THE SCIENCE GURU SPEAKS AT NORTH SHORE HIGH SCHOOL
by Shelly Newman
January 6, 2014 -- In December, students and faculty got a special treat when YouTube legend, Paul Andersen, was the exclusive guest speaker at North Shore High School. Mr. Anderson has been a teacher for over 19 years and was the 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year. He was also one of 4 finalists for National Teacher of the Year and met President Obama in the Oval Office. Mr. Andersen has made TED talks and is also the creator of the Bozeman science videos. Known as the “Science Guru”, Mr. Andersen has helped science students around the globe with his videos on many topics including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, just to name few! In a crowded high school library, Mr. Andersen’s inspirational presentation was titled, Lessons of a Lifetime. He charismatically spoke about the teachers who changed his life and quoted singer/songwriter James Taylor who wrote, The Secret of Life is Enjoying the Passage of Time. He said, “What is really important is that you be the best student(s) you can be. And, learn how to learn before you go to college.” Mr. Andersen further explained topics including the widely used mnemonic called the Memory Palace or place(s) in your mind where you can store information that you need to remember. In addition, he suggested that there are similar skills between “gaming” and “learning” since both require practice and the ability to get better and better (perseverance) to go up a level (to succeed). To conclude, Mr. Andersen gave tips on how to study and prepare for the upcoming A.P. exams including buying the study guides or respectiveCliff Notes early as well as not just memorizing the facts but thinking about the “big ideas.” In addition, he encouraged students to ask a lot of questions. Plus, come up and take “selfies” or photographs with him! Later that afternoon, Mr. Andersen met with faculty members to discuss educational advances in technology (i.e., iPads). Thank you to high school teachers, Mrs. Cunningham and Mr. Menchel, for bringing this wonderful learning opportunity to the faculty and students. In addition, many thanks to Mr. Paul Andersen for being the special guest speaker at North Shore High School and for inspiring all those who attended his educational presentations. Photo caption Article and photos by Shelly Newman Pictured are North Shore High School students with YouTube legend, Paul Andersen. Mr. Anderson has been a teacher for over 19 years and was the 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year. Known as the “Science Guru”, Mr. Andersen has helped science students around the globe with his videos on many topics including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, just to name few! |