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Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

How to ignite the fire of student engagement

Recently, a co-worker of mine shared a story from when he was in high school. During one chemistry class his teacher happened to light a small fire within a dish and began stirring in different compounds. First the fire turned green, then purple, and then finally blue. The students, who normally struggled to engage with the coursework, were completely enthralled. They began asking questions, forming hypotheses, and started investigating the subject themselves. A fire had been lit in that classroom – both literally and metaphorically.

Stories like these remind educators about the power of student engagement. Teaching, in many ways, is like building a fire. You simply gather the kindling (tools and strategies), create a spark (curiosity), and then add some logs to the fire (content). Still, many of us can have trouble striking that match. All too often, our students’ attitudes can feel dampened by apathy or outside distractions.

Building the blaze …Read More

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Savvas Learning Company’s Experience Chemistry Wins Gold Stevie Award, Its Fourth EdTech Industry Honor Since the Product’s Launch

PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — May 16, 2022 — Savvas Learning Company, a K-12 next-generation learning solutions leader, is proud to announce that its new, innovative Experience Chemistry solution has received a Gold Stevie from the 20th annual American Business Awards (ABA) program, with the judges hailing its learning model as “a very innovative and exciting concept for teaching chemistry.”

“We would like to thank the American Business Awards for honoring Experience Chemistry as an exceptional science learning solution,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “Savvas developed Experience Chemistry to provide students with authentic, real-world learning experiences through the science of doing. By offering engaging student-centered activities that personalize learning, Experience Chemistry challenges and excites students to explore, question, and discover the hows and whys of chemistry.”

Experience Chemistry earned top honors in the “Science Instructional Solution” category, which recognizes the best science instructional materials that provide deep learning experiences for students, support standards alignment, and reflect current curriculum practice. More than 230 judges reviewed approximately 3,700 nominations to select the 2022 Stevie winners in the American Business Awards program.…Read More

Flinn Scientific Launches New Contest for STEM Educators in Celebration of Mole Day

In celebration of the upcoming Mole Day on October 23rd, Flinn Scientific is asking STEM educators to share their favorite way of teaching students about the size of a mole – a scientific unit that is often hard for students to conceptualize – for a chance to win up to $500 in Visa gift cards. All K-12 educators ages 21 and above are encouraged to apply by the October 23, 2021 deadline. 

 “One mole is officially defined as containing exactly 6.02214076 x 1023 elementary entities, which is an extremely large quantity of units,” said Alan Downward, Ph.D., senior staff scientist at Flinn Scientific. “With National Chemistry Week and Mole Day later this month, our new contest provides a fun way for teachers to share their best practices and tips for teaching students about this concept and how it relates to important chemistry concepts such as amount, mass, and concentration.”

To enter, educators create a short video of their favorite explanation, analogy, or demonstration showing how they teach students about the size of a mole. After uploading to YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok with the hashtag #FlinnMoleDay, educators then share the video link on Flinn Scientific’s contest page. All videos must reference the SI unit known as a mole, as well as highlight educators’ original concept, method, or reasoning behind how they teach students the size of a mole.

Next, teachers will vote on their favorite submissions by October 31, 2021, and the three educators whose videos receive the most ‘likes’ will be named the winners. The first place winner will receive (2) $250 Visa gift cards, the second place winner will receive (1) $250 Visa gift card, and the third place winner will receive (1) $100 Visa gift card.

To learn more about the #FlinnMoleDay contest and to submit your entry, visit https://www.flinnsci.com/chemistry-week/mole-day-contest/.…Read More

Flinn Scientific Updates Science2Go to Further Engage High School Students in Science Exploration

New videos, labs, assessments, and more to support biology, chemistry, environmental science, and physics teaching and learning

Batavia, Illinois, June 14, 2021 — Flinn Scientific, a flagship provider of science lab materials and safety and STEM solutions for the K-16 education market, is enhancing its award-winning Science2Go to further support high school biology, chemistry, environmental science, and physics teaching and learning. Available for the 2021-22 school year, these updates include a number of new videos, labs, assessments, and more to provide a robust and engaging experience for students in any learning environment.

“This past school year, Science2Go has provided a safe and engaging way to teach students across a range of science disciplines, regardless if they were in-person, remote, or hybrid,” said Mike Lavelle, CEO of Flinn Scientific. “Now, with these new Back-To-School updates, high school teachers will have even more ways – and resources available to them – to deliver targeted content and enriching labs that immerse students in science learning.”…Read More

Vernier Software & Technology Uses Food Experiments to Engage Students in Chemistry Exploration

Vernier Software & Technology recently launched a new lab book that uses food as a means to help high school and college students explore important chemistry concepts. Food Chemistry Experiments, which is available in both electronic and print versions,includes 14 ready-to-use experiments utilizing Vernier technology such as the Go Direct® SpectroVis® Plus Spectrophotometer, Go Direct Temperature Probe, and Go Direct CO2 Gas Sensor to help students investigate complex questions involving food.

“Students are more likely to engage with science when they can connect what they are learning to the real world,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “Exploring chemistry concepts using common foods and drinks is a perfect example of this real-world application. From learning about food energy to measuring pH levels, the new lab book provides easy-to-implement investigations to help engage students in chemistry exploration.”

