"Beth’s unique method of teaching science is one of the most brain-compatible approaches I’ve seen. Not only is it fun and engaging, it’s substantive. Beth has taken what we know about how the student’s brain learns best and married it with rigorous content. Kudos, Beth, for your vision, passion and hard work! " What a gift you are to the profession of education and the students of the world. Never lose your passion and never doubt your impact on the world.” --Dr. Robert Marzano “Keep up the good work!” –Bill Nye the Science Guy “Your songs are great! There’s really a lack of music-based education. You’ve found a great niche. –Jennifer Morton, Nye Outreach Coordinator “She’s like the ‘Jewel’ of Science. This music is great even if you don’t like science! Beth has a great voice.”--Randy Miller KBEQ-104 FM, Kansas City, MO “Imagine being able to get your kids to learn science just like they learn songs off the radio!”--Maria Antonia, KMBC-TV, Channel 9, Kansas City, MO “These are great songs, and Cook has a great voice…’Beth’s Rock Collection’ is a gem, a CD that kids, parents and teachers can all enjoy. It would make great listening on a summer road trip.” – Kate Hunter, Kansas City Star Magazine “I think it’s fantastic what you’re doing…reaching out to kids is so important these days. I love the music”. –Ken Dillon, Station Manager KLRQ-96 FM, Clinton, MO “…her work must be effective because it invites study. Her ideas are clever and accurate. In fact, I recently borrowed from her ideas in the plate tectonic song, “Isn’t it Ironic?” while lecturing at another university. I think her songs are great - they are not just great music to listen to, but they make you ponder about the wonders of science. No, it's not just for elementary school. Her songs resonate on many levels.—Terry Plank, Associate Professor of Earth Science, Boston University “Your CD is great! I am very impressed with the lyrics, music, production values and your fantastic vocal talent. One notable feature is your depth of writing. Inventive teachers at all levels can use the songs in many different ways and for many different activities. The entire package is first-rate all around. I have no doubt that creative and committed science teachers will want to have your “Rock Collection” in their classroom as one of their special tools to motivate and educate kids. You should be very proud of this CD. I hope you are already working on the next one. --Michael Offutt –Master Chemistry, Physics Teacher, songwriter / Barrington High School, Barrington, IL “All but one of our students scored in the 99 th percentile on the Texas State Test because of your plate tectonic song! We’re believers!” -- Kelly Shand and Maggi Cahill, Wimberley, TX “I absolutely love every song! We used the ‘One Earth’ song as the culminating event in our annual ‘Earth Day Live’ program to a packed house. Two 7th grade girls choreographed the chorus and it was a beautiful experience for us.” –Shelly Heath, Chapel Hill, NC middle school teacher “ Your songs have been a great motivator for my students. They ask when they can sing during the course of the class. I have found that they loosen me up and give me a chance to just laugh and smile in a relaxing atmosphere with my kids. I told them that if they get really good, we can go over the intercom and sing for the school. Look out world!” --Terri Herbert, middle school teacher, San Antonio, TX “Not only is the music excellent but the lyrics are packed full of scientific concepts that are central to students’ understanding of science. As classroom teachers on our own and now as consultants for other classroom teachers, we have not seen anything else out there that matches what Beth has produced. The songs are catchy, fun, and “in”. We need music like Beth’s in our classrooms to help us turn more kids on to science. --Lorri Sapp and Diane Lasco / Missouri STARR (Select Teachers as Regional Resources) Teacher Project “ I have taken your CD to work and people (all with science backgrounds) are impressed. I am glad to see a teacher take the time to find a way to get kids interested in a hard subject and bringing down into something they can relate to. My five-year-old has the Dinosaur song down pat! --Tammy Pond, qualitative chemist, Allied Signal Corporation “I finally have some “real” music that is useful and “cool” to support the science Hyperstudio projects we produce in my classroom. --Vanous Brown—Apple Distinguished Educator, Murray, KY “ Beth’s Rock Collection is an incredible learning tool that engages students in a style of learning that they know best. What a great way for teachers who are NOT musically-inclined to grab student attention and allow their students to learn in a fun and factual way.” Betty Beal – Blue Springs 1997-98 Teacher of the Year” “I know whenever I hear her songs it’ll spark a light that’ll remind me of the corresponding lesson. Plus, it always starts my toe tapping and puts a smile on my face!”-- Megan, 8th grade student “Ms. Cook makes it fun by teaching us a new song each time we start a unit. We sing the song repeatedly until the printed words are no longer needed. Everyone has the song stuck in their head and is singing it in the locker room, the hall and even at sports practices! The song is stuck in your head, just like a popular song off the radio; there’s no stopping it. When test day rolls around and the tests are given out, you can hear the mumbling of lyrics and humming of the song. No matter how you resist learning a particular unit, you still know all the information –all because of the catchy song stuck in your head.” Becky—9th grade student “Most people would say that couldn’t possibly work. But I’ve learned more than I ever thought possible. For some strange reason, it actually works.” --Megan 8th grade student “I have never seen or heard of teaching students with songs until Ms. Cook. We are able to learn and have fun at the same time and I guess that’s what makes it so special”. --Jimmie 8th grade student “Her songs inspire me. I love to sing them! I love science for the first time.”-- Sarah, 8th grade student “I never liked science until 8 th grade. I’m still singing the songs and now science is my major field of study!” –Lyndsey 12 th grade “Your influence on my daughter has been profound. She has never loved school so much and she often talks about how the year is passing too quickly. One song I heard you sing touched me in particular, “Maybe the Answer’s In Me.” I see now that my daughter’s considerable admiration for you is not misplaced.” -- Julie H., parent of 8th grader “I know I haven’t talked to you since 8 th grade but I wanted to let you know that I still think about you and your songs all the time! I am graduating with an Elementary Education degree from the University of Missouri Columbia and I talk about your teaching methods all the time in my classes. I have sung many songs for my science methods classes including How Much is a Million, Isn’t It Ironic and A Better Way Called S. I. School has been really fun but I can’t wait to start making an impact on my students the way you make an impact on me. Thanks for all the time you dedicate to learning and I hope that I can be as amazing as you someday.” ---Leslie R., senior education major “I have only been in America for two years, so my English is not very good. But, I take Ms. Cook-Vernon’s music home, listen to it and look up the meanings in my dictionary, and it makes sense to me. I love music.” --Liu X. 8 th grader “I teach in a school where 98% of my students have Spanish as their primary language. Visuals, Manuals and Music are great tools for these types of students that are just grasping the language. Your songs and PowerPoints are great because they can see most of the song’s words in the presentation. It allows me to introduce the topic (with so much information and advanced vocabulary) in a non-threatening way, in an inviting and relaxing way. They love it! Once they become familiar with the song, they start singing it. This gives them a feeling of accomplishment not only in science, but in learning the English language. My principals give me compliments for using music as one of my tools, but I always give you the credit. I have bought other science music before, but it doesn’t come close to the quality of yours (I’m NOT kidding!). You have a gift.--Guadelupe Rowley, science teacher, CA “Oh my gosh! This is the best CD ever. Volume II is so special because it has the potential to help many, many students.” --Maura Z., 8 th grade history teacher “It is a truly amazing endeavor to capture the range of ideas, feelings and concepts you have on this CD. But even more compelling were the songs about self esteem and calming your mind...supporting children while simultaneously letting them go into the world. Wow, it was just incredible to hear all that captured in music and lyrics. You have a truly great soul and are a wonderful talent.” –Mary Hastings, Senior Associate University of Southern Maine
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