Today in class, my plan is to... (my latest brilliant idea :))

So this year I've been struggling with my students using their time wisely and productively.  So, I decided about 7:15 on Tuesday morning to put something together which is now called the "Today in Class" form.

Students come in and get one every day.  At the beginning of the period, they check off what they PLAN on getting done that day with just a SLASH.  I give them guidance in terms of what "on target" students should get done.

We always start class with our WSQ chat activity, which takes about 10-15 minutes of class.  Then, they have 35-40 minutes left of "work time".  Without a plan, some students don't get much done and class can be very unfocused.  I needed to provide a little more structure for them without completely holding their hand and telling them exactly how to spend their time.

Throughout the period, as they work on their assignments, they make the SLASH into an "X" to show they actually completed it.  I can walk around and just glance at the student's sheet to see where they are at and how they are doing that day without needing to interrupt their work or discussions if needed.

At the end of the period they turn them in, and I just skim thru them (2 minutes or less) and see if any stand out to me as a student I need to talk with the next day (either they are way behind or they didn't get much done in class).

So far, we've done it for TWO DAYS.  And, this has been the most productive and focused two days EVER. Seriously.

This is the word doc version (see it here) so the formatting is a little off but you get the diea.

Week 3: Finally getting started!

This was our first full week of actually learning new content in the flipped classroom.  Routines are slowly being put into place and students are coming along at different paces.

Every day when students come in, I have an agenda for the day that looks something like this.  I edit the HOT questions right before class based on what I saw in the online WSQ.

We also review the WSQ expectations.  They were given to them in detail here, and summarized on this slide:

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My big focus for this year is having variety in the WSQ chats.  Here is what we did this week:

Mon - Students had a WPP for this concept, so their WSQ chat was to partner up with someone in class and to go over their problem, work with each other to make sure they solved it correctly.  They then had to post it on their blogs.  Below are links to the MentorMob playlist that they embedded on their blogs.
SAMPLES OF FINISHED WPP'S (I just picked 3 random ones of varying performance) 

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Tues - Another WPP
SAMPLES OF FINISHED WPP'S (I just picked 3 random ones of varying performance) 

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Wed - We had the "Polynomial End Behavior Dance" (I'll have to post a video sometime, but I am still waiting to get it from my student) and then students were given 16 polynomials that they had to categorize, describe the categorization on a sticky note header, and then answer some questions when I came around to them. (Gosh why didn't I take pictures!!).  I'll just say the dance was to Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and it was pretty hilarious.
POLYNOMIAL END BEHAVIOR CARD SORT ACTIVITY


Thurs - We did a form of "Peer Instruction".  I picked two problems and gave students time to solve the first one.  Then I had them vote on answers A-E (A-D were real answers, E was chosen if they didn't yet have any of the answers.  In two of the classes, 90% of the students got the correct answer to the first one within the time frame.  So, the students who didn't were told to come to the U after the WSQ chat time (which they did and we went over it together).  In the third class, it was still split about half and half so the students who chose the correct answer were told to get out of their seat and go help an "E".  It was awesome!  Students were up and moving around and found someone to help and they were explaining it.  (Again, I should have taken pictures!)
The second problem I purposely chose to be tough and require something I didn't go over explicitly the night before.  I gave the students two minutes and then purposely had them vote.  100% of the students were at answer E, which gave me the opportunity to explain that imaginary and irrational zeroes have to come in conjugate pairs.  Then I gave them a few more minutes to finish the problem and had them vote again.  Students who had it right moved on to the practice work, and students who were still struggling got help on finishing it correctly.
PEER INSTRUCTION PROBLEMS (I chose several in advance and then based on their WSQ responses chose the two - one from each concept - that I knew would be most beneficial to students.

Fri - We did a whole class activity on sketching polynomials based simply on their zeroes/multiplicities and end behavior.  I put up a problem and students worked in groups to draw it.  For the first problem, I purposely left out the end behavior and let students struggle for about a minute until a few raised their hands and told me I needed to give them more information.
Then, students had to create their own 4th degree polynomial by starting with the zeroes and working backwards.  They were guided through the beginning and then in their groups had to work together to discuss and finish figuring it out.
SAMPLES OF FINISHED STUDENT PROBLEMS
(it's due Tuesday, so only 1 has been turned in so far)
Example 1

On Monday, they are going to do a card chain activity with polynomials.  You can see that activity here.

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I am having students submit their HOT questions both on the google form and write it on their SSS.  So, in the morning I skim through and pick out 2-3 questions that are repeated often to decide on what needs to be focused on that day.  Because they have them also written on their SSS, as I walk around that day, I can glance at the questions and make sure we have discussed them and students don't have any further questions.  Many students are still not writing it on their SSS, but I keep emphasizing it so hopefully they will get in the habit soon.

If there are a few questions that stand out, we will go over them as a whole class before beginning the small group WSQ chat.

Their online WSQ form says this:
The part I’m most confused about is... - use this space to write your HOT question. OPTION 1: If there is something you are confused about, phrase it in the form of a question and write it here. OPTION 2: If there is nothing you are confused about, write a good discussion question for class tomorrow and write out a detailed answer to it. OPTION 3: A final option is to write your own example problem from this concept and solve it verbally step by step.

I've asked students to label their question as either "CONFUSION", "DISCUSSION" OR "EXAMPLE", and then I have some automatic color-coding going on so I can quickly and easily see how many of each I have and which questions are really the "confusing" ones I need to focus on.
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For students who don't come prepared, I have a roster tacked to the wall called the "not prepared" list.  If students are not prepared, they simply put today's date next to their name and get on a computer.  If they do that without asking, no worries, no consequence.  If they wait until I find out they didn't do it, then there is a consequence.  I have told students as long as it doesn't become a habit, it isn't a problem.  Out of my 107 students, I have one who has been on the list 4 out of the 6 days and another 3 out of the 6 days.  I've had individual conversations with those kids and hopefully they will figure it out soon that it's more beneficial to them to come to class prepared.  We will see how the next week goes.

Many students have figured out they can finish their work and start the next video in class with the iPods if they manage their time well.  Hopefully more and more students will realize this.
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In terms of adjusting to the flipped classroom, students are coming along.  The biggest struggle they have is with the technology... not the WSQ part, since they did that over the summer for their review work, but in terms of creating their blog, uploading pictures, creating MentorMob playlists, etc.  For some students, this is overwhelming.  I don't know how I am going to adjust it for next year, but I need to.  50-60% of the students did it without any help beyond my instructions (see bit.ly/kirchblogsetup1 and bit.ly/kirchblogsetup for the instructions they are given).  So, I don't think it's a good use of time to have the whole class go to the computer lab to learn how.  I had a few days after school and mornings where I was available with computers in my room to help, and that put us up to about 80%.  The remaining 20% (approximately) aren't really coming in for help and are complaining and then staying up hours upon hours at night trying to figure it out.  I have tried to be explicitly clear in class that they are NOT to stay up struggling with the technology; if they can't figure it out then wait until the next day to do it together in class, but some students are refusing to do so and continue to stay up hours working on it.  I'm not sure how to alleviate this issue, but I'm still working on it!

