Most Excellent Holiday Physics Activity

Before you throw away that silver Christmas tree tinsel, check this out!





Just when you thought you were out of ideas for winter break!

Woodrow Wilson Fellows

The six pre-service teachers I have been quoting in the Middle School Observation excerpts are part of the group pictured below with Indiana Govenor Mitch Daniels.  They are participants in the Woodrow Wilson National Teaching Fellowship Program.

For more information about the program:
click here for the official IUPUI School of Education news blurb

Observe and Reflect in Middle School - Week 3

Alright - delayed as it is --- here is a summary of my Woodrow Wilson Fellows reflections in week three of their middle school classroom placements.

Indianapolis schools start their school year in mid-august. These excerpts are from the school week dated August 24-29th, 2009.

 “I will stick by my second week’s statement: the students are indeed smart.  However, let me add that I had no idea how short an attention span these sixth graders could have.”

 “I got to see a student’s light bulb turn on for the first time. She went from, 'I don’t get it,' to, 'Oh, ok!'  It was great. I think she understood the whole time. She just needed that experience to convince herself that she understood.”

 “I am a little surprised at the diverse array of graphing abilities. Some did excellent graphs and some had no idea what they were doing.”

 “We are starting to see the ones who don’t want to work.”

 


 “They (certain students) are definitely an example of those that seem bored but are really not absorbing the material you are teaching them.”




 “Some of the students that did not do so well (on a pop quiz) seem lacking in their motivation for learning. I hope this will improve over time and those students find some source of intrinsic and/or extrinsic motivation.”

 

“There are some kids who face really monumental struggles, and it gives me a perspective on their attitude and behavior. On the other hand, there are some things I'd just rather not know about a kid.”

 

 “One student has a diagnosed ulcer due to a stressful home situation. Both of his parents have a high probability of going to jail this semester due to drug dealing. He is an only child so his grandmother with most likely take guardianship. His resource teacher says that he has lots of potential. He is definitely street smart. It was good to know this information. She says he will be at school most days because that is where he gets his meals and school is a better place to be than home.”

 “I thought that I might initially have a problem giving zeros out for missing homework, but there are so many students that you really just do the job and don’t worry about it too much. I guess this is another balance issue.”

 

 “Now I am extremely curious to see how the out-of-school suspension will affect his behavior when he returns to school.”
 

“One student was very mad at the other and was pacing around the room with lots of energy trying to control himself. I complimented him on his self control and sat him at a different table looking away from the other kid who had made him angry. Usually they sit across from each other at the same table. This method worked well. Both kids were fine for the rest of the class. Later I complimented the angry student in the hall way again for his self control. It was neat.”

 “Question: What is the best way to approach a girl about dress code? She is one of the bigger girls in her grade and today is wearing a jean/underwear combo that allows her butt to hang out while she is seated. I don’t really think that’s something we want to or should see!”

 

 

“Luckily classroom management was not a major issue. I’m finding that giving clear guidelines and expectations at the beginning of each activity helps classroom management a lot.  I’ll need to learn to consistently do that.” 

 

 “I hope I’m not falling into 'mean teacher' mode."

 

 “(Another teacher I observed) ‘played dumb’ a lot with the honors class and let them come up with much of the answers to their questions.”

 

 “We were busy doing a lab activity, so there was a lot happening in the room. A student decided to leave the classroom without permission. I was glad that I saw him leave because he did it quietly. He was not disruptive. It’s crazy to think how long we would have continued class without knowing he was gone!”

 

 

 

 “I think that I’m starting to grow and come out of my shell more and more. I enjoy the challenge it poses to get out of my comfort zone.”

 

 

 “It seemed like this week things finally started to be somewhat routine. The students are showing their true colors, and most people (students, teachers, administrators) have stopped talking about the fact that it's the beginning of the year. In fact, I seem to be the only one who is still trying to find my groove!”

 

 

the plot thickens.....

Ideas for the Science Fair - recent science news stories

After a long blogging hiatus this semester, I am greeting you with some recent science news stories to inspire all those upcoming science fair projects.

