We all need a little levity in these trying times, and since we're largely sequestered to our homes, viral videos have become temporary saviors of our sanity. Since the pandemic started, we've seen talking dogs and dancing dads and time traveling comedians lift our spirits and make us laugh.
But these Dadosaur videos we're about to show you? Oh my goodness. They're so outrageously silly. So over-the-top ridiculous. And yet they are just so endearing and hilarious at the same time.
TikTok user @olivemannella is the daughter of Frank, who instantaneously transforms into a screeching, destructive dinosaur any time one of his kids says the word "Dadosaur." And he GOES for it, much to the delight of his children—and the dismay of his wife.
Joey C. Miller shared a few of the videos on Facebook, and they've been shared 500,000 times in two days. Just watch:
@olivemannella No Karen's were harmed in the making of this video. the saga continues 🦖 @frankiemannella @clmannella @elliemannella ##keepingbusy ##dadosaur ##fyp
♬ original sound - olivemannella
Despite Mom's earnest protests, you know this is one of the reasons she married the guy in the first place. Any man who can have this much fun and make this much of a mess of himself just to make his kids laugh is a keeper.
Keep bringing the silliness, Dadosaur. And if you want to follow for more dad fun, head over to @olivemannella's page on TikTok.
From Your Site ArticlesKids are losing interest in STEM subjects between ages 11 and 15. Here's what that means for future innovation.
Photo courtesy of UScellularKids on a field trip learn from Sania Naseem, Senior RF Planning Engineer at UScellular.
Imagine being a 12-year-old girl in a small town who’s interested in computers. You’ve learned a bit of programming online, but you don’t know anyone who works in the tech field and your school district doesn’t have the kinds of classes you need to explore further.
How likely would you be to keep and pursue that interest?
Since the internet changed everyone’s lives in the 1990s, there’s been a push for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Universal reliance on technology has made STEM careers not just desirable but vital, and the speed at which those fields are moving means we need young people to stay interested in them.
Research indicates that we’ve largely succeeded in reaching kids when they’re young—children demonstrate a deep fascination with STEM subjects up to age 11. But something shifts during adolescence. Past age 11, interest in STEM starts to wane, often dissipating by age 15.
The question is why.
To get to the bottom of this STEM age/interest gap mystery, wireless carrier UScellular partnered with developmental psychologist and researcher Richard Rende, Ph.D. Through a state-of-the-art analysis of the research, Dr. Rende helped uncover the barriers that prevent youth—particularly girls and those living in rural communities—from maintaining and nurturing their interest in STEM.
Students taking a STEM field tripPhoto courtesy of UScellular
Dr. Rende found that keeping kids from losing STEM interest as they become teens requires programs that are equitable, relatable, relevant and supportive.
Here’s what those four drivers look like in practice:
- Bringing STEM programs to rural areas that don’t have access to advanced courses or school-based curriculum
- Countering the notion that STEM isn’t for everyone and offering buffers for when kids are confronted with stereotypes or biases
- Exposing girls to women in STEM professions who share similar backgrounds in smaller and rural communities
- Having STEM professionals share their experiences growing up so youth don’t see them as “superheroes” doing something unattainable
- Programs and field trips that demonstrate how STEM is applied, especially in ways that connect to the local environment or technology kids already use
- Incorporating kids’ voices to help guide the elements of a program
- Provide supportive mentorship, especially when projects become more complicated and require emotion regulation and resilience
- Teach cognitive skills that will help kids believe they have the capacity to succeed in STEM subjects
Kids learning about cell towers from Cheryl Dennard, Senior Manager of Core Services Engineering at UScellularPhoto courtesy of UScellular
To test out his findings before sharing them with the world, Dr. Rende worked with UScellular’s non-profit partner, YWCA, which has an after-school and summer program called TechGYRLS, designed to inspire girls in grades 3 to 8 to consider future careers in STEM fields. Together they created a refreshed STEM program guide incorporating Dr. Rende’s research and worked with focus groups at various YWCA locations to get feedback.
“What we see to date is that programming and mentoring to ‘train’ kids to be STEM people is not always enough to sustain and encourage interest during the transition to adolescence, especially for underserved youth,” says Dr. Rende. “We need to help them see the opportunities in STEM that spark their curiosity and gain belief that they can confidently explore all the possibilities available to them in STEM, including those that go beyond the traditional STEM careers like mathematician or scientist. It could be a vet, a nurse, wireless network engineer, arborist, audio engineer, turf scientist, or mechanical engineer and may not be a career that requires years and years of higher education.”
After-school enrichment programs like YWCA’s TechGYRLS can be found in communities all over the country, and parents, guardians and teachers can help the kids in their communities by identifying similar programs and encouraging them to participate. If teachers or youth-focused non-profits want to create their own STEM program, Dr. Rende’s whitepaper can help inform their approach and design to keep kids interested.
UScellular and YWCA are working on a digital version of the program guide to increase access for even more youth and help educators improve their STEM programming. Longer term, the perceptions and attitudes of the TechGYRLS participants will be measured to evaluate if the current decline in STEM interest is being reduced or averted. Advancing innovation requires people who pursue careers in STEM fields, so the more interest we can spark and sustain in young people, the brighter our future will look.
Learn more about how UScellular is supporting STEM education here.
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