Student Feedback on Flipped Class: Week 3

This week I sent out my first "Reflection & Evaluation" survey to my students.  

I offer them 5 points extra credit (which is basically nothing) to complete it, and it just lets me know how things are going.  As of now (Sat night), I have 13 responses (3 from Algebra 1 and 10 from Math Analysis).  I'll update this post as more come in before I close the survey on Sunday night.

QUESTION 1. Every day we have "WSQ chats" in your group.  What is the BEST/most helpful part of the chats for you and what suggestions do you have to make them better?

• The best part of the WSQ chat is summarizing the material without looking at your notes and then referring back to notes when needed. The most helpful part is a chance for clarification for any questions on the material learned the previous night. To make WSQ chats better I would suggest an extra practice problem to do that would challenge each group to think critically about the math concept learned.
• The best and most helpful parts of the WSQ chats is that we get to go over the lesson and we get to see what we all learned.
• That if people know what they're doing in the concept they can tell people in the group that dont know and help them out.
• The most helpful part of the chats is when we think about the questions and answer it together. It shows that we understand the concept. I think we should have more time to work on the PQ and the Quizzes in class. 
• The most helpful part is that we are able to discuss similar confusion of the material. Its great to receive help from our group because we are all learning together so one of us might understand it better and help the rest. I think the chats are already great but maybe they could be better by discussing with different people from other groups.
• When we ask questions and when we fix each others mistakes. To focus better.
• The most helpful part are the Hot questions. When i have a question I know that one of my group members will be able to answer it, like K___. I think everything is fine, no need to make it better.
• The best/most helpful parts are if you don't understand something from last night I know I can ask you the next day.
• The best part of the chats is verbalizing what you know to ensure you know it well. 
• I don't have any suggestions for the WSQ chats but I assume they will get better as we get to more difficult topics and feel the need to verbalize the topics for our own understanding.
• The best part of the WSQ chats is that we can see how the students in our group solve each problem in their individual way. It also helps because if I don't get a problem or am confused on a concept my group takes the time to explain the problem to me step by step. 
• The best and the most helpful part of the chats is that we get an opportunity to discuss with our classmates nay questions we have. I like the fact that we have our classmates to help each other out and when I have a problem, the chat is a way to better understand what I was confused about. 
• I feel it is helpful in that we are able to discuss our struggles with the concept at hand and receive outside input on how to do a certain problem or answer a certain question. Possibly, we can conduct our "WSQ chats" in a different manner from time to time to prevent them from becoming trite and commonplace.
• The best thing about having these chats with out group is that we actually correct each other and come up with ways that will help us to remember how to do things when we take quizzes or the test. It is also very helpful because we help each other a lot and are able to explain problems with in our group which does help a lot. 
• The best part of the WSQ chats is that your classmates can help you answer your questions or confusions. Also, you feel more comfortable asking your classmates question than asking your teacher and you have more fun. 
• I think the most helpful part is that if you didn't understand a concept your group can help you understand it better. I like it when I get my questions answered that I really don't get it so it helps my overall understanding of the lesson. 
• For me its fun finding out our mistakes. 
• Best part would be the Hot Questions, because when your peers answer your question I feel I understand it better through common explanation. 
• Answering our HOT questions
• Doing the problems with in the group.
• The most helpful part of the WSQ chats is the clarification i get get on a certain topic from my team members. Also, when i am behind a little bit on certain work, they let me know what i am to do to stay on top of things. My suggestions to make it better would be having time to work on the PQS together as a group. 
• The most helpful parts of the WSQ chat is being able to discuss the concept with my classmates. I feel it doesn't need to be changed it is good as is.

QUESTION 2. How are you feeling about math class in general?  Do you feel like it is a positive environment?  Do you feel like you WANT to learn?  Do you feel like you CAN learn?  Please tell me how you are feeling.

