April 9: Dan's Current Events - Is the future now for A.I.?

As a supported of formative assessing, I agree with Ramaswami that we have a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of aritficial intelligence in education. Imagine personalized and timely assessment for each student. At GHS, we were exposed to an AI solution to individualized tutoring in Chemistry through Quantum Simulations - an AI solution discussed in this article(http://www.quantumsimulations.com). Typically at the time, many tutoring programs were available, but they would store information in a database and not allow for student input beyond multiple choice answers or simple responses. It was left up to the teacher to provide this one-to -one interaction with the students. I understand that in 1998, chemist Benny Johnson founded Quantum Simulations, Inc. with high school mentor Dale Holder and colleague Rebecca Renshaw to create highly interactive tutoring software for the sciences. As the article points out, the approach of the Quantum Tutors is similar in that it "converses" with students, providing real-time feedback. This AI approach responds to student questions, gives hints, shows correct next steps and even explains why a step is correct or incorrect using scientific principles. Students can enter any problem and related work, and the Quantum Tutoring Engines will understand and analyze all of the material. Any mistakes are confronted individually, and the student and the "tutor" provide information to each other throughout the learning exercise. We found that our students not only scored higher on our summative assessments but also were more engaged in learning chemistry.

April 29th - Week 14: What did I learn from the interactive journal process?

Week 14: What did I learn from the interactive journal process?

I suspect that if I review all that is written to date by my classmates and myself the primary outcome is that I have been exposed to other perspectives other than my own. It enriches me to see all the questions, issues, from multiple perspectives based on individual experiences and knowledge.

Prior to taking our course, I did not know how or why I would consider blogging, except in a personal forum. I saw social networking as "something my students do" that I did not wish to participate in. Today, I cannot see how I can continue in education successfully without it. They say, knowledge is power. Understanding the purpose of edublogging and how to effectively use it has been an awakening for me. I feel I have now entered the 21st century. What I need to work on next is how to effectively incorporate the interactive journal seamlessly into my daily instruction and into the lives of my students. I tried to do a little this quarter, with my students, as part of their project, but with much resistance. I am in the process of using edublogging to guide me in this effort, from fellow educators that successfully use this tool in their daily instruction. Edublogging is such a wonderful tool - I wish I had such access to this tool when I was a new teacher years ago. Imagine the support and guidance I would have received!

April 22nd - Week 13:KK Question and Answer

Week 13: Student Generated Post #2 - Your own question and your own answer. Comment on one of your classmate's post.

Question #1: What is meant by "The Flat Classroom"?

I recently came across this concept of a flat classroom and I decided to look into how a flat classroom differs from the traditional classroom. Traditionally, I was told that we teach within the walls of our classroom, providing our students with the tools to focus on concept-based knowledge with a few skills thrown in. Over the past few years education a movement has emerged that is demanding a change in how we teach our students. This new world of education focuses on positive learning experiences and enduring understandings. The goal is to make our students into lifelong learners with critical thinking skills. Simultaneously, the Partnership for 21st century exposed us to the need for 21st century skills. Out of all of these changes,the flat classroom was born. The concept of a 'flat classroom' is based on the constructivist principle of a multi-modal learning environment that is student-centered and a level playing field for teacher to student and student to teacher interaction. Taken from the brochure "The Flat Classroom Project is a global hands-on working together project for middle and high school students". The wikipage discussing this concept was founded by Vicki Davis (Westwood Schools, USA) and Julie Lindsay (Qatar Academy, Qatar) in 2006. The Project uses Web 2.0 tools to make communication and interaction between students and teachers from all participating classrooms easier. It creates a classroom with no walls so students have global access to other students. One of the main goals of the project is to 'flatten' or lower the classroom walls so that instead of each class working isolated and alone, 2 or more classes are joined virtually to become one large classroom. This is usually done through the Internet using sites such as Wikispaces, for example. The topics studied and discussed are real-world scenarios based on 'The World is Flat' by Thomas Friedman. Although I have not as yet read the book it does look interested for my summer reading. Check it out - more information can be found in the following article and brochure.
ISTE's Learning and Leading magazine article: Davis, V. & Lindsay, J. (2007). Flat Classrooms. Learning & Leading with Technology, 35(1), 28-30. Available for download from this wiki - Flat_Classroom_LL_August07.pdf
Flat Classroom Project Brochure (updated January 2009) - Brochure_Jan09.pdf


Question #2:
In discussing implementation strategies, both the schools I interviewed used the CIPP evaluation model. Of all the models we reviewed I found this one to be the one I knew the least about. It was because I knew very little about the CIPP Model that I decided to do a little research. My question and answer for this post have been taken from my work.

What exactly is the Daniel Stufflebeam's CIPP Evaluation Model?
My Answer:
The CIPP Evaluation Model Daniel Stufflebeam introduces in his work “Educational Evaluation and Decision Making” provides uses with a conceptual framework for evaluating various educational programs, institutions, systems and even personnel using various methodologies (Stufflebeam, 1977; 2002). Stufflebeam focuses on effecting sustainable improvements in the educational system that may be enjoyed over the long rather than the short term. Stufflebeam’s early model, introduced in 1966 and later revised in 1977 suggests that the need for process and product evaluations were important; later models emphasizes goal setting as important toward contextual evaluation including needs assessment, with even later models illustrating product evaluation in various subparts including through input evaluation, needs assessment, context evaluation and alternative program strategies (Stufflebeam, 2002). The primary focus of the model includes providing timely evaluation reports that are designed to evaluate various programs long term goals and results. The CIPP model is based on the notion that the merit, worth and significance of a given entity must be evaluated using systematic methods (Stufflebeam, 2002). Context, input, product and process evaluation are all critical concepts related to Stuffelbeam’s model. This innovation suggests that the context evaluation can be met by making the decision to adopt or utilize a specific program; the input evaluation may be accomplished by providing goals and objectives for restructuring a model or system; process evaluation may be met through monitoring a defined program during implementation; product evaluations is considered informally or informally based on whether the goals and objectives of a given program are actually achieved (Furner, 1998). Product evaluation may consider multiple components of a system in the educational context, which may include statistical evidence of attendance or achievement rates and other factors directly related to educational program success.
Stufflebeam’s model is unique in that not only does it define the procedures that educational facilities and administrators can adopt to effectively select, implement and evaluate the outcomes of a proposed method or procedure, but also later provides administrators and teachers with the tools necessary to evaluate how successful they are at each stage of the modeling process. This is evidenced by Stufflebeam’s later development of a checklist to assess or complement the CIPP model. The checklist designed by Stufflebeam may be used in conjunction with the model to provide the best possible outcome to educational administrators and authorities (Stufflebeam, 2002).
Stufflebeam’s model has been around for decades, and has been used in many fields including management, though it is most popular within the field of education (Payne, 1994). Most simply it can be defined as a systems model that one can apply to program evaluation. The system that Stufflebeam suggests includes input, process and output, as well as context (Pane, 1994). CIPP in short refers to each stage of the evaluation process, namely context, input, process and product. These varying forms of evaluation may be viewed separately or as stages and steps in the comprehensive evaluation process. During the context stage examination and description of the context of a program must be considered, including conduction of needs and goals assessment. Input evaluation includes describing program resources, inputs and comparing how a program might perform in relation to other similar programs (Payne, 1994). It acts as a sort of checks and balances or benefit cost assessment. Using input evaluation administrators can determine whether the benefits of a program will outweigh any risks including extreme costs associated with implementation and maintenance of a program (Payne, 1994). This step is vital toward determining program structure (Payne, 1994).
Process evaluation will include throughout examination of program implementation, including routine monitoring of the program and auditing to ensure that a program consistently meets regularly and ethical guidelines (Payne, 1994). Process evaluation may also help program administrator’s correct defects in the procedural design or those that occur during implementation (Payne, 1994). Process evaluation is a tool that users can use to implement decisions. Product evaluation requires determination of specific goals, objectives or simply defined, outcomes of the program (Payne, 1994). During this stage of the evaluation process participating will measure the anticipated outcomes of a program with the intent of identifying any outcomes that may be unanticipated (Payne, 1994). This stage may also help evaluate whether a program is cost effective and hence worthy of future consideration or continuance.

