Class 9 (Nov 13) Exit Slip

In today's class, we spent the majority of the time looking at different sources and deciding on what specific areas we want to focus on. I decided to focus mainly on the pros and cons of using demonstrations to invite students to observe, predict, and think critically. After talking to Susan, I also got interested in learning more about the scale of demonstrations, for example, making the scale big so that students are also part of the demonstration (for example, making students part of the machine in weaving). However, I couldn't find a lot of information in this area, so I think I will mainly stick to the demonstration aspect of experiential learning. 

Class 8 (Nov 6) Exit Slip

I initially wanted to do the inquiry project on experiential learning, so during the short practicum, I tried to include different demonstrations and activities for students to observe the concepts in action. I found it helped students understand the concepts better, and students seemed more engaged and excited for class. However, I also noticed how much more time it would take and how hard it was to balance finishing the curriculum and student understanding. 

Therefore, for the inquiry project, Elsa, Jason L, and I decided to learn more about what experiential learning is, as well as the pros and cons of experiential learning.

In today's class, we did some initial research on what experiential learning is, and we found that there are a lot of different forms of experiential learning, including project-based learning, labs, demonstrations, simulations, and many more, so we were planning to split up and each explore the forms we are most interested in. 

Class 7 (Oct 16) Exit Slip

We drew leaves with a straight edge and compass today. I saw the maple leaves on my way to class and thought it was so pretty. So when we were introduced to the activity, I immediately thought of those leaves. I thought it would be hard to draw the maple with a ruler and a compass because of how complex the leaf looked, but it turns out that using the compass was the hardest part. I found it frustrating to use the compass in the kit because it kept on slipping and because it was challenging to make the compass draw the circle without changing the radius midway. So instead, I made my own compass with my hair tie, a pencil, and a pencil crayon. I was really proud of the compass I made because it worked a lot better than the actual compass. During the process, I found it hard to remember how I drew each section of the leaf, as they all turned out differently than what I expected even though I thought I used the same procedure, but eventually, I figured out what I was doing wrong and I am pretty proud of the end result. I liked how mathy this art activity was. When I was little, when I drew with my sister, she would always tease me for how many measurements and calculations I make to do my drawing. It felt nice to be able to have fun with my measurements and calculations in my drawing process with other people without being judged. :)

Class 6 (Oct 9) Exit Slip

WE MADE APPLE CIDER TODAY! 🍎It was so much fun, and the apple cider we made at the end was delicious! At first, I wondered how apple cider making was related to the course, as it was super fun, but not too closely related to math and physics. However, after our discussion about playtime with Esmie, I realized that the activity wasn’t just about making cider, but also about bonding, relationship building, and working towards a shared goal. 

We naturally split up the tasks like a conveyor belt, assigning roles to each of us. Some people were in charge of washing the apples, some were cutting the apples, some were mashing them, some were working with the cider press, and some were managing the whole situation, keeping it organized and smooth. I felt that by working together toward the same goal and contributing to the process, it really brought us closer and made our bond stronger like a community. I accidentally cut myself while chopping the apples, but I felt so thankful for Jimena, Danielle, and Susan for helping me treat the wound, and Yuki, for washing the bloody knife. I felt thankful and fortunate to be surrounded by people so caring and supportive in this class. 

Today’s activities also reminded me of the importance of experiencing physics when learning it. When students actually get to do things, to play around with concepts, make predictions, observe, and discuss with each other, they are experiencing them rather than just memorizing them like textbook facts. And by having time to play and explore ideas with peers, students can have a deeper connection to the concepts while feeling a sense of belonging, teamwork, and connection in the class. I think that by giving students time to play, they can learn so much more than just plugging in numbers into equations.

Class 5 (Oct 2) Exit Slip

In today’s class, we talked about conic sections and where we can find and feel them in our daily lives. I found the idea of circling, ellipsing, hyperbola(ing), parabola (ing) super cool. The process of doing the shapes, the process of experiencing the shapes, makes these concepts a lot more dynamic than just concepts in the textbook. When brainstorming, I noticed that we all chose different ways of expressing our ideas. Some groups were writing down equations and solving them, some groups were drawing them on the board, some groups were talking about their thoughts, some groups were acting the shapes out with their bodies, and some people visualized the shapes with paper. I was reminded that there are so many ways of expressing ourselves, our ideas, that it is not just limited to all the different languages we speak. Nature also expresses themselves in their own way, so we can also learn from their perspectives, learning to “listen” and discover how things function around us would make this world such a fun and less lonely place, like “a neighbourhood of nonhuman residents”, as the reading described. 

We also watched a video on indigenizing math, teaching calculus of finite differences through startblankets. I really liked how well the Indigenous culture was incorporated into the curriculum. I was reminded of the Science First People’s Teacher Resource Guide (https://www.fnesc.ca/sciencetrg/) that was introduced to us in our EDUC 440 class. This resource is similar to the Math First People’s Teacher Resource Guide in the class blog, but instead of math, the book includes a lot of resources for science teachers to integrate First People’s knowledge and perspective into secondary science classes. 

