Some of my friends make fun of me for “being an old person.” What’s so elderly about going to bed early, skipping stupid parties, and reveling in an occasional game of Bridge? Sometimes I joke that my “plan B” is to work on a cruise ship that hosts Bridge tournaments.

Apparently another one of my geriatric qualities is my tendency to listen to talk radio. Just this morning I happened to turn on the radio as I was driving into my placement, and the hosts of the show had some guests on that were talking about parenting.  Of course, I’m not a parent, but I decided to keep listening anyway because it’s interesting to hear different philosophies.  As the guest was talking about raising his two daughters–now adults and guests on the show–he mentioned something that struck me.  He said that in order to be an effective parent, you have to be like a battery.

As he said that, I was thinking to myself “Now how in the world is this guy going to compare parenting to batteries?” But he made a great point.  He started by saying “Think about an effective battery. In order for it to work, it has to have a positive and a negative terminal.” At first, I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. But it made sense after he explained it some more.

The positive end of the battery is like the supportive, uplifting, and nurturing side of the parent.  This is the side of the parent that most children fondly remember after they grow up.  Think of a dad bandaging a cut.  A mom comforting hurt feelings. A father saying “atta boy” or “atta girl” after his kid does a good job.  A mother helping her child do a project for school.  I’m sure you can think of other examples.

Then there’s the “negative” end of the battery.  Don’t get caught up on the word negative as you would normally think about it (i.e. malicious, demeaning, etc.). Rather, think authoritative and stern.  This is the side of the parent that many children look back on…well, not so fondly.  But they usually appreciate it once they have grown up.  Think of a dad having a talk with his child about breaking a window.   Think about the mom grounding her child for staying out past curfew.  Need I say more?

Now think about parents in terms of these terminals.  Take, for instance, the parent that has a strong negative terminal but a weak positive one.  While it depends on the parent’s personality, this type of parent is usually seen as stringent and overbearing.  He or she knows how to discipline, but does not balance it with a dose of compassion.  Children are generally scared or intimidated by this parent.

Then there’s the parent that has a strong positive terminal, but a weak negative one.  These parents are generally well-intentioned.  They really just want their children to like them.  But children usually see these parents as pushovers.  The child forgets who’s in control, and is often plagued with a sense of insecurity.

Finally, there’s the parent who has a strong positive and negative terminal.  This is the parent who isn’t afraid to discipline their child, even when it’s difficult.  But at the same time, this parent is both loving and compassionate.  Though not always the child’s best friend, this parent is respected and loved by his or her children.

Now replace the words parent and child with teacher and student. Sounds pretty accurate, right?  I bring this up because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how I’m going to teach at my new 7th grade placement.  In the terms of this analogy, I think my negative end is a little bit too weak, and I know that this is something I will really have to focus on in my upcoming weeks of teaching.  I really want to find that balance between too nice and too strict.  Any suggestions?

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Like many of you, when I first heard we would be required to write Warner lesson plans for the majority of our 8-week placement, I was very surprised and upset.  It seemed like just another hoop to jump through and just another problem to tackle.

On Monday, our general displeasure was articulated in different ways.  Some of us expressed a lack of time.  Some expressed that the Warner plans were too complex.  I even expressed that writing Warner lesson plans takes additional time beyond just planning with them.  But underlying all of these complaints was (I believe) some notion that Warner lesson plans are either impractical or impossible.  Having to write them every once in a while was manageable–having to write them everyday would be daunting.

I held that opinion until around 6pm Monday.  But as we went through class and seminar, things somehow became more clear to me.  Perhaps it was the feedback on our lesson and unit plans.  Maybe it was the gallery walk activity.  It might have been all of the support and clarification from April, Lisa, Kim, and our mentors.  It might have even been the literature circles. Whatever the case may be, something in my head just clicked.  It suddenly made sense that the different facets of the Warner lesson plan are actually related, and not a disjointed set of principles designed to torture us into submission.

