Blogs

ChemEd X contributors offer their ideas and opinions on a broad spectrum of topics pertaining to chemical education.

Blogs at ChemEd X reflect the opinions of the contributors and are open to comments. Only selected contributors blog at ChemEd X. If you would like to blog regularly at ChemEd X, please use our Contribution form to request an invitation to do so from one of our editors.

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text: The AP Exam is Over. NOW WHAT?
The AP Exam is Over, Now What?
// Friday, May 28, 2021 • Kristen Drury
I have been teaching AP Chemistry for 13 years and every year I have multiple weeks of instruction following the AP Chemistry Exam. I have tried many different ideas for instruction during those weeks. In years past I have taught introduction to organic chemistry and/or nuclear chemistry.
The Sweet and Delicious Chemistry of Brownies
// Wednesday, May 26, 2021 • Scott Donnelly
Like a lot of folks (including students), I love brownies. My teaching style and objectives emphasize the applications of chemistry learned in lecture to everyday consumer products familiar to students.
text: Teaching Chemistry with Case Studies
Teaching Chemistry With Case Studies
// Tuesday, May 25, 2021 • Josh Kenney
Case studies have been a staple of undergraduate and graduate education programs like medicine, law, and business, for many years.
Precision in Language is Precision in Thought: Tell the Duck
// Monday, May 24, 2021 • Joseph Lomax
Students often are so confused that they cannot formulate a question. This is not bad, but is a good starting point in their learning. Getting such a student to talk through a problem, to the best of their abilities, typically causes them to stumble through their words. This is great. 
orange balloon in pan of dry ice
Real vs Ideal - Do Students "Get It"?
// Saturday, May 22, 2021 • Ben Meacham
The first time I taught an Honors chemistry class, I noticed there was one additional topic in our unit on gases that differed from our General chem and Concepts chem classes: ideal vs. real gas behavior.
4 images of open laptop as they appear to flip
Flipping the Structure of my Flipped Classroom
// Friday, May 21, 2021 • Kristen Drury
Why I Started Flipping As a flipped classroom teacher for almost a decade, I have gone through many major shifts in my teaching philosophies and it has changes the way I have delivered my videos.
electronic balance
The Sanctity of the (Electronic) Balance
// Thursday, May 20, 2021 • Michael Jansen
Good day, gentle readers: Back in the day, and I’m talking, like, over 40 years ago, I had the good fortune to be invited, in spite of my lackluster performance in Organic Chemistry, to work as a summer student in Professor Tom Tidwell’s lab at the University of Toronto.
An example of a study group selfie photo from the author's chemistry course taken in a laboratory setting
Study Group Selfie: Building a Community and Fostering a Sense of Belonging
// Wednesday, May 19, 2021 • Thomas Cox
As teachers, we are likely all trying to build a healthy learning community within our classrooms. And as teachers, we additionally encourage students to form chemistry study groups. I also want students to have a sense of belonging within the chemistry class and laboratory.