It's Not What You Know... It's Who You Know... AND What You Know!

The last couple of weeks have been very interesting in terms of making contacts.
As you may have gathered, I am extremely keen on educating the masses, especially children and young people, on the value of Science. The main focus so far has been to reach my target audience through schools and children's parties.
It was through a jovial Christmas catch up with a friend that a whole new market was revealed to me...
The friend in question works for The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and suggested that maybe local museums would be interested in my services. As soon as she mentioned this, I realised that I had been missing a trick. I had been thinking 'inside the box'. I had neglected to think about where my services could be appreciated in a wider sense.

What was I thinking?

Why had I not thought of this before?

Science links to pretty much everything (at least it does in my opinion, but then I may be a little biassed!).
Museums... Oh YES! What a brilliant idea!

I LOVE museums (see my previous post about museums in London). I love History. I love Archaeology. I have always been fascinated by the scientific processes involved in trying to interpret the past of our ancestors. Without an understanding of our past we cannot hope to move forward with any real purpose.
As part of my degree (at the University of Sheffield) I took every opportunity to expand my knowledge by using my 'free' credits to study units which would complement my course of study (Genetics), and would also offer me something a little different in order to broaden my areas of expertise. I chose to study Archaeological Science as part of this, despite the fact that I had (on paper) overlapping practical classes. The intention was that I would finish my 3 hour Genetics practical (2-5 p.m.) an hour early, in order to attend the 2 hour Archaeology practical (4-6 p.m.). Some weeks this worked. Other weeks I had to run into the Archaeology practical late, breathless, and apologising profusely! Thankfully, it all worked out OK in the end!

My interest in Archaeological Science has never waned.

As a result of that chat with an old friend (apologies to the friend concerned - I know you're younger than me! Perhaps 'long-standing' would have been a better turn of phrase?) I was inspired to contact The Collection, Lincoln, and have a meeting lined up for next week.

Here's hoping that this leads to lots of fun activities for kids to engage them with science, an interest in their past, and an appreciation of the value of museums and art galleries.

Scientific Poetry - Whatever next?!

Several years ago I started writing poems relating to the science curriculum.
I wrote poems to use in my lessons, I wrote poems to engage my students, but most of all I wrote poems for fun!

I took topic areas of the curriculum which were often viewed as a bit 'dry', and tried to make them at least a little more interesting by adding a splash of creativity, a dash of poetic licence, and a generous dose of humour, while also including some valuable scientific information along with as many key words relating to the given topic as possible.

I started to develop the poems into worksheets, which I trialled with my students (without telling them that the new resources were in fact written by me - I wanted impartial feedback!). Amazingly, the majority of students from each group, regardless of ability or literacy level, said that they enjoyed working with the poems, and doing the associated crossword or activity. In fact, those that found the poetry approach of greatest benefit appeared to be those with lower levels of confidence in terms of literacy, as the rhyming nature of the information helped them to remember key words and phrases. I think they also enjoyed the general silliness of many of the poems!

I approached an educational publisher, and had my efforts published under the title 'Poems and Puzzles for Key Stage 3 Science'. Then I waited for the accolades to roll in...
Sadly, uptake of my resource was not as spectacular as I would have liked!

Despite this, my commitment to the idea of communicating science through the medium of poetry is undiminished, and I have continued to write science themed poems, but I now have a different audience in mind. My poems were always written for children. Children don't buy worksheets - teachers do. Children buy funny books (or at least they get their parents to buy them!). This has given me a sense of new found freedom, and has allowed me to write poems about science related ideas and concepts, but without the need to cram them full of  key words. It's so much more fun this way!!

Take, for example, one of my latest poetic masterpieces:
Would a teacher buy an educational resource containing a poem entitled 'Do You Poo Too?' - Probably not.
Would a child like to read a book containing the poem 'Do You Poo Too?' - You bet they would!

And so, just today, I have e-mailed a sample of my work to a well known children's publisher in London, in the hopes that one day soon my poems will sit proudly on the shelves of every book shop in the UK, and who knows... maybe farther afield? That way, every child would have the chance to enjoy the sciencey silliness of poems such as 'Know your Nose', 'Atomic Party', 'My Cheese Sandwich', and of course, not forgetting 'Do You  Poo Too?'.