• Overall, I do not love the flipped classroom, but I do like that Mrs. Kirch is able to go around and help us as much as she can. The classroom is definitely a positive environment to be in and motivates me to keep working. I feel like I CAN learn because everyone around me manages to stay on task since we are all busy working on different things.  My only problem with the flipped classroom is that I feel homework (watching videos at home) takes up a lot of my time even though the videos are not very lengthy. I feel like doing lectures in an environment at home is not the best place for everyone.
• Math has always been hard for me to learn, but this year I feel like as if I could take my time and learn the things I don't understand. The class room always has a positive environment. And I do feel like as if I want to learn and I know I can learn because this new way of doing math is much easier than what I used to do before.
• I love MATH so it is a positive environment to me. Of course, I feel like I want to learn and there are many new things in Math Analysis. I will try my best to get use to the "flipped classroom" and do my best. Math is a very interesting and mysterious.
• I have a different feeling in math class compared to the two previous years and feel like i have to put in even more effort. I feel it is a very positive environment because even though we are learning at our own pace, in the classroom we get help from classmates and Mrs. Kirch.   I feel like i want to learn and understand math analysis and i feel i will be able to do it. The flipped classroom is still new to me and at times i think it is a little stressful but i honestly feel that by doing the WSQ and discussion chats, the material is easier to understand and that makes me feel confident in doing well.
• I feel positive about this year because I have all the resources that I need. And I can get help at lunch before school and afterschool.;) it's a positive enviroment
• The math class in general is filled with energy, I'm still adapting to my environment. I do feel that I do want to learn more, and the videos really do help me ALOT.
• I like the flipped classroom it's really cool. I've never been in a class like that and it's very helpful because you can pause and forward if you get stuck. And if you don't understand, then I know I can email you, text you or call you. 
• As of now, I feel pretty good about it. Thus far my class is focused and we finish what we need to get done. Again, as the concepts get harder we will see how learning by video goes.
• The environment of the math class is positive; I also feel that it is helpful because of the many  resources I have to ask for help.  
• I feel pretty good about math class in general. I feel like it is a positive and helpful environment. I feel like a want to learn and also help others learn. I feel that I can learn and have other classmates to learn from as well. So far I am enjoying my math class. 
• I'm feeling confident in my ability to learn and succeed in math this year. I feel like there is a good learning environment created for me and it is up to me to effectively utilize it.
• I like math and enjoy being in this math class. I do feel like i am in a positive environment because there are people around us to help us if we have a question and Mrs. Kirch is almost always available. I do feel like the flipped classroom does help me learn a little more because we are able to focus ourselves to the video at home as if it were one on one tutoring without the distractions in a classroom. 
• I LOVE my math class. It is a positive environment that make me want to learn and also do to  my best on every single assignment because I feel like the class is very competitive. 
• I like how we discuss the concept in class and work on PQ problems, however I feel that there is so much going on because you have quizzes, PQ problems, WSQs, WPPs, etc. Yes, I feel like it's a positive environment and that everyone is trying to help you at the best of their ability. I want to learn and can learn because I am focused in doing all that's required. I feel positive about everything despite the workload.
• I am feeling pretty confident this year.  Yes,this is a very positive environment,  yes,me and my peers can learn.  I am loving this class.  
• I feel like I have many resources and Mrs.Kirch is very flexible, which is always appreciated. 
• Math class is a positive environment and a little chaotic sometimes, I do feel like i can and want to learn in the class.
• I am feel great, thanks for asking. I feel like I'm going to do good this year in your class.
• I feel a little concern because i am afraid i will get behind on work at home. The environment is gentle, a little stressful at times. I honestly do feel like i want to learn, yet sometimes i feel like i don't learn as much as want to. overall, i spend as much time as i can to stay consistent with the work, and my main concern is completing the work at home. 
• So far math class has been okay. The work isn't very difficult, but having so many different assignments to turn in get me very confused. I feel though that I can still learn math, and adjust to the changes.

Other quotes:

• I'm faster when the teacher just shows me and i do 20 some questions...
• From me: And as soon as I read this, I thought... "And this is why I do the flipped classroom.  Because it's not about getting a bunch of problems done and memorizing rote facts and processes... it's about deeper learning and understanding!"
• I really admire how Mrs. Kirch always has a smile on her face and a silly sense of humor. She keeps the class moving and does not stand up and talk too much.
• From me: And I think I'm standing up and talking too much right now! It's nice to hear this perspective already!
• Although i haven't taken the quizzes yet, i feel they will be helpful in order to prepare us for the unit test. Also, doing the WPP is new to me but  i think it is helpful because we are writing our own problems to show we understand the concept and how to solve the problem correctly by ourselves. 
• From me: Yay for students understanding why I am making them write their own problems!  Woo hoo!
• I think the whole processs of a flipped classroom is really helpful in learning and I love the fact that we have WSQ chats. 
• From me: I love that students are loving the WSQ chats!
• I think its kind of too much, as in websites and like WPPs kinda too much on our plate to be having to also keep up with these. 
• From me:  They'll get used to it. :) I have a lot of patience and flexibility with them as they are learning.
• i like your class.
• From me: Yay :)

Student-Driven Inquiry in Math Analysis

I have a lot to blog about later this weekend about the progress in Algebra 1, but I just had to share what happened in my Math Analysis class this afternoon.

Last night, they watched a video on "Finding Zeroes of Polynomials Using Factoring".  They were introduced to the concept of multiplicity but told nothing about it.  One of their WSQ questions asked them: "Explain what multiplicity is, from what you know.  Then, explain what you think it might mean graphically." Most of the kids had no idea and really couldn't conceptualize anything about what it might mean.

Then there was one group. Group B, period 6 :) (great way to end a Friday).  I chatted with them during their WSQ chat. I asked them some follow-up questions.  Then I left and went to another group.

They started sharing ideas, trying to figure out what multiplicity would mean on a graph.  They were so intrigued, and almost frustrated that they couldn't figure it out.  So, they decided (self-directed) to look at the equations they had factored and found zeroes for the night before, and they plugged a few of them into their graphing calculator and looked at what was happening.  Some lightbulbs came on as they noticed some weird things on the graph.

I think they'll be excited when they watch the next video and see what multiplicity really means and that they actually discovered it on their own :)

I'm coming to find that my WSQ chats are actually a great place for students to ask those questions, to probe deeper, to make connections, and even ask them about things that are coming up (not letting them know we will learn them later) just to find out what they think about them right now.

It was a good day :)


In fact, it's been a pretty good week!  We covered Unit E Concepts 2-6 this week Tues-Fri and I am actually very surprised by a few things:

1. Students are on task and working; I don't feel the need to monitor the seating chart - and it's only week 3 of school!
2. Students take charge of leading their groups through the discussions (with their 3 roles of ask questions, keep group focused, keep everyone participating).  That has been working really well!
3. I don't find the need to time the WSQ chats because of the "Today's WSQ chat" screen that you can see below.  It keeps the groups focused and on task, with a goal.

Students have already started taking quizzes, and some are choosing to "waive" out of the PQ assignments by passing the quizzes.  I did talk with them today about the value of practicing math, and gave the example of a student from last year who was "too cocky" and didn't do much practice and then got C's on the tests instead of A's - because even though he passed the quizzes, he didn't have enough practice to truly master the material.

