Critics of the Flipped Classroom

I truly believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  With that... here is mine :)

In the teaching profession, we are often so locked into our own worlds and doing things our own way that we can easily go days, weeks, or even years without knowing what is going on next door or down the hall.  

One of the reasons I love teaching so much (among many) is that I am pretty much in control of my classroom, how it's run, and what is important inside my four walls.  However, this leads to one of the biggest pitfalls that it is so easy to fall into - not collaborating and sharing ideas with those around you.  Staying locked in your own world, with your own ideas and own opinions - and never sharing them for whatever reason.

The community that I have found via this blog, Edmodo teacher communities, the Flipped Class Network, and Twitter have been instrumental in starting my flipped classroom and absolutely essential in my professional growth and learning with regards to not only the flipped classroom, but teaching in general.  In my opinion, connecting with other educators is an essential part of being a teacher.  We can't teach in isolation.

With that said, I have encountered so many "flipping" teachers across the globe in the last 3 months.  Their ideas and encouragement have been indispensable.  However, I have also encountered several articles, comments, etc of people who are very strongly opposed to the flipped classroom.  

Like I started this post by saying, I truly believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion of what they think is good or bad, what works and what doesn't.  What I am bugged by, however (and the reason behind this post), is that (in my approximately 10 months of research all over the internet)  I have not yet encountered a critic of the flipped classroom who has actually tried the flipped classroom themselves.  They will write amazingly long posts of how bad the flipped classroom ideology is and how horrible it is for our students, but they haven't tried it themselves.  That really bugs me.  [Or, if they are out there, they haven't been willing or open to share about their failures and why their attempt at the flipped classroom didn't work.]  While critics seem to make some valid points, the counterarguments to those points are so clear to me and their points now seemed to be based off of ignorance and lack of personal experience with the flipped classroom model.  

My big question for the critics: How can you know if something doesn't work until you've tried it yourself?

I don't believe that the "flipped classroom" is a "magic bullet" or the one solution to solving today's educational problems.  I don't even believe the "flipped classroom" would necessarily work well with every teacher's style and preference.  I don't even believe the term "flipped classroom" really encompasses the changes I have made in my classroom this year; if anything, I feel like the phrase is a turn-off to some people who automatically stereotype every flipped classroom to be a certain way.

I posted earlier this year about "9 reasons I'm a flipping convert".  The reasons why I flip my classroom continue to grow longer with each passing week.  Here are a few I have mentioned before, but come to mind right now.

• Students are taking responsibility for their own learning. It's a skill that must be taught, and they are getting better at it.  This will help them this year, next year, and as they go off to college and get jobs.
• Students are required to do more than rote, mindless math practice problems.  They have to be able to talk about it, explain it, ask questions about it, teach it to others, and make connections with other material.  The conversations I have been able to have with my students this year are so much deeper, so much more detailed, and so much better overall than anything I have been able to facilitate in my five years of teaching.
• Students all have equal access to a challenging math curriculum that they can go through at their own pace and that they can always go back to (because of the video lessons).  Absences due to illness, sports, or family issues are no longer a problem in my class.  Do I still have plenty of absences? Yes. But they are no longer stressful for me or the student because the student can come back to school fully up to date on the lessons and just needing the extra support to tackle tough problems, not the need for me to re-teach everything they missed.
• Students are able to receive differentiated instruction based on their needs and their level of understanding. Students who learn at a slower pace or who have to hear something five times before it clicks have the opportunity to do so.  Students who learn at a faster pace are able to move through the curriculum faster and tackle more challenging problems that may be skipped for the general population.
• Students learn to work with others and to challenge each other's thinking on a daily basis.  There is no longer the student who sits in the corner of the room feeling helpless, embarrassed, or intimidated. Flipping my classroom has created a learning community where all are involved and all have the opportunity to succeed.
• Students are the ones doing the math in my classroom.  They are not sitting there watching me do amazing math and then going home to try it themselves with no support.
• Parents love the ability to see their students actually doing math "homework" by watching the video and the relief it gives them from trying to have to keep up with and help their student with math that they don't remember how to do.
• Students are scoring higher than last year by 2-8% on each test, the percentage of students receiving A's and B's on my exams is increasing greatly, and the percentage of students receiving D's and F's on my exams is decreasing.  (See Flip Data for more details)

Critics of the Flipped Classroom who have never tried it tend to think (based on my reading over the last year):

1. It's all about the videos

Videos are a tool that are used to help create the flipped classroom. I could use the textbook - although I don't think it would work nearly as well because I am able to reach visual and auditory learners through my videos (and I hope kinesthetic sometimes, too). I incorporate the same jokes, examples, voice inflection, songs/chants, and "fun" into my video lessons.  I can still follow-up the next day with more detail, more examples, more connections, more of anything that I want.  However, with the videos, my bases are covered and I can use class time for more discussion, collaboration, and actual student-focused learning

2. It creates an issue with equity/access to technology

I work in a district with about 70-75% of the students on Free and Reduced lunch.  We are in a low-income area.  There is absolutely no issue with access to technology at my school.  If students don't have access at home, they can use it at school either before/after school or during class if needed.  If I have to read another person say that we should abandon the flipped classroom because it is unfair for some students, I don't know what I will say.  We are in the 21 century and students must not only be able to use technology, they must learn how to use it responsibly and the value of technology as an educational tool and not just a social tool.  If they don't have the resources at home, we can provide that for them to the best of our ability.  That's not an excuse.

3. Lecture is always a poor method to teaching information

I still am a believer in the value of direct instruction under certain circumstances, especially in math.  Is there time for guided exploration? Yes, for certain lessons.  However (here is a great article), studies show that for most learners, the first time something is taught it needs to be taught directly and without all this exploration/inquiry stuff.  It just confuses them and does not help their growth in learning.

4. There is never whole-class teaching

There is whole-class teaching when there is a need for it in my flipped classroom.  It's focused on my students' needs, not mine. More often than not, I am doing small-group teaching (5-10 students), although there are times when I do 20 student teaching or 40 student teaching.  I'd much rather teach those that need it and let those who don't continue to explore and move on.

5.  It requires students to do work at home when they should be spending time with family.

What's wrong with students having homework?  I know my perspective on this issue is skewed right now because I don't have kids yet, but I don't see a problem with students having to do homework and manage responsibilities when they are in high school. [Do some teachers overdo the homework and give an hour or two a night for just their class? Yes. But that is not what I am referring to here].  When I see my students spending over an hour a day on facebook, another hour texting, another hour watching tv, and another hour sitting outside on the school steps doing nothing but waiting for their ride, that doesn't make me feel bad about asking my students to spend 20-30 minutes a night preparing for math class.  Do students have responsibilities at home (cooking, cleaning, babysitting)? Yes, most of them do to an extent.  Does this mean they should be excused from taking responsibility for their education and learning how to manage their time, making sure to do their homework, their chores, and still spend time with family and friends? No. 

Are there concerns that need to be addressed about the flipped classroom? yes.

Can the flipped classroom be done "badly"? yes.

Are there concerns that need to be addressed about ANY teaching strategy? yes.

