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Using an iPad simulation and an online Java applet to help students understand Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curves

Lowell Thomson | Sun, 04/05/2015 - 18:35

There are occasionally discussions amongst educators about the efficacy of using technology in the classroom. Does it really make a difference? One train of thought is looking at the use of technology through the SAMR lens. Is the technology simply a Substitution? Or does it Augment the learning compared to previous methods of learning the same material. Maybe the use of technology Modifies the learning tasks. Or will the technology actually Redefine the learning by allowing the student to interact with knowledge in a way that is impossible without this technology. With this in mind, I set about to use an iPad app and an online simulation to introduce my IB Chemistry students to the concept of Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curves. I'm not sure exactly where it fits on the SAMR continuum, but without the simulations I could only show my students the graphical representation of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve. By using the simulations, I am attempting to help my students develope a deeper understanding of them.

Chemistry Olympiad

Michael Morgan | Thu, 04/02/2015 - 19:29

I have taught for almost 30 years and have attended my fair share of professional development. Many of these have been very good (ChemEd, BCCE, ACS, NSTA, and ICE) but nothing has been as motivating, influential, and beneficial to my career as getting involved in the Chemistry Olympiad. Every year, the ACS sponsors a local section contest for high school students.

So You Think You Can Demo

Anonymous (not verified) | Tue, 03/31/2015 - 12:57

“So You Think You Can Demo” is a fun and educational contest sponsored by ChemEd committee members to allow chemical educators to have a platform to share their best hands-on science demonstrations. We encourage all ChemEd 2015 attendees to submit a video showing off your most creative, informative and interesting chemistry demo. The deadline for submission of a demo video is April 30th.

Using Periodic Properties to Group Students for an Activity

Lowell Thomson | Thu, 03/19/2015 - 07:38

Today in my IB Chemistry class we were reviewing the Born-Haber cycle. This has proven particularly challenging in the past so I wanted to try something a bit different and have the students review in groups. The task for each group of students was to create a visual Born-Haber cycle for potassium oxide - ignoring the math and calculations but instead focusing on each process within the cycle. I'd like to share how I grouped students using periodic properties.

Summer PD for Teachers

Shelly Belleau | Tue, 03/17/2015 - 12:51

With spring just around the corner and warmer weather approaching, I find that I’m in active summer preparation mode.  This is the time of year when I’m trying to plan for the perfect summer balance between professional development and relaxation – both professional growth experiences in my

The Model So Far...

Erica Posthuma | Thu, 03/12/2015 - 21:28

I started thinking about how integral the storytelling was to the curricular choices I made in my classroom.  I realized that I had shared some of my experiences as a Modeler and a few of the activities we use in our classrooms, but I have never described the order of topics. So, this blog is titled “The Model So Far…” I hope it gives you an idea of the journey we take each year as the students uncover evidence and construct models along the way.