#EdCampOC

I was so happy to be able to attend the afternoon portion of EdCampOC today.  I can't wait to go to another one and meet up with so many amazing educators.

It was great to see so many friends, some of whom I've met before in person and some who I've only interacted with online.  The power of twitter as a PLN...

So great to see again/meet you all and chat, even if it was just for a few minutes.  I can't wait to connect and chat again soon - Kate, Kevin, Chris, Dan, Randy, Jill, David, Garrett... and more but I can't remember the new names :/  So if we met and I'm not following you on twitter yet please tweet me @crystalkirch so we can stay connected!

I got to participate in an amazing hallway chat with Karl, Kate, and Kevin during session 3 (aka catch up and chat), and then went to "Things that Suck".  I've heard so much about that session but it was awesome to participate.  It was funny when David asked me to define a flipped class to those who didn't know and I guess my definition was just a little too complex.  I tried to simplify it, I really did :)

Here a few pictures from the day!

Jeanne Reed @jeanneread1
I got to EdCamp at about 12:30 and was starving since I was out all morning. I go to the food truck and order some sliders, and Jeanne comes up and tells me she is going to buy my lunch for me!  This is the first time I've met her, and she is a such a sweetheart!  And, a passionate educator!!

John Stevens @jstevens009
We missed each other at CUE this year (blame Siri), but I'm so glad I got to finally meet John and chat, even if it was for just a bit.  Looking forward to more conversations next time!

Who can resist this cutie?  Grayson attended his first EdCamp, and everyone got to meet the one who's taken over my life the last 5 1/2 months.  He's so worth it :)

KARL! @LS_karl
David tweeted this out as a "family" picture.  Talk about awkward.  But, Karl did crown Grayson as  #WSQprince, so he can be the #WSQuncle.  Sound fair?

On a random note, I won one of the raffle prizes.  When Kate announced one of them was a certificate for OCDE courses, I commented that it would be funny if I won that one since I teach a course for OCDE.  And guess what I won?  Yep... how ironic. :)

Reflections on Week 16 (Three thoughts for a three-day weekend)

https://openclipart.org/image/300px/svg_to_png/176652/3_THREE.png

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!  This reflection post is going to stray from normal for this week because, well, this week was anything BUT normal.  Here are just a few thoughts and reflections.
Other posts from the week:
1. Flipped Class Webinar - Take Two! 
2. Monday's #flipclass chat - ideas to ponder 
3. Three students that struggle in my #flipclass 

• I'm LOVING having students submit their WSQs electronically instead of handwritten.  There is more accountability for them and more feedback for me.  I am making them resubmit the WSQs until they are correct, so that motivates them to get it right the first time and really pay attention to the video.  It is a little tedious with the resubmits, but because they are all online through a Google Doc, I can do a few here and a few there and it doesn't turn into too big of a deal.  Also, I can choose which WSQs are "Mandatory Resubmissions" (or even which QUESTIONS are mandatory resubmissions) if I want to lower the amount of "re-grading" time that I have.
• What I love best about the Online WSQs
• More accountability for them - I can and do read every response so they can't just write "crap" down in their notebooks and hope I don't spend too much time at their group that day.  Also, they have the accountability that they have to be complete AND correct in their responses or they will be resubmitting.
• More feedback for me - I know BEFORE they come to class exactly where the misconceptions are.  I have about 45/70 students submit the WSQ before 7:30am, and the rest submit it in the morning, during homeroom, or during lunch.  So, although I don't get to read through all of them before class time, I do get a pretty good grasp about where the tricky parts are and how they are doing.
• It guides class instruction if needed - based on the responses, I can decide to do a 5-minute mini lecture, or do a sample problem as a class, or change up how/what I want them to focus on during their WSQ discussions.   It's great feedback as a whole.  On Monday of this week, only 7 of the students got all 7 "Secret Questions" right... and about 15 students got all of them wrong.  So, their WSQ chat actually turned into them re-working through the Secret Questions together and figuring out where they went wrong.  It was actually very helpful. I had the 7 "perfect" students still re-work through them with their groups, both as the "experts" and to make sure they really knew what they were doing and didn't guess.  In hindsight, that was a good and a bad thing.  I think it was a positive experience for them, but it did "hold them back" if they were ready to move on, which is one of my goals NOT to do with the Flipped Classroom.
• To work on and tweak with online WSQs:
•  Students need to handwrite their question ("Q") and bring to class. I have often forgotten to do anything with the questions now that students don't have anything written in front of them.  
• One of the "hidden" goals of the WSQ is to have the students working on their writing skills in my class. I need to train/teach and then hold the students to a higher level of expectation in terms of typing online - I still want complete sentences and coherent thoughts, not just short, quick answers.
• Ideas for next year with the online WSQ
• IF we are able to use the iPad lab in my class, students could submit the WSQ online and then just open the Google Doc up to talk through their answers in class.  Then, they have access to not only THEIR answers, but EVERYONE'S answers from  Math Analysis!  I think that would be a great collaboration tool.

