New Strategies and Approaches

I recently changed how I deliver notes to students. I’ve come to a point in my career where I absolutely cannot stand starting with direct lecture. I read about a practice called “just in time instruction” that inspired me to give notes when the need arises. Now, when my students are in the middle of new learning, I will tape answered copies of notes on my lab benches or to a whiteboard and give students a chance to copy from them. I will then have some form of formative assessment that requires the notes to figure out the answers. The results of this formative assessment give me information on what I need to review with students. This will usually look like me talking through the notes and giving students a chance to process them without having to worry about copying what is on the board. Previously, when I gave notes live to students, they were too busy focusing on copying every word rather than understanding what the words meant. Giving a filled in notesheet ahead of time has removed the unnecessary stress and put the responsibility of actually understanding the content on the students. I am excited about this new method. We are always learning, even after 11 years in the classroom!

Anthony Stetzenmeyer, Senior Fellow

Last school year, my students expressed wanting more flexibility in how they present their ideas and work on projects, so this year, the other physics teacher and I have worked to modify them. For example, in our momentum unit, the students research a safety feature that helps protect them during a collision (vehicles or sports are the common situations). Last year, students had to create an informational video to share their research. This year, they created a written research synopsis and a Public Service Announcement (PSA)—either a set of posters, each geared towards a specific audience, or an audio or video commercial. The PSAs ranged from convincing people to use the product (such as using a seatbelt, a helmet, or shin guards) or completing regular safety checks to ensure their product is working correctly (such as a backup camera or emergency braking system). One of my students was so proud of her work on this project that she sent her PSA video to all of her teachers and posted it on her social media. A few of her teachers shared with me and the student that they watched the video multiple times, and they will remember her video when they use a seatbelt because it was so funny and well crafted. For an upcoming energy project, my sophomore physics students will research an innovation in energy (for example, a specific windmill farm or a hydroelectric dam) or how an innovation impacts the use of energy (such as AI or computers). They will also create a product advocating for a change, big or small. I am currently thinking through what these different products could look like and how to support students in creating quality products. My hope is that after completing the project my students will be able to publish, send, post, or share it outside of their immediate classroom community.

Jessica Estes, 2021 Fellow

I just learned from other Knowles Fellows about Inquiry Cubes! This is an awesome idea for students to make observations and predict patterns while working with a physical manipulative. I’m curious about using this as a class culture-building activity in my advisory and how to apply it in a biology context.

Mers Tran, 2023 Fellow

An ongoing feature in Kaleidoscope, Call and Response features short responses to a writing prompt. Do you have an idea for a storytelling prompt? Contact us at kaleidoscope@knowlesteachers.org.