I Can’t Believe You Said Yes… by Steve Spangler

When Amy called and asked if I would come back to the amazing Ohio Early Care and Education conference, I couldn’t believe it. What… the people in the front row didn’t get enough Diet Coke splashed all over their clothes the last time I was there? Maybe someone didn’t quite hear the kaboom or didn’t get hit in the head with a giant balloon. Or maybe… just maybe… the message worked and the early childhood professional in Ohio are ready for more. If that’s the case (okay, I already found out that it is) I’m so excited to get to keynote your conference.

Lots of things have happened since the I last visited your conference in 2007. Ellen DeGeneres got hooked on science and invited me to use her resources to share some larger scale demonstrations. If you missed what happened when we mixed 2,500 boxes of cornstarch with a garden hose in a hot tub, .

I discovered the police in Colorado also like to do science… and that’s good news because otherwise I’d be writing you from a small room with bars. Missed it? Check this out: 

Oh, and then there was that time last May when 7,000 kids showed up for the World’s Largest Physics Demonstration at Coors Field. The nice people at Guinness World Records awarded showed up and even had a plaque on hand for a new record.

But something far more meaningful happened over the last three years… I discovered the elements of science – wonder, discover and exploration – are universal truths no matter your age, your color or your background. Our children have a need to find out more about their world and how it works. Our children believe anything is possible… until we impose our boundaries on their dreams. And I learned that teachers need professional staff development, support and encouragement to keep hitting home run every day. As professional educators, we need experiences like the ones Ohio AEYC offers.

I can’t wait to see you this at the end of April. I have some new tricks up my sleeve… and few classics… and some ideas to make us all more effective leaders in education.

—Steve

P.S. I dare you to sit in the front row!