I have been a bit delinquent lately, like some of my students, about keeping up with my blog. I have so many thought, ideas, and frustrations floating around in my head, but I have so many things going on at school and at home, I barely have a moment to sit down and reflect right now.
So here are some thoughts, in no particular order, that just need to get out of my head. Writing gets them out of my head so I can move on...
1. I am not signing up to do an overloaded schedule ever again. Ok, I say that today, but last week I agreed to do an overload next year, but it is opposite an underloaded quarter, so I feel like that is different. Last quarter was an overload and so is this one and this teacher just needs a prep hour to sit down and think for a few minutes. I want to be a great educator, but right now, I feel like I am spread way to thin to be great. I am doing my job and I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances, but I am far from doing what my best would be if I weren't spread so thin.
2. I love computer programming and I think it's the best way to teach students to love logic, computers, and a little bit of math on the side. It's the most applicable class that I have ever taught and I love that it is an opportunity to teach students a skill in the most hands on way possible and they dive in and are amazed at what they learn. The 9 week course is a whirlwind and at the end they are able to look back and actually see some awesome progress. This is the bright spot in my overloaded day.
3. Grad school. I am loving the challenge that it is bringing me. It's been timed very well and I have reached a point in my career and life where I need to reflect and analyze carefully and grad school has filled that need for me nicely. Yes, it's a lot of work. Yes, it's one more thing in my busy schedule. But, I have found an outlet for my educational needs as a teacher. I am diggin' it.
4. I am not a high schooler anymore, but when I was, I was just as immature, annoying, and clueless as the ones that I teach every day. Now, I should say, not all of them fit into all or any of these categories, but there are some that I see each day that sometimes fit all three. They are my great challenges. I love my students, every single one of them. I want to see them all succeed, but man oh man, can they be annoying sometimes. I have found myself thinking back on my own high school days and remembering being similar on some occasions; it's helped to remind me that someday they too will outgrow this stage in their life. They need experience and guidance (from me and others) to help them through this tricky time in life.
5. I love it outside. That has nothing to do with math, but if anyone else has been here for the winter, they know. This winter was brutal and it feels so good to finally be outside. And just like my students, that makes me want to be in the classroom less and outside more....which can make for some tricky days finding motivation both for myself and for my students. Spring is here.
6. Today I received one of the best complements from a student....we were discussing some of my 'nerds.' I can call them nerds, because they say it's OK and because I am one of them, and I was referred to as "Queen of the Nerds" because I take the math and computer students to contests and do such nerdy things. But that wasn't even the best part....this student said, "She's queen of the nerds, but it's cool because she does it with style." Meant a lot to me because I try my hardest to make math and computer programming look fun, cool, exciting and to have a student notice that it just might be cool was great. Now, this was coming from one of my said 'nerds' but I am still going to count it.
7. I am full of great pride right now because I took a team last week to a programming competition, our first one ever at my school, and we came home with the first place plaque. It was awesome. I have taught these students since they were in 7th grade math, and I have always known they were gifted in math and computer and to guide them through this programming journey (which they did all on their own, I was just there to remind them to stay on track) has been awesome. To have them capture first place at our first programming competition was icing on the cake. I was bursting with pride and still am today. I am thrilled that their hard work was recognized. I am also thrilled that they are only juniors and I get to spend another year with them learning and growing.
8. I am blessed to have the job I have. It felt good to get all of that out of my head. And I know that it started out negative, but wow, it helped to see the blessings and all the great things that are part of my every day life. My head feels calmer now and my heart is happy. Even though this is my math blog, sometimes it's going to have to act as my reflection blog. What a great exercise for me; I feel strong again and ready to take on the rest of this week. Ahhhh....10 pounds lighter.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
Quarter End
The quarter has ended, the halls are quiet. Everyone is off to spring break.
This was one of the most peaceful end of quarters I have had in a very long time. I must give myself a little credit, but my students deserve some as well.