I ran into two of my students last year who are now in AP Calc and asked them about the blog stuff.  They agreed that the first couple weeks is really hard but then it gets easy and it's not an issue for the rest of the year.  I was glad to hear that from students who have actually experienced it because that is my perspective; it's just hard to get the current students to understand that.
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I have really tried to amp up my Parent Communication this year.  I am sending out a weekly newsletter update.  I don't know how many parents are reading at this point, but at least I am trying to keep them informed.  You can see my parent newsletters so far here.
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I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks as students get used to the way things work in my classroom!

Flipping with Kirch FAQ's

My email inbox has been inundated lately with lots of questions about the flipped classroom.  So, I have created a "Frequently Asked Questions" page on my blog where I am trying to answer all the questions I am getting in one place.  Let me know if you have any follow-up questions after reading through the FAQ page.

Flipping with Kirch FAQ

updated: "My Flipped Classroom" Prezi

I made some edits/updates to this Prezi that I originally created in January for a presentation to my staff about the flipped classroom. 

Since then, I have used it for several presentations and webinars (see link to my first webinar at the bottom of the guest blog post here), and thought it could use an "upgrade".

This Prezi is targeted towards educators and serves to inform them on 

1) What is a flipped classroom? 

2) What are the benefits of a flipped classroom for both teachers and students? 

3) What does a "sample" flipped classroom look like (both at home and at school) 

4) Why do students like the flipped classroom (video clip) 

This summer, I am hoping to update it a little more with some more video clips of my class in action as well as some updated quotes from my students that I recorded at the end of the school year. (Still got lots to sift thru and edit before they are ready!).  I'll re-post a "final" version here once I get everything edited.

Please note:  You are welcome to use and modify this Prezi for educational purposes.  All I ask is that you give me credit, and let me know that you are using it!  If you do "save a copy" and modify it, please send me the link to your modified version.  Thank you!

I also want to create the Prezi I am going to use to introduce STUDENTS to the concept during the first week of school as well as to introduce PARENTS to the flipped classroom. 

I'll post those when I get them done... probably in August :) 

Until then, here is the updated version of "My Flipped Classroom" 
(if you would prefer to view this on the Prezi Website, the direct link is http://prezi.com/-vbtn0xnnyzx/my-flipped-classroom/)

MY FLIPPED CLASSROOM on Prezi

The three students that struggle in my #flipclass

I have come to the realization that there are certain types of students that I just don't click with. 

One of the greatest benefits of the flipped classroom is the relationships you get to develop with students because you work with them one-on-one so much.  However, sometimes certain types of students just rub you the wrong way and the daily one-on-one interaction wears you thin. 

Here are the three types of students who have worn me thin this year with the Flipped Classroom.

1. The cocky "I'm always right" student

This student doesn't want to think. This student wants to get the math problems completed correctly and move it.  Understanding of what is actually going on?  This student doesn't need it.  Collaboration and conversation with peers to deepen the connections between the material? Not necessary.  This student is smarter than them anyways. Showing work? Not needed.  The right answer is all that's needed - why show the thought processes and the work behind it?  Make a mistake?  Oh, gosh, never. The teacher must be wrong, because this student would never make a mistake.  This student is satisfied sitting alone, mindlessly doing math problems, and moving on. 

2. The attitude "Give me what I want when I want it" student

This student does not want to sit in a group.  Although talented, this student chooses to work with the lowest students in the class.  Not to help them, mind you, because when they don't get it this student sighs and rolls eyes at them.  Rather, this student doesn't want to have to interact and share ideas with "same level" students because that would require more work and social interaction.  When this student has a question, the hand is raised and Mrs. Kirch is the only one who can answer the question.  When Mrs. Kirch does not arrive right away, or stops to help another student first, this student sighs, rolls eyes, and complains.  When asked to get up and ask another student the answer, the student refuses to do so and then again, sighs and rolls eyes.  When asked a challenging question that requires thought, or even when asked to just participate in class discussions, this student sits there alone and says nothing.  This student gives off the attitude to everyone around her that she is better than them, but doesn't want to help them in any way.  If this student doesn't get the answer desired immediately, some sort of attitude is given.  Conversations, conferences, and consequences only lead to more attitude.

3. The lazy "Let me cheat my way through this system" student

This student is full of excuses daily.  Excuses why the video didn't get watched.  Excuses why the homework is late.  Excuses why the homework is incomplete.  Excuses for off-task behavior.  Excuses excuses excuses.  This student writes crap down on almost every assignment and tries to get it signed off, not realizing that it's not about completion, it's about LEARNING.  This student would rather get the right answer, no matter if the steps make any sense at all, than actually understand the process.  This student claims tutoring will be attended weekly, but yet this student never shows up for the extra help.  This student fails concept quizzes again and again, but won't sit down to correct them to learn from mistakes made.  This student "completes" assignments to earn points, avoid punishment, but not to actually learn.  This student is entitled and lies to himself on a daily basis on what is actually understood, because actually realizing the understanding ISN'T there would mean that more effort (without excuses) would need to be made... and this student doesn't want this.

Do you have any of these students in your class?  How do you work with them?

Reflections on Week 15 (starting to wrap things up!)

What does this picture have to do with this post, you may ask?  Nothing, really.  Except we had a modified day today and got out at 12:30 and I went to the beach with my husband.  And this was my view. It was gorgeous.  Feet in the sand, sun on my face, book in my hand... wonderful afternoon :)


It's hard to believe there are officially 3 weeks left of school (and then finals week).  I say this every year, but this year flew by!  This is the point of the year right now that I get to every year - I am excited about finishing strong, but my mind is constantly bombarded with new ideas and what I want to change or try for next year.  I have been able to have some good conversations with some of my students about the Flipped Class and come up with some good thoughts for next year.  I am VERY excited to start a school year flipped from the beginning!  

I had three visitors from our District Office come and visit one of my class periods on Monday, and it was very exciting to share with them what I have been doing.  They were very excited and impressed with the level of engagement of the students and the focus/on-task behavior that they saw.  It is really cool to me to think "that's just normal" now for my classroom.  Students are generally engaged, focused, and on-task for the majority of the period and classroom management is not that big of a deal.  I am hoping they might do some district-wide training on the flipped classroom next school year that I will be able to be a part of!  Yay!

Also, I will get to present my flipped classroom at our next Department Chair meeting in June!  I am doing a "flipped" presentation - the other chairs will be watching my webinar before the meeting and send me questions they have.  Then, the 20 minutes I would normally have to present/discuss the flipped classroom will be spent all on discussions, questions, and ideas!  I'm excited!