So after I had this minor epiphany, I started to wonder why there is so much angst around the Warner lesson plan.  What I came to was this: I think many of us spend too much time looking at the piece of paper itself instead of thinking about the intent of the Warner lesson plan. So I challenge us all to stop adapting our plans to the Warner template, and instead make the Warner template our own.  In other words, take all of the facets of the Warner lesson plan–I think we all agree that they are important.  Then, instead of creating a plan and tacking on parts like inclusion and community later, try to consider them all from the get-go.  Not only will you come up with a better lesson plan, but writing about it later will be easier.  These good practices will soon turn into habits, at which point you will be an exceptional teacher.

I’m sure some of you are still discouraged.  And for good reason–you know that this semester is going to be tough.  Really tough.  I don’t know if it will help, but these are my strategies for making it through this 8-week placement alive:

1. Don’t fight it–plan with the Warner lesson plan in mind.  Train yourself to think in a manner that makes it easy to articulate each section.
2. Abide by KISS (keep it simple, stupid). Don’t write a dissertation for each section. Don’t come up with plans that require you to spend 8 hours  gathering and preparing materials.  Sometimes the simplest approaches are the best.
3. Use time wisely.  We all have free time during the day at our placements.  Don’t just hang out. Get some work done.
4. Allot time away from the computer (even when you want to use it for leisure).  You will burn out if you are in front of the computer for the next 3 months.  It is not healthy to be constantly connected.
5. Take 10 minutes a day to do nothing.  Really, nothing.  Try to clear your mind completely.  Take some deep breaths.  I do this before I go to sleep.
6. February break.  It’s not a week off.

If you need some motivation to get to this point, see my last entry.  And remember that this is really the last hurrah.  Your pain will be reduced if you find meaning and satisfaction in the next three months.  As hard as it is, try not to do things for the grade.  Don’t do it to just check it off your list.  Do it to learn.  And think about how good you will feel looking backing after it’s all said and done.

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This is it, ladies and gentlemen! Believe it or not, we are in the final months of our science teacher training at Warner. Isn’t that crazy? April 26th is our last GRS Science class ever! That means we are really down to the last two-and-a-half months of our program (with the exception of portfolios and a summer class or two). With that in mind, I’m going to use this entry to do a little bit of “looking”: looking back and looking forward. After all, when you want see where you’re going, it often helps to remember where you’ve been.

Now, as much as I would love to talk about everything that has happened since the program began, I think it is beyond the scope of this entry. Moreover, to analyze it all would fill a thesis. Therefore, I will instead make my point using bulleted lists.  The numbers I state won’t be exact for everyone, but I think at the very least you will get a sense of how far we have come.

What we have done:

• 27 credits of graduate-level coursework
• 7.5 core courses (out of 10)
• 30 blog entries @ 400 words each = 12,000 words
• 10 April/Michael critical pieces @ 750 words each = 7,500 words
• 33 assorted weekly assignments @ 400 words each = 13,200 words
• 7 midterm papers @ 1,500 words each = 10,500 words
• 7 final papers @ 3,000 words each = 21,000 words
• 10 Warner Lesson Plans @ 2,000 words each = 20,000 words
• 1 STARS Unit Plan @ 10,000 words each = 10,000 words
• 10 Presentations
• GRS Science Summer Camp
• STARS
• 14-week Field Experience
• 4-week Placement

Total:  94,200 words @ 250 words/page = 377 pages of text + countless lives impacted (conservative estimate)

What we have learned:

• Social justice
• Social constructivism
• Literacy
• Technology
• Conceptual Change
• Inquiry
• Lesson Planning
• Classroom Management
• Time Management
• Nature of Science
• Standards-based Education
• Scaffolding
• Backwards Design
• Inclusion
• Differentiation
• Adolescent Development
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Learning Styles
• Motivation
• Authentic Assessment

…and those are just the ones I came up with off of the top of my head.  For you visualizers out there–let’s see you turn this into a concept map!