Class 4 (Sept 25) Exit Slip

On Thursday, we learned how to make rope. I had so much fun with the process that I couldn’t stop making it throughout class. By the end, I had a rope so long that it would be used as a jump rope! We made the rope with long grass. I was fascinated by how simply twisting the grass in specific ways can turn the thin, fragile strands of grass into something strong enough to hold a person’s weight. I was also surprised by the variety of materials that can be used for rope making: bulrush, waterlily leaves, corn husk, and so many more materials that we can see in our everyday life. 

Looking at the rope I made, I noticed the thickness was very uneven, especially the sections I did while also trying to pay attention to what Susan was sharing. It reminded me of what I learned in EPSE 308 about how multitasking can make work harder and lower our performance in the quality of work. I realized that my rope looked the most even when I was fully immersed in the process, concentrating and enjoying the moment. 

When exploring other types of weaving, I experimented with plain weave using bulrushes, and Elsa tried rope making. I was able to show her how to extend her strands, and she was able to use her past weaving experience to help me finish my piece. I liked how we were able to exchange our knowledge: Susan sharing her knowledge of string making with the class, I passed some of Susan’s knowledge to Elsa, and Elsa sharing her knowledge of weaving with me. Together, we were able to build on each other’s knowledge to create a result that everyone was proud of.

This experience reminded me of teaching. Everyone comes from a different backgrounds, so everyone can add different strengths to the class, and by sharing what we know while learning from others, the classroom can become a more engaging, inclusive, and fun place for everyone.

During sit spots, we walked around with some color swatches to match the color to what is around us. I found out that even though many of the colors were named after natural things, such as creeping vine, buckwheat yellow, oat bran, dew drops, and dark forest green, a lot of them didn’t seem to match the actual tones I saw in nature. They were a lot brighter and vivid in general, so instead, many of them matched with the clothes of my classmates more closely. This really surprised me, and it made me wonder how the colors were named. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this activity! :)

Class 3 (Sept 18) Exit Slip

In today’s class, we picked apples and focused on sounds. I was surprised by how many apples we ended up having just by picking 3 apples per person. I am really excited and looking forward to making apple cider, and I hope it turns out yummy! We also took some time in today’s sit spots to focus on the sounds around us in the garden. When drawing the sounds, I used two colours to differentiate the human-made sounds and the natural sounds. I chose to use two colours for myself, because I am both a human and a part of nature. And I chose to draw both the object making the sounds and the pattern the sounds make me feel. We also came up with performances of the sounds we heard. I was surprised by how many sounds we could mimic with our voice and body, and I had a lot of fun watching what everyone came up with. I noticed during sit spots that it seemed to be a lot noisier today than last week when we were drawing. I think it could be that today is a loud day or that by changing our focus, we are also changing our perceptions. Applying to classrooms, during incidents, giving students strategies to shift their focus away from the incident itself might help students calm down and think of what happened more objectively and less emotionally.

I had fun in today’s class and I am looking forward to what we will be doing in our next class! :)

Class 2 (Sept 11) Exit Slip

We went to The Orchard Garden for the first time today. I really enjoyed the Sit Spots activity. I’ve always been nervous to try charcoal because I didn’t like how it makes the paper grey, but in today’s class, I had so much fun experimenting with the thickness and the amount of force I put in each stroke. During the activity, I was able to slow down and take my time connecting to the environment. In fact, I got a bit too focused on the observing and drawing part of the activity, instead of the whole purpose of the Sit Spots, so I was walking around, drawing objects and scenes that I observed. I noticed that most of the artificial objects in the garden have sharper angles and are of more vivid colours, so that they stand out in the scene. 

I liked what one of our classmates said, that all the natural objects seem to coexist together. I really liked looking at Jimena's drawing of the picnic table in the woods, as looking at it gives me a sense of peace and serenity. I also had fun eating the pear and blackberries I picked from the garden. It felt extra juicy and sweet because I picked it myself. :) 

Applying it to physics classrooms I think I could bring students outdoors, or stay indoor, and ask them to observe their surroundings to see what forces are in play, for example, gravitational force keeping everything on the ground, normal force making sure that we don’t sink into the floor, tension force in the strings, friction force on objects leaning onto something else, etc. By noticing the objects moving or existing in equilibrium, students can be more aware of their surroundings and learn to take the time to slow down and observe what is around them, like what we did during Sit Spots. 

Class 1 (Sept 4) Exit Slip

One of my key takeaways from today’s discussion is the idea Susan shared that “just because we said something doesn’t mean that students have learned it”. It made me think about how teaching isn’t just about presenting the information, but it is about using interactive approaches to help students engage in class, apply the knowledge, and actually understand the concepts. When watching Teacher Man and Teacher Inquiry: Frank McCourt, Frank McCourt mentioned that “the best acting is no acting at all”, and that teachers should be themselves when they teach. I was reminded of a reading I did during my field experience about emotional labour vs emotional work. I think that if teachers can be themselves when they teach, and actually be engaged in both the material and what students share, they may be less prone to experiencing burnout, and teaching can be such a fun and rewarding experience. :)