Here's hoping that the publisher can see the potential, and that they find my poems worthy of spreading to the masses!

Keeping Things Fresh - Updates and New Content

Since starting this Blog, what seems like a lifetime ago, I have made efforts to add posts as regularly as possible. Keeping web site content fresh and current is important, we all know that. No-one wants to read out of date content. It's stale and boring... So, 'Why?', I am now asking myself, has it taken me so long to realise that, despite adding new posts, I have not made any changes to the rest of the page??

Well... Now I have!

You may notice that the suggestions in the 'My Picks' Amazon carousel at the top of the page have been updated. I have added some recommendations for cool science themed toys / gadgets as well as a new book suggestion.
The 6 in 1 Solar Kit is brilliant (I've had great fun with mine!), and makes a great gift (Christmas is only a matter of weeks away!) for kids and adults alike.
A USB Microscope also makes a great Christmas present, is easy to set up, and provides hours of entertainment. There are lots of similar products available, but the one I have recommended is made by Veho, as this is the one I own. Close-ups of everyday objects can be fascinating. I've had great fun looking at the structure of fabrics, flowers, wood grain, and even the view up a friends nose under 200x zoom! The software also allows you quickly and easily take photographs, and save them to your computer.
Books wise, I have added '101 Illnesses You Don't Want to Get' to the list. This book is not for the feint hearted, but contains some interesting (if a little grizzly) information and illustrations!
Still top of my list of 'Best Christmas presents I've ever recieved' though, is 'Elephants on Acid'... A truly laugh out loud funny book, which covers some of the most whacky science experiments ever carried out!

Also updated is the Related Reading section to the right of the posts. Besides adding posts here on Adventures of a Wandering Scientist, I have also been busy writing fresh articles about science and education, and the links have now been updated to include some of my more recent work.

Happy reading / microscopy / solar engineering!

Maths, QR Codes and Modern Technology

Well, it's been a busy month...

I'm used to educating people, young and old, about science, but this month has seen me take my first foray into the world of teaching Mathematics!

Maths has never been something which I have struggled with (despite dropping out of A-Level Maths within the first term!) but, equally, it has never been something which I could claim to particularly enjoy. So, when I was asked to teach some Maths at the local FE college I was wary to say the least. My contracted term of Maths tuition is now over, and I have to say that I will actually miss it. It has been hugely satisfying to see adult learners, who struggle with Maths, many of whom were told that they were 'too slow' in school, gain in confidence through a realisation that Maths is something that they are actually already good at! 

We all use Maths every day. We all know that if we go out with £10 in our pocket, there's a limit to what we can buy. We can all estimate values and numbers automatically without even realising it... It only takes a little encouragement and practise for other Maths skills to become second nature too.

The students I have been teaching will be continuing their functional Maths course with another tutor, and I wish them the best of success for the rest of the year, and for their GCSE Maths next year. I know they can all do it!

Since the start of half term, I have been looking into getting some professional advertising done for my children's science parties. Thanks to a wonderful group of children who I worked with at the start of September, I now have a range of photos on the gallery page of the Dr D's website, and have used some of these to put together an advertising flyer, for which I am currently in the process of getting quotes for printing. Thanks to some shrewd and savvy advice, the flyers will also include a QR code, so that potential customers can use their smart phones to link directly to the Dr D's Science Days homepage - Check it out... It works!!

Even for a technological novice like myself, it is remarkably easy to set up one of these little symbols, using a free on-line QR code generator, and I've checked that it works by downloading Google Goggles on my Android phone... It picked out the funny looking little square that is the QR code instantly, put a green box around it, then provided a link to redirect me to the website... Amazing! I hope that my potential customers will pick up a flyer and be encouraged to do the same. Who needs to type an address into a search engine or browser, when you can just point your smart phone at it, and let that do all the work for you?
Modern technology amazes me.
I'm amazed by what it can do.
I'm even more amazed by the amount of stuff that someone like me can do with it, with a little advice from friends, some common sense, but no real training!
Both Maths and Modern Technology can seem scary to those who don't use them, and aren't confident with them. I guess it's fear of the unknown, which is totally understandable.
That's why, while I have some time to spare (with my unconventional part-time working hours) I've been looking into joining in with the BBC's Give an Hour campaign to help people to get on-line. What little knowledge I have, I am glad to share. I know how much of a benefit it can be to have someone sit down with you for an hour, or even less, and open up a whole new world of possibilities and opportunities. I'd like to pass that on!

