About Karen Morton
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I've been teaching middle school science for 15 years in urban and suburban public and private schools. Prior to this school year, all of my teaching experience has been in California. My family recently relocated to Colorado, however, so I now teach in the Boulder area. In addition to teaching, I spend much of my time in ice rinks where my 2 teenage sons play hockey, and at various barns where my teenage daughter rides horses. |
Engagement Home Resources Standards Inspiration About the Author
Reflection on the Project
I embarked on this project in January 2012 with the goal of finding ways to increase the engagement and motivation of my students. I have had
some success with engagement through hands on activities and especially the use
of technology such as clickers and multimedia presentations of science
projects, but the engagement still seemed superficial and temporary. Students typically
enjoy my class and learn plenty of science but as soon as they walk out the
classroom door, the interest seemed to disappear.
Where is the persistence in asking more questions? Where is the desire to follow through and solve problems? Will they be prepared for the future if they don’t learn to see beyond the moment? Is this just biologically mandatory adolescent behavior that will eventually mature to meet my expectations? Or can my students be lured away from contemporary social distractions and learn to persevere?
As you can see, I began to probe deeper into that engagement and motivation that I sought. So I continued my research and tested many lessons and digital tools within the walls of my classroom. Some were successful, some were not. I will continue to work on this driving question for the rest of my teaching career and hope that those with the same question find the results of my project useful.
Where is the persistence in asking more questions? Where is the desire to follow through and solve problems? Will they be prepared for the future if they don’t learn to see beyond the moment? Is this just biologically mandatory adolescent behavior that will eventually mature to meet my expectations? Or can my students be lured away from contemporary social distractions and learn to persevere?
As you can see, I began to probe deeper into that engagement and motivation that I sought. So I continued my research and tested many lessons and digital tools within the walls of my classroom. Some were successful, some were not. I will continue to work on this driving question for the rest of my teaching career and hope that those with the same question find the results of my project useful.
Lasting Learning from Program
Through the Masters in Education, Innovative Learning Program at Touro University in California, I have been able to pursue the answer to my driving question in an engaging and productive manner. I have been exposed to countless tools and techniques and have incorporated many into my lessons. I have so much more to learn and will continue to use what I have learned and explore new ideas throughout my career. My students will be my barometers and will not only let me know what is working and what is not, but will teach me along the way. I love this new direction! As my school transitions to a one to one middle school I will blog about the journey and welcome input from all of my colleagues out there. Come learn with me.
One to One Science Blog