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...
As we move to skills based standards, many times a traditional test may not be adequate to demonstrate mastery of all standards. Over the past few years, we have been implementing a new state of science standards which incorporate both skills and content. These new state standards were designed with the Next Generation Science Standards as a guide. In our physics course we are targeting 4 different science skills. Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations and designing solutions Students are asked to apply each of these practices to specific pieces of content knowledge, Disciplinary Core Ideas. In physics, these are Force and Interactions Energy Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation At the end of a unit, we still have summative assessments that include tests. But this semester, I’m attempting to build in a better understanding of these different practices. So, I am alterin...