Brain-Powered Science: Teaching and Learning with Discrepant Events

This thorough and thought-provoking text includes more than 200 up-to-date internet resources, as well as extensions to each of the physical science, biology, and chemistry activities.

Dr. Thomas O’ Brien’ s 33 years in science education began in K– 12 schools,where he taught general, environmental, and physical sciences and highschool chemistry. For the past 23 years, he has directed the preservice andinservice graduate-level science teacher– education programs of the Schoolof Education at Binghamton University (State University of New York[SUNY]). His master’ s-level courses include Philosophical and TheoreticalFoundations of Science Teaching, Curriculum and Teaching in Science,and Elementary Science Content and Methods. He also supervises the student teaching practica. In addition, he teaches a cross-listed doctoral/postmaster’ s educational leadership course.Concurrent with and subsequent to earning a master’ s degree and doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction/Science Education at the Universityof Maryland– College Park, Dr. O’ Brien served as a curriculum development specialist and Teacher’ s Guide editor on the first edition of theAmerican Chemical Society’ s Chemistry in the Community (1988) textbookand as the coauthor of the New York Science, Technology & Society EducationProject Teacher Guide (1996).As a science teacher professional development specialist, he has cotaught more than 25 summer institutes, including national programs of theInstitute for Chemical Education and state and regional programs funded bygrants from the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes MedicalInstitute, and the New York State Education Department, among others.He has received awards for excellence in teaching and/or service from theAmerican Chemical Society (for National Chemistry Week programs), theNew York State Association of Teacher Educators, the SUNY chancellor,and the New York State Science Education Leadership Association. Thesegrants and awards are a reflection of collaborations with university-basedcolleagues and what he has learned with and from the large number ofK– 12 teachers he has had the privilege to serve. The Brain-Powered Sciencebook series owes a debt of gratitude to these friends and funding agenciesfor the insights and opportunities they offered the author.

Dr. Thomas O’Brien’s 33 years in science education began in K–12 schools,where he taught general, environmental, and physical sciences and highschool chemistry. For the past 23 years, he has directed the preservice andinservice graduate-level science teacher–education programs of the Schoolof Education at Binghamton University (State University of New York[SUNY]). His master’s-level courses include Philosophical and TheoreticalFoundations of Science Teaching, Curriculum and Teaching in Science,and Elementary Science Content and Methods. He also supervises the student teaching practica. In addition, he teaches a cross-listed doctoral/postmaster’s educational leadership course.Concurrent with and subsequent to earning a master’s degree and doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction/Science Education at the Universityof Maryland–College Park, Dr. O’Brien served as a curriculum development specialist and Teacher’s Guide editor on the first edition of theAmerican Chemical Society’s Chemistry in the Community (1988) textbookand as the coauthor of the New York Science, Technology & Society EducationProject Teacher Guide (1996).As a science teacher professional development specialist, he has cotaught more than 25 summer institutes, including national programs of theInstitute for Chemical Education and state and regional programs funded bygrants from the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes MedicalInstitute, and the New York State Education Department, among others.He has received awards for excellence in teaching and/or service from theAmerican Chemical Society (for National Chemistry Week programs), theNew York State Association of Teacher Educators, the SUNY chancellor,and the New York State Science Education Leadership Association. Thesegrants and awards are a reflection of collaborations with university-basedcolleagues and what he has learned with and from the large number ofK–12 teachers he has had the privilege to serve. The Brain-Powered Sciencebook series owes a debt of gratitude to these friends and funding agenciesfor the insights and opportunities they offered the author.