Computing

We teach it, some celebrate it, and we try to make it engaging for our students. What is it? The mole concept and Mole Day! So how do we make it engaging for our students? Let me introduce #molympics.

If you are on Twitter and follow #chemchat, you may have recently seen some beautiful, rotating 3D atomic and molecular models from Dave Doherty @atomsNMolecules. I was curious about these models and after contacting Dave, he introduced me to The Atomic Dashboard.

National Chemistry Week this October 19–25 offers a chance to take a trip to the candy shop with the theme "The Sweet Side of Chemistry—Candy." Looking for some tasty chemistry resources? Two upcoming webinars will help you stock up.  

On September 2, the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) launched its official website, loaded with lots of resources and member benefits.

Deanna Cullen wrote about her decision to move forward with a blended model this year and asked for some suggestions about videos. I've been using videos as a teaching tool in my class for the last six years and wanted to share some thoughts.

I am preparing to teach a "blended" chemistry course this fall and I admit that I am a little nervous. Students will be expected to access some of the course material outside of class. It will be very important that students preview materials and complete assignments.

Greg Rushton and I presented in the George Hague Memorial AP/IB Chemistry Symposium at the 2014 BCCE conference in Michigan. We are excited to highlight the first SPECIAL ISSUE of the Journal of Education covering AP Chemistry. Given the new AP Curriculum, the time was right to put out a call for papers last year asking stake holders to weigh in on the topic. We are happy with the well rounded response and hope you will take a look at the issue. Most of the articles are already live on the JCE Web site. We are interested in your comments and also encourage suggestions of topics for future Special Issues that will be of interest specifically for the high school audience.

If you are like me and unable to attend BCCE 2014, there is still a way to be part of the action. Twitter! Even if you don't have a Twitter account, you can follow tweets from participants that are there "live tweeting" the action.

Earlier this week, I saw a tweet showing a compilation of apps entitled the Periodic Table of iPad apps  (https://sjunkins.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/iste-posters-001.jpg).