A Physics Teacher's Formula for Increasing Student Learning

By transformED

3/29/12

By Buffy Sexton

Buffy SextonBuffy Sexton teaches science at Meyzeek Middle School in Jefferson County, Kentucky. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of CTQ’s Implementing Common Core Standards team.

A few of my TLN colleagues and I were recently discussing the X PRIZE Foundation and that its next challenge—and prize—will be focused on education. As we brainstormed ideas for challenges and prizes, I couldn’t help but wonder how an external prize can be created when, in reality, our students’ education is the prize. Better yet, growth in their learning is the prize. And even better than that, our students’ ability to increase their own learning is the prize. Now there’s a challenge.

What could that kind of challenge look like? Let me turn up my imagination for a bit. . . .

Okay, physics teacher stepping in here. Let’s say that knowledge gained can only travel in the positive direction (that whole “never forget how to ride a bike” thingy), just like distance traveled. We need a unit of measure, so let’s use grade level, or gl. I will assign knowledge the variable k. Let’s also say that we will use the Greek letter ∆ (delta) to represent the amount of change in k. We can then use this formula for the amount of change in k: ∆k(gl)=kfgl-kigl, where f stands for final and i stands for initial.

Alright, looking good. But we need to know how much time passed for this ∆k. We’ll use ∆t, which just happens to stand for change in time. And, let’s use a school year, or y, as the unit of measure.

Let’s review:

Symbol

Meaning

k

knowledge

∆k

Change in knowledge

 

gl

The unit of measure for ∆k. (a grade level)

 

∆t

The time interval used to reach that ∆k. Measured in school years.

We are rollin’ now! So the challenge: at minimum, we want to get students to a ∆k of 1gl/1y. Ah, but we know it has to be student-driven ∆k. So, how do we get them to want to increase their ∆k?

Research has shown (that would just be my nine years of teaching) that while some, if not most, students do want to increase ∆k, not all students seem to care enough to try/stay on task/come to school on a regular basis/____________________. You can fill in the blank with the issue of your choice.

So what are concerned, exhausted, at-their-wits'-end educators to do?

Here are my humble thoughts:

  • Embrace the Common Core standards (or, for my state, the Kentucky Core Academic Standards). They let us know what students should know and be able to do at the end of a given grade level. Will the first year of implementation be messy? Yes. Easy? No. There are a million if’s, and’s or but’s out there surrounding the Common Core. Transfer that resistive energy to kinetic energy. For science, the Common Core outlines what good science teachers already do.
  • Stop fighting the things that already keep our students on task (albeit tasks they want to do). By this I mean their technology. Smart phones. iPads. Tablets. iPods. Xbox. Wii. We have been so busy trying to make sure students aren’t texting during class that we’re losing the chance to use the same equipment to keep them on task.
  • Here’s the scariest one—yes, worse than cell phones in the room! Give, put, place, or throw the responsibility for learning on the student. Yes, I said it. Don’t stand and deliver. Watch and facilitate. Get on the sidelines and coach. Get out of the game and let them play to learn.

Give students appropriate tools, guidelines, and scaffolds. Turn up your imagination for a minute. What could this look like in your classroom? Picture, if you will—Twilight Zone, just go with it—a normal classroom on a normal day like any other. Only the desks aren’t desks. They are round tables. The students aren’t sitting, taking notes from a teacher standing in the front of the room. Some students are taking notes from a real text book. Some are taking notes on iPads. Some are conducting a lab. Some are filming said lab. Some are conducting online simulations of the lab.

Look, there’s a kiddo watching the video of the lesson he missed yesterday. Watch him. Stop. Rewind. Play. Stop. Rewind. Play. Stop. Write. See here? Here’s the teacher. Cruising around the room. Stopping to encourage her. To push him. To question her. To answer his question with a question. Each student has her own learning target. And each student is giving individual evidence of ∆k. How much of an increase in ∆k will students push themselves toward? 

This isn’t the Twilight Zone. It’s the new educational landscape: student-driven learning. Will this be messy at first? Probably. Easy? Could be. Let’s see what kind of challenge the students design.

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Comments

Interesting article! I

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2012-03-29 22:42

Interesting article! I especially like the idea of adapting currently technology that is joined to the kids' hips - iPads, iPhones, etc. - to the teaching task, although I suspect it would be a long hard slog to get it done!

One question I have, though, is about the idea of "student-driven learning." I'm sure this is due to my "older" perspective, but I can't help feeling that as the teacher has the knowledge, and the students are there to learn, that the learning ought to be "teacher-driven."

Still using, of course, all the various modes that are effective, i.e. iPads, etc. But why wouldn't the underlying "direction" still be teacher-driven?

Buffy! Your classroom sounds

Submitted by Lauren Hill (not verified) on Fri, 2012-03-30 07:33

Buffy! Your classroom sounds like an amazing place. If we want to move other teachers in this direction, what skills would they need? How has this shift in your practice changed how you prepare for class? Do you find you need less planning time or more? How have parents reacted?

I appreciate your science metaphor. I'm sending this off to our Science teachers. They will appreciate it, too.

Thanks for the insight,

Lauren Hill, ICCS

UDL

Submitted by Donna Bryant (not verified) on Fri, 2012-03-30 12:43

Love your perspective and the way you use the principles of UDL in your teaching technique! I wish I had taken physics from you! ;) I can see you moving toward the flipped classroom approach and I believe you can make it work.