• I am in the process of getting a lot of end-of-year feedback:
• "Flipped Classroom Reflection Interview" - all of my students are answering nine questions about the flipped classroom both in typing and then on video interview.  For the students that allow me to use their video in public, the interviews will be posted here on my blog.  Four of them are already up in a previous post, and I am editing more as they get filmed (a few a day until our June 14th last day of school!). I will try to post a few more later this weekend.  Once I get all the students' videos edited, I will be putting together a "highlight reel" for each question to use in my class next year as an intro to the Flipped Classroom.
• "Flipped Classroom Parent Survey" - I am having my parents fill out a short survey about the Flipped Classroom.  I just realized now that I never actually sent home the "letter to parents" to my Math Analysis students because we just kind of transitioned to the Flipped Classroom.  With my Algebra 1's, it was a hard and fast change, so they got a letter sent home.  I sent the letter out to my Math Analysis parents electronically via Edmodo, but I'm finding out now that several of them never accessed it at all.  But, they never asked me any questions all semester via email, edmodo, phone, etc... so I leave that on them at this point.
• "End of Year Survey" - This is a survey I do every year (tweaked a little bit each year) to get feedback on everything we've done this year, not just the Flipped Classroom (only the last page refers to the Flipped Classroom).  Some years I do it anonymously; this year I chose not to.  I feel like I have developed an open and honest relationship with my students where they can tell me the truth even if it's not positive. [Please note: to see the whole survey, you will have to click through the questions because they are "mandatory" completion.  Go for it if you choose, just don't click "submit" on the very last page and I'll never know the difference!]

• Sharing, sharing, sharing!
• On Tuesday, I had a day of meetings with the rest of the Math Department Chairs in my district.  I am "officially" presenting my Flipped Classroom to them on our June 7th monthly meeting, but it got brought up and we spent lunch talking about it and sharing.  One of the other math teachers has been experimenting with "video instruction" for the last chapter or so of his Geometry class.  I shared about the WSQ, Sophia.org for lesson organization, MentorMob for curating content, student-created videos, and how the focus of the flipped classroom needs to be OFF the videos and more on the class environment and how that is changing.
• On Thursday, I was honored to host about ten visitors from two different high schools (both from more than an hour away!!!).  They observed my first class (which, due to it being an assembly day, was only 37 minutes instead of 54) and then we were able to just chat for about two hours (being an assembly day and not having a homeroom = I had lots of time!).  They had a lot of questions and it was just an informal Q&A session about anything they wanted to discuss.  It was really neat because from one high school, the principal, a social science teacher, a couple science teachers, and a couple math teachers were able to come.  It was great to have a variety of subject areas all interested in how the flipped classroom could make a difference with their students.

All in all, it was an exhausting week.  Monday was the only normal day.  Tuesday, I was pulled out all day for meetings.  Wednesday, I was also pulled out all day for meetings, did 2 hours of math interviews for a new position we have open for next year, stayed after school for 3 hours for an open study session, and then presented at our School Awards night (I live 25 minutes away, so there was no point in me going home and coming back).  Thursday was an assembly day, so in addition to the kids being crazy, classes were only 37 minutes long.  Friday was a modified day, so classes were only 40 minutes long.  Short class periods tend to make the kids think it is a "joke" day and you really have to get them focused and willing to work for the time you have them.

I have found that it is hard to motivate kids when you are exhausted yourself.  On Thursday and Friday, I was EXHAUSTED.  More so than I think I have ever been.  With so much on my plate the last month above and beyond my normal teaching duties, I have worn myself out.
Luckily I have great kids who can just go with the flow and will work hard when I have an "off day".  I went home Thursday and took a nap... Friday I just had the kids working independently and silently, which they did a great job with.  We left town on Friday afternoon and am enjoying a long weekend at my parents house in the small town I grew up in.  It's quiet, calm, and peaceful...and I'm loving it!

13 more wake-ups until summer break!

