Of all the branches of science we teach, life science presents the greatest hands-on challenges. You can always pick up a classroom set of Educational Innovations’ Owl Pellets, but bringing live animals into the classroom is a tricky proposition. Online learning is the perfect opportunity for students to explore the world of life science—especially through a streaming webcam! Think of it as your students getting the chance to watch “life science celebrities.” Students can tune in once a day—or once a week—to see what new snack mama eagle brought back to the nest.
Have you ever watched science experiment videos on YouTube? Chances are good that everything works perfectly. So you grab some materials and try the same experiment at your kitchen table. But it doesn’t work like it did in the video! What gives? The reality is that most science YouTubers edit out the bloopers and fails. To put it bluntly, science is not always an exact science.
I imagine every science teacher has occasionally wrestled with the urge to “Go Big or Go Home.” Who doesn’t want to deliver a majestic display of science that leaves our students speechless? But I’d like to propose another well-known expression: “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” (Actually, I’m going to soften it to “Keep It Simple Science.”)
Even our most devoted customers may not realize that Educational Innovations is a leader when it comes to creating custom science kits upon request. Sure, we have a catalog with hundreds of products, but in truth, there’s no limit to what we can offer our customers. Have an idea for a hands-on kit featuring feathers, magnets, ping pong balls and pipets? Sure! Need delivered to your students’ home? No problem!
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to engage your students in real world STEM (and declutter your prep room), you need the databot ™! As a science teacher, my prep room was literally stacked to the ceiling with stuff I never used—especially bulky probeware and attachments. While the potential was there, those materials were just too difficult to use in the classroom. No such problem with the databot ™!
Posted by Donna Giachetti 
