Final Reflections Post

My project goal was to create a lot of videos of lecture content to begin flipping my classroom.  While I created some videos, I didn't make as many as I thought I could.  This was mostly because it is time consuming and I needed to create an entire interactive Chemistry course.  I spent a lot of my 80% time trying to figure out how I wanted to teach Chemistry and how I would integrate technology and PBL.  Now, I'm finally getting to the "nuts and bolts".  Either way, my work this summer involved improving my learning environments for students by integrating technology and student project opportunities.  While I didn't achieve all of my goals, it's an ongoing process and I will continue to develop content throughout the semester.  I am determined to have a mostly flipped classroom for Chemistry and A&P by 2nd semester.  I would like the courses to be very interactive online for a variety of reasons. 

I was influenced through a variety of ways.  Hearing about flipped classrooms from our math department motivated my change.  Additionally, watching Bozeman science videos, I realized that I could create my own content that way.  He's more interesting, but I'm sure I'll get there.  I didn't really receive any feedback from peers, but it's probably because I couldn't attend classes and was a little late in the game.  Overall, I'm excited about my project and its continuation.  Learning how to make the screencasts and sitting down with the Showme app made me feel a lot more confident about creating these videos.  That was my major setback, but it was easy to overcome.

I'm hoping to hear feedback from students about their learning.  A lot of students gave positive feedback about math teachers that flipped their classroom.  I hope students are motivated to learn this way and actually watch the videos.  I plan to give Quia quizzes (which I mostly copied from other teachers using similar content...so helpful!) after video topics.  I won't count them as quizzes, but more as warmups for class.  I will also be creating pre and post assessments for every subunit. 

If I were to start over, I would get going sooner.  However, I took so many classes this summer that I simply didn't have time to start the Summer Institute work sooner.  Also, the classes I was taking were shaping my own class content, flow, and presentation.

I won't really know if what they are learning now is better than before.  I know it is different and will be new, but I don't have any way to compare considering I wasn't teaching Chemistry last year.  For A&P, I can compare last year and 1st semester to 2nd semester.  My changes will really need to unfold during the year, because my main concern was getting Chemistry solid.  Here is a link to the Chemistry wiki that I have invested most of my time into.  You can also look at my other wikis on the left hand side.

Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership: School, school, more school...and now I return to school

In terms of engaging in professional growth, I've spent most of my summer taking classes.  I've taken an intensive lab safety course to improve our science lab safety at MSHS.  I've "brushed up" on college level Chemistry to improve my level of instruction to students, better preparing them for their future.  I've played around on some Coursera courses (but didn't complete them from lack of time).  I've also been involved in the Summer Institute.  Though I wish I could've attended more classes, I feel that I accomplished a lot.

In addition to classes, I've been collaborating some lessons with a fellow Chemistry teacher in Michigan.  She has a wonderful implementation of technology and we are hoping to create some projects together.  For years, she has created annual safety videos at the end of the year to show her up and coming students.  I've always enjoyed showing her videos but am hoping to have my students develop the same, and we can share our content.  I look forward to other great collaborations, as well.

Learning to use Showme was a big step in my own professional development, but it was so simple.  This is a curriculum video that I created on Temperature scales:

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity: Opportunities for PBL

I've really struggled to integrate project-based learning, while still maintaining the accountability of a standards-based class. There just isn't enough time to ensure that students are effectively learning what they need to know for college, while allowing them to explore and apply their learning to life's problems.  I feel that I have merged the standards-based and project-based this year by implementing semester long projects in my A&P and Chemistry courses. 

I had a great time with some semester, student driven, projects in Environmental Science.  Students were able to choose a way to impact the community involving Environmental Science.  This was a bit to open-ended the first semester, and students struggled to stay on task and on schedule.  During the second semester, with a smaller class, we were able to develop a project as a class.  Students chose to work in Bloggett Open Space with the Rocky Mountain Field Institute.  They blogged about it and loved the experience.  But, the expectation of outcome in Environmental Science is different from that of Chemistry or A&P.  Environmental Science is a course designed to get students thinking about science in their world.  Chemistry and A&P are designed to prepare students for college level work.  So, developing projects for these courses, while challenging student intellect, was a struggle.

Recently, however, I discovered some great curriculum put out by NSTA.  Forensics in Chemistry takes students through a semester long exploration of a murder scene.  They use concepts from regular chemistry and apply them with inquiry skills to test and explore the unanswered questions of the case.  Diagnosis for Classroom Success for A&P takes students through clinical applications of A&P content.  I'm excited to implement both of these this year as semester long projects to compliment my classes, merging project based learning with standards-based learning.  Students will use a variety of technology to communicate their findings and collaborate with each other. 

The video I am posting for this is actually part of my summer project, creating content/lecture videos for students.

Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility: Keeping work in school

The greatest lack of digital citizenship and responsibility that I found in my class was with homework assignments.  Pretty regularly, I received homework that appeared copied from another student.  Many times, the copying was obvious but sometimes, the copying was discrete.  Regardless, it's unacceptable.  So, I have chosen to develop lecture videos for a flipped classroom environment.  Not only does this allow me a greater understanding of student achievement, but it also allows me to control academic dishonesty.  Additionally, working on practice problems, while in class, rather than lecture, notes, etc. gives less time for students to become distracted on their devices.

I've decided to use a combination of ShowMe, Explain Everything, and the Screencast-o-matic.  I think that each app has its benefits depending on the type of instruction I am providing.  Below is a ShowMe video that students will use during the first week of classes to review scientific notation and percent error.

Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Building a wiki...again.

I've spent a lot of my time working on how to use technology in a Chemistry class.  I'm accepting that I still don't have all of the answers, but I have a start.  In three years of using iPads, I've taught different curriculum each year, and I feel like I haven't had the time to perfect and improve upon my class.  While I reapply the things I'm already using, it's difficult to find the time to improve when I'm busy fixing new curriculum and disposing of a chemical mess.

I spent a lot of time investigating the textbook that I would like to use.  CK-12 has really improved its textbook materials for upper level sciences, but I think I will be using a traditional book this year.  I made this decision based upon my personal iPad and electronic textbook use.  My curriculum, assignments and quizzes are online and I find it difficult to switch from one to the next, while staying focused.  For students that feel differently, I do have an online version available.  I think the hard copy book is easier to navigate with other stuff.  I was not tied to a textbook in Physical Science or Environmental Science, but I feel these sciences have a little more freedom and less pressure for future expectations.

I have mostly set up my wiki to have my Chemistry curriculum online.  I've also posted district Chemistry EL's which were never on the MSSD website.  I want to begin creating my notes slides and recording lectures for homework, so that students can work on problems or labs during class time.  I would also like to learn more about how the math classes are using iPads to better serve my students in their Chemistry problems.

Overall, I'm concerned that my use of technology in Chemistry is not as creative as it was in my other courses.  I'm struggling the find a balance of time between having students ready for college Chemistry courses and integrating technology.  I have learned a lot about how technology is currently used in college science courses, but it isn't in exciting or creative ways.  It is mostly in procedural ways involving formatting lab reports and handing in basic assignments.