The CIPP Model developed by Stufflebeam is best reserved for formative evaluations but may also be useful for summative evaluations (Payne, 1994). The model is comprehensive and useful for comprehensive as well as single analysis of programs and procedures. Administrators and program directors can use the model to help evaluate primary issues and questions as well as consider alternate courses or programs related to a specific set of objectives (Payne, 1994).


References: (a few)
Furner, J.M. (1998). “Curriculum innovation interview: The four period day.” Education,1: 31.

Payne, D.A. (1994). “Chapter 4: Evaluation Models” In, Designing educational project
and program evaluations: A practical overview based on research and experience. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. http://www.southalabama.edu/coe/bset/johnson/dr_johnson/660lectures/Lect2.doc

Stufflebeam, D. L. (1977). Educational evaluation and decision making. Bloomington, Ind.: Phi Delta Kappa.

Stufflebeam, D.L. (2002, June). CIPP Evaluation Model Checklist.” The Evaluation
Center. Available: http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/checklists/cippchecklist.htm

____________________________________________________________________--
Great Question from Erin:How do you make it all work? How do you teach every subject, address all of the NJCCCS, and get it all in within a 10 month time period? With pullouts, differentiated lessons, and constant distractions to your schedule, how do you get it all in and make sure you're reaching every child?

Erin, I agree and often wonder how to bring it all together myself. Flexibility and adaptability is key, but sometimes that is not enough. The last thing I would ever want to do is leave a child behind.

April 4 Current Events- Erin's Article: Schools Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math

Erin's Article : School Cut Back Subjects to Push Reading and Math by Sam Dillon:



The NCLB federal law has created an atmosphere of accountability by school districts. Although in the long run, not necessarily negative, it does however alter how subjects are addressed in the curriculum. These types of decisions by states and districts have a direct impact on subjects such as history and science, which are often placed on the back burner; especially during testing times. This emphasis sends a message to both students and parents that subjects other than math and language arts are not as necessary for a well -rounded education. Dillon cites an example at the Martin Luther King Jr. HS, in a poor neighborhood in Sacramento, CA that "about 150 of the school's 885 students spend five of their six class periods on math, reading, and gym,leaving only one 55 -minute period for all other subjects". Although this represents only 17% of the student body, those students are receiving a limited education and in some ways are being cheated. Not having been exposed, these students do not even know if they would enjoy these other subjects or even understand what it is they are missing. Yet, Mr. Buchanan, the superintendent of the Grant Joint Union HS, that is also responsible for the Jr HS, did receive the CA 2005 superintendent of the year award for successfully raising both math and reading test scores over several years.

April 15th - Week 12 - Evaluating Curriculum

What factors are at stake when evaluating a curriculum? Choose a model for curricular evaluation. How does this model fit (or not fit) with your preferred approach to curriculum?

The factors that I would choose as critical in evaluating curriculum are organized into five categories:

• Content/Alignment with Standards: The content as specified in the NJ Content- Specific Standards and presented in accord with the guidance provided in the NJ Content Framework.


• Program Organization: The scope, sequence and organization of the curriculum that provides structure to what students should learn each year.


• Assessment: The strategies presented in the instructional materials for measuring what students know and are able to do.


• Universal access: The resources and strategies that address the needs of special student populations, including students with disabilities, students whose achievement is either significantly below or above that typical of their class or grade level, and students with special needs related to English language proficiency.


• Instructional planning and support: The instructional planning and support information and materials, typically including a separate edition specially designed for use by the teacher, that enable the teacher to implement the curriculum effectively.
  

There are several approaches to curriculum evaluation such as goal-based, goal-free, and responsive. These approaches are based on the classical curriculum evaluation models as presented by Stufflebeam and Shinkfield (1). There are several curriculum evaluation models that have emerged over time such as Robert Stake's countenance model (1967), Scriven's goal-free model (in the 1970s) (2), Stenhouse's research model (also the 1970s), Tyler's objectives model, and finally, Stufflebeam's model, known as the CIPP Evaluation Model. In 1950, Ralph Tyler of the University of Chicago published a 83-page book entitled "Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction" (3). In this landmark text, Tyler recommended application of the following four basic steps in the design of any curricular project: define the learning objectives, select the learning experiences , organize the learning experiences and evaluate and revise as needed. Although simplestic in some ways Tyler's model is easy to apply to any curricular model such as the UbD model for example. The objective here is to create a curriculum that offers content that adheres to the standards. Embedded in the standards are the strands that dictate learning objectives for the students. Program organization provides the selection of the learning experience and also offers organization to this experience. Assessment leads to reflection, evaluation, and revision. Althoug created in 1949, the Tyler Model has stood the test of time and is still used by many districts to evaluate their curricula.


(1) Stufflebeam, D. L.; Shinkfield, A. J. (1990). Systematic Evaluation. Boston (MA): Kluwer-Nijhoff.
(2) Scriven, M. (1991). Evaluation thesaurus (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
(3) Tyler, R. W. (1950). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

April 8 Week 11- Exit Card

List three things you learned, two things you found interesting and one thing you still have a question about. Comment on someone else's question.

For me, this has been a very educational course. The knowledge I have acquired in both assessment and curriculum is already been applied in my daily instruction. In addition, on a personal side, having come from CT and not familiar as yet to the required NJ standardized tests - I now know what is to come for my younger son and how best to prepare him.

What did I learn?

1. Identifying 21st century skills - knowing what skills are needed for our students future success helps me embed these skills in my current instruction. Although critical thinking has been key for me all along, knowing that this skill is important for future success of my students reinforces for me that my approach is in the right direction.

2. Exposure to the revised 2009 NJCCCS. As I update my curriculum for next year I will be taking these new standards and their strands into account.

3. The changes in standardized testing for NJ regarding particularly, the EOC and its future implementation. It is good to see that NJ is moving away from HPSA and into a more course related assessment. Last year the EOC for biology was introduced. The goal as mentioned above is to eventually eliminate the high school HSPA test and replace it with the EOC series.The EOC series will consist of three tests in science encompassing biology, chemistry, and physics. In addition three tests will be administered in math and three in language arts - the focus I for the latter two areas are unknown to me at this time.