Most students are completing the WSQs nightly; it is about 2-3 a class.  If they don't tell me ahead of time, we call home.  If they text (Google Voice is amazing!) or Edmodo me, taking responsibility for themselves, I let them watch it in class no problem.

I did a small group pull-out today for students who needed to review concept 1, and I love being able to actual help students that want help.  We are starting to get into a routine every day, which I think is good.

5 minutes - announcements and reminders
5 minutes - focus for the day
10-15 minutes - Guided WSQ chat
25-30 minutes - work on PQs, Quizzes, Student Problems, WPP's, Student Videos, etc

All of my Math Analysis classes start "on the hour" (noon, 1pm, 2pm), so I think I will make the "half-hour" my small group time each day and say "at 12:30 I'll be doing a small group on ________" and either have me pick (based on what I've seen in the quizzes) or have them tell me what they need.  I think that will be great for me to kind of "schedule" it in so I don't forget.  If they don't need the extra help, they can be working independently.

I've started to give my students more structured items for the WSQ chats and have found I actually don't have to time them.  I hold them accountable by asking for certain things to be actually written on the whiteboards while they are chatting about it so I can walk around and see what is going on and ask more questions.

Math Analysis students engaged in WSQ chats!

A student explaining to another student different ways to factor the polynomials

A group discussing the difference between a zero and a factor (and actually writing it on a whiteboard so I can read it!!)

I asked 3 students how they were feeling about our class so far.  Two of them said they loved it and the other one said she liked it but she felt like she didn't do much in class.  After probing further, she said that the math just is really easy right now so maybe she would have a different perspective once we get to a tougher unit.  She said, "All I do is come in and discuss the math for 15 minutes and then do some practice".  After talking with her, I thought of a few things.
#1. Our students don't realize the importance of discussions, even when they understand the material.  When you can verbalize your learning and explain it to someone else, it takes the learning a step further.
#2. Our students are so used to coming to math class and furiously taking notes the entire period... they leave class feeling like they were busy the whole time. Spending a good 10-15 minutes of class in discussion is not something they are used to and it is a different type of learning.

I'm excited to see how this year continues with Math Analysis since I'm already so happy with how the classes are going.  I love being able to probe and challenge... and I will say that some of my kids are already coming up with awesome questions (argh - reminder! I need to do more with the questions!!!) and great comments to further discussion beyond the questions I ask.  I love it!!!!

#flipclass 2012-2013 Week 2 Reflections: Still setting the stage...

Photo from http://www.sxc.hu/ 

This week concluded my first five-day week of the school year.   I'm still in the process of "setting the stage" for our journey to the "great unknown" of what lies ahead this year.  I'm excited to continue this journey...

Here's a summary, with links to posts from throughout the week:


algebra 1.
We started with more training in video watching for Algebra 1, to the point where students were begging to do it on their own.  They have now watched 3 videos (Concept 4,5, and 6) on their own and are watching their 4th this weekend.  I was quite frustrated the first night they were supposed to watch the video on their own because I had a low turn-out rate for the online WSQs.  However, after a friendly conversation with those students in class I realized most of that was due to misunderstanding of exactly what they were supposed to do online and some other internet issues.  The next day, it was much better.

I'm still not very happy with the use of class time, but I guess it is the beginning of the year and teaching routines is important.  I went over the "WSQ chat" expectations with these two sets of instructions:

The Role of the Group Leader:
1. Ask the questions
2. Make sure the groups stays focused/on task
3. Make sure everyone in the group participates

What do we chat about?
"The S, the Q, and the SQ"
The S: Students are supposed to go through their summary questions in order while looking at their SSS and share answers and ask follow-up questions.
The Q: Students are supposed to go around and ask their questions that they wrote in their notebooks after the video and get a written answer.  If their small group (3 people) doesn't know the answer, they can ask their large group (6 people), and then me.
The SQ: Students tried a few problems on their own (which I call "Secret Questions") and they are supposed to go over them and make sure they got the same right answers.

This week we modeled that twice as a large class and I still don't feel it is ready for group control yet, but at the same time I don't think they are getting that much from the whole class discussion yet because not everyone is involved.  I am holding them accountable by making them write answers and examples on the whiteboards that I can see when I do give them that time to discuss and talk.

I still have MANY students in Algebra 1 who are okay with just doing the work and not checking their answers, saying "Oh yeah, I understand it".  What a huge habit to break!  I see a lot of bad habits and mindsets that my students already seem to have and I hope they are able to be broken easily.

One of the WSQs my students completed included a question saying "Write a letter to an elementary student about why learning your basic math facts is important and how math is used in real life".  You can see some of their responses here.