I had an overload this quarter, which means I got to teach all four blocks in our block schedule, each one was a different prep, so that was an adventure. I survived it. It was a lot of work, especially early on, but I laid out my expectations, took out the busy work (for myself and my students) and learning seems to have taken place.
The biggest change that has worked for me:
I know I've said it 100 times, but getting rid of daily homework being graded has been the most liberating part of my teaching career. That sounds a bit dramatic, but seriously, grading is my least favorite part of my job and grading busy work ranks even lower than that. The way homework was being used in my class was wasteful and not purposeful.
Today I surveyed my algebra 2 students and the most interesting responses were on the homework policy change. Many students said just what I was expecting they would experience. Here are some direct quotes from my awesome students' responses to the question "Did the homework policy help or hurt your performance in the class?":
"I think it helped because I didn't feel the stress to get it done, so I could soak in the information better."
"I like it but it defiantly hurt me because I didn't do it. But then again I probably wouldn't have done it anyway."
"Helped I think. Because otherwise I'd probably have a lot of wrong answers on my assignments, and that'd have hurt my grade a lot."
"I think it helped me. It made me take responsibility for myself and my grade."
"I think it helped my performance because I was more comfortable to self-learn and think through things."
"It helped it because if I didn't have time because of work I wasn't to worried as long as I knew how to do it, and I did majority of the time."
"I think it helped me because when we corrected our homework I had to fix my mistakes by myself and I knew what I got wrong."
I think for the most part, much of what they said was what I expected they would say. There were only a couple that said they don't think it's fair that they don't get points for doing the homework or that the points 'save' their grade because they don't do well on tests. To those students, I think they need to pay more attention in math class-especially in most math classes that only give 10% of the grade to the homework. Homework won't save you if you are bombing every single test. They just like that security blanket, I get it.
Ahh. I feel good. I am thrilled to embark on a new quarter with a new philosophy that I truly believe in. There are still things I need to work on to make it better yet. I still need to keep on top of my reflection support for the students; I want to keep the reflection meaningful and important to the learning experience. I also need to continue to work on finding more awesome activities and experiences for the students to better learn the material. It will never be perfect, but I sure do feel like I have made a big step this year.
Bonus: I didn't have to hear the pleading students that want to turn in 9 week late work for .04% added to an already low grade.
This was one of the most peaceful end of quarters I have had in a very long time. I must give myself a little credit, but my students deserve some as well.
I had an overload this quarter, which means I got to teach all four blocks in our block schedule, each one was a different prep, so that was an adventure. I survived it. It was a lot of work, especially early on, but I laid out my expectations, took out the busy work (for myself and my students) and learning seems to have taken place.
The biggest change that has worked for me:
I know I've said it 100 times, but getting rid of daily homework being graded has been the most liberating part of my teaching career. That sounds a bit dramatic, but seriously, grading is my least favorite part of my job and grading busy work ranks even lower than that. The way homework was being used in my class was wasteful and not purposeful.
Today I surveyed my algebra 2 students and the most interesting responses were on the homework policy change. Many students said just what I was expecting they would experience. Here are some direct quotes from my awesome students' responses to the question "Did the homework policy help or hurt your performance in the class?":
"I think it helped because I didn't feel the stress to get it done, so I could soak in the information better."
"I like it but it defiantly hurt me because I didn't do it. But then again I probably wouldn't have done it anyway."
"Helped I think. Because otherwise I'd probably have a lot of wrong answers on my assignments, and that'd have hurt my grade a lot."
"I think it helped me. It made me take responsibility for myself and my grade."
"I think it helped my performance because I was more comfortable to self-learn and think through things."
"It helped it because if I didn't have time because of work I wasn't to worried as long as I knew how to do it, and I did majority of the time."
"I think it helped me because when we corrected our homework I had to fix my mistakes by myself and I knew what I got wrong."
