Episode 70 - Dr. Emma Mitchell - "How Modeling Works in My Classroom"
About this episode
Mark talks with Dr. Emma Mitchell about her innovative use of modeling instruction in teaching physics at an all-girls' school.
This month, Mark talks with Emma Mitchell, the chair of the science department at the Ethel Walker School in Connecticut. They talk about her background working in labs, often as the only female. They talk about Emma's experience teaching at an all-girls' school, and then about how she came across modeling instruction when trying to figure out how to teach physics in a pandemic. She completely changed how she teaches by bringing modeling to her ninth graders and to her advanced physics students. They talk about the way students become the ones doing the heavy lifting during class, as opposed to sitting back and receiving the information through lecture. They talk about Peter Liljedahl's book, Building Thinking Classrooms, and how similar the author's ideas for math instruction are to the ideas of modeling. They spend time talking about the benefits of vertical whiteboarding for students' thinking. Emma finishes with her best tips for starting a new school year well. Guest Dr. Emma Mitchell Emma Mitchell teaches introductory- and advanced-level physics and is the Science Department Chair at The Ethel Walker School, an independent boarding and day school for girls in Simsbury…
People in this episode
Host: Mark Royce
Guest: Dr. Emma Mitchell
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ethel Walker School, AMTA
Books & works: Building Thinking Classrooms
Places: Connecticut, Simsbury, Vassar College, University of Virginia
More episodes of Science Modeling Talks
- Episode 79 - Janelle Hollingshead - Proportional Reasoning, Modeling Tips and the AMTA "Coffee Hour"
- Episode 78 - Ine Williams - "Meet the New AMTA Associate Executive Officer"
- Episode 77 - Lee Trampleasure "30 Years Teaching High School Science"
- Episode 76 – Caroline Savio-Ramos “AMTA’s New XO”
- Episode 75 – Recast – Cynthia Passmore – “Models Are the Functional Unit of Scientific Thought”
- Episode 74 - Tom Pfeiffer - 40 years veteran teacher and Modeling Workshop Leader
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