| I think I "know" how to flip my classroom! This presentation at FETC showed how to use Weebly and Symbaloo to flip, two resources I am already using. My biggest concern is getting parents to but into this new theory. This video is one teacher's reasons for flipping. She says it better than I can, so I hope you will watch! |
0 Comments
Parent: How much time do you feel the kids should be spending at home on this?
Me: 100 point a week is the minimum I expect from students. This can be as few as 4 or as many as 15 quests. Parent: Will there be a lot more time to do more of these quests in class? If so, can you push to get the experiments done that cannot easily be done at home? Me: We work on this every day in class. There are "stations" in class such as laboratory, computers, small group instruction, independent work, etc. so everyone is working on something, but no necessarily the same thing. All the experiments are ready to go in class. Parent: The real question: is [my student] missing a lot of instructions in class? Should he already know the answers to some of these questions? Me: The idea behind this flipped classroom model is that students construct their own knowledge. For instance, if they watch the BrainPop on Graphing at home, they can use their class time with me to ask questions, work further on graphing, correct misconceptions, etc. There is less lecture and direct instruction to the whole class. I may spend one day introducing a topic and the related vocabulary to gauge their background knowledge, but then let each individual choose how to gain more information on the topic since all student learn differently. But if they get 100% on the BrainPop quiz, they do not need additional graphing practice/instruction and can move on to a more challenging topic, such as variables. This allows each student to have ownership and responsibility over what they are learning and pace themselves accordingly. I have the students fill out a self assessment on the topic's learning targets. It lists the skills they need to have before quizzing and then recommends assignments to further practice each skill to help them plan what they need to focus on this week in class. It sounds confusing and like a lot of work (and that it is) but it allows me to work in small groups with kids who need the direct instruction and allows the kids who can work independently a chance to both control and construct their own knowledge. This model focuses the responsibility of learning on the student so that I can focus on each student as an individual learner...becuase even though I have 150+ students a day, I want to reach each and every one of them. Week 1 of the 2012 -2013 school year has gone well. I am very impressed with the student's manners and behavior. The best word I have to describe them is "precious."
On day 2 I asked students to create a wordle about what they expect from me as their teacher this year. The products I received were touching and meaningful. I plan to hang several in our room to remind me to be the teacher my students want me to be. To name a few:
Today, I asked them to reflect on the week. I asked them to identify something they learned, something they were proud of themselves for, something they were still worried about, the best part of 7th grade, and a goal they have for themselves this 9 weeks. Many students expressed the desire to make honor roll and to be successful in science class. Some were worried about these same issues. Most said they learned how to track a hurricane on a coordinate plane. Connecting with 150 kids a day presents a unique challenge, but these reflections allowed me to glimpse into their world and plan our next steps accordingly. The first week was good! This year is going to be great! The 7th grade journey has begun and I am honored to be a part of it. Badges are awarded on an individual basis by successfully trying and completing specific quests and challenges AND for positive contributions to the classroom community. These are just a few of the badges you can earn! Look for topic-specfic badges next to each quest to see if you can earn even more!
Created by Knewton and Column Five Media I am hard pressed to recall a time in my life when a video game system was not present in my domicile. While strictly regulated by my mother in my youth, the original Nintendo was a favorite past time in our home (until my little brother took it apart and could not successfully put it back together. Now he is an engineer...figures) If I can't remember a time without video games, surely the current generation of kids I teach do not know life without them. They all know the basic idea - gain points or coins or whatever, level up, earn rewards, find "secrets" hidden in the game, beat the boss at the end. And while you might run out of lives, it is never really game over. You get to keep trying and playing until you win. Can these same principles be applied in the classroom? Students already "gain points" and earn "rewards" and if you think about a test as being the boss at the end of a concept, we really aren't that far off. But the "keep trying until you win" idea isn't quite there, and I think it should be. The concept of mastery to educators is the idea that students have to really get the current concept before moving on to the next one. To a gamer, mastery is the idea of going beyond survival and conquering a list of specific goals. Think Angry Birds for a minute: its possible to clear a level with a one or two stars rating - you can move on to the the next level but you don't! You go back and hone your bird flinging skills until you get all three stars!! Going back and practicing until its perfect is a time honored strategy. So here is my hypothesis: if I let students who do not "clear a level" in class go back and try again until they get it right, then they will master the concept. Doesn't seem like such a bad strategy. Gabe Zichermann says it even better than me. Check out the video below for a more eloquent explanation. After spending the morning in the ER and the rest of the day with a VERY ill 15 month old, you would think I would be exhausted. I am. But I woke up at 2 am, shocked that the baby was still asleep,only to find that my brain was wide awake!
Today I received news that I have been accepted to present at UNCW's Global Learning Technologies Conference in August - so naturally I am already losing sleep over how and what to present about gamification in the classroom. All these thoughts are bouncing around inside my head about, well, everything and I just want to get them out!! I want to better explain myself to parents, colleagues, and the people who will be at GLTC. Then the though occurred to me - Weebly, where my gamification website is housed, has a blog feature. Its free so I might as well use it! |