Here's a site for people interested in improving science literacy and education, including but not limited to: Parents, science educators, home school teachers, science industries, botanical gardens, museums, and, zoological garden staff. Please feel free to post a comment with ideas or links. Use the search bar at the top left of the blog to find subjects (If you don't find something, please leave a comment.). The left hand column has reference links and the bottom has a survey.
Hi. I have extensive experience in science education and tutoring, a doctorate in a biological field, research that requires advanced knowledge in engineering and biochemistry. My teaching includes courses and laboratories in biology, chemistry, Earth science, genetics, botany, anatomy and physiology and many other subjects on a college level, and also in pre-K-12 science classes, will help you to succeed. At Harvard University, I honed my algebra teaching skills, after getting my doctorate at UNH. That math expertise facilitates math, engineering and advanced science subject learning for my students. I am certified to teach middle school and high school and have taught for (10+ years at those levels. I am willing to tutor in NH, MA, NY, and elsewhere via Skype including students in Africa and Europe. For example, a Hungarian student via Skype got the top score on his exit exam from university.) I present workshops in higher order thinking skills, too, for colleges, schools, parents, families, libraries and home schools.
I have taught from pre-Kindergarten through University, and have been successful in industry, so, I can help you fill in gaps in your education. If you need to close the gap because your high school didn't prepare you for college, I can help you do that. I am great with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) topics. I do not do the work for you. I help you know how to learn what you need to know to succeed.
The students I've had for biology passed their nursing board exams the first time. (Congratulations to you!)
I also help students develop career direction so they can focus their studies better. If you are serious about wanting to learn, I can help you.
Connect with over 30,000 local, in-home tutors at WyzAnt.com!
Quote (") (from Zazzle.com/ShipmanCenter, Proceeds to support science literacy and science education)
Product
Details
Infant Organic Creeper
The finest organic cotton for your baby. 100% organic baby rib cotton, combed for softness and comfort. Designed for easy on-and-off. Fits all babies – both boys and girls. Triple-seat snaps for bottom/diaper closure. Imported (But looking for US manufacturers).
About the Design The Gone Forest by J S Shipman
Sustainability is key. The artist's passion is science literacy and science education leading to global sustainability.
For [...] deer [to exist], we need the forest. We cannot be plant-blind.
A portion or the proceeds from the sale or this product will support such education. (Read more: http://read-about-it.blogspot.com) The Gone Forest. (Photo or acrylic original). Artist/artistiekerigst: J S Shipman [(c) 2008 J S Shipman. Used with [permission].]
Mrs. Dodd, wife of the famous algologist, Dr. John Dodd, quietly went over to the trash can at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and retrieved some watercolor paintings I had tossed in the clean can. She turned to me and said, "In all the years I've been at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, I've never seen anyone paint the lab." She took the paintings, had them framed and put them up to decorate the mess hall at the lab. When I went to the laboratory last, they were still on the wall. I feel much more a scientist than an artist, but, it is very nice to be appreciated. Now, I am using my artwork to support science education and science literacy. I found that the products can now be available in different countries.
Using an expression I learned in Iowa, I named this acrylic painting, "The Gone Forest." After the tragic events of 911, many people moved out of New York City into these woods...Now there are human homes here and the deer (as well as bear and other wildlife) are missing the woodlands, thus, the gone forest.
Here are the links and descriptions for the art posted in the Netherlands, for example. There may be some errors in the Dutch. If you see any, please correct them.
The Gone Forest
Artist/Artiest: J S Shipman (Bewerken)
Sustainability is key. The artist's passion is science literacy and science education leading to global sustainability. For the deer to be there, we need the forest. We cannot be plant-blind. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product will support such education. (Read more: http://read-about-it.blogspot.com) The Gone Forest. (Photo of acrylic original). Artist/Artiest: J S Shipman (c)2008 J S Shipman. Used with permission.
