Lab Out Loud

As a science teacher at Curry College in Massachusetts, Abby Hafer is a staunch advocate of teaching peer-reviewed, scientifically accurate content in her college classes. In an effort to protect science education in the state, Hafer recently worked with legislator Kenneth Gordon to draft a bill that adds language to existing curriculum standards that seeks to limit science instruction in Massachu...

To kick off season 13, Lab Out Loud is proud to welcome NSTA President Dennis Schatz to the show. As senior advisor at Pacific Science Center and field editor for NSTA’s Connected Science Learning journal, Dennis has a lifetime of experience delivering science learning beyond the walls of the traditional science classroom. Dennis joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to discuss NSTA's name c...

As teachers prepare for the summer months ahead, Lab Out Loud welcomes Griff Jones back to the show to close out season 12. Working with Griff, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has developed engaging, interactive resources found within their new IIHS in the Classroom website. Designed for grades 5-12, IIHS in the Classroom uses the results of highway safety research to help studen...

An NPR poll recently discovered that most teachers don't teach climate change, yet parents wish they did. To find out more about these findings, Lab Out Loud invited NPR education correspondent Anya Kamenetz to the show. Anya joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to explain why teachers might not teach climate change, provides a few resources for us to change that behavior, and also challeng...

While still in St. Louis, Lab Out Loud reflects on the NSTA 2019 National Conference on Science Education. Listen to the show to hear co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler discuss conference highlights such as astronaut Scott Kelly's keynote, coming changes to NSTA's name and memorable speakers, sessions, and exhibitors from NSTA's largest professional development gathering for science teaching. D...

Nathan Schreiber returns to Lab Out Loud to talk about his newest project using a graphic novel to teach physics concepts. In Big Trouble with Simple Machines, Schreiber's characters solve problems using their knowledge of simple machines, with each chapter providing a new challenge with ramps, wedges, screws, levers, pulleys, wheels, and axles. There is even an illustrated appendix guiding reader...

Lab Out Loud's guest this week is Sarah McAnulty, squid biologist and founder of Skype a Scientist. Using SKYPE or other video chat tools, SKYPE a Scientist connects real scientists with classes around the world. Through these video sessions, classes can learn more about the scientist's field of study, what it means to be a scientist and how they do their job. Sarah joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and...

This week Lab Out Loud welcomes Laurie Wallmark to the show. As a computer science teacher and award-winning children's author, Laurie has been writing picture book biographies that recognize women in STEM. Her breakout book Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books) debuted in 2017 and was readily recognized with numerous awards. Laurie's most recent book, Hedy Lamarr's Double Li...

This week Lab Out Loud welcomes science writer Carl Zimmer to the show. As Zimmer often writes about life, he has been wondering about the concept of life and if there is a way to properly define it. To shed some light on the matter, he recently hosted a series of live conversations with some leading thinkers on life—including chemists, physicists, and a philosopher. Supported by a grant from Scie...

For their 200th episode, Lab Out Loud welcomes Phil Plait (The Bad Astronomer) back to the show. Phil joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to discuss the current status of exoplanet discovery and shares a glimpse of what we might find in the future. Listen to the show to hear Phil discuss new techniques and technology in planet hunting, looking for life on other worlds and the role of scien...

Are you noticing less insects in your biology textbook? You're not alone. Jennifer Landin, with student and co-author Kiran Gangwani, recently decided to quantify the coverage of insects in college-level introductory biology textbooks over time. By exploring the coverage of insect diversity concepts, the visual representation of insects, and conducting a text analysis of keywords, they discovered...

Gillian King-Cargile and Dr. Kristin Brynteson join co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler this week to talk about STEM Read - a program from Northern Illinois University that uses live and online programs to inspire a broad range of readers to learn more about the science, technology, engineering, and math concepts in popular fiction. Listen to Lab Out Loud to learn more about STEM Read and the ed...

