EDIT: For the latest version of my objectives (including the ones for my regular classes), see the 2013 school year post, Physics Objectives 2013. — Here are my updated objectives for the year. For information on how I use them, read about conjunctive standards-based grading or check out my SBG cheat sheet. I limited myself to 5… Read More Honors Physics 2012 Objectives
This page is one of the several documents that come in the binders that I distribute to students (post on that soon once I get photos of assembling them this week). It is a quick reference sheet about some of the aspects of the grading policy for my class.
I’ve had a lot of requests lately to explain my grading system, so I thought I would outline it in as much detail as possible here. I learned this summer that what I do is apparently called “conjunctive scoring”. That is, students cannot compensate for a low score in one area (say, their understanding of forces)… Read More Conjunctive Standards-Based Grading
John challenged us to share our course syllabi. Here is my latest (possibly final?) draft for this year. I would call this more of a course reference sheet than a syllabus since it doesn’t talk about what we’re going to learn. It’s more about how we’re going to learn it. My document’s genealogy goes back… Read More Honors Physics Course Information Handout
So, you’ve decided to take Honors Physics. I’m so excited for you! You probably already know that it’s going to be challenging, and you might be a little nervous since you don’t know what to expect yet. What should you know before you get there? You should know that you learn by making mistakes. You… Read More What should I know going into Honors Physics?
My Honors Physics exam is a Big Deal. Most of my students do their best work of the semester, and the test itself is the most difficult they’ve seen. It is their final opportunity to demonstrate mastery, depth of understanding, and creative thinking. The final preparation for this test is therefore very important. For the… Read More Physics Exam Review: Recitation Problems
I want to do a better job of teaching my students how to practice physics. When I tell them which skills need work (see the SBG tag for more details), I want them to have some ideas about what it looks like to practice those skills. We say practice, not study: practice definitely means there’s… Read More How to Practice Physics (By Really Trying)
After reading Alfie Kohn’s The Homework Myth, I told my classes that I wanted to try an experiment. No homework from the start of the 2nd semester through the first test. I had a feeling that the homework wasn’t really doing much for my students, and I wanted to see how/if things would change when… Read More The No Homework Experiment
My SBG I should start by giving a summary of the way grading worked in my classes this past year. (If you already know about the grading in my class, just skip this paragraph.) My implementation of Standards Based Grading (SBG) involved two classes of standards: A objectives and B objectives (here’s my Honors Physics… Read More Those Darn Quarter Grades
UPDATE: For an updated version, check out my 2012 lineup of Honors Physics objectives. This list is out-dated. To see my current list of objectives used for standards-based grading, please visit the newer post.
Physics! Blog! 