What a Week in Science World!

WOW!!
What a week!
There has been so much going on, that I'm not sure where to begin. I suppose at the beginning is as good a place as any, if not the best!
It all began with a phone call:
"Hello, is that Dr D?"
"Yes, it is" I replied, my heart racing at the thought that this could be a potential customer.
"I picked up one of your flyers for children's birthday parties in a local pub" said the man on the other end of the line. I felt my optimism rise even further... Here it comes, my first paid birthday party booking... I remained calm and professional (at least outwardly, I hope!).
But there was no booking.
It was better than that!
The man I was talking to was a presenter on my local BBC radio station, who wanted to do an interview with me on the following morning's breakfast show... I could potentially reach out to untold numbers of children and parents, who would hear my enthusiasm for science, and immediately phone me to book my services!
"Yes, no problem. I can be there at 8.15 a.m." I said, trying to hide my excitement.

The interview went well. I 'ummed' a bit, but didn't make any major gaffes. The presenter was friendly, enthusiastic about the subject of increasingly elaborate and novel children's parties in general, and seemed genuinely pleased to be given a small section of drinking straw to blow through to make squeaky noises (I was asked to take a radio friendly demo with me).
I returned home.
I waited for the influx of calls.
I checked my Google analytics every hour hoping for a spike of hits on the website.
Nothing.
The following day did see a slight increase in website visitors, so things are looking up, and I have picked up a new follower on twitter (the radio presenter, who I now also follow) who provides some interesting info and questions via his tweets, which I find myself compelled to reply to!

More optimism was inspired by the fact that the weekend saw my highest ever daily page views for my writing on Suite101 (110 in a day, as compared to my previous best of 53!). The article which seems to be generating the most interest is totally off my normal topics, but I have since written a proper science education based article, which has also attracted a lot of attention, and gives details of a really creative way to involve students in a demonstration of the differences between conduction, convection and radiation, using only a teddy bear!

Monday saw me travelling to Leicester for an event to celebrate the multitude of successes from the Ignition programme, run by Ignite Futures. The event brought together scientists and artists from across the East Midlands, who had been involved in various projects to engage school children in creative activities with a scientific focus. I had been invited to attend due to my work with the school in Boston way back in March. It was an absolute pleasure to see Rick (the organiser) again, to meet (in person) the lady who had been so helpful on the phone during the organisation of my small part of the programme, and to meet some of the other science and arts practitioners who had been involved in various projects across the whole of the East Midlands. The 'Magical Butterflies' project, which assists communication in children with severe mental and physical disabilities, is truly inspirational, and absolutely deserves funding to be developed further. It is the perfect example of how the combination of art and science can create something which can ignite a revolution in our understanding of ourselves and others. Truly inspirational!

Finally, today's big news is that I have finally (with the assistance of my wonderfully patient tech guru) sent an email out to every primary school in Lincolnshire. I am really hoping that my initial contact (which was totally unsolicited, and I know how much I hate 'cold calling' and spam) will be received in the right way, and will lead to lots of people signing up via the website for future updates about in-school science activities.

Exam results and optimism!

Well, it's been another busy couple of weeks!

The GCSE exam results came in yesterday, and 100% of my evening class achieved  A* to C grades, with 44% getting an A! Well done one and all!! There were also two A-graders among my other group, one of whom really deserved it, but personal circumstances around exam time meant that her grade was in doubt, as her mind was (quite understandably) elsewhere. I am so, so proud of her, and wish her every success for the future! I gather that she wants to become a teacher... Good luck to her!!

The local library have finally got back to me, and it wasn't the outcome I'd hoped for, but it has opened a few doors, and provided a good deal of food for thought. Quick fixes are fine in the short-term, but the opportunities on offer are of a longer term nature, so should prove to be more sustainable. In short... It's all good!

I have also been in contact with my 'dream' publisher this week. After a long-winded wild-goose-chase between departments, I finally got in touch with someone who could actually assist me with my query. My query being "Why have I heard absolutely nothing, after almost a year of waiting, about the manuscript I sent you??". Once Lorna (the lady who eventually ended up dealing with my query) was on the case, things moved along quite quickly - what a total super star!

