well after a successful day yesterday, today was more of a challenge...Day 1 since most had time to take part or all their notes in class most had them completed them so for day 1 of practice it was awesome to see them working and getting their questions answered. Today had just the opposite outcome, most didn't have their notes done. The students that did have their notes done did well and were able to do their assignments and finish it with no problems. My frustration lies with finding the right tool that motivates them to do their homework, whether it be traditional practice problems or taking notes. What makes this different from every other teacher in America?
Why? did I decide to flip my class again? I don't know if I can continue...maybe Monday will be better...
Saturday, February 2, 2013
New Unit new hope....
Well, Unit 7 was short and kind of crazy. I was getting a little frustrated with the amount of people who weren't doing their notes on time. They only had 2 nights of notes over the course of 6 days. Course my own life was kind of crazy, I started my last semester of grad school-which means I started my last class on Tuesday and my internship on Wednesday. Needless to say I was a tad overwhelmed for a bit.
But after looking around on a few other blogs, one of them being Flipping with Kirch, and realizing if I'm going to survive this semester and teach my students something I needed to be more organized and thoughtful on my planning. Instead of giving them the titles as we went or a couple at a time where they write them down I decided what I needed to do to help me and help them was pre-fill it for them with the dates and titles of the notes. I also am giving them a quiz online over their notes, this I had done before but didn't tie a grade to it, now they are getting a grade. For this first part of unit 8 there are 3 different notes they have to take so there will be 3 different quizzes in the grade book. I probably won't give them a grade for every one next time, I do an average of the quiz grades for the unit next time or just pick a random quiz to record.
We tested on Unit 7 and we ended up needing 2 days to test, so what I did was section off my room for testers and note takers so they could go ahead and start watching the notes for the next days lesson. It went really well, I had to send some of them in the hall to watch the since not everyone had head phones. In class today I asked who still needed to complete their notes, and although there were a few in each class there were way fewer around the computers. :) I then had the ones ready for the practice problems categorize their comfort level 1-4. 1) you were completely lost and can't tell me what a base and exponent are. 2) you get it but need a few more examples. 3) I totally get it and I'm good on my own. 4) I know it so well, I can teach it to someone else. I got this idea after seeing a poster in the pictures Crystal Kirch posted on her blog. I started at the 1's with my whiteboard. The day went well! I made it to every table and clarified their confusions. Mostly on the negative exponents.
But after looking around on a few other blogs, one of them being Flipping with Kirch, and realizing if I'm going to survive this semester and teach my students something I needed to be more organized and thoughtful on my planning. Instead of giving them the titles as we went or a couple at a time where they write them down I decided what I needed to do to help me and help them was pre-fill it for them with the dates and titles of the notes. I also am giving them a quiz online over their notes, this I had done before but didn't tie a grade to it, now they are getting a grade. For this first part of unit 8 there are 3 different notes they have to take so there will be 3 different quizzes in the grade book. I probably won't give them a grade for every one next time, I do an average of the quiz grades for the unit next time or just pick a random quiz to record.
We tested on Unit 7 and we ended up needing 2 days to test, so what I did was section off my room for testers and note takers so they could go ahead and start watching the notes for the next days lesson. It went really well, I had to send some of them in the hall to watch the since not everyone had head phones. In class today I asked who still needed to complete their notes, and although there were a few in each class there were way fewer around the computers. :) I then had the ones ready for the practice problems categorize their comfort level 1-4. 1) you were completely lost and can't tell me what a base and exponent are. 2) you get it but need a few more examples. 3) I totally get it and I'm good on my own. 4) I know it so well, I can teach it to someone else. I got this idea after seeing a poster in the pictures Crystal Kirch posted on her blog. I started at the 1's with my whiteboard. The day went well! I made it to every table and clarified their confusions. Mostly on the negative exponents.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
After 2 units
ok. So, I had started flipping with unit 5, which ended up with 4 video notes on linear functions. I did the reteach of Unit 4 with videos, and unit 6 had 2- one over solving systems by graphing and the other by substitution. I'll start with the good, even though the material is over the same general topics their test grades have improved 10-15%. So I don't know how much I can contribute that to the flipping as to just the consistency of the material.
