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Inquiry Learning

Teaching Chemistry With Case Studies

Josh Kenney | Tue, 05/25/2021 - 08:08

Case studies have been a staple of undergraduate and graduate education programs like medicine, law, and business, for many years. They let learners engage with simulated real-world situations, making the content more meaningful and connected to their future careers. As a valuable context-based learning tool, case studies are becoming more common in secondary science. Here, we'll explore the role that students and instructors play when learning with case studies.

Context-based Chemistry: Benefits and Challenges

Josh Kenney | Tue, 04/20/2021 - 08:31

Context-based chemistry aims to make chemistry learning more meaningful for students. With an emphasis on inquiry-based activities, context-based chemistry improves student interest and motivation in chemistry by linking content to real-world situations. Though the idea has been around for over 20 years, researchers are still learning the best strategies for teaching context-based chemistry. Here, we will explore some of the benefits and challenges unearthed up until this point.

Take Home Labs

Chad Husting | Sat, 11/10/2018 - 07:56

Several teachers I know have had circumstances present themselves in which they may not always be able to provide lab experiences in a traditional lab setting. They still want to provide students with rigorous problem solving situations that require students to use the scientific method. Could rigorous take home labs possibly be the answer?

Building Molar Mass

Doug Ragan | Sun, 05/10/2015 - 21:27

An advantage to teaching on the trimester schedule allows me the opportunity to teach the same course again roughly twelve weeks later. So after grading my 2nd trimester students’ Chemistry B final exams, I was able to evaluate certain topics that caused my students problems, reflect on my teaching, and then determine how I was going to better prepare my students in the 3rd trimester chemistry B class.

The Only Thing Constant in Life is Change

Sarah Kong | Tue, 01/20/2015 - 09:45

Wow! Night one of the semester we did the activity Change You Can Believe In. It was my second time facilitating, so I did a much better job of directing students when they asked questions and it went much faster than last semester. I did still, as expected, have students that were frustrated.

Shelly's Sharing . . .

Sarah Kong | Mon, 09/15/2014 - 12:57

Shelly Belleau is a chemistry and physics teacher from the Denver metro area.  This school year she is working as a teacher on special assignment at the University of Coloroado, Boulder.  Shelly anaitcipates returning to the high school classroom next fall.  Below is our coversation about inquiry.

1.  How do you define inquiry? or What does inquiry look like to you?

Inquiry at BCCE

Sarah Kong | Mon, 08/04/2014 - 16:26

Happy BCCE week to y'all!  I am enjoying being back at my alma mater, Grand Valley State University.  This morning I attended a symposium focusing on what it means to be a professional and how to continue to grow throughout your career.  The strand running through each presentation was time and collaboration.