In other words:
Houdbaarheid is hoofd. De passie van de artiest is wetenschapalfabetisme en wetenschapopvoeding die tot globale houdbaarheid leidt. Voor het hert om daar te zijn, hebben nodig wij het bos. Wij kunnen plant-blinde niet zijn. Een gedeelte van het gaat door van de verkoop van dit product zal zulke opvoeding steunen. (Lezing meer: http://read-about-it.blogspot.com) Het Gegane Bos. (Foto van acryl origineel). Artiest/artistiekerigst: J S Shipman (c)2008 J S Shipman. Gebruikt met toestemming.
Some students learn best by drawing. It is amazing what can be done with crayons. Try letting students draw what they see. Many students will do better than I have done. Here are my examples.
Here is a peaceful video to watch on the interconnections of mathematics and music. Watch it and see what ideas come to your mind for connections of math and music to science. Think about what questions come to your mind, if any, when you watch the video? Jot them down.
Since in this blog, the focus is on science literacy and science education, how can the video enhance them? For example, did you hear new vocabulary? A video can bring new vocabulary to life because we hear the words pronounced and also see the usage of the word, the context. Mathematics is important to science literacy. That is why the STEM- science, technology, engineering and math- education focus prominent today includes the, "M."Another valuable M, however, is music. Music can engage students in science (That is why I once submitted a grant proposal to FIPSE called, Humanities at the Heart of Science. Music is one of the humanities that engages students). Vocabulary development is one way. Another is the ability of music in the video to engage students in science and mathematical studies.
Many skill sets of musicians and scientists overlap. Can you think of some? List as many as you can. Now circle on the list skills you think you have or could develop. Write a reflection on what you discover by this exercise.
How can you use the video to further enhance science reading? Do you know Harlan Brothers? Have you seen his journal articles? Do you know how to find them? Remember that in journal articles, you might find new and difficult vocabulary. Remember as Joan Beinetti says, "No one knows all the words," (personal communication, 1989). After you have slowly read one or two articles on a topic, you will start to develop more vocabulary in the field of the article. The more vocabulary you develop, the easier other articles on the same topic are to read. By the time you have read 5 or 6 articles, you are likely to be looked at by others as an expert...or, at least, quite knowledgeable, in that area.
Let's go about finding some articles. Just searching using his name, we find a number of links. Let's look at one:
Pick one of the articles or books above as a starting point, or,
try to find an article on your own to start with. You might be interested in the following biographical information quoted from Wikipedia:
In 1997, while examining the sequence of counting numbers raised to their own power ( {an}=nn ), Brothers discovered some simple algebraic formulas [1] that yielded the number 2.71828..., the universal constant e, also known as the base of the natural logarithm. Like its more famous cousin π, e is a transcendental number that appears in a wide range of formulas in mathematics and physics.
Having no formal college-level mathematics education, he sent brief descriptions of his findings to the host of the National Public Radio show “Science Friday” and also to a well-known mathematician at Scientific American.
His communication with “Science Friday” led to a fruitful collaboration with meteorologistJohn Knox. Together they discovered over two dozen new formulas and published two papers on their methods. These methods subsequently found their way into the standard college calculus curriculum by way of a popular textbooks on the subject.[2][3]
So, there is a fine example of a student communicating on an interest leading to a fascinating career in an subject that blends his love of math and music. Before digressing too much, let's return to fractals and music, remembering that reading slowly and carefully, you will develop the needed vocabulary to understand even very difficult topics. And, you can contact people, as did, Harlan Brothers, and meet the people you need to grow your knowledge. Let's look at the
abstract of another article on fractals and music (http://www.euromath.org/assets/files/2010/2.Alice%20Cortinovis.pdf,
accessed 11 Oct 2012):
ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to identify some distinctive features of fractal music – offering a possible answer to the question: “What does fractal music mean?”. Following an introduction to the general concept of fractals, it discusses their fundamental characteristics, that is the scale invariance and self-similarity derived from a power law. The understanding of the fractal nature of music requires a clear grasp of the fundamental physical characteristics of sound, such as pitch, duration and timbre. The perception of music, however, is a psychological experience, so the paper briefly explores some amazing but widely known examples of aural illusions, deriving from our logarithmic sensitivity. Following a brief outline of the main areas of current research in this sector, the paper proposes a formal definition of fractal music, based on its physical, mathematical and psychological characteristics. Finally a musical composition is analyzed, showing that it is indeed real fractal music according to the proposed definition. The paper concludes by suggesting possible areas for further exploration."