Can ANY teaching strategy be done "badly"? yes.

Could I easily ignore all of these critics and not read anything negative about the flipped classroom and just stay in my little bubble?  Sure.  But I think there are good things that come from seeing both sides of the fence and from really thinking about why you are doing something.  If anything, reading the criticisms of the flipped classroom help me to refocus my own strategies and make sure my classroom (1) is NOT focused on only the videos; (2) provides full access to all students; (3) incorporates aspects of inquiry and exploration where warranted; (4) is fully student-centered and focuses on student needs; (5) provides my students with meaningful and do-able homework that will help them feel successful but yet still holds them accountable and responsible.

To quote Karon Tarver , who posted on http://www.iste-community.org/group/landl/forum/topics/to-flip-or-not-to-flip (emphasis mine)

Flip or not? I believe that whether it is flipping, tutoring or any other viable educational tool, all strategies have a place. The only “magic bullet” that I know of are teachers who are willing to teach beyond understanding to accomplish more than comprehension and create life-long learners. Those teachers who are willing to try everything to reach, teach and learn from their students will become the leaders in using the flip strategy. Their students will be the real winners.

I flip my classroom not because of what it does for me, but for what it does for my students.  My students are the "real winners" now and it works for me, my teaching style, and my classroom.

All I ask is that if you don't believe in the Flipped Classroom as a viable instructional tool/strategy, please try it yourself before posting endless essays and comments online about how much you think it sucks.  Please stop generalizing the Flipped Classroom down to one single method, one single type, one single purpose.  It is so much more than that.

On a side note: Can we come up with a new name other than "Flipped Classroom"? I really am sick of the misconceptions/connotations the phrase brings with it.

"I'm sick of the videos"

Have you heard your students say this?

I had a conversation with one of my students this week and that was one of his comments.  I tried to probe and ask why so I could get some more context and reasons behind it to find out WHY he was "sick of the videos".  Here is what he said:

1) It's every night

2) It's the same thing over and over again

I asked him to think of his previous math classes and describe what his homework was like in those classes.  In "Traditional" classes, the same thing could be said about practice problems from the textbook in math class

1) It's every night

2) It's the same thing over and over again

Some of my students really seem to struggle with that.  They feel that because the videos are new and different, they have an even bigger right to complain about it.  If I taught traditionally and gave them 30 minutes of practice problems to do every night, I really don't think I would hear complaints even though it would still be every night and "the same" thing over and over again.

I am trying to help my students see more and more how they can use the Flipped Classroom to take charge of their learning and manage their time.  I want them to see that:

1) It doesn't have to be EVERY night.  I give them the list of videos for the week (usually 3-5 a week).  They can watch them whenever they want.  I have several students who have already watched half of next week's videos. I give them daily goals of where they need to be, but they have to have all the videos watched and WSQ's done by the end of the week.  Many students just choose to do one video a night and thus, yes, it is EVERY NIGHT.  But it doesn't have to be.

2) The videos are there to provide support and instruction.  There are some videos that are "mandatory", but usually those are only the introduction to a unit.  If you can complete the problems on your own, just use the videos to see what problems are "assigned" and then check your answers at the end of the videos to make sure you are doing it right.  If you can figure it out on your own, you don't HAVE to watch the videos.  Just make sure you are doing it right :)

[edit thanks to Michelle R below]
3) They can learn in other ways besides the videos.  They can use the textbook, other online resources via Google, YouTube, etc to make sense of the content.  When I find good resources that aren't created by me, I share them.  However, the students can look for those resources themselves as well.  They can take full ownership.

Do you hear similar complaints from your students?
How do you respond?

*This post stems from one conversation with one student.  However, I am sure it applies to other students as well, so I do want to think through it and come up with possible solutions.

Flipping in Math: pre-loading or inquiry?

There has been a lot out in the Twitter world lately about using the Flipped Classroom to pre-load all content into a students and then having them come in and work on practice problems in class.  With the popularity of Khan Academy (especially since the 60 minutes special), that is what a lot of people are starting to think the flipped classroom is.  Feed them info, they spit it back out - the timing is just reversed.  Personally, I am NOT a fan of Khan Academy videos and the way they are being used in Flipped Classrooms.  First, I think a successful flipped classroom needs to have the majority of the videos made by the teacher him/herself (with room for supplementary, real-world example, cool modeling, etc videos just found on YouTube made by others).  Second, I don't believe that having students come to class to stare at a video and them complete practice problems in isolation is the best way.  Just my opinions...

There has also been a lot of talk about using "inquiry-based" teaching with the flipped classroom model where the students watch the videos AFTER they have already worked with the material in class.  While I can see this working very well in a science flipped class, I am struggling to see exactly what it would look like in a math flipped class.

If I had all the time in the world and could spend 3-4 days on a concept (even 2 days would be nice - but most of our concepts are one day each!), I could see spending a whole day having students explore and try things, go home and get the lesson, and then come back and practice some more with the guidance.

However, I can't seem to get past that first day not being very successful.  In math, there is usually one or two "right" ways to go about solving a problem (that's why so many of my students like math - there is almost always an answer!).  I feel like I WANT them to come to class knowing the basic vocabulary, processes, and steps.  Then, in class, we can explore connections to other material, applications of the process, and practice using the steps TOGETHER once they already have that background knowledge.

I see myself as a "beginning" flipper, so please feel free to share your thoughts and advice in regards to this.

1. Do you feel like your flipped classroom is more "pre-loading" or more "inquiry-based" with the videos AFTER initial exposure? [please distinguish between your content area!]
2. If you are using a more inquiry-based set-up in your flipped math class, please share.
3. If you are using a more inquiry-based set-up in your non-math flipped class and think you could see how it would work in a math flipped class, please share.
4. Do you feel there are times for both ways depending on the content?  If so, can you give some examples of when you use each method?

I am always interested in finding ways to improve my flipped class to make it more meaningful and useful for my student's learning.

Reflection on Week 6 (A week full of questions)

http://pixabay.com/p-112390/?no_redirect

Week 6 of the Spring Semester is now over.  The first grading period has ended. Hard to believe we are 1/3 of the way through the second semester, but we are!  

This week I am full of questions, comments, concerns, considerations, and... more questions.  Any thoughts, ideas, experiences, or advice is appreciated.

All Reflections from This Year can be Found Here. 

Overall, this week was incredibly exhausting and probably the hardest week I've had all year.  Do any of your weeks ever sound like this? Just a quick overview:
Monday - normal school day, led our department meeting after school, #flipclass chat as soon as I got in the door from work (5pm PST) until almost 7pm PST by the time I got off.  Fun, but also kind of stressful.  Then had to grade a set of Algebra 1 tests.
Tuesday - normal school day, two separate parent conferences during my prep, two parent phone conferences after school, mandatory Algebra 1 intervention session to lead, and then realizing I was going to be gone the next two days and I had to get stuff put together for that.  Ended up staying at school until 7pm getting stuff done for a total 12+ hour work day with no break.
Wednesday - district meetings all day in a collaborative effort between our union and Superintendent.  Good discussions with all the department chairs from all of our high schools and intermediate schools, but another crazy busy day with no personal planning time or rest.
Thursday - leadership team pull-out day on campus.  Another good day, but another day out of the classroom with no personal planning time or rest. Found out that three of my students were throwing things at each other and calling each other names in my class that escalated to a fist fight at lunch.  Lovely.
Friday - normal school day, but so completely exhausted from the week I'm surprised I made it through. Stuff to deal with from when my subs were here, missing about 8 kids per class due to a CAHSEE boot camp workshop for struggling Sophomores (that I found out about this morning), and caught a student who tried to forge 8 of my signatures on her homework chart.

