Blogs

ChemEd X contributors offer their ideas and opinions on a broad spectrum of topics pertaining to chemical education.

Blogs at ChemEd X reflect the opinions of the contributors and are open to comments. Only selected contributors blog at ChemEd X. If you would like to blog regularly at ChemEd X, please use our Contribution form to request an invitation to do so from one of our editors.

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text: Effective Recruiting That Led to a Decline in Diversity
Effective Recruiting that Led to a Decline in Diversity
// Sunday, September 24, 2023 • Chadwick Young
Nicholls Chemistry is at a primarily undergraduate institution and offers a B.S. in chemistry and supporting courses in physics, astronomy, and geology. It has 15 faculty and about 100 chemistry majors.
text: "Water Maze - Chemistry Brain Break" over maze - preview image
Refresh and Reinforce: Water Maze Challenge Brain Break Activity
// Monday, September 18, 2023 • Melissa Hemling
As a chemistry teacher, I am constantly looking for ways to engage my students, promote community building, and reinforce key concepts. One effective way to achieve all these goals is through the use of brain breaks, short activities that provide students with a mental reset while incorporating learning in a fun and interactive manner.
The Floating Soap Bubble
// Monday, August 21, 2023 • Tom Kuntzleman
The floating soap bubble1 is an experiment that is very easy to set up and carry out (Video 1).
chalk text on blackboard: The Soft Introduction
The Soft Introduction
// Friday, August 18, 2023 • Michael Jansen
A bunch of years ago I had the privilege of contributing to several Ontario-curriculum approved Chemistry textbooks.1 It’s not as glamorous as it sounds. It was a lot of work, especially on top of full time teaching and a family. But what made this particularly challenging was writing to someone else’s formula.
text: Keeping Simulations Simple with JavaLab - preview image
Keeping Simulations Simple with Javalab
// Sunday, August 13, 2023 • Sarah English
The use of online simulations to augment classroom instruction is a common occurrence for many students. Veteran educators may remember students passively watching chemistry animations from a VHS tape, laserdisc or compact disc on a classroom TV.
text: Questioning Practice for the First Day. preview image
First Day Questioning Practice
// Monday, August 7, 2023 • Ashley Green
One of the SEP’s (Science and Engineering Practices) in the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) process of 3-Dimensional teaching and learning is Asking Questions.
circled 5. Text: Five for the First. Preview image
Five For the First
// Sunday, August 6, 2023 • Nora Walsh
It’s back to school season! We’ve all begun to reflect on how we want to establish procedures for the year and what tweaks or new ideas need to be included to set up our classes for success. Part of this process is how we begin in the first week.