The Importance of Measurement
Science and math, by virtue of the paper medium through which they are most frequently disseminated, are intrinsically oversimplified. The questions used have explicit values, and a single correct...
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Moving Beyond GRASP – GAP Analysis in Problem Solving.
When I was in school, we were taught a process of problem solving called GRASP, an acronym for: Given Required Analyze Solve Paraphrase At the time it drove me nuts, because it was the least helpful...
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Classroom 1.9
As many are wont to point out, twenty-first century learning skills are not specifically about computers and technology. It’s just that computers facilitate the interactions and collaboration inherent...
View ArticleInauthenticity and the Null Hypothesis
Some of my more astute students point out that problems that ignore everyday forces are unrealistic. This is true, in the sense that projectiles will face air resistance, rolling objects will...
View ArticleThings I don’t Believe
The definition of belief, if I may borrow from dictionary.com, is an opinion or conviction, confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. Belief is...
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Using the Sloan SkyServer
In Grade 9 Science, we are currently doing the Astronomy unit. Today we were looking at the shapes of galaxies, and a variety of deep sky objects one can see with even a modest telescope. Instead of...
View ArticleOn inquiry, pseudo-discovery and Socrates as a canine
I am assured that, even though the migration issue has STILL not been resolved, I can continue to post without worrying about losing anything. Just in case, I am keeping a backup… At the end of the...
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Bingo! From academic to authentic
This year, for the ecology unit in grade 9 Science I decided to focus on invasive species. The Ministry of Natural Resources and other non-government organizations have been putting out plenty of...
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Eighty minutes well spent
Eric Mazur gives a terrific, evidence based explanation of what is wrong with lecturing as a primary source of knowledge transfer, and what to do about it. I really like his explanation, about 51...
View Articlelittle insights
I am always on the lookout for little insights into how students think, and this is an example of how students can perceive the answer on paper to be the end goal, rather than learning. We are working...
View ArticleShouldn’t it be blue?
I love how people think, and I love teachable moments. We were using extracted red cabbage juice as a pH indicator today, and a student came to ask what he should do if he made a mistake. I asked what...
View ArticleRandom thoughts on things to implement in my class
There are lots of strategies I would like to try in my classroom, but I’m not always sure how they would work. But here are a few of the ideas I have been tossing around, in no particular order: Make...
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