Out of those school days:

-I am pulled out for meetings for two of them

-Two of them are Friday modified days (out at 12:30)

-Three of them are Finals modified days (out at 12:30)

So, I have 6 "regular" school days left until summer :)

What I am looking forward to most about Summer 2012

Personally:

• Not waking up to an alarm clock.  I have been sleep deprived this year.  It's not fun and it's not healthy. I am looking forward to getting back on a regular sleeping schedule and carrying that over to the new school year. 
• Continuing with my weight loss - I am 10 pounds away from being back at my wedding weight, and I'd love to celebrate our 5-year anniversary back where I've been trying to get for the last four years :)  Speaking of our 5-year anniversary, hopefully we will find something fun to do to celebrate.  We were planning a big trip, but then my younger sister decided to get married in Florida with two months notice and that kind of turned into an "early" 5-year anniversary trip to DisneyWorld.  I'm not complaining :)
• Spending more time with friends and family - I am looking forward to spending more time hanging out, going to the beach, playing tennis, going on walks/runs, reading, shopping, cooking, etc.   I want to start exercising consistently again and get my tone back.
• I have a goal of 70 books this year, and right now I believe I'm on book 22.  I read a lot of novels, so over the summer I will probably read 2-3 a week -  they are fiction novels though and pretty easy/fun to get through.  I have (not kidding here) probably 50-60 books sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to be read... so I'm exciting to curl up with a good book :)  [I get most of my books from garage sales, thrift stores, bargain bins, or from amazon.com/half.com super cheap].

Professionally:

• ISTE 2012 in San Diego!  I will be driving the hour down south with 3 other ladies from my school and I am so excited for the entire conference... I wish there were three of me so I could attend all the sessions I want to
• FlipCon12  "virtually" - can't fly to Chicago, so I'll be attending the virtual conference... some live, some I will probably watch throughout the summer.  Super excited!
• Getting my Flipped Classroom videos recorded for the first few months of school from when I still taught traditionally.  Most of Math Analysis needs to be done in the first 2 weeks of summer because it is now a part of the "summer packet" for my incoming students. (see kirchmathanalysis.blogspot.com)
• Get my class blogs set up for next year (Math Analysis already partially set up; get Algebra 1 put together)
• Finishing my final edits of my curriculum that has been 4 years in development.  Possibly putting it online somewhere like teacherspayteachers? (If anyone has used that, let me know your thoughts... everyone who uses my stuff tells me I need to start selling it.)
• Go through all my posts from this year and make notes about what I want to think about, change, tweak, etc, and start getting all those thoughts put together in an organized fashion.  I am so thankful I chose to take the time to blog through this entire journey because it has been so helpful for me!
• Update the flippedclassroomdata.blogspot.com site with all the new submissions to the survey that have been received since it was initially published on April 4th.  It's been put on the backburner for a while now :)

Thank you for joining me on my journey this semester! 

This week marked my four-month BLOGAVERSARY, and I celebrated with 50 followers and over 26,000 views!  Amazing what can happen in four short months...

It's also hard to believe there will only be two (or three, if I choose to blog on Finals week) reflection posts left... then A LOT of student/parent feedback posts once I get them all organized... then who knows?

What should I blog about next year?  

Like I've said over and over again, this blog has been indispensable to my professional development.  I'm thinking I will continue reflecting on my journey as a "flipper" because in Year 2, I am almost certain I will learn just as much if not more than year " . 5".  We'll see where this leads! :)

Guest blog and Webinar Archive

If you haven't already, check out my guest blog at Sophia.org, as well as the archive to the Webinar on "My Flipped Classroom" that I presented on Wednesday, May 9th.


Link here

5/4/12 #flipclass chat ramblings...Plans for summer and what to do next...

This tweet from tonight says it all:

@kadaniels @a_mcsquared I think my head buzzes after every#flipclass chat. Too many things to sort thru. Gotta go thru my tweets and blog!

@crystalkirch I like your recap blog post after #flipclass helps me sort my buzzing brain as well! AGAIN AGAIN more #flippingwithkirch

I've got to sort through all of these conversations so I can make meaning of the PD that the weekly #flipclass chat provides.  Otherwise, it turns into another "fun" hour of chatting.

