Education and Inspiration through the ancient art of storytelling!
December 10, 2008
Dear Brian,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your fine presentation at our recent Colorado Science Conference November 20-21 in Denver at the Merchandise Mart.
First of all, when I met you I was so pleasantly surprised by your down-to-earth friendliness. From the time we did the sound check until the end of the conference you were just so easy to work with. Your phone call confirming everything the week before was a wonderful assurance. You were willing to stay in the convenient hotel which was not the top of the line, but definitely handy for our conference.
Your actual presentation for our Award Banquet was professional and well done in every way. I heard many wonderful comments on how great you were. I loved how you went into “character” and stayed there. Your knowledge of your character was vast and you were able to answer questions as if you were actually Charles Darwin. I really believed you!
Your willingness to present at a session the next day was great for those who could not attend Thursday evening. Also you spent a lot of time at your booth talking with teachers. I think the teachers appreciated that. I highly recommend you for your presentation and hope that you will be able to return to Colorado again. It sounds like the biology committee planning NABT next year were impressed.
Sincerely,
Elnore Grow
Colorado Science Conference
December 2, 2008
To Brian "Fox" Ellis:
The Illinois Science Teachers Association wishes to thank you for your excellent presentations as Charles Darwin at our annual conference November 13-14, 2008. We particularly appreciated your adaptability to making different presentations at three different times and your willingness to have photos taken with science teachers for our Illinois--2009 Year of Science promotion. Your use of period dress, accent, and props provided Charles Darwin with a fresh and enthusiastic image.
Your creativity as well as the historical and scientific accuracy of your presentations were reflected in the evaluations done by conference participants. They rated you very highly for your sessions, and several stated you were the best feature of this conference.
I found the interchanges among the teachers, you, and the other scientist-actors were excellent and wish we would have recorded all of these presentations for their intelligence, wit, historic facts, and great presentation skills.
We look forward to having you at the ISTA conference again and I will strongly recommend you to other science teacher organizations.
Harry Hendrickson
Executive Director
Illinois Science Teachers Associaton
Dr. Marshall Berman
Founding President, Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education
5408 Vista Sandia, NE, Albuquerque New Mexico 87111
June 24, 2008
Dear Mr. Ellis (Brian), I was extremely pleased by your stage performance of the young Darwin and his voyage on the Beagle. Your material, acting, stage presence, and knowledge of Darwin himself were outstanding. It was one of the best monologue performances I have ever seen. Furthermore, your responses in the Q and A afterwards demonstrated an extensive knowledge of Darwin, evolution, and indeed science itself.
Thank you so much for this wonderful experience.
Sincerely,
Dr. Marshall Berman
Past President, CESE
Past President, New Mexico Academy of Science
Past Vice President, New Mexico State Board of Education
Retired technical manager, Sandia National Laboratories
September 2, 2008
Dear Brian,
Many thanks for adding so much life to our National Convention! They loved you. You were just what we needed at the end of the 4 day event. I think the Youth Convention thought you were terrific, but I KNOW the adults thought you were fabulous. You got them to participate. Congratulations! Best for the rest of 2008. I know you will bring a smile to many more faces before the year is out. I know you did for me.
Sincerely,
Cathleen S Berger
The Izaak Walton League of America
St. Paul, MN