Oh, and speaking of my webinar, if you missed my first one, I will be doing another one on June 12th at 4pm PST.  It will be the same presentation, but if you missed it the first time, hopefully you can join in this time live!

All Reflections from This Year can be Found Here. 

*Each week, I spend some time personally reflecting on the week - what I did, what worked, what didn't, what I liked, what I didn't, etc.  I try to organize my reflections in a similar manner each week, since they do get pretty long: (1) Math Analysis; (2) Algebra; (3) Sharing and Collaboration; (4) Other Thoughts; (5) Running lists (Things I've heard this week that I love; Characteristics and qualities of my flipped classroom that I want to keep; Changes I've made this week that I like; Ideas I'm still contemplating and experimenting with).  I hope these reflections give you insight into my classroom and give you some ideas to try in your own flipped classroom.  I appreciate any comments, feedback, ideas, and follow-ups that you provide, so please comment and join in on the conversation! 

For those of you who read my weekly reflections consistently, you will notice a change this week compared to the past.  These posts will be shorter with links to more detailed external posts on specific topics.  I was finding (for myself) that it was hard for me to go back and find a previous post on a specific topic because it was hidden among a huge weekly reflection.  So, hopefully this will alleviate that problem.

Other posts from this week:

1. Frustration rant about student responsibility and motivation here.
2. Some more end of year thoughts and reflections here.
3. My weekly #flipclass chat random musings post... things that stuck out to me and what I want to think about further.  This week's chat was on incorporating reading and writing strategies into every content class.  Post here.
4. A post about a speech I gave to my Frosh/Soph Algebra 1 classes about self-assessment and evaluation.  Our new phrase in class is, "Oh yeah, I get it now". Post here.
5. Round 1 of "End of Year Student Interviews".  I am having all of my students interview on video answering 9 questions about the flipped classroom.  The questions they are answering are here and the first student video is here.
6. What will you miss the most about #flipclass?  What part did you enjoy the most? Student answers here.
7. Three types of students that struggle in my #flipclass.  Do you have any of these students in your class? Post here.

Math Analysis

1. WSQ resubmissions

2. Senioritis and the Flipped Class

3. Final Exam Idea

4. Summer Excitement!

1. WSQ resubmissions
I continued to require WSQ resubmissions for incorrect and incomplete answers.  I really like how this makes the WSQ an even greater accountability tool for students.  Here is the general process.

• Students submit their WSQ electronically.  The WSQ includes their "summary" (answering specific questions I ask), their own HOT question (with what they think the answer is if they have an idea), and their answers to the "Secret Questions" I have them answer.  I have started to ALWAYS give the students between 2-5 problems to try on their own after each video as a way to self-assess.
• After submitting, students are given the link to the spreadsheet that will show all student responses, in addition to my "perfect" response at the top of the page.  There are also sometimes links to short video explanations of the "Secret Question" problems in case they got them wrong.
• Students can read through their classmates responses and figure out where they might have had misconceptions or did not fully answer the question.  I am able to make comments immediately on student responses, and color code their names to let them know their "level" (Green = clear, Pink = wrong answers, Yellow = incomplete answers).
• Students must resubmit their answers to any box that is not Green as soon as possible (by the end of the Unit is my deadline).  They can do it in two ways: in person by explaining it to me during class or by sending me a note on Edmodo.  Regardless, when they resubmit, they must also explain their answer in more detail and explain their misconception or where they went off track the time before.  This is because they basically have the right answers in front of them now so they have to do more than just copy the correct answers that are already there.   I add a column called "corrections" where their corrected answered are copied into.

2. Senioritis and the Flipped Class
This is the point of the year where my seniors in Math Analysis have major struggles with senioritis.  They have less than 3 weeks of school left and none of them need my class to graduate.  So, they would much rather slack and not watch the videos at home and then not be productive in class.  I remember how I felt my senior year when graduation was so close, so I do feel for them a bit.  But, at the same time, I wish I knew a cure for senioritis...

3. Final Exam Idea
My students already took the first part of their Final Exam before our State Testing at the beginning of this month.  So, they are just supposed to take a "mini-final" at the end of the year covering the last 6 units of the year.  Because our seniors take finals a week early, it completely throws off the schedule because my class is mixed juniors/seniors.  In the past, we have always had the seniors take the finals on their day, and the juniors do so during the real "finals week".  I really want to do something different this year and have the juniors and seniors take the final on the same day, and do something different with the juniors for the 2 hour "final exam" time period.

So, I've been running some ideas through my head for what to do for the "final", especially since it's actually the seniors last day on campus and I usually do a big "farewell, good wishes, share about your future" sendoff day.  They still need to take some sort of "final" exam though.

Any ideas for "non-traditional" final exams?  I don't have any ideas fully formulated yet to share, but I'd love to hear if you have tried anything "different"

4. Summer Excitement!

I am VERY excited for the "summer #flipclass" our incoming students will be doing.  We always give our kids summer packets for Honors/AP classes, and I never felt they were as useful as they could be because students wouldn't really do them.  So, we haven't done them the last 2 summers for Math Analysis.  But, now that we are going to incorporate the use of Videos, modified WSQs, and online support throughout the summer, I really think it will go well.  We are doing this for two reasons:

1. The first chapter of Math Analysis is actually usually skipped because it is Algebra 2 skills.  However, we normally spend a month on it.  Our students come in, think this class is a piece of cake, spend little to no time on homework, get into bad habits, and then get hit really hard come a month into school when they realize this math class is actually difficult.  We want to avoid that by starting off running.

2. There are several chapters we have actually had to skip (polar, parametric, matrix operations, vectors, 3-D graphing, conic rotation, etc) because we don't have enough time to cover them.  I would love to have the extra three weeks we would gain back to spend more time on our current content and start teaching some of the stuff we had to leave out again! 

Algebra 1

1. "Oh Yeah, I get it now"

2.  Students back to Chapter 1 and 2

1. "Oh Yeah, I get it now"
See my "speech" here.  This is one of my biggest frustrations/concerns with my Algebra 1 kids.  They seriously just lie to themselves and they don't realize it.  If there is one thing "non-math" I really want my students to learn from my class, it's how to self-evaluate correctly and how to learn.  A lot of my students really seemed to get a lot from my "speech", as they have talked to me about it every day.  However, changing their mindset and the way they've always gone about doing things is not a one-day or one-week change.  It's going to take a while. I only hope I provide a step in the right direction for them.

2.  Students back to Chapter 1 and 2

At this point, all of my students below a 40% are in a completely separate group in my classroom, working on basic operations from Chapter 1.  My goal is that they are prepared well to hopefully succeed in Algebra 1 next year.  This whole experience makes me really consider the thought of a Flipped-Mastery Model.  Why are students allowed to move on to a harder chapter when they haven't mastered the pre-requisite skills.  I'm not sure if I'm ready to try this on a large-scale for next year, but it will definitely be in the back of my mind for my struggling learners.  Having all the lessons on video will be a huge asset.  We'll see how my thoughts develop on this...