With that being said, the ability to have my students continue to work on mastering content while I was absent was incredibly freeing for me as a teacher.  Also, the freedom to not stress myself out over all the students who were absent today because they can still get the make-up lessons via video was great. The learning is in their hands.  It is their responsibility.  I tried to remind myself of that daily as I was out and about in my various meetings.  Stressing myself out was not going to help them learn any better.

*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! 

Math Analysis

This week saw me focus on the "Guided Summary" for the WSQ instead of the "Open Summary".  An open summary means the students watch a video and summarize in their own words what they felt was important from what they heard/saw/did.  A guided summary means I give them 3-5 questions that they need to answer after the video to help guide their thinking and writing to what really are the most important pieces of concepts.  The students overall seemed to really like the guided summary more than the open summary, so I think I will continue with that, with an open summary thrown in there every so often to mix it up.

One student said:

Having guided questions has helped me understand the content a little better. If I ever do not know the answer to a question, I then go back and watch certain parts of the video until I am able to answer the question. This way I catch little things that I misunderstood the first time I watched the video.

I don't want this week's post to be negative, but since I was out of my classroom so much this week (and today they took a test so it wasn't a normal class), I am going to bring up some concerns, issues, and questions I have seen or asked this week.  However, to remain on the bright side, there are some positives I've shared for each of these concerns/issues.

1. Many students are still passively copying notes from the videos and not actually doing it themselves.  I caught this on Tuesday because I made a typo on my calculator in the video so the answer I put in the lesson was actually incorrect.  I made a YouTube annotation with the correction, but several students had already watched it and some students watched it on SchoolTube where the correction was not made.  So, when I was checking their work in class, I saw several students still have the wrong answer written down - which means they just passively allowed me to plug the answers in the calculator for them instead of trying it themselves.  It was nice to see just as many students who asked me about the mistake either on Edmodo or as soon as they came into class.  I guess I just get frustrated by lack of effort at this point in the game.  How do I get those last few students to realize they are doing this work for their own good and they are basically wasting their time if they don't actually do any thinking or trying themselves?

2.  Students are still struggling with giving me those deep, connection-filled answers I am looking for.  I describe it that they are "okay with settling for crappy answers".  I have tried a few different questioning procedures in the few days I was actually there this week, from whole-class discussion to small group discussion to individual reflection.  I even had students  be the ones to lead the discussion and I sat in the back and just jumped in when I felt it was needed.  I like that, but it also takes the students a lot longer to make it through a discussion when they are leading it.  Is this a good thing for them to struggle through or is it a waste of time?  How can I get them to really pursue thinking deeper than surface level?  How can I get them to pursue good answers, whether it be from them, their classmates, or me, when they ask a question?  How can I help to increase that passion for learning and understanding?

3. I caught a student forging my signatures on her homework chart today.  I was so incredibly disappointed.  This goes to show that some students are still doing their work to avoid punishment rather than to actually learn something from it.  I really feel like most of my students are coming along, but how do I reach those final few?

4. Although I give students a task list of things to work on, I don't think some of them always know how to prioritize their time to get the support they need in class.  In the past, students would come in on their own time to retake quizzes.  Now, they can do that in class if wanted.  That does mean, though, that sometimes they spend the period working on quizzes rather than struggling through the new material they may need help with.  Do I need to structure time a little more?  Do I need to guide some students more, or just let them figure it out?  I know this was especially true when I wasn't here this week; students were supposed to work on Unit P Concepts 2-3, but they had their Unit O Test on Friday. So many of them spent their class time taking Unit O quizzes (which should have been done last week) instead of working on the new material.

5. Four types of students that concern me in the flipped class:

• The "Senioritis" student - this is the student who doesn't really want to do any work in class and would rather socialize.  She doesn't need my class to graduate, and even though she is very bright and worked very hard first semester, now that she has been given more freedom, she doesn't know how to use it wisely.  She frustrates me greatly because even though she is still friendly and will joke around, she doesn't get down to work when she needs to and always finds an excuse.  She doesn't necessarily take me seriously when I try to explain to her what she needs to do, and I don't think she would respond positively if I laid the law down hard on her at this point. 
• The "Lazy" student - I seriously wonder every day if this student actually watched the lesson or copied, because he can never answer even my simplest questions from the video.  And then he acts like he is confused when I ask him to see the work he has done.  He tried to show me an entire assignment of incorrect answers on Tuesday for angles of depression because he was too lazy to flip the worksheet over and check to make sure he got the same answers that the answer key had.  That is the epitome of laziness in my eyes.  Why do the work for 10 problems wrong instead of making sure you are doing it right and actually learning?
• The "Halfway Everything" student - this student has already been caught cheating twice in my class this year, as well as last year in math (different teacher) and another subject this school year.  I feel like he only does enough to try to scrape by, and even if I just gloss over everyone else's work to sign off, I feel like I actually have to look at his work because I just have the feeling that he will lie to me about what he has completed and what he has done because of his cheating habits.  I know that his lack of effort will come back to bite him on the tests, but at the same time I have already caught him cheating twice on quizzes this year and I know if he wanted to, he would find a way to cheat on the test as well.
• The "Coming along" student - I have to end with a positive one.  This student struggled with the freedom he was given in the flipped class in the beginning, but has really started to come along.  He tries to work ahead of the class on a daily basis and overall has been doing really well. I am very proud of his progress and the fact that I feel he is "figuring it out" - the fact that it's not about just doing the work, but it's about learning and mastering the concepts.

Things I want to improve on based on this week:

1. Increased student interaction and communication online the night they are watching the video.  Several ideas floating through my head of how this can happen.

2. Increased ability on the part of students to confidently talk about and explain the math, not only in their small groups, but also to anyone in the class.

I guess my biggest question/concern is if my students will figure it out eventually or if I am just letting them have too much freedom to guide their own learning. Is too much of a good thing a bad thing?  Do I need to limit it?  Since this is my first year flipping, I don't know how much is too much and what guidelines or boundaries I need to put in place, if any at all. 

Algebra 1

Data from Chapter 8b will be posted later this weekend.  Students took the test on Monday, but with me being out for two days in a row and a few make-ups, I still haven't finished putting all the numbers together.

On Tuesday, I took about 10-15 minutes of each of my Algebra 1 classes to do a little bit of teaching and modeling on how to watch a video.  If anything has been made clear to me in the last few weeks, it's that our students have never been taught HOW to learn on their own.  We have held their hands for way too long.  We have spoon-fed them just enough information to pass the standardized tests, and now they don't know how to take information presented and make sense of it.  This is one of my continual goals - to teach my students how to learn.  It's like that Chinese proverb says:

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Are we "giving" our students fish on a daily basis, or are we teaching them how to think and learn on their own so they can be successful in the real world?