Science News

#1 - High School CSI in action!
New York High Schoolers May Have Discovered New Cockroach Species    By Scott Hensley
(click on the title to read about it)





#2  In honor of my two children.......and reducing male spillage at toilets everywhere,

There's A Fly In My Urinal  by Robert Krulwich
(click on the title to hear the broadcast story, watch a short video clip, or read more)

 



 
 
 
 
 
 
I especially love the idea of error analysis and the discussion of spillage quantification.
 
 
#3 - Continuing the insect theme (and because my youngest son got an ant farm for Christmas:)
 
Ants that Count   also by Robert Krulwich 
(click on the title to link to hear the broadcast story or read more)

 
 

Happy holidays to all and safe travels!

Observe and Reflect in Middle School - Week Two

More excerpts from my Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows weekly reflections as they continue their first weeks of full immersion field experience in an urban Indianapolis middle school.

“This is getting interesting.”

“Last week everyone was happy and smiling when it was all fun and games, but now that there is work to be done a few cracks appear in those once smiling faces, and we can see personalities popping out.”

"I look forward to seeing the kids every day. They are a mystery. I never know what they are going to bring each day. That makes it exciting. It forces me and the teachers to stay on our toes and be prepared for the unexpected.”

“I went around (to the students) and did a lot of one-on-one help. I felt like I was struggling with word assistance in ways that should have been easy to understand. Maybe this is something that just takes practice. Maybe you just learn ways of saying things that work???”

"We had our first opportunity to grade papers. What an experience! … We had some papers where the children were supposed to write in complete sentences. Do you give credit for sentences that start with a capital letter but have no punctuation at the end? How much credit do you give for sentences where nine sentences end in periods, but one sentence doesn’t? Since it is the beginning of the school year, are you more lenient because they are getting back into the groove of school or do you play hardball?”

“Is anyone else tired when they go home?”

“I’m hoping to get some practice with classroom management and discipline. I feel like that is one particular area where I will need a lot of practice. …Maybe I’ll get lucky and the kids will be bad this week so I can get a lot of practice.”

“It was sad to think that after four days of school a student had five documented offenses that prompted a call home.”

“Our teacher uses seating charts to place students in the most appropriate seat to make them successful. (Our teacher) continues to change the seating charts as some of the seat assignments have not worked as well as anticipated.”

“We collected their (first assignment) from the previous day. Several students did not seem to have theirs with them. It seemed odd to me that so many would ‘forget’ on the first one.”

"Throughout the week I started to feel more and more satisfied with my decision to teach.”

Indianapolis schools start their school year in mid-august. These excerpts are from the school week dated August 17-21st.

Observe and Reflect in Middle School - Week One

After a beautiful fun filled summer vacation from all things education, it's time to get back to work.

This fall I have the pleasure of coaching 6 Woodrow Wilson Science Fellows during their full time field experience at an urban middle school in Indianapolis. These 6 individuals were accepted to this program for an intensive year of teacher training which will result in a masters degree in education. They are each given a $30 thousand stipend to ease the transition and they commit to teaching science or math for 3 years in a high-needs urban or rural Indiana high school after graduation.

They range in age from 24 years to 69 years with a variety of professional and academic experiences. Currently they are placed in pairs with mentor teachers at Northview Middle School in Washington Township. They are divided between one 8th grade classroom and two 6th grade classrooms. Each week they submit a weekly reflection to me - here are some excerpts from the first week:

“The first two days of meetings were both boring and overwhelming.”

“I learned that one teacher was hired the Friday before the teacher work day due to a teacher being promoted to be an assistant principal. What did I learn? I may be hired at the last minute and have minimal time to prepare my classroom etc. That thought is creating some anxiety to me as a first time teacher.”

“I’ve determined that for the most part, adults are not that much different than children. They don’t all work great together, they still complain, and they tend to have a slight grudge against authority.”

“It was a really tiring week. I had to exhibit a level of alertness that I’m not used to doing. I am getting better of being aware of more things, but still could use some more practice.”

“The first two days of classes were exhausting: a constant stream of new faces, names, procedures, etc.”