The challenging part has been getting to consistently watch the notes before class time. And not just watch them but take complete and detailed notes. I think with the start of second semester and unit 7, I am going to reteach how to accurately take notes from the videos and illustrate how to use them to find help with the practice problems.
There is another teacher, Biology, who has flipped his class and he says he gives online quizzes over the notes and they can retake them as many times as needed and use their notes. I do this, but it's not a grade in the grade book, so this might be something else I try to incorporate into the note taking process.
At this point, I don't think the stress of teaching using this model is any different than teaching a traditional model. What I do think, is that it definitely has helped the students get the notes from when they're absent-especially those with the flu that are out for a week or more at a time. I think it has helped with me being able to spend more time in class helping students who are struggling. Although, I feel that we don't get as much accomplished. But on the other hand the at home practice they would have had to do in a traditional setting most likely wouldn't have been completed either. This way at least they are getting more engaging time to practice the problems.
I'm trying to go to the Flipping Learning Network Conference in Minnesota this summer, I hope the funding comes through. I feel I can really learn a lot and then also be able to bring it back to my campus/district to teach others.
I know there are several ways to record the lessons, but I have found it so convenient to use my iPad and the ShowMe App and then upload it to the ProProfs website and use that to quiz them. I can do it at home, at work, anywhere with internet and that's quiet. With my busy schedule with kids and grad school in the mix this has been a life saver from the way I did it last year recording myself in the front of my classroom.
The challenging part has been getting to consistently watch the notes before class time. And not just watch them but take complete and detailed notes. I think with the start of second semester and unit 7, I am going to reteach how to accurately take notes from the videos and illustrate how to use them to find help with the practice problems.
There is another teacher, Biology, who has flipped his class and he says he gives online quizzes over the notes and they can retake them as many times as needed and use their notes. I do this, but it's not a grade in the grade book, so this might be something else I try to incorporate into the note taking process.
At this point, I don't think the stress of teaching using this model is any different than teaching a traditional model. What I do think, is that it definitely has helped the students get the notes from when they're absent-especially those with the flu that are out for a week or more at a time. I think it has helped with me being able to spend more time in class helping students who are struggling. Although, I feel that we don't get as much accomplished. But on the other hand the at home practice they would have had to do in a traditional setting most likely wouldn't have been completed either. This way at least they are getting more engaging time to practice the problems.
I'm trying to go to the Flipping Learning Network Conference in Minnesota this summer, I hope the funding comes through. I feel I can really learn a lot and then also be able to bring it back to my campus/district to teach others.
I know there are several ways to record the lessons, but I have found it so convenient to use my iPad and the ShowMe App and then upload it to the ProProfs website and use that to quiz them. I can do it at home, at work, anywhere with internet and that's quiet. With my busy schedule with kids and grad school in the mix this has been a life saver from the way I did it last year recording myself in the front of my classroom.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Day 2 of reteach flipped
Day 2 went well. my rambunctious 7th period had a harder time staying focused, well some of them. The day was calmer since the students all knew what to do. Tomorrow is test day so hopefully it will pay off and their test scores will rock!
Great day! with reteach
We finished our unit 4 before Thanksgiving break but had to wait till we got back to test per district testing calendar, well needless to say the test scores were not good at all. This unit was not flipped but the reteach kind of is. I grouped the questions by TEK and make videos for each and posted them together with other example questions for them to do on their own using proprofs.com on my Edmodo site. I'm really loving the show me app on my iPad, it's great for late night planning with videotaping. I gave them back their tests, asked them to get out a different colored pen and their math notebook. I told them to watch the video, if they think they understood and got the questions right then check the end of the video and move on to the practice problem. If they didn't get it, watch the video, correct the problems, and take any additional notes in their notebook about the topic. For example if they missed the question on slope, write how to find slope and what slope is in their notebook. They worked in partners, grouped by level, and worked at their own pace. They all were on task and seemed to be really liking this style.
We are doing this today as well, and anything they still don't get they can do tonight to help them for the retake tomorrow. They had one computer or macbook, some even used ipads or tablets per pair and I had them spread around the room which made it easier for me to walk around and assist them. The one thing I would say to improve this is having headphone splitters and extra sets of headphones, most kids have their own headphones and they'd share with their partner but if they didn't it made it hard to hear.