Two interesting things -

1. Technology tools such as Web 2.0, Flickr, Slidelicious, etc. I am now teaching my students on how to use these tools for their presentations, particularly in reference to their projects for Q3/Q4.

2. Social networking tools such as Wikispace. My students all have facebook pages, but they are now learning how to communicate their understanding of physical principles to me and their fellow classmates on their personal classroom wikipage.

One question -

How does one truly judge the effectiveness of curriculum? This question is constantly on my mind. I am always looking for new approaches to curriculum and assessment of that curriculum.

April 1st Peer Reflection - Week 10

Read through your classmate's blogs. Identify a post that has an impact on you. Why does it strike you? What will you change because of the post?

Response to Dan's Blog of March 19th regarding "reading by young men in and out of the classroom".

I found this particular post by Dan relevant to my experiences both in the classroom and in my personal life. I am an avid reading and prided myself into introducing reading to both my sons from an early age. We have a library full of books and each boy's room has its own library. Books are scattered throughout our home. My eldest took immediately to reading from his youth, but my youngest, now age 9 - resisted reading once he entered 2nd grade. It has been an ongoing struggle until the past few months. I agree with Dan, that the importance of the reading word must start at home. I have a similar experience with my male students that are now seniors. Many of my students do not have books at home. Also, for my young men, sitting home and reading is looked upon negatively by their peers and their fathers. So how do we convince these young men that their future success depends on the reading word?


Reading is very much key to education and future success. I do "reading across the disciplines" and have a difficult time convincing my young men (that are about to go off to college) the significance of all types of reading, both scientific and non-scientific. It has been a frustrating ride, particularly since they are required to do one paper every month - "Scientist of the Month" which requires reading a biography of a famous scientist. The resistance has been high. Statistically, my young men average a "C" at best on their monthly papers. It appears for some they never finish the book assiged. I too am trying to find a connection for them that would draw them into this committment.

Then my personal life offered a key to this constantly locked door. I have two sons and my youngest, although exposed to reading since infancy, is highly athletic and never found purpose in "reading a book". It has been a struggle until this year. I decided to monitor his interests and find books that he might be able to relate to. Since he loved baseball, I started there, but failed. He prefered to play the game. His brother introduced him to a video game based on history - WWII. He was fascinated by the events of this time period - I found my link. An age appropriate series - Dear America - drew him into reading. Today he is an avid reader and we read together every night. An nterdisciplinary approach to reading (bringing in the history lesson) allowed my son to see the relevancy.

This experience allowed me to try to find a connection to reading for my students. I have the luxury in science of not having a curriculum that dictates specific reading assignments. For the month of April, thanks to Dan, I have offered my students the choice to read and write about a scientist whose work and life they found interesting (personal choice instead of required). In addition, I told them to find a book that they would consider reading and that is not about a scientist per se, but discuss the physical principles in the story. One young man is reading Harry Potter and identifying and researching the possibility of "the invisibility cloak" for his paper. Another is reading Steven Hawking's "The universe in a nutshell" trying to understand the connection to Newtonian physics and relativity (his interest and a topic we still need to cover) . The books they were reading this month is not about the life and times of Kepler, but is applicable to physics.

Dan's post made me realize that relevancy - the connection to their lives - is key for these rather active non-readers. Reading a playbook might be more relevant, but limited, but if we can take it to the next step of reading the experiences of a famous football player as part of their education in sports, we might provide the link we need.

March 29, 2009 3:12 AM

Current Events Susan's Article: March 11, 2009 Curriculum - Mapping Our Way to Relevance

Current Events March 11, 2009 Curriculum - Mapping Our Way to Relevance

This article reflects my current views on instruction. Traditionally, instruction was strictly subject oriented and based on root memorization. This appraoch might have worked in our generation, but will no longer works for our 21st century students. They live in a global world with a continuous information stream through many sources, including social networking. As adults we do not live our lives in subject based compartments - so why should be teach this way. A few years back, I had the wonderful experience of creating two interdisciplary units - one on Gas Laws in chemistry with my algebra 2 colleague and one on the Nuclear Chemistry with my history colleague. The students were exposed to the same concepts from two different perspectives in a collaborative effort. They realized the interdependence of the subject matter and performed better on our summative assessments than their counterparts involved in traditional instruction - our control group (this was a pilot program initiated by our administrator at the time who has since retired) . Griessman sets the stage for schools to rethink their approach to instruction. "Perhaps the school day ought to be divided into subjects more relevant to our lives: communication, problem-solving, and professional skills". "Better yet, what if the school weren't built around subjects at all? What is it were instead built around real-world problems and solutions? What if disciplinary content were so integrated that assessment could be based on genuine achievement, not on short-term retention of disparate facts and algorithms?" Imagine that, authentic instruction and assessment. This would be a major shift for schools and would require an enormous effort to rewrite curriculum to address this collaborative, interdisplanary, solution focused approach; but imagine the gift we would be giving our students - assessment based on "real solutions to real problems for a real audience" and "a learning environment more relevant to their future".

3/25 - Week 9 - What knowledge, skills, and attitudes do you think your students will need to be successful?

What knowledge, skills, and attitudes do you think your students will need to be successful? Are you teaching to their needs? If not, what do you need to change?

Over the course of the last few weeks we have been exposed to a skill set called "21st century skills". This set of skills defines the student to come and the needs we must fulfill as 21st century educators. Educators such as Sir Ken Robinson, have been making efforts to communicate the need for revamping of our education initiatives to address these skills. In addition to content knowledge, we need to foster creativity. I agree in that creativity is key and with this focus in our instructional efforts, students will be engaged. My primary concern in my years of teaching is that my students walk away from my classes with the skill to "critically think". Although root memorization has its place, being able to evaluate a situation based on content knowledge, that is new and different, is not only a 21st century skill, but essential to future success. Application of knowledge is as important as obtaining knowledge. Over the years I have tried adapting various curricular models to be able to give my students this fundamental skill. Four years ago I adopted the UbD model because of its focus on "enduring understandings". What is it I would like my students to remember about topics we discussed in physics five years from now, is key for me.
In order to decide the best instructional approach through a preexisting curriculum model for our students ,we need to first answer the following three questions (taken from our essential questions from week 9) -

1. Who are the children we teach?
These students are known as "21st century learners". They are social net workers that are technology savvy to some degree, but not necessarily critical thinkers as yet. Their global exposure is limited and needs to be expanded.

2. What will they need to know and be able to do in 2020? To become an integral asset to the world of 2020 they need to think and interact globally. They will need to be able to express themselves in written and oral work. They will need to be able to work on teams collaboratively. They will need to use technology in their work environment and be easily adaptable to new situations and technology. They must be able to understand and interpret the tremendous information flow that they will be encountering. They will be voting for leadership, making decisions on policy, such as scientific and educational policy and make valid business decisions. To do the latter successively they will need an interplay of both content knowledge and critical thinking skills .


3. What are the 21st century assessment skills that will address those needs? The skill set that these learners will need have been identified by many educators to include using creativity, making global extensions, becoming technology savvy, extending their content knowledge through critical thinking, and resolve issues through systematic and analytical problem-solving and learn to work collaboratively.