Transformed Education

Submitted by WagonMaster, AZ (not verified) on Fri, 2012-03-30 16:00

Having read the article, you will be amazed that this is a learning program that was originally developed back in the late 1950's and early 1960's. By Yale University Press. It was developed primarily for Math but was extended into other disciplines Reading, English,Spelling, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and many other subjects with the intent to accellerate the learning curve to eventually shorten the K-12 program to a K-10 program. The 11-12 program then would split in two to develope skills for the students to advance to the trades or to college. This would move the Jr College programs to the 11-12 years and the balance of the college degree would become 13-14 instead of 15-16. The primary effect would be to reduce school tax funding by two full years expenses to the taxpayer and give the student a headstart in the job market.

The one I was involved in was the School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) It started with a simple 1st grade combined reading/math programing. The student would advance at their own rate and was almost an independent study program.

I was fortunate to be able to advance at my own rate in the English/Math program, ending up with advanced calculus by my Sophmore HS year -- college level program. Along with the regular science/biology/physics program I graduate two years early and finished my BS at the same time my age group was finishing HS.

I thrived on the program. There were only a very very few that did not at the very least stay at grade level throughout the 10 years of the program.

It is a GREAT and FANTASTIC method of teaching. Taught my children this way and the grandchildren too.

I hope that the great-grandchildren are able to use it as well.

Great Question!

Submitted by Buffy Sexton (not verified) on Fri, 2012-03-30 21:59

Too many times we are so busy that we just ask these questions in our head and move on with our day. So I appreciate you taking time to stop and ask. I so enjoy the conversation as well.

If I may, I would like to give a little background information as to why we should even consider this type of landscape. Each of us demonstrates learning and learns best in our own unique way. Yes, there is a Buffy style of learning. Just as there is a Shontell style of learning. Our personal learning style is a combination of our brains wiring for a certain pathway to learning combined with our multiple intelligences.

The four most commonly referenced learning styles are visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (moving) and reading (reading/writing). Each of us learns using any and or all of these pathways. The interesting part is that we have strengths and weaknesses in each as well. For example, I am a very strong visual and auditory learner. I learn new material (and demonstrate that learning) best when given the chance to see and hear a presentation. When I am faced with an idea or topic that I have some familiarity with, I can read and write about it just fine without the need for a visual/audio presentation.

(These 4 learning styles are based on Howard Gardner’s (1991) research in cognitive learning. Just google Gardner and you will find a plethora of information. It’s actually quite interesting, well for a science geek like me anyway. )

What if we let the student choose the way in which they gain ∆k? What if we let the student choose the way in which they demonstrate that ∆k? Student choice? Yup. Student choice= student driven. Ah, but what is the teacher doing, as they are the ones with all the knowledge? We’re still doing a few things. In order for this landscape to come to fruition, teachers must be experts in their content area. We must also be pedagogical (ways to teach) experts. And then, we need to be experts at finding the technological resources that will individually assist each student. Finally, we choose multiple means for students to increase ∆k and then to demonstrate ∆k.

We introduce the topic. We assess them to find out what they already know. We use that information to mix up a batch of learning for each student. We give them the information to get going. Then the student takes over. They look at, question and work with the topic. Then they choose how to prove they’ve learned the topic/concept/idea. We are there every step of the way. To reassure, to push, to clear up misconceptions. To answer some questions. Teachers are now facilitators to learning instead of being the encyclopedia at the front of the room.

Will every student be on the same topic? Yes. Will every student learn the exact same information on that topic? No, and they shouldn’t. Why make a student sit through lessons on speed and velocity if they have demonstrated they already have that knowledge? Let them gain ∆k on acceleration and momentum. All students are increasing their individual ∆k on motion.
I hope that answered your question. As you can see, I’m very passionate about student learning. I’d be more than happy to write more and more and more. . . .

Any teacher can do IT, every student can learn from IT.

Submitted by Buffy Sexton (not verified) on Fri, 2012-03-30 22:28

Thanks for the compliment Lauren! As for the classroom, this is what I envision for students. In my classroom, it is not unusual to walk in and see 4 or 5 kids working on laptops, 2 or 3 with pulp based books, and then me working with small groups. Not for every lesson, as I’m taking small steps and doing some deep reflection and data analysis.

This is my 1st year at integrating technology driven differentiated lessons, so I am using more time for planning. I can see where this will change down the road. This is especially true with professional learning communities as well as better, faster technology.

To distort a quote from Oscar Goldman, “Gentlemen, we can rebuild education. We have the technology. We have the capability. Better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster.”

UDL IDL WEALLDL

Submitted by Buffy Sexton (not verified) on Fri, 2012-03-30 22:40

Thanks for the compliment Donna. I am very much headed towards a flipped classroom model. When you add our current knowledge of learning styles, multiple intelligences and UDL principles to the technology available today, you get a flipped classroom. One fact that I’ve already noted, with just my baby steps, is that I interact more with my students. That is a huge plus!

WagonMaster

Submitted by Buffy Sexton (not verified) on Fri, 2012-03-30 22:44

Thanks for joining the conversation. Wow, makes me wonder what happened to that program. Did you home-school your children and grandchildren? What resources did you use? Can you give me some insights? Sorry to fire so many questions at you, but that sounds very interesting.

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