Mo Physics Mo Problems

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 helpe...

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 que...

As a part of my Edutopia reading practice, I came upon the following post: Mid-Year Reflection: Setting PD Goals by Monica Burns In the post, she recommends a process of  Looking back on the year so far and acknowledge all you have done  Determining areas your like to grow Draft a plan to accomplish those goals Hold yourself accountable to these goals So, I'm taking some time today to look at steps 1 and 2 as I reflect on the first half of this school year. Changes in Learning and Assessment Started the year with new collaborative seating arrangement. Students completed a Personal Learning Preference sheet on the first day of class and revisited it during the course Unlike last year, I began AP Physics by giving students options for demonstrating mastery from unit 1. As the year went on I transformed the student portfolio into a vehicle to submit course artifacts for grading rather than simply a place for reflection. I set up my online g...

As we come to the close of term 2 in the block, my current students are ending their time with me.  Although I like to get feedback through the entire course, the end of the course provides a great time for reflection.   The first piece of reflection I’m having my students do this week is related to technology.   As more teachers in our district use Canvas LMS, it's important that we get advice on how to best use it from experts. Students use Canvas in my course virtually everyday so I consider them experts. So why not listen to advice from those who use it the most and whose opinion matters most. Summarizing the advice 1) Model how Canvas will be used in your classroom. 2) Use the c alendar to help students keep track of assignments and test dates. 3) Upload worksheets and answer keys. 4) Keep all your uploaded files organized. 5) Consider using online document submission. 6) If you're going to use a Canvas feature, find a way to use i...

I haven't fallen back on my 2 - 20 min. commitment, but might feel like I might try to come up with a new way of reflecting on articles I read next week. Make Learning Last: How Diverse Learners Can Process Their Understanding Differentiated instruction considers approaches to content process products As teachers work through content, they need to provide opportunities for students to process instruction.  It doesn't take time away from instruction.  It is essential to instruction.  There are many ways for processing. Silent Reflection Journaling Partner Conversations Quick Surveys such as Kahoot, Poll Everywhere, Google Forms Recognizing and Overcoming False Growth Mindset "A growth mindset is the belief that you can develop your talents and abilities through hard work, good strategies, and help from others. It stands in opposition to a fixed mindset, which is the belief that talents and abilities are unalterable traits, ones that can...