Articles by: Ramsey Musallam

Online Teaching Reflection: Day -10

By Ramsey Musallam published 25 March 20

Transitioning each course to an online version that is meaningful, effective, and leverages the online learning medium is proving to be a very daunting task.

Two boys and a girl working with robots in the classroom

5E / Hero's Journey Example: Stoichiometry (Reactions as Recipes)

By Ramsey Musallam published 7 February 20

Engage: Hero is Called

Translucent glowing blue brain at the center of an active circuit board

5E / Hero's Journey Example: Simple Circuits

By Ramsey Musallam last updated 28 January 20

Engage: Hero is Called

Smiling boy with safety glasses works on circuit board.

Engineering for Social Good Project #1: Empowering Fine Motor Control Using "Drawdio"

By Ramsey Musallam published 24 January 20

The word Simplify! written in chalk on a blackboard with wooden border

S I M P L I F Y I N G: New Class Website Approach

By Ramsey Musallam published 6 December 19

I am going to be transitioning all of my class websites from traditional Google Sites to simple Google Documents.

3 Things I'm Proud of This Week: Explosive Disposal. A Few Good Men

By Ramsey Musallam published 22 November 19

This week students were challenged to solve this case taken directly from the movie A Few Good Men.

Multicolored digital buttons display question marks

This is Your Brain on Curiosity (via TEDxUCDavisSalon)

By Ramsey Musallam published 18 November 19

Female teacher stands in front of students using desktop computers.

Student Metacognitive Portfolios Using Google Sheets

By Ramsey Musallam published 12 September 19

Students keep track of their own progress on standards, while I keep track of progress on a paper sheet, and update quarterly.

Tablet computer displays Google search page

Google Slides for "Lab Reports" (update)

By Ramsey Musallam published 4 September 19

This school year I have decided to streamline the process, adding instructions, embedded video, and rubrics to the slide template students will work in.

Teen studies in the library on his laptop computer

The Never-Ending Quest for a Simplified SBG System!

By Ramsey Musallam published 21 August 19

I think I'm on to something this year!

Pre-teen girl recording an interesting chemical experiment and mixing chemicals, pouring a pink one into the water

Surprise Sub Lesson: Generic Legos & Google Docs

By Ramsey Musallam published 5 August 19

Post 1982 Penny Battery: Experiment in Withholding Information

By Ramsey Musallam published 12 March 19

5E Lesson Example: Cellular Respiration w/Crosscutting NGSS Integration

By Ramsey Musallam published 27 February 19

The below lesson is only an outline meant to encourage deeper thinking about the 5E cycle.

Smiling girl wearing safety goggles holds wheeled robot

What is Robotics? A Curricular Challenge

By Ramsey Musallam published 22 February 19

The goal of the first few weeks is to answer the question "What is Robotics?"

Continental US appears as a raised blue map with states outlined and golden nodes spread throughout.

Sparking Curiosity in the Humanities: Data Visualization

By Ramsey Musallam published 28 January 19

By finding a visualization, downloading it, removing specific information (titles, legends, keys, etc.) and displaying it to students, questions emerge.

Three arrows before a pair of feet point to three different directions.

Revised 5E-Hero's Journey Lesson Planning Template!

By Ramsey Musallam published 18 January 19

I have written to annoying lengths about my love for the connection between the 5E Inquiry Learning Cycle and Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey.

New Grading Experiment: Student Tracking for Enhanced Metacognition

By Ramsey Musallam published 11 January 19

It does me no good as an educator to engage in debates around the efficacy of grading.

Google Slides Lab Report: A Simple, Tangible, Reasonable Solution

By Ramsey Musallam published 4 January 19

My final "stack of papers" to grade was a shared folder full with our final lab practical reports: a group experiment where students determined the optimal H2-O2 ratio to fill a 2L bottle fo for maximum product upon ignition.

Hacking the Sub Lesson: Videos IN Google Forms.

By Ramsey Musallam published 12 December 18

5 Levels of Difficulty Videos: Alternative Assessment Inspiration

By Ramsey Musallam published 21 November 18

It reminded me how explaining a difficult concept to a novice and expert audience simultaneously requires deep conceptual knowledge, and how listening to such an explanation helps to build simultaneous conceptual and mechanical knowledge of a concept.

Editing Videos for Involuntary Curiosity: 3 Chemistry Examples

By Ramsey Musallam published 16 November 18

Often times a powerful video can simultaneously engage AND demotivate students by "inducing" curiosity, while also explaining the content that underlies the phenomena.

Screenshot of Google Science Fair Report on wound management sensor

Google Science Fair as my Biology Final Exam

By Ramsey Musallam published 9 November 18

The Google Science Fair designed in such a way that students are inspired to turn their thoughts and ideas into a format that address a gap in the world, and thus, change it!