SCIENCE | UASG

Tyler DeWitt Youtube Page

High school science teacher Tyler DeWitt was ecstatic about a lesson plan on bacteria (how cool!) — and devastated when his students hated it. The problem was the textbook: it was impossible to understand. He delivers a rousing call for science teachers to ditch the jargon and extreme precision, and instead make science sing through stories and demonstrations. (Filmed at TEDxBeaconStreet.)

Tyler DeWitt recognizes that textbooks are not the way to get young people interested in science. Instead, he teaches science by making it fun and fantastical.

Tyler DeWitt has taught Biology, Chemistry and English at high schools in both the United States and South Korea, and believes that science could be every student’s favorite class if it weren’t for the long words and overly technical presentation. Instead, DeWitt focuses on creating engaging lessons that evoke a sense of wonder in kids and that encourage them to think critically.

Currently a Ph.D. student in Microbiology at MIT, DeWitt studies how bacteria transfer pieces of DNA to their neighbors. He is also a coordinator for the MIT+K12 video outreach project, which encourages MIT students to create educational videos for students of all ages in all subjects. DeWitt also has a full YouTube library of videos that teach everything from valence electrons to the chemistry of acids, all with an eye toward fun.

“The narrator is MIT doctoral student Tyler DeWitt, who has a big grin on his face as he pours a clear liquid into a row of beakers. But as he pours, the liquid transforms into a rainbow of colors. “

http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/10-big-brain-benefits-of-playing-chess

Not for nothing is chess known as “the game of kings.” No doubt the rulers of empires and kingdoms saw in the game fitting practice for the strategizing and forecasting they themselves were required to do when dealing with other monarchs and challengers. As we learn more about the brain, some are beginning to push for chess to be reintroduced as a tool in the public’s education. With benefits like these, they have a strong case.