Sometimes I love the flipped class with my Algebra 1 classes, and sometimes I get very frustrated.  I don't know how to deal with the struggles and issues I am facing this year with these students in general - it is worse than I have ever had in my teaching career.  The reason I chose to flip Algebra 1 this year (instead of just trying it in Math Analysis) is because first semester it wasn't working with these kids.  They weren't doing their regular homework, they were struggling with learning the material because they would forget what they learned in class, they weren't taking responsibility for themselves, etc.  I figured that something had to be done, so I decided to try something new.  I couldn't stay in that frustrating situation and do nothing about it.  While I feel the flipped class has shown improvement and has been helping, I am just so frustrated that it has revealed character traits of my students in a new light.  I can understand (somewhat) that a student may go home and not understand the homework. (I say somewhat because with all the technology resources, me being available 24/7 on Edmodo, and 2.5 extra hours of tutoring I offer every day, there really isn't an excuse).  What I CAN'T understand is that a student would go home, have computer/internet access, and choose to not spend 10-20 minutes watching a video, taking notes, and thinking about the material so they can participate in class the next day.  What I CAN'T understand even more is that it would happen and then students would show up to school and not even ask to watch the video - they would rather sit there and do nothing.  When about eight to ten students in each of my classes (of 36-38 students total) do that on a daily basis, I just don't know what to do.  I have been trying to alleviate it by focusing on the positives, helping the students who are working, and letting the students who don't try and don't care just do what they will (which is normally just sitting there staring at their paper all period), but I feel like I should be doing more.  Should I?

Sharing and Collaboration

At my Tuesday meeting, someone in the audience mentioned a comment such as "Have you thought about using different strategies to meet your students' needs, such as Flipping the Classroom?"  My eyes immediately perked up and as soon as the meeting was over, I went straight over to meet the lady who mentioned it.  Come to find out, she is our District's Educational Technology Specialist and she is writing a short article about the Flipped Classroom in the next newsletter.  We chatted for a few minutes and she took my information down and will be coming to visit sometime soon.  How exciting!

I will be having several other visitors in the coming weeks to come see my Flipped Class in action.  A principal and two math teachers from a local high school will be stopping by on the March 23rd.  I'm excited to share my Flipped Class with others for several reasons.  One, I want this teaching strategy to spread because I feel it is so effective.  Second, I love to get feedback and ideas from outsiders on my Flipped Classroom and what they think might help it.

Still working on getting all the data collected from my Flipping Teachers Survey... It's been a crazy week (or two, or three) and haven't had time to look through it all and decide how I am going to share it all. I will get it done soon :)  If you still haven't filled out your info, please do so!  It is still open.

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.  Read my post about my first Twitter chat experience here:

Other Thoughts

I asked my students the question "Is your Flipped Classroom time useful and productive for your learning?"  This stemmed from a comment one student wrote on their Second Semester Survey where she asked "What's the purpose of the classroom now?"  So, I really wanted to know what my students thought about their actual class time and if they thought it was useful for their learning.  While I did not get responses from every student, I did get several and they all said many similar things.  One comment that stuck out over and over again is that my students would actually prefer NOT to do little activities and games - they would rather just work and practice and take quizzes to show proficiency. They commented that they felt they were engaged and left class feeling productive when they were just given time to learn what they needed to learn. I found that interesting because I honestly expected most of the students to respond that they wanted more games and activities.  My students don't want the "froo-froo".

During our Leadership Team Pull-out on Thursday, we had several discussions on Rigor & Relevance as well as Student Engagement.  I really thought about how the Flipped Classroom can help with both of those.  Because students are learning at their own pace and can re-visit content as much as possible, it allows the freedom to develop increased rigor and more real-life relevance for our students in the problems we have them encounter.  I know that sometimes I felt I was (well, sometimes I feel like I still am!) watering down my curriculum because there were students in the class who just couldn't handle it, and so I would teach to the middle.  Now I feel like I can appropriately challenge all students, helping them to think more deeply and make connections in ways that previously was not possible.  In addition, I feel like the Flipped Classroom can greatly increase student engagement because the students are finally the ones in charge and doing the learning.  There really isn't time for them to not be engaged (and those that choose that path quickly find out that they waste their time and it's better to stay on task and continue to work).  I feel like many of my students are finally figuring out how and why to learn for their own good instead of just going through the motions.

THINGS I'VE HEARD THIS WEEK THAT I LOVE: 

What I hope all students are eventually able to do:

"When you are not present in class, my ability to focus and stay on task is the same. When you are there, i usually work with my group to complete the work, same as when there is a sub."

CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES OF MY FLIPPED CLASSROOM THAT I WANT TO KEEP (running list each week):

1. Students MUST ALWAYS have a written answer to the question part of their WSQ.  This can be written by them individually or answered with the help of a group member or myself.  The questions must require more than just a Yes or No answer.   This ensures that their question does get answered, and it forces students to practice using academic language in writing.  Answers to questions must show deep thought and connections as much as possible.

2. Every so often, just pick a place in the classroom next to a group and sit on my stool for a while, helping if needed, but listening in and guiding the group along. This includes sitting down to work with them if they have problems, but also sitting down and just questioning them, probing them, and getting them to think, speak, and make connections.  It's awesome the conversations you can have in a flipped class if you really pursue them and try to stretch your students' minds past the procedural.

3. In the videos, always have at least an example or two that students need to work out on their own.  Two ways to do this - #1 - in the middle of the video, tell them to pause it and try it on their own.  Then they can follow along with me once they get stuck, and then pause me again and try from there. #2 - at the end of the video, assign 1-2 problems for the students to complete on their own before class.  Work out these problems in a "part 2" of the video for students to reference if they still get stuck. 

4. Every so often, make the classwork due at the end of class to keep students on their toes and to keep them on task during class.

5. Students can receive a "Waiver" for assignments once they have shown mastery on a quiz- They are just going to be waived from the practice quizzes, but they still need to watch future videos.  There is information presented in the videos that they need to hear, even if they don't need to do all the extra practice.

6. After the initial group WSQing, students can work with whoever they want (unless problems arise), or they can choose to work by themselves.  The ultimate goal is that the students are learning, making connections, and making sense of the content. 

7.  The "Summary" part of the WSQ can be several different things - a real, student-developed summary; a written summary response to questions I've posed (guided summary), etc.

CHANGES I'VE MADE THIS WEEK THAT I LIKE: 

1. No new changes, just continuing to implement ideas and changes from last week.

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.

My brain is fried for the week. I might think of more to share later, but that is it for now...

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

All Reflections from This Year can be Found Here. 

Student Question: Is your Flipped Classroom time productive & useful for your learning?

This week I asked my students for some feedback on our flipped class via Edmodo.  I am trying to use the phrase "our" flipped class because I want the students to have full ownership of what is going on in the classroom and their learning.


