Physics! Blog!
Latest Post
Whiteboard Face-Off
Next up in whiteboarding modes: The Whiteboard Face-Off (aka Board Meetings*). When we have a Face-Off, every group is whiteboarding the same problem. No one presents. Instead, we sit on the tables (bringing in our circle and keeping people from just doing more work in the packet and skipping the discussion) and all share our … Continue reading
Featured Posts
The Mistake Game (which I’ll describe in more detail in just a moment) has become the default mode of whiteboarding (problems, not experiments) in my physics classes. I’ve written about it before (old links at the bottom of this post), but felt like I needed to write again, now that I’ve been using it almost … Continue reading
What is LinReg and how can I get it? Note: This is not meant to be an advertisement. I was in no way solicited by, nor am I affiliated with, the creator of the program. This is a recommendation and love letter about a tool that has made a huge difference in my classes this … Continue reading
“LOL diagrams are my life.” —Honors Physics student from 2010 I have to admit, first of all, that I wasn’t expecting to love energy bar charts (when I first heard about them at a Modeling Instruction workshop). I didn’t originally learn to solve energy problems that way, and when I first saw them, I thought … Continue reading
I’ve had a lot of requests lately to explain my grading system, so I thought I would outline it in as much detail as possible here. I learned this summer that what I do is apparently called “conjunctive scoring”. That is, students cannot compensate for a low score in one area (say, their understanding of forces) … Continue reading
I talked about my use of goal-less problems on my physics semester exam. The essential idea is that the question is actually just a description of a situation. The student’s job is to model the situation as best they can using the physics they know. First step: say which models apply and why. Second step: draw … Continue reading
About Me
I teach physics to amazing high school sophomores and juniors (and one senior—hi, Z!) at a small boarding school in Delaware. This is my sixth year teaching physics, and I love it!
I use Modeling Instruction, try to grow my students' mindsets, and love to try new crazy ideas (including NOT assigning homework).
