When it comes to the best approach for student learning, there seems to be two very divided camps: those who promote direct instruction and those who favor inquiry. I have been thinking a lot about this issue for several years now and decided to finally write my reflections down, based on 6 years of experience as a science teacher.
When implementing NGSS standards, the science and engineering practice of argumentation can be seamlessly implemented through the use of formative assessment probes.
The thought of being videotaped while teaching could make me break out in a cold sweat. Will I say the right things? Will I stumble over my words? Will I look awkward? Will my students behave the way I hope they will? Aaaaah! Deep breaths!
Advancements in technology have brought about exciting developments in education. For instance, personalized learning is an approach that optimizes pace, content, and instructional strategies to a student’s unique abilities and interests.
Though I have been an educator for seventeen years, I have regularly struggled trying to find the best techniques to help my students learn information.
At this point, there doesn’t seem to be a bank of released NGSS assessment items that we can draw from to use in our own classes, especially for traditional Chemistry classes. This means, that we as teachers may need to write some of our own assessment prompts to use in our classes.
This is Part 3 of a 5-part series on National Board Certification in Adolescent and Young Adulthood (AYA) Science. This post will focus on Component 2 - The Differentiation Portfolio.*
Whiteboards are great learning tools in a science classroom. Not only do students love to write on them, but they also allow for quick formative assessments, and they make collaboration convenient.
Chemistry is difficult to learn. Walk into any chemistry classroom, and you’ll be soon confronted with many abstract concepts. Abstract ideas have no physical form, and as a result, they are difficult to understand. Topics like the mole, quantum numbers, and the atom are tricky to comprehend unless they are related to something more concrete.
