Liz Wickes

Fri, Dec 15, 2023 12:07 PM
Engaging Way to Assess Student Learning

In this source, Keeley provides two stories discussing the implementation of how to use formative assessment in the classroom—with a specific example which focuses on light reflection. Her analysis of the two implementations of the "Objects in the Sky: Can it Reflect Light?" probe is insightful, especially to a preservice teacher like myself. This piece is very informative on how to engage students in meaningful learning, having them be the drivers of the classroom through group work observations and providing choice in the classroom. Specifically, this article presented well thought out techniques on presenting students with content on reflection of light—but then having them engage with it, not through lecture, but through hands on exploration! Keeley represents how formative assessment can be used in the classroom to guide instruction, in a way that immerses the children in learning that does not feel like a lot of pressure. Furthermore, presenting examples of how to, as a teacher, assess how a lesson went and use that to modify the approach to the lesson on the following day!

Fri, Dec 15, 2023 11:30 AM
Hands on Experience with Light!

This source was an informative and detailed lesson plan for middle school students—it immerses students in a hands on experience that will engage and teach them a lot of information about the visible light spectrum and diffraction. Specifically, by building and exploring with the spectroscope on various light sources, students do not only investigate how light works, but analyze how the parts of a spectroscope contribute to that. Furthermore, there are multiple points in this resource which tie in places in the lesson for student discussion and interaction. This is beneficial by allowing students the opportunity to build on their own knowledge from their peers. Additionally, this source incorporates the use of observation making, model drawing, and recording of data with the light experiment, bringing students a chance to learn meaningfully. Furthermore, teaching students beyond the visible light content, and into skills they can transfer over into other science areas with jotting down things they notice, searching for data trends/patterns, drawing out phenomena, etc.!