It looks like this article might be readable, but, even here, students will have to develop some vocabulary as the authors definition may be difficult for many people (children and adults, alike). Also, the author is new to this research area and the understanding is limited as a result. Check out the definition of fractals in the article here:
Have students note that not every article presents the rigorous academic nature needed for serious study fractal music. Have the students check for these concepts and other possible errors:
Let students have fun finding articles and slowly reading them, using the dictionary at hand or an on-line dictionary as needed. For example, fractals are defined here:
A deeper study of fractals and related material can be found here, "a collection ... meant to support a first course in fractal geometry for students without ... strong mathematical preparation, or any particular interest in science:"
Have students do their own searches for definitions and journal. (Be sure your virus protection is on.) Have them check the academic rigor of any definitions they find. Similarly, are the journal articles they look at refereed (peer-reviewed by those knowledgeable and recognized in the field of study)? Have the students each find an article abstract by a leading researcher in this field.
After the students read the article abstract(s), they might wish to get the article(s) by inter-library loan from the local library and then read the full article and even e-mail the author with a question. They might even pick up a musical instrument and try to make some musical fractals. Enjoy!
Note that Michael Frame and Harlan J Brothers have worked hard to establish a rigorous framework for the study and discussion of fractal music. Comments or questions can be posted below in the comment section and also submitted to: "Dr." J. and to Harlan Brothers
Part of Science Literacy is knowing what you need to know...
Post under development Back later...
"I need help with Krebs' cycle, ATP production, cell communication, and photosynthesis as soon as possible."
So...here is a plea from a person who really wants to learn...What can we do...Even better, what can this person do?
Active learning is the best way to acquire and keep information. Knowing one's own style of learning is also helpful. Let's look at first steps.
How much time do we have to learn the information? This number is important for time management. We can decide how much time we have for each topic.
Jot the time you have down __________________________________.
Set up a schedule based on your other commitments and the time slots you can devote to this study. Get a notebook, and all your study materials and handout sheets, if any. You can use them to help support what other tools you find.
Now, lets look at each topic. Organize what you already know under each heading, even if it only a series of questions that you want answered.
Krebs' cycle
Cycle...sounds like circle or re-cycle....Maybe it has to do with something going around (Perhaps that's all you can think of.)
Add what else you already know here, add your questions, then go to the next topic. Afterward, come back and add information from other resources. I'll start you off. You continue. I'll be back in a day or so to see if you have made any progress...first, though, let's look at Kreb's Cycle
Krebs' cycle
Cycle...sounds like circle or re-cycle....Maybe it has to do with something going around (Perhaps that's all you can think of.)
Students often start with Wikipedia from a Google or other search engine search. Okay, let's start here. I'll be back when you've had a chance to read this. In fact, you can look up similar information on the other topics and glance through them. We'll figure out ways to comprehend the information later
The citric acid cycle — also known as the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), theKrebs cycle, or the Szent-Györgyi–Krebs cycle — is a series of chemical ...
Practice makes perfect! What do you think? Do you have a way to remember and use the information yet? Higher order thinking on these topics is your aim. So, let's work on that next. Come up with some memory aids or mnemonic devices.
Also, think about the kinds of questions you can be asked on these topics...Put another way, "What is important about them?" Then, make your reason for knowing them: "I need to know this because________________."
Think about location, location, location: Where do these metabolic processes occur in the cell? What if the cell is prokaryotic like bacteria and blue greens? What if the cells are eukaryotic like yours? Or, like a trees? Whay about in a set of organisms like found in a lichen?
What journal articles are found on these topics? Have you thought about current research related to these four biology topics?
