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!?
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Monday, 25 July 2011
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!
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!
Friday, 15 July 2011
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!
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!
Monday, 11 July 2011
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!
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!
Monday, 20 June 2011
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!
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!
Sunday, 19 June 2011
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!"
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!"
Monday, 6 June 2011
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:
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!
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