In other news, our admin team wants the entire Algebra 1 PLC to flip their classes this year, starting in the next month or two.  There are only three of us, but it will be a hard adjustment since the school year has already started.  However, I am excited to share my knowledge and experiences and hope the other teachers come on board quickly.  It should be an interesting ride and presents quite an unexpected twist on how I expected things to go this year.

algebra 1. My plans and goals for this week:
1. Every day will start with a "warm-up sheet" where Mondays (or the first day) they will fill out a multiplication chart.  Each day following they will be given 1-2 short questions to try, most likely from the video the previous night but also some spiral review.  My goal is that this takes 2-3 minutes tops and will also serve as a basis of discussion for the WSQ chats
2. Next, we will jump into WSQ chats.  I still need to structure them pretty highly and will probably segment them into "Let's discuss your summary questions for 2-3 minutes", then "Let's ask the questions we wrote down for 2-3 minutes" and then "Let's go over the secret questions" and actually have them work out the secret questions on the whiteboards.
3. "Task List" of assignments, which right now include mainly practice problems and concept quizzes, but I also threw in a student-created word problem that they put on a poster with a partner (was supposed to be a student-created video, but we aren't ready for that yet).  The math right now is very simple
4. Make parent contact for every student who is not fully approved on our assignment list for getting their WSQs completed and beginning of year paperwork turned in.  Tuesday is their final warning day, and that will mean a phone call and then support cards getting handed out on Wednesday.  I only have 20 of my 75 students who have NOT completed ALL ONLINE WSQs, and out of those, 7 of them are only missing 1.  So, I have about 13 students of concern, unless they get some work done today or tomorrow!

algebra 1. My continued focus for improvement:
1. Student responses to the online WSQ questions. I'd like to do some more critiquing of their writing (in a positive way) and show students what great, good, poor, and bad responses look like and how to improve them.
2. Modeling/Expectations for student engagement in their learning and progress.  This will begin as we start taking quizzes and they are able to monitor their progress and actually see what is going on score-wise and not just in their heads.
3. (Myself) doing a better job of engaging in conversations with students about the math and the learning and less time doing classroom management.  I know this will come with time, but I am anxious for the time when the class runs itself and I'm actually able to do what I want to do - work with the students and ask/answer questions to help and challenge their learning!

math analysis.
In Math Analysis, we are finally jumping in to the "true" flipped classroom and had our first flipped day on Wednesday.  I was overall very impressed by the first day with the discussions and the work.  It will take them a few weeks to get used to the routine and self-pacing of getting the assignments done in class, and we will be introducing the quizzing system to them on Tuesday.  Many students did both the WSQ (video) AND the PQ assignment at home, thinking that's what they had to do...now they are realizing the PQ is generally done in class, and they were happily surprised that they didn't have to do as much work at home - and they didn't even think the amount they had to do was that much! (yessss!!!)

I had a few kinks to work out with my "test when you are ready" idea.  After lots of wonderful comments from my readers, I've put together a "round 2 of ideas" for how to make this work.  We'll see as I continue this journey how this goes!

The summer exam results were not as good as I would have hoped.  It is very evident to me that many students did not watch the videos with a focused attitude of learning and did not take their reflections or PQs seriously.  Well, now they are feeling the consequences for their actions!  I will be doing some remediation tutoring this week with a make-up test day next week for all students below 80%.

This was the first year we did the summer packet and it has been both good and bad.  I am excited about the time it will free up this year since the Algebra 2 content was covered over the summer.  However, some of the students enrolled in Math Analysis have such poor algebra skills that we definitely have a lot of re-teaching to do as we are learning the tougher Pre-Cal work that will be coming.


math analysis. My plans and goals for this week:

1. Begin structured WSQ chats with student accountability by work on the whiteboards, group interviews, etc. Make sure students know they are responsible for bringing their WSQ to the table to share but also to participate in deeper questioning and discussion about the concepts.

2. Continue to build student involvement in and responsibility for their learning through the use of the WSQ chart (assignment chart) and having them work productively for the whole period.

3. Have the students begin to score each other's WPP problems (#3 and #4) that they will be doing on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I still need to go through and do the grading for #1 and 2 and give feedback...I just haven't had the time yet.  

4. Make parent contact for the few students who (a) have not been doing their work/online WSQs and/or (b) are not working up to expectations.  We are just starting in this class so this is referring to students who didn't do so hot on the summer exam and aren't keeping up with their current work as well.

math analysis. My continued focus for improvement:

1. These students really need to learn how to take responsibility for their time management and to take charge of their learning, asking questions when they don't fully understand something.  From the results of the summer packet exam and our discussions in the first few days of school, I think students really do believe they understand stuff when it is clear that they don't.  This process of metacognition and self-evaluation will be a continued focus for me at the beginning of the year.

I am already feeling better about some of this than last year since we started it from day 1.  It's just "this is the way it is in my class" and we aren't having to re-train and have them "experiment" with something new.

This next week I'll be sending home my first "reflection" for students to complete (optional) after we've had a good solid week in the flipped class.  I will be interested to hear their thoughts and feedback. 

Write a letter to an elementary student.

For Chapter 1 Concept 6 (word problems with the basic operations), the WSQ summary question asked my Algebra 1 students (9th-10th graders) to write a letter to an elementary student about why math is important and why we need math to succeed in real life.  I got some interesting responses... some great and thoughtful, others not so much.  But, I thought I would share them here.   If anything, it gives me a little insight into my students' brains and feelings towards math.

I've tried to correct most of the spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc, but not everything!