“I’ve also noticed that there are a lot of subtle skills involved in teaching, particularly in classroom management.”

“The students took me by surprise. They are more mature and more with-it than I expected.”

“I am really working on learning students’ names. I remember from my volunteer experiences how much it means to kids to be recognized and called by name.”

"I was nervous!"

I truly look forward to the observations and reflections of these budding educators as the semester progresses.

Easter Bunny Demo

Here is an idea for all the leftover chocolate bunnies. Basically a modified "elephant toothpaste" demo. Decomposition, catalysts, reaction rates, and a product with great visual impact--- just a messy clean up.



Mrs. Simpson is my kind of performance artist. That evil grin compliments those gigantic science goggles.

Engage Your Students

How is this for a science news headline from MSNBC?

Microbe-powered 'fart' machine stores energy
Could improve fuel cell technology by turning CO2 into methane
Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have created an electric "fart" machine of sorts, which takes advantage of a microbe's ability to convert electrical energy into methane to create a more efficient way to store energy.

If this doesn't grab some student attention and interest about science, then I am truly at a loss. (kudos to Susan W. for sending this to me)

Or if that doesn't work - here's another attention getter and argument for better science literacy in our general population. (thanks here to Nina K.)

The Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide Website

Oh, the potential for lesson plans here. Maybe we could finally convince our students that they need to be educated and think for themselves. Also perfect as an intro for a web-based research project (ie. the pitfalls of trusting all published information).

If that doesn't convince them check out the Youtube video below.



And yes these people are now recorded for all eternity. As a chemistry teacher, I say "Woe is me."

Revealing What Lies Behind the Curtain

"What is necessary in order for effective educational change, and why is this so difficult?"

When it comes to defining essential questions in education, I can’t think of a better one than this. There will never be complete consensus about best practices in curriculum, instruction, or assessment. And the information and research base for all of those keeps growing especially with our ability to access resources via ever changing technology. So how does that transfer to the individual student? Of course it is via the classroom teacher.

For all the problems teachers face with ineffective public policy and school administrators, the balance of power to effect change in learning outcomes still lies with the classroom teacher. So I would argue that what become most important are the talents and intentions of these professionals. It is certain that education models and programs will come and go throughout a career. But because student populations vary throughout the country these models cannot be used universally as is. The teacher must be a critical thinker and a decision maker who can implement a plan of action. Too often I still observe teachers who are dependent on a model, or a textbook, or an administrator to take care of these decisions for them. Or in many cases, teachers just do not have critical thinking skills.

I no longer believe that individuals who simply enjoy working with children and have good intentions should be the majority of our teaching force. These skills alone are not enough. We are demanding more as a society for our children than this. However, I do not see this translating at the university level to a more selective and rigorous program for teacher education. I have long been a critic that education should not be a major area of undergraduate study. It becomes a fall back for students who could not make it in more rigorous programs. No one wants to publicly acknowledge this but this is why education majors become the butt of campus jokes. We then produce ineffective teachers who go on to become ineffective administrators and the cycle perpetuates itself. The truly effective and talented teachers then either eventually leave the classroom or become the minority of true professionals in a building.

I am closely watching the events that unfold in the Washington, D.C. school district, as the appointed chancellor, Michelle Rhee, tries to fix a failing public school system by holding all the adults accountable for what happens. She is actually able and willing to fire staff members who are not pulling their weight. In a recent podcast interview, she acknowledges the problem with principals who are also conflict avoiders. How can you possibly be an effective leader of a school and be afraid of conflict? We have all seen this probably as the norm rather than the exception.


Click the arrow to view a video podcast of Michelle Rhee


In “Chalkbored”, Jeremy Schneider argues that there simply aren’t enough people who can do an effective job of teaching so instead we should have facilitators for online learning. I think there are plenty of people who would make great teachers but they don’t want to work in such a dysfunctional and depressing system where job security is determined by length of stay rather than merit.

So to wrap up, I would summarize my answer to the question as this. Until we pull back the curtain and take a good hard honest look at what is going on with school staff (teachers and administrators) there will not be effective educational change.


