Some times...you need to just keep going...

WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE?

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE?

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?

     I was going to compare this year to running the last few miles of a marathon.  However considering what has happened in Boston, I am sure anyone who experienced that truly horrific event would have much rather been in a class teaching kids.  My heart and prayers go out to them.  Having run a marathon, all I could do is cry when I heard the news.

     So how do we put one foot in front of another when we just feel like tossing in the towel.  I am not sure I have wisdom in this area.  The only thing that works for me is to try and take risks and have fun.  Sometimes it works and sometimes you get burned.

     We were doing Lewis dot structures.  It was a  beautiful day outside.  I was going to have the kids go to stations and put answers on dry erase boards.  I stole an idea from Mike Geyer who in turn stole this from twitter.  I bought some sidewalk chalk and we went outside and put the  answers on the sidewalk.  The kids liked it and I made sure to go around and check the answers.  Some got more out if it than others...kind of like throwing spaghetti on a fridge...some sticks and some does not.  I had some great questions and one or two goof balls.  At least it was worth a try.  Some days we just need to remind ourselves to keep moving forward when we get overwhelmed with everything else.  Here is the key.  Lewis Dot Structure Key.

     Remember to pray for Boston....

The Role of Misconceptions in science...especially when it happens to a teacher...

WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE?

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE?

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?

     I am in the Target Inquiry Program at Miami University.   It is one of the most comprehensive RET experiences that exists.  We ( a cohort of 12 teachers) are taking a class on modern research methods.  We will then spend the summer working with a scientist.  Our goal is to do research this summer, write an abstract and present at a conference.  Next, we will then spend next year doing the same thing but with educational research and finally do an action research project in our classrooms.

     We are now learning to take complicated technical articles from science journal and word for word translate them in a way that an undergraduate can understand.  It is hard but fascinating.  I will be doing Raman spectroscopy this summer.  I have spent the last two weeks reading reams of papers on Raman spectroscopy.  I was so proud of myself because I felt like I was working the research process (thanks "google scholar") and getting the basic ideas. You can imagine how I felt when I got to class and found out that one of my basic ideas that I felt I was sure about was....completely wrong.  I couldn't believe how I was able to think that I understood so much and could explain so much with a wrong idea.  It was kind of scary.  It was like the phrase, "believing is seeing".  I believed something so much I was seeing what I wanted to see.

     Here is the question...how often do our students do that and how important is it for us to uncover misconceptions?  Page Keeley has books about beginning formative assessment and uncovering misconceptions.  I have used them with great success and I think I will try to get back to using them.  Essentially, you provide examples of some science and answers that contain the truth and also contain common misconceptions.  It is interesting to take 5 minutes and find out what kids know or do not know from the start.

     In case you would like to know about Raman spectroscopy and hopefully take care of misconceptions, then check out my presentation.

Technology can be great when it work......

WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE?

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE?

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?

     So what is the evidence that students are learning????  I was doing the "mini posters" in both academic and in accelerated chemistry.  It is hard to describe the results because it was mostly anecdotal.  The discussions about hypothesis, data tables and conclusions seemed to me to be so much richer than in the past.  I wanted to continue this.  One problem I was having is that I was flying through file folders.  I decided to create a lab "template" on google docs.  I then "shared" a copy with the class that they could only "view".  They had to make a copy of it, rename it and "share" it with their partner.  This way they could both work on it anytime they wanted.

     The lab was about acid base properties.  It was a typical lab in which students go around checking household chemicals with litmus, pH paper and an indicator and they then have to tell if products are acidic, basic and the advantages and disadvantages of the methods.  I had them do the lab and record the data on paper.  We did not have the pH probes or goldenrod paper so I had them use pH paper.  On day two, I sent them the following link:  Further Information about this Lab

     I explained to them that even the best scientist in the world are often submit a paper to be published and are told, "Sorry...you have to prove your point 5 different ways."  The extra resources are the 5 different way.  Students then turned in a hard copy of the data and some questions and then submitted the electronic copy online.

     The cool part about this is that one of the best labs is from a kid who struggled last quarter.  For some reason he really "connected" with the online portion (or maybe it was connecting with his partner...) but he did an awesome job.  If I could only figure out a way to keep it going....check out his lab below

Student Lab