I think for the most part, much of what they said was what I expected they would say. There were only a couple that said they don't think it's fair that they don't get points for doing the homework or that the points 'save' their grade because they don't do well on tests. To those students, I think they need to pay more attention in math class-especially in most math classes that only give 10% of the grade to the homework. Homework won't save you if you are bombing every single test. They just like that security blanket, I get it.
Ahh. I feel good. I am thrilled to embark on a new quarter with a new philosophy that I truly believe in. There are still things I need to work on to make it better yet. I still need to keep on top of my reflection support for the students; I want to keep the reflection meaningful and important to the learning experience. I also need to continue to work on finding more awesome activities and experiences for the students to better learn the material. It will never be perfect, but I sure do feel like I have made a big step this year.
Bonus: I didn't have to hear the pleading students that want to turn in 9 week late work for .04% added to an already low grade.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Homework
The end of my first quarter with a new homework policy is almost here. I used my Algebra 2 class as a nice little experiment and although I may have changed too many variables to determine what had the biggest impact, I do know that I will never go back to grading homework.
My new policy was to not assign points to the homework. Rather than do the homework to get points by the date that that homework is scheduled to be due, my students were doing the homework to learn the material. Novel idea, I know.
I know I'm not the first person in the world to ever think of this idea or implement it, but I think I am the first in my department in my own building to break from the homework mold. I feel free. I feel empowered and I know that my students felt empowered, after they got over feeling lost and unsure.
It was not the most easy transition and we are still in transition as we move into the second half of the semester. Some of my students, many who are freshmen and sometimes not the most mature group, took this new "freedom" and then had to suffer the consequences when that summative assessment came around. However, after 3 rounds of this process, I feel that my students are making progress. Through my surveys with my students, I am finding that they appreciate being given the responsibility for their own learning, for the most part. Many students appreciate that they can do the practice at a time that is convenient to them and that they know the end goal.
I did have some students who said they don't think it's fair because not everyone is doing the homework that I suggest and they think that those students should be 'punished' for not doing the work. I found it interesting that the students who didn't like the policy, didn't like it because of the actions of their peers, not necessarily their own actions.
Only a few students (2 or less) preferred the homework to be given points because otherwise they have a hard time finding the motivation.
I feel that another of my new changes has done well to support all of these students and their viewpoints. I have chatted with students about these concerns and tried to help them see the benefits to themselves through this new policy.
I have had many points of contact with each student, some have been conversations with students in person, through their blogs, through class discussions (in person or digitally) or information that I have gathered through surveys. Students have spent a lot of time this quarter analyzing their own work habits and understanding. They have checked in digitally with me at least once a week with an update on their learning (of course I am also checking in with them informally in class) and they had a few other ways that they were checking in on understanding so I could drive where our class would go next on our road to learning and understanding....not the road to doing a bunch of homework problems for a free 5 points if they are done on time, which could be from copying your friend's paper and not getting caught.
Homework has always been a point of contention for me. I don't love assigning a lot of it and I don't like to give students points for it. I never have and I feel so liberated to finally cut it out of my life. Now, that doesn't mean students shouldn't have time they need to study at home; students do not all have the same needs when it comes to studying. I do not want to give problems to students who don't need them or give too much to students who are going to struggle all night long. I want students to work on things they know they need to work on. I want students to know those things they need to practice. Through reflection and constant check ins my students have been more aware of themselves and their understanding this semester than ever before. I have focused on using my class time for the extra practice that the students need, we work together on learning, reviewing and practicing the material at least 70 of the 90 minutes each day. The other 20 minutes are spent on individual practice time and meaningful reflection.
Looking ahead to this upcoming week which is typically littered with students handing in 5 point assignments from the beginning of the quarter in hopes of raising their grade significantly and then being disappointed when it barely moves it up 0.04%, I am thrilled that I will NOT be experiencing this ever again. My students have been learning, not hoop jumping and point gathering. I am free. My students are free.