Think about how you can use this information, because that linkage to you...that formation of, "relevancy," in your brain, is what will let you remember it and use it when you need it in some future, as yet unknown, situation. That will enable even higher order thinking such as synthesis, and analysis, needed to solve problems... global problems.
You might also wonder who is Krebs. How did he think? Isn't learning fun? Each new idea leads to so many more.
Here's the opening line of the abstract from, "Patrick J. Neale, Anastasios Melis' article on a small green organism: "Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was grown at photon flux densities (PFDs) ranging from 47 to 400 μE.m-2 s-1." Now, unless you are a phycologist (double-click any word for the meaning), then you've probably found three or four words you don't know, even if you are a great reader, right in the first sentence. This "jargon" is typical of refereed journal articles, by the way. A poor reader might become discouraged with the words found in journal articles, but, those of you familiar with my, "Reach Reading tm" technique, or, with Einstein's ability to stay on one paragraph till he figured it out, know that that is just a challenge of reading in science. You won't let yourself worry about a new set of vocabulary! As my sister, a reading specialist, says, "No one knows all the words."
The abstract continues, "The total cellular content of chlorophyll (Chl) was twice as high in the low light (LL) versus high light (HL) grown cells." Phew, you got some of that! I mean most of us learn the simplified equation of photosynthesis when we are children and we can recognize light, cells, perhaps chlorophyll, and, other words here. We can also get the gist of the article...A ha! We are reading about plant response to light... I mean, there might be more, but, there is something we can get.
Let's try some reach reading and look up some words. Let's see what else we can understand. In this way, reading an article becomes like finding treasure in a computer game. Let's see who can find the most treasure. Try to then use the words to paraphrase what you think the authors are saying.
In this way, elementary and secondary school, children and teens (and for that matter, adults), can build technical reading skills. They are playing a game.
Let's look at the ending of the abstract, "Thus the stoichiometry of electron transport complexes changes in response to growth PFD and this change is correlated with the response flexibility of algal photosynthesis in diverse light environments." Though there are difficult words, we're not afraid of them now. It is a challenging game, perhaps, but, it is fun. High school students should recognize, "stoichiometry," from chemistry classes. Here they get to see it in a, real "laboratory report," the refereed journal article.
I hope reading just this tiny bit of the abstract of the article has gotten you interested in reading more. You might be interested in contacting a phycological society, or, getting the full article via inter-library loan, or, you might wonder about plant pigments, or have other questions that could become wonderful experimental designs. Typically students winning science fairs use such journal articles, even in elementary school.
Try reading more of these authors' works. Do you know how to find them? Please feel free to ask questions in the comments. Jargoning is typical in many fields outside of science, too. So, what you learn about "playing" with science words in journal articles is applicable in all subjects.
Dr. J
[under development]
Source: Patrick J.Neale21AnastasiosMelis1. 1986. Algal photosynthetic membrane complexes and the photosynthesis-irradiance curve: a comparison of light-adaptation responses in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlorophyta)1. Journal of Phycology. 22:4. 531-538 (1 Patrick J.Neale2AnastasiosMelis1
Earth is calling loudly with great waves crashing into Florida. Earth is sweating salty with Chesapeake crabs moving to New York. Earth is crying sadly with Western desertification: Trees falling.
Earth is bulging cruelly through weak places: Haitian mangroves down, Haiti swept into the sea; Dominican's still standing.
Earth is toasting darkly with wars burned/burning here and there. Liberia rebuilding war torn children. That war's over, others are still on.
Earth is calling, crying, bulging, toasting. You hear all that noise, heat, flames and darkness, don't you? So, change a light bulb, take a walk, don a sweater.
Use less oil, more sunshine and vote wisely. Earth will smile with medicine, food, clean water, health and peace, All thank yous for your gifts of thought and time. J. S. Shipman
Posts
+2008-2013+J+S+Shipman.jpeg "The Gone Forest (c) 2007 J S Shipman")
Source: 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