• dear little kid, you might want to keep on learning your math facts because you are going to hear this a lot but you need math your whole life! you use math for everything, paying, getting money, and how many miles your car gets to the gallon
•  the basic about  math is important because you need math every were u go no matter what.You use math in different ways and almost for anything.Math is so important because you need to add and subtract multiply and divide you get a good job also when you use money you need to learn how to count money.
• The reason that math is important in life is that, you use math everyday in life. Math will help you become a better and a smarter person. Math will help you throughout school and give you an advantage in college.
• Hi kids ima tell you why math is so important in life and a little basic math facts. 1 is math is used in everyday life for example  if you go to the store and you wanna purchase something and its on sale you gotta know how much your really paying. 2 about the basics of math, math is very simple addition,subtraction,division and multiplication. If you can master all those that's a guarantee you'll understand math and why its important in life.
• Math is really important in life math is everything. You need it to count money add subtract bills, even in the things you least expect it'll have math the angles the width the height everything is math even you are.Height body weight everything.
• "Dear Elementary student, Math is really important because you well not know how to count money. When you go to a store or market and there's % off they well not know how much it well cost. Math is important because you need to know  how to count and other things. They can rip you off and you wont even know it."
• Math is important in real life because first off without it you cannot graduate, and secondly because it is in 90% of jobs out there.
• Hey elementary students "MATH" is very important because in life we will always be using numbers no mater what so never give up on math and always pay attention in class!!!!
• it important because everything you learn when you get older has basic math. it has dividing, multiplying etc. the problems are just more complex. and if you learn the basic things you can learn how to do the harder thing little by little.
• "Dear Student, Math is really important. Without math you will be nowhere in life. That why to school is making you take math. You use math in everything. If you want to became a doctor you need math. Math is used everyday you just don't know it. You need math.you must know addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. If you want to be something gig in life you need to learn math and master it that's why math is important in real life.
• dear kids,  Today you will learn 2+2=4 . You may not care now but in life you will need  it for in the future. Like gas,bills,money,food,and other things so learn math for life,                                                                                                     
• No matter where you go, math follows you. You need math for money, buying things, taxes, crazy adult things like that. Basically math will be with you all the time.
• "math is very important in life because you use it ALL the time, i mean ALL the time, when you shop, when you go buy food, you have to count your money? and if you don't know your math so well, sometimes you can get some money stolen from you ! 
• Dear Elementary Student,  You might think right now that learning your math facts is a waste of time and you might not even need it. But, that is NOT true! It actually can make your life easier. It surrounds you thought out your life! For example let's say you want an ice cream and so does your friend, well in order to find out what your total is going to be, so you can have an idea. You have to add the two total cost and boom! There's the math you've been learning that is ""a waste of your time""Sincerely, 9th grader STILL using math "
• "Dear elementary student, Math is important in life because later on in the future you will have to pay bills and in order to pay bills you will have to know some type of math. Also certain type of jobs have to do with math so you would have to know how to do math. Math might be very difficult, but if you keep trying, you will get it and succeed. NEVER GIVE UP ! Always try your best, ask for help, ask questions it helps you learn math for the future.
• "Dear John, Learning your basic math is very  important in life because you need to know math in order to have a good job. It's important to know math when you're older because you may need to count money or some else that has to do with numbers. Math may be boring or lame but it's going to be very important to you when your older. That's why we get learn math cause we are going to need it when we get older.,,,
• Well, I'll start by saying, no matter what your future job might be math is essential. Not just for jobs in everyday life, for example if you need to count your money and take some away for rent or other things, you need the basic skill of subtracting. Maybe as simple as raising the temperature on a stove you need to know how many more degrees you need to add. 
• Math is very important in your life now and in the future. math will help you in your educational skills for school and life. this will help you become more smarter and more advanced in other ways. your skills in math are very important in real life for many reasons. and it may help you to get a good job in life when your all grown up. this is why math is very important in real life for you .
• The basic facts that your going to need in your life is adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, your are ALWAYS going to in those things IN life and in school.. I know you guys are young and think math is 'boring' but it's not. Math is important because you are always going to have to use it like for example, you need it in your job, and in school. Math is a big part in your life , never slack at it.
• "Math is needed in nearly every job from a high school summer job such as a cashier to an architect, math skills are always needed. Any job or employer prefers an employee who knows math well and is skilled at most aspects of math. . Math is the most common subject in life besides English . Math is an everyday tool. Like when you are at the store and you only have $100.00 and you have to see the total amount for the things that you get and if you don't have enough you would have to put some things back and come back and that is kind of why you need to know Math and this is why it is important in life  
• Math is a very important subject in life.As you grow older in life you will have to deal with harder math.I suggest you really pay attention now when your start because when you get older it will be much more complicated as you go into higher grades.Math is in your everyday life.You will have to deal with problems such as adding,subtracting,multiplying and dividing.I honestly think math is hard at some points,but if you really pay attention then it will be a piece of cake.Right now you guys are probably learning how to do your time tables and if you think that is  hard,just wait till you get into junior high and high school you will have to learn new vocab words you will start multiplying by 3 digit numbers! Just prepare yourself kids and pay attention so you wont have to fall behind in class and come in during lunch when you want to be with your friends.Math is important in real life because it will help you with many situations such as if your friends owe you money or when you are paying for something and maybe the cashier gives you the wrong change you can just check your receipt and correct her. Kids Math will be hard be just make the best of it and try your hardest! :D"
• "Dear student, Math is really important in real life because it will always be everywhere you go. For example, when you go to the store with you want to make sure they aren't overcharging you in price. Or maybe they will try to give you the wrong change if you don't know how to do math. Now I'm sure you don't want to loose money so learn math!
• Learning your basic math is very important. Learning your basic math is very important because you need basic math to keep moving forward. And basic math carries on until all the way to high school. And also if you don't learn your basic math you will be falling behind in everything you learn when it comes to math. That's why learning your basic math is important."
• To students who dislike math this is to you! Math is very important in someones life there not one day where math is not around us.Math in the future is very important because that when you will be paying bills,rent gas etc. so you have to now how to balance you money.Math can be tricky at time so its good to learn now than have problems later on.Later on in the future math is gonna be more required om jobs so its good to keep up with the system.

