What is one thing (a tool, technique, pedagogy, app) that makes your #flipclass work better?
Right now my whole mantra is Keep it SIMPLE! My videos are super simple screencasts of me modeling a problem in my notebook. When they get to class they do an "Enter Ticket" and based on those results are put into groups. I work with the students who do not get it and release the others.
My biggest challenge was how to organize classwork and classtime, since my students are really needy and look for constant direction and assurance of what they should be doing. I decided the best way for me to plan everything and keep them accountable and give them a few choices or at least make them "think" they are having some choice was to make a Weekly Menu. Below is an example of this weeks menu for 6th grade.
It is still a major work in progress. The first box of the day tells them the lesson we are working on, next up is the required practice work. After they do the Enter Ticket I will usually pull out a small group to work on the first set of problems and do a gradual release. The rest of the class can just go on and get to work on the requried items. I also give each table a set of red, yellow and green cups for students to use to communicate with me if they need help. If the cup on top is green, they are ok and should be silently working. If its yellow, they are asking each other for help and red means they need me. This really works well (after they got used to it!) at first they would go straight to red, or put it on yellow so that they could talk about anything. Took some training, but now it really serves its purpose.
The next three items is where their choice comes in. They have to complete at least 3 Coach book lessons for the week, the Tenmarks assignments that I preset, open -meaning they can work on retakes,extra practice, Versatiles or IXL. I usually can get about 12 devices and my class size is 18. I haven't had any issues yet with not having enough devices.
I don't grade this weekly sheet, but I do make them turn everything in on Friday and I record any quiz grades from the week and then they get them signed. I also use a Pink Slip system for behavior issues which for me is mostly students being unprepared and having to go back to their lockers. I attach any pink slips they recieved during the week as well.
Oh and in my classroom each student has a folder they keep all of the work in. So they don't lose their weekly sheet.
I use a system like this as well, but all items are required. I have too many students who sit back and say "oh, I'll just do this for homework" and spend class time off task.
ReplyDeleteYup I know how that is! My items are required too, I haven't had a problem this year with them slacking during class though. I'm teaching 5th and 6th this year, saw that a lot when I taught 7th/8th.
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