IB Chemistry is in full swing!
Ms. Sarah Shuttleworth - Chemistry Teacher
The school buildings are shut but the schools are not!
This has been a challenging time, not only for the students but myself as well. As Chemistry courses include a lot of practical experiment work it has been a challenge.
CHEMISTS provide SOLUTIONS so on we went.
Some experiments are safe to perform at home and they will allow students to collect and record data. Unfortunately at IB level then kitchen Chemistry will not suffice and so we have moved onto using simulations and sharing results.
Students are using their computers more and this has to be managed effectively on Health and Safety grounds, so instead of reading material I have shared listening material such as podcasts and songs that are useful revision resources.
During the introduction of a new topic, we start with a flipped lesson, where students will use their Kognity online text book to read round the material to get the big picture. Once they have then got basics we have a Zoom lesson where I discuss it and using question and answering we go deeper into the specific scientific meaning and applications. This is then backed up with a variety of resources, as some students prefer videos or notes or power points or a mixture. They will then consolidate their learning with initially Kognity assignment where I select the questions. This method allows the student to access immediate feedback to their responses, and with explanations they can see where they made a mistake or misunderstood. Once we have chatted together re this I then provide students with formative exam style questions, which I mark and give individual feedback. Then the Summative!!
I am very pleased with the attitudes shown by the students, they are exhibiting many skills , risk taking , critical thinking, collaboration, independent leaner and effective communication.