Let’s get to the point:  what does all of this mean for our teaching?  Well, this is how I think of it.  We have learned about a bunch of different tools.  I’ll use an analogy.  We’ve basically been talking about hammers, screwdrivers, and pliers.  We know all about them–we know what they look like, we know the principles behind why the work, we know how they can be used together to create something beautiful.  But we still have very little experience actually using them.  This is what our placements are for.  Placements give us an opportunity to pick up a hammer and, well, try it out in the classroom (remember, figuratively here people)!  Of course, sometimes we’re going to totally miss the nail and knock off our fingernails, but that’s how we learn, right?  And I don’t know about you, but just thinking back on how much I’ve accomplished since the beginning of this program (look at list above for inspiration) is enough to keep me going when I feel like I’ve messed up.  I also remind myself what I’m working for–to make a difference in the lives of a student, a family, a neighborhood, a community.  And don’t forget–embrace the mediocrity (we’re past suckiness now)!

Looking forward, my goal for this 8-week placement is to focus on mastering a few tools at a time, instead of them all at once.  I’m going to start with the basics–objectives, goals, standards, and assessment, and gradually work my way up.  After all, I’m not yet a master craftsman.  In order to get there, I have to start by making simple footstools before I can make elaborate armoires.

Best of luck to everyone at their upcoming placements!  I know we’ll all do great.

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After all of the planning, the late nights, the frustration, the successes and failures, the exhaustion and exhilaration–finally, the moment that brings it all together. And I have to say, it was a wonderful moment. To see the fruits of your labor come together in a final celebration is a wonderful experience, and I don’t think that this experience could have been much better.

First off, I want to say how impressed I was with the whole thing. I was impressed by the amount of work that each team put into their videos. They were all very entertaining, with great music and great visuals. I was impressed by the interactive stations everyone put together. They really had the audience engaged and having a lot of fun–both young and formerly young alike! I was impressed by the smiling faces and kind words that I heard throughout the morning. We all definitely came with our teacher faces on today, and it showed. I was impressed by the turnout, and especially so with the team that had almost everyone there! It looks like calling home really payed off. Finally, I was impressed with the girls and how well they handled themselves in front of the crowd and at their stations. Today, they seemed more like scientists than ever.

Another thing I really liked about the STARS Conference today was the chance to get to chat with a wide variety of people. I got to speak with many of the Get Real! Science mentors informally, which was really nice, and I got to meet a diverse and interesting group of parents who were definitely fascinated by what we had to offer! Such a cool experience.

It was also great that we had a chance to debrief and give our fearless leaders some feedback. I think a little bit of venting might have gone on as well, but I don’t think that anyone meant to intentionally be negative. In truth, we all understand how difficult it is to organize something of this magnitude, and as much as we would like everything to work out perfectly, it is rarely the case that it does. A big thanks to all of the people who made STARS possible! There are too many to list. I could probably fill a whole entry with just their names!

To put it simply, today was a great day. In spite of the fact that it was a Saturday, and we all had lots of papers waiting to be written, I think we all came away from the day with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. So here’s to the 2009 Get Real! Science Cohort–a job well done!

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Believe it or not, with some K’Nex, 28 gauge magnet wire, and a couple of magnets, you can generate your very own electricity! The device itself is called a dynamo, and it creates AC (alternating current) by varying magnetic flux within a wire loop.  Sounds complicated, but it really isn’t!  The images below will show you how to build a dynamo, and not only that, but one that’s ready to be converted into a windmill.  Let’s start!

Build yourself a nice strong base.  This base can easily support a tower up to three feet tall.  The tower built in this demonstration is approximately two feet tall.

Build up that base some more!

Start heading toward the sky.

