I just finished my own personal 3-week hell. It was spent in an online class (on Moodle for those who are wondering) for a U.S. nonprofit group that certifies Online Courses based on their own extensive rubric (and that *may* go by the abbreviation QM). I was taking the class to become a peer reviewer … Continue reading Can hell be measured with a Rubric?
Trauma, COVID-19, and Birthdays
It's 5am MDT and I'm struck by song of the birds who have nested in the wreath on my door. The song is constant and far lower in pitch than it has been for the last several weeks, as the five baby birds in the nest grew from hardly functional to fairly independent. What's striking … Continue reading Trauma, COVID-19, and Birthdays
Ungrading: Prototype III (Envisioned Large Lecture Implementation in General Chemistry I)
Jesse captured the reason to #ungrade best when he wrote this tweet recently: • Grades are not good incentive or effective feedback • Grades are not good markers of learning • Grades encourage competitiveness over collaboration • Grades pit students and teachers against each other • Grades are mechanisms of institutional control • Grades aren’t … Continue reading Ungrading: Prototype III (Envisioned Large Lecture Implementation in General Chemistry I)
Ungrading: Prototype II (General Chemistry II)
I decided to try ungrading in my general chemistry classes this past Fall (2019), but I wanted to give my students the power to have a say (i.e. vote) for the ungrading if they wanted to try it. The vote was administered via a google form: The vast majority of my students (97%) agreed to … Continue reading Ungrading: Prototype II (General Chemistry II)
What I wished for in 2019
I wished for better health and a steady recovery. I wished for continued time with friends and family. I wished for insight into the little things that make my life so much better. I wished for understanding, compassion, and a willingness to listen closely, especially to those who are marginalized. I wished for more energy. … Continue reading What I wished for in 2019
Conference Representation for Full-Time Teachers
So, recently I wrote a set of tweets in a response to my friend Sherri Spelic’s call for representation of teachers in Keynotes and Plenaries. I have gotten the sense that I need to unpack these replies further, so here goes. Here's Sherri's original tweet (which says speakers but then clarifies in a second tweet … Continue reading Conference Representation for Full-Time Teachers
Thankfulness Today
Today I am Embracing thankfulness. I’m getting rid of The what abouts? The could haves & The why nots. I’m remembering that Survival doesn’t Merit a Medal. Survival gives Opportunity & Insight. Survival reminds us to be Alive. And to constantly Choose to Live in ways that benefit Our world Our … Continue reading Thankfulness Today
Statistics in Education (Part 2): When Everything You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough
I had the most bizarre experience this past weekend. The ever awesome Ellen Yezierski (@EllenYezierski) emailed me an article she uses in her graduate level CER (Chemical Education Research) classes to peruse and discuss. The article details the "new" (i.e. 2018) APA (American Psychological Association) reporting standards that should be used for quantitative research. It … Continue reading Statistics in Education (Part 2): When Everything You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough
Statistics in Education: It’s harder than it looks
In 2009, when I started thinking about going back to graduate school, statistics was definitely on my mind. I had the perhaps erroneous perception that statistics was not done as well as it could be in educational research, and that perception ate away at my conscience. This is why my original degree plan (pre-reqs started … Continue reading Statistics in Education: It’s harder than it looks
Using Social Media Ethically in the Classroom (ACS Fall National Mtg 2019)
In February 2019, Patricia Mabrouk at Northeastern University contacted me through my web page. The purpose of her inquiry? To participate in a symposium for the ACS Fall 2019 National Meeting entitled "Ethics and Social Media". It was a fascinating topic and I was interested immediately. I gave three options for my potential talk: a reflective … Continue reading Using Social Media Ethically in the Classroom (ACS Fall National Mtg 2019)