Matrix the dog: Lindsey's learning blog

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Is this it?

How do I put the new post under a specific tab?

I still haven't gotten my finalized teaching assignment for this year which makes the task of creating a flipped classroom seem even more impossible. I don't know what I'm flipping!! However, I have pretty much decided that I will definitely flip Algebra 1. I have taught A1 for several years now and I know that if it goes horribly and I need to ditch it I am familiar enough with the content that I can adapt most easily.
This week I am going to work on a general syllabus as well as a parent letter explaining the flipped classroom. I also want to figure out where I'm going to host my videos and practice setting up a class website.
Better get to work!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Starting to Flip

I haven't touched this blog since taking a technology class 2 summers ago. I thought the technology class was cool but I didn't really have the motivation or the knowledge to implement a lot of the material. I hope all of that is about to change. This spring I was looking into ways to connect with my students (and parents) using some of the readily accessible technology that they're already using. I was looking into how to use Twitter to post assignments or even just connect with students outside of class without giving them my phone number when I came across something very interesting. "The Flipped Classroom Model" I read everything I could get my hands on during the last month or so of school and enrolled in a virtual conference (which I have yet to watch) and purchased the recently released book on the topic. I'm not sure that I've ever been so convinced by a method or pedagogy. In summer, flipping your classroom is changing the in class lectures to at home videos and the "homework problems" to class work. The benefit of this is that students who are absent can get the same lesson. Students who are slower can rewind and watch multiple times and students who never do their homework will at least be able to catch some of the content and some of the practice because there is a lot more class time devoted to work time.
I have a couple of strikes against me, however. #1 I just accepted a position at a brand new school. I don't really know what I'm walking into and at this point (1 month before school starts) I don't even have a definite schedule. This is huge.
#2 There is so much information available on this topic that it's almost overwhelming. I'm reading through the book as I mentioned above and it's giving me some practical steps to get started. Just start with whatever you have and record it. So I think that's what I'm going to do.
It has been suggested in a variety of that blogging in order to organize thinking and reflecting is a good idea. So that is why I am starting this back up again. Feel free to read if you want, but this is largely just for me.

Things to figure out:
1. How to record - specifically audio
2. Where and how to get videos to kids - what site? Blog? etc.
3. Tablet for writing on - I was told at the interview that I would receive and ipad and there was a program available to make it like the tablet slate that I am used to. If this is not the case I am prepared to purchase the equipment myself.

I shall limit myself to 3 things to work on. If I do more than that I know my mind will get carried away and I will have many more sleepless nights in my future!

Monday, July 19, 2010

Flickr

I enjoy flickr and have used it occasionally in the past to post pictures for friends and family to see, however, I am actually not sure how I would use it in the classroom. There may be occasions where I would put pictures on to show my kids maybe of my dog, or of some place that we might be talking about. Maybe if we wanted to put together an additional unit like Fibonacci numbers we could get some photos and collect them there.

I might also be able to use it to post a specific problem. If I were to do the problem and then take a picture of it I could make a link to Flickr so that students could see my example.

If I had the time and wanted my kids to simply use the technology for themselves I might have them create their own "slide show" introducing themselves and their families perhaps.

I will be interested to see how other people are thinking about using flickr in the classroom! Maybe some new ideas will come to me.

You Tube Videos

Pros and Cons of using YouTube.

A pro would definitely be the ease of use and the amount of content available on YouTube. If I posted a link to the "quadratic formula song" it is likely that some of my kids would click on some of the related links to the side and perhaps find another video that was more helpful for them. In this way, they would be designing their own learning. If they can take learning into their own hands, that's always a pro!

The cons for me personally is that I have not heard back officially if I will have a projector next year. I did not have one last year and it was ok because I did not have a lot of technology to integrate and if I had something I wanted to show I could borrow one from the library. This year, however, I can imagine doing much more and really needing that technology available. Another con would be that many of my students don't have access to computers so taking the time to search for and post these online might not be very good use of my time. We will see as the year begins on that one.

Overall, however, I have found enough videos to give me a good start on the year and I think it will be worth the effort of trying.

I have found several videos that could be used as a "warm up" activity. They could be used either to introduce a new topic or to review an older one. I would have students watch the video and then write 2-3 things that they will remember after watching the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2snPx3ujH8&feature=related

-- quadratic formula song to the tune of jingle bells

I think this cute video of a 4 year old singing the quadratic formula would show my students first of all that if a 4 year old can remember it, they can too. Also, I can see if they can put together the formula from the video as an introduction to what it is. I think that the kids could have a lot of fun with this. The quadratic formula comes at the end of the year for my algebra 1 students so this might be a way to get them interested in the lesson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C38B33ZywWs

-- Adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers

This is a basic lesson on adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers using a number line. It is a great visual example for my students to possibly relearn this material. It would also be a great introduction to adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. I have also noticed that when we begin adding and subtracting positive and negative polynomials some of them really need to refresh what adding and subtracting actually is. This is a way that I could either show it in class or else post the link so that they could review it on their own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDpnNnjFB1c

-- subtracting polynomials tutorial

This specific video is on subtracting polynomials and there are several videos by justmathtutoring.com that I could use either as supplemental material or could even have read for a sub to show if I were going to be absent for a day. The lesson is very detailed and shows step by step just like would. The benefit of showing it on a video would be someone else saying the same thing in just a slightly different way. It is amazing how kids can learn something if you can just change your wording slightly. I think that I will plan to check this site out often as I am preparing lessons this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EWq9EZmIKg&feature=related

Here is a video of "the number line dance". I could use this to teach and remind my kids that when they add on a number line they go to the right and when they subtract (or have a negative number) they move to the left on the number line. They also use a story problem which students ALWAYS need practice on! This is also something I could use as an example and ask my kids to make a "movie" of one of our recent topics. I could see many of them really getting interested in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-VJjfw90jc&feature=related

-Order of Operations

Order of operations is one of the first lessons that I teach. This will be a fun way of introducing the topic, which many of them will have learned last year. I think it will be good to get students used to seeing technology early in the year and then hopefully I will be able to keep them using it all year. I will also be able to post this right away on the class wiki for parents and students to review outside of class if they get stuck on their homework.

I don't think I realized how education YouTube videos can be. I, of course, have seen all of the "fun" videos and searched for things that I wanted to learn how to do, like knit a certain pattern, but I'd never thought of using it as a supplement to my teaching. I am not sure if it will be blocked at my school and currently I do not have a projector from which to present it to the students, but even if the only way that I can use it is to put it on a class wiki or blog I think that several of my students will take the time to check it out. Especially those who want to learn the material but are just too shy to ask for help or have trouble staying after school. I am excited to use this in the year ahead!