Daly, James. "Up Front - What works in public education." Edutopia. Jun2008. The George Lucas Educational Foundation. 20 Apr 2009 .

Merrow, John. "A Profile of Arne Duncan - The Engine of Innovation." [Podcast ] The Merrow Report. 25MAR2009: 134. Learning Matters, Inc.. Podcast.22 Apr 2009. .

Merrow, John. "Michelle Rhee - Finding Good Principals." [Podcast 'entry'] The Merrow Report. 13JAN2009: 8. Learning Matters Inc.. Podcast.21 Apr 2009. .

Merrow, John. "The Second Year." [Podcast ] The Merrow Report. 14OCT2008: 120. Learning Matters, Inc.. Podcast.20 Apr 2009. .

Schneider, Jeremy. Chalkbored: What’s Wrong with School and How to Fix It. Pace of Mind, 2007.

Project Based Learning - What it's supposed to look like

I came accross this video on You Tube. Enjoy. It's a great introductory look at Project Based Learning (PBL). Kudos to this math teacher, she actually gets it!

Make sure to take note that it is the talent of the person implementing the learning strategy (PBL), rather than the learning strategy itself that succeeds to provide quality learning experiences.

More on Assessment

Here is another assessment item - this time concerning general assessment.

This slide presentation was intended as an assessment primer to begin a conversation on best practices for assessment.

*Note that all the original "bells and whistles" placed in the slide presentation do not transfer to this embedded format.

Thanks for viewing!

Standards vs. Standardized Testing: Comparing Apples to Oranges

For the last six months or so, most of my education thoughts have circled around assessment but not standardized testing. So in a continuing effort to educate myself I read the first chapter of a book by Linda McNeil entitled Contradictions of School Reform: the High Cost of Standardized Testing published in 2000. The chapter’s title, “Standardization, defensive teaching, and the problems of control” reflects a critical discussion of the inequities caused by standardization in education.

As a companion reading I chose “Academic Improvement through Regular Assessment” by Patrick J. Wolf for the Peabody Journal of Education (2007). Wolf argues that although there are complaints of “too much testing” in schools, more frequent and regular testing is needed to support academic improvement. Since standardized testing, academic standards, NCLB (No Child Left Behind) and AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) have become divisive and controversial subjects, these two readings seemed like an interesting starting point.

Right away McNeil points out a fundamental problem, one of terminology. The terms “standards”, “standardization”, “standards-based assessment”, and “standardized tests” are being used interchangeably and the result is confusing.

Standards vs. Standardization

When I became a new teacher about ten years ago, the term standard was often used interchangeably with the term expectation. “We have high standards for our students.” In this case it was used to describe a level of quality for work, outcomes, and behavior.

Toward the end of my teacher training as a secondary science and math teacher, I learned that the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) had recently published a set of “science standards” to guide curriculum. These were basically suggested minimum learning goals in science for each grade level. Suggestions and examples of instructional methods and possible assessments were sometimes included or published in companion documents.

Now when we refer to “standards” in the classroom, we are referring to the Indiana Academic Standards which are published on the Indiana DOE website for all grade levels and core academic subjects. These are also minimum learning goals. The website also includes some resources for suggested instruction and assessment. Hundreds of teachers from all areas of the state had input in writing these goals and resources. So when teachers create a lesson plan, they often required by their district or principal to cite the Indiana Academic Standards which directly relate to the lesson.

In related contrast, the term “standardization” is more general. It is used in all areas of business and culture to mean consistency or sameness. In her book, McNeil argues that “high standards and issues of quality” have become confused with standardization. Her primary example is the state of Texas which became a leader in school reform in the 1980s and early 1990s. In an effort to improve educational quality to hold “schools and school personnel more accountable for their professional practice”, the state government “enacted a set of standardized controls to monitor children’s learning and teacher’s classroom behavior. …The activities they mandated were to be uniform…” The plan to improve quality was to mandate sameness not just in curriculum but instruction and assessment as well. This is the ultimate factory model of education. But because each student brings personal learning variables, it does make sense that sameness in instruction would result in a higher quality of learning. No wonder people are confused.

