For the first unit (which we just finished last week), we did most of the videos together, so my students could see exactly what I was looking for in their WSQ's. Not sure what a WSQ is? Here's the video my cohort & I put together explaining it.
So here's the gist of how my math block runs:
Before Class
Watch assigned video & complete WSQ
In Class
5 minutes
Them: Set a goal for what they want to accomplish during the math session
Me: Check in with everyone
15 minutes
Them: Discussion of assigned problems from videos and guiding questions...my discussions follow the "math circles" discussions I talked about here.
Me: Monitor discussions and check in once groups are ready to go over the guiding question. Once they finish their discussion I mark the date on my handy-dandy WSQ spreadsheet (basically it has their names down the side, & the learning goal across the top)
20-30 minutes
Them: Complete assigned practice problems (these are the old "homework" problems) and check answers with the answer key.
Me: Meet with students that need help. During this time I am constantly moving around the classroom.
10 minutes
Them: Take a quiz on the topic
Me: Quickly grade quizzes so students get immediate feedback. When they pass their quizzes I highlight next to their name on my WSQ sheet in green. If they don't pass their quiz, I highlight in pink. The students who don't pass their quiz the first time go back to the practice problems & work through some more of the ones I hadn't assigned.
Last 15 minutes
Them: Work on Xtramath, followed by short inquiry via iPad apps
Me: Monitor Xtramath & assist with inquiries
A couple of notes:
- If students have not watched the video from the night before, that is the first thing they must do when they get to class.
- Math Discussions take some time to set up & get running smoothly
- Although grading quizzes seems like it would take a lot of time, I find it is also a great time to do some trouble shooting if a child is getting some wrong
- When I say that I am constantly moving during math, I'm not kidding! I should wear a pedometer some time & see how much I move.
- Many students work faster than the pace I have posted here, that allows them time to get a head start on the next night's video
- YES, I have a 75 minute chunk of time for math...that is because at the end of every unit the students do a multi-week writing project to go along with every unit. We (my grade level partner & I) are not teaching writing as a stand alone subject anymore, instead their writing is being graded during math, reading, science and social studies...I should probably post more about that later.
- My students use Xtramath everyday for 5 minutes to improve math facts fluency
- I'm still working on the inquiry piece of my day. My goal is that for the last 10 minutes the students get to explore some hands-on, or virtual applications of the upcoming learning goal. I read an article this summer (and for the life of me I can't find it) that shows that having an inquiry BEFORE learning the material improves comprehension once the material is learned. That's become one of my goals, finding inquiries that will go with the different learning goals of the units...it's an on-going process.
So there you have it, my math block in a nutshell. Hopefully this has been beneficial for those of you just starting out on your flipped classroom journey.
