Preparing for Final Project

Resource #1 - Go, Score, Win With Physics

While this project is not exactly what I want to do, I like how the technology is used on this project. In this project, students take on the role of a coach of the sport of their choice and help break down different components of motion and forces to gain a competitive edge. I found this project through the Buck Institute for Education. I think this project could be useful because it combines physics with whatever a student is interested in and gives the student an opportunity to demonstrate their physics knowledge in a different medium.

Resource #2 - Ways for Math Teachers to Use Google Classroom (This resource is for a math class, but physics and math are so similar that I think this would be a great resource for a physics class)

I found this article by following a link tweeted by Vicki Davis. This article talks about several different ways to incorporate Google Classroom into a math class. I have always been apprehensive about using digital mediums for anything math or physics related, simply because it is challenging to write mathematically on a computer. Mathematical literacy is so important to math and physics, so anything I can do to make it more readily available is useful.



Resource #3 - The Physics Classroom

I found this page through a Google search, and it looks great. This website has several different types of resources, but I think the most useful would be the interactive manipulatives. Physics can be tough to persevere through. Some lessons need a lot of trial and error on the students end to understand how the different concepts relate to each other, and these interactive activities can help students construct their own meaning. I could use these interactive manipulatives to introduce students to a new topic and have them find connections to things they have learned about in the past.

Mythbusters: Education Edition

The myth that I was most surprised to find discredited by far was the myth about learning styles. I was not necessarily shocked by the findings of the article (the article did not disprove the concept of learning styles per se, but it pointed out how the past studies are not valid). This is an idea that I have learned about from K-12 teachers, college professors, and fellow teachers. I was very surprised to find out that an idea that was so widely believed might not be true. Now, I'm not saying that I think there is zero credibility to the idea of learning styles. Between myself and the many teachers I know I can find a lot of anecdotal evidence. But part of being a scientist is setting aside anecdotal evidence and relying on facts.

Speaking of science, the skeptic in me was quick to dismiss the myth covering how much people remember by how the information is presented to them (specifically 10% of what they read, 20% of what they see, and 30% of what they hear, etc.). First off, if this were actually credible, there's no way the numbers would work out that nicely. Data never works out that nicely. Second, many of the categories are poorly defined. Like the author pointed out, what's the difference between reading and seeing?

I think the best way to "appropriately" change minds is by providing people with articles just like these. Most people respond well to new information like this unless the topic is personal to them. If the myth I am challenging is one that my boss deeply believes it might get a little tricky, but I think facts and information are the best tools.

Blogs In The Classroom

I think a blog would be an excellent resource in a math classroom. Many students (and people in general) think math is purely formulaic. They think it's all about memorizing formulas and plugging in numbers. But math is so much more. I think a blog can help students explore the creative side of math. One of the more creative assignments I completed in a math class was a blog assignment.

The assignment was simple: write something I learned about from our experience creating a Menger Sponge. While I originally started the blog post as a sarcastic explanation of how much of a waste the project was, I was able to investigate something that I was actually curious about and I got to apply a lot of knowledge. I started adding images, videos, and jokes into the blog, and this creative expression helped me think through math problems creatively; I was soon extending the the project beyond my initial question and looking into new problems.

This was a great learning experience and I want every student to have a learning experience like it. Giving students a general topic to write about allows the students to apply their mathematical understanding, make connections between the real world and mathematical concepts, and start to see how creative math can be. The benefit of using a blog is that it can create a consistent experience for the students. Students keep coming back to their blogs and building on their previous work.

Learner Analysis

For my learner analysis I looked at Roger Klotz from the TV show Doug.

On this 90s cartoon, Roger was the typical school bully. He was the antagonist of the main character, Doug. Roger did not excel in school. He was 3 years older than his classmates because he was held back three times. Roger's family became wealthy during the run of the show, but he grew up with his single mother living in a trailer park. Roger spent his time in school distracting others. Roger was not "college ready".

Roger's interests were outside of the classroom. Roger started a band and wanted to run his own business after school. He was interested in working with farm animals and he secretly took ballet lessons.

Knowing these interests, I would try to incorporate these interests in class. It could start with something as simple as working music and animals into lessons, but I think Roger would respond well to being given more responsibility in the classroom. Between leading a band and being interested in running his own business, I think Roger would respond well to "managing" his own curriculum. Instead of giving him assignments, I could give Roger a list of options and let him decide which assignments/projects he completes and when those assignments need to be completed. He seems to like being in control, so he would do much better in school if he felt in control of his own learning.

I also think technology could be very helpful for Roger. I think access to a program like Garage Band could help Roger develop his natural curiosity towards music. I also think that access to data analysis and presentation software could build on his "entrepreneurial spirit" by helping him learn how to make and present business decisions. I think that Roger would benefit greatly from either a personal laptop or increased desktop access in school.

About Me

My name is Jim Nordman. I am a student at Grand Valley where I study math, physics, and education. I plan on teaching secondary math and science. Up until this last winter, I would have said that I wanted to teach high school instead of middle school. But after teacher assisting in a middle school math class I think I might favor middle school. I think I'll know more after student teaching. I get to student teach in two classes I have always wanted to teach: Calculus and Physics.

Myself and My 2 Brothers at Snoqualmie Falls near Seattle, WA

I have had a rather unorthodox path into education. I graduated from Lowell High School and went to the University of Michigan to study engineering. I knew I liked math and physics, and everyone told me I should be an engineer, so that's what I did. I spent 5 semesters at UofM, changing my major each time (nuclear, chemical, electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering). I eventually realized that I liked teaching and I haven't looked back since. I took 2.5 years off to save some money by working as a lab technician at Amway (where I was, literally, a professional taste-tester). I transferred to GVSU for the Fall of 2014 and have loved every minute of it.

I like to use technology in the classroom. I think the best example I have was my Triangle Guess Who game. The students were learning about classifying triangles (acute/right/obtuse and scalene/isosceles/equilateral). This game is similar to Guess Who, but we used triangles. The game paired the students up and gave each pair a set of 16 triangles. One would pick a triangle, and the other would ask yes/no questions to figure out which triangle was picked. The game saved the questions that were asked and who asked the questions. This helped me tremendously. I was able to see how the students were using this new vocabulary and whether or not they were using the vocabulary correctly. This game was fun for the students, it tricked them into mastering how to classify triangles, and it gave me feedback on which types of triangles they were struggling with.

Two things I love are college football and cooking. These things come together in the following video (the recipe is listed below)

Stuffed Peppers

• 6 Jalapeños
• 4oz Cream Cheese
• One Half Package Sausage
• One Half Cup Cheddar Cheese
• 6 Slices of Bacon (cut in half)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic (optional)
• 12 Toothpicks (soak them in a cup of water)

1. Slice the jalapeños in half vertically and scoop out the insides (the seeds make the peppers spicy, so remove seeds depending on how spicy you want them) 
2. Mix the cream cheese, cooked sausage, cheddar cheese, and Salt&Pepper (and possibly garlic) in a bowl. I recommend microwaving the cream cheese so it's easy to mix.
3. Take (roughly) a spoonful of cheese and sausage mixture and stuff the peppers.
4. Wrap each stuffed pepper in a half slice of bacon and pin it together with the water soaked toothpicks.
5. Grill the stuffed peppers over low heat until the bacon is cooked.
6. Optional - Bake the peppers on a baking rack (with foil lining underneath) at 400F until the bacon is cooked (about 15-20 min)