For my flipped classes, I have my students watch my video notes for Algebra 2 and Honors Algebra 2 classes at home. The students are use to going through the motions of checking their homework if they understand the material but how do I know for sure they understand the process in getting to their answers. In class, the students have the routine of checking off the homework if they got them correct and hope that they are understanding their mistakes. Then they will start homework in class on their own in their desks writing in their notes. Some of my students like to write on the whiteboards and see what they are doing and are able to correct their mistakes much easier.
I want all of my students to be able to explain the process in solving their example. I have requested that all of my students will have the app Explain Everything because it can import pdf's of my examples and they can work through them and write on their screen. I will challenge my students to write and explain their work to imitate me. I hope the students will see it as a fun way to review the material and gain a better understanding of the material. I truly believe that if you can explain an example, then they will grasp the concepts better. After they record their example, they can upload their video explanation to a common Dropbox account so that other students are able to see their classmates work and hopefully find another person's explanation of a concept.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Action Research
Action Research
I want to teach my students how the effort that they put into their work will see results in the progress of their understanding of the material. I have done a complete flipped class for my Honors Algebra 2 and Algebra 2 classes. Now that the novelty of watching and reviewing their notes by video, they are losing interest in keeping up with the notes. They seem to get frustrated with not understanding the material because they are not focused in trying to comprehend what I am saying in the video.
So I have been reading of how ownership of learning is more effective when the students develop their intrinsic value of their education. Having time for the students to reflect on their comprehension level of the material and having an accountability sheet to see a concrete evidence of understanding has helped.
I have done this accountability sheet with all of my classes and have asked the students to fill it out and submit it with a test at the end of the unit. I have passed back their tests and accountability sheet to see if there is a correlation between the questions on the test that they struggled with to the homework understanding on their accountability sheet.
I would like to see if some students do better when they do have a physical sheet for them to see where they struggle to students who try to keep track of what they know or don't know on their own. I will offer the accountability for one class period and require everyone to fill it out for a chapter. For another class period, I will off the accountability sheet but not mention to fill it out. I will see how many students will fill it out on their own. Then for my last period, I will not offer the accountability sheet unless they ask for it.
After the end of the chapter, I will collect the sheets and correct their chapter tests. I will hand back both and give a survey to see if the students used the accountability sheet to keep track of their own progress or did they try to keep track on their own. I will ask if the sheet helped for those who used the sheet and ask the students who did not use the sheet if using an accountability sheet would have helped.
I want to teach my students how the effort that they put into their work will see results in the progress of their understanding of the material. I have done a complete flipped class for my Honors Algebra 2 and Algebra 2 classes. Now that the novelty of watching and reviewing their notes by video, they are losing interest in keeping up with the notes. They seem to get frustrated with not understanding the material because they are not focused in trying to comprehend what I am saying in the video.
So I have been reading of how ownership of learning is more effective when the students develop their intrinsic value of their education. Having time for the students to reflect on their comprehension level of the material and having an accountability sheet to see a concrete evidence of understanding has helped.
I have done this accountability sheet with all of my classes and have asked the students to fill it out and submit it with a test at the end of the unit. I have passed back their tests and accountability sheet to see if there is a correlation between the questions on the test that they struggled with to the homework understanding on their accountability sheet.
I would like to see if some students do better when they do have a physical sheet for them to see where they struggle to students who try to keep track of what they know or don't know on their own. I will offer the accountability for one class period and require everyone to fill it out for a chapter. For another class period, I will off the accountability sheet but not mention to fill it out. I will see how many students will fill it out on their own. Then for my last period, I will not offer the accountability sheet unless they ask for it.
After the end of the chapter, I will collect the sheets and correct their chapter tests. I will hand back both and give a survey to see if the students used the accountability sheet to keep track of their own progress or did they try to keep track on their own. I will ask if the sheet helped for those who used the sheet and ask the students who did not use the sheet if using an accountability sheet would have helped.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Spring Conference 2013
I am looking forward to St Mary's M.Ed Spring Conference this April to hear and discuss the topics of Physical vs. Virtual Manipulatives, Cooperative Learning impacting student motivation and participation, Incorporating technology-based assessments, Flipped math classroom, and Implementing literacy strategies in math classes.
From the physical vs virtual manipulatives, there seems to he a high level of engagement of the students when they do have manipulatives to see and touch. Technology is becoming more prevalent in our society so the students are using more virtual manipulatives and the level of engagement seems to be higher. I hope to see how often do using the virtual manipulatives keeps the students interest as I relate it to my class. I hope to see which activities and manipulative other math teachers have used and what strategies have worked for them.
For the cooperative learning, know that the students are able be more active in class and build a stronger community. They are learning how to communicate in the academic language and to learn how to interact in the relationships of their peers. I would like to see how other teachers create different structured cooperative activities that are productive in the learning process for the students.