Sharing and Collaboration

I love my #flipclass and blogging community.  Have I said that lately?  You are all amazing and so valuable in my professional development as a flipping teacher!!  THANK YOU!


If you haven't checked out my Blogroll on the right hand side of other flipping teachers, do so! It is only through sharing and community that we learn and grow!  Also, be sure to use #flipclass on twitter to join in the conversation.  If you are a "flipper" and  a "blogger" and don't see your blog on the right, please let me know. I would love to follow you and read up on your experiences!

Every Monday there is a #flipclass chat on Twitter (8pm EST).  Check it out and join in.  Connect with @bennettscience to find out more.

Other Thoughts

Found this on my desk Thursday after school.  Still have no idea who put it there, but it made me smile :)

 

THINGS I'VE HEARD THIS WEEK THAT I LOVE: 

From my student's weekly reflections:

• Just want to say that you're so awesome Mrs. Kirch! You're starting a revolution!

• XD thank you for caring and being like a chittah! :) can be rough but you do it cause you know its for our own good. thank you for a being a great teacher! ^_^

CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES OF MY FLIPPED CLASSROOM THAT I WANT TO KEEP (this list is now kept on a separate page here and is updated weekly)

CHANGES I'VE MADE THIS WEEK THAT I LIKE: 

nothing brand new :)

IDEAS I'M STILL CONTEMPLATING & EXPERIMENTING WITH (running list each week with updates):

1. Coming up with a list of "key questions" myself for each concept to have handy to ask students, to have students discuss in groups, and to show students what "good, HOT questions" look like and sound like (modeling)... This will be tied in with the "Guided Summary" I will be starting to try out.  I think this is going to be put off in its entirety until this summer.


2. Begin coming up with activities students can do to apply their knowledge or practice their knowledge in different ways once they get the basics.  Again, this is something I think may just start to happen over the summer or next year since right now it's just crazy.

Thoughts, comments, ideas, your own experiences? Please share!!!

All Reflections from This Year can be Found Here. 

Reflections on Week 14 (week 14 and I'm still trying new things?!?!)

What a week!  Can I just say I am GLAD it is Friday!  As exciting as the week has been both in and out of class, I am absolutely exhausted and definitely need a weekend.  I had the privilege of hosting Troy Stein from TechSmith Corporation on Wednesday, and am looking forward to the video story he is going to create about my flipped classroom this summer.  On Wednesday afternoon, I was able to host a webinar about the flipped classroom, hosted by Sophia.org.  You can see my guest blog post and archive to the webinar here.

Other than that, it was just a crazy week outside of school with extra meetings and lots to do at home.  I am looking forward to sleeping in and relaxing this weekend.  We have just less than 5 weeks left of school (4 weeks and then 3 days of finals), and that just seems absolutely crazy to me.  This year has flown by, and the last few months always seem to slide by too quickly.

My students completed a mid-semester survey on their thoughts on the Flipped Classroom last week. Thank you to Scott Harkness @hark07 for letting me use/modify his survey!  Links to surveys are here:  Algebra 1, Math Analysis
Results here:
Algebra 1 Part 1 (objective-based questions)
Algebra 1 Part 2 (free response questions)
Math Analysis Part 1 (objective-based questions)
Math Analysis Part 2 (free response questions)

All Reflections from This Year can be Found Here. 

*Each week, I spend some time personally reflecting on the week - what I did, what worked, what didn't, what I liked, what I didn't, etc.  I try to organize my reflections in a similar manner each week, since they do get pretty long: (1) Math Analysis; (2) Algebra; (3) Sharing and Collaboration; (4) Other Thoughts; (5) Running lists (Things I've heard this week that I love; Characteristics and qualities of my flipped classroom that I want to keep; Changes I've made this week that I like; Ideas I'm still contemplating and experimenting with).  I hope these reflections give you insight into my classroom and give you some ideas to try in your own flipped classroom.  I appreciate any comments, feedback, ideas, and follow-ups that you provide, so please comment and join in on the conversation! 

For those of you who read my weekly reflections consistently, you will notice a change this week compared to the past.  These posts will be shorter with links to more detailed external posts on specific topics.  I was finding (for myself) that it was hard for me to go back and find a previous post on a specific topic because it was hidden among a huge weekly reflection.  So, hopefully this will alleviate that problem.

Other posts from this week:

1. A TON of thoughts about Monday's #flipclass chat, as always.  This week was focused on plans for the summer and next year with regard to the flipped class. Lots of ramblings and ideas floating through my head. Post here.  If you haven't joined in on the Monday twitter chats (5pm PST), join us this next week!  They are completely worth my time!

2. Latest updates on "What would you tell a student next year about the flipped classroom?"  More thoughts from my students here.

3. Starting the #flipclass at the beginning of the year - do we just jump right in, or train our students slowly?  I asked my students what they thought, and have started to formulate my thoughts as well.  Post here.

4. What is the biggest benefit of the flipped classroom for my students?  I asked them what they thought, here is what they said!

5. How would you define a flipped classroom?  I asked my students for their definition, and here is what they said!

Math Analysis

1. Starting Calculus and trying some new ideas!

2. First non-video Flipped Classroom Assignment

3. Fully online WSQ

4. Resubmitting WSQs

1. Starting Calculus and trying some new ideas!

We are finally to the point in our Math Analysis class where we get to start learning CALCULUS! I love it!  We have spent the last week talking about continuity, limits, and (the kids' favorite) when "The Limit Does Not Exist!"

I have loved the Flipped Classroom this last week because this content is so engaging, so discussion-oriented, and so hands-on.  I have done a couple different "activities" in class that I haven't tried before that have worked really well.

• "Vocab charts" - chart paper on the walls and students have to add information to them throughout the week - descriptions, pictures, formulas, etc.  The charts stay up on the walls and we add to them daily.  A great way to get students out of their seats and writing what they know about.  The charts are organized in "Thinking Maps", so there are Circle Maps, Tree Maps, etc to organize the concepts.
• Oral Quizzes - We had our "5 minute WSQ chats" where students went over the discussion questions I posed to them in their WSQ the previous night.  However, instead of doing individual group interviews, I did whole-class oral quizzes.  It was actually quite amazing, and I can't wait to see some of it that was caught on video on Wednesday.  Basically, I tell the students that I need to see them talking, motioning with their arms, etc during the "answer" portion and that there must be 100% engagement.  So, I ask a question, and the students start talking - to me, to themselves, to their partner, to someone across the room.  It's kind of fun because some of them get so into it they are almost shouting.  Having them motion the answers with their arms while talking about it is great as well.  It is SO easy to spot the kid that doesn't know what is going on.  Also, you can still move around to the different groups throughout the "quiz" so each group is held accountable for being heard more closely exactly what they are saying.  Oh, and the kids loved it, too :)
• Projects - I don't really want to call this a "project", but  I can't think of what else.  Basically, at the end of teaching Concepts 1-4 (today), I had the students do an assignment that would assess their knowledge and connections of everything we had learned in a way that wasn't just "practice problems" and "worksheet problems".  They had to create, write, and graph their own four-part and five-part piecewise graphs with given specifications on what type of functions must be included in their equations.  Then, they had to write limit statements, one-sided limit statements for jump discontinuities, the value of the function at the discontinuities, the intervals of continuity, and then at least three "HOT" facts about their graph.  It was a great way to get them thinking and working that was NOT a normal/regular/boring classwork assignment.  And, THEY had to come up with everything, so they were fully creating their own content!