We are doing this today as well, and anything they still don't get they can do tonight to help them for the retake tomorrow. They had one computer or macbook, some even used ipads or tablets per pair and I had them spread around the room which made it easier for me to walk around and assist them. The one thing I would say to improve this is having headphone splitters and extra sets of headphones, most kids have their own headphones and they'd share with their partner but if they didn't it made it hard to hear.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Day 2- The first time they had to watch a video for HW
I will admit, I was nervous today about them coming in prepared. I had a couple message me on Edmodo about not getting the link to work, which I tried to help but on my ipad and laptop I had no issues. For the class practice, we were finishing up a group problem from last week, and this time I gave them to finish I used to go around and look at their notes, answer their questions, and stamp their sheet. Most had them done :-) I was impressed. Those who didn't have them done were later told to get on a computer or smart device and watch them (well not 1st period- I had 2 other people come into observe me and i forgot this step with them). Those who did their notes in class, had an assignment to take home as their practice since they didn't get practice time in class. I was really please with my first 3 classes, most had done their notes. I was however discouraged by mt last class, when only 5 had done them. :-( but it ended ok, this group is my lowest performing class and having that time with them to show them how to access the notes, take the notes, and monitor them really helped and I hope they see the benefits of doing them before class. The activity today was practice problems on point slope form and writing equations of lines given the slope and a point or y intercept. I had 6 questions, but I had 2 levels of questioning. They questions were on two different colored paper, so the students didn't know they were different. I purposely grouped them according to skill level and gave them a card that told them what problem and color to go to. They rotated around and I walked around helping and clarifying things as needed. In the beginning of each class there was some wait time for some groups because I couldn't get to everyone at the same time. But they really just needed the confidence to know they were doing things right.
As a reflection of today, I like how I walk around and stamp notes, but I need to figure out a quicker way to do it so it doesn't waste so much time in the beginning. I am pleased this year so far with the positive comments and actions of my students. This is much better than my implementation last year when I did it at semester with Algebra 2 students. This hopefully is a good sign that this will be a positive change for my classes and my students performance.
They had no homework tonight, we will do whiteboard practice tomorrow over the same thing and on Wednesday I'll give them a short quiz to assess more formally.
As a reflection of today, I like how I walk around and stamp notes, but I need to figure out a quicker way to do it so it doesn't waste so much time in the beginning. I am pleased this year so far with the positive comments and actions of my students. This is much better than my implementation last year when I did it at semester with Algebra 2 students. This hopefully is a good sign that this will be a positive change for my classes and my students performance.
They had no homework tonight, we will do whiteboard practice tomorrow over the same thing and on Wednesday I'll give them a short quiz to assess more formally.
Day 1- Implementation
I have been trying and trying to implement the flipped model all year, but with a new curriculum and a new subject matter, and grad school...time wasn't my friend. so finally at the start of the 3rd six weeks I was ready. I emailed out a video and letter (I used one I found from http://flippingwithkirch.blogspot.com/2012/08/3-new-intro-videos.html ) to the parents introducing myself in video form and asking after they went through the video to answer a few questions on proprofs.com. I was very surprised how few responses I got to the parent email. But I went ahead and the next day introduced it to the students. Again I borrowed Mrs. Kirch's video for students and showed mine most of it. I had edited her WSQ, and i explained how things were going to work in our class now. Most seemed to be excited about this. I explained to them how I would still be teaching them, but now in a more purposeful, efficient manner. I also told them how if they didn't do their traditional homework and they continue that pattern with not doing their new flipped homework that they'd still get the same results. There were some non-believers, and that's ok, I just tried to tell them how the benefits really will be benefits if they do their part.
I explained to them the stamp sheet they'd get would be to keep up with their completion and we modeled the first days notes together. There was some technical difficulty but I worked through them and explained how to take notes on their own.
I explained to them the stamp sheet they'd get would be to keep up with their completion and we modeled the first days notes together. There was some technical difficulty but I worked through them and explained how to take notes on their own.
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