Math Infused Science: Describing Data in Written and Verbal Formats
How do we talk about data? How do we write about data? In this workshop you will discover ways to help your student be specific, using the correct terms, in context, as they describe trends in a set of numbers. We will play two games useful for building a working vocabulary and increasing student reliance […]
Student-designed Experiments Part 1: Developing Curiosity
Struggling to teach a lab-based science course using remote learning? In this workshop we will practice a repeatable structure for introducing a topic that will be studied through scientific exploration using a remote teaching and learning platform. We will help our students conduct a preliminary investigation at home to develop interest in a particular phenomenon, […]
Remote Teaching and Learning Part 3: Optimizing Critical Thinking in an Asynchronous Online Class
Online learning does not have to be devoid of depth, there are plenty of ways to hone your teaching skills and challenge your students within the confines of teaching remotely. During this 1.5-hour workshop, you will take part in several assignments that foster higher-order thinking in an asynchronous learning environment. You will play the role […]
Student-designed Experiments Part 2: Writing a Procedure
Struggling to teach a lab-based science course using remote learning? In this workshop we will pick up where Part 1 of this series left off. We begin with a list of variables our students have identified as potentially impacting a particular phenomenon they have explored. Using a think-pair-share process, we will give students the structure […]
Remote Teaching and Learning Part 2: Choose a Program for Synchronous Live Streaming Classes
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, Cisco Webex) and discuss why you may choose one over another. This is not a techy workshop, instead, I […]
Student-designed Experiments Part 3: Analyzing Collected Data
This workshop will continue to build on the skills taught in Parts 1 and 2 for teaching a science course using remote learning. Teachers will play the role of the students, collecting data in their own homes and pooling their observations and measurements in a spreadsheet shared by their lab partners. We will conduct data […]
Remote Teaching and Learning Part 4: Optimizing Critical Thinking in a Synchronous Live Streaming Class
This 1.5-hour workshop will address teaching techniques that can be used while conducting a class via live video streaming where all students would meet at the same time (aka synchronous teaching) using a platform such as Google Meets, Zoom, Teams, Webex, etc. You will be invited into a classroom meeting and participate as a student […]
Student-designed Experiments Part 4: Drawing Conclusions
This workshop will focus on the content and demands of the conclusion section of a lab report, with applications to data-based questions and internal assessments for IB students, and free-response questions for AP students. The conclusions drawn from experimental data must be limited to the scope of the experiment, but it is also important for […]
Online Teaching Techniques: Debates
An exciting way to engage your students in their online class is to use a topic that sparks discussion, research, and the desire to sleuth out additional information. In this workshop teachers will participate in a debate in an asynchronous platform (such as Google Classroom) and in a synchronous video meeting (such as Zoom). We […]
Online Teaching Techniques: Competitions
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 team challenges from competitions in that competitions […]