Sadly, the speedy response was a speedy 'Thanks, but no thanks'.
That's fine! This is not the dead end that it appears to be (I think I have mentioned before that I always view the glass as half full rather than half empty).

My proposal had been passed from pillar to post among different people in different departments before it was dutifully tracked down by the lovely Lorna. Her correspondence was friendly and efficient, despite a small bit of 'Americanisation' ("the editor hasn't gotten around to it yet", as opposed to "the editor has not yet had an opportunity to review your proposal"), and after a few light hearted e-mails about the effects of watching too many American movies (films, for the Brits among us), Lorna was very supportive in providing me with the contact details for someone in an alternative division of the same publishing house.

My priority for next week will be to re-address the covering letter which accompanies my manuscript, to make its product placement within the vast expanse of written material which can be found in book stores absolutely clear. My Rhyming Science proposal could be a massive money spinner for both myself, and the publisher who has the Huzpah to take it on!

Optimism is the way forward!

Hutzpah, That's What You Need!

Well, it's been a busy week!
My advert has finally been printed in the local magazine, and is currently circulating throughout the County, and hopefully raising some interest among the local parents. No calls yet, but it's only been 3 days since it went into circulation... There's still a HUGE amount of hope that orders will begin to trickle in and, as we all know, a trickle can lead to a flood!

Hutzpah is my word of the day! Confidence, Conviction, Presence, Personality and a 'Go-for-it' attitude will work wonders I'm sure.

Today I have 'cold-called' a couple of libraries to see whether they may want to have me come and do a workshop (or several) with the local youngsters over the school holidays (on science communication and writing, poetry relating to science, or science-based craft activities). I'm waiting for calls back and am convinced that when I get them, I will be able to make some valuable connections, which will certainly be beneficial in the longer-term, if not immediately.

When you operate a small business, or are a sole trader (as in my case), your personnel are your goldmine or your downfall. Attitude is everything, and having a positive can-do attitude, and a pleasant demeanour when dealing with people is an absolute must! Understanding the needs of the customer is absolutely paramount.

One of the main reasons for having branched out on my own was to avoid the cynical, corporate, money-grabbing desperation which was endemic in my previous place of employment. You cannot take pleasure in your work, and rejoice in what you do, if you are driven by management who are purely driven by profit without regard for their staff or their customers.

I hope that every budding entrepreneur out there finds their Hutzpah / Mojo or whatever you want to call it, and goes for their dream!

Shalom! and Happy Science-ing / Writing / Business-ing!

The Waiting Game

Well, the wheels are in motion, and all I can do now is wait...

Actually, hold on, no it isn't!
I can get back to focussing on my writing.

I'm not one to sit on my back-side (Arse or Ass, depending on which side of the Atlantic you hail from) and do nothing. Time is money but, at present, I still have more time that actual cash, so I will be investing my time productively by returning to some of the other areas which I began looking into many months ago, and have neglected due to my pre-occupation with advertising Dr D's.

Over the next few weeks, I will be chasing up some leads, and attempting to promote myself as a science writer. Effective communication is the crux of education, and if that happens to be at a distance, at least I will still be reaching out to people who want to learn, or who want to enhance their ability to teach others.

Busy times ahead!

Promotion and Advertising - Reaching Out to Potential Customers

The Dr D's Science Days web site is finally up and running, and can be found here!
After some assistance from a 'techie' friend of mine, and at no extra cost (other than a couple of beers, which thinking about it I should have got a receipt for, as they could be classed as a tax deductible business expense!) the basic outline of the site was reorganised, and I have now filled it with content detailing how wonderful my business is, and the great activities and services which I can offer to eager young minds!

I have also taken the plunge, and designed a simple advert for Bailgate Independent magazine, which looks like this:

The magazine distributes 10,000 copies each month, so I am hoping that I will get at least a couple of enquiries from parents about parties for their children as a result. There is also the possibility that it may be spotted by local teachers, who will check out the web-site and learn about the in-school activities that I'm offering as well.

Also, my Dr D's Facebook page has already attracted 21 'likes' from friends, who I hope will be kind enough to point any of their friends with children in my direction!