In an effort to provide these skills to my students I am consistently looking for new curriculum models that effectively incorporate these skills. At the moment, I am piloting project based learning (PBL) in a physics classroom that is already inquiry based. The collaborative aspect that incorporates, by its very nature, critical thinking is that major component of PBL - which is why I choose this approach. I still have a long way to go and I am not sure as yet as to its outcome. The point is that as educators we need to be continuously looking for new solutions to the age old problem of how do we "facilitate our students' efforts to become successful learners".

3/11: Assessment and Evaluation in the 21st century by Konrad Glogowski

"Assessment is the tail that wags the curriculum dog" - if we want to see reform in curriculum we need to address making changes in how we assess and evaluate our students. Rather than perpetuating the traditional classroom where the student is given the time to complete a task by the teacher; the teacher evaluates the student's work; assigns a grade and the process stops - it is time to move to a new paradign of assessing in the 21st century classroom. This paradign sees the student as an independent researcher that engages an idea or topic; then interacts with others online is a chat format - a community- for additional information; which leads to a conversational assessment. The problem becomes how to evaluate the very 21st century skills that we value in education. Traditionally students learned by acquisition of knowledge. Today, in addition, our students need to learn by both participation or cooperative learning and knowledge creation (giving students the opportunity to build their knowledge). The latter helps build discerning learners and falls within the sociocultural paradign of assessment. The model for the future enables our students to grow up as competent learners that have a sense of place, good communicators, having a sense of belonging and making meaningful contributions to society. To properly assess students for learning, we the educators must consider the following criteria - timely and meaningful feedback, allow students self-assessment (give students the opportunities to look and ask questions about their work), and revisit episodes of competence, not incompetence. This creates an environment where conversations on learning can take place between the student and the teacher. It makes learning visible and deepens the understanding of both the teacher and the student. "Students learn when the see that their teachers, family, and peers see value in their work and what they do has meaning." So what is meaningful feedback for a student. Good feedback is more effective when it focuses and provides information on the correct or expected response. Its goal is to fill the gap between what is understood and is to be understood. In addition, good feedback builds on changes from the student's previous work. Good feedback addresses three primary questions for the student, namely, where am I going, how am I going to get there, and where do I go next. Unfortunately, 99% of teachers offer offer task-level or self-level feedback due to constraints in time and work overload. Dr. Glogowski points out their are four levels of feedback. The 1st level is called the "task level" which is a simple notation on student's work to indicate competion of a task. I tend to use this approach for grading HW. I use a check plus for superior work, a check for average work, and a check minus for limited work. The second level is called "self-level" and is a positive, personal evaluation such as "work well done" - again something I use on papers but I do elaborate more guided feedback. This brings us to level three called "self regulation" - this mode helps students become autonomous - it provides guided feedback to help make students independent learners. The final or fourth level is the "process level" where the feedback focuses more on the student's understanding of the processes needed to accomplish the task. Organization of the processes is also reviewed.
Where it often becomes difficult to assess performance is in
the arena of blogging. To help students understand the strength of their blogs, their written
blogs are graphed on a graph where the y-axis represents the frequency of posts and the xaxis
the personal investment of the writer. An addicted blogger - someone who writes about
everything with no merit, for example, would have a high y -value but a low x-value. The
best contributor would exhibit both a high x and y-value. A high contributor would have a
high ripple effect - in another words, would command highly respected responses. The
students would plot their position on the graph based on their self-evaluation. In evaluating
students' blogs four categories are considered as recommended by Dr. Glogowski:
1. Evidence of Data Gatheiring
2. Evidence of Understanding
3. Evidence of Reflection/Analysis
4. Evidence of Creativity
The creative and discerning thinker would obtain high scores on reflection and analysis.
Writing in your own words leads to high performance in understanding and finally,
discussion of the topic at hand with a different media such as a podcast which presents the
student's own take on the material would score high in creativity. The question asked is
"does this blog entry have a ripple effect in the community? The session ended with one
final question posed to the attendees, namely, "how do we make the sociocultural approach
work so we do not feel guity about giving grades?".

3/11: Mitch's (article #3) Current Events: Is Social networking killing you?

As the old adage says, I suspect that "anything in excess is bad for you". Whether you are answering 100 emails or conversing on Face book with your friends- the end result is the same - isolation from people (family and friends) around you. As a society entering the digital age our tools and social interactions will be of a different nature yet human one-on-one interactions need to be included to some degree - a balance is always the best approach. The article itself raises the question but does not give significant arguments as to why social networking is negative for users. It is definitely more opinion than fact. Like all new technologies and practices, negative press is common. The digital age promises new challenges to social, mental, and physical well being. Some of the bloggers asked for evidence that social networking can have a negative impact on steady users. Such evidence is more long term than short term. A sedimentary lifestyle needs to be infused with physical and social activity for sustenance of long term health. But this is just as applicable to the so called "couch potato" and video gamer. Going back to my original premise - anything in excess has a negative impact on our well being. Social networking is no worse or different than sitting on a sofa and talking on the phone for hours. It is just a different communication process. Social networking is the new form of human interaction. Is it detrimental - time will tell. For now, understanding the modes of communication of our youth helps us keep in touch.

3/11 - Week 8 - What do the curriculum documents for your subject area or grade level look like?

What do the curriculum documents for your subject area or grade level look like? Are they easy to use?

A segment of our curriculum documents for physics - on the unit I am currently teaching, sound, looks as follows: (taken from the physics curriculum)

Unit 13: Sound and Music (1 week)

A. Instructional Goals and Objectives
Instruction Goal #1: To show that sound is longitudinal and mechanical wave motion.
Objective #1: To find the speed of sound in air.
Objective #2: To see that echo is important property of sound.
Objective #3: To find that reverberation is a property of brains, not sounds.

Instructional Goal #2: To demonstrate the quality of sound as it pertains to music
Objective #1: To learn about timbre.
Objective #2: To demonstrate resonance.
Objective #3: To see beats and interference in action.

Instructional Goal #3: To learn about the properties of sound that are important to biological creatures and the physical environment.
Objective #1: To learn about loudness in terms of decibels.
Objective #2: To see how creatures can use the Doppler Effect to locate and describe objects using sound waves.
Objective #3: To identify that the speed of sound is determined by the composition of a material.

B. Unit Overview
Introductory Demonstration: Bell in a Jar
Lab#1: Title: Speed of Sound
Activity #1 Title: Tuning fork spun in a circle
Worksheet: Title: Speed of Sound
Quiz 1: Title Sound Basics
Lab #2: Title: Doppler Effect
Worksheet #2: Title: Bats and Dolphins
Quiz 2: Title: Doppler Effect
Test: Sound

C. The Learning Cycle
Elicit
Find a tuning fork set and make beats with them. Do you know what is happening?

Engagement
How can one tuning fork affect another?
What is the speed of sound in air?
What is the speed of sound in water?
How loud is an airplane from 10m, 100m, 1000m away.
What is the concept of Intensity of sound?
How can the speed of sound be found in class?
Do the Echo/Reverb demonstration outside.
Spin the tuning fork in a circle
Play the sounds of police sirens coming at us and away from us.

