TO FLIP OR NOT TO FLIP...THAT IS THE QUESTION

I was never quite sure if flipping my math class was the right avenue for me. I’ve seen both pros and cons to the arrangement, but initially felt it may feel too disconnected. However, the more I got comfortable with using EdPuzzle as a tech station in my class, the more I started to see potential to flip the room, but in my own way.

I teach two 80 minute math class blocks (same lesson to two different classes) and the class is structured with the station rotation model (four groups based on ability drawn from a pretest; the stations are: Teacher Table, At Your Seat, Hands On or Spiral Review, Tech). Before switching to the flipped model, I would do a warm-up activity, teach a mini-lesson to the whole group (which usually ran longer than I liked and then I had to cut down small group time), then we’d move into rotations of about 10 minutes each. We’d close with a summarizing strategy. I wanted more time to work with small groups, especially those groups who were struggling not only with new skills, but had some gaps that needed filled from prior lessons.

I decided to give a somewhat flipped model a try. I created a new game plan. Students arrive to class and grab a Chromebook. They log onto our Google classroom which has a direct link to the day’s video (usually Khan Academy via EdPuzzle). This gives them a preview of what today’s lesson is about in roughly a 5 minute time block. I have an activity for students to practice the skills while other students are finishing watching the video. Once I see everyone is done, we move into our rotation time. My lowest group (group 4) meets with me first so I can teach the lesson and work with them closely, group 3 does a hands on or spiral review activity, group 2 is on Chromebooks working on their learning path (individualized skills) or another app (discussed further below), and group 1 (top group) is trying the new skill without my help.

I am now able to meet with groups for 15-20 minutes depending on their need! Once I feel they have secured the skill, they are able to leave my table and start practicing on the ‘At Their Seat’ work (differentiated), and then the next group rotates to me and so on. The only group that works on practicing the new skill without meeting with me first is the top group. They check in with me before leaving so I can insure they understand.

The tech station is another great tool in my rotation. I utilize this in various ways. Some days they are working on a student-guided Nearpod lesson (either on past skills they need to practice or practice in the new skill), math games that touch on recent skills, working on their learning path via Edmentum, creating a tutorial video or answering a question from past skills on FlipGrid, or other apps to demonstrate knowledge and give me some quick assessments to help me plan for their groups for the next day.

A true flipped model has students watching their lesson at home before coming to school. However, this approach does not work well with my class. Many lack availability at home, a few have jam-packed sports schedules that would set them up for failure, and quite honestly, I like using the preview feature as an activating strategy.

The results have been remarkable. I can honestly say I know where every student is with each skill. I know who needs more practice and at what, I know who needs enrichment and challenged at a higher level, and I am building stronger relationships with smaller groups that meet for longer times. I’ve watched my math scores rise, I’ve seen my students be more confident because they are not lost in a crowd of their peers. And now my students have a full bank of videos to use at any time to review skills.

As with most things, it’s finding what works best for you and your students. I have found this approach to be the most time efficient and academically/socially effective for our room. If you try this out, drop me a line or find me on Twitter (@amberattheshift) and let me know your thoughts!

Happy teaching,

Amber