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Less Physics Mo Problems

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Why am I writing this personal entry? Well, it is not an attempt to gain any sympathy. It attempts to show what is possible if a clear intention and goal serve the learner's needs.  In May of 2022 just near the end of another fantastic school year, I do not remember what happened. But, I was unable to finish the school year and was unable to teach the following year.  Why? On May 21st, 2022, I fell down a flight of 16 stairs (luckily carpeted) from the 2nd to 1st story of our home.  I was found at the bottom of the stairs. I was found foaming at the mouth. This would lead to a 2-month hospital stay which included an induced coma because my seizures would not stop, several rounds of lumbar punctures, and relearning basic physical movements like something as simple as being able to roll in the hospital bed. Simply put, when I was admitted to the hospital, I was diagnosed as being “critically ill.” Please take a moment and read those words: critically ill. They are not terms that are
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Next on the Slate? Your Choice.

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I'm proud to be representing Brookfield Central High School and Elmbrook Schools today at School Leaders Advancing Technology in Education (SLATE) Conference.  This is my first year attending, so it's an honor to be able to present as well.


The focus of the presentation is on student choice in assessment.  By that, I mean choice in how a student will demonstrate mastery of standards (both content and non-content specific).  The presentation focuses on the why, what, and how of allowing choice.  It is my belief that before we can have any discussion of what the choices will or should be, educators need a firm rationale for the importance of choice or why it is needed in their classroom.  The next step is to determine the what.  The "what" in our case are the standards students should be meeting.  Only then are we prepared to discuss the how.  This concrete definition of mastery is especially important if a lot of the choice in "how" will be left up to the students and their specific learning preferences.  Below you'll find the presentation I'll be a part of today.




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