Tonight, here's what's on my mind:

1. My summer "to-do" list (way too many things on here right now!)

• Recording #flipclass vids for 1st semester, planning more hands-on, active, in-class activities for Ss to apply their learning.  I want to develop my units beyond video-classwork. (projects, hands on, application, etc)
• Okay, so I need to record Math Analysis Units A-F and Algebra 1 Chapters 1-5. I would love to get all of my recording done over the summer, but that will definitely take some scheduling and planning to get it all done.  I find that I need to get "in the groove" and then I like to just crank out the videos in a 4-5 hour stint.  With Camtasia, I like to add a bit more to the videos now, so that is a little more time.  I'm thinking I'll do all my recording one day, all my editing the next, etc.
• I do need to re-record some videos from this year, but I think getting all the original videos done is a priority first.
• I honestly don't know where to begin with coming up with ideas for more active in-class activities (not the most creative person on that front), but I figure if I find a few here or there that work it will continue to mix it up and I'll find what works for me :)
• @Smacclintic Same here - I want to develop more ideas for formative assessment procedures #flipclass
• I have a few different ways for formative assessment - mini-quizzes, students making videos, WSQ interviews and conversations... but I would like to have a few more tools in my toolbox.  On the lookout!  Post here if you have a great idea to share!
• I also want to work on my class blog/website and have everything embedded and organized well. #flipclass
• I've been using kirchmathanalysis.blogspot.com for the last few units for my Math Analysis class and like the ease of organizing and embedding.  I will still use Edmodo for communication with students, but I do want to develop my class blog. 
• If you have a class blog and are willing to share ideas, please post in the comments so I can gather/steal ideas :)
• I also want 2 develop the "big ideas" &"guiding questions" 4 each unit that can lead to great discussion and deeper understanding#flipclass  @bennettscience Big key for me as well, now that I have a year under my belt. I want the big ideas and pictures to flow smoothly #flipclass
• I have started this in the last few units, but I really want to sit down and go through each lesson and decide what I want my students to be able to talk about from this lesson and how they all connect together.  I don't see this as a hard task, just a time consuming one.
• I'm hoping to "convince" a few other tchrs at my school to flip (1 on board already!) and work w/ them this summer sharing ideas#flipclass
• Our AP Bio teacher is planning on flipping/doing gamification next year and I hope it goes well for him!  I'm not sure if anyone else is super interested - there have been several that have mentioned it in passing, but I'm not sure how serious they are.  With the crazy stuff going on at our school this year, I don't know how much I want to "push" it right now.  I am getting visited next Monday by our District Technology Specialist, our Math Curriculum Specialist, and our Director of Secondary Education.. so if they like what they see I may be talking about it a lot more!
• @bennettscience Molding my class for sure. A few tech stuff, but mainly just trying to make it BETTER for next year #flipclass
• My big focus for next year is getting my class focused OFF the videos and more on quality in class activities, applications, and making meaning of the content.  Can't wait to collaborate more and share ideas!
• Also looking fwd to getting PD via online #flipcon12, #ISTE, and of course @jonbergmann and @chemicalsams book! #flipclass Lots of learning!
• Speaking of sharing ideas, I am so excited for these three great PD opportunities this summer!  I can't wait to meet everyone as well!  If you are going to be at ISTE in San Diego this summer, leave a comment and let me know!  I'd love to make sure to meet up with you at some point!

2. Getting student feedback

Scott MacClintic ‏ @Smacclintic Be sure to survey your students at end of year to get feedback as you plan for next year #flipclass

@Smacclintic Can everyone share their #flipclass end of year surveys on twitter? I'd love to collaborate so I ask all the q's I want :)

@crystalkirch good idea....I will share link to google form once it is ready #flipclass

• Please post links to any student surveys you have given (I just gave a mid-year one and results are posted in four recent posts before this one).  I want to give an "end of year" one that has the students look back and evaluate as a whole the Flipped Classroom.

3. How to start a year "flipped" & Training students from Day 1

Big summer task: Deciding how to present #flipclass to Ss on Day 1. Jump right in, or wean them off traditional? How much in-class training?

There were several different perspectives on this.  Many people said "jump right in", many others said "start slowly and mold as you go along".  So much for finding an answer to my question :) I guess it's really not that easy.  This is going to be a HUGE pondering for my summertime.  I have this question on my "Week 14 reflection" for my students this week so I'll post their opinions next week. 

My "jump-right-inners"

• John Tague ‏ @jtague252 @crystalkirch this year I jumped in on day one. No need to transition to a new method. #flipclass is how we operate. 

