Educational software has really come a long way in the last couple of years, and an update to my big darn list is long overdue.  Some of the biggest changes over the last few years have come through the introduction of the iPad and iPhone.  iOS in particular, with its attendant application store has emerged as a powerhouse environments for developing and distributing very high quality software at extremely low cost, a great boon for schools of every grade level.

I just finished reading Tim Harford's book, "The Undercover Economist" and can heartily recommend it to anyone who has even the slightest interest in how all sorts of markets work from coffee shops, supermarkets, to sulfur and carbon emissions markets all the way through national economic policy surrounding globalization and free-trade. The subtitle reads "Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, Why the Poor Are Poor--And Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!" As the Economist magazine quotes inside the front cover, it's really "A playful guide to the economics of everyday life." The whole book is a witty and quick 250 page read. I would even go so far as to say that it is probably the best, most witty and readable articulation of fundamental economics principles that I have come across. And while I enjoyed Steven Levitt's Freakonomics book, this one was much better at articulating and detailing fundamental principles. Now many folks might be put off by that description, but trust me, the whole work is an engaging read with stories and anecdotes that relate the principles in the process, quite unlike any boring textbook on the subjects. Here is ...

You just have to love a school project wherein 4 students send a balloon up to an altitude of 20 miles to capture NASA quality photos  on a budget under a few hundred bucks.  Incredible.  This should be a model for all school science programs!  More Images, video, and detailed blog links after the break.

Here's another rev of a couple of my favorite working Lego pneumatic engines, a new V8 and a smaller inline 4.  The new models sport several innovations that improve the balance in the crank and cam shafts (important if you have flexible shafts that suffer from torsion), and reduces the number of valves and moving parts.  The resulting models are smaller (cheaper), and much more efficient, producing a lot more torque per unit weight.

The older I get, the more I am a believer in the power of free markets.  The natural balancing and moderating influences of free trade have been fundamental to our nation's economic power and health.   I'm also a big believer in exposing people to what this means in their daily lives as early as possible.  So I couldn't resist forwarding this post from Janet over at her "Adventures in Science and Ethics" blog entitled "I owe my soul to the classroom store."

During my trip to Boston last week for the National Science Teacher's Association conference (more on that later) I totally lucked out in also catching the FIRST Robotics League Northeastern Regional Championships. If you haven't been to one, you simply must go. As remarkable as this sounds, there is almost certainly one in your area. It was AWESOME.

My favorite story from the whole FIRST Northeastern Regional competition was revealed in the delivery of the "Woodie Flowers" award. Woodie, you see, is the MIT professor who founded FIRST with Dean Kamen of Segway fame, after starting the legendary 2.70 and later 6.270 robotics contests at MIT. In many ways, Woodie was responsible for my attendance at MIT, just as he has now been responsible for inspiring tens of thousands of aspiring technologists across the US through FIRST. So in thanks and recognition, the Woodie Flowers Award is granted to the team mentor at each regional and final First contest that best exemplifies Woodie's spirit of contribution, teamwork, and inspiration. Woodie Flowers and Elizabeth Carruthers This year's recipient, Elizabeth Carruthers from the Columbus School for Girls, had a great story. As a high school student, her parents weren't all that supportive of the time and energy that FIRST demanded, so she had to sneak out of the house to work on her team's FIRST robot. She was so committed to the program and her teammates, that when her parents caught her sneaking out, she told them that she was just going to "parties with her friends," which ...

Just last week, I had a chance to hear a presentation by Alfie Kohn, one of the more (in)famous progressive education proponents, on the perils of emphasizing achievement and performance over engagement in a subject. Besides being an enthusiastic and engaging speaker, Alfie made a number of great points that really resonated with me regarding the damage a national obsession with standardized testing and assessment has wreaked on the quality of education at large. (We coincidentally follow most of Kohn's recommendations in how we operate the WISE labs and programs...) His central point on this topic was that by focusing so much school and parental attention on HOW students are doing instead of on WHAT they are doing and WHY, the very effort assessment has a now reasonably well proven effect of focusing the student's attention on external validation from teachers and grades instead of on the actual subjects under study. The result, according to the many cited research articles, is that students lose intrinsic motivation and interest in the very subjects around which we really hope to instill a lifelong love of learning. It didn't take much effort to extend the notions not only to grades ...

If you happen to live in the area, and have the slightest interest in fresh-water aquaria, don't miss this amazing store in San Francisco. Read my whole review of the field and the store complete with more images at the WISE student blog where we're helping schools learn how to set up these incredible balanced micro-ecosystems.

Hi all,We just launched the new web site for the Westminster Institute for Science Education [W.I.S.E.]. Click on the logo below to check it out, including the links to the student and teacher blogs. Comments and suggestions welcome!Oh yes, and for any of you wealthy philanthropists or corporate titans with a hankering to invest in nationwide science, math, or technology education reform, donations are encouraged! Just email or message me, or post a comment here on "All the Best Bits."