Mo Physics Mo Problems

Exam time seems to be all about quantitative data.  Teachers are determining how many points students have, percentages are being translated into letter grades, quarter grades and final exams are being weighted and combined to determine that all important final percentage which will determine that final letter grade.  That letter will give us some idea of how well the learner mastered the course outcomes.  In addition, students are using online grade calculators to determine the minimum level they need to perform at in order  to earn the grade they desire.  Yes, final exam time is about arguing for the grade you deserve, but I feel that there is room for more. I always feel that final exam time should be just as much about reflection on learning as it is about expression of learning. It is in that spirit that I am hoping to shift the focus of what goes in student portfolios in my courses. I currently ask students to do some reflection, but it seems minimal at best.  Over the

Book reports, do teachers still use them?  When I remember doing book reports in school, they were focused mostly on a simple plot summary.  I imagine teachers who do them today have students be more reflective in their reporting. I read three different books over this spring break.  Two were fiction All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders and The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell.  The other book I read was T apping the Power of Personalized Learning by Dr. James Rickabaugh . For this report out I’m focusing on Dr. Rickabaugh’s book. The subtitle of the book is A Roadmap for School Leaders.  A teacher looking at that subtitle may not see herself as a school leader, but this is not a narrow definition of the word “leader” educators may have become accustomed to.   In this case, leaders are those looking to institute change.  Educators are leaders.  Everyday we guide students through activities/lessons we played some role in designing.   Don’t think of this book as som

I’ve been on the journey to bring personalized learning to my classroom for 3 years now. It seems that every time I think I’ve taken a big step forward, I look and see that in the grand scheme of bringing true voice/choice/agency to my students, I’m still add drops to a big bucket.  That’s not meant to be a cynical statement. It’s meant to see how much room I have to grow.  In an attempt to try to take another small leap forward, I tried something different with my current unit in AP Physics.  This might seems like personalization 101, but it was a big leap for me in terms of demand and supply. The unit I’m focusing on is Electromagnetic Induction.  Without getting into the physics of it, it is easily the most difficult concept for students to grasp in all of AP Physics.  This is the topic that students have shown the most difficulty with on the AP test.  In fact, it is the free response question which tends to be the lowest scoring on the entire exam.  Many students in

I was privileged to be on Epiphany Learning's i am Me. podcast this month.  Check out their great podcast and start from the first episodes, the first 3 are my favorite. I don't like the sound of my voice, but if you have the time the support of a listen would be great. The staff at Epiphany Learning and Laura Henderson do a great job with the podcast. Also, any feedback would be great too. Episode 023: Helping students find their best way to learn, with Mike Mohammad. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Mike Mohammad was born and raised in Sheboygan, WI. He attended UW Madison where he received his degree in Secondary Education in Broadfield Science and Biology with additional certifications in chemistry and physics.

I posted about this before, but it's so good it needs to be done more. So you want to get a snapshot of your learners without collecting 100 different forms. Also, you want to illustrate to students that they are different and give them the "why" of personalization. Here's how to learn the range of your class quickly while still getting quality data. Thanks to Andelee Espinosa with the brilliant post-it note hack. 10 minutes 6 post its per student white board Set up whiteboard into a table Strength Challenge Access (how to get) Engage (how to express) Express (how to show) Students fill 1 strength and 1 challenge for each category Here are some starters for students to think about. Access (How you get information) Engage (How you Work) Express (How you show) Reading Listening Words Pictures Videos Paper Computer Copy of notes Taking my own notes Collaboration Leading

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: What helped you learn What didn't help you learn 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

At the end of my physics course, there are fundamental content understandings and science skills students need to have about the physical world.  That is why they are taking physics. In addition, though,  I want them to have a better understanding of who they are as learners.  As a part of my journey towards making learning more personal, I am trying to recognize that students have different preferred learning environments.  I want students to be able to explore different modes of learning and learn about how they learn.  To that end, I have had students work on creating a personal learning preference document. As I try to implement more project based learning into my classroom, I realized that having my students create and share a personal learning profile may be the most beneficial and authentic project for them.  Let me try to frame it in terms of the essential design elements of PBL: Challenging Problem or Question The driving question for this project could

Meanwhile, a teacher begins her lesson by presenting the learning outcome ... Teacher : Today’s learning objective is " I can drive from the capitol building in Madison to Miller Park in Milwaukee in time for the game tonight ." Student 1: Why are we starting in Madison? We all live in different places? Teacher: Ok. Let’s go with, " I can drive to Miller Park in Milwaukee in time for the game tonight ." Student 2: I don’t like baseball, why do I have to get to Miller Park? Teacher: That’s true, how about I give you some choice in where you go. I can drive to a major landmark in Milwaukee in time for the game tonight . Student 2: If I’m not going to the game why do I have to get there in time for the game? Teacher: That’s true, how about I give you some choice in where you go. I can drive to a major landmark in Milwaukee in 12 hours . Student 2: Where did you come up with 12 hours?  Seems kind of random.

Yes, JJ Abrams latest movie is Star Wars VII . But, I'm thinking of these scene in his version of Star Trek. About the future meeting the past. Almost three years ago, I was asked to describe my preferred learning environment.  As we enter 2016, 3 years have passed since I wrote this proposal.  Looking back on the proposal, I'm still amazed at the support that I was given from all of my administration. I was even more encouraged by my students' willingness to change and their enthusiasm to try new ideas and run with them. How would you answer the following questions if they were laid before you Describe your preferred future environment? What formative (short-term, less than 6 months) and summative (long-term, year-end, 2 years out) data can be used to demonstrate the impact of your preferred future? How can you leverage initiatives currently underway (e.g. literacy, Art & Science of Teaching, etc) to better align your preferred future with the wor