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Let Flexibility Lead To Alignment

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  In my previous school district, I was the only teacher teaching a physics course with set, district-wide learning outcomes. These same outcomes were also taught in physics classrooms at the other high school in our district. But at our school, I was one of the 2 physics teachers. The other teacher taught the AP-level physics courses. So, in many ways, I had opportunities to incorporate strategies I believed were best for learners and that I found worked best for them without being seen as out of alignment with anyone in our building. My amazing friend and one of my teaching philosophy goddesses, Katie Novak, stated the following misconception about alignment: All teachers must deliver instruction in the exact same way. True alignment, she says, is about shared goals, rigor, and outcomes. Thank you, Katie! Katie has taught me to truly believe that learner variability is the rule, not the exception. I encourage you to take 10 minutes to listen to Katie Novak explain it in the ...
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The Simple WHY of Personalized Learning

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Everyone needs motivation to push a little further. There needs to be a reason to make that effort. There needs to be a “why”.
At the completion of an instructional unit, I ask my students 3 questions:
  1. What helped you learn
  2. What didn't help you learn
  3. What's one thing I should try to improve your learning
At the end of the current term, I asked those questions again. The results were clear. My students have diametrically opposed needs which is the WHY of personalized learning.  Based on these results, I need to personalize even more.

Helped Me Learn Didn’t Help Me Learn

  • Canvas problems
  • The canvas problems.

  • Flexibility of the class, as well as interactive presentations. 
  • I didn't like the somewhat flexible due dates because they make it difficult for me to be motivated to finish my work.

  • The canvas quizzes allowed me to learn on my own
  • I did not learn as well when we had to learn individually.

  • The group projects helped me the most.  Not only was it more engaging, but it also helped teach me more about the application of physics in the real world.
  • Group projects.

  • The notes in class (with a printed copy) really helped me. I liked how you went through everything in the notes and explained it in a way that was easy to understand.
  • Lecture Style Notes

  • The different test options so I could choose the best way for me to show my learning.

  • the multiple different methods of learning and the multiple opportunities to obtain the material

The other big takeaways were that students loved both Pear Deck and Kahoot.  They are both large group interactive pieces of web based software.  They allow students to process knowledge in real time with peers.  I will continue to find more ways to incorporate these into my classroom.  As for the things they recommended I should try, that will need to be a part of my action plan for next term.  Also, no one liked the course hardcover AP textbook.  I will continue to find and incorporate more online learning resources into Canvas to help.


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  1. David JefferyJune 14, 2019 at 12:43 AM

    Good post in Learning Software.Its really helpful for me, awaiting for more new post. Keep Blogging!..

    Adaptive Personalized Learning

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