-186-emerging-investigators/

For the third episode in a three-part series on place-based education in science, Lab Out Loud welcomes Chris Wyland to the show. Chris is a middle school math and science teacher at the Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in Portland, where the focus of the entire school is encouraging exploration of the natural world and involvement in the local community through the arts and sciences. Continuing a discussion of place-based education in science, Chris joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to explain this approach in an ecology unit where his middle school students are partnering with the Portland Parks and Recreation Department to apply their scientific knowledge to fieldwork that benefits their local community.   Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2018/04/episode-185-place-based-education-ecology-unit

For the second episode in a three-part series on place-based education in science, Lab Out Loud welcomes Kevin Krasnow to the show. As ecologist, researcher and educator at Teton Science Schools, Kevin is currently studying the differences in field research by comparing the outcomes from inquiry research, citizen science, and adventure hike experiences for middle/high school students. Kevin joins us co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to discuss the experiment while sharing some of his preliminary findings from these treatment groups by measuring student understanding of the nature of science, attitudes about science, and self-efficacy. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/?p=4235

Lab Out Loud is proud to present a three-part series on place-based education in science. To kickoff this series, co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler welcome Ethan Lowenstein, Ph.D. (professor of curriculum and instruction at Eastern Michigan University and Director of the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition) and Greg Smith (emeritus professor of education from the Lewis & Clark College Graduate School of Education and Counseling) to the show.  Ethan and Greg join Lab Out Loud to define place-based education, provide some examples of PBE in science and explain how it can help teach science standards while building a sense of community. Show notes at:  https://laboutloud.com/2018/03/episode-183-placed-based-education