Atlanta Science Boot Camp – Teachers Get Marching Orders
Our hands-on science team of teachers hit the road and headed to Atlanta for another stop on the 2006 Science Boot Camp Tour. The focus for this Boot Camp was to find creative ways to integrate more science into the teacher’s current curriculum. Among their top concerns was a need for better open-ended inquiry activities that help students learn how to use the scientific method.
Download the Boot Camp Extras HandoutÂ
The large turn out of teachers represented a wide spread in grade levels – pre-K through high school. Dave Edinger attended the Boot Camp from Starr’s Mill High School in Fayetteville, Georgia and commented about his experience talking with a number of teachers who don’t like science because it’s “boring”. He is just one of many teacher trainers out there including Carol Cohen, Andrea Benkel and Tammy Brown who are helping others in the teaching profession rekindle that spark for teaching science. It was also great to see Mary Reik and Chris Freidenstein who have a connection with my televsion co-host in Denver at KUSA-TV, Mark Koebrich. Mary and Chris are Mark’s sisters who are not afraid to attempt any of the demos that Mark tries on television. You can see the video of Chris smacking the eggs into the glasses for the closing demonstration thanks to a cell phone video camera.
What were the marching orders? Devote a minimum of ten minutes a day to teaching science. Give students the opportunity to ask questions, to wonder, to explore and to think like a scientist. The final words were the most important… “Make it big, do it right, give it class!”
I recently attended the bootcamp in Atlanta, Georgia with my sister, Chris. It had to be one of the best days I’ve had at a teacher’s workshop in many years. Steve’s activities were practical and fun, and I have more of a “spark” now to continue Science learning in my third grade classroom. Thanks, Steve! Mary Reik
The Atlanta Science workshop did not dissappoint me.It was exciting and memorable as all Steve’s workshops are. These hands-on activities promise to entice even my less enthusiastic and reluctant science student to try these experiments. Thanks for a great workshop!
The Atlanta Science workshop with Steve Spangler was a great “shot in the arm” for me. I teach a K-5 science lab at my school and present “hands-on” science workshops to teachers in my county in Alabama. I cannot wait to try all of the activities with my students and have been asked by my supervisor to put together a mini workshop of the ideas presented in Atlanta. What a great day full of great ideas! I look forward to getting my newsletters and greetings from you. Thank you for helping to make science exciting! It was a great day!
What a neat way to get kids involved in science!