Gearing up for 1 more mile

WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE?

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE?

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?

  Just got back from chem ed 2015.  Friday morning I went for a run in the hot, humid, atlanta weather.  I was debating as I was getting closer to the hotel...do I go for 1 more mile and push myself a bit?

     Kelly Ramey from Tennessee showed me how she does modeling on a budget.  The assessment she gives provides drawings and then asks for a description and then she provides a description and says show me the drawing.

    I was thrilled to talk to the vernier people.  Graphical analysis is now a free chrome app.  once you input the data, just click and drag and it will provide the equation and statistics of the line.

     Erica posthumas adams had some great stuff on modeling.  I learned how to do gas laws but then to do a grid.  The top row has the variables.  the first column has "I" ( initial), "F" (final) and "E" (effect).  Kids see the relationships on multiple levels and looks like an "ice" table for gas laws.  She talked about "for every statement".  Instead of saying "1.8 g per milliter" it is always 1.8 grams for every one milliliter.  In "what makes an atom stick" students use electricity to see if water breaks down, if compounds and elements conduct in different situations.  If that is the case, whatever makes atoms stick must have something to do with electricity.  It is also a really cool way to tell if when you do the copper II chloride and Al reaction, what the "red" stuff is.  If it conducts, it might be a metal, if not, it could be a compound????

     Bob Worley showed some amazing ways to do microscale chemistry that I had never seen before.

     Above all else, Project TIMU came to a close.  We all did 15 minute presentations.  It was standing room only.  The reception was overwhelming positive.

     So the question is....as I am running Friday morning and during the year...do I go the extra mile?

     Absolutely.....