I spent some time today in Algebra 1 going over what it means to be an active listener and modeled for them what they look like right now when they watch videos based on my conversations with them vs. how they need to be watching the videos.  I'd have to say my acting skills got better as the day went on :).  The students really related to my examples of "bad" watching habits and found them humorous, but admitted that is what they do when they watch the videos. I'm just hoping that the students take our time today (I spent 10-15 minutes of class time going over it because I felt it was that important) and actually make some changes in how they are watching the videos instead of just taking today as a funny and amusing conversation.


I also talked about what their definition of a "flipped class" is.  None of them had a great definition, but they definitely mentioned the videos and working at their own pace.   I tried to make the connection for them between sitting in a traditional class mindlessly taking notes and sitting in front of a video mindlessly taking notes.  There is NO DIFFERENCE if that is what they are doing!  I find many of my Algebra 1 students will do whatever possible to just "get through" the video but not really think about it, ponder it, try to make it make sense, etc.  because that is what they are used to doing in all their years of education.  So, I tried my best to describe to them what the purpose of a flipped class is and how the emphasis should be on the fact that we can use class time more efficiently and effectively for their learning than in a traditional classroom.  If they don't process the information and do their best to receive and make meaning of the content in the video, our class time can not be used as well as it could.


I hope to see improvement with my Algebra 1 kids.  Most of my Math analysis kids are doing well; just a few that need some reminders and pushes.  The biggest struggle with my Math Analysis kids is making sure that when I plug formulas in the calculator to show them, that they actually plug the numbers in as well.  I made a "typo" on the calculator last night, so it was very clear in class today which kids just mindlessly copied my work instead of plugging it in and trying it themselves because they showed up to class with the WRONG answer!  That's one way to check  if they watched :)


Here are the questions that I asked for feedback.  My main focus was on how the students felt about our CLASS TIME and making our in-class time as useful, productive, beneficial, and enjoyable for the students.


1. Do you feel like class time is productive, beneficial, and useful for your learning? Why or why not? When you leave class, do you feel like "I learned something today, that was worth it?" Explain. 

2. Would you prefer that we do more "activities" (Su-hu-pu, conga line, problem solving "games", whole-class review, etc) rather than you being independent and working on problems, quizzes, questions, discussions, etc? Give a reason for your answer. What would help you to learn BEST?

3. What suggestions do YOU have for us to use our class time together for?


Here are ELEVEN responses (might add more as they come in):  There are definitely some "quotables" here...


STUDENT 1 (MATH ANALYSIS - "A" STUDENT)
1. I think class time is productive because I get to choose what to work on, whether it is taking quizzes, studying the SSS, or doing PQs. I always feel like I've accomplished something because I either took the quiz or I did the PQ and learned the concept. 

2. I'd rather not do the activities because independent working gets more done, as I am more comfortable talking to my partners than a bunch of people, and it's also not streamlined because explanations of topics never cover everything; questions randomly pop up here and there. 

3. I think class is fine as is and is better than what we had at the beginning of the year.


STUDENT 2 (MATH ANALYSIS - "C-D" STUDENT)
1. I feel like now that I'm beginning to pick up on the work and everything, I am starting to use the class time more beneficially. Before, I always used to finish WSQ'ing with my group then just spend the rest of the time trying to look busy. However, now... I feel like I am pacing myself to my learning speed which helps me better. I also try to work on a few problems and clarifying my steps to further understand how to work it out. Then, in the last 10 or so minutes in class I try to take the quizzes from the stuff that I was reviewing that day. 

2. To be honest, I kind of don't like the activities. I like independent work because with the activity.. sometimes you might not get some one-on-one time with the teacher to help you. Personally, I believe independent work is the best way that I learn. 

3. I like the way that the class is run but I feel like maybe we could have like a game to review one day before the test. Like maybe the white board group game where we race to see who can answer questions first and who can explain it more. Other than that, I don't know what to add because I love the way that class time is run :)


STUDENT 3 (ALGEBRA 1 - "A" STUDENT)
1. I feel the time in class is very helpful because I like working with other people. It's great when we have to chance to take the quizzes during class and having them graded instantly. The teacher can go over what we did wrong and have us retake it the next day. Whenever I leave class, my friends and I always talk about what we did in math. 

2. I like working by myself because I feel focused. Sometimes, I like doing activities that are applied with math(problem solving games). For example, in chapter 8a when we did the little review during class with the index cards. It helped me know that I know the concept well and I know how to solve the problem. I like it when we have to sides. One side gets it, and the other side doesn't. I like working with the people that know it because I work faster and get the work done. While the people that struggle ask me for help, I get slowed down and it takes longer for me to get it done. The people who are struggling can get help from the teacher. 

3. I enjoy doing the problem solving game because it is fun, but also educational.


STUDENT 4 (MATH ANALYSIS - "B" STUDENT)
1. Yes, because I can work with my partner while doing my PQ's and I get to take and retake quizzes in class. Yes, because I get my unanswered questions actually answered by the teacher or my classmates. 

2.I like the flipped classroom but whole-class reviews and activities would be great! I think we should do both not just one or the other because they are both a big help. 

3. I like the flipped classroom I just feel like sometimes we over do it but this way of learning is helping me :)


STUDENT 5 (ALGEBRA 1 - "C" STUDENT)
1. Yes i feel like class time is productive, because when you let us work alone i think you get more done because less is distracting you. 

2. Personally, i would rather not play those games because they're helpful but i would rather work by myself, I just feel like i can get more done that way and ask you questions. 

3. I think that class time works smoothly as it is.


STUDENT 6 (ALGEBRA 1 - low "F" STUDENT)  (grammar and spelling left identical to how it was received)
1) I doo think class is productive and sometimes hard bcuss the things are hard an i would like you if you would review more in class..

2)i think it would be better if you doo a whole class review insted of indepneted doing work it would  bet better for all of us.

3) i really dont have none i like it the way it iss.


STUDENT 7 (MATH ANALYSIS - "A-" STUDENT)
1. I do feel as if class time is beneficial but only if the student has taken the initiative to learn and review the concept before entering class. If they haven't done so, there are plenty of opportunities for them to catch up and be up to date with the rest of the class whether they like it or not.

2. I'd rather be independent and work on problems, quizzes, etc. If students complain that they are a bit lonely and wish to work with someone....that's what their study buddy is for right?

3. I have no complaints as to how you are running the classroom at the moment. It is fine as it is and its success-fulness is proved in statistics if nothing else.


STUDENT 8 (MATH ANALYSIS - "A-" STUDENT)
1. I feel like class time is productive, beneficial, and useful if used correctly. If I am able to take a quiz and fully understand the concept(s) by the end of class, it was worth it. 

2. No, I actually dislike the activities. It doesn't help me since I focus and understand better through independently working. Games and ect prove too distracting and the concept doesn't stick. I would learn best if it stayed the same. Games should be optional for those who want to participate. 

3. I couldn't think much besides what you are already doing. Maybe review or emergency concept lessons for tricky concepts.


