The National Science Foundation (NSF) and NBC Learn, the educational arm of NBC News, recently released five new videos in the Science Behind The News series. Science Behind The News is a relatively new, fast-paced video series supported by NSF that explores the science, technology, engineering and mathematics behind current events. Each video features at least one interview with an NSF-funded scientist or researcher. The five new videos highlight work funded by NSF's Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The scope of scientific and educational activity supported in the directorate is enormous, ranging from phenomena at cosmological distances, to environmental science on the...      Read more...

I came across a few things recently that I thought I would share with the SB&F community. The first is a new Pew report of a survey of teachers on the impact of the internet on their teaching. "A survey of teachers who instruct American middle and secondary school students finds that digital technologies have become central to their teaching and professionalization. At the same time, the internet, mobile phones, and social media have brought new challenges to teachers, and they report striking differences in access to the latest digital technologies between lower and higher income students and school districts." Read more. Also wanted to let you know that Science NetLinks has debuted...      Read more...

By Rebecca Widiss and Jessica Stoller-Conrad "If you build it, they will come." Years ago, so the story goes, novice farmer named Ray Kinsella heard a voice urging him to build a baseball field in the middle of Iowa. Somehow Ray knew "they will come" referred to the baseball players he'd loved as a child. Crazy though it seemed, he built the field. And as his heroes played, they brought Ray's community together to share baseball's magic. Starting a blog is a similar act of faith. You must believe that if you build it, two things will come: ideas worth sharing and people to share them with. You know it's a bit crazy, but something still urges you on. And so...      Read more...

This is the first of a series of blog posts in which I will share my recommendations for holiday gifts for readers of all ages, beginning with children's science picture books. This year's SB&F Prize finalists are on the list, as are some of my personal favorites from among the books we reviewed this year. I limited my selection in each category to 10 picks. To see more choices, please visit our Amazon astore. 1. Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies; illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino. (A young girl shares her observations about the mallards near her house in an engaging, informative full color story sure to make a splash with duck lovers.) 2. The Beetle Book , written and illustrated by Steve...      Read more...

With more than 20 schools in New York City unable to reopen and dozens of schools in New Jersey still closed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced that it will donate one million books to schools and libraries in the hardest-hit areas of the tri-state region. To help in the recovery efforts with support for the educators, families and students who have suffered losses, Scholastic is accepting book grant requests at www.scholastic.com/bookgrants and will provide new books and resources that will help get tens of thousands of students reading and learning again, despite severely challenging circumstances...      Read more...

Firefly: Browncoats Unite . the highly-anticipated special chronicling the cult science fiction series premieres Sunday, November 11 at 10 PM (ET/PT) on the Science Channel. The All-Day Firefly event begins with a full series marathon at 7 AM (ET/PT). Firefly: Browncoats Unite , the special, will air at 10 PM (ET/PT) and will reunite Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion and the entire renegade crew of the Serenity for the first time ever to provide the complete oral history on the franchise that continues to explode in popularity - despite meeting its end a decade ago. The 60-minute special includes secrets from the set, exclusive cast interviews, and footage from this year's colossal Comic-Con panel...      Read more...

Racine, Wis. Elementary Students Read Their Way to $100,000 School Library Makeover (via PR Newswire ) RACINE, Wis., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, students, teachers and friends of Wadewitz Elementary School are celebrating the grand opening of the Wadewitz Reads Dream Big Library -- their modernized library -- which students earned by securing first place in the Racine Reads: Dream Big! program…      Read more...