Do you think a student needs to have Mathematics homework every single night? Do you think it's necessary for a student to study their notes every night and rework problems to get a grasp on the lesson? Can a student only listen in class and never practice and still "get it" and pass the class? How much time should a student need to complete his Mathematics assignments? Teachers have to address these questions every year. Every year, you have students who do not do homework 3 out of the 5 school days in a week. When you ask why it hasnt been done, then you receive various reasons. " I forgot!" "I didn't write it down" "I did not understand it." "I just did not do it." " I did not feel like it." Teachers deal with these reasons daily. Is it fair? Is it fair to the teacher? Since we are teaching the 21st Century Learner, teachers are adapting their teaching styles. So when teachers post the work they actually did on class on their teacher website or a resource for the students to access and the work is not done, it's disheartening. Having this to occur over and over means something needs to be done. What do you do to ensure homework is turned in? Do you assign it everyday? As a parent, do you expect to see homework every day? As a parent, do you really believe, out of 7 classes your child attends that he does not have ANY homework! Surely, it should be evident that homework is being given. Parents, we need your help in this endeavor. Teachers cant solve this issue by themselves. Ask your students about homework. View their teacher websites. Attend Open Houses to see when he/she assigns homework or how the class is run. Email the teacher and see how your child is doing.
So when a student consistently fails to turn in homework, whose fault is it?
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Flipping The Classroom - Are You Flipped Out About It!
What a concept! When I first heard of this concept, I truly loved it! It flipped the idea of a traditional classroom in which we teach the concept and attempt to ensure students have a comprehension of the concept. The idea of having students, in advance, go over what I will teach the following day! Really? Talk about preparation! That would mean that I would have more time for hands on activities, answering questions, peer tutoring, etc is what came to my mind. ( I now understand it's more than just that idea). So I signed up for a distance learning class and I enjoyed it. I began digging into resources about this new concept that I found out folks were already doing it! Where had I been all this time! I never questioned whether I could do it. I am just ready TO do it!
Flipping a classroom is the way to go! I see less cost in transportation for the school and the parent. I know there would be more bandwith yet I see a student and teacher in a more relaxed atmosphere as well. Teachers still have to prepare and students must still learn. So just because he may not be at a desk or in a uniform by no means equates to him/her not learning. Being in a familiar environment and comfortable could actually be a plus for the student. My district, CCISD, already has teachers promoting this idea. Cant wait to see them in action. I think it would be a good idea, to begin with, having maybe 2 campuses per level (elementary, middle, and high school) piloting the process and reporting with the outcomes. I would love to be apart of this pilot or community as it expands in CCISD, which is made up of almost 40,000 students and lead by Dr. Greg Smith, who was just named Superintendent of the Year, by Texas Association of School Boards. We have a large student body and our demographics are constantly changing. Adapting to the 21st Century Learner is super important. Having a cell phone in the classroom should be like having a textbook in the earlier teaching days. Straight lecture for a class period should be obsolete. Who can listen to someone talk that long. It's been reported that a student can listen to someone speak (in minutes) equal to the student's age. So, if the student is 13 years old, he/she can listen for 13 minutes and then you know what happens!.....WOW! Imagine that! So what are you doing differently in your classroom!
There are many resources available when it comes to flipping your classroom. You can view Edmodo which has a Flip Share Group, the Flipped Learning Network, and more. There are many ideas to get you started and that truly helps! Don't be afraid to try something new. You won't know if IT works unless YOU work it! Sophia, Khan Academy, pencasts, online projects, are more tools available for your usage in trying out this new concept.
There are blogs about flipping the classroom. There are conferences in references to flipping your classroom. Your administrators know about it and may be willing to assist if you just ask. I did and my principal has spoken to me about this topic with eagerness. Check out the above mentioned resources and more! Maybe you have a technology specialist at your school, seek his/her help! This concept is not just about the teacher, student, and school. Parents are an integral part of it as well because they want to ensure their child is learning. Inquire about districts that have tried this! I'm so ready to begin and see the outcomes with my students! Are you!
Flipping a classroom is the way to go! I see less cost in transportation for the school and the parent. I know there would be more bandwith yet I see a student and teacher in a more relaxed atmosphere as well. Teachers still have to prepare and students must still learn. So just because he may not be at a desk or in a uniform by no means equates to him/her not learning. Being in a familiar environment and comfortable could actually be a plus for the student. My district, CCISD, already has teachers promoting this idea. Cant wait to see them in action. I think it would be a good idea, to begin with, having maybe 2 campuses per level (elementary, middle, and high school) piloting the process and reporting with the outcomes. I would love to be apart of this pilot or community as it expands in CCISD, which is made up of almost 40,000 students and lead by Dr. Greg Smith, who was just named Superintendent of the Year, by Texas Association of School Boards. We have a large student body and our demographics are constantly changing. Adapting to the 21st Century Learner is super important. Having a cell phone in the classroom should be like having a textbook in the earlier teaching days. Straight lecture for a class period should be obsolete. Who can listen to someone talk that long. It's been reported that a student can listen to someone speak (in minutes) equal to the student's age. So, if the student is 13 years old, he/she can listen for 13 minutes and then you know what happens!.....WOW! Imagine that! So what are you doing differently in your classroom!
