As we march inexorably toward the first days of a new school year, many of us are faced with searching out ideas for school assemblies and shows to bolster the curriculum while providing a welcome break from class time for students and teachers alike. Moreover, in these days of rising costs and shrinking budgets, field trips are more and more a rapidly fading memory for many schools. So the search is on for the best possible use of what limited funds remain in order to provide students with the best bang for the buck.

Sometimes I try to teach something to my kids. You ever try that? They get that weird look on their face that kind of looks like they just inhaled a terrible smell. More often than not, since they have gotten older, I barely get out more than a few words before they realize my intent is that they might learn something, and then “wham!” they are either gone from the room, or changing the subject.

I don’t know if you are like me or not, but I have come to absolutely love an occasional cup of coffee from Starbucks or one of the multitude of competing coffee purveyors that have sprung up just about everywhere in the last decade. Judging by the success of these little boutique beverage joints, I am not in any way alone. Seems like you can throw a stick these days and hit three or four caffeine concoctors without even trying.

About a million years ago, when I was a kid, I heard a song on the radio. I liked it immediately and so I made my Mom buy me a copy on a 45 (that alone betrays my ancient condition, right?).

Scientists have known for years that the climate of our planet fluctuates from time to time, growing warmer in some periods and colder in others. Sometimes change occurs slowly, and other times fairly rapidly.

Wow! I just read an article I found fascinating! In China they are working on a chemical treatment for clothing. Why is that interesting? Because this treatment would allow clothing to be “cleaned” by simply hanging in the sun. Cool, huh?

STEM stands for The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics coalition. If you are still ignorant of in regard to this organization let me try to help out.

2012 is shaping up to be a truly great year for science assembly programs! The pioneer in this field, Mobile Ed already leads the pack with 12 different awesome school shows covering the science fields of  Astronomy, Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science and Natural Science.  We already announced that two of those programs - Chemistry! It Really Matters! and Forces and Motion will be starting out the 2012-2013 school year completely refreshed and renewed with exciting new props, experiments and an awesome new performer. Now we have news for you of a super cool totally new science assembly program joining our team for 2012.

Many years ago, back in the murky primordial days of school assemblies, when Mobile Ed Productions and a few others first began introducing schools to the joy of school science assemblies, it was quite a breakthrough concept. Used to magic shows and clowns and rope twirlers, schools readily embraced the new idea that a school assembly could be more than just an entertaining diversion. And, in truth, many of the school shows available back then were good shows (though a lot were not!), but they were just entertaining. They did little at all to advance the educational goals of schools.