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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...
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Building Relationships with Flipgrid #IMMOOC

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This will be my third year in which my physics students will be collaborating with an elementary school classroom. It is always a great experience but we’ve found a way to make this connection even better with technology. This year we are collaborating with Katie Spadoni’s 4th graders from Dixon Elementary School a mile from our high school. In the past, collaboration days involved school buses and permission slips.  Now we can innovate collaboration days into collaboration moments via Flipgrid.  
I’ve heard a lot about Flipgrid this summer. I began experimenting with it earlier this school year. But this week I feel like I’ve discovered the power within.
Our first collaboration moment was introductions.  These would usually be face to face on the day.  But using Flipgrid, my students were able to post an introduction and the 4th graders in Katie’s classroom were able to respond in kind.  We could see faces and hear voices.  



Today on our visit, our students collaborated on creating videos highlighting failed inventions. We were then able to post them on Flipgrid for all to view and respond to our creations.

I look forward to continuing with this collaboration on possibly a weekly basis rather that the monthly or quarterly collaborations we used to do. I’ve got some ideas brewing in my head for what we can share
  • Question of the week or success of the week?
  • Explain results of a lab we do in class
  • Explain science principles
  • Record a demonstration and explain

It’ll be a great way to share our learning with an audience outside of our classroom.

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