Last full day of BCCE and what a day it was! Started the day with an amazing plenary speaker, Holly Walter Kerby and her work with Fusion Science Theater. She talked about the aspects of a good play and how to use that same idea when doing a demonstration. This engages the learner, helps them focus on the concepts behind the demo, and gives them an active role in the experience.
Shelly Belleau is a chemistry and physics teacher from the Denver metro area. This school year she is working as a teacher on special assignment at the University of Coloroado, Boulder. Shelly anaitcipates returning to the high school classroom next fall. Below is our coversation about inquiry.
1. How do you define inquiry? or What does inquiry look like to you?
My husband and I are both chemists, but in very different capacities. My focus is teaching while he is a lab supervisor. As such, we have very different discussions when we meet with colleagues. Usually. A few weeks ago we attended a meeting together and I felt right at home. The discussion topic was lab audits. This is when fellow chemists enter a different lab and make sure that everyon
Wishing all of you a very Mole-tastic day today! Enjoy each 6.02 x 10^23 moment!!
A good inquiry activity is an engaging way to begin a new semester.
Wow! Night one of the semester we did the activity Change You Can Believe In. It was my second time facilitating, so I did a much better job of directing students when they asked questions and it went much faster than last semester. I did still, as expected, have students that were frustrated.
One of the mantras in the article was “Blind people can’t do those things.” Blind people can’t walk without a cane. Blind people can’t climb trees. Blind people can’t go to a regular public school. Blind people can’t do various jobs. Blind people can’t pursue certain careers.
Labs! They have been the most overwhelming part of my career in chemistry. I felt the least prepared in this area when I began teaching and walked into my first lab as a teacher. Knowing all of the chemicals and equipment were under my care was a bit terrifying.
Last night I had the opportunity to do another lab that I wrote with my students. It is so exciting to see something go from words on a screen to a group of students working together in a laboratory. I learned so much as I walked around the room last night. Here are a few highlights:
I am teaching this summer and it is especially exciting as I am piloting the labs I wrote this spring. We are using these labs exclusively and I am collecting student feedback for each lab to help in the editing, refining, and revision process.
