CYCLES OF LEARNING
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT
  • BOOK
  • TED
  • CONSULTING
  • EMAIL

When curiosity is sparked...

deep cycles of learning can occur. 

Subscribe

My Entire Distance Learning Curriculum Resources for the Fall Semester

12/10/2020

 
As my first complete semester of 100% distance leaning comes to a close  (last spring was triage at best), I wanted to share all of my resources for fellow STEM teachers. I am by no means proud or this work as my curriculum was cut significantly short as I negotiated the myriad of distance learning roadblocks I'm sure we all faced. Regardless, there are nuggets that I am proud of, and some you might (specifically, chem, bio, and robotics teachers) find useful if you dig around enough. I simply feel an obligation to share. Reach out here with ANY questions. 

Chemistry Resources 
  • All Lesson Plans, Activities, and Simulations
Biology Resources
  • All Lesson Plans, Activities, and Simulations
​Robotics. Resources
  • All Lesson Plans, Activities, and Simulations

Incompetency

12/4/2020

 
I recently stumbled across this podcast between Tim Ferris and Seth Godin. About midway through the episode Tim begins to grill Seth about the concept of Pedagogy, and how he goes about thinking about learning and instruction through a lens of. cognition and motivation.

To quote Seth:

"We learn things by becoming momentarily incompetent" 

This one quote summarizes so beautifully everything I tried to say here, and on my best days, what I try and do in the classroom (pandemic or not).  That is, to carefully walk the line between the delivery, and the withholding of information. To have faith in the empty spaces. To honor the mystery box. 

I encourage you all to listen to Tim and Seth's thoughtful conversation. 

School 180 Podcast: Pretend It's the 80's

10/20/2020

 
I was recently honored to have been a guest on my good friend Chris Walsh's new podcast, School 180. Click here to listen to our conversation exploring ways to make online instruction inquiry-driven. 

New Book Snippet! (Teaching During the Time of COVID)

10/9/2020

 
I am excited to announce that I have just completed a new book about my experiences, experiments, failures, and reflections during pandemic distance learning. While publishing is still a few months out, I will be sharing snippets of the book here. Below is the first of many: 
From "Rule #2: Streamline Your Tech"

​"Perhaps a quote by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke that was read at my wedding captures this concept best: '
Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky.' While Rilke’s words relate to love between two individuals, the teacher in me also interprets this quote to embody a larger, more transcendent context where Rilke is referring to a relationship between any two living or non living things. In the context of Rule #2, I hear Rilke calling us, as educators, to embrace our dependence on technology during distance learning, by placing it at a distance, simplifying its use, and once we do that, we can see its purpose clearly. That clarity can then surface beautiful spaces where we can challenge our students in purposeful ways.  
Specifically, while many of my colleagues were creating new websites, attending Zoom workshops, and consuming themselves with learning a new way of teaching' in preparation for distance learning, I asked myself the following question: 'If I had to teach online tomorrow, what tools in my mission statement am I the most comfortable with and are the most device agnostic?' By asking myself this question, I knew I would create a system that, although on the surface would look basic, would be something that I would feel very comfortable implementing during a stressful time, would leave room for the pedagogical musings needed to maximize learning."

Current Thoughts on Distance Learning Science Engagement

10/7/2020

 
I was honored to give a presentation yesterday to colleagues in Utah on strategies to promote engagement in the sciences when teaching in a 100% distance learning setting.

Rather than share an exhaustive list og best practices (which are constantly evolving), I decided to give participants a snap shot of my current thinking on distance learning science pedagogy which is heavily informed by constant reflective practice.

​Click here for a link to a PDF of the presentation which features my top four current strategies. I am sure these will change...but sharing reflection and iteration, I feel, is very powerful. At least for me. And it's my blog. :) 
<<Previous
    Picture
    Ramsey Musallam is a full-time science teacher in Santa Rosa California.
    Starter Pack

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    3-Bullet Thursdays
    5E
    5E/Hero's Journey
    Apple Tv
    Arduino
    Assessment
    Biology
    CAD
    Chemistry
    Clips
    Cognition
    Commentary
    Courses
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Curiosity
    Design
    Flipped Learning
    Google
    Hack Series
    Hands-On
    Hero's Journey
    Inquiry
    Invention
    Itm
    Lecture
    Maker
    Masterclass
    Megacognition
    Misc.
    Models
    Movies
    Online Teaching
    PBL
    Pd
    Podcast
    Presentations
    Products
    Programming
    Public
    Reflection
    Research
    Robotics
    Rubrics
    Science Camp
    Slides
    STEM
    Technology
    Tutorials
    Videos
    Workshop Materials

    Archives

    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011
    November 2010

  • BLOG
  • ABOUT
  • BOOK
  • TED
  • CONSULTING
  • EMAIL