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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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Standards Presentations Using Flipgrid

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Summative assessment can be a bit tricky in distance learning when relying on traditional pencil and paper test. One of the assessment options I have allowed students to use in the past was an evidence presentation in which they created a 1 on 1 presentation demonstrating their mastery of the unit standards by presenting artifacts from the unit.

 I'm trying something similar with my students as we wrap up our momentum unit. This unit was done completely via distance learning. We had several different activities and I made sure that students had opportunities to cover our main 4 science skill outcomes as they related to momentum.

  1. I can plan and carry out investigations
  2. I can analyze and interpret data
  3. I can use mathematics and computational thinking
  4. I can construct explanations
The goal for the summative assessment is for them to provide evidence for each of these 4 outcomes. I didn't want the technology to be the barrier. So, I choose Flipgrid which is a very simple to use video creation and submission platform that my students have an easy time with.


For each of the 4 standards, I created a topic. I gave them a brief overview of what was expected in the prompt. For the focus, I used Screencastify to record the workflow for creating the Flipgrid video and explaining the prompt in more depth. In addition, I posted one example submission video to the grid for them to watch. The topic itself is moderated. This means that the videos posted by students will not be able to be viewed by other classmates.


Some of the tools that I am looking for them to use (and modeled in the focus video) are loading images, adding text, drawing, and using the Flipgrid smartphone app to record writing on a piece of paper. For those who cannot respond verbally, they can use the text option in Flipgrid to construct their response.

I created a simple rubric for feedback within Flipgrid.


Eventually, these videos will be added into their portfolios as unit evidence. I'm excited to see what they students submit. I'll be sure to share how it went.


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