EdCampDallas-Flipped Session

Flipped Classroom with Shea Regian Forney ISD

I attended this session at EdCampDallas to learn more about the Flipped Classroom.

Homework has never been the same.  With a flipped classroom, students learn the basics and mechanics at home and do the work/practice/projects in class.  Shea shared her experience and how the flipped classroom works in her 8th grade math classes.

She recommends using whatever technology you have to create the tutorials, Promethean or SMART Recorder, computer webcam, document camera, iPad (camera, Educreations, Explain Everything), or screen cast tool.  Shea uses One-Note to get the job done.

She explained that when she first began creating her videos she was a “talking head” and it would take her 30 minutes to create a video because she was looking for perfection.  Now, creating the video takes a few minutes and she doesn’t worry about perfection because making mistakes and correcting them is a part of a regular classroom. Some teachers in the group commented that they give extra points to students who catch a mistake while watching a flipped lesson for homework.  Shea is no longer a talking head anymore, she uses the sheets with examples and works them out during the flipped lesson.

What it looks like in Shea’s Room

Day 1-

(In Class) Students don’t get a choice. She tells the class that homework is not an option.  On the first day of the unit, she spends class time with the name of the unit, asking students what it sounds like to them, includes informal and formal language, and spends time talking about vocabulary.  When they go home, they spend 3-6 minutes watching the basics.  She always uses the terminology and vocabulary in her videos and in class.  Students are required to take good notes while they watch the flipped lesson.

Day 2- 

(Class time)- Shea spends time giving her explanation, appling the algebra to the real world and how students will use it in algebra II and geometry.  She also takes time to teach students how to take notes for homework.  Students know what she expects to see.

Review Night- These are the longest videos.  She usually will film 4 to 6 videos for the review.  If the class does the review, they get a free question on the test.

What if you have problems?

Shea says it's okay to revert back to the old way if something goes wrong.  Things will happen. It could be a bad storm and the internet is out for the entire neighborhood.  It’s okay to do it the old way for a day.

Students didn't do their homework? It's not an option.  They will do their homework. Her room is open at 7:45 in the morning and for a time period after school for students to come in and complete their homework. Students can go to the library and complete it there or even use their personal mobile devices.  Shea knows who completed homework by completing a quick walk while students have their notebooks open on the desks.  She checks them first thing. If the notes are good, they move on to the lesson.  If the notes are not good enough or have none, they go to the back of the room to complete it.  The computers students can use in class are slow and the chairs are uncomfortable.  Shea doesn’t try to create a perfect situation for them.  She mentioned that there was only one situation where a student proved she didn’t have a way to complete homework at home, before or after school.  Shea worked with her and a few of her teachers to allow her to leave a class a few minutes early to come sit in the back of the room to complete it daily. 

Grading

Homework is 10% of the grade.  If students do it, they get a 100.  If they complete it outside of the notebook it's a 90 until they cut it out and glue it in.  Students who didn't complete the homework before class can earn a 70 once it is complete.