Exploration
Hands On Activity/Laboratory Title: PVC pipe and tuning fork
Pre-Lab Discussion: How can this apparatus be used to find the speed of sound?
The lengthening of the air column will elicit amplitude matching and therefore a relationship in the length of column and frequency of pitchfork can be established
The relationship can be used to develop a graph of f v wavelength.
The students may not realize that it is only ¼ of the wavelength, but the relationship exists nonetheless.

Additional information
Draw a picture on the board of 2 dimensional wave inside pipe.
Students marking the pipe with pencil and measuring separately will get the best results.

Explanation

Sound
Characteristics of Sound. As beings that hear, we should be thankful for three things that make it all possible; sound waves, air (as a medium), and our ears to receive the sound waves. Sound CANNOT travel in the absence of matter. Without a medium, we wouldn’t be able to hear a thing.
Speed of Sound – related to both the elasticity of the medium and the density of the medium.
v = √(B/ρ)
where B is the elastic modulus and ρ is density.
In air, as the density increases, the velocity decreases. The speed of sound at 20 degrees Celsius is 343 m/s where as at 0 degrees Celsius it is 331 m/s.
Other speed of sound examples at 20 degrees Celsius and 1 atmosphere include:
Water 1440m/s
Seawater 1560m/s
Glass 4500m/s
Aluminum 5100m/s
Although sound slows down in colder air, if we move to a denser medium and much more elastic medium, (such as a liquid or solid), the speed of sound increases a lot.
Sound travels fastest through very elastic solids.
IQ question: If the speed of light is 3 x 108 m/s and the speed of sound is 340 m/s, then how can we tell how far away a thunderstorm is based on this information?
There are two aspects of sound; loudness (related to amplitude) and pitch (related to frequency).
Loudness – related to the energy in the sound wave.
Pitch – sound refers to whether it is high, like the sound of a violin, or low, like the sound of a base drum. The pitch is the frequency of the sound.
Audible Range – the range of frequencies that the human ear can hear (20Hz – 20,000Hz).
Ultrasonic – frequencies above 20,000 Hz.
Example: dog whistle


Infrasonic – frequencies below 20 Hz.
Example: earthquakes, volcanoes

Pressure waves – another name for longitudinal waves due the compressions (high pressure) and rarefaction (low pressure).

Intensity of Sound: Decibels
Intensity (I) – a physically measurable quantity of the energy transported by a wave per unit time across unit area. (it is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the wave). The units are Watts/meter2 or (W/m2)
Our intensity range is 10-12 W/m2 to 1 W/m2 (very painful and damaging to hear)
The loudness increases proportionally to the intensity. If the sound is increased by a magnitude of 10 W/m2, then it sounds twice as loud to our human ear.

Decibel (dB) – scale name after Alexander Graham Bell, used to describe the loudness in terms of intensity.

Intensity level (β in dB) is defined as

β(in dB) = 10 log (I/Io)

where I and Io represent the final intensity and initial intensity, respectively.

Amplitude Related to Intensity

A = 1/πf (I/2ρv)

Below is a list from the Noise Center of decibels we are exposed to:
Home
50 refrigerator
50 - 60 electric toothbrush
50 - 75 washing machine
50 - 75 air conditioner
50 - 80 electric shaver
55 coffee percolator
55 - 70 dishwasher
60 sewing machine
60 - 85 vacuum cleaner
60 - 95 hair dryer
65 - 80 alarm clock
70 TV audio
70 - 80 coffee grinder
70 - 95 garbage disposal
75 - 85 flush toilet
80 pop-up toaster
80 doorbell
80 ringing telephone
80 whistling kettle
80 - 90 food mixer or processor
80 - 90 blender
80 - 95 garbage disposal
110 baby crying
110 squeaky toy held close to the ear
135 noisy squeeze toys
Work
40 quiet office, library
50 large office
65 - 95 power lawn mower
80 manual machine, tools
85 handsaw
90 tractor
90 - 115 subway
95 electric drill
100 factory machinery
100 woodworking class
105 snow blower
110 power saw
110 leafblower
120 chain saw, hammer on nail
120 pneumatic drills, heavy machine
120 jet plane (at ramp)
120 ambulance siren
125 chain saw
130 jackhammer, power drill
130 air raid
130 percussion section at symphony
140 airplane taking off
150 jet engine taking off
150 artillery fire at 500 feet
180 rocket launching from pad
Recreation
40 quiet residential area
70 freeway traffic
85 heavy traffic, noisy restaurant
90 truck, shouted conversation
95 - 110 motorcycle
100 snowmobile
100 school dance, boom box
110 disco
110 busy video arcade
110 symphony concert
110 car horn
110 -120 rock concert
112 personal cassette player on high
117 football game (stadium)
120 band concert
125 auto stereo (factory installed)
130 stock car races
143 bicycle horn
150 firecracker
156 capgun
157 balloon pop
162 fireworks (at 3 feet)
163 rifle
166 handgun
170 shotgun

Sound
Sources of Sound: Vibrating Strings and Air Columns
In music we make sound by striking, plucking, bowing, or blowing. Standing waves are produced which cause the air (or medium) to vibrate and the sound waves reach our ear and we hear the music.
When we talk about music, each octave is simply doubling the frequency.
Pitch directly relates to frequency. The musical scale is generally called an “equally tempered chromatic scale.”
Fundamental Frequency – the lowest resonant frequency.
Remember that v = λf. As we decrease the wavelength, the frequency gets higher.
If we place a node directly in the middle of the fundamental frequency, then we get a harmonic or overtone. These are higher-frequency standing waves.

· Sound
Quality of Sound, and Noise When we hear a sound, we are aware of its pitch, loudness, and quality. We’d say some sounds are better quality than others. You can never mistake a guitar for a piano even if you play a note at the same loudness and pitch.
Quality (or timbre): tone distinctive to a particular voice, instrument, or sound.
The quality depends on the amount of overtones
the number of overtones
their relative amplitudes
You can affect the tone quality also by the way you play the instrument. For example, if you pluck the violin or use a bowstring, you get very different sound because of how long the note lasts or is held.
Noise – sounds of many frequencies together that have no comparisons to one another.
When a sound is a quality sound, the overtones relate to the fundamental tone. With noise, none of the frequencies relate.
Noise can relate to psychological problems or annoyance of the mind. We can also lose hearing if we hear too much noise.
Although noise hurts our hearing, it is very difficult to control. Ear protection is our best defense against it.
Interference of Sound Waves; Beats
When two waves pass through the same region at the same time, they interfere with one another. If you stand in one spot and two speakers are facing you, there’s a chance that you may hear them or not hear them at all depending on where you are standing. If the waves meet in phase with one another where you are, then you will hear a loud sound due to constructive interference. If you are standing where the waves from each speaker are out of phase, you will hardly hear anything because you’re standing in a deconstructive area.
Beats – the phenomenon that occurs if two sources of sound – say, two tuning forks – are close in frequency but not exactly the same. Sound waves from the two sources interfere with each other and the sound level at a given position alternately rises and falls; the regularly spaced intensity changes are called beats.
Beat Frequency – the difference in frequency of the two waves. (time it and invert the time).
Sound
· Doppler Effect
Doppler Effect – When a source sound is moving towards an observer, the pitch is higher than when the source is at rest; and when the source is traveling away from the observer, the pitch is lower.
Perform ball demo here to show how the pitch changes. The pitch increases as it is approaching an observer because the source is catching up to the sound wave traveling away from it. Since it is catching up, it decreases the wavelength between the waves, and therefore increases the pitch. On the other hand, when a the source is moving away from the observer, the source is pulling away from the sound wave as the sound wave travels towards the observer. This increases the distance between each wave and therefore lowers the frequency. To calculate the new frequency, we need the speed of the observer, the source of the sound, and the frequency of the source when it is not in motion.

f’ = f ((v +- vobs)/(v+-vsource))

· Shock Wave and the Sonic Boom
Supersonic speed – faster than the speed of sound

Mach number – ratio of the object’s speed to that of sound in the medium at that location. For example – a plane traveling 680 m/s in air where sound travels 340 m/s has a speed of Mach 2.

