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Summer of POGIL: Reflections and Teaching Tips

Stephanie O'Brien | Tue, 07/17/2018 - 09:35

The summer is an ideal time for reflection, a time to process and grow as an educator. This summer I was fortunate enough to attend the POGIL® National Meeting at Washington University in Saint Louis as well as assist as one of the facilitators at the Northeast Regional Meeting at Manhattan College. While there are numerous ways to spend your summer vacation, I wanted to share some reasons why POGIL® draws me in time and again.

Developing Learning Targets and Structuring Assessments

Ben Meacham | Mon, 07/09/2018 - 13:06

Though students, parents, and teachers should be able to access and interpret the learning targets, they are primarily written for the students to reflect on, not just you. Typically, they are written as “I can” statements. Because our level of understanding is so much different than our students’, it is far too easy to write a target that you think is easily interpretable, while at the same time, remains unclear to your students.

 

JCE 95.06 June 2018 Issue Highlights

Mary Saecker | Wed, 06/13/2018 - 22:45

The June 2018 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: investigating nanoscopic structures, innovative curriculum, inquiry-based investigations, using games to teach, outreach on climate change and research ethics, instrumental analysis, organic chemistry laboratory experiments, scientific data analysis, chemical education research, from the archives: food dyes.

Electronic Portfolios and Final Exams

Lauren Stewart | Mon, 06/04/2018 - 08:25

In the past five years I have wrestled with the questions, “what is the purpose of a final exam” and “how do I incorporate a final exam into my grading system.” At this point, I have found peace in answers to both of these questions and part of that relies on my students completing an electronic portfolio.

A Simple Tool to Help Make the Retake Process Less Chaotic

Ben Meacham | Thu, 05/17/2018 - 23:51

Part of placing value on the process of learning means giving students multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding. Reassessments are an inevitable part of the process. For many teachers, this presents a logistical problem. To help streamline the entire process, I would like to share a simple strategy that anyone can replicate in a short amount of time.

JCE 95.05 May 2018 Issue Highlights

Mary Saecker | Mon, 05/07/2018 - 22:51

The May 2018 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: electrochemistry and corrosion; textbooks; research on the chemistry teacher pipeline, argument-driven inquiry, and online homework; using everyday objects to teach; teaching organic chemistry with games; communication and writing; examining and creating innovative curriculum; computer-aided discovery activities; exploring kinetics; interdisciplinary laboratory investigations; from the archives: applications of 3D printing for teaching chemistry.

Incorporating Authentic Assessments in Chemistry

Ben Meacham | Mon, 04/16/2018 - 14:27

Recently, my district made a commitment to helping its teachers reflect and rethink their grading and assessment practices. One of the phrases I kept hearing throughout our staff professional development sessions was authentic assessment. I understood (and agreed with) the basic premise—create more opportunities for students to perform tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. Doing so involves going beyond, or even potentially replacing, traditional summative assessments at the end of each unit.