Open Reflection Journal

How would you implement what you have learned about this topic into the classroom? What specific strategy would you use?

I have considered the use of student portfolios when it comes to laboratory experiments and original research for my students in both physics and chemistry. In the industrial laboratory setting scientists are required to keep a laboratory notebook that includes every single part of all experimentation. Multiple experiments are logged in one, bound book until it is full. In order to give students a better taste of the role of being a scientist it may be beneficial for them to be required to keep all of the proceedings of their experiments in one bound location.

At the end of every school year they have a collection of laboratory reports that are usually sporatically stored. A portfolio of their work would not only help their organizational skills but will also help me to evaluate their work. They would then have something useful to hold on to and be proud of.