Shock Wave – when a source of sound moves faster than the speed of sound.

Sonic boom – the phenomenon that occurs when the speed of sound is broken. All of the compressions of the sound waves being produced are on top of each other since the plane or object is moving with the sound waves at the speed of sound. When all of the compressions are on top of one another, it creates a boom due to the constructive interference.

· Applications; Ultrasound and Medical Imaging

Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) – pulse –echo technique is used to locate underwater objects. A sound pulse is sent through the water and a detector receives its reflection or echo a short time later. This is timed and based on the speed of sound, a distance is calculated.
Ultrasonic – used in medicine to destroy unwanted tissue in the body, to create an image of internal organs, for pregnancy images.

A pulse-echo technique – like sonar, it’s used as an imaging technique to see into the body. It’s a way to see if there are growths on organs or pockets of fluid in the body.

Elaboration
Some of the items listed above can be used to explain what they have learned in the labs.
Application of new knowledge to how bats and dolphins find food is key to earlier biological lessons.
The chemical bond makeup becomes paramount to understanding how the sound moves through materials.
Defining mathematical relationships and graphing will link strongly to prior trigonometry skills, and equation building is really the first venture towards becoming an aware physicist.

Evaluation
Ongoing assessments of students will be made, including discussions, homework assignments, lab reports, quizzes, lab notebook checks, chapter tests and unit tests to continuously evaluate the comprehension and development of all students.

Additional Information
Formative evaluation of students is an ongoing process, not limited to one phase of the learning cycle.
Tests should provide students with opportunities from the lab experience, including interpreting data tables, performing lab-based calculations, designing lab experiments, etc.

Extend
Is light capable of moving in a medium?
Have students tune up wine glasses with water, and play a song like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

D. Required Resources
· PVC pipes
· Water containers
· Tuning forks
· Beat Box Tuning Forks
· Sound microphone
· Glasses
· Vacuum Jar
· Balloons
· Rulers
· Computers with microphones

E. Suggested Additional Activities & Resources (including technology integration, if applicable)
· Have students tune up wine glasses with water, and play a song like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star using Logger Pro and microphones.

Our curriculum documents for physics given here are more traditional in their format and are divided into six categories which are -

1. Instructional goals and objectives.
2. Unit Overview which includes suggested demos, labs, activities, and assessments.
3. The Learning Cycle - an explanation of the specifics of the unit that covers engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation.
4. Extend - application of material - critical thinking skills.
5. Required resources such as technology integration.
6. Suggested additional activities and resources.

The format is in list form. Each unit begins with defined goals and objectives for each topic within each unit. Learning activities and assessments are also listed and follow from these objectives. The document is easy to follow if you have taught the subject before, with tremendous detail that can be incorporated readily. The one suggestion I would have is a table that would show the curriculum for a topic at a glance rather than list form. This would offer a quick glance of the scope and sequence of each unit.
As an additional point, I tend to use my own version which is based on the UbD curriculum model. I incorporate both essential questions and enduring understandings at the beginning of each unit. This guides the assessments I develop and then in turns leads me to my activities.

3/4 -Week 7 - KK Question and Answer

How does school /community culture infleunce instruction in science in K-12?

Over the past few years some schools are moving on improving their science instruction by expanding their science offerings to lower primary school grades and by aligning these offerings from K-12. As such, science is becoming a key focus area for primary schools. The reaction from school principals has been mixed. Some have embraced the opportunity to expand and deepen the learning opportunities for science for their teachers and students. Some have cited the crowded curriculum as an issue preventing exploration of science curriculum within their sites. And others have been angry that they are expected to stretch resources, already strained by the need for literacy and numeracy support, to cover another learning area, especially in schools where very little science has been taught in the past and foundational work will be needed to support change. Thus the culture of a school may be one of positive embrace of science, status quo or down right rejection of science.
Parents’ views range from the belief that science education in the early years is of paramount importance, to believing that science should be taught only in secondary schools and that it should be the acquisition of reams of facts – perhaps a reflection of their own science education. Parents’ views are powerful drivers of school culture through school councils, participation in classroom activities and other formal and informal interactions with teachers and school leaders. Any teacher seeking to change the way science is taught and learned in primary schools will need to pay attention to the views of the extended community and work with parents in particular to foster the very best science education outcomes for our young people.
When asking quite a few teachers when they taught science during the week the answer has often been that it is scheduled in the afternoons, when students are restless, and that it will entertain them, and that it might be dropped from the program if other imperatives arise.
A common culture in school timetabling structures is that literacy and math tend to be taught in the mornings and other subject areas, perhaps deemed to be less important, are taught in afternoons.
During a recent conversation about primary science education, a classroom teacher commented that the majority of teachers in our primary schools have an arts or humanities background. Low confidence in teaching science through teachers’ perceptions of their lack of knowledge in the subject is often cited as a reason not to teach science.
Perhaps a culture in which it is regarded as being acceptable to learn with students rather than know all facts and skills before them may support and promote higher participation by both teachers and young people in scientific investigations through an inquiry approach.

2/25 - Week 6: What are the conditions when it is acceptable to "teach to the test"?

I suspect this phrase is often misused and may apply only to drills that are not practiced by most teachers. I had the opportunity 3 years ago to work on the physical science questions for the newly revised 2006 CAPT - or the Connecticut Aptitude Performance Test (equivalent to NJ's HSPA, but the science segment). We spend two weeks in the summer reviewing materials to insure that the questions truly reflected content taught. Having been one of educators who have written the questions for the state tests I would tell you that our objective was the same as the classroom teacher's: to help kids learn. Most teachers treat the state test as nothing more than another useful guide and motivator, with no significant change in the way they present their lessons. In some classes, such as the Advanced Placement courses that are available in most high schools, the need to prepare for a challenging exam outside of the teacher's control has often produced a remarkable new form of teamwork. Teacher and students work together to beat an exam that requires thought and analysis, not just memorization.

3/4: KK Rubric for Standardized Test Assessment Paper

To complete the Rubric we are to use for our standardized test assessment paper, I have added the following line for my rubric -

Categories: Making Connections

Does not meet expectations : Little or no evidence that the author can connect the information given regarding district policy with impact on teaching strategies and practices.

Meets Expectations: Some evidence that the author can connect the information given regarding the district policy with impact on teaching strategies and practices.