Things are definitely looking up! All I need to do now is sit back and wait for the bookings to come rolling in!

Positive movements!

The long awaited (by me at least) website should be up and running in the next day or so!
A link will be posted ASAP.
Also, in recent good news, two of my articles have been featured, and I'm now a leading contributor to the Homeschool Science section of Suite 101.
They say good things come in threes, I wonder what will be next!?

Business Expansion - Capturing New Markets.

Well, the summer holidays are upon us, all the schools are shut, and as a result my entire customer base has vanished for the next six weeks.
Many would see this as a problem, but a Wandering Scientist is not so easily dissuaded!
I have looked at the looming cloud from every angle, and have identified its silver lining.
The activities offered through Dr D's Science Days are all aimed at primary school children (aged 5 to 11), and are intended to be fun, engaging, sometimes messy, and sneakily educational (children learn best when they think they're just having a great time!).
The children may not be in school over the summer, but that does not mean that they have vanished. They are at home with their parents... Parents who may well be looking for exciting activities to keep their little ones occupied over the long weeks ahead, and what better way to do that than a visit from Dr D, the Wandering Scientist?
My marketing campaign should, admittedly, have started a little earlier in order to build some momentum and capture a wider audience through word of mouth, but with a little lateral thinking, and some well placed advertising, I'm optimistic that I can get a few bookings for my services over the summer break and beyond.
So far, I have started a marketing campaign by setting up a business facebook page, and have placed flyers in local shops, pubs, and doctors' surgeries (people will pick up and read pretty much anything while sitting in a waiting room!). The next step will be to go door to door, posting flyers to houses within the more affluent areas, and targeting large family homes with lots of children's toys in the gardens. I am also going to 'speculate to accumulate' by placing an advert in a local glossy magazine with a wide distribution covering many villages which are popular with families.
Who knows, by branching out into children's parties, I may even gain a positive reputation with parents and teachers who have influence within the local schools... That could be a golden lining to my cloud!

Publishing, Publishers and Percentages.

My first publisher, ZigZag Education, has recently sent me an email, requesting that I post links to their website from my own personal website or blog in order to increase their sales. ARE THEY JOKING??
I have suspected for a couple of years (well, since I signed up with them really) that the meagre percentage that they pay me in royalties was a joke, and their latest communications have really confirmed that.
They claim that they take the majority of the income from my resource to cover their advertising costs, and yet it is only now that they have realised that social networking and SEO are important, and they have the gall to ask their writers to publicise their site for them!
I THINK NOT!
I spoke to an editor about a year ago, and have had written confirmation that I can publish my original content through other avenues. I have approached another publisher, but am currently of a mind to self-publish, and sell through my activity days in schools, or through my own web site (once it's up to scratch!).
My resource: Poems and Puzzles for Key Stage 3 Science, received great reviews from teachers, and has been well received by the majority of my own students with whom I trialled the poems and associated worksheets. Despite this, ZigZag have managed to get me a total of 9 (Yes, Nine) sales in two years.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!
Maybe I should just publish the poems as an e-book, and be done with it. I certainly couldn't earn a lot less money in royalties that at present!

The Return from London - A Science Geek's Heaven!

So, I've not posted anything for a while... I've been a bit busy (mainly getting married, and going for a short break in London on honeymoon!).
Apologies for the short intermission, but I'm now back in business!

London is known for a lot of things: The Queen, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, London Bridge, thousands of tourists, innumerable stalls selling Union Jack adorned just-about-anythings... the list just goes on and on, but amid all of the more internationally recognisable tourist attractions are some places of absolute wonder for the scientifically minded. I suppose, for this post, I am a Wondering Scientist, as well as a Wandering Scientist!

First on the 'to-do' list was Kew Gardens as I had never had the chance to visit before. More officially known as 'The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew', this was a place that I had wanted to visit for many years, and it did not disappoint. Acre upon acre of botanical specimens is enough to entertain for hours, with beautiful vistas, striking architectural features and follies, not to mention the hot-houses. The canopy walk-way (which is not recommended to vertigo sufferers!) offers fantastic views across the grounds of Kew, and towards the heart of London.
At every turn there was something of educational benefit, with plaques and sculptures, and the new Evolution House, tracing the origin of plants from simple single celled photosynthetic bacteria and algae through ferns to higher flowering plants. Sir Joseph Banks, who has a conservatory named in his honour in Lincoln, contributed a great deal the collection, but any influence of his in the hot-houses was, in my opinion, overshadowed by the magnificent heritage trees (which did a good job of overshadowing a lot of things literally as well!). Trees who's life span makes us mere humans seem insignificant. Trees with personality, history, and unique stories to tell. Trees which made me feel small in more ways than one.

