Navigation!

I always underestimate the skill that it takes to navigate new websites.  I wanted to post some links on the side of my blog page, like I've seen on other people's blogs, and it took me a frustratingly long time to figure out how to do it.  I think I was successful (check it out!). 

I love visiting new websites and searching the web, but sometimes, there is so much information on one page, or one blog, that I get lost.  It's important to stay focused when looking for specific information!  If you have time to browse, then you can certainly take your time and click on every link in sight, but if you're looking for something specific, you really need to discriminate and not let yourself get distracted.  I'm talking about literacy on the web.  It's a different beast, being so interactive.  An important skill to teach students is to teach them how to discriminate and find what they are looking for.  I know I have to remind myself not to get distracted, and bring myself back to the task at hand.

Mrs. Mullen

Book Club

I like making science connections from the classroom to the "real world."  I'm in a book club, and we're reading Let My People Go Surfing, by Yvon Chouinard.  Chouinard is the founder of the company Patagonia.  The book has many great links to science (Patagonia is one of the "greenest" companies out there), but what I picked up on was a chapter about product development.  When I lived in NYC and studied fashion merchandising, I learned that there are careers for scientists in fashion.  The development of new fabrics, finishes, and performance wear are all heavily involved with chemistry.  Most people in my classes seemed to be there for the trends, but I was always very science-minded and was fascinated with the chemistry of it all.

I would like to show my students examples of career paths one could take in a science-related field.  Patagonia offers clothing that has to be suitable for extreme weather (cold, wet, potentially-life threatening).  Research had to be done to come up with the best fabrics for someone to wear when they climb Mount Everest.  I just thought it was cool to combine fashion and science.  Also, I really enjoyed the fact that I understood this chapter of the book (I've seen synthetic fibers being produced, like nylon and polyester, and it's kind of like making spaghetti!) having seen some of the machines and tools it discussed.

So, lesson learned for the day:  all roads lead to science?

Mrs. Mullen