The Best of Our Knowledge on WAMC

Vampires, deadly spiders, lethal lasers, out-of-control asteroids...who knew that math could be so perilous.  Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we’ll talk to the author of “The Book Of Perfectly Perilous Math”...and find out how students are learning math while saving the world..or not.

Growing up with Dyslexia is no fun at all.  Growing up with Dyslexia and never being diagnosed and getting the proper educational help...that can make school a nightmare. Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we’ll meet Sonya Bridges...a teacher who grew up in that situation and is now reaching out to help others.

In a world of constant stimulation and multi-media availability...it’s not often that a children’s book stands out...but that’s what the people at National Geographic set out to do with a collection of stories, songs and activities called The Classic Treasury of Childhood Wonders.     Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, we’ll talk to the book’s author.

Astronomers have discovered the darkest known exoplanet - a distant, Jupiter-sized gas giant known as TrES-2b. Their measurements show that TrES-2b reflects less than one percent of the sunlight falling on it, making it blacker than coal or any planet or moon in our solar system.  And the most amazing thing about this discovery is that, apparently, you can find one too if you know where to look.
       
Today on The Best Of Our Knowledge, our astrobiology series takes us hundreds of light years away, beyond our galaxy...right in our back yard.

Albany, NY – THE ROLE OF COMIC BOOKS IN THE CLASSROOM
Part One: TOON Books Breaking Ground -

Whether it's part of the education reform movement, or just a natural progression in education curriculum, comic books appear to be in broader use in American classrooms. Some teachers see them as another option for learning. Some academic scholars are interested for the education research possibilities.

Albany, NY – GENDER ED: EDUCATING YOUNG WOMEN TO BE LEADERS IN SCIENCE AND EDUCATION -

Women's History Month is celebrating its 30th anniversary. And this year, its theme is Writing Women Back into History. That theme was chosen because, though women are often recognized in their own times, women are frequently left out of history books.

Albany, NY –
"TECHGIRLZ USES HANDS-ON STEM ACTIVITIES TO ENGAGE YOUNG GIRLS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD-OF-HEARING"

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH IN DISABILITIES EDUCATION SERIES

"ACCESS TO ADVANCEMENT: AN AUDIO EXPLORATION OF THE NATIONAL EFFORT TO INCREASE THE ROLE OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS" -

Albany, NY – "GUIDING TEENS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: NAVIGATING THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO ADULTHOOD" -

Adolescence is a pivotal time of transition in the lives of all young people. But for millions of teens with learning disabilities, LD, and for their parents, the term "transition" has added meaning.

Albany, NY – "THE SHORT BUS: A JOURNEY BEYOND NORMAL"
Part One: The Beginnings -

Labeled severely dyslexic and ADHD in grade school, Jonathan Mooney dropped out of school temporarily during the sixth grade. Yet, he went on to graduate from Brown University with honors, in English no less.

His most recent book, "The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal", provides a voice for all those who have been deemed "abnormal."

Albany, NY – HOWARD ZINN, REMEMBERED -

Howard Zinn was an American historian, author, activist, playwright, and professor of political science at Boston University from 1964 to 1988. He wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential, A People's History of the United States. He passed away just a few weeks ago at age 87.