This week, listen to Lab Out Loud discuss STEM gifts with Monica Cardella and Elizabeth Gajdzik from Purdue’s INSPIRE Research Institute. Each year, the INSPIRE lab evaluates toys, games, and books that engage girls and boys in engineering thinking and design. Monica and Elizabeth join co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about some gifts on the list, how they are evaluated and to share s...

This week co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler talk with Tim Enwall, CEO of Misty Robotics. A spin-off company from Sphero, Inc., Misty Robotics is focused on building personal robots for the home and office. They recently announced Misty II, a first-of-its-kind easily programmable robot, complete with a special program for STEM teachers and students. Listen to Lab Out Loud to hear about the grow...

This week Lab Out Loud talks about time. Extensive time. Time that grounds geologic thinking as a way to unlock the earth's past. Marcia Bjornerud, Professor of Environmental Studies and Geology at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about her recent book Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World. Listen to the show to hear...

To learn about STEM resources and other learning opportunities within ag science, co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler welcome Leah Gibson to the show. As an Education Specialist from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Leah helps provide and share K-12 educator resources about agriculture. Listen to Lab Out Loud this week to hear Leah talk about STEM challenges and resources fou...

This week Lab Out Loud talks about science in art that can be done with some of our youngest learners. To talk about their experiences with preschoolers learning science concepts through ephemeral art, co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler welcome to the show Sandra Redmore (director of the Clarendon Childcare Center in Arlington, VA) and Peggy Ashbrook (an early childhood science teacher and The...

For this week's episode, Lab Out Loud invites Eric Pyle to the show to discuss NSTA’s recent adoption of a position statement on the teaching of climate science. In addition to helping write the position statement, Eric is a Professor in the Department of Geology & Environmental Science and the Coordinator of Science Teacher Preparation at James Madison University in Virginia. Listen to the show t...

Recognizing that CRISPR and other genome editing technologies have rapidly outpaced standard textbook knowledge, Lab Out Loud reached out to R. Alta Charo, professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Alta joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about the ethics of CRISPR and genome editing, what current students and parents might need to know about biotechnol...

NSTA members will probably recognize our guest as the man behind Blick on Flicks: Jacob Clark Blickenstaff. As we both podcast for NSTA, we thought it was time to invite Jacob to the show and geek out about science and movies! Listen to the show to hear Jacob talk to us about his column and podcast, offer some hints for finding science anomalies in the media that we watch, and share some STEM oppo...

To kick off season 12, Lab Out Loud looks for inspiration in science education from an unlikely classroom setting - within the juvenile justice system. Michael Krezmien and Martina Nieswandt (both Associate Professors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst) join co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler to talk about Project RAISE: Reclaiming Access to Inquiry-based Science Education. Developed wi...

As science teachers are preparing for the summer, many will be planning lessons and purchasing supplies for their classes next year. But just how much do science teachers spend on their classes from their own personal funds? After conducting a nationwide survey of middle and high school science teachers, a research team at North Carolina State University has an answer for us. Their research reveal...

Have you ever had a good idea for a game where kids can learn science? Lab Out Loud's guest this week has, and he has even made those ideas into a reality! Nathan Schreiber joins co-hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler this week to talk about his Science Ninjas games that teach real science with engaging graphics, fun characters, and easy-to-follow instructions. Listen to learn how you might teach w...

Do you have middle and high school students doing original research? Consider connecting them with the open-access Journal of Emerging Investigators for guidance and a chance to publish their findings. Jamilla Akhund-Zade (Co-Editor-In-Chief) and Nico Wagner (Director of Outreach) join Lab Out Loud to talk about the Journal of Emerging Investigators and how it can guide young scientists in the res...

For the third episode in a three-part series on place-based education in science, Lab Out Loud welcomes Chris Wyland to the show. Chris is a middle school math and science teacher at the Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in Portland, where the focus of the entire school is encouraging exploration of the natural world and involvement in the local community through the arts and sciences. Conti...