Exceeds Expectations: Clear evidence that the author can connect the information given regarding the district policy with impact on teaching strategies and practices.

2/25 - Week 6: How has NCLB and testing affected your classroom?

How has NCLB and testing affected your classroom? Teaching upperclassmen physics implies that my students have taken and passed the HSPA. Although standarized testing does not directly impact my classroom setting, NCLB does. "NCLB is the latest federal legislation from 2001 which enacts the theories of standards-based education reform, formerly known as outcome-based education, which is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. " (Wikipedia, 2001). The goal is to have compliance of all school districts by 2014. The concept of NCLB is a good one and falls in line with a differentiated classroom. In an effort to support both reading and writing skills - writing across disciplines has been initiated at many schools at all grade levels including seniors. One of the shortcomings of NCLB is that the school districts can determine what needs to be done to avoid noncompliance. Often in order for school districts to avoid failing they search for short-term solutions—test preparation, for example—rather than longer-term, more powerful solutions, such as curriculum-focused professional

Classroom Assessment Practices Survey

By Katherine Korkidis

Name:__________________________________ Date:____________________Subject/Grade:___________________

1. What type of assessments do you find most informative in your classroom? Why?



2. Do you apply differentiated assessments for your students? Can you give an example.



3. Do your assessments drive your instructional strategies? If so, how?



4. Do your students create their own assessments? In other words are your assessments teacher -directed or student -directed or a combination of both.


5. How do you use the data obtained from your assessment strategies?




6. Do your students do self-assessment?




7. Do you use technology as an assessment tool? If so, how?



8. Do you use rubrics as an assessment tool?




9. Do you offer your students revision and discussion of their assessments?




10. How do you use assessments in your classroom?

Article #2: A guide to standardized Writing Assessment

I am a supporter of the use of a writing assessment in all subject areas and as part of a standardized exam. In CT this was a state requirement across all disciplines and across all schools. To digress for a few lines, as I began to apply this requirement to physics I could see the need to improve my students writing skills, particularly in science writing. My students had mastered how to write lab reports, but could not write a formal paper. Several years ago I introduced an authentic assessment project entitled " The Scientist of the Month". This writing assignment requires the student to do research on the life and work of a scientist that has played a major role in the material we are covering in class e.g. Newton and Galileo, etc. The paper is 2000 words and must cite 5 references in APA format and consists of two parts.

For example for October's paper on Isaac Newton the students were asked to do the following:



Part 1: Your essay should provide a brief background on Isaac Newton, the man and the scientist. The paper begins with his family history from his early days in England to his student days at Cambridge. Your paper should provide a brief biographical overview of Isaac Newton, from his birth in England in 1642 to his groundbreaking scientific theories and discoveries. The paper should cover Newton's scientific achievements, starting with the fact that he established a unified theory of approach to modern science. It should discuss his discoveries relating to the white light, the telescope and to the field of optics in general. The paper should also covers Newton's mathematical achievements in the form of calculus and his most famous discovery of all - gravity.


Part 2:
The main focus of this section of the paper is Newton's three laws of motion.
1) Law of Inertia;
2) Law of Acceleration; and
3) Law of Interaction.

Your paper should explain what each law is, how it applies to the behavior of motion and what its significance is to the world of physics. Comment on how through these three laws, Newton was able to prove the nature of objects in the universe, and how they interact with each other.



This monthly assignment helps me monitor my students improvement in their writing skills over time.



Returning to the article Baldwin(1) points out that" strong writing skills have become an increasingly important commodity in the 21st century". As students move through college into their fields of choice - communication through wirting is key; whether it is through a blog or a formal or informal report, it is used as one of the "must meet" objectives for performance reviews.


(1) Baldwin, D. (2004). A Guide to Standarized Writing Assessment. Educational Leadership, 72-75.

2/18 - Week 5: Using Standarized test results.

How do you and teachers in your school use standarized test results?


Standarized tests can be categorized as either criterion referenced tests or norm-referenced tests. The difference lies in that scores on criterion referenced tests are interpreted by relating performance to some predetermined criterion, whereas scores on norm-referenced tests are interpreted by comparing them with scores obtained by members of the group on which the test was normed.

Most school districts including those in Sparta Township use standardized test results for:

• diagnosing learning difficulties;
• detecting discrepancies between potential and achievement, for example scholastic aptitude tests (which are general in nature and measure one's ability to improve as a result of instruction) and achievement tests (which are specific in nature and tend to be used to evaluate an individual's status upon the completion of a particular subject area);
• assessing growth in academic achievement;
• grouping students for instruction according to some attribute that may be measured (in conjunction with other sources of data such as cummulative records, report card grades, and teacher judgement);
• planning instructional activities; and
• determining reasonable achievement levels in order to modify the curriculum.

In addition scores can be used to determine the performance of Sparta schools with other similar schools in other districts. Trends in performance for a district over many years can be very informative. Parents and the community use these scores to monitor the performance of their school district. I remember in CT, the CAPT (I believe similar to HSPA in NJ) scores were published in the state paper and used to rank high schools. Prospective home buyers would use these scores to determine where they would move to to insure a quality education for their children. The scores can also be used, under the federal NCLB law in the United States, where low test scores mean schools and districts can be labeled "in need of improvement" - this happened to a school in CT in a nearby district.

It should be noted that in Sparta these test scores do not drive instruction nor curriculum - they simply offer suggestions - according to my colleagues. Yet, reality dictates that some preparation for the students imbedded in instruction must be done so they can be successful.

2/11 - Week 4: Addressing Parental Concern

"A parent has challenged the time you spend on giving your tests as well as those mandated by the state. How do you respond?"


My answer to this parent would be as follows:

"State testing neither drives nor dictates currriculum and instruction; instead it focuses instruction. In my view state testing focuses educational resources such as instruction on the most important aspects of education - imparting a pre-defined set of knowledge and skills. Often aspects of the state test can be incorporated into daily assessments.
In addition, preparing for state tests or any tests given in a course through review insures that both the student and the teacher can determine the degree of understanding of the material. I find when we review for any test, not matter how limited the time spent, I walk away with a better perspective as to what still needs to be developed or any misconceptions. It is an exercise that insures valuable data for all parties involved."

The Six Facets of Assessment

The Six Facets of Assessment - Why assess?



1. Reflection on Instructional Strategies

2. Revision of Instructional Strategies

3. Setting teaching/learning objectives

4. Improve my teaching

5. Meet the need of the students

6. Meeting Instructional Goals

7. Placement of students

8. Question Assessment



How do we test students in a classroom setting?

Observation

Questioning

Authentic Assessment

Participation

2/4 - Week 3: RAFT Post 2/6/09

In a supervisory position, I might have to act as a mediator between the teacher and her convictions with those of the parent. In this RAFT, I take on the role of a subject area supervior discussing a student's placement in CP versus Honors with an angry parent. The conversation is through a phone interaction.

Scenerio:
R: Subject Area Supervisor
A: Angered parent about student placement
F: Phone Conversation
T: School's decision for student's placement in CP vs. Honors

A - Angry parent

R - Subject area supervisor.

R - Goodmorning Mrs. Madison, I understand that you wish to speak with me regarding Billy's placement in CP Physics.

