Community Building in the Flipped Classroom

Last week, was our unit three test.  The night before the test, I thought what am I going to have on the video tonight?  I could cram everything they learned in that chapter, as a quick review.  I was confident in their performances during our math centers and felt it was unnecessary to cram a bunch of things they already know.  So instead, I took the time to continue to build our classroom community.  Their task that night was to simply make something for their critical friend to show how thankful they are for them.  This could be a song, a dance, a card, a picture....whatever they wanted.  The results were unbelievable.  The kids all came to school the next day even more excited.  They couldn't wait to GIVE their surprise to their buddy.  We talked about it after and I asked the kids if they were more excited to give or to get.  They all said it was more exciting to give.  We then went into further discussion about this season and how we are all asking others what we want for Christmas, when we should be looking for ways to give.  I have even had students make things randomly now for others.  It was the best movie of the FLIPPED classroom so far.  :)

Math in the classroom....what does it look like now?

The biggest part of the flipped classroom is not the movie...it's what are you going to do with all of your 'spare' time you have now.  Every class is going to look different.  The majority of the time we are doing different centers.  I have five centers so that there are 4 - 5 students at each.  The students are flex grouped by daily assessment.  Some days, we do not need to assess because it was a continuation of the day before.  Below is a list of different centers that I have created.  Something helpful that I have found, is to not change your centers very often.  Repetition, especially in math, is great for memorization. 

Center 1: Megamath.  This is done on the smartboard and it is a website of games provided by our curriculum.  One of my colleagues linked a specific game to each lesson.  We simply click on the game for that day.   While a student is at the board working out a problem, their group members are on the carpet playing a card game a lot like war.  Some days the person with the larger number wins, other days the student with the lower number wins. 

Center 2: Patterns.  I have made cards with different patterns I want them to try.  We mastered AB patterns, so I make them more challenging.  ABBC, AABCC, and so on.  The kids simply use the pattern bears.  They love to make their patterns in different shapes and letters. 

Center 3: Parent.  I have a parent come almost every day during our math centers.  The parents usually work on word problems that the students have created at home from their flipped movie.  I have also had the parents play games such as Yahtzee with the kids. 

Center 4: Math Mountain Repetition.  I have the kids work on math mountains, which is a concept used in the Math Expression curriculum.  I simply made math mountains with missing totals or addends and laminated them.  The student must then fill in the missing number.  They are practicing their facts from all different ways when they are doing their math mountains.

Center 5: iPhones and iPads.  I have used old iPhones as cameras.  The students use them to record each other while they come up with story problems.  This is easier then having them write them down.  They get way more story problems said then if they were to write them.

Center 6: Card games.  I have taught them a card game where they put a card to their forehead and a card on the table and their partner tells them the total so they must figure out what card is on their head.  You can also play it with three.  Two kids put cards up to their heads and the third student tells them the total.  The first one to say their card wins. 

Center 7: Work time with me.  This is where most of the differentiation is taking place.  My first group I teach the lesson because they did not watch the movie.  The second group I reteach.  The third group I enhance their learning by having them practice more and do one problem together that is more challenging. The fourth and fifth group I challenge.  I give them more independence on their strategies they use and make them explain their work and thinking more. 

Center 8: Pattern blocks.  It's amazing the creativity that comes from what they make.

As a new chapter begins, next week, I'm sure I will be adding more centers. 

Parent Feedback at Conferences

Last week we had conferences.  I know everyone has some nerves and some excitement for this exhausting week....I was much more nervous and excited then ever.  The big thing with flipped in the primary is the parent involvement.  When going into this, I knew I wanted to make the students as independent as possible with getting to the website, logging in, and watching the movie.  I didn't want it to be more work for the parents.  To be honest, I expected to have some parents annoyed with the flipped classroom. I thought I would hear that I am asking WAY too much of them at home and that it was taking up a lot of valuable family time.  Here were the responses:

Only one parent was having trouble with the movie at home taking too much time.  He does need more instruction time and she said the movie itself just takes too long for him.  I didn't even suggest the solution we came to, she did.  Since she is a stay at home mom, she said she would watch the movie (which are usually under 10 minutes) and teach him or do the problems that I provide in the movie that day.  She said that she sees the benefits and wants to try to make it work for her little man.  If that doesn't work, our plan is to go back to the homework that Math Expressions provides and he will always be in my re-teach group. 

The rest of the parents, believe it or not (I WAS SHOCKED MYSELF), loved the flipped classroom so far!  They could not believe how independent their child was with logging in and how motivated they were.  Some parents said that their child just loves having the computer all to themselves for the time of their movie.  Others said that younger sibling sit and watch me teach too and their four year old is doing our first grade math with their older brother. 

The most common response was how they loved that I was able to meet their needs as a learner.  Whether their child was advanced or needed to be retaught the concept, I am able to do that.  I would have a lot of bored students if I taught the way I use to. 

I was very pleased with the response.  I am so thankful for the parents I have in my classroom this year.  If it wasn't for them, this would not have been possible.  Well, Friday is our Unit three test....which is the first large assessment post flipping.  I can't wait to see their scores. 

First Week of FLIPPED

We have started chapter three in math, which means the students have started watching the movies at home.  Now, it's hard for me to reflect on how much the students have watched at home, because we have only had two night of watching the movie at home, and those days were the night before Halloween and the night of.  I was actually very impressed with how many students still watched the movies!  I only had three students not watch the movie, both nights.  I'm excited to see what this week brings.  So far, I can't imagine teaching any other way.  I have been able to connect with every student!  It's unbelievable.  I was also expecting to have some unhappy parents, but I have had nothing but positive feedback.   It almost feels like I'm on 'CLOUD NINE' with the way things are going. 

Differentiating FLIPPED

When I was planning my implementation process of the flipped classroom, the biggest piece was going to be what am I going to use my classroom time for, now that I have cut back on the instruction and whole group time.  My plan was to have the students come into the classroom and they would work on one activity for the entire math time.  This has changed now that we are in the middle of it all. 

What we do, is the students come into the classroom and have a short assessment on the movie from the night before.  I use the homework sheets that they would have been doing at home prior, to assess the kids.  While they are filling in their answers on the sheet, I tell them which bucket they put their sheet in when they are done with it.  I have five buckets and these buckets are then their group for the day.  Instead of having the kids stay at one center for the entire 60 minutes, we rotate the centers.  Some days, when the concept is first being introduced and new, I will cut it down to four centers, to make sure that I have enough time with each group.  The differentiation really only happens when the students come to my center. 

As of right now the first group is where I have to teach the concept, because the student was not able to watch the movie the night before.  Then, the next group is a reteach.  They watched the movie, but really struggled with the assessment.  The next group I work with is the reinforcement group.  This group missed a few on the assessment, but overall are understanding the concept.  My last two groups, usually last three groups, are enhancement groups.  I am usually teaching ahead or challenging these students with word problems incorporating the skill they just learned. 

The other centers that the kids are doing work with memorizing facts, creating their own word problems, and using the technology the curriculum has provided.