Second Day's the Charm

    So we finally got to talk about local linearity in AP Calc AB this morning - it was much better than talking about a syllabus all day to every student.  AP Calc BC got their "WSQ - How do I do it?" sheet and their first WSQ checklist.  We got to spend the period talking about limits and indeterminate forms, which was even better than local linearity.  One of my students actually came up with another way of attacking a problem - the groups and the flipped classroom are already generating learning!

The Videos are Awesome

     If only the teacher would be more handsome and the content was better, these would be the best videos out there.  The technology and broadcast teams did an impeccable job of filming and editing.  I'm sure that these videos will continue to be better once I get more comfortable in front of the camera.  The first algebra 2 video on permutations and combinations can be seen on YouTube and also on their Edmodo account.  I'm hoping to go back through and make the content in the videos better once the year is underway.

    My idea with the video is to give the students a basic introduction to the concept and give them the fundamentals.  The goal is for each student to come to class with a better understanding than if he or she had not watched the video.  In class, there will certainly be more instruction and activities that will help the students to deepen their understanding of the material - the video is only the surface of the instruction.

    And on this note, I'd like to make a quick statement about Khan Academy.  A number of my colleagues have critiqued my not using this website as a primary source of quality videos.  First, I couldn't agree more that many of these videos are of the utmost quality.  Second, I owe a major debt of gratitude to Salman Khan.  Without his active voice on blended learning and flipped classrooms, I wouldn't write this blog or be attempting this great experiment in learning.  My opinion is that the videos on the website are great for motivated, mature students.  One student in my BC class is already using Khan Academy to learn Calc 3.  But, I don't believe that they are exciting enough for some of my less-motivated students (most videos are just talking and writing) and are not always completely aligned to Virginia state standards.  (Not that talking about other topics is bad, but some less-motivated students can be prone to being unable to differentiate between essential state standard topics and extraneous information.  What I would give to be able to teach without state standards....)  For these reasons, I plan on making many of the videos where I can control the content from the first second to the last.  This will allow the videos to be as short as possible and contain the necessary materials to support in-class activities and problem solving.  It is simply my belief that a video designed by me will, generally, be a better support for my student learning.

Monday starts the Real Deal

    So the videos are being made and uploaded, one by one.  The students have received their checklists, their WSQ how-to's, and their basic expectations.  Students slowly continue to join the class group on Edmodo, but I'm starting to worry about one major issue - how many will show up on Monday and not have seen the first video?  I'm certainly more anxious about my algebra two students than my calculus students, since there are more students in that class who are without internet or computers (4 to 1).  I'm trying to emphasize the "communicate with me" aspect of the flipped classroom, hoping that the communication will reduce the anxiety of both me and my students.
    I think that this new style of learning will take about a month before we start to be proficient at the routine.  I plan to keep the expectations high of students, especially in the area of procedure, in this first unit.  Then, the remaining units, after we are more comfortable with the flipped classroom, will have equally high expectations in both areas of procedure and academics.  Almost every student was excited the first day about the flipped classroom - how will they walk the walk now that something is expected of them?