Student teachers at Ball State University are required to complete an in-depth unit long data driven analysis of their student teaching called Learning Assessment Model Project (LAMP). I chose to run the project during the stoichiometry unit. Stoichiometry is a unifying topic of chemistry. It synthesizes previously taught topics of writing chemical formulas, calculating molar masses, performing molar conversions, and balancing chemical reaction equations so that students may apply prior knowledge to its fullest use. Stoichiometry is rigorous and challenging for students. My aim was to make this topic both accessible and useful for my students by relating it to their everyday lives. We chose the stoichiometry unit to run our LAMP project in as most students, except possibly those who have taken integrated chemistry and physics, have no experience with stoichiometry. We wanted to see the direct impact that our teaching had upon students. The following is a summary of the project, its outcome and conclusions drawn from it.
Tag Archives: HLP 19
Best Days: Differentiated Instruction
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.
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