STUDENT 9 (ALGEBRA 1 "C-/D" STUDENT)
1. yes, I think it is beneficial during class time. I feel that I am learning and better understanding the classwork. Yes, I feel like it is worth it to be in class. If I was absent I would not understand the work. 


2. I would prefer whole class review because we go over the problems before the test. 


3. I would like to see more students share the WSQV summarys and questions.


STUDENT 10 (MATH ANALYSIS "A-B" STUDENT)
1. I feel class time is productive, beneficial, and useful for our learning because instead of everyone having to work on one certain assignment, we are able to use the time for the assignment where we need more help on. It allows us to get the extra help without having to come after school or something. Yes I feel like it was worth it, because when I'm in class I do the work that I had trouble on so that I can ask the people around me or the teacher for help when I get stuck and I actually end up learning and understanding what I didn't understand before.


STUDENT 11 (ALGEBRA 1 "C-D" STUDENT)

1. Yes, i do feel that class time is productive and useful to my learning. I think class time is great because instead of wasting time, we all have the chance to take quizzes whenever we want and we can work on homework. By the end of class I honestly do feel like I learned something new, especially since I can get help from the other students if I don't understand something. 

2.. No, I do not think we should do other activities in class because it would be a waste of time when we can be learning new things in class. It is a better idea if we stick with doing work on our own during class because it gives us the advantage of having less homework. When we play games and other activities, many people in the class don't even participate and do not pay attention. So it is a better idea just to keep working on our own and with the other people around us during class time. 

3. The suggestions I have for us to use our class time for is go over the summary and discuss the concept if some people still do not understand even after they watched the video. Other than that, we should just keep using our time to do classwork, take quizzes, and if we get done early, start on the homework.

How do you make your flipped classroom time beneficial for your students? What has worked? What hasn't? What do you want to try?

Reflections on Week 5 (Freedom...a good or bad thing?)

http://pixabay.com/p-372016/?no_redirect

Week 5 of the Spring Semester had me trying out some new things in my flipped class; more specifically, giving the students more FREEDOM to self-monitor and self-evaluate.  It was scary, but I think it was good.  We will see...

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! 

Math Analysis

If you haven't read my "Conversations and Observations - Every Single Student" post from Tuesday, check it out.  I love the way that using a Flipped Classroom pretty much requires that all students stay involved and engaged in their learning at all times.  I think it is easy for students in a traditional classroom to take a backseat role and be very passive.  Not that there aren't passive students in a flipped classroom... I just feel like it is much easier to spot and easier to re-focus the student on the task because it is more individualized and not in front of the whole class.  In addition, I have really seen the way that the Flipped Classroom can help to differentiate instruction for a variety of learners .  That is another task that I have always had trouble with in the past, and I feel so much better about the quality of education and support that all students and all learners are receiving.

Students did AMAZING on the Unit N Test.  I will be finishing my data this weekend; it is post here.

I notice that I still have several groups of students in my Math Analysis classes:

1. The kids who are doing really well, get their work done, and keep moving forward to the next lesson/concept.

-I feel these students are fully taking advantage of the Flipped Classroom and it is so exciting to see them working hard and striving to be their best.  I am also able to have these students work as peer tutors and help their classmates if they are done with the work they want to complete that day.  It's like having a second me to help in class!

2. The kids who are doing really well, get their work done, and then just feel like sitting there doing nothing (and in my opinion, distracting the students who are still trying to work)

-While I'm glad the students are doing well and getting their daily work done, it does frustrate me that they are okay with "getting their work done so they can be lazy".  They could easily work ahead and never have anything to do at home because they could get it all done in class, but they choose not to.  At some points, I have to ignore it.  However, this week I had three guys who I had to keep after class and talk with because they started to be a huge distraction to the other students.  That was Thursday, and today (Friday), they did much better of continuing to work the whole period.  I hope this continues.

3. The kids who are working really hard to understand the material and work the whole period, asking questions when needed.

These are the students I feel the Flipped Classroom helps the most.  These are the ones who normally got lost in a normal lecture because the pace was too fast or they needed more examples to understand.

4.  The kids who are struggling but don't really get it, and will only ask for help if you ask them directly if they need it.

I check in with these students often, and I hope that as we continue this semester, they grow more confident in asking for help themselves, taking full charge and responsibility for their learning.

5.  The kids who are greatly struggling, won't ask for help, and will say they are fine when you ask them if they need help.

I really don't know what to do with these kids.  I hope they come around by the end of the year...

Update on "Self-Monitoring"

I really like the way I am running my class where students take the quizzes when they are ready and have to monitor their own progress.  First, it helps me because it saves me a lot of time grading quizzes that they would often fail (when I gave it to them as a whole class).  Second, it helps them because they can spend their time wisely learning and only take the quiz when they actually understand the material. 

A few issues I noticed this last week that cause me concern.

1. Some students kept putting off the quizzes and then take them all in one day right before the Unit Test.  I can remind them every day to be taking the quizzes, but I am truly leaving this in their hands.  It's unfortunate that some of them chose to do this, because they can only take each quiz once per day.  If they wait until the last day and fail it, they cannot take it again before the test (My policy is that all quizzes are taken before the Unit Test, and right now the Unit Test is on one set day.  However, the Unit Test is about 3-5 school days AFTER we finish learning the content, so there really isn't any reason for them to wait until the last day to take the quizzes because by that point we are already 3 days into our new unit!)

2. Some students never actually got around to taking all the quizzes for the concepts covered on the Unit Test. Same comments as #1. Don't know why this happens, and since I am really trying to put the responsibility in their hands, I can only remind them, I can't force them...

3. Some students wanting to take the quiz right away, before even trying a few practice problems on their own.  I am concerned about this for several reasons.  One, I think there is value in a certain amount of practice (not repetitive, busy work though).  Two, I think the students are somewhat taking advantage of the "waiver" and just trying to get out of any homework.

Ideas & Thoughts for continuing on:

1. Should I require a certain amount of Practice be done before the "waiver" can be taken even if the students feel they get it?  This could be as simple as one problem they have to complete correctly on their own before taking the quiz.  Today, I did that for Unit O Concepts 7-8 - I put 3 specific problems everyone had to complete.  Then, there was the rest of the assignment for those who needed practice, but those who "got it" could take the quiz.

Variations on the WSQ (see previous posts here)

I worked on modifying the "Summary" portion of the WSQ this week in Math Analysis due to some student feedback on a survey I had them take (I will be posting several times later this weekend with the results of the survey).   I think the students need a little variety in writing their summary, because writing a full summary/paragraph every night can get kind of old, let's be honest.  And, it is very easy for the students to totally miss the point when they have to come up with their own summary from scratch.  While I think under certain circumstances this is very important, I also think it is important to teach and guide the students in organizing information.

So, I've decided to incorporate a "Guided Summary" option into the WSQ. What that means is that I provide the students with a list (3-5) of guiding questions that must be answered in their summary.  I have emphasized that the answers to each of their questions should be detailed, specific, and several sentences long.   The purpose of any type of "summary" is to help the students (1) process and make sense of the information in the video; (2) make them "think", "speak", and "write" like a mathematician; and (3) be held accountable for watching the videos.

