Carmelo Piazza and his wife, Karen, own and run the Brooklyn Preschool of Science, or more accurately, the Brooklyn Preschools of Science since they have three locations. Carmelo, a former Science Teacher, founded the schools as a way to use his love and hands on teaching methods to holistically educate preschoolers. Using science as a base, they teach math, art, language skills and much more in an exciting and fun way that truly engages kids in science at a very young age.
Episode Notes
Carmelo is naturally fun and engaging and his love for science, teaching and kids comes clearly through in our conversation. At this young preschool age, kids have no notion of gender stereotypes which allows Carmelo, his wife, and staff of educators to just teach and to engage kids in a love for science regardless of their gender. They just teach and use science as its base.
Carmelo shares how he went from teaching science in the public school system, to starting his own preschools, his goals and dreams for the future of taking his program national and being a thought leader in this type of education. His curriculum and teaching methods are so engaging and inspirational, they make me want to go back to pre-school! Carmelo has a YouTube Channel, a children's book of science experiments using household items, and has appeared on many TV shows, podcasts, and other media. He even has a moniker of "Carmelo the Science Fellow".
Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio
Acronyms, Definitions, and Fact Check
Brooklyn Preschool of Science: https://brooklynpreschoolofscience.com
Carmelo the Science Fellow YouTube Channel: http://carmelothesciencefellow.com/videos/
Crazy for Science with Carmelo the Science Fellow, by Carmelo Piazza : https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Science-Carmelo-Fellow/dp/1576876829/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Carmelo+the+science+fellow+book&qid=1634601117&sr=8-1
Inquiry-based learning is more than asking a student what he or she wants to know. It’s about triggering curiosity. And activating a student’s curiosity is, I would argue, a far more important and complex goal than mere information delivery. (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-inquiry-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron)
Pedagogy, most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. (Wikipedia)
Murdering Hornets (not murdering wasps): https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/what-you-need-to-know-about-murder-hornets
Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolicinsects, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Larvae typically measure about 2.5 cm or more, whereas adults are generally between 1.25 and 1.8 cm in length. (Wikipedia)
The Madagascar hissing cockroach, also known as the hissing cockroach or simply hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 5 to 7.5 centimetres at maturity. They are native to the island of Madagascar, which is off the African mainland, where they are commonly found in rotting logs. (Wikipedia)
The water bug is a bug that looks like a cockroach, but isn’t technically part of the roach family. A true water bug is an aquatic insect that lives in the water. Waterbugs hold their breath for a long time without resurfacing. The one cockroach that is commonly referred to as a water bug is the Oriental cockroach. Because they frequent pipes and plumbing, they are commonly called a waterbug. (https://www.myheronhome.com)