1. @jtague252 And your "training" of expectations, procedures, etc, just came along slowly with it? #flipclass
2. @crystalkirch trained parents the first night. Ss caught on quickly. Of course occasional reminders still needed thru out. #flipclass
3. Rick McCleary ‏ @rickmccleary @jtague252 @crystalkirch How did you do it? Walk them through a smartboard presentation?
4. @jtague252 @crystalkirch Can you post a link?
5. @rickmccleary @crystalkirch intro to flipclass video is on my YouTube channel jtague252. #flipclass

• GS Arnold ‏ @arnoldscience @crystalkirch I was a jump right in Worked best at my school this year I think...when I tried easing in the sem b4, didn't work #flipclass
• Kris Shaffer ‏ @krisshaffer@bennettscience @crystalkirch @DaretoChem Since I start w/1st-sem Ss, I say "welcome to music school, let's go!" #flipclass#coldturkey
• Audrey McLaren McG ‏ @a_mcsquared @crystalkirch I just jumped in. They never knew what hit them#flipclass

My "wean-ners"

• Marc Seigel ‏ @DaretoChem  @crystalkirch my Ss said ween in. need to break bad habits of traditional methods #flipclass

1. @DaretoChem So start off with some "traditional" lectures and slowly make it more and more flipped? #flipclass
2. @crystalkirch I would flip the activities. keep lectures, but put all videos up anyway. absent or struggling Ss go right to video #flipclass
3. @DaretoChem Good idea. Start with St-centered & st-responsible activ. from start even if I'm still "teaching" up front for a bit #flipclass

My "in-between-ners"

• Brian E. Bennett ‏ @bennettscience  @crystalkirch @DaretoChem On my note, I tend to jump in, but slowly. Don't wean, but expose and support. #flipclass
• Marc Seigel ‏ @DaretoChem @bennettscience @crystalkirch I also jumped right in but w/Honors. CP needed more coaxing as they tend to come from traditional tchrs

How much training?

• Brian E. Bennett ‏ @bennettscience @crystalkirch More than you think you'll need. Have redundancy and contingency built in. #flipclass

1. Crystal Kirch ‏ @crystalkirch  @bennettscience I'm thinking watching vids in class the first few weeks? lots of modeling of WSQing and stuff for sure #flipclass
2.  @TheRobotFairy @crystalkirch @bennettscience thats an excellent idea. You (I) can model how to pause and take notes effectively while generating questions
3. Brian E. Bennett ‏ @bennettscience @TheRobotFairy @crystalkirch That's what @chemicalsams and@jonbergmann did w/ their kids, works well w/ mine, too. #flipclass
4. @bennettscience @TheRobotFairy @chemicalsams @jonbergmannGr8 idea. Want them to get used to taking control from day 1#flipclass

4. WSQing is cool :)

I still think it's super cool that my WSQ idea is being used in one way or another in a lot of flipped classes.  Just goes to show you that not every midnight idea turns out to be a bad one :).  If you haven't read through my posts on WSQing, see the tab up top and read through its development.  There are still several aspects I would like to change for next year, including (these are still ideas in my head, but I'll throw them out there!):

1. A different way to work with the question part so it is more meaningful for students... a running journal separate from the WSQ?  A "question wall"?
2. Go fully handwritten or fully online?  Still going back on pros and cons of each. I need to stay consistent regardless. 
3. Mix up the "summary" portion more often. I'm using key questions ("guided summary") now, but I think I want to mix it up between regular summaries, guided summaries, and other things. I just don't know what those other things are yet :).  The goal of the summary is to act as a PROCESSING activity for the students after watching the videos, and to get them thinking & writing about the math before they come to class where they will read, listen, and speak about the math.

Brian E. Bennett ‏ @bennettscience I want to emulate @crystalkirch's WSQ's for science next year. Love the idea of collaborating w/ groups every day. #flipclass

@fnoschese @crystalkirch Watch-Summary-Question. Uses them to guide through #flipclass content. Awesome tool. http://bit.ly/yqu7oj

@bennettscience @williamsjrkelly Watch-Summary-Question. Pg called "WSQing" on blog that describes it a lot http://flippingwithkirch.blogspot.com

@bennettscience @crystalkirch also gives an opportunity to connect to big ideas of curriculum. #flipclass

5. Encouragement and Reminders

@bennettscience @meremagee Feels like that is what I missed a little this year, had several that took ownership, but not all #flipclass.

@arnoldscience @meremagee Yeah, you'll never get 100%. But, I get more than traditional style. #flipclass

@bennettscience @arnoldscience @meremagee Great point-I still haven't reached "them all", but I'm reaching more :) #flipclass

Reminder to myself: 

This is not the "magic bullet". It's not going to fix everything.  But it sure as heck has transformed not only my teaching, but my students' learning, in ways that I could have never imagined.  While the majority of my students are liking the flipped classroom overall, there are still those that hate it.  I don't think that is ever going to change.  However, I am okay with that because what I am seeing from my students on a daily basis is evidence enough to me that this "change" in teaching style and in my expectations of their understanding (more than just rote practice/memorization) is beneficial to both their learning of math as well as their development as students/leaders/people.