The process of writing lesson plans incorporating micro sensors and micro energy harvesters proved a huge challenge. Finding a way to work in the concepts, programming and applications in a Biology class pushed me to the limits. Thank you ASSIST Center (https://assist.ncsu.edu/) and Kenan Fellows for pushing me outside my comfort zone. My experiences during the Kenan Fellowship, combined with… Read more »
Ed Foo Day 4 Goodbyes How do you describe the most amazing conference you ever attended? I begin by declaring this, not a conference, but a weekend camp. We were campers after all, on an outing to discover challenges My transformation began on the first night. My conversations on Friday night let me know right away this was different. I… Read more »
Ed Foo Day 2 Continued I used amazing twice in my last mini-post. Trust me, I did not exaggerate. The afternoon proceeded along similar lines. Talk after talk challenged traditional thinking, built on the familiar, extended the possible and generally created one “Wow” moment after another. A theme is emerging. Holy crap! Gee! Why didn’t I think of that? How… Read more »
Ed Foo Day 2 Last night was amazing! Our opening event went on until after 2200h and involved countless mini-discussions all focused on education. For a teacher, this equates to professional development heaven. As we break for lunch I am faced with the challenging task of tracking all the incredible information exchanged in a way that will allow me to… Read more »
Ed Foo: Day 1 San Jose, California There is something refreshing about being three time zones away from home and work. When I first woke up this morning my mind immediately turned to what my ‘must do’ list that runs on a cius loop in my head. Then it occurred to me that I could not do most of what was… Read more »
The “Ah-Ha” or “light-bulb” moment is one of the most rewarding in all of teaching. Sometimes those moments require a bit of work to make happen. A recent “Ah-Ha” moment occurred in my class as a direct result of my applying components of the engineering design process to student learning. I had students compare the size of an acorn with… Read more »
How has my Kenan Fellowship changed me? Let me count the ways. First, let me ask you a crazy question. Have you ever been in the right place at the right time where sunlight warmed part of your body and shade chilled the other? My wife and I spent a number of years hiking in the mountains. Many of our… Read more »
For a noted geek like myself, working with the ASSIST Center was like waking up in the middle of science fiction story. The advancements in the ability of researchers to harvest energy and gather information were nearly surreal. Sharing the experience with my students will certainly capture their imaginations and hopefully motivate them to pursue careers in science. My mentors,… Read more »
In 2016 Kenan Fellows worked to create individualized Personal Remote Learning Plans. The process required much personal reflection and an objective evaluation of where I am as a teacher. The PRL Plan might be the most valuable aspect of my Kenan Fellowship experience. No other professional development in my past helped creat this type of detailed professional growth plan. The… Read more »
Over the summer I purchased a recliner, large couch, two throw rugs and several interesting framed prints. I took these to my class room along with a huge wooden bookshelf and several other framed prints from home. I converted a large sterile classroom into Dr. T’s Learning Lounge and Lab. Students responded positively right from the beginning. Students love to… Read more »
