Happy International Year of Chemistry! 1-1-11 marks the start of a year-long focus on the “achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind”, with the theme “Chemistry—our life, our future”.
The American Chemical Society has launched an online tool to help us learn more about these achievements and contributions. “365: Chemistry for Life” […]

At the recent American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting in Boston, I spent an evening on the exhibit show floor. Walking the floor at an ACS meeting always leaves me a little bit wanting, as my current stage in life and employment does not require the purchase of cutting-edge instrumentation, specialty glassware, or textbooks. However, […]

A recently reported psychological research study by scientists at Indiana University shows that if we think our students cannot do something because they are female or because they belong to a minority group, that alone is enough to reduce their learning significantly. It has been known for some time that negative stereotypes affect adversely performance […]

How many of you have had students use the ideas of others inappropriately? Plagiarism has become easier on the Web and many people are not aware of what proper behavior is. A nice collection of online tools for detecting plagiarism is available at http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-teaching/plagiarism#q. These will be useful if you have made clear to students […]

from Erica K. Jacobsen, JCE High School Editor
We had the opportunity to see an acquaintance’s baby a few weeks after he was born. A couple months later, we ran into the family again, and it was a shock to see how large he had grown in that time. It reminded me of the years when […]

from Erica K. Jacobsen, JCE High School Editor
“The only constant is change” sprang to mind while reading
the draft version of the January 2010 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education (JCE). Wi-fi connection at the ready, I turned to the Internet for information about its originator. (It was apparently a popular activity this month; see […]

from Laura Slocum, JCE High School Associate Editor
Recently, I have spent many hours working with seven students as they develop their own demonstrations and hands-on activities focusing on elements—the theme of this year’s National Chemistry Week (NCW)—“Chemistry—It’s Elemental!” What a special privilege this has been for me. My love of chemistry and my desire to […]

from Erica K. Jacobsen, JCE High School Editor
Ever experience the phenomenon that occurs once you’re interested in or working on a particular topic? Suddenly, all sorts of examples related to that topic pop up unexpectedly in your everyday life. The examples may have even been there all the time, but you didn’t really notice them. […]

from Erica K. Jacobsen, JCE High School Editor
Spending time looking for lost items can be a major pasttime. Keys, purse, and sunglasses can often go missing. In our house, you might hear phrases like, “Mom, I can’t find the sunscreen.” “Where’s my swimsuit?” “I don’t see the hamburgers anywhere in the refrigerator.” Inevitably, one just […]

from Erica K. Jacobsen, JCE High School Editor
I’m a fairly casual blog follower. There are only a few links of that sort in my Web browser’s bookmarks bar, all maintained by geographically distant friends. When I have a few minutes of downtime and the laptop is running, I’ll “drop in” for a quick update on […]