There was an advanced group of students developing in one section of Chemistry I that began to act out in boredom in class during the Gas Laws unit. I used pregnant pauses, proximal discipline and even stopped my instruction in an attempt to quell their behavior. Over one weekend I really thought about how best to approach the situation and I came to the conclusion that that particular group of students simply needed to be given work and then set loose to complete their required assignments. What was really needed was an equitable assignment for all students, but in multiple versions. My second attempt at differentiated instruction had begun.
Category Archives: InTASC 2
Reading Fix-Ups Strategies for Better Lab Experiences
Mr. Smith talks to our students about reading techniques on a regular basis. We have only a classroom set of textbooks for Chemistry I, so we don’t request required reading of them very often. However, we do ask them to preview a chapter after an exam, or when there is time after laboratories. When we ask students to read the textbook, we give them specific techniques with which to preview the text:
1) Look at the pictures and figures first.
2) Read any boldface vocabulary words.
3) Skim for key phrases/vocabulary.
4) Read for content.
We give them a specific reading technique, because reading a science text is not as straightforward or easy, as reading for leisure is.
Continue reading Reading Fix-Ups Strategies for Better Lab Experiences
Problem-Based Learning: Unit Plan
Students complain that school isn’t relatable. Employers complain that we don’t generate problem solvers. Problem Based Learning answers the complexities of both of these issues in one fell swoop, all the while being aligned to state curriculum standards.
Alexandria received a grant of $335,000 from the state of Indiana as part of the Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program to help with the demolition of eyesore properties around town. The question remains: was this a good deal for the city? A slideshow outlining the entire project may be viewed at: https://www.emaze.com/@AFRWRLTW/razed-and-rising
Negative Space Photography: Whitely Community
As part of the community service aspect of our multicultural education requirement, our cohort traveled to an enclave in Muncie, Indiana named the Whitely community. The unofficial leader of the neighborhood is Mrs. Mary Dollison, a quiet force for good in her community and well beyond. Our group was assigned two work shift duties to help beautify the neighborhood: Day One included scraping and painting a wooden garage structure while Day Two involved painting a house front and reclaiming a family’s yard and green space. During our time in Whitely, I took photographs with an emphasis on the notion of negative space, hoping to demonstrate that the place that we visited and worked in is anything but negative. Here are the results of my efforts. Continue reading Negative Space Photography: Whitely Community