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
I was lucky enough to see Dave Burgess speak today. It was amazing. I’ve read Teach Like a Pirate but the presentation I was able to be a part of what speaks to one of his many messages. It's not just what's on the page. It's how we bring it to life! This is just a quick reflection. Content and standards are raw. They can be presented to learners, but that doesn’t mean they will be edible or nourishing. They won’t be coming back for more. In fact, they may take a bite and spit it out. They may even have a violent reaction to it. This summer, I’ve been working to design curricular units aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. I’ve been feeling great about my work. Until I started to hear Dave speak and realize how much I hadn’t thought about before I think about moving forward. Have I preheated? I can’t just put the lesson out there unless the stage is set. Have the students been primed to l