Statistics for Teaching Science: Part 2 The Problem with Describing Data Using the Mean
(W Sept 2, 5-6:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Often by middle school and certainly by high school, students default to the mean as the best way to describe data without much consideration for how they might defend that choice. So, you might think, what’s the harm in that? Everyone knows what is meant by this […]
Claim, Evidence, Reasoning: Helping Students Discern Fact from Fiction
(W Sept 2, 7-8:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Information is available from an unlimited number of sources and accessible to anyone. And, anyone who desires can make information available to the masses regardless of its factual or fictitious nature. How are we able to determine what information is reliable and what is suspect? In this […]
Claim, Evidence, Reasoning: Helping Students Discern Fact from Fiction
(Th Sept 3, 2-3:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Information is available from an unlimited number of sources and accessible to anyone. And, anyone who desires can make information available to the masses regardless of its factual or fictitious nature. How are we able to determine what information is reliable and what is suspect? In this […]
Remote Teaching and Learning Series: Part 2 Holding Synchronous Video Classes
(Sa Sept 5, 11am-12:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) In this 1.5-hour workshop, we will compare several online streaming platforms that you may find useful for class meetings. We will go over the pros and cons of several popular programs (Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, and Webex) discussing why you may choose one over another. This […]
Standards-based Grading Series: Writing Easy-to-Use Rubrics
(Sa Sept 5, 1-2:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) In this workshop, participants will practice writing rubrics with the intent of assessing the attainment of specific content and skills standards. We will explore how rubrics can be designed for ease of use and consistent interpretation. I will challenge the participants to make rubrics that are flexible […]
Statistics for Teaching Science: Part 3 Getting Comfortable with Variance, Standard Deviation, and Standard Error
(W Sept 9, 5-6:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) The variance, standard deviation, and standard error of the mean are excellent methods for describing data because they convey the variability of the observed data around mean. Anyone teaching Pre-AP, Pre-IB, or college-bound students will likely want to know how to calculate these values, what they indicate, […]
Online Teaching Techniques: Using Competitions to Engage an Online Class
(W Sept 9, 7-8:30pm Eastern Daylight Time) Competitions are assignments that guide students through a preliminary exploration, data collection, analysis, reflection, and revision in a repeating cycle. This process leans on the scientific method and helps students practice character skills such as persistence, curiosity, critical thinking, and self-direction. For my own purposes, I will differentiate […]
Math-infused Science: Data-generating Activities for Labs and Computation
(Sa Sept 12, 11am-12:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Even when learning online, students can be placed at the center of the learning experience to increase their level of engagement and self-reliance. In this 1.5 hr. workshop, teachers will learn how to use any materials at hand to generate data for mathematical analysis. I will help […]
Math-infused Science: Choosing the Most Appropriate Graph
(Sa Sept 12, 1-2:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) Students aren’t the only ones who struggle to determine the best way to display data in graphic form. Because there are usually many representations that can be used, and each may encourage the reader to make slightly different conclusions, deciding on the most appropriate graph can be […]
Statistics for General Level Science: Part 4 Expressing Error on a Graph
(W Sept 16, 5-6:30pm Eastern Daylight Time) Error bars are placed on a graph to give a more detailed account of what was observed. Although there are many descriptors that can be used to draw error bars, in each case the value is used to express the uncertainty or variability of the data. Error bars […]