2. First non-video Flipped Classroom Assignment

Last week, as an "Intro to Calculus", I had my students do a "non-video" Flipped Classroom assignment (see the playlist below).  I wanted to try out other modes of delivering content besides video and see how it went.  This is also the first Flipped Classroom assignment that was fully curated (nothing created by me; everything found online).

Pros: Getting the students to do a little more reading, using great content that is already out there

Cons: Many students need to have a hard copy of reading material to highlight and mark up the text.  I printed out a few copies, but left many students to just print on their own as needed, which most of them did not.  There's nothing wrong with reading off a computer screen, but sometimes I think it's easier to rush through it.

3. Fully online WSQ

For this Unit, we have experimented with a "Fully Online WSQ", meaning the students handwrote NOTHING... they had to come to class knowing the answers to the WSQ questions by memory.  

Here are the directions I gave them: TYPE ALL ANSWERS. NOTHING HANDWRITTEN EXCEPT WORK FOR SECRET QUESTIONS! We are going to try to have our discussions for Unit U from memory, because in reality, you NEED TO KNOW THESE ANSWERS BY MEMORY! Sample here. 

Here is what my students said about doing the WSQ fully online:

• I enjoy it so much more then past units. It helps me focus on the tasks at hand in class. And the reviews at the beginning are nice too (: .
• I like fully online WSQs more because since I already typed it, I find rewriting it a bit tedious.  I remember my answers so all I really need for the discussion is the question, which is on the WSQ chart.
• I prefer fully online.
• I like the online WSQ, because I dislike writing in my notebook. I think the discussions were better in class, because it made sure that we actually memorized the information, as opposed to just looking at our answers in our notebook. 
• Fully online wsq takes longer because you have to do EVERYTHING online and not in your notebook. Yet, having to do everything online forces me to do the secret questions and my whole sss part for that concept or else i wont have the answers for the wsq. I like discussing as a class it's fun :) and it educational too YAY! we all get to shout out the answers and give examples and work together while doing a live quiz
• the discussions in class have been going well i feel that i stay on my class with who ever i am discussing the concepts with and i feel that the efficiency as well as the overall understanding of the material is much better.
• Fulling submitting our wsq online has been an experience because now we have to memorize our answer because everyday we are asked different question. we forced to remember the question which means on test day there shouldn't be a problem because we are constantly being reminded a detailed explanation of the question 
• It was okay for me. I was able to memorize Unit U because it was not much and the notes are in front of me. Fully writing online makes for less hassle with paper, but I enjoy having the choice between handwritten and online. Handwritten sometimes because when I watch on my phone, I can't type on my phone. So given the option to handwrite makes it easier :)
• I don't think that it actually helped because I usually forget my answers when I get to class.
• Having the discussions in class after the videos really cleared up small misunderstandings or helped us remember important concepts.  I felt comfortable knowing the videos are online for my reference if I needed to rewatch something as well.

With doing the WSQ online, using the students' own questions in class was kind of forgotten about.  My fault completely for just getting so caught up and forgetting to have them talk through their questions.  I want to come up with different ways to work with student questions in class. I'm thinking of next week having them write their question on a sticky note at the beginning of class and putting it up on the whiteboard.  Then, we can do a variety of activities with them:

(1) Choosing a few to answer as a whole class

(2) Having each group go up to the whiteboard for a few minutes and picking a few questions (not their own) to discuss and answer

(3) Before putting the sticky note on the board, students write their question on one side and their groups' answer on the back side.  Then, groups can go up and try to answer the questions themselves, checking the answers on the back and/or adding to or fixing the answers as needed.

4. Resubmitting WSQs

This week I also "forced" my students to resubmit their Online WSQs until they were "cleared" - meaning their answers were complete AND correct.  I really like the accountability that the Online WSQ provides for the students because they know that I will actually read everything they submit.

I color code their answers - no highlight means it's fine (and their name is then highlight in GREEN for "good"), a yellow highlight means what they have is correct, but their answer is incomplete, and a pink highlight means what they have written is incorrect.  Students had anytime throughout the week to "resubmit" either in writing, via a 30 second interview with me, etc, to make sure they understood the RIGHT answer to the questions.  Here is a sample spreadsheet of student responses.

I decided to try this because I wanted to make sure that students actually knew the CORRECT answers to the questions and didn't just BS their way through the WSQ, the WSQ chats, etc.  Every student needed to be held accountable for knowing the right answer. 

It's definitely not even close to being in its ideal form right now, as students can view the spreadsheet to see how they did, but that means they can view all the other student answers as well.  This is great in general, and many students use this to see what other students said and to clarify their thinking based on a student's explanation rather than mine.  However, when I am requiring students to resubmit correct answers, they can easily just copy from someone else and not really understand what they are resubmitting.  However, I hope that I have "trained" my students enough to know that it is about their LEARNING and they need to actually understand it themselves or they will be "screwed" when it comes to performing on an assessment.

I was actually pretty surprised by how positive my students were about the resubmissions, overall. I actually thought they would say they hated it because it was annoying and time consuming.  It just goes to show that the stuff I have been trying to teach them about learning has actually been sinking in!  (yes!!!!!).  Of course, many students mentioned my main concern about cheating.  But, in this case, the WSQ is not really a part of the students' grade and if they just cheat and BS their way through it, their learning will have gaps and misunderstandings that will show up on the assessments.