The technology-based assessments in the classroom is promoting how society is using technology in everyday life. Through different modes of using technology, we are building relationships in helping one another in learning how to use the technology given and it weeks the students more engaged and motivated in working towards understanding the material. With the different ways of using technology, it enhances the students learning because it keeps them interested by the variety of assessments that are given. I hope to learn how other teachers have used technology to enhanced their curriculum especially in terms of assessments to hopefully lead to project based learning.
The flipped classroom is a session where the notes of the lessons are taken outside of the classroom and the homework/practice is done in the classroom. By having the structure of the the flipped classroom for the math, there will be more time for the students to help one another and differentiate how each student learns. I hope to learn how does the student interact in the class with the different levels of abilities. Is there a more structured learning process for the students to follow in understanding the material.
Literacy in a math classroom is seeing if the student are learning the academic language of mathematics is helping the students retain more of the material than just going and doing examples. I see that the students are more verbal in their classroom and are retaining the material better. I hope to find ways for me to incorporate the terminology of mathematics in my classroom so that they are remembering the material better.
From the physical vs virtual manipulatives, there seems to he a high level of engagement of the students when they do have manipulatives to see and touch. Technology is becoming more prevalent in our society so the students are using more virtual manipulatives and the level of engagement seems to be higher. I hope to see how often do using the virtual manipulatives keeps the students interest as I relate it to my class. I hope to see which activities and manipulative other math teachers have used and what strategies have worked for them.
For the cooperative learning, know that the students are able be more active in class and build a stronger community. They are learning how to communicate in the academic language and to learn how to interact in the relationships of their peers. I would like to see how other teachers create different structured cooperative activities that are productive in the learning process for the students.
The technology-based assessments in the classroom is promoting how society is using technology in everyday life. Through different modes of using technology, we are building relationships in helping one another in learning how to use the technology given and it weeks the students more engaged and motivated in working towards understanding the material. With the different ways of using technology, it enhances the students learning because it keeps them interested by the variety of assessments that are given. I hope to learn how other teachers have used technology to enhanced their curriculum especially in terms of assessments to hopefully lead to project based learning.
The flipped classroom is a session where the notes of the lessons are taken outside of the classroom and the homework/practice is done in the classroom. By having the structure of the the flipped classroom for the math, there will be more time for the students to help one another and differentiate how each student learns. I hope to learn how does the student interact in the class with the different levels of abilities. Is there a more structured learning process for the students to follow in understanding the material.
Literacy in a math classroom is seeing if the student are learning the academic language of mathematics is helping the students retain more of the material than just going and doing examples. I see that the students are more verbal in their classroom and are retaining the material better. I hope to find ways for me to incorporate the terminology of mathematics in my classroom so that they are remembering the material better.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
21st Century Learning
21st Century Learning is moving beyond the standard passive learning of being in a desk and memorize the content. It requires the students to learn how to communicate effectively with the technologies around them. Learning to collaborate with their teachers and peers and beyond. Using critical thinking skills to formulate their answers and to creativity in producing and demonstrating their knowledge.
How I implement these skills in my classroom is to first communicate with them by having my lessons in videos. They can email me questions that they have from those video notes. In the classroom, I have the students work in cooperative groups to help one another and they are able to explain the examples in different ways that they understand. Using the technology of their iPads, the students are able to produce their own examples to demonstrate their understanding of the material.
The challenges that I face in implementing is finding opportunities for the students to demonstrate their creativity in solving problems. How do I measure their critical thinking skills from projects and finding time to do this in the classroom? I have the students work in groups at times but how do you get the reserved kids to collaborate and communicate with others?
21st Century Learning is moving beyond the standard passive learning of being in a desk and memorize the content. It requires the students to learn how to communicate effectively with the technologies around them. Learning to collaborate with their teachers and peers and beyond. Using critical thinking skills to formulate their answers and to creativity in producing and demonstrating their knowledge.
How I implement these skills in my classroom is to first communicate with them by having my lessons in videos. They can email me questions that they have from those video notes. In the classroom, I have the students work in cooperative groups to help one another and they are able to explain the examples in different ways that they understand. Using the technology of their iPads, the students are able to produce their own examples to demonstrate their understanding of the material.
The challenges that I face in implementing is finding opportunities for the students to demonstrate their creativity in solving problems. How do I measure their critical thinking skills from projects and finding time to do this in the classroom? I have the students work in groups at times but how do you get the reserved kids to collaborate and communicate with others?
Friday, February 8, 2013
Writing about a change I would like to make in my classroom.
A couple of changes that I would like in my classroom is for the students to keep track of their own progress in the learning of the new topics. I hope to create a self-reflection worksheet that would correspond with the material. It would keep track of how much effort they put into their homework, keeping up with my video notes and how often do they come in for help. I want to challenge the students to be more specific in their action of getting help or identifying how they can help themselves in understanding the topics.
A couple of changes that I would like in my classroom is for the students to keep track of their own progress in the learning of the new topics. I hope to create a self-reflection worksheet that would correspond with the material. It would keep track of how much effort they put into their homework, keeping up with my video notes and how often do they come in for help. I want to challenge the students to be more specific in their action of getting help or identifying how they can help themselves in understanding the topics.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
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