Sorry for the delay!

Hey... you two,

I know its been a while but I got married and that really take a lot of time away from me. Not to mention that I also stay busy with other school stuff. For instance this year I decided to be the Freshman sponsor and that I need to be in the chain gang and line judge for volleyball. So I am sure that there will be a lot of stories/activities that you might want to know. I will be also blogging on a lot of other issues.

Well I better get back to work.

Later everyone

Cool education tool

I came across this website through www.plurk.com

This is a website where you can make your own movies. I have created these for my students.

Link http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5700705

What do you think?

Show and Tell

I would like to have a show and tell. I like for you share what you do if your in education or possible give some tips on what I share. I will try to share education things that I do that maybe you can do at home or your school to teach children. So lets begin!

My first Show and tell is my aquaponics system that I have made with students. This project is a experiment that two students are doing to test growth of bacteria on plastic. Let me first explain aquaponics. It is a system in which you can raise fish and grow plants. This provides 2 food sources for people and is an alternative way to grow your own food. What happens is the fish in the system (goldfish for my students which we don't plan to eat) make nitrogen in a form we all know. This form of nitrogen is deadly for fish if it continues to build up so by also growing plants in a inert material you provide a way to rid of the nitrogen in the system. The nitrogen provided by the fish is unusable without bacteria breaking it down into another form for the plants. Here is the system I have created.

The three tubs are for fish, bacteria, and plants. The nest of white is plastic that bacteria grows on. and the tub with the four squares in a round disc is the plants. I have used regular PVC for the movement of water. I used 3 tee fittings 3 female couplers and 6 male couplers along with 12 o-rings to help seal the holes. I use an aerator for 2 things: 1. provide oxygen for the fish to live, and 2. movement of the water through the system. There is a straight pipe from the two t-fittings in the fish and bacteria tubs by putting the tube of the aerator in the tub with fish the air moved the water from one tub where it fills it up where it then goes to the next tub and does the same thing until it reaches the fish tub.

This last picture is of some chives that the students wanted to plant. The plants are growing rock wool that can be purchased on line for around $15 for a sheet of them. The white disc is Styrofoam that can be substituted with insulation.

So what ways can you modify this and make it better, or what do you do that is similar?

Inspiration Nation

I dedicate this blog to my fiance who has been blogging for sometime sharing ideas with others. I have learned from her and from other great teachers that, sharing and giving to everyone who ask will benefit those they interact with. This is what I hope this blog does. I plan to share things that I have learned through my life in education, hobbies, and my personal life. I hope that you can take away some ideas to use and to stay away from as I do make mistakes. Please feel free to comment and share ideas also but, please be respectful to everyone as one idea may be shared by many more.

Thank you,

Farmboy