Here is what some of my students said about "resubmitting the WSQs"

• I feel that it is helpful because us students know what we did wrong. Pros: There is more of a chance for us to get help. Cons: Students have the chance to cheat more.
• I think that is more helpful because there are some questions I just don't know sometimes and resubmitting allows me to get the blue signature even if I don't know something, just as long as I figure it out later.
• I don't think resubmitting is necessary. When I'm wrong i tend to realize it during the WSQ in class and I learn the correct answer.
• I think that it is a good idea to keep resubmitting until it's perfect, because then it ensures that we actually learned the correct material, and aren't just doing it to get it done. I actually learn from it, because then I have to go back and review my mistakes. On the other hand, there might be other students in the class who choose the easy way out, but it's their grade that gets affected. The pros are that it makes sure we pay attention and that we know the correct information, and the cons are that it might be easier to cheat from others. 
• It's kind of annoying because if we don't do it right the first time then we have to keep resubmitting it but it is helpful. I learn from it because eventually i get the correct answer. Pro: we learn our lesson to do it right the first time, we learn the right answer to questions we don't know Con: people might cheat
• Well doing it over and over again until you understand what you are doing is a good idea because in the end there is practically no way you can't understand the concept if you are actually doing the work. i really don't think it would be worth BSing or cheating your way through a WSQ because then you get nothing out of it and then there is a gap left in your knowledge of the material which will end up biting you in the behind so personally i find it would help me expand my ideas because it motivates me to add that extra detail and to revise my work.
• I think us submitting the wsq until its perfect is great because now we know if we are missing part of a question, for example i thought i completed the WSQ but i was missing a part and the part I missed is a big deal. If feel like i learn more because i know if I'm not explaining something correctly. Pros is that we learn from our mistake and cons would be some people can't go back but that shouldn't be an excuse.
• The resubmission works for some things like the project [their Trig Graphing Project has to be resubmitted until it's 100%], but resubmitting everything will probably increase the likely chance of cheating/BSing. Pros are that once one understands the answer one feels accomplished and resubmitting reinforces the understanding after so many tries. Cons are that resubmission may increase the chance of cheating because of the want to finish in one go. Students may feel they should just copy to get it down once. Also, after many tries of not getting the answer, one may continue to BS or forget it.
• I think that it is helpful because we are forced to pay attention during the videos. A pro is that we learn the concept. The con is that we might already know the information because of class time and it wastes time if we have to go back and edit our responses.
• I think resubmitting really helps because I see that reviewing mistakes is a great way to learn.  I do not cheat or asdf my way through the work just to get it done because I understand that it's important for my education, and I know the people around me work hard to understand the material.  (I can't say anything about other classmates because I don't really pay attention to what they do...) :) Pros:  LEARNING!  learning, and learning. Cons:  possible cheating?  time (but it's worth it)"

Algebra 1

1. Students watching videos that THEY need to watch

2.  Small group lessons 

3. "Isolation Cabin" 

1. Students watching videos that THEY need to watch

This week was a "review" week, meaning we had already learned all the Chapter 11 content, but I wanted to still spend a week reviewing before testing, especially because of the CST's and crazy schedule.  So, since there were no new videos for students to watch, each night this week they had to choose ONE concept to review and take new notes on.  I really wasn't sure how this would turn out, but I thought it would be worth a try because I still wanted students to be "getting content" every night.  I also wanted students to work on the concepts they thought they needed the most help on (working on their self-evaluation here!!!)

I thought it went well overall, even though I am not sure how seriously every student took the re-watching.  We will see when I grade their tests later this weekend!  I really liked giving them control of their learning and making them think about "which concept am I most confused on?"

Student thoughts were also positive:

• It did help, this chapter included a lot of work and it was hard work. Getting to chose the videos helped me because not all students are the same. 
• i think picking my own videos was beneficial because it me helped think about what I actually need help on and focus on what I'm falling behind on.
• I think it was beneficial only because we got to choose the concepts that we need more help on. 
• For me it was beneficial because I got to review before the test and chose the parts I struggled on.

2.  Small group lessons 

I also started really focusing on "Small Group Lessons" in Algebra 1. It's something I haven't really done much yet this year because I have needed to spend a little more time out and about in the classroom keeping students on task.  However, I think these mini-lessons went really well.

Basically, I started the class with an overview of the "Task List" for the day.  I walked around for a few minutes and made sure everyone was ready to go and knew what they were doing.  Then, I asked the students who needed help starting the assignment to come up front to the whiteboard and they sat in chairs in a semi-circle around the front whiteboard.  I had anywhere from 8-12 students.  I went over the first "classwork" problem with them step by step, with them helping me on each step.  Then, I split them into groups of 4 and had them try the second classwork problem together on the whiteboard while I went back out and helped the rest of the class.  I would check in on them, but they were helping each other, comparing their work to the group next to theirs, etc.  It was great.

It was actually interesting the first day I did it because students didn't really know what was going on, and once I started going over the problem, about 5 more students in the class were just in their seats watching from afar.  I decided the next day to do a slightly different "replacement" classwork problem on the board so students who decided not to join the group couldn't just copy from afar - they had to come and join the group and participate in the solving of the problem in order to receive the credit.

The students who chose to come up were also interesting. In one class, my "top group" of students actually joined in one day, whereas in another class, it was all my "low-low" students.  I like keeping it open to whoever wants a mini-lesson that day.  Definitely a keeper!

With this use of the whiteboard came a more widespread use of my mini whiteboards in class for both this use as well as just general use.  It's amazing how much students love doing problems on the whiteboard rather than paper.  It was never a class activity, but the box of whiteboards, markers, and erasers is up front and students can use them as they want.  I even had students ask to use them on the test today to work out problems before putting them on their paper.

Here are my students' thoughts on the "Small group lessons"

• I love this idea because it helps the students that are struggling get help.  Also, it's nice to have one on one time with the teacher and having her work out the problem in front of you.  I like having the chance to write on the board and working on the problems in groups. 
• I haven't been in one but i think they're good; it looked like it was helpful.
• i think the small group sessions helped me understand some concepts a little clearer than i had before.
• It's very helpful. 
• I think it helps other students to get it more and how to do it. I think you should show us step by step on every problem. Today we took almost the whole period trying to solve the problem and now I'm going to get a red signature -____- [clarification on this comment: this is one of my 30% students and she was basically asking me to do every problem for her step by step.  So, she wants me to do every problem for her in video step by step, and then come to class and do every problem for her in class step by step.  It took less than 5 minutes for me to do the problem with them as a group, but once they tried #2 in their group, they literally spent the next 30 minutes of class working on it.  Class time is to support students, but to a certain extent it is to have them learn how to do the problems independently and without hand-holding help] 
• I like it a lot because we basically get to understand a problem that we didn't understand "more" and it's really helpful to me because we can help each other in groups for the same problems we need help on.
• I think that it helps because you explain step by step, and you can join only if you feel like you need more examples. 
• well its a good idea that it would make us to get a good head start that we need help on and that we all have to work on it as a team
• I like the small group lessons because I can  ask  anyone in  my group on a question I don't understand.

3. "Isolation Cabin" - 

This week I started something new with my Algebra 1 students.  A lot of them are really struggling with staying on task when working on a group.  So, I got inspired by the movie "The Parent Trap" (which I haven't seen in years, and Isolation Cabin in the movie has more to do with the twins not getting along rather than getting along TOO well they talk too much, but just go with it :)).  

