Ase conference day 3

Started with a rocket launcher workshop given by Institute of Physics (Resources here but you will need to register). Picked up some plumbing skills and made a cardboard rocket that flew well from Chadwick building to the ASE marquee!

Components from screwfix rather than NASA!

Completed launcher (with blood stains!)

Closeup of 'trigger'

Chadwick Car park not Canaveral...

With a bit of a dash I made it to a talk on literacy in science education. This had some useful ideas like using giant pipecleanrrs from pound shops to get across gene splicing concepts.
Next, I went to the ASE presidential talk on "science for all". Which was thought provoking (is science education for general scientific literacy or to train future scientists?).
Then after lunch I gave my second open conference talk on food security to a diverse audience.
Had another tour around the exhibition marquee and then off to the station for the six hour journey home...

ASE conference day 2

A busy day at the ASE conference... (but stimulating)
First talk I attended was about the difference researchers had found in trainee teachers approaches to teaching maths & science.

Whizzed off to talk to a workshop presenter about the TI-nspire calculator (&TI lab stations) as a means of capturing, processing and analysing data (so possible goood activity combining science & maths).

Apparently TI will loan kit for up to 3 weeks for good STEM teaching activities.

Went to a workshop on Forensic Science learning kits (Taking advantage of the CSI TV series) to see if I could get ideas for a food forensics outreach activity (a la Biotracer). Did some finger printing and saw some blood spatter experimental kit.

Trekked around the huge marquee (which was resisting the gales quite well) and looked at many suppliers and talked to several outreach people. Collected a few ideas that I may use for STEM activities.


Then I had a slot at open conference to deliver talk on Biotracer project and its possible application in schools.

Judith Hackett CBE (HSE) gave  a talk aimed to reassure schools that they were not out to restrict schools use of 'risky' experiments. The problems of insurance came up especially costs for individual schools vs. LEAs - this is apparently currently being discussed by the UK government.

Next I attended a workshop on recycled electronics - maybe can be used by pupils e.g. build own Optical density meter for growth curve experiments. Had fun remembering how to solder (and de-solder :-( )

Tweeted an advert for my second open conference talk to the ASE tweetup  (#asechat).

Phew!

Association for Science Education conference

First day at conference. Two interesting talks so far today.
One on cheap Physics demonstrations using everyday items and a CLEAPPS demonstration of microscale chemistry experiments (including drop chemistry) which we may be able to adapt for outreach activities.
The afternoon had a couple of interesting talks on science in primary schools.
Dinner with theInternational delegates in the evening at Victoria Gallery & Museum. Impressively, there were delegates who had travelled from Hong Kong & Shanghai to attend the ASE conference.
The meal was very good and there were several speeches including one from the Mayor of Liverpool.
Walked back to hotel in the gales (very nearly blown back towards the university...).