Distance, Acceleration and velocity are really the least developed strengths in my repertoire but that Gizmo is a great tool! I'd love to find an application for it in the library because you can never be exposed to too many cool tools. I've got to find a great book to hook that too and then teach it in the Universe in One Room.
This may be an esoteric or unreasonable thing to think about this wonderful STEM class, but I've often wished that classes that had great hands-on applications like this would be offered in the fall so that the unholy hairball of testing didn't get in the way of doing great projects. I think teachers are more willing to take risks with their classes because the Test is not imminent and everyone has the full semester to implement a project without having to consider the bloody testing schedule and work around that. We're all fresh and creative and the horizon is clear before us in the Fall.
Spring Break is real buzz kill for projects too. We also don't have a week in the middle of Fall term to boink things up. Spring term has Parent Conferences, Spring Break and Testing that really dilute the learning experience. I'm at the tail end of my program and have also mentored student teachers and practicum students. Spring term is counter-intuitive to giving people who are practicing the craft a time to implement hands-on learning. Spring is not the greatest time for teacher-learners to implement hand-on stuff. Testing is not a hands-on activity and that's not going to improve if we are going to start linking teacher evaluation to student performance on those Spring tests. Just thoughts and you may have no control over it but it really struck me the other night listening to people mention losing a week for Break and then having to focus on the test and then the whole testing schedule..... Just barking in the wind tonight! Think I'll go spawn me a wolf to keep me company!
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