Several benefits I can see from this:

1. Gives students a starting point as well as guides them to focus on the important parts of the video. 

2. Guarantees that their summaries focus on what I want them to focus on and not the "meaningless crap" that I read in a lot of summaries.

3. Teaches students by modeling what "HOT" questions look and sound like, since I try to have most of my questions be "HOT".

4.  Gives us a common point of discussion when we come back to class.

I will be testing this out all next week, and then decide whether to use it full time, go back to summaries full time, or to switch between the two for the rest of the year.

Here are the sample questions I've provided for this next week:

Friday homework - 

1. When reading the word problems, what it is important to take note of? What are two ways you can deal with this specific example? (Concept 9 Example 4)

2. Write a basic right triangle word problem that uses the Pythagorean Theorem.  You will eventually use this for your WPP.

3. What are the similarities and differences between angles of elevation and angles of depression?

4. What are the two ways you can convert angles that are in degrees/minutes into a decimal degree (hint: by hand and by calculator – be specific)

Monday homework - (Part 1 required; Part 2 available)

1. Describe in your own words how the Law of Sines is derived.  You may draw a picture to help explain.

2. The Law of Sines can be used whenever you have AAS or ASA.  When have you seen these before and what did they mean? (think 

Geometry!)

3. Why is it important to circle your “pairs”?  What does doing that enable you to do?

4. Rate yourself on Problem #1 (1=I had to watch you do it all the way through; 2=I had to watch you intermittently throughout the video; 3=I had to watch you at the beginning and then I finished it; 4=I did it all by myself and fast forwarded to your answer)

Tuesday homework - (Parts 1,2,3 required; 9 more extra examples available)

1. What are the two “walls” you can hit when solving SSA triangles, and why are they “walls”?

2. Describe what Mrs. Kirch meant by the “bridge” between the answers.  Why is it a “bridge” and how do you get both values for the 

“bridge”? (Think Quadrant I/II and sine)

3. List out the three most important things you need to remember when solving SSA triangles (this is a personal question; think about YOU)

4. Describe how you would know it was a “No Possible Triangle” example without doing ANY work?

Wednesday homework - (Parts 1,2 required, parts 3,4 available)

1. When given SSS, which angle do you have to find first and WHY?

2. Describe the process of plugging the Law of Cosines in your calculator when looking for an ANGLE.

3. Describe the process of plugging the Law of Cosines in your calculator when looking for a SIDE.

4. When can you start using the Law of Sines with an SSS or SAS triangle? (part 2)

Student comments on this week from Math Analysis

Question: "What was your favorite part of the Flipped Classroom this week?"

-I think my favorite part of Flipped Classroom is being able to take quizzes on my own time because sometimes, when taking quizzes with the class, there are some I know I will fail anyways so it is just a waste of time. This way, I can take it when I am ready. Also, if I pass, I don't have to do homework (which is the case all week :D). 

-I enjoyed the questions instead of the summary part that we did. 

Question: "Do you feel like you are becoming a more responsible student because of the Flipped Classroom?  Why or why not? 

-I think I am becoming a more responsible student because I am forced to do everything on my own time so I learn to get things done.

-I feel that I am, because now I am responsible for whether or not i take the test. The decision is my choice and therefore i get to decide the grade that i want
-I do feel that I have become a more responsible student because of the flipped classroom. I learn the concepts required, but I also learn the important skill of time management. If I have 54 minutes to talk about WSQs with my group, answer the "HOT" questions, do homework, and take four quizzes, I have to set priorities for myself to get everything efficiently done. This really is my favorite part about flipped classrooms because I have some freedom to make these decisions for myself.

Algebra 1

On Monday, I opened up the door for some more student self-evaluation and progress monitoring.  I was a little nervous (read about my thoughts from Monday here), but I think it has been going pretty well.  

Basically, every day I went over the student's "Task List" and what they needed to focus on for the day.  Our phrase for the week was, "Are you using or abusing your time?"  Whenever I caught a student off task, I would ask them, "Are you using or abusing?" and they would immediately get back on task.  I think they really enjoyed the freedom, and to be honest, it kept me a lot happier this week, too.  Instead of walking around pretty much harping on the kids all period to stay on task, I was up front helping the students who were progressing and staying  on track by grading their quizzes immediately and giving them feedback/help, checking their homework and WSQ's, and providing clarification for students who needed/wanted help.  I will admit I know there were students who didn't get much done in class.  They didn't have me sign off any assignments all week, they didn't take any quizzes, etc.  However, those students wouldn't really be doing much even if I was harping on them the whole period.  I was able to stay focused on the positive and the growth I was seeing with the students working hard.

Overall, the students really seemed to enjoy the freedom that I gave them.  They felt that they did make good use of their time and they enjoyed being able to get the work done at their own pace and take the quizzes when they were ready.  It's only been three days and the "system" is already in place as far as how they take quizzes, get things checked, get help, etc.  I am glad they have seemed to pick it up so quickly because it makes the adjustment period run much more smoothly.

I like what this enables me to do to challenge my higher-level students.  I had one student watch the video and take the quiz that wasn't even due until FRIDAY on Wednesday.  

Our test on factoring next week will be very eye-opening to see if this is a work in progress or a total bust.  I hope I see good results, but this was truly a leap into the unknown and it may be catastrophic.  We will see, and I will blog :).

I still have concerns about how to teach my Algebra 1 students to watch a video to actually learn the material and not just copy the notes.  I honestly think only 20% of my students really know how to do this, but how do I teach them this skill??? I talk often about pausing and rewinding (and even fast forwarding after trying a problem on their own that I work out for them), but how do you teach them to learn material on their own and actually pause it long enough to think about it and actually understand it rather than just copying the notes down.  I really think this is the root of many of my students' problems - they don't get the quality lesson I plan for them because they aren't willing to take the time to process and think about it.  They don't know how to tough it out and really learn something if it isn't easy.

My goals for my Algebra 1 students is that they learn that practice and homework is for THEIR OWN GOOD.  Their goal is to practice enough so they "get it", then test out and make sure they get it by taking the quiz (which they can retake if they don't pass), all to be ready for the big chapter test.  I think that even after just a few days, this is becoming clear to several of my students and I hope I continue to see progress.  

However, I still have a lot of students who don't get it AT ALL.   They continue to write crap down for their homework - meaning, they will write the problem down, show some work that makes no sense, and then copy the answer from the answer key down.  They hope I won't notice when I check homework.  The sad thing is, they are supposed to be working on most of these problems in class where they have the help of anyone around them and... me!  But they would rather waste their time and write crap down than actually try.  They don't get it that doing that is not helping them at all!  It is not about getting the work done, it is about actually learning and understanding what they are doing.  All I want is for them to try, and if there is a problem they don't get, to make a note of it and ask either right then or when they get a chance if I am busy.  Then, they get help on it and learn how to do it RIGHT.  I hope my students come around eventually...time will tell.

Student comments on this week from Algebra 1

Question 1 How has the "freedom" you have been given in class to work on what you need to affected you? Has it helped you? Hurt you? Were you able to stay on task? Did you get most of your classwork done in class? Did you get to take your quizzes?