So we could say that in Indiana we have “standardized our curriculum by legislating that all students in the state of Indiana accomplish or show progress toward the academic goals described by the written standards”. So the sameness is conveyed through the aim that all Indiana students meet these minimum learning goals. The quality pertains first to the quality of the written standard itself (which can be changed or revised) and second to the degree the standard is met, exceeded, or failed. This leads us directly to a discussion of assessment.

Standards-Based Assessment vs. Standardized Tests

To decide if a standard is met, exceeded, or failed, we must figure out a way to measure it. Standards-based assessment simply means that the test items directly refer to the standards learned by the students. Once again this refers to the quality of the assessment. The format of the assessment is not dictated. ISTEP is an example of one form of standards-based testing. This becomes confusing because ISTEP is also a standardized test. It is standardized because it is mandated that all Indiana students (grades 3-10) take the same test at the same time. The sameness of the standardized test insures some comparative data for analysis. However, the sameness of the standardized test does not insure a high level of quality.

These are crucial distinctions to make especially when Wolf in his article defines the two purposes for assessment: diagnostics and accountability. It makes perfect sense.

Teachers and students need diagnostics. These formative assessments should be timely, frequent and relevant (Darling-Hammond, L., 2008) (Schneider, J. 2007). Standards-based assessments are by definition relevant. Thus ISTEP can be used as a diagnostic but it is not considered timely since the results are returned several months later. It is also not frequent since it is only given once per year. So ISTEP could be considered a “limited” diagnostic. Because it is standardized for the state, there is plenty of data to analize for gaps and trends to gauge the big picture.

Since the diagnostic side of assessment is relatively easy to define, the issue of accountability becomes the controversial double-edged sword currently leading the charge for school reform. The current favored evidence for teacher and school accountability are the results of yearly state standardized tests. In science class, you learn early on that you cannot make a conclusion based on one or two measurements. You must have multiple trials, with multiple measurements to analyze and come to a conclusion. So because standardized tests such as ISTEP are a “limited diagnostic” it does not make sense that those once a year results should be the only evidence considered for accountability. So really there aught to be more measurements, more assessments, not less.

“As one principal of an inner-city school once commented at a public forum on No Child Left Behind, ‘Without regular testing teaching is like flying blind’ (World Bank, 2002).” (Wolf, 2007) Why are educators so afraid of assessments? Life is full of tests. Testing is not something we can or should hide from. It is something we should acknowledge as an important part of our life and learn to manage and not fear. (Wolf, 2007)
The educational system, using standards and standards-based assessments, makes logical sense. The controversial issues come to the surface because of the power or control of the source material for the standards, the assessments, and the accountability practices. In the case of Texas, “These controls arose outside the educational system, derived from pressures from the business establishment to fund only those educational expenses that contributed to measurable outcomes.” (McNeil, 2000)

Academic standards and assessments will only be as good as the source materials and the authors who write them. Measurements to determine accountability will only be as good as the measuring instrument. As always, with problems in education, it comes down to the actual implementation. If schools and the world of education had come up with a sound and defendable approach to measuring accountability on their own, then there wouldn’t have been a need for legislation to force the issue.

Resources

Darling-Hammond, L (2008). Powerful Learning - What We Know About Teaching for Understanding. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Indiana's Academic Standards and Resources. Retrieved February 12, 2009, from Indiana Department of Education Web site: http://www.indianastandardsresources.org/index.asp

McNeil, L. M. (2000). Contradictions of school reform: Educational costs of standardized testing. Critical social thought. New York: Routledge.

Schneider, J. (2007). Chalkbored: What's wrong with school and how to fix it. [S.l.]: Pace of Mind.

Shulman, L. S. (2007).Counting and recounting: Assessment and the quest for accountability. The Magazine of Higher Learning. 39, 20-25.

Wolf, P.J. (2007). Academic improvement through regular assessment. Peabody Journal of Education. 82, 690-702.

World Bank. (2002, October). No Child Left Behind: Implications for Washington, DC – A roundtable discussion with Mayor Anthony Williams. Videotape. Washington, DC: The World Bank