Second on the agenda was the Natural History Museum, a place which I have visited on many occasions in the past, but which always offers something new. Unfortunately we were greeted by a sign informing us the "The dinosaurs are on holiday" due to regular cleaning and maintenance. No matter - we still had barely enough time in the day to fit everything in. By the time we had covered the minerals and meteorites we barely had time left to find the Kirk's Dik-dik (which belongs to the antelope family, but is only a few centimetres tall) in the mammal hall, next to larger relatives including the skeleton of a blue whale, before closing time.

The next day took us to the Science Museum, formerly part of the Victoria and Albert Museum (which we, sadly, didn't have time to visit). The exhibits on early medicine, and the developments of accurate time-keeping were a real revelation. To have seen a pocket watch made and used in the early 1600's is a thing of wonder indeed. Then there was the kids area... One word... CHAOS! There were so many cool, hands-on gadgets and gizmos that I felt like joining in with the general jostling, and pushing small children out of the way (as the bigger children were quite merrily doing) to have a look, but grown-up-ness got the better of me, and instead we retired to a nearby pub for a spot of lunch before beginning the afternoon assault. The afternoon brought us a 3D experience of flying with the Red Arrows display team (actually 4D if you include the moving seats!), who are close to my heart, as they are based just outside my home city of Lincoln. We also saw the Apollo 10 Command module, and most impressive of all, from a personal level, but very mediocre on a 'visual impact' level was the original Watson & Crick model of the DNA double helix... Their original, with their handwriting on it! What an amazing and wonderful end to the scientific wanderings around the sights of London!

Getting Old and Resorting to Books!

Ok, so I just spent over an hour trying to find suitable resources for a lesson on ageing and its associated changes in metabolic rate, hormones (including menopause in women, and loss of reproductive capacity) and increases in onset of diseases such as Alzheimers and Cancers, and there appear to be no decent web sites for teaching on such subjects. Maybe this is a gap in the market? There are lots of sites about ageing aimed at people concerned about their own health as they advance in years, but none aimed at educating younger people on the subject.
In the end, I have resorted to the 'old-school' tactic of providing my own library for the lesson, so that my students can do their research from books. Many of us still remember these antiquated  means of conveying information by writing or printing words onto pages (that would be paper pages, rather than web-pages).
Luckily I have a whole room full of books upstairs, and have provided a decent selection containing relevant information, and have also thrown in a few random ones, which won't help the students with their research task, but may well provide a talking point pertinent to the wider subject (Human Biology) and hopefully peak their interest in reading.
The world wide web is a marvellous resource, but nothing compares to the smell and feel of a book!

The End of the Term is Nigh!

Well, here we go again... July approaches, and once again the academic year draws to a close.
This will be the first time in three years that I get the luxury of six weeks 'off work', but this time round I don't have the luxury of knowing that I am still being paid, so will be even busier that usual with my various writing projects, and with sorting out the web site in preparation for a full-on publicity assault in September. The hope is to catch schools early enough that they haven't allocated all of their budget, so may be willing to spend some money on high quality Science enrichment activities!
I only have a week to go with my teaching commitments at the college, as the final GCSE Science exam is this Friday, and all of the BTEC assignments have to be handed in on Friday too. I'm already down to one session a week at the school as they've switched to next year's timetable already, although I will be working there until the very, very end of term (with the exception of a week when I will be away in London visiting various museums and parks, which I hope will inspire me to write some new articles and lesson plans, and provide me with some fantastic photos).
The freelance challenge really comes into play now - do I see problems or solutions? Solutions always! Remember folks - "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate!"

Money... The root of all evil?

