Howdy and Happy Thanksgiving Week for all! This week we all benefit from my trip down Atlanta way last week to take in the NAEYC's annual conference. That's the National Association for the Education of Young Children, by the way. I attended the conference in my role as Lower School Technology Coordinator for University School of Nashville, my "main gig," as it were. I've been teaching K-4 computer skills for nearly 8 years now, and I did a fun presentation for those folks on my favorite little-kid website, UpToTen.com. Long story short: I spent several hours Saturday manfully wandering up and down aisle after aisle of the mammoth exhibitor hall (we're talking 20,000 teachers here, ya'll) and toward the end of the experience came upon a large booth area where things seemed 'way more active than in other portions of the hall. Steve Spangler, guru of Steve Spangler Science, was holding forth about one of his products, "insta-snow," and demonstrating it to an enraptured throng. I joined said throng (see pic from Steve's blog at http://stevespanglerscience.com). I'm glad I did, because my subsequent research into this man and his company has led me to the information that he's an Emmy winner and a tireless proselytizer for the wonders of science, not to mention a vast resource for teachers at any level of instruction to use for spicing up instruction. Steve got hung up in Thanksgiving airport traffic and we postponed our scheduled interview, but I'm scrambling to nab some wonderful audio from his website videos, created in partnership with Denver's News9. We'll do that interview soon, but in the meanwhile listen up as Steve and News9 anchors Mark Koebrich and Kim Christiansen goof around with gases in the episode "How Gases Change Your Voice." Also in this episode, hear some fabulous hammered-dulcimer music from Jamie Janover and Michael Maisley at Magnatune.com, and pick up some very edgy GrooveRock from the Amazing Sensationals at the Podsafe Music Network. As if that's not enough, groove on the tip for using Google to access your Internet bookmarks from any machine! I'm tellin' ya, it's EVERYTHING today! Download the show here, or click the Podcast Pickle link at the top of the page to listen from this very page! Additional link: Steve Spangler's great blog post about NAEYC! Here's a quick pan of the NAEYC Exhibitor Hall:

and a quick video snapshot of Steve Spangler demonstration "insta-snow":

This week it's a celebration of Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory's new "Star Chamber," a "land sculpture" work created by renowned artist Chris Drury and volunteers. Wow! What an amazing thing! We have an article from the Vanderbilt Register, audio from the online movie clip "The Making of the Star Chamber," a brief chat with Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory Supervisor Rocky Alvey, and new independent music for you from Jamie Janover and Michael Masley at magnatune.com, along with a little sweeper-ender by the Podsafe Music Network's Rory. Download the show here or click on the Podcast Pickle player at top to listen! Cheers to one and all, and "see ya" next show! Scott P.S., My apologies for the missed week. Computer and Life issues, but most are resolved quite well! Links: Article in the Vanderbilt Register by Erin G. Edwards VUCast video by Rocky Alvey Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory magnatune.com