My students are starting a project this week that I am incredibly excited about. It’s a physics project where they identify a real-world problem and design a solution to it. I’ve done if for the past for years, it is so unbelievably cool, and I cannot wait for them to get started. Knowing this … Continue reading The Struggle is Real
All in How You Frame It
In a recent conversation in my room, we talked about the connections between the students' language arts class and science class. We were on the cusp of a major project that has communication as its main objective (a skill that is very important to acquire for scientists of all ages). We started with the why … Continue reading All in How You Frame It
Get Out of the Way
Today, I took a moment out of each of my classes to stop and look around the room. Everywhere, there was activity and discussion, invention and debate, as well as reflection and perseverance happening in droves. Heads were focused on their work, hands were pointing or gesturing in explanation, and exclamations of excitement were happening … Continue reading Get Out of the Way
Feedback FOR Learning
My students are starting to wrap up their first project of the school year, which is to create a model of a food web. They are doing some amazing work ... and I couldn't be happier with all they have accomplished so far. At this point in the process, we start peer reviewing to get … Continue reading Feedback FOR Learning
Be Together. Not the Same.
Ever looked at student work and thought it all looked the same? At some point last year, I remember flipping through something the students had worked on and thinking, "Man, that's interesting. These are all the same thing". I immediately went back and looked at the rubric. Of course it all looked the same, the rubric … Continue reading Be Together. Not the Same.
Why Don’t Report Cards Look Like Social Media?
Imagine it for a second. What if report cards looked like Twitter? Or Facebook? Or Instagram? I've heard a few people toss this idea around recently. At first, I couldn't wrap my mind around it. But the more I pondered the idea, the more it started to make sense. Think about it. It could be really … Continue reading Why Don’t Report Cards Look Like Social Media?
Students Owning the Assessment Process Through Rubric Creation
Ah, rubrics. The favored tool for assessment by teachers. Loved for their wonderful detail and their range of performance levels, rubrics are a great way to communicate expectations to students. Just like other teachers, I love a good rubric. There's just one problem ... I'm really horrible at making them. I'm so horrible, in fact, that I've … Continue reading Students Owning the Assessment Process Through Rubric Creation