Follow up thoughts on "Take the test when you are ready"

Wow. So many great thoughts, comments, and responses to my previous post on my first experiences with "taking the test when you are ready".  Thank you for sharing!

A few things that are already taking place... they just didn't take place last week for the "Summer Packet Exam" because it was supposed to be all a review and holding students accountable for their summer work.

1. Formative assessment - students will begin taking their concept quizzes for every concept.  They will keep track of these on their quiz packet and their WSQ chart.  The goal is that they have passed all of the quizzes (6 or higher out of 8 points) before they take the exam.  I will be able to see daily how they are doing and where they need help.

2. "Regular" flipped classroom - we will be having group discussions, group "interviews", small group pull-out teaching, actual practice in class, etc.  All of these things I had in place last year that haven't started yet will greatly help in keeping kids accountable and on track.  It will also allow me to assess them daily informally through conversations and checking their progress.

3. WSQ chart by unit being their "ticket to the test".  There are also deadlines on this chart for students to keep up with.  If students aren't meeting the deadlines, they get a warning, which is kept track of on my tracking sheet that also marks their online WSQ completion.  After that warning, they have a set amount of time to get caught up.  On that day, they will either be caught up, be given a "support card" because they haven't made enough progress, or be given one more day if they are almost caught up but not perfect yet.

A few changes I am going to implement immediately as I work through this "new way" of assessing.

1. "Action Plan" for students who are falling behind.  I made a form (which I may edit as the year goes on, but here's what I have for now) for students to fill out if they will not be taking the test on the "testing day in class".  This form will be due 1 or 2 days before that testing day (I'll have to figure that part out) and will require students to have a plan of action as to what they will be doing to prepare themselves.  On the day of the test, they must bring something with them specific that they will be reviewing or studying while their classmates are taking the test.  I will have one or two specific days when the make-up can occur outside of class time.
(I ended up doing this for the summer packet exam.  Students have to come next Tuesday and/or Wednesday to make up the four parts of the exam. No more craziness for me!)

2.  Students must finish the test in one sitting.  They must come prepared and know their stuff.  Now, there may be individual situational exceptions to this, but as a rule of thumb - one sitting, that's it.


Well, that's it for now... we'll see how it continues to go, and I will continue to share :)

Initial thoughts on "Take the test when you're ready..."

Today was the first day of my Math Analysis students' "Summer Packet Exam".  I have already instituted the "test when you are ready" policy, meaning that if a student doesn't feel ready for the test, then I don't want them to take it. However, if they don't take it on "test day", then they have to take it on their OWN time outside of class.  While the rest of the class is taking the test, they are sitting off to the side studying and reviewing.

Today I had a total of 32 students (out of 95) choose to NOT take day 1 of the exam.  Out of those 32, 11 weren't allowed to yet anyways (they hadn't finished the summer work so they weren't approved).  However, that means 21 students chose to say "I'm not ready" and didn't take the exam.

Now, we will see when this "ordeal" is over if the test results make it worth it, but here are a few of my initial concerns:

1. I will have to make many more versions of the test (with answer keys) than years past.  Making the different versions isn't too difficult with the generator I have (Kuta Software), but making the answer keys for certain problems not from the generator (namely graphs with multiple parts, word problems, etc) is time consuming.   I suppose I could have rotating versions, but I would feel much better about having a completely different version every day.

2. Many students didn't communicate with me and showed up to class saying "I'm not going to take the test today." I'm not sure if they heard through the rumor mill that they could, or what.  My issue with this is:
-Students have had 6 class days to review and 6 school days to come in before school, at lunch, or after school to get help on the concepts they were struggling with.  No new content, just review.
-Many students did not ask a lot of questions during the review days even though (obviously) they had stuff they needed to ask about
-Several students really didn't think it was a big deal they weren't prepared and weren't focused during class.  I finally told one group, "If I showed up on the day of a test unprepared and chose not to take it, I would be working my butt off to practice, ask questions, and get ready.  I wouldn't want to fall behind."  I reminded them that they are going to be working double time doing the make-up work and the current work, and that I know what this class entails.. and "trust me, you don't want to fall behind, you will be stressed!"

3. What will I do with those students who just aren't "ever ready"?  Whether that be honestly, truly, they don't feel ready or they are just lazy and don't want to work at it?  I know I chose to this for this school year as a total experiment and really have no idea how it will all turn out, but I am concerned about that.


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On another note, several students did not finish all the problems on the test in the given time.  I make my tests tough, but I truly believe that if a student is well-prepared, they should definitely finish the test.  I make the answer key and multiply that amount of time by 4.  If that is less than 54 minutes, then the students should have plenty of time.

So, for this exam, I allowed them to come back after school, or even tomorrow, to finish the test . However, when they continue to work on the test, they will be doing the remaining problems with "Version 2" instead of version 1.  (I just realized I had students come in after school to take version 2. Does that mean I need to give version 3 tomorrow morning and a version 4 tomorrow during class?!?! argh!)

So, one issue occurred that concerned me:
-Students circled problems they wanted to come back to work on that they actually tried halfway and got stuck on... assuming that what I said meant "It's okay go study and ask your friends, cram the info in, and then come back and finish the test."
I even had a student who left the difference quotient problems blank and was coming up after school to finish and I hear him right outside my door asking a student who is there what the difference quotient is and how to simplify it!

