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WWWWWWWW # 8
If you think you can learn a lot on the WWW, try
the WWWWWWWW! Why eight W's? Because we're calling next summer's University
of Illinois at Chicago [UIC] Chemistry Institute for high school/junior high
teachers the "Who, What, Where, Workshop Week With WeirdScience and Wade.
This LATEST IMPROVED version of "A WEEK WITH WEIRD SCIENCE & WADE" comes
back by popular demand, which is so strong that it will be offered twice
(that's 16 W's): full-time for the week July 21-25, 2003 and then again full-time
July 28-August 1, 2003. The course combines demos, labs, computers,
make-and-takes, and lectures in chemistry. It's also called Chemistry 572,
Teaching Methods in Chemistry, and carries three semester-hours of graduate
credit in chemistry. It will have different content/material from last year
and may be repeated for additional credit. Summer '03 topics will revolve
around the history of science/chemistry THAT CAN BE USED IN THE CHEMISTRY
CLASSROOM-- we will have labs, demos, computer "stuff" and content that reflect
this theme and others. We will of course again have lots of build-it-yourself
stuff!
For details, contact Wade Freeman Univ. of IL. at Chicago, Chem. Dept., 845 W. Taylor St. Chicago, IL. 60607 phone; (312) 996-3161; e-mail: Wfreeman@uic.edu WEIRD SCIENCE is a series of short, easy and sometimes "weird" demonstrations, labs and ideas on chemical and physical phenomena, designed for teachers of the chemistry/physical science, primarily at middle school and high school levels. The program presents novel demonstrations, labs, make & takes, and sharing guaranteed to hook kids and adults into thinking about science concepts. As Hubert Alyea said "Surprise, humor and truth are the servants of a good lecture." WEIRD SCIENCE entertains while it educates-- it is infotainment. It is our job to awaken our student's desire to learn--to keep the students mentally coming back. You cannot communicate with people who are not mentally present. If you want "presence" you have to capture attention. WEIRD SCIENCE provides tools to capture attention. To keep us at equilibrium we have Dr. Wade Freeman author of the much acclaimed college text Chemistry: Science of Change. In a recent survey published in School Science & Mathematics on "Secondary Science Teacher's Needs," teachers ranked methods to motivate students as their number one concern and identification of sources of peer tested instructional materials as a high priority. WEIRD SCIENCE presentations provide both. The following is a list of some comments about WEIRD SCIENCE "A science program's greatest achievement is success in science both for the program's teachers and students. Science teachers must compete with the nation's entertainment professionals to gain the attention of their students. "WEIRD SCIENCE" is "Academy Award" quality material with remarkable technical breadth and content. "WEIRD SCIENCE" is like a switch that "turns on" science students and converts lab periods from "ho hum" to "right on!" --- Larry Flinn, Jr. Flinn Sci. "WEIRD SCIENCE is a four-teacher road show that exposes youngsters to seemingly magical wonders more intriguing than video games." --- Newsweek "At a time when AMERICA'S Educational System is under attack, especially in science and math, WEIRD SCIENCE offers a ray of hope as a much needed inspiration, as a boredom-busting science show."---The Inside Line -Midwest Electronic Manufacturer's Newspaper "The group gives teachers ammunition to use in the classroom."---- Education Week "WEIRD SCIENCE is a must-see for all chemistry teachers"---- Colorado Association of Science Teachers "WEIRD SCIENCE programs and activities are probably the best way to learn how to be a teacher. It's an A-Number-One methods course." ---- Marge Bardeen Program Manager for the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's Education Office from a feature on WEIRD SCIENCE in the Chicago Tribune WEIRD SCIENCE is "Teaching teachers to make it fun... to entertain and educate students."---- Charles Kuralt, CBS TV show "School's In" "I can honestly say, and I mean this exactly as it reads, that I learned more from this one course than I did in pursuing my entire Masters Degree in Education. Classes full of people who babble about educational theory without having taught a day in their lives are not what we need; courses taught for teachers by teachers are what we need. Thank you for providing something useful. XXXXXXX University's Education Department could learn a few things, no a lot of things, from you guys." Karen Kerney. Niles West
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