There are many resources available when it comes to flipping your classroom. You can view Edmodo which has a Flip Share Group, the Flipped Learning Network, and more. There are many ideas to get you started and that truly helps! Don't be afraid to try something new. You won't know if IT works unless YOU work it! Sophia, Khan Academy, pencasts, online projects, are more tools available for your usage in trying out this new concept.
There are blogs about flipping the classroom. There are conferences in references to flipping your classroom. Your administrators know about it and may be willing to assist if you just ask. I did and my principal has spoken to me about this topic with eagerness. Check out the above mentioned resources and more! Maybe you have a technology specialist at your school, seek his/her help! This concept is not just about the teacher, student, and school. Parents are an integral part of it as well because they want to ensure their child is learning. Inquire about districts that have tried this! I'm so ready to begin and see the outcomes with my students! Are you!
Insight Mobi 360
OMG! What a tool! Tired of your student not working in class? Tired of he/she pretending to do some work and the paper is blank? What about the one that does not even have pencil and paper? Have you ever gotten the "deer in headlights" look? Do you have any students that just detest Mathematics? Well, a metamorphosis can occur! I have only been using the Mobi 360 for 2 wks with my 8th Grade Mathematics students and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT ! It is a classroom instruction system that guides instruction and assessment! The Insight 360 will be your American Express card for school. You will not want to teach without it!
When I first used it with my students, they got excited because they saw the "clickers." They love using those remotes to input answers. I love their enthusiasm and I loved that they asked to use it again and not put it away! Every teacher loves this attitude. Well, as I begin to write a practice problem on the Mobi and advise them to evaluate it, I could see them actually making a sincere effort to get the answer. I used to write at the Mimeo, then walk around the room to see who is working. Now, I can write the problem on the Mobi (including word problems) and save time by seeing who's working and how they are progressing as I actually write on the Mobi!. Well, you may say I do that already. Well even if I write on my Mobi at my desk, it tells me the student's name, remote number and whether he/she has the correct answer! So I can say "#12, try again okay!" or" #1 check out your addition", etc. Immediate assessment is my kind of living in a Mathematics classroom.
Additionally, I can get reports to show how the class is doing indicating whether future teaching is needed on that concept or individual tutoring on a particular concept with certain students. I am all about using my time wisely! Performance summaries are AWESOME! I can even show the correct answer in a bar graph and show the other responses enabling me to immediately rectify a mistake being made by a few students. The results are an important tool for teachers!
I can even put a timer on the question which I did initially when I saw a couple of students taking extra time indicating whether or not they were done. It also enhanced my cooperative learning because there was more constructive talking amongst the tables which is peer tutoring at its best! Teachers, say hello to your little friend, the Mobi 360!
There is so much more than can be done with the Mobi 360! It's effortless to set up, has full interactive whiteboard capabilities, gives real time assessments/data, can use with any content, and more. There are simple tutorials to get you started today! I encourage you to check it out as soon as possible and remember, it's all about the 21st Century Learner!
When I first used it with my students, they got excited because they saw the "clickers." They love using those remotes to input answers. I love their enthusiasm and I loved that they asked to use it again and not put it away! Every teacher loves this attitude. Well, as I begin to write a practice problem on the Mobi and advise them to evaluate it, I could see them actually making a sincere effort to get the answer. I used to write at the Mimeo, then walk around the room to see who is working. Now, I can write the problem on the Mobi (including word problems) and save time by seeing who's working and how they are progressing as I actually write on the Mobi!. Well, you may say I do that already. Well even if I write on my Mobi at my desk, it tells me the student's name, remote number and whether he/she has the correct answer! So I can say "#12, try again okay!" or" #1 check out your addition", etc. Immediate assessment is my kind of living in a Mathematics classroom.
Additionally, I can get reports to show how the class is doing indicating whether future teaching is needed on that concept or individual tutoring on a particular concept with certain students. I am all about using my time wisely! Performance summaries are AWESOME! I can even show the correct answer in a bar graph and show the other responses enabling me to immediately rectify a mistake being made by a few students. The results are an important tool for teachers!
I can even put a timer on the question which I did initially when I saw a couple of students taking extra time indicating whether or not they were done. It also enhanced my cooperative learning because there was more constructive talking amongst the tables which is peer tutoring at its best! Teachers, say hello to your little friend, the Mobi 360!
There is so much more than can be done with the Mobi 360! It's effortless to set up, has full interactive whiteboard capabilities, gives real time assessments/data, can use with any content, and more. There are simple tutorials to get you started today! I encourage you to check it out as soon as possible and remember, it's all about the 21st Century Learner!
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