I had a student come after school and stayed for a full hour staring at four problems (all the same type) with no idea how to do them.  These problems were simple function transformations and should have taken him less than a minute apiece.  What do I tell that kid?  Take the low score and come back and retake it when you are ready?  Or, do I just not grade those problems and let him come redo those ones the next day?  Or ....?  I feel like this "test when you are ready" thing is making me re-consider and think through how I've done re-assessments in the past.  (My ultimate goal is that there won't need to be as many re-assessments!!)

I keep thinking in my head that "I just want you to prove it to me that you understand it", but since these kids are so well trained that it's all about the grade and it's all about the points, it's tough.  It's really about the learning, and the deep understanding.  All of these problems will show up again, either scaffolded into later material or just brought back up for review.  If they just cram it in now, they will have to re-learn it later.

Ok, so what's my take-away from Day 1?   I'm very interested to see how the kids that took the exam did.  I'm even more interested to see how these students who "don't feel ready today" do, and how soon they take it... and if they are going to be a problem in terms of internal motivation of getting the stuff completed.

I'm also wondering if I'm going to have to implement some sort of boundaries or guidelines for students who can't handle this type of freedom...

Have you instituted something similar to this?  If so, what has been your experience? What have you learned? What's worked? What hasn't?  What tips or advice would you give?

Idea from a colleague on Edmodo - thank you for the great idea, Mr. Szybisty!: 

Mr. Szybisty - Awesome idea! Here's one idea that could possibly help to answer some of your concerns. Have the students write an "action plan" while the other students take the test. The action plan would help the students reflect. Why am I not ready today? What will I do to get ready? Then, have the students set the date when they will retake it and have you approve it. This would help students to be more insightful, communicate better with you, and take responsibility because they set the test date. Let me know how you solve this problem!

Ms. Dieter - You could also have a certain deadline that they have to have completed the test and require that they give you the action plan before the day of the test. For example, if the test is Friday they have to give you their action plan on Thursday and then bring something to study on Friday while everyone else is taking the test.

First day of Flippin' with Math Analysis and I'm lovin' it!

Tomorrow and Friday students will take their "Summer" exam.  Meanwhile, we started our first "flipping" day with Unit E today.

SO HAPPY!

Positives:
1. Unit E Concept 1 was actually 15 minutes of video - a 6 min clip and a 9 min clip.  But, because students were so used to watching video over the summer in longer spurts (because they did it all at once), most of them felt like this was JUST RIGHT or VERY SHORT!  And - 15 minutes is about the longest it will ever be! LOVED HEARING THAT!

2.  WSQ chats went so well!  Here are my "guidelines"

GROUP LEADER ROLE:
-Ask the questions
-Keep the group focused
-Make sure the whole group participates

WHAT HAPPENS IN A WSQ CHAT?
We S, we Q, and we SQ! (I love acronyms!)
-First, review your summary/summary questions by going through your SSS and looking at the questions on the bottom of your WSQ chart.
-Then, review and answer all the questions that your group members had.  Write the answers down in the spiral notebooks.  Ask me/other classmates as needed.
-Lastly, review the Secret Question(s) that you tried on your own and make sure you got it right and understand it... and if you don't, then figure it out!

3. Students are enjoying writing/creating their own problems. And, they realize it takes thinking. And, they are actually thinking about it! yay!

4. Students were on task 98% of the period, and this was the first day! I was able to make it around to every table and chat with the students and make sure they didn't have any unanswered questions. Yay!

5. I already started signing off their WSQ charts and there is no red or blue for me this year.  It doesn't matter what color it is signed off in. What matters is that it is done and it is done well.  If students are falling behind they will receive a warning with a deadline, a second warning, and then a support card.


Negatives
1. I had between 3-6 kids in each class not submit the WSQ.  Some watched the video but didn't turn it in, some didn't watch the video at all (these are mainly ones who are still behind on summer work).  I had the same "friendly conversation" with them that I did with Algebra 1, but much shorter.

2. umm nothing else :)

Making headway through obstacle #1 (algebra 1)

I was incredibly frustrated last night.  I thought I had been making so much progress with my Algebra 1's and was so excited to have them watch their first video at home and the online WSQ submissions were just pitiful.  You can read my frustrations post here, if interested.

Now, my problems are not all solved, but I feel like today was a really good day.

I started off my Algebra 1 classes by reviewing a couple of things and then divided the class into two groups by calling names off who had completed the WSQ and who hadn't.  In both classes it was about 8-12 completions and about 25 incompletes.  I gave directions to the 8-12 students who did what they were supposed to with a "task list" on the board and told them to move to work with each other and get to work.  The rest of the group went to the side of the classroom.

I started off by telling the students, "Today we are going to have a friendly conversation.  But if I have to have this conversation with you again, it will NOT be a friendly conversation."  

I told them there was no talking, and there was NO talking.  I was actually pretty impressed.

Important thing #1 - Homework is not optional.  If I assign it, I expect it to be done
Important thing #2 - You must communicate with me.  If something happens where you can't complete your homework, you must send me a note or GVoice text and let me know, taking responsibility for yourself.

I explained WHY it is important that they come to class prepared and how the plans I had for today, our "first real flipped class" had to be scrapped because so many of them didn't come prepared.

I mentioned the two important things probably 5 times and had them repeat them back to me.

Then, I moved the whole group (yes, 25 kids!) up front where they could see the WSQ completion chart (yay VLookup, finally just inputted my ID numbers by hand this morning!).  I went through them name by name and had them look at me when I called their name (part of this is learning their names, too!) and I told them everything they were missing.  For some kids, it was as simple as "You have turned in NOTHING all week."