Well, money may be an evil, but these days it is certainly a necessary one, so I was mighty pleased to see that my missing £50 is now safely nestling in my bank account!
I have also received assurances from the school that they will sort out the pay issues there, and, being the optimist that I am, I'm looking forward to 4 months worth of pay at the end of July.
My writing still seems to have ground to a halt. I'm not sure whether it's just time commitments (I have a lot of other stuff going on at the moment) or just a lack of inspiration. Once exam season is out of the way I'll make a concerted effort to get back to churning out lesson plans and cool science at home ideas to share with the world, but at the moment the focus has to be on trying to get my students the grades they deserve, and calming the pre-exam nerves. It's amazing that even my mature students get really twitchy before an exam! That said, a couple of them came to see me after the first of their 3 GCSE modular exams, and said that it hadn't been anywhere near as awful as they'd thought. Confidence is half the battle when it comes to exam prep, and I think that's what the focus will be on over the next week or two - The keys to exam success:

• Know your stuff
• Be confident that you know your stuff
• Write the stuff you know clearly
• DON'T PANIC!

And most importantly:

• RTBQ - Read The Bloody (or Blooming, if you prefer) Question!!!!

Good luck to all Science examinees out there!

Better progress?

My mood has been somewhat improved by the sunnier disposition of the weather, and by a positive development since my last post.
My query about the missing £50 has now been dealt with swiftly and efficiently by the replacement to the lady I was originally in contact with. Many thanks to Georgina, the new 'lovely lady', who has not only sorted out my payment, but has also assured me that she will be in touch later in the summer to call upon my science lesson plan writing services again.
The website issues still remain, but on the up-side, I have a whole summer work-free to teach myself web design and HTML!

Slow Progress....

OK, so I knew that there would be ups and downs with the whole freelance idea. However, after a brief spurt of activity, much optimism, and a feeling of finally moving forward at something of a pace, things seem to have ground to a halt!
I'm not one to be easily beaten, so I won't let these minor problems hinder me in the long term, but there are a few aspects of my freelancing adventure which I feel are worthy of mention at this juncture...

• I am still awaiting any form of payment from one of the schools I have been working at since February (on the up side, I am now due 4 pay cheques at least as a combined lump sum..... sometime.... soon???...).
• I have not been paid the promised £50 for one of my freelance writing jobs within the stated 21 working days, and on calling the company concerned was told that the person I had been dealing with no longer worked there.
• The website I was so excited about is still nowhere near being in a state which can be used to advertise Dr D's as a professional business.
• The summer holidays are rapidly approaching, at which point, all employment within schools and colleges vanishes for six weeks.

My intention with 'Wandering Scientist' was to share the successes and failures of my freelancing adventure, and the past few weeks seem to have been on somewhat of a down-turn, but I hope that others will take note of my cautionary tales, and learn from my experiences - the morals of my stories being: 

• GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING! 
• FOLLOW UP ON ALL LATE INVOICES!
• Plan for holiday time so that you have the funds available to enjoy the down-time!

Happy science-ing!

Exciting Times!!

Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks!
My market research was incredibly helpful, with a lot of positive feedback, and a few real gems of information as to what schools in different areas and circumstances want and need. Many, many thanks to the Head Teachers and Science Co-ordinators involved!
The upshot of this, is that we are 'good to go' with marketing my freelance science activity days as a bona-fide business. As a result, the Dr D's website is now under construction, and should go live within the next few days..... Further info to follow!

Back to the Grind Stone....

Well, much as I hate to say "I told me so", my worst fears were confirmed today. I arrived early for my class to check the practical equipment, only to discover that (obviously!) most of it was missing. The class were, needless to say, not best pleased. Time is short before the end of the academic year, and I totally understand the fact the they were more than a little p***ed off! We should have been investigating the action of amylase on starch under different temperature conditions, but had no amylase. I briefly considered getting them to 'gob' into their test tubes, but modern Health and Safety regulations would have considered that a massive no-no! There must be no bodily fluids involved EVER!!!!
On the up side, my sheep skull  had its first outing today, and went down a storm in the AS-level Human Biology lesson about the origins of farming. One of my students has named it 'Jorvic', but the more well-read among the group were going for Yorick. I was very impressed when one of them actually quoted "I knew him, Horatio" rather than the bandied about "I knew him well" version. Who says that scientists can't appreciate literature!?
Anyway, my writing mojo has returned after the Easter break, and I have another 2 articles available on Suite 101, and tomorrow I have my first meeting with a prospective customer!
This is going to be a good week folks!!

