Welcome to Dr. Skateboard’s Web Site
Often, students will ask a teacher in class, “What is the point of this?” or “Why are we doing this anyway?” In other words, they want to know exactly how what they are learning will apply to their everyday lives. At times, for students, what they learn in a classroom is seemingly disconnected from what they do.
Concepts in school are often taught quite traditionally, and done in an almost clinical manner, something that is isolated to a specific circumstance within a classroom. In cases such as these, the tools and the content are often seen as disconnected from the experiences of students. There is a real need to explore connections of content in settings that are both authentic and relatable for students.
This is what I have set out to do through Dr. Skateboard’s Web Site, to make science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) real to students and to make learning relatable, and for me, skateboarding is a great way in which to do that.
Who is Dr. Skateboard?
Dr. Skateboard is Bill Robertson, Ph.D., an educator for more than 20 years and has taught at the middle school, high school, and university levels. His academic areas of expertise are in science education, curriculum development, and technology integration for K–12.
Dr. Bill Robertson is no ordinary guy and his identity as Dr. Skateboard comes from his expertise in the fields of education and skateboarding. Always one to combine education with athletic achievement, Bill has received a Ph.D. in Multicultural Teacher and Childhood Education. He also has accumulated undergraduate degrees in History, Spanish and Zoology, as well as a Master's degree in Education.
Bill has been a high school and middle school teacher too. He is an accomplished professional announcer, performer, presenter and teacher. A skateboarder for over 35 years, Bill has entertained 1000's of spectators at schools, special events and festivals throughout the United States.
Action Science: Relevant Teaching and Active Learning - Book Out Now!
Also available is Dr. Skateboard's Action Science which incorporates a four part video series and an accompanying curriculum guide of twenty classroom activities that focus on concepts in physical science that integrate action sports, including skateboarding and bicycle motocross (BMX).
Action Science: Relevant Teaching and Active Learning is now available from Corwin Publishing. It targets Middle School science teachers looking to teach physical science content through the methodology of constructivism. It also contains links to great BMX and skateboarding photos, videos accessed by QR codes and 8 activities to do in the classroom, in addition to the framework for teaching and learning. It is also available for sale through Amazon.com, Corwin.com and eBooks.com.
Blast Beyond! Children's TV show with Dr. Skateboard
Blast Beyond! makes learning fun for everyone, it is a great format for linking education and entertainment or what we call edutainment. The unique setting, the engaging host, the live band and the crew (some of which are puppets) make for a show that has impact on students learning. Combine that with educational experts from across El Paso, and you have a recipe for student success as well as an enjoyable learning experience.
Enjoy these episodes with Dr. Skateboard and more are available on Dr. Skateboard's YouTube Channel.
