Homework

for Workshop Method Matt Brunette 10/29/16

What I am thinking about doing is trying to make my entire Intro to Chemistry course follow the workshop
model. One of the possibilities that intrigues me the most is trying to tie a flipped classroom into an inquiry
based workshop type model. I will add this to the list of things that I think are worth trying in the high school
setting.

My rationale is simple. I believe that high school science lends itself to this modality of learning. We have a
multitude of hands on activities that allow for student interaction, and a lab could just be a station in the
process. Additionally, I have been playing around with working as a flipped classroom for several years, and
have gotten considerably better at making targeted, pointed video notes for students to use. I think that this
skill would beneficial to students in two ways: some of our students do not have technology access at home
due to the limitations of our local internet providers. By asking students to use class time and have a notes
watching station, they would be able to access that material, while here, to alleviate their stress. Secondly,
students would have more continued access to technology in the classroom, and could download the video
while here, for use at home later when they were stuck.

As I envisioned a flipped classroom before, I think that I was really seeing a workshop model as an image, or at
least my version of it. I am seeing a classroom where students are given lease to make choices in homework,
experiments (if possible), and supporting work to enhance their learning. I dont know if this is practically
feasible in my area of science, but I am curious.

In actual practice, I think that I would like to schedule a two-week task list for students, and then make time
available for them to achieve those tasks. Having the notes available in an online format makes it easier for
students to get that done. I like the notion that students bear the mantle of responsibility for achievement,
and that I can very easily differentiate for students around this system. One of the technical aspects of todays
conversation centered around having students start with a zero in the class, and everything they do earns
them points in the positive directionI think that our students would respond positively with having that
much control over the direction their grade goes.

What also is an entertaining notion to me is discuss making this a standards based class, and make students
accountable for demonstrating proficiency in those standards. In my utopian dream concept, all the student
lectures are pre filmed for the whole semester, and cataloged in a way that students can find them easily.
Every unit listed on the syllabus has several competencies attached, and students would know that their
semester grade was based on the demonstration of those things before the end of the semester. There are a
myriad of practice sheets attached and cataloged so that students can find what they need to practice, and are
able to practice a concept until they are ready to take the assessment. At the end of the semester students
would be required to show a portfolio to demonstrate what they attained, and how they attained that
knowledge.

As I said, this sounds utopian, and I am not sure if it is possible, but I am very curious to see if it would work to
this level, or even to a smaller level. I want to try and see, but I dont think that making a two-week period in
my class is really sufficient to see if it works. I really think that I would have to go all in for a year, and make a
commitment to making it work, and evaluate the results at years end.

A sample notion of what one unit would like is belowat least a version of it.



 So this is a possible version of the unit my students just finished up in Intro Chemistry. I am using this largely
because it is fresh in my mind, and I think that I could make an honest effort at this while it is in memory.

Possible Mini-lesson Independent Practice Share Time
Day
1 -What is an Atom? -Atomic Structure POGIL activity Discuss what we
-How do we know -Building atomic models learned, things to
about atoms? -Atomic Vocabulary Activity watch out for
-How do atoms really -Atomic History Reading Activity
look?
2 -How do atoms stay - Build an atom PHET simulator Discuss what we
together? learned, things to
watch out for
3 -What does an -Atomic Structure #1 Discuss what we
atomic symbol learned, things to
mean? watch out for
-How do I find the
number of subatomic
particles in an Atom?
4 -Periodic table, -number of valence electrons practice Discuss what we
electron energy learned, things to
levels watch out for
5 -Periodic table -color the periodic table to demonstrate Discuss what we
families lecture knowledge of family or group location learned, things to
watch out for
6 -Valence electrons -Bonding practice diagrams Discuss what we
and bonding -Model building activity learned, things to
watch out for
7 -Bonding types -Covalent or Ionic Lab Discuss what we
-Ionic compounds mini-Lab learned, things to
watch out for

I see the independent practice column as practice to be done when it is done, but they all need to be
completed before the culminating assessment is complete. I think that I could legitimately make a 10-minute
video and cover everything in each of the bullet points in the mini-lesson section. I am not sure what happens
at this point in the class though. Do I stop this unit, or keep going with another? At this point, I am having
difficulty wrapping my brain around how this would work to that end.

Thank you for your time.