Easter break coming to an end...

Well, the Easter break was less productive than I'd hoped, but my commissioned lesson plan was accepted without the need for any revisions, and  I have sent an invoice for my fee.
I'm a little apprehensive about going back to work on Tuesday, as I have to deliver a practical lesson, which somebody else has organised, and ordered the equipment for, but appears to have considered it unnecessary to actually e-mail me to let me know the specifics of what I'm meant to be teaching! Oh well, I'll get there early in the hopes of at least a bit of a heads-up, and then just wing it!
I also have an appointment next week for a MARKETING OPPORTUNITY!!!! Oh, yes, things are looking up on the Dr D's Science Days front. Fingers crossed that the feedback is at least slightly positive.... I'll keep you posted!

The Writing Frenzy Continues...

Well, I have written and sent off my first commissioned piece of work. Hopefully it will be good enough for them to pay me. Personally, I think it's a work of genius, but I suppose the client is always right? How wrong could I be though, with a lesson plan that includes making monsters.... That has to be cool (for the kids definitely, but the intention is that they learn by accident, so the teachers should be happy too!).
I've also been busy writing another article about one of my favourite series of books: The Darwin Awards. Please check out the links within the article. This series, and the website, are fantastic! For teaching evolution, you cannot get more relevant than this!

More Writing than Science-ing during the Easter Break

Besides having had a busy few weeks on the teaching front, I have been trying to pick up the pace with my writing, and am hoping to get a lot more done over the next 2 weeks while the schools and colleges are closed for Easter break.
One brilliant piece of good fortune on the writing front is that my article providing a plenary idea has attracted some attention, which has led to the offer of some bona-fide paid writing work. I've just done the first draft and, as usual, will be re-reading my efforts tomorrow to check that I haven't included any clangers!
The marketing plan is slow going! I have two appointments with schools booked in, but neither could spare me any time before the holidays. Why do teachers have to be so busy all the time?? (Don't answer that.... I know... I've been there!)

World Meteorological Day

I only found out this morning that today is World Meteorological Day.... A happy coincidence, as I had some free time yesterday while sitting in silence watching a group of A-Level students doing an assessment (I find it really awkward not being able to interact with the students!) to ponder my next writing venture, and decided that a rather cool activity using a ping-pong ball and a bottle of water to make a barometer was a good basis for an article that I should share with the world.
The advertising is not going so well as, besides writing the above, I spent most of the day cleaning the kitchen. Maybe I should write an article, or design an activity day, based on the science behind the properties of common household cleaning products!

The Return From Boston

So, National Science and Engineering Week is over, and my time in Boston is at an end.
After much organising and re-organising, the days seemed to go pretty well, and I think the majority of the kids got something out of their days with me doing cool sciencey stuff relating to gravity and the Solar System. It's a real shame that this week's episode of Wonders of the Universe wasn't available to show the kids the clip with Brian Cox experiencing the gravitational effects that would be found on Neptune and Jupiter!
Further good news from the past week is that my on-line writing career seems to be picking up a bit, with my timely article Explaining Earthquakes to Children having attracted a fair amount of interest (and actually coming up on the first page of the relevant Google search).
The coming week should be a lot quieter, with just the usual bits of part-time teaching to contend with.
One of the down sides of being a part-timer seems to be that I am out of the loop in terms of planning. I seem to be expected to turn up and teach quality lessons without any information about what stage the students have got to. While I am a great believer in 'going with the flow' it doesn't really help in a professional capacity!
Also on the agenda for this week is a concerted effort at getting my advertising materials ready to go for my Freelance science activity days. The mission at hand (should I choose to accept it) is FIND CUSTOMERS!!

National Science and Engineering Week

This is an auspicious time of the year for all of us science geeks..... Yes, once again, the annual frivolity of National Science and Engineering Week is upon us!

For a wandering scientist, this opens up a range of new and exciting possibilities.

For me, it has provided the opportunity to spend 2 days in Boston with 75 small children!

We will be exploring the Solar System from the safety of the school Hall, and investigating Gravity through cool experiments such as this one: science-ing in the pub