The new lab book features a range of investigations—including “Cooking Under Pressure,” “My Flat Soda Pop,” “True Colors: Separating Food Dyes,” and “Quantifying Iron in Cereal”—that all use easily accessible materials found in most homes and use affordable wireless sensors that can be used with any mobile device, Chromebook™, or computer.…Read More

Vernier Software & Technology Launches New Wireless Probe for AP and College-Level Chemistry

Ideal for Advanced Placement® (AP) Chemistry and college-level general chemistry, the affordable and durable Go Direct Platinum-Cell Conductivity Probe from Vernier Software & Technology helps students determine a solution’s conductivity or the total ion concentration with high accuracy and chemical compatibility.

“Our new probe has an epoxy body and platinum-cell sensing element that notably provides greater chemical compatibility. This probe enables students to measure the conductivity of strong acids, strong bases, and non-aqueous solutions during experiments without any risk of damaging the sensor,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “The durable Go Direct Platinum-Cell Conductivity Probe automatically adjusts its conductivity range in response to the concentration of the given solution to provide students with the most accurate readings possible.”

Go Direct Platinum-Cell Conductivity features a wide 0 to 20,000 μS/cm range that ensures optimal precision during various experiments, such as exploring the base hydrolysis of ethyl acetate under various conditions and other common environmental tests of aquatic samples.…Read More

Vernier Graphical Analysis Pro App Wins Top Education Awards

The Vernier Graphical Analysis™ Pro app, which engages students in advanced data analysis from biology, chemistry, and physics experiments, was recently recognized by two leading education awards. The app was named a winner of the Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTE 2020 Awards and the platinum winner in the STEM/STEAM App category of THE Journal’s 2020 New Product Awards.

“Graphical Analysis Pro provides the unique ability for students to delve into science concepts in new and unique ways, analyze experiments at their own pace as they learn remotely or in their classrooms, and create their own videos for scientific analysis, all while they are engaged in three-dimensional learning,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “We are thrilled to be recognized by both Tech & Learning and THE Journal for this revolutionary app and the impact it has on providing students meaningful STEM learning experiences—regardless of whether they are in the classroom or learning remotely.”

The Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTE 2020 Awards recognize products that are transforming teaching and learning during the pandemic and beyond. The judges selected the winning products based on numerous factors, including value, uniqueness in the market, and the product’s ability to solve specific problems for educators and administrators.…Read More

Flinn Scientific adds New Labs to Science2Go

Flinn Scientific, a flagship provider of science lab materials and safety and STEM solutions for the K-16 education market, has added new digital labs to the award-winning Science2Go. This includes new lab series for high school chemistry and biology, which are being offered at an introductory price for schools and districts through the end of the year, as well as new individual labs for high school physics, middle school physical science, and middle school life science.

“Science2Go provides a safe and engaging way to teach middle and high school students important concepts across a range of science disciplines,” said Mike Lavelle, CEO of Flinn Scientific. “These new labs are part of our effort to continually enhance our program to further support teachers with their instruction and to provide students with more enriching lab experiences, regardless if they are in-person or learning remotely.”

The new lab series for both high school biology and high school chemistry – Biology Lab Series 2 and Chemistry Lab Series 2, respectively – are delivered using a new “Predict & Explain” format in which students predict results and then see how closely those results match the lab outcomes. Each new series covers new topics including energy from food,, plant growth, and ocean acidification for biology to gases, structure-property relationship, and equilibrium for chemistry.…Read More

VHS Learning and NMSI Program Enables Students to Take AP Courses

VHS Learning’s new partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) has helped over 100 students from rural schools take Advanced Placement courses that would have been unavailable to them. The partnership enabled the schools to enroll the students in VHS Learning’s AP courses via a NMSI grant program. Students also received guidance from NMSI coaches. Schools will receive grants to cover all enrollment costs and student access to laptops, as necessary.

The students came from 15 parochial and public schools in Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Pennsylvania. The program allowed them to enroll in the following courses:

AP Statistics
AP Biology
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP English Literature and Composition
AP English Language and Composition
AP Physics 1…Read More

Vernier Software & Technology Launches New Vernier Graphical Analysis™ Pro App for Science Instructors and Students

Expanding upon its award-winning Vernier Graphical Analysis™ app, Vernier Software & Technology is launching the Vernier Graphical Analysis Pro app to engage students—either remotely or in the lab—in more advanced analysis of data from biology, chemistry, and physics experiments. The new app, which is available as part of a 30-day free trial, is being offered at a special introductory site license price of $69, granting access through June 2021. Users can easily insert, view, and sync a video to sensor data for inspection and analysis as part of the scientific discovery process.

“The Graphical Analysis Pro app includes all of the features of the Graphical Analysis app, plus upcoming enhancements like internet-based data sharing to further support science teaching and learning,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “Whether using it in the classroom or for remote learning, Graphical Analysis Pro provides an intuitive way for students to analyze data—and really delve into what they are learning—in new and insightful ways.”

With Graphical Analysis Pro, instructors can perform live experiments for students using common video conferencing tools and soon will be able to share data directly with students in real time for immediate analysis. Since the app is compatible with most Vernier sensors, teachers can continue to use sensors they already have available to collect data during these experiments. Or, if students have access to sensors at home, they can create their own experiment videos to share. Additionally, the app is compatible with most devices used in schools, including Chromebooks, providing flexibility and cost savings as students can use their own devices for analysis while learning remotely.…Read More