On Friday, I was so pleased to be able to return to one of my favorite days of the year, High-Interest Day at Brookfield Elementary School. This is a day where I have been able to bring the concepts of physics to k-5 graders. You may be asking yourself, "Elementary students doing physics?" YES! Not just experimenting, but understanding the concepts behind the physics of electricity and sound. This is a very special day I have had the opportunity to be involved in since 2017. So, how are we able to bring the concepts of electricity and sound traditionally taught to high school 11th and 12th graders to the elementary level? There are a few keys 1) make it a hands-on experience 2) remove the mathematical calculations and make it practical. In the past, I had the luck of bringing a handful of my physics students with me to guide the elementary students through the concepts that they had learned over the course of the year. But in my new role as a Teaching and Learning Speciali
This post is part 2 of my constellation construction. Read part 1 here. Once I had a vision for my classroom , or the why for my classroom, the next step was to consider what it would look like in the classroom. The Institute calls these “learner look fors”. I have a vision, but what evidence would I look for from a the perspective of an outside observer. Students propose and engage in different forms of learning- modes, methods- based on their needs Students' interests and strengths drive their connection to the content Feedback drives next steps of learning and conferring is happening face to face and digitally The vision and look fors are things we are working towards. The next part of the “what” is what elements would be considered key parts achieving that vision in my classroom. After determining the “look fors”the next step is to find elements that align with the look fors. The honeycomb has many elements that are considered part of a learner c