A- Yes, that is correct!! I am very concerned that your decision has tracked Billy and will affect both his GPA and how colleges view his performance. Billy plans to go into Engineering and needs to show promise in physics. Billy does well in math and science, why would you do this to my son?


R - Mrs. Madison, I understand your concerns and know you want Billy to succeed. The key to success for any student is to help him build the confidence he needs to tackle the material at hand. Honors physics, although covering the same topics, moves at a much faster pace than CP. If a student falls behind for any reason, he might become lost. This affects the student in two ways: one, the student loses his confidence to be able to master the material and two, the student eventually loses interest in the subject matter - in other words, loses engagement. Ultimately, this leads to poor performance. In CP Physics, Billy will be able to follow the material at his own pace.


A- Are you saying that Billy is not competent in handling the material in Honors Physics?


R - No not at all, Mrs. Madison - we feel Billy is very competent - that is why we recommended that Billy take Physics his senior year.


R - Billy is a meticulous worker. He likes to take the time to perfect each assignment. His math skills are good but require extra time for him to work through each problem. In a faster paced course, Billy will be overwhelmed and stressed. Our goal is to have Billy succeed and receive a grade that will show his perspective colleges that he can master physics.


A- But colleges are looking for higher level courses!!


R- Yes, and physics is considered by virtue of its content, a higher level course. On Billy's transcipt, physics will stand out, especially with a high grade which we feel Billy can achieve. Moreso, we would like Billy to finish physics with the confidence that he can succeed in any future physics course in college.

R- Mrs. Madison, our goal is to work with you and Billy to give him the tools he needs to be successful in college. A thorough understanding of the concepts in physics will provide him with those tools. We are laying a solid foundation for Billy upon which he can build once he enters college.

A- But he will not enter a good college if he is not taking Honors Physics!!

R- Mrs. Madison, colleges do look for higher level courses to some degree, but moreso, they look for overall performance in the courses taken. Since physics by virtue of the course material is considered higher level, both requirements are fulfilled. In additon, physics is an elective in our science program. The fact that Billy decided to take this elective will impress colleges in of itself.

A- Are you sure he will be seen as a strong science student?

R- Mrs. Madison, Billy's transcript will speak for itself especially accompanied by a strong finish in physics.

A- Are you sure he will do well?

R - Mrs. Madison, I know Billy will try his best!!

A- Ok then, we will go with your recommendation.

R- Mrs. Madison, I thank you for your support. With your guidance and mine, Billy will know he can address any challenge and succeed- the best gift we can both offer him.

Article #1: Why teachers must be data experts - 1/28/09

Standarized testing is only one type of data and can be somewhat limiting. There are many forms of data that are often much more relevant and informative to the classroom setting. Such data collection, although not numerical in nature can be just as effective, if not moreso. Science and math teachers, such as myself, generally and traditonally see only numerical date as valid and significant. "In teaching, relationships and perceptions matter as much as curriculum and practice"(Morrison, 2008). This approach allows educators to target their instruction on a global scale and also stimulates differentiation by virtue of targeting on a individual or subpopulation scale. The goal here is to inform the educator and to aid in adapting instruction, not to drive instruction. If resistance to data generated by standarized tests is evident in teachers it is because they have not bought into the idea that all data can be useful to create the overall picture. It is also perceived, at times, that standarized data must drive instruction - "teach to the test". In reality such data can be used successfully to guide student learning and instruction. Morrison points out that to have "buyin" by teachers, both the purpose and relevance of such data must be made clear - it is more than just a "snapahot". In additon, the data should be shared and interpreted amongst colleagues with a similar discipline - so all can benefit from what is revealed. Typically such data as Morrison points out is treated as a separate entity - a stand alond test. "The problem is that we frame data as an entity teachers need to meet and engage with, rather than as information that arises organically out of teachers work with learners"(Morrison, 2008). If both forms of data are used together they complement instruction and will most benefit student learning.

Post for January 28, 2009 -

What type of data do you use to make decisions in your classroom?
I tend to use formative assessments daily/weekly and summative assessments at the end of a unit only. I begin each class with the "Question of the Day" and end with a "Journal Question". The former is a review question on the previous day's work and acts as an opening activity to focus the students on the lesson to come. In addition, it provides me with immediate feedback if I should review the previous material again or continue. The latter is an assessment question on new learning. The latter is collected frequently with no warning and is done as a closing activity the last ten minutes of class. In addition, I give frequent quizzes on small "chunks" of instructional material to aid in determining understanding of all aspects of the unit. We do project based learning interlaced into traditional lecture - based physics. The project product is another summative assessment which incorporates a product, testing of the product, and an oral PPT class presentation. This is in addition to the unit written exam. The project also has milestones that are defined steps that the students must accomplish for the successful completion of the product; self -reflection through an engineering log is also incorporated. In addition, in lab based science courses, we have the priviledge of labs that allows us to monitor students working in small groups. Understanding the applied new concept accurately is key. It is immediately apparent if the student understands the concept taught.
Also, Kagin practices are incorporated depending on the content for small group interactions. For reinforcement of new concepts through problem-solving, we work in our small project teams rather than in a large classroom setting.
All these approaches generate data that offers both immediate and long term understanding of students' individual performance.

1/28 - Week 2: What type of data do you use to make decisions in your classroom?

What type of data do you use to make decisions in your classroom?



Since in 2001 NCLB was introduced to the education world it appears that often standarized testing or summative assessment drives rather than facilitates instruction. Although the data offered by such testing is informative, standarized testing is only one type of data and can be somewhat limited. Other forms of data can be more relevant and informative to the classroom setting and for the individual student. Such data collection, although not numerical in nature, is just as effective, if not moreso. Science and math teachers generally and traditionally see only numerical data as valid and significant. "In teaching, relationships and perceptions matter as much as curriculum and practice (Morrison, J. (2008). Why Teachers Must Be Data Experts. Educational Leadership, 66(4), . My practice of formative assessment - an ongoing alternative, incorporates all three approaches namely; "on the fly" which I call teachable moments, planned for interaction, and formal or embedded in the curriculum, techniques. My assessment strategy then is to use assessment on a continual basis to allow it to become an integral part of the teaching-learning process.

1/21/09 - Week 1 - How have particular assessments or tests infleunced your life?

How have particular assessments or tests influenced your life?

I suspect every stage of my professional life has been influenced by assessments or tests starting from my elementary school education, high school SATs, exams in college, the GMAT, through my graduate doctoral thesis and my post doctoral experience. During my course in industry, assessments took a different personna - namely, deadlines, progress reports, adherence to milestones, and performance reviews. When I moved into the consulting world my assessment was based on number and type of large biotech and pharma accounts I brought to our firm - growth of this business. My entry to the world of education brought new forms of assessment such as the Praxis exams for certification, BEST in CT, curricular pacing and completion, performance reviews through observations and PIPs, to name afew. Each assessment opened the door to the next stage in my life. For example, my assessments in the pharma industry led to an internal position to review new technologies as a lead in to developing joint ventures. As the position matured further assessments such as the growth of this business made me attactive to a separate consulting firm that brought new technologies to the foreground for all pharma/biotech companies through such joint research ventures. Each new position and promotion was based on an assessment of my previous performance.