Students who did not stay focused on their work in groups were basically forced to move a desk and face the wall, working in Isolation.  Some students were in Isolation Cabin for just a day, others have been there all week and will probably continue like that.  

It has actually been a great classroom management idea because the students are so much more focused on working, learning, and discussing the math rather than getting distracted.  And, the students in isolation are realizing that they don't like to work alone, but that if they work in groups they do have to follow expectations.

I actually have two students who have "earned" their way out of "Isolation Cabin" this week, but have asked me to STAY in "Isolation Cabin" because they focus better and get more work done.  SELF-EVALUATING at it's best!

• This is a good idea because it tells the student that they are not on task.  When a student is not on task Mrs. Kirch gives them a warning not to get off task. If they do not listen, they will be isolated from everyone else. [Great to mention that students do get warnings before being sent to Isolation...they have a chance to change their behavior]
• I think its really good because I honestly think that people take advantage of all the time you give us and this makes them have no choice but to get in check. [Agreed - many students don't finish the classwork I give them, not because it's too long, but because they aren't on task.  I'm thinking of having classwork assignments due by the end of the period much more often next year.]
• I think it's kinda funny to see people stare at a wall but i like it because the room is quieter and its a better working environment
• My opinion is good so kids can learn how to keep up and do their work at school instead of at home. 
• I think it's a good method because that way the people who can't focus can focus more better because the people that didn't want to focus are quiet now. [Funny, but true... the students that don't want to focus sometimes sit in the corner doing nothing - yes I still have those students, the flipped classroom hasn't solve all!  But, at least they aren't distracting others.]
• My opinion is that its a good thing. because I realize that I do not want to be by myself, and it keeps me more concentrated because I'm away from my friends and get distracted much less. 
• Well isolation cabin is a great idea because we don't need to get distracted with the crazy students. [lol. I love how this student describes them as "the crazy students"]

Sharing and Collaboration

As I mentioned above, I hosted a webinar on Wednesday and was able to share about why I flipped my classroom, the benefits of flipping for teachers and students, and gave examples of what my flipped classroom looks like and how I've made it work wonders in my classroom.  I hope were able to make it; if not, enjoy the archive.


There were a lot of questions asked in the webinar that I wasn't able to get answered in our time allotment, so I wanted to answer them at some point.  I will be doing a post in the near future with some more thoughts/answers on the questions posed.


If you haven't checked out my Blogroll on the right hand side of other flipping teachers, do so! It is only through sharing and community that we learn and grow!  Also, be sure to use #flipclass on twitter to join in the conversation.  If you are a "flipper" and  a "blogger" and don't see your blog on the right, please let me know. I would love to follow you and read up on your experiences!

Every Monday there is a #flipclass chat on Twitter (8pm EST).  Check it out and join in.  Connect with @bennettscience to find out more.

Other Thoughts

I am getting more and more excited to start a flipped classroom from day 1 next year.  A few conversations I had with students about the general perspective of the flipped classroom on campus just encouraged me:

1. A student who has another math teacher but has been coming to me for tutoring during lunch the last few weeks: "Mrs. ____ is thinking about flipping next year, and I think it is such a great idea.  That way we can get the lesson at our own pace and get all of our questions answered in class.  I would love it!"

2. My student who doesn't love the flipped classroom, but goes along with it, said this to me: "You're known across the campus for being the teacher who uses "flipped classroom"".  I asked him if that was a good thing or a bad thing, and what students "on the outside" think about it right now.  He replied:  "It is actually a good thing because other teachers are using your methods to teach their classes. It is quite useful in many cases such as AP chemistry because we were able to get a second lecture after returning home, though other students think otherwise."

THINGS I'VE HEARD THIS WEEK THAT I LOVE: 

Student quotes:
"Can my friends request  to have you as a teacher next yearr because they want to have a #flipclass"
"My friends in [other teacher's] class always watch your videos to get help"

CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES OF MY FLIPPED CLASSROOM THAT I WANT TO KEEP (this list is now kept on a separate page here and is updated weekly)

CHANGES I'VE MADE THIS WEEK THAT I LIKE: 

1. Fully online WSQ for Math Analysis (must have answers memorized)
2. Isolation Cabin for Algebra 1

IDEAS I'M STILL CONTEMPLATING & EXPERIMENTING WITH (running list each week with updates):

1. Coming up with a list of "key questions" myself for each concept to have handy to ask students, to have students discuss in groups, and to show students what "good, HOT questions" look like and sound like (modeling)... This will be tied in with the "Guided Summary" I will be starting to try out.  I think this is going to be put off in its entirety until this summer.


2. Begin coming up with activities students can do to apply their knowledge or practice their knowledge in different ways once they get the basics.  Again, this is something I think may just start to happen over the summer or next year since right now it's just crazy.

Thoughts, comments, ideas, your own experiences? Please share!!!

All Reflections from This Year can be Found Here. 

What does my Flipped Classroom look like? (Updated Letter to Parents)

Here is an updated letter I will be sending home to parents at the beginning of the school year about what my flipped classroom looks like.  It is edited from an earlier version (January 2012) and is still under construction.

Dear Parents,
Your child has an exciting year of math coming up in my classroom!  Things will be a little different in your student’s math class than you may be used to. We will be implementing a teaching model known widely around the world as the “flipped classroom”. What is a “flipped classroom”? Please take a few moments to watch the presentation I have put together for you, which can be found at http://prezi.com/8wuzpv14scke/flipped-classroom-instructions/ .

In short, a “flipped classroom” switches around the traditional order of teaching with the purpose of creating a more in depth and supportive environment in the classroom when the teacher is present and able to help students. It allows for students to receive a more individualized math education, thus resulting in them understanding the content at a higher and deeper level than before. In addition, it challenges students to learn how to take charge of their learning, becoming resourceful learners. Lastly, it provides time for more discussion and questioning during class time, helping students to become reflective communicators and to think more deeply about the subject.


What does homework look like now?

For homework, students will be required to watch video lectures created by me, where I will teach them the lesson and give examples in the same way they would receive it in class. However, because the students are watching the lessons on video, they can pause, rewind, or re-watch any segments of the video at any time. This allows students to learn at their own pace and become more self-directed, having to know when they need to go back over a certain concept they did not fully grasp the first time it was explained.

Each lesson is specifically designed to be around 5 to 15 minutes long, which should take your child between 15-30 minutes to watch, take notes, and reflect on what they learned.

These videos can be accessed at www.youtube.com/crystalkirch for home viewing, on SchoolTube for school viewing, or students can get the videos on a flash drive in order to watch them without internet access. All direct links are also accessible at the class website, www.edmodo.com . Because the videos are online, they can be accessed on any internet-capable device, such as a cell phone. Videos can also be uploaded to iTunes from a flash drive and synced with a student’s iPod to watch offline. Other options are also available by request, such as getting the videos on DVD to watch on a TV instead of a computer.  If you have concerns about your child having access to the videos, please let me know and I will make accommodations.

