I'm giving my Algebra 1 kids more freedom this week in my flipped class. Just like I've been doing with the Math Analysis "waivers" (they can take a concept quiz to prove to me that they know it and they don't have to finish the required practice problems for that concept; they can move on to the next concept), I started doing that today in Algebra 1.
Things I'm excited about:
1. Let my higher kids move on and not feel bogged down with "busy work". Might be able to do some more challenging stuff with them.
2. Motivation factor - if you do you work to actually "learn" in and get it, you might not have to do as much! Work with a purpose, not to just "do the time"
Things I'm nervous about:
1. Can my 9th-10th graders self-evaluate enough to know when they are ready to take the quiz? Out of the 25 or 30 kids today that took the Ch8b Concept 2 quiz, I did have 4-5 not pass it (a few weren't even close). That means they have to fully finish the assignment.
2. Is the extra practice I assign necessary for them to make it concrete in their brain? Is the repetition important, even if it does become a little "busy work-ish"? Or will my students continue to remember how to do it once they've proven it to me on a quiz?
3. Will this become unmanageable since they are not as "self-directed" as my Math Analysis Honors students? Will they be able to handle the freedom and the ability to take quizzes when they are ready and be honest about it?
We will see how this week goes and I'll blog about it in my reflection on Friday. :)
Also, this will be "survey results" week from my kids as they do their mid-semester evaluation/comments of the Flipped Class. I'll be posting a bit each day, hopefully.
Very interesting. Should work well for standards-based grading and differentiated instruction. How do you handle grades for students who demonstrate mastery without completing all assignments? This strategy should also help you target interventions for struggling students. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteI hope it goes well... I really want to head towards the SBG/Mastery type of grading, but don't know exactly what I want it to look like yet. The students who demonstrate mastery just get "waived" from the rest of the assignment. Each assignment is based on a single concept (for example, they will do Ch 8a Concept 1, Chapter 8a Concept 2, etc - they are all separate assignments), so they just get waived and get the points (2 pts per assignment) for the one they didn't have to finish. Most of them at least have to start the assignment to make sure they get it on their own.
DeleteWe shall see how it goes...