My new policy was to not assign points to the homework. Rather than do the homework to get points by the date that that homework is scheduled to be due, my students were doing the homework to learn the material. Novel idea, I know.
I know I'm not the first person in the world to ever think of this idea or implement it, but I think I am the first in my department in my own building to break from the homework mold. I feel free. I feel empowered and I know that my students felt empowered, after they got over feeling lost and unsure.
It was not the most easy transition and we are still in transition as we move into the second half of the semester. Some of my students, many who are freshmen and sometimes not the most mature group, took this new "freedom" and then had to suffer the consequences when that summative assessment came around. However, after 3 rounds of this process, I feel that my students are making progress. Through my surveys with my students, I am finding that they appreciate being given the responsibility for their own learning, for the most part. Many students appreciate that they can do the practice at a time that is convenient to them and that they know the end goal.
I did have some students who said they don't think it's fair because not everyone is doing the homework that I suggest and they think that those students should be 'punished' for not doing the work. I found it interesting that the students who didn't like the policy, didn't like it because of the actions of their peers, not necessarily their own actions.
Only a few students (2 or less) preferred the homework to be given points because otherwise they have a hard time finding the motivation.
I feel that another of my new changes has done well to support all of these students and their viewpoints. I have chatted with students about these concerns and tried to help them see the benefits to themselves through this new policy.
I have had many points of contact with each student, some have been conversations with students in person, through their blogs, through class discussions (in person or digitally) or information that I have gathered through surveys. Students have spent a lot of time this quarter analyzing their own work habits and understanding. They have checked in digitally with me at least once a week with an update on their learning (of course I am also checking in with them informally in class) and they had a few other ways that they were checking in on understanding so I could drive where our class would go next on our road to learning and understanding....not the road to doing a bunch of homework problems for a free 5 points if they are done on time, which could be from copying your friend's paper and not getting caught.
Homework has always been a point of contention for me. I don't love assigning a lot of it and I don't like to give students points for it. I never have and I feel so liberated to finally cut it out of my life. Now, that doesn't mean students shouldn't have time they need to study at home; students do not all have the same needs when it comes to studying. I do not want to give problems to students who don't need them or give too much to students who are going to struggle all night long. I want students to work on things they know they need to work on. I want students to know those things they need to practice. Through reflection and constant check ins my students have been more aware of themselves and their understanding this semester than ever before. I have focused on using my class time for the extra practice that the students need, we work together on learning, reviewing and practicing the material at least 70 of the 90 minutes each day. The other 20 minutes are spent on individual practice time and meaningful reflection.
Looking ahead to this upcoming week which is typically littered with students handing in 5 point assignments from the beginning of the quarter in hopes of raising their grade significantly and then being disappointed when it barely moves it up 0.04%, I am thrilled that I will NOT be experiencing this ever again. My students have been learning, not hoop jumping and point gathering. I am free. My students are free.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
√(-1) ≤3 MATH
I have seen this a time or two and it's painful.
It's painful for a number of reasons besides the fact that I can't wear it because I use Algebra every day of my life.
Here's a few reasons I can think of right off:
1. This gives math a bad name, especially algebra.
2. People don't understand algebra enough to know if/when they are even using it, which makes me think that the way we teach algebra is not in the best way to help all people understand how it can be used.
3. People don't know how different their life would be without algebra: the problems that couldn't be solved, the patterns that wouldn't have been discovered, the fun that they could be having.
4. Some topics in algebra that are being taught to students are not applicable to most people's everyday life, but we continue to drag everyone through the mud causing them to have such a distaste for math.
5. This anti-math advertising turns people off to math; just like when I have parents come to conferences to say they were bad at math so their student/child will be too.
My new t-shirt idea:
√(-1) woke up ≈ 2 hours ago have already used algebra 4π.
I <3 math.
∞
Thanks Jen for a blog topic today :)
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Flipping Math
This article was sent to me today and I thought it was a good read that got me thinking.
