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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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Class Portfolios 2020

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As I reflect on the past school year, I just wanted to share out a couple of the final class portfolios my students made using Google Sites to share out and document the current iteration. Although this semester was altered by the COVID-19 Pandemic, students were still able to complete the portfolio process. 

Physics Portfolio

The Portfolio created by my physics students has several key pages
  • Home
  • Passions
  • Learner Profile
  • Unit Pages
But I think it would be best if we just let Morgan introduce her portfolio.

Passion Page

On the passion page, students describe themselves in 4 different categories with the help of YouTube videos they embed.
  1. Hope & Dreams
  2. Favorites in Media
  3. Hobbies
  4. What I Like to Make
Click the Image to Access Morgan's Passions Page


Learner Profile

The learner page consists of 2 major elements.
  1. The Learner Profile developed by Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey in which learners apply a UDL Lens to identify their strengths, challenges and preferences as a learner. This is completed in the first days of the class and is updated during the course
  2. At the end of the course, students identify 3 strengths as a learner and provide evidence to back it up.
Click the Image to Access Morgan's Learner Profile Page


Unit Pages

At the end of each unit, students provide evidence of mastery for 4 different Next Generation Science Practices for work completed within the unit. In the page below, Morgan has embedded evidence from her Google Drive. This process is super easy in Google Sites.
Click the Image to Access Morgan's Motion Unit Page


AP Physics Portfolio

We revisit the portfolio in Physics at the end of each unit. In AP Physics, the portfolio is worked on at the end of each term (we are on the block schedule so each term is a quarter). Much of the portfolio is the same in terms of the Passions and Learner Profile Pages. But rather than unit pages, students set up science standards pages based on AP Science Practices. Students provide a piece of evidence related to each practice at the end of each term. 
Below, Vera will explain her portfolio.


Click the Image to Access Vera's Portfolio

The videos you watched above were created by students using Flipgrid which works very nicely with Google Sites. As Google Sites continues to add new functionality, the ability for students to customize and make truly beautiful portfolios continues to grow. I look forward to what the summer will bring and what our next iteration will look like. 
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