Also, I found out that about 5-7 of the students from each class in this group genuinely misunderstood the homework.  Some of them completed concept 3 WSQ but not concept 4 (they had to do the WSQ for concept 3 from the video we watched in class, watch concept 4, and then do the WSQ for concept 4).  Some of them watched the Concept 4 video but didn't quite get that the WSQ comes right afterwards.

So, I told them that today was their WARNING.  Tomorrow if they do not come to class prepared they will receive a consequence (15 minute detention) and a phone call home (in class either Thurs or Fri, depending on how many students there are).  After this second warning, they will receive their first "support card" (that is what I am calling our homework cards now, because students only get them when they beg for them and are saying "please help me I need support" - aka they aren't doing their work).

As of right now (8:30pm), my Chapter 1 Concept 5 WSQ already has 36 responses (almost 50%).  That's more than all of what was received yesterday, and students will probably still (sadly) be up for another 4 hours on their sleep schedule!

Hoping for a better day tomorrow.  Perfection? Nope, don't want to expect that because I don't want to be frustrated.  But, improvement.

One thing I learned today was that I felt much better about myself and my students still felt positive after having the type of talk I had with them instead of getting mad at them.  In addition, instead of getting mad at the whole class like I did sometimes last year, I pulled the kids that needed to talk aside and let the kids that came prepared get on with their day.  MUCH BETTER way to deal with it!

Week 2 frustrations.

Wide awake and frustrated. My freshmen overall just don't seem to be getting it and I need to figure out what to do.

1. We have gone over directions daily. Read them out loud. Explained what it means when something asks for 3-5 sentences. Broken down a question to analyze what it is asking. And yet I am still, on the fourth online wsq, getting five word answers. It makes me almost not want to do online wsqs because if they did them in their notebook I wouldn't likely get around to reading them and I wouldn't see all this crap!  In all seriousness, I am doing it online because I want to read it. And I know it can only get better. But I am frustrated that it is the fourth one and it still sucks. I like to see improvement.

2. I still have about 20 kids who have submitted nothing all year. But, our school system is still down one week into the school year and I don't have access to their IDs unless I want to look them up one by one, which I don't have time for, so I can do my vlookup that tells me who has turned in what. Sadly, I may it my TA on the annoying task of looking up ID numbers one by one tomorrow. Ugh. I hate assigning tasks simply because I don't want to do them.

3. We are supposed to have our first real flipped classroom day in algebra 1 tomorrow, but I know I am going to only have half the students who watched the video and did the WSQ even though they were all BEGGING me today to be done with "training" and do it on their own. So, I have to decide what I am going to do with those students who didn't watch. I can't have them all call home if there are too many of them. I suppose I could assign detention. I am definitely NOT going to reteach. I definitely WILL have individual talks with them and go over the expectations. I am just frustrated because the lack of responsibility is SO INCREDIBLY APPARENT that it just reminds me what I am fighting against with these younger kids with this new way of teaching and learning. I can't hold their hand and make sure they do it at home. And, when they are used to doing ZERO homework in intermediate school, asking them to do the smallest things seem to be the biggest deal.

4. I spent the weekend making DVDs. I told the students if they needed them they needed to come by after school to pick them up. One girl came by. And she wasn't even the one who asked for them last week. Lack of responsibility again.

5. I don't want to jump right in to homework cards and punishments like detention, but at the same time I don't know what else to do to hold them accountable. I have modeled, I have shown them how, I had them write it in their agendas, I've reminded daily...if they aren't going to do it, I am eventually just going to have to resort to the accountability system our school has in place because these kids are going to fall behind and they need more support.

6. I really wanted to try and have the first parent contact be positive, but at this rate I am going to have to tell a lot of parents that their students are unprepared for class and not doing what they should be. Not exactly the
Best foot to start off on, but I know it needs to be done early so we can nip this in the butt.


7. Ok plans for tomorrow, at
Least in my head. Get students who did watch video started on their practice assignment. Pull students who didn't aside and chat. Get whole class back together and talk about wsqs together and have a whole class wsq chat. Students who didn't watch video will be assigned Thursday after school Detention for 15 minutes and we will Call home at some point on Wed or thurs.
Students will be assigned Concept 5 for hw on we'd nite. Goal is that Thurs in class we can have whole Class wsq chat and then get to work on problems and practice. We will Call home again, but the group Will Be Much Smaller (thinking positive thoughts)

Maybe this Is Too much all At once for my kiddos who are still getting used to high school??

Oh I hope my next post is
More positive ...


PS sorry for all the typos, I am on my iPad!

Day 4: Algebra 1 and Math Analysis

It's Day 4 and here's what I'm seeing:

Algebra 1

• Students getting frustrated that they have to learn at the pace of the class instead of moving on when they get it
• Comment - I'm having individual/small group conversations with them about why we are "training" and how nice it will be when they can learn at their own pace.  And that I still expect them to engage, participate, and be respectful even when they understand the math.
• Students understanding why we are going through this "training" process
• Comment - Besides those outliers mentioned above, most students understand why we are doing what we are doing.
• Students following along, highlighting, and taking good notes from the video.
• Students spacing out and not writing any video notes down, needing to pause and rewind but since we are watching as a class, they can't.

Math Analysis

• Students engaging with each other in discussions much more naturally
• Students asking good questions and then looking to each other to explain the answer before me
• Students creating their own videos and explaining their thought processes (see WPP tabs on kirchstudentwork.blogspot.com for the first few!)

Overall, this in no way feels like the fourth day of school. I'm excited to see how this week turns out :)