At the top of your tower, build this construct. As you can see, I threaded the wire through one of the holes in that white piece. The loose end will be one of your contacts. The end attached to the spool will be the end you use to wrap the wire around the axle. Once you’re done wrapping, cut the wire, being sure to leave some excess for the other contact.

Here you can see how I wrapped the wire around the axle. It is VERY important that you do it this way, in the plane of the axle. If you wrap the wire around the axle, as if you were covering a cylinder, it will not work.

You can see I put some wooden pegs in to keep the wire from rubbing against the axle and adding some undue friction.

Slap a couple of magnets on there (2 in/.5 in/.25 in) and hot glue them in place.  Be careful, if you get rare earth magnets, they can slam together and break!  One more thing–see that gray piece in there next to the orange one?  That’s essentially a washer to keep the axle from shifting around too much.  There’s also a yellow attached to lower the center of gravity so it doesn’t spin ’round and ’round.

If you want to see how much power it makes, hook it up to a multimeter and find out!  This one makes enough to power a small LED, but you have to spin it pretty quickly to do so.

Have fun!

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This is a continuation of a prior entry, called Engagement and Learning, Part II.

As promised, below is a little concept map I developed.  Of course, it is not based on any actual research, but at the very least it provides some ideas for discussion.

Every part of this concept map is certainly up for debate. I mostly made it for my own sake, both to get some practice with concept mapping and to provide some sort of formal connection between learning and engagement. Nevertheless, I hope you get something out of looking at it, even if it’s just to get your own thoughts going. And it provides an answer to my original question: learning and engagement are NOT the same, but they are closely related.

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As I type this thought tonight,
it should not be taken as a slight,
but rather a critique polite,
as Warner told me is my right.

Even now, as I reflect,
and write these thoughtful lines,
my basic needs I do neglect,
so I may opine.

Reflection is important, yes,
with that I do agree,
but to what degree is best
for growth and harmony?

To pause and stop and take a breath,
and yes, I do lament,
when one needs to think in depth,
ideas must ferment.

For real meaning to arise,
and notions to be savored,
thoughts truly do need time to cure,
that writing may be flavored.

So Warner, I defect to thee,
and for the sake of all your students,
on assignments please reflect,
and exercise some prudence.

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After many weeks of trial and error, I finally built a working dynamo!  What’s a dynamo, you ask?  Well, put simply, a dynamo is a permanent magnet that spins around inside a conductive coil.  The rotation of the magnet produces an alternating magnetic field, which in turn produces an alternating current.  Pretty cool, right?

The purpose of building a dynamo was twofold.  First of all, we wanted to show our girls how exactly windmills produce electricity.  Last week we started off by showing them that we could create a magnet by using electricity, and this week we finally got to demonstrate that we could use a magnet (and our windmills) to make electricity of our own (something we had promised in previous weeks, but never happened due to nonworking and broken dynamos).  Second, we wanted to be able to collect physical, quantitative data about the windmills performance.  The girls knew that we were building model windmills in an effort to get them to produce as much electricity as possible.  Therefore, for them to be able to see how much electricity our windmills were producing in real time was a powerful experience.  With each change they made to the number of blades, they could easily see what the change in power was just by watching the digital multimeter.

I think the girls have really appreciated our forays into windmill making, and I hope that our focus and hard work will shine through next week when we have the opportunity to record video interviews of each of our girls.  My hope is that they can speak intelligently about windmills, how they work, and more generally about experimental design and the process of science.

Since it has been a few weeks since I have written about STARS, I figured it would be best to do a few pluses and arrows representative of the last three weeks, rather than doing nine pluses and nine arrows.  Here they are:

+  Our girls are very familiar with electricity and magnetism.  This is good because they will learn more about both concepts in high school should they choose to take physics.  The topics will also come up in a wide variety of other settings, so there is no doubt that they learned about a valuable concept.

+  The amount of hands-on activity has been exceptional.  From designing and building windmills, to making electromagnets, to video conferencing, the girls have done a lot of exciting work, and they are beginning to see it all come to fruition.