I have been on a bit of a flipping journey since 2012 when my district went to 1-to-1 iPads for all students. As I sometimes do, I dove head first into the world of flipping. Even though there are some things that I really take my time and think about, there are others that I just dive into...this was one of them. I decided I was going to flip my Algebra 2 class. I found so many resources that had suggestions and ideas and it just seemed new and refreshing. I think to reiterate what I've said before, I'm always looking for new ways for students to learn math; I was hopeful this would be a great option.
My perspective on flipping has definitely shifted and changed over the past two years.
I flipped for a while and then I ran into some of the same frustrations that I had before flipping. Students weren't watching the videos (previously they weren't doing their homework), students had to be retaught many of the lessons in class the next day, students were not understanding any more or less than previously. I was putting in a lot of extra work to create videos and then spending about the same amount of time creating activities in class that were reteaching. I didn't feel like we were saving any time or learning any more deeply than previously.
At first I thought the problem was that the students weren't watching the videos. But more recently I'm coming to the realization that even my students who were watching the videos weren't getting as much out of them as they could have had I done what I have done in class for the last few years. Now, not to say my classroom is an amazing, engaging, thrilling place to learn math...but I like to think it's a little more interesting than sitting in your bedroom listening to your teacher talk at you about math. I don't lecture; I usually don't say more than 3 sentences before a question to my students is interjected and a discussion takes place. (I think it should be even less than 3 sentences, I'm working on that.) I try to create a math dialogue. Now, again, it's not perfect, but I try to pull the students in, ask lots of questions, engage them on finding patterns, trying things on their calculators. My students tell me they learn best by doing, so I try to give them that opportunity to learn by doing. Sometimes they have to be reminded that they need to 'do' in order to learn, but I usually have a large number of students participating...I don't know that you can always get 100%....but I do try.
Basically, I have found that flipping is good for a few things, but not for introducing new material in math...or at least it doesn't work for me. Flipping is good for review material. I have students who do like to have the videos to re-watch as review after we have had class discussions and practice together. The videos serve as a refresher for them. Flipping is also good for simple concepts that students need to bring back to the front of their minds; things they learned or had been exposed to in previous courses.
I think the best form of flipping I have experienced has been to have the students flip their assignments. Rather than turn in a worksheet full of problems, they can turn in a video explaining the work that they completed. These videos help the students really truly learn and understand the material in a way they may have not previously.
Flipping may work for some people. I think it depends on your teaching style and your students. My style is to be engaged with the students in conversation. This is how I build relationships with my students and let my students see my personality and it's an opportunity for me to model problem solving, risk taking, and mistake making (lots get made when I'm talking and writing at the same time).
I am all for new technology. I LOVE technology. But I'm not completely sold that flipping works the best for me and my classroom.
I have been on a bit of a flipping journey since 2012 when my district went to 1-to-1 iPads for all students. As I sometimes do, I dove head first into the world of flipping. Even though there are some things that I really take my time and think about, there are others that I just dive into...this was one of them. I decided I was going to flip my Algebra 2 class. I found so many resources that had suggestions and ideas and it just seemed new and refreshing. I think to reiterate what I've said before, I'm always looking for new ways for students to learn math; I was hopeful this would be a great option.
My perspective on flipping has definitely shifted and changed over the past two years.
I flipped for a while and then I ran into some of the same frustrations that I had before flipping. Students weren't watching the videos (previously they weren't doing their homework), students had to be retaught many of the lessons in class the next day, students were not understanding any more or less than previously. I was putting in a lot of extra work to create videos and then spending about the same amount of time creating activities in class that were reteaching. I didn't feel like we were saving any time or learning any more deeply than previously.
At first I thought the problem was that the students weren't watching the videos. But more recently I'm coming to the realization that even my students who were watching the videos weren't getting as much out of them as they could have had I done what I have done in class for the last few years. Now, not to say my classroom is an amazing, engaging, thrilling place to learn math...but I like to think it's a little more interesting than sitting in your bedