The Interactive Flipped Classroom Video

Differentiation and hands-on learning have become hallmarks of my classroom ever since I embraced the Flipped Classroom. Time is now on my side and attributes like the aforementioned that seemed impossible to implement in my traditional classroom are now possible. Yet when I reflected on my Flipped Classroom videos they were one size fits all. Regardless of what prior knowledge students had, their work ethic, or their motivation to learn, they all were viewing the same lesson. My strongest learners were watching examples that they understood likely 5 minutes earlier but were still taking notes…On the other hand my weakest learners were not having steps broken down for them enough to help them move forward with a sound understanding.

When I created my initial Flipped Classroom videos I did my best to make them as engaging and interactive as possible. “Pause here and try the example on your own, then fast-forward to the solution to see if you got it correct.” “Now that you have finished the lesson write down one question you have that we can address in class.” This helped but still was not what my students truly needed.

With the release of Camtasia 8 in the summer of 2012 I had a complete shift in my thinking. Videos could be created to meet the individual needs of my learners. (See my previous post where I explain this further: Re-inventing the Flip Video). So this past week I thought I would give it ago. It was time consuming to make but I really feel it gives provides for a more student-centered learning experience. Here are some of the interactive aspects I included in the video:

• Table of Contents – Students can navigate to what they need. Perhaps they don’t want to watch the examples or maybe they would like to watch an additional one. The student who wanted to review a concept that they remember was in the video can now go to exactly where it is rather that navigating blindly.
• Embedded Questions – Students can tailor a lesson that meets their needs depending on how they answer a series of questions. If they respond one way they go in this direction, another response goes a different way.
• Link to Manipulatives – A link to a manipulative is included to help bring some inquiry into the lesson.
• FFW to Answer – Rather than having students pause the video and navigate the timeline to find the answer then can pause and click on the button that takes them to the solution.
• Additional Examples – Buttons are placed at the end of examples to give students the option to watch another example.
• Additional Resources - Links to other demonstration and resources for those students that struggle with my explanations or need to see things demonstrated in a different way.
• Embedded Quiz – At the end of the lesson I have short quiz for my students to take. It assess low level understanding to see if students understood what the big ideas were in the video.
• Statistics – I didn’t do this in this video but you can have student login to determine who watchedthe video, for how long they watched it, and also determine how well they did on the quiz. For those that love to keep student accountable to watch the video this could be huge. (I don’t btw, feel another post coming…)

For the interactive features to work best let the timeline fully load, here it is, let me know what you think!

Interactive Instructional Video

My Assessment Model

I have recently had a number of questions regarding my implantation of mastery learning in my classes from those who read my thesis titled Student Perception of the Flipped Classroom or those who have seen some of my previous posts. I went through my posts and noticed I had never fully explained how I do things, so here we go…!

In a subject like math where the learning is scaffolded and continues building on itself mastery is crucial. Knowing 80% is great but what about the other 20%!?!? I really wanted to raise the bar for my students in hopes that it would raise their grades but more importantly give them a better understanding of mathematics and make future math courses much more successful for them.

By using Moodle, an LMS supported by our district, I created a database of questions that are sorted by learning outcomes and difficulty level so that I can give students different quizzes yet still be assessing the same concepts and making sure most students get a quiz of the same difficulty level.

I set the mastery ‘pass’ level at 70% as it was a benchmark I felt was attainable by all of my students. The philosophy is simple, if students can achieve 70% or greater on all of the quizzes the chance they achieve 70% or greater on their summative assessment is more likely. Those students who do not achieve mastery on their first attempt go back into the learning cycle and this is where the magic happens.

The magic is the learning. Students learn what they know and what they don’t know. I require that all students journal about the questions they go incorrect; they tell me why they made the mistake, how to avoid doing it in the future, and what the correct answer is. Quite often students don’t know how to get the solution on their own. They seek out their classmates, look through their notes, perhaps re-watch a lesson video, or ask me. Once students have feel they are ready to reattempt a quiz they touch base with me and I give them another attempt. More often than not students achieve greater than 70% and we are off to the races!

The quizzes that students take are completely formative in my class. Students can write their quizzes at home or at school. They can be written alone, with a friend, or even with Mommy! Students can use any resources that they have. By taking away the points from quizzes and focusing on if mastery learning has been met or not some amazing things have occurred. Quizzes are no longer stressful, students no longer dread them, in fact some students enjoy them so much they take them more than once. The quiz in my class has turned into a learning tool than an assessment tool. (The entire course grades comes from summative assessment tests, which students can rewrite if they feel they have not fully demonstrated their learning)

Once students have achieved mastery in a unit and they feel confident to move on to their summative assessment we have a conversation together on the ‘Hot Seat.’ The Hot Seat is where I get a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with my students to see how things are going in a unit. We may go over some quizzes together, discuss some questions they have, or I may even grill them by asking them to summarize the unit or throw some questions at them. Lastly students show me their journal for the unit which has their quiz corrections, the journals prompts I have given them for the unit, and the summary of the unit they have made.

The process of having a conversation with my students prior to attempting a test has proved to be extremely beneficial. I am able to fill in any gaps that exist and intervene if students just aren’t ready. If a student is not ready for a test because they have not mastered the learning outcomes to a degree I am happy with or they have not completed the necessary work then they don’t take the test. It is as simple as that! Students need to earn their test and demonstrate that they are ready. I always thought it was a form of child abuse to put a test in front of a student and watch them stare blankly at it for an hour when both the student and I knew they were going to fail.

Since I run a self-paced classroom some students once in a while not prepared to write their test by my deadline. In this case they are required to attend my morning help sessions until they are ready to attempt their test. This has also proved to be hugely beneficial to my students. I wish I could give students enough classroom time to truly master every concept but unfortunately there just isn’t enough time. For those that need some additional TLC they can take it as long as they continue attending my early morning sessions. I can’t believe how appreciative students are to have some additional time to prepare themselves to perform well the first time on the test. I am strong believer that students should be assessed on what they know not how quickly they come to know it.

So there it is. The Flipped Classroom, mastery learning, and self-pacing all blended together into model that I feel gives my students the best way to understand the learning outcomes and demonstrate their understanding.

Handout you may find useful: Mastery & Self-pacing with Moodle

Student Perceptions of the Flipped Classroom

Over the last two years I had the pleasure of completing a Master of Arts degree in Educational Technology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. During this time I was pushed to think hard about my teaching practice, challenged to investigate new teaching methods, and encouraged to look critically at how I could best incorporate educational technology. It was experience that I enjoyed immensely and recommend to any teacher.

I decided to write my thesis on student perceptions of the Flipped Classroom. As a classroom teacher I wanted to know plain and simple if students enjoyed themselves and if they felt they were benefiting from the changes I made to my practice.

It is my pleasure to present to you my thesis titled ‘Student Perception of the Flipped Classroom.’

Leaving the Flipped Classroom…

A couple weeks ago while taking a look at the Flipped Classroom hashtag (#flipclass) I saw a Flipped Classroom educator (name escapes me now) who said he would be going back to traditional lecture based instruction this next semester. His rationale, if I remember correctly, was to see how different his practice has become and to evaluate the pros and cons of each method.

Leaving the Flipped Classroom to learn more about ones teaching…this intrigued me and got me thinking of my own practice. Would this be a worthwhile venture for me? I am a strong believer in reflection and what better way to see how things have evolved than to step back and see what things used to be. Hmmm…

After some thought I realized I would be doing my students a disservice if I choose to go back to the way I used to teach. I wouldn’t be giving my students all I have to offer. I don’t flip my classroom because it is hip, I flip because it is the best of me. I feel that I am a better teacher as a Flipped Classroom teacher. Do I know that I am a better teacher? No. Do I have some anecdotal evidence that says I am? Yes, I suppose so, my thesis / student surveys / student gossip, but it is far from conclusive evidence. As a professional I make choices every day. Is that learning outcome as important as this one? Should that student write that test today? Is that student doing ok, she looks unhappy? This situation is no different. For a number of reasons, many which I have discussed in previous blog entries, I feel that what I bring to the table as a Flipped Classroom teacher is greater than when I don’t flip. I am not saying that this is the case for all teachers, but it is for me.

So I will NOT be leaving the Flipped Classroom. Leaving may provide me with some additional insight into my practice but the cost it would have to my current students is not worth it. I think as teachers we owe our students the best of us, whatever that may be. The best of me is when I am flipping.

Dear Students…

Dear Students,

I have never written a letter to my students before, but I feel after this past semester it is warranted. This semester was arguably the most enjoyable time I have ever spent in a classroom. When I reflect on the past five months I can’t tell you how much fun I had, how much I learned, and how easy you made my life. I refuse to believe that our future is not bright when I see what you all bring to the table each day. You guys were caring, thoughtful, and helpful to both me and your fellow colleagues. I hope I am right here because when I am old and gray you’ll be looking after me, a scary thought, but I trust you (I think!).

This past semester you kids cracked me up, you made me angry at times, you made me proud, you inspired me and you even brought me to tears at times. I thought I would keep this simple and mention a few stories from the past few months that stood out and offer thanks to each of you who left a significant impression on me.

• The student who in the middle of class did an interesting little dance involving some pelvic thrusts after doing the best he had done all year on a unit test. Then immediately picked up his phone and called his father to give him the good news. One of my favourite classroom moments ever!
• The student who on the day before Christmas break wrote a test and received a score that was less than what she would have wished and left my class in tears. I felt like the Grinch needless to say…Then when I got home there was an email from this student. She felt bad about having a mini breakdown and wanted to make sure I knew how much she respected me and appreciated how much I helped her this year and how much I care about my students.
• The student who asked if she could host a baby shower for my future child. Then immediately the other student who asked if they could babysit.
• The student who got 100% on a test and immediately said to me “whacha gonna do ’bout it.” I am still not sure how to respond…
• The students who come to my tutorials day after day and work their butts off. You are amazing and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Work ethic is crucial in life, perhaps the most important thing. I may not be a millionaire but I have the most amazing job in the world. I got here by working harder than the guy sitting next to me. Work ethic > IQ , in my humble opinion.
• The student who always questioned me and asked ‘when are we ever going to use this.’ I can’t thank you enough. You pushed me to think, to research, to eliminate stuff that was not relevant and to be honest and tell you when we never would use this stuff but still needed to learn it.
• The students who brought me Starbucks.
• The students that were my peer-tutors. You took time out of your busy schedule to help your colleagues in a subject that you thrive in.
• The student who tweeted me and told me she was excited to have my class first thing after Christmas vacation.
• The students who allowed me to share in their fame and make one of the ugliest ‘selfies’ ever, so good (or perhaps bad) we won a prize for our efforts!
• The students who during pot luck created dishes with pi inspired themes, delicious!
• The student who is putting up a good fight to have me name my baby Pheobe, short for Fibonacci.
• The student who destroyed me with short jokes whenever he could, well played.
• The student who got hit by a car on the way to my tutorials, went home, changed, and still came in an hour before class started to work on math.
• The student who allows me to, kinda, call her by her famous alias.
• The student who failed his first three tests, who then did a re-test on all three and ended up with a B in the course. You taught me that it’s not how you start, but rather how you finish.
•  The students who gave me a round of applause on our last full day together. Some who I have taught for 3 years!

I thank you all again for an amazing semester. I hope you learned something about math along the way, gained an understanding for how you learn, and had a little fun. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and encourage you to come by and say hi. The greatest honour for a teacher is having students come back and tell you how their lives are going.

Sincerely yours,

Mr. J

The Common Denominator

Last Friday I did a project with one of my classes that I have always wanted to do but never found the time for. When I returned from Winter break I noticed that my grade 10 students were ahead of where I planned to be. This was a perfect opportunity for us to put the learning outcomes behind us and ‘play’ with the mathematics.

I created a simple project where students were in charge of finding and researching a math topic that they found interesting. I wanted them to see math for the beauty and mystery it could truly be. I included a number of different topics to spur student interest but ultimately the door was left open to them. They were given a couple classes to prepare and on Friday they presented.

I have given projects to my students before but never have I made a project pass or fail. I chose to go in this direction because I wanted the focus to be on learning rather than planting, nurturing, and harvesting marks. Students would pass if they had done work that was at an A or B level and students would Fail if they didn’t and be asked to try again until it was at a satisfactory level. I have taken pass/fail courses in University before and experienced interesting results. Originally I thought since we were not playing the marks game I wouldn’t try as hard but in reality it was the opposite. Since I had more freedom I often took most risks and as a result learned more than when I created a cookie cutter project to satisfy the professor. Thankfully my students also took some risks and we had some fantastic results.

These are the projects that absolutely blew my mind and made the day one I will never forget:

• Fermat’s Last Theorem – Are you kidding me? Grade 10 students understanding and talking about Fermat’s last theorem!?!?! It was a thing of beauty. A concept as tough as it comes in mathematics (much past my understanding) and this group of students waded through the notation and mathematical jargon to discover what it was really about. Pure mathematics at is best. AMAZING!
• Math in Nature – We learned about Phi from a group and how this mysterious number exists in shells, pine-cones  and sunflowers. They discussed how it evolves from the Fibonacci sequence and that this ratio even exists in the body…. CREEPY!
• Deal or no Deal – I had a pair of students who talked about the math behind deal or no deal, one of my favourite game shows despite Howie Mandel.  We learned when to take the deal or not to and even got to try out the game. SO MUCH FUN!
• Zero – A group of three discussed the importance of the number zero and how it has evolved over time. Their understanding of the topic was beautiful. One of the young men was so into it he was practically losing his mind. He was talking to the class like a mad scientist and had me in stitches at the back of the class laughing with tears in my eyes. I wish these guys could teach all day…BRILLIANT!
• Vi Hart – My mathematical love…this group demonstrated a number of her amazing videos including ones I had never seen before like the Mobius strip withfruit by the foot. We also did the Binary hand dance which was life changing. YES, LIFE CHANGING!
• Ted Ed – One group discussed a video by my fellow tweep Jac de Haan on why competitors open their store next to one another. I loved it, the girls took a map of the city and used their understanding of this video to show how it would work in our own city in terms of coffee shops and car dealerships. We all learned something that I think many had wondered about but didn’t truly understand. NEVER KNEW THAT!
• Magic Tricks – Who doesn’t love magic? A pair of young ladies hit a couple tricks out of the park. They were able to predict a volunteers age and determine a secret card all by crunching some numbers.  MATHEMAGIC!
• Mental Math Techniques – A pair showed the class a number of different techniques to multiple and divide large numbers in your head. I had no idea how much fun these would be. One of the young ladies presenting kept telling us how happy these little tricks made her, and I agree they made me happy too. SO HAPPY!
• Kakuro – I have played this game for years once I got bored of Sudoku, it’s basically a number crossword. They showed us how to play the game, tips and tricks, and then we had a Kakuro-off where everyone solved a puzzle as quickly as they could. EXCITEMENT!
• The Golden Ratio – This group also presented on the number Phi with a focus on the human body. They found a free App that takes a picture of you and uses the golden ratio to tell how close your face is to being ‘perfect’. Mother always told me I was handsome but I only got a 4.1 out of 10. This led to some good laughs. The most concerning fact is that I had a 6.2 the class before, my beauty was regressing at an alarming rate! I NOW NEED COUNSELLING!

This project was a huge success, I had a couple students in another class working on the side and they were begging that they could do this in their class. I am not sure I have ever had more fun in a single school day. The one common denominator between this day and some of my other favourite and most effective classes was that there was more of the students and less of me. Handing over the reins in my practice has produced some impressive results, Friday was no different.

Flipping out with a Student-Teacher

This coming February I will have the privilege of having a student-teacher take over some of my classes. I have had student-teachers on two previous occasions but this will be my first as a Flipped Classroom sponsor-teacher. Previously my motives were often to catch my breath and take a break in my first couple years of teaching, this time my motives are entirely different.

The opportunity presented itself this past summer when I spoke to a couple of Bachelor of Education classes at the local University about the Flipped Classroom. At the end of my short presentation I expressed that I would be interested in having a student-teacher who would like to try flipping his or her classes. Thankfully, there was interest from a number of students and this fall the placement was made.

I think this opportunity is going to be beneficial not just for my student-teacher, but also for myself. The student-teacher will get a chance to learn a different method of instruction that will hopefully expand her thinking of how a class could operate. (I should note she will also be placed in a more traditional classroom in order see the pros and cons of both systems.) For me, the opportunity to work with a pre-service teacher from start to finish and share my knowledge on the Flipped Classroom is hugely beneficial. I have given plenty of presentations on the Flipped Classroom but never have I been able to see an implementation the entire way through. I am also interested to see what aspects my student-teacher incorporates that I never thought of, what she does that is similar and different from me, the discussion we will have together, and the challenges we will face.

I feel as though I may have taken this opportunity for selfish reasons; to extend my learning and improve my own practice. Having a student-teacher is one of the best ways teachers can stay current, share their expertise, and most importantly, learn. Student-teachers bring energy, open-mindedness, and fresh ideas into our schools. These ideas may or may not work in practice but it keeps us thinking and encourages discussion.

My hope is that I can convince my student-teacher to take risks during her practicum and learn from her mistakes, aspects that I continue to try to work on in my own practice. I wish I had done more of this when I was in my practicum rather than ‘playing teacher’ and giving people what they wanted see. Real innovation happens when we think about the way we do things in different ways, open our minds up, and extend ourselves into the unknown.

I am looking forward to this experience immensely and hope to share our journey together over the next couple of months.