-> I wish my group and I had used the tenets of backwards design when creating our lesson plans.  I say this now because we have a deficit of assessment artifacts going into the creation of our final unit plan.  In the future, I will definitely make sure to start with assessment when I begin to make my plans.

-> I think video conferencing time could have been more productive if we set better expectations for the girls about what we would be doing each time, why we were doing it, and what we hoped to accomplish.  This way there would have been less time when the girls sat quietly thinking while on camera, and more time actually communicating and interacting.

I’m looking forward to video interviews next week!  I’m also excited to see how all of our footage will come together to make a great video.  This is it!

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I want to dedicate this entry to the Get Real! Science cohorts of the future.  I know that there will be at least a few of you, because today I heard that Warner has received a $2M grant to continue this program.  So for the sake of fewer gray hairs, I’m giving you some advance notification about what to expect.

The next paragraphs will contain some good news and bad news about your life at this stage of the game.  I’m going to start with the bad news first, but I wanted to warn you so you could start with the good news if you so desired.  Here we go!

The bad news: You will, in all likelihood, be emotionally and physically drained.  Now, I know what some of you may be thinking. “Oh come on, this guy must be dumb or something.  I graduated with a degree in science for goodness sake!  How hard could a degree in education be?” Well, my friend, you may be laughing now, but I have some news for you.  This program is no joke.  You will not be able to scoot through with one hand tied behind your back.  You will not be able to go to Vegas every weekend.  You may be able to work a part-time job, like I do, but be prepared to sacrifice about 80% of your weekends.  Yes, your social life will probably suffer.  Yes, your significant other may become upset when you begin to tell them to “own the details.” Yes, you will find yourself saying words like “codeswitching” and “differentiation” in casual conversations.  And I’m not talking about math, either.  You will reflect more than a solar-panel in the Arizona desert. Bottom line: I could go on and on about how strenuous this program is.  It will no doubt consume a large portion of your life.  But what you put into it is what you will get out.  You probably won’t have to worry about grades as much as in the past, but you will have to worry about getting that blog entry done after a 15-hour day of class and student teaching while being sick with the swine flu and thinking about that 15-page research paper due next week.

The good news: You will become a stronger, more well-rounded, better-spoken, and humane individual.  And more than that–you will learn a lot about yourself, both who you are and who you aren’t.  Let’s start with how you will become stronger.  Most of your uptick in strength will come in the form of mental and emotional endurance.  Whether it be sitting in back-to-back 3.5 hour classes, or days that start at 7:00am and end at 10:15pm, or having an endless list of assignments to do, your patience and brainpower will be tried again and again.  You will find that you have strength when it seems that none is left, and in your sheer exhaustion you will find satisfaction in what you’ve accomplished.  Next, you will become more well-rounded because Warner classes are mostly seminars.  Therefore, you will do a lot of the thinking, talking, analyzing, etc.  This requires you to challenge everything you know and think you know and think you think you know.  You get my point.  Third, you will undoubtedly become better-spoken because of all the speaking you do.  Between class discussions, presentations, meetings, teaching, socializing, and commiserating, you really couldn’t be talking much more.  For science guys like me who generally keep my mouth shut, being thrust into the limelight has been a great experience because I’m constantly becoming more comfortable with it.  And finally, you will become more humane simply because Warner challenges you to challenge how you think about yourself and other people.  You will be forced to open your closet, dig out your skeletons of prejudice and misconception, and talk about them openly.

My advice: Get organized and stay organized.  If you know what you need to do, when you need to do it, who you need to do it, and why you need to do it, you will both survive and thrive.  Disorganization will be your downfall.  So stay organized, stay on top of your assignments, ask questions when you have them, and get ready for a period of great growth in your life! And don’t be afraid to vent with your classmates.  You will all need to let off some steam every once in a while–I’m sure of that.

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…but now I have to get caught up!

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