Question 2  How has the ability to take your quizzes when you are ready with the ability to "waive" assignments affected you?

-It has made me more independent and has help me mature. It has helped me learn how to focus on my work better and I would do all or most of my work and was still able to take quizzes. It has helped me get better scores cause I'm ready for the quizzes more and not have your schedule choose when I have to and totally fail. I have also been able to use the waiver; it's better cause I don't need to waste my time doing extra problems when I already understand the concept.

-The freedom that I have been given in class was good because it helped me in several ways. I was on task the whole time and doing my work. I got my classwork done so I can do other things rather than do my work at home because it would have taken me a long time just to finish it. It was great to take quizzes in class because I got to work at my own speed. I didn't have to wait and have the whole class take it on the same day. That takes up a lot of time when the whole class is taking the same quiz before. I liked the ability to waive the assignment because I know that I am ready. I know that I do understand the concept and not have to do the homework. It is a great way to get students motivated to get an 8 on their quiz because they wouldn't have to do all the extra work!

-The freedom in class I think was a pretty good idea; I think it was good I stayed on task and not only got my classwork done but I also got to work on some of my homework.  I think it's a good idea to get our classwork waived off if we get an 8 on a quiz.  I did get to do all my quizzes and got minor mistakes wrong.  I think taking the quizzes when I'm ready is a lot better because before I wasn't ready so I got poor grades but now I get high grades on them.  I think it's very smart that we can waive our classwork if we get an 8 on a quiz :).

Sharing and Collaboration

Still working on getting all the data collected from my Flipping Teachers Survey... It's been a crazy week and haven't had time to look through it all and decide how I am going to share it all. I will get it done soon :)  If you still haven't filled out your info, please do so!  It is still open.

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!

On MONDAY, MARCH 5TH, there will be the first ever "Flip Class Chat" live on twitter.  Check out this info post and join in!

Other Thoughts

I had my students fill out a survey asking TEN big questions about the Flipped Classroom and how they were feeling about it.  I will be doing ten different posts over this weekend and next week with the answers to those questions and student comments.

After reading through their responses, there were 7 main concerns that were brought up by students multiple times.  I shared them with all my classes on Wednesday.
Here they are, along with my responses to them that I presented to each class: 
1. Students desired whole-class review at the beginning of each lesson. 
A: I think this usually ruins the most positive & productive aspects of the flipped classroom.  While there are definitely times to go over stuff as a whole class in the classroom, I would much prefer to do this in small groups with the students who need it, similar to the review lesson I did on Thursday for the students who needed it. I also think that students would begin to depend on this and not actually watch the videos to make meaning on their own before class. 
2. Students request that more examples be done on each video
A: More examples = longer videos.  See Question #4 and you'll see the contradictory messages students wrote in their surveys.  They wanted more examples but they want the videos to be shorter.  I try to keep my videos between 8-15 minutes (generally between 10-12 minutes) and try to provide a few of each type of examples.  I then do a Part 2 or even Part 3 video that covers more examples for students who need them.  This, of course, makes them take initiative in watching a second, optional video.
3. Students requested that "step-back" forms be brought back
A: This is a process I used last semester for students who missed so many homework assignments to basically "earn" the punishment back a step on the progression our school uses.  Basically, they want a way to get out of doing even the minimal amount of homework I require of them.  They only receive a "homework card" (schoolwide disciplinary process for missing assignments) for every TWO assignments/videos/WSQ's etc that they don't complete each week.  I am already cutting them way too much slack.
4. Students requested that the videos be shorter.
A: See #2 above. Students complain they spend too much time on homework.  However, since September I told them to plan on 30 minutes a night for my class for homework.  During the first semester, hardly any of them actually spent that amount of time.  With videos, they are forced to spend a certain amount of time.  A 10 minute video is usually a 20 minute time frame, then 10 minutes for reflecting and processing via the summary.  I don't see that as being too much.  They are just used to being lazy.
5. Students requested a "Processing activity" other than a summary every night
A: I talked about this above and how I am trying out a "Guided Summary" option where I provide them with questions to answer instead of just coming up with a summary on their own.  I did like the way it guided our discussion in class on Thursday for Math Analysis, and I hope to try it with Algebra 1 this next week.  I really hope this helps them make more sense of the important parts of the lesson.
6. Students requested that the pace of the videos be slowed down
A:  I teach my videos at the pace of the average to high learner. I  think it is much easier slow me down than to speed me up.  I don't want my fast learners to be bored and not want to watch the videos because I teach too slow. I would rather teach at their pace and allow the slower learners to pause me and rewind me as much as possible.
7. Students request more jokes or no jokes at all.
A: It is funny the two sides I have to this - students are so passionate!  I like to include facts from weirdfacts.com in my videos to incorporate some humor.  Some students love them and want more.  Some students hate them and want me to get right to the math.  I was so surprised from this survey the passion that some students have on both sides of the fence!  I try to balance it and do "jokes" every other video or so to keep it fresh. Too funny that this was actually a big issue on the survey...

THINGS I'VE HEARD THIS WEEK THAT I LOVE: 

I've heard way too much stuff this week due to the student survey I sent out, I'm going to leave this out this week until I do my Survey Posts later this weekend with a ton of student comments.  I'll link here when they are done.

CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES OF MY FLIPPED CLASSROOM THAT I WANT TO KEEP (running list each week):

1. Students MUST ALWAYS have a written answer to the question part of their WSQ.  This can be written by them individually or answered with the help of a group member or myself.  The questions must require more than just a Yes or No answer.   This ensures that their question does get answered, and it forces students to practice using academic language in writing.

2. Every so often, just pick a place in the classroom next to a group and sit on my stool for a while, helping if needed, but listening in and guiding the group along. This includes sitting down to work with them if they have problems, but also sitting down and just questioning them, probing them, and getting them to think, speak, and make connections.  It's awesome the conversations you can have in a flipped class if you really pursue them and try to stretch your students' minds past the procedural.

3. In the videos, always have at least an example or two that students need to work out on their own.  Two ways to do this - #1 - in the middle of the video, tell them to pause it and try it on their own.  Then they can follow along with me once they get stuck, and then pause me again and try from there. #2 - at the end of the video, assign 1-2 problems for the students to complete on their own before class.  Work out these problems in a "part 2" of the video for students to reference if they still get stuck. 

4. Every so often, make the classwork due at the end of class to keep students on their toes and to keep them on task during class.

5. Students can receive a "Waiver" for assignments once they have shown mastery on a quiz- They are just going to be waived from the practice quizzes, but they still need to watch future videos.  There is information presented in the videos that they need to hear, even if they don't need to do all the extra practice.

CHANGES I'VE MADE THIS WEEK THAT I LIKE: 

1. More independence and freedom (but still very structure and guided) for my Algebra 1 kids.

2. Letting the students pick their own groups and who they work with in class.  I think I want them in their set groups for the WSQ discussions, but then let them know they are free to work with whoever they want.

3. Options for the summary other than a paragraph

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.

Thoughts, comments, ideas, your own experiences? Please share!!!
All Reflections from This Year can be Found Here.