While watching the videos, students are taking notes of important concepts and examples in their SSS packets that are provided for them. When they are done watching the video, they write a summary of the concept they learned about. This summary will sometimes be a paragraph, but other times will be answering questions I have posed to them to think about and answer.  The quality and depth of their summary informs me of how much they truly understood what they watched and what misconceptions they may have that need to be further explained. After the summary, students write at least one question regarding the content. This may be a question that they do not know how to answer and need explained, or it may be a question that they do know the answer to, but is an important piece of the concept from the video. Students are challenged to make their questions “HOT” questions (“Higher Order Thinking” questions) and have been provided with question starters on Edmodo to help deepen their thinking.

This process is called a “WSQ” (pronounced wisk), and stands for “Watch – Summary – Question”. Underclassmen (9th-10th graders) are also required to add a “V”erification portion to their “WSQ” (making it a “WSQV”, pronounced wis-quiv) where a parent or guardian signs their summary and question, along with the time frame in which the student watched the video. Upperclassmen (11th-12th graders) parents can request that their students be put on a required “WSQV” contract if their students need more monitoring in finishing the homework.

There will still be a few nights where homework will look like regular “homework”... students will be doing review worksheets and practice problems. This generally occurs the few nights before a test. However, now students have access to the lesson online and can re-watch it if they don’t remember how to do the problems assigned in the homework.

What does classwork look like now?

When students come into class, we begin by reviewing their “WSQ’s” in a variety of ways. We may go over a few samples as a class, or students may discuss either in partners or in small groups. This time allows the class to refresh their memory on what was watched last night as well as to clarify anything that was not clear during the video lesson. We also go over the questions that students have asked either as a whole class or in small groups. Similarly, we may go over a few problems as a class, but most often students work in their small groups and get assistance from me in a smaller group as needed.

After the “WSQ” portion of class is over, students work in small groups on a set of practice problems or activities to help them practice and develop full understanding of the concept. Students are encouraged to work with each other and help each other out and are constantly reminded that one of the ways they can really find out if they understand a concept is by explaining it to someone else. I am constantly walking around from group to group, helping explain things and clarifying confusing parts.

In the “flipped classroom” model, students still take short quizzes on each concept a few times a week and still practice learning concepts by using the songs and chants I have developed. In addition, there is still the opportunity for whole-class teaching and review if the large group needs to go back over a concept. However, most of the teaching is now focused on smaller groups of students who need help on certain concepts, leading to fully differentiated instruction and support.

What does a “flipped classroom” require of you as a parent?

The “flipped classroom” enables you as a parent to be more involved in your student’s math education. Most parents tend to agree that they do not remember much from their high school math classes and do not feel they can support or help their student at all when they are home doing homework. However, with the “flipped classroom”, there are several very easy ways you can help your student:

(1) Provide your student with a quiet place to watch the lecture video (preferably with headphones to limit distractions) each night. If internet access is not available at your house, provide your student with the time to stay after school to watch the video in the school library or my classroom.
(2) Ask your student questions about what they watched and have them read their summary out loud to you.
(3) Read their summary yourself to make sure it sounds complete and makes sense.
(4) Read the question they asked and see if they can answer it.
(5) Encourage them to take their time while watching the videos, which means they pause, rewind, or re-watch portions of the video when the teaching is going too fast or when students need a minute to
make sense of what was taught.
(6) Watch the videos with them so you can learn along with them and help them when it comes to doing regular practice at home the night before the test!

What does a “flipped classroom” require of your student?

In reality, a “flipped classroom” does not change the fact that students are expected to go home and do “math homework” for 30-45 minutes a night. The only thing that is different is the type of “math homework” that they are doing. Instead of doing mindless practice problems where they can do the problems without really thinking about them, get stuck on the problems or do them incorrectly, or simply not do the problems at all because they think the problems are too difficult, students simply have to watch a video, take notes, and reflect in a summary and question. Students are expected to come prepared to class each day with the background knowledge of each concept, ready to learn it better, deeper, and faster. Students are not expected to have full mastery of the content before they arrive in class, although many students will be at that level.

The “flipped classroom” requires your student to take responsibility for their learning in several ways:
(1) Students must plan time to watch the video when they are still fully awake and able to make connections between content. (Before 10pm is highly suggested).
(2) Students must take initiative to re-watch videos they need to see again.
(3) Students must make sure that if they are absent, they still watch the required videos and come to class prepared.
(4) Students must make sure that they take initiative to communicate with me either online or in person if there are issues with watching the videos. This includes coming and seeing me before school, during seminar, or during lunch to watch the videos before class begins as often as possible.

What if your student watches the videos every night but still does not understand the content?

Individualized or small group tutoring and support is still available for students before, during, and after the school day. During that time, I can sit down with them and go over more examples and try to explain it in a different way. Students can contact me anytime via www.edmodo.com to ask when I am available, although I generally have a consistent schedule that is posted in the classroom.

How does the “flipped classroom” work with the Fundamental Structures at [our high school]?

Students will still be held accountable for completing the “WSQ” on a nightly basis, just like a regular homework assignment. Failure to do so will result in the progress discipline policies of the Missed Assignment Cards (“Homework Cards”). The policies listed below are subject to change.
• “WSQ” charts (see sample at end of letter) will be collected on a weekly basis, and students must have a minimum of 60% of the available points to not receive a homework card. Students will receive differing amount of points based on if the assignments are completed on time or late.
• If a student is missing any TWO assignments by the end of the week (this includes Watching, Summary, Question, or corresponding Assignment), they will receive a homework card.
• The assignments that correspond with the WSQ’s should  be fully completed by the next class day. Students are given plenty of class time to finish these assignments working with me and other classmates; however, if they are off task or absent they will have to make it up on their own time and make sure it is fully completed before entering class the next day.

Students will receive points in the HW/CW category of their grade for each week based on the percentage they have completed, so it is very important that students strive to reach 100% of the boxes filled with two points each.


STUDENT NAME: ___________________________________________ PERIOD: _________

[ ] I understand the changes that will be taking place and the expectations for my student. We have internet access at home and watching the videos nightly should not be a problem.

[ ] I understand the changes that will be taking place and the expectations for my student. We do have a computer at home; however, we do not have consistent internet access at home, so please make accommodations for my student.

[ ] I understand the changes that will be taking place and the expectations for my student. We do not have a computer at home, so please make accommodations for my student.

Parent/Guardian Name: ________________________ Relationship to Student: ____________

Parent Signature: ___________________________________________

Best way to contact me from 8am-2pm during the week
[ ] Email: ____________________________________________________________
[ ] Phone: ____________________________________________________________
Questions, comments, or concerns: