Scott McDonald and Ollie Dreon

Science In-Between

This is a conversation about how science teaching can move between and connect different worlds.

Author

Scott McDonald and Ollie Dreon

Category

Education

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

Episode 29: No One Says Dummy Head 17.03.2021

Part of our series on the different Cross Cutting Concepts, this week we examine Stability and Change. Next Generation Science Standards Cross Cutting Concepts (pdf download) Andrés Acher Modeling Research and Transformation Boxes in Biology. [Briefly, all things in Biology can be represented as "boxes" of inputs (energy, matter, and information) and outputs of the same three things that are trans...

Episode 28: Former Junior Engineer 10.03.2021

Next Generation Science Standards Cross Cutting Concepts (pdf download) NGSS Structure/Function Progression Chart Science Frames Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman Science of Cycology Cognitive Gadgets by Cecilia Heyes Things that bring us joy this week: Blown Away on Netflix Girl, Woman, Other: A Novel by Bernardine Evaristo Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production a...

Episode 27: Definitely Not Luke Skywalker 03.03.2021

As part of our on-going discussion of the Cross Cutting Concepts in the NGSS, we examine Scale, Proportion and Quantity in this week's episode. We discuss the challenges with teaching these concepts and provide some solutions as well. Here are some of the resources we share in this episode: Next Generation Science Standards Cross Cutting Concepts (pdf download) Powers of Ten Zoom Book by Istvan Ba...

Episode 26: Poo Poo the Recurring Character 24.02.2021

Next Generation Science Standards Cross Cutting Concepts (pdf download) Causal Patterns Research Six Causal Patterns Also, Ollie agrees with Scott (duly noted). Things that bring us joy this week: 500 Rum/Rummy Song Exploder on Netflix and as a podcast Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Episode 25: Metaphorical Rabbit Holes 17.02.2021

This week, Scott and Ollie introduce the Cross Cutting Concepts and their role in the Next Generation Science Standards. The episode kicks off a several episode arc where we discuss the different Cross Cutting Concepts and how we can incorporate them into our teaching. Next Generation Science Standards NGSS Crosscutting Concepts Coalition of Essential Schools Things that bring us joy this week: Le...

Episode 24: The Grande Finale 10.02.2021

Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown Horizon Report Things that bring us joy this week: Definitely Maybe (2008) The Manifesto for Teaching Online Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Episode 23: Fan Boys with Disagreements 03.02.2021

This week, we discuss Chapter 7 of Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown . The chapter examines the strengths and weaknesses in the policies and practices in the field of science education. Things that bring us joy this week: Occulus Quest Scene on Radio - In particular the most recent season (3) focused on Democracy, and the first season about whiteness. Intro/Out...

Episode 22: Hero Teacher, But Not THAT One 27.01.2021

Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown Things that bring us joy this week: The Hot Ones Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Episode 21: Outsiders and Turning 21 20.01.2021

This week, Science in Between turns 21. In this episode, we discuss Chapter 5 in Bryan Brown's book: Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown The chapter examines how closely intertwined language and identity are and how being outside a discourse community creates stress that can impact learning. Cockney Rhyming Slang Things that bring us joy this week: Jackbox Games...

Episode 20: Out With The Bad Air 13.01.2021

Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown Things that bring us joy this week: Caves of Steel by Issac Azimov Poetry for Neanderthals Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Episode 19: Lessons Learned for 2021 06.01.2021

This week, we take a momentary break from our podcast book club and reflect on 2020. Scott and Ollie discuss the lessons they've learned from the wild, disruptive year and what we can apply to the new year ahead. As always, in this episode, we disucss a bunch of stuff including the Hidden Brain podcast, in particular, When You Start to Miss Tony in Accounting , Cal Newport and Kubb Things that bri...

Episode 18: Whorfian Complidiss 30.12.2020

Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown Benajmin Lee Whorf Worf Curveballs Things that bring us joy this week: Dune by Frank Herbert Harley Quinn Series on HBO Max Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Episode 17: Guess What's In My Head 23.12.2020

Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown Talking Science: Language, Learning, and Values by Jay Lemke Things that bring us joy this week: Mandalorian on Disney Plus Sonos The Encyclopedia of Bittany Radio Show Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Episode 16: That Stereotype is Indexical 16.12.2020

Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown Things that bring us joy this week: The Queen's Gambit on Netflix Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Bonus Episode: Join Our In-Between Book Club 10.12.2020

Starting with episode 16, we'll be reading Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown . Join us as we examine how language and culture matter for effective science teaching. Over the next several episodes, we'll be reading a chapter a week. We hope you'll join us on this "In-Between Book Club." Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance...

Episode 15: Dropping the Milieu 09.12.2020

In our discussion on engaging students, we cover a lot of territory and drop lots of resources. The concept of control value theory can be found in The Spark of Learning by Sarah Rose Cavanagh and in How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts and Cultures by the National Academies Press. If you're interested in Hank Green, check out his website where he bills himself as a "science communicator." Hank...

Episode 14: Show Me Your Core Competencies 02.12.2020

Things that bring us joy this week: Fargo (The TV show, Season 4) on FX Watchmen on HBO Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Eviction by Legally Blind Production assistance by Enzo Dreon

Episode 13: The Nerdiest Draft Ever! 25.11.2020

Our top picks for content students need to learn in science: Ollie - HS-ETS1-3 Scott - HS-ESS2-4 Ollie - HS-LS2-8 Scott - HS-LS2-2 Ollie - HS-LS4-5 Scott - HS-LS4-1 Ollie - HS-ETS1-1 Scott - HS-ESS3-3 Ollie - HS-LS2-7 Scott - HS-PS1-2 To see the specific standards, check out the Next Generation Science Standards Radiolab Podcast - Fungus Among Us Episode Things that bring us joy this week: The Adv...

Episode 12: Fear the E 18.11.2020

How do you talk with kids about their ideas and how do you use questions to support their learning? Initiate - Response - Evaluate pattern of talk is a class in classroom discourse. The teacher asks a question for which they have a specific answer in mind, a student answers, and the teacher evaluates that response. This pernicious pattern leaves kids without a sense of agency in their own science...

Episode 11: Plum Pudding and Fools' Errands 11.11.2020

In this episode, Scott and Ollie discuss the challenges with assessment in face-to-face and online classrooms. While the conversation begins with an observation Ollie makes of his son's math class, the scope broadens to explore why we assess and how we assess to better reflect reform-minded teaching. Things that bring us joy this week: Mission to Zyxx Gideon Falls Intro/Outro Music: Notice of Evic...

Episode 10: N is National not Next 04.11.2020

Teaching K-12 Science and Engieering During a Crisis - National Academies Press They articulate four key principles: 1) Maintain a focus on the Framework ’s vision for high quality science and engineering education; 2) Prioritize relationships, equity, and the most vulnerable students; 3) Families and communities are critical assets for science and engineering learning; 4) Adjusting to changing le...

Episode 9: Phenomena (Do do do do do) 28.10.2020

This week, the dynamic duo (Scott and Ollie) discuss how critical phenomena are to ambitious and equitable science education and how it helps us go beyond "moving the chairs around." In our discussion, Scott critiques the use of Zombie Ants as a "fun" phenomenon to engage students in science. We use this discussion as a springboard into a larger conversation about how we select phenomena around wh...

Episode 8: Up Your Explanatory Quotient 21.10.2020

This week we talk about how to think about the laboratory experience in online, remote, and mixed mode environments. What is the difference between things that can't normally be done in a classroom that you might use even in face to face environments, and things that are replacements for thing that you would have done face to face where you are using video to show the procedure of a lab and then g...

Episode 7: Death March with Fun Sauce 14.10.2020

Prompted by an activity that Ollie did with one of his classes, Ollie and Scott discuss their "origin stories" and detail how they became teachers. As Scott explains early in the episode, we deconstruct these stories to examine the bigger question "What do we teach?" Students? Or content? Both? Things that bring us joy this week: East of West Documentary Now ; In particular, Season 1 episode named...

Episode 6: The Continuity Caveat 07.10.2020

First, we are in a time where there is absolutely no continuity in how class time is organized, so how do you think about structuring class. Second, we have a long-standing over emphasis in schools on curriculuar continuity - every lesson is its own thing, and this leads to its own kind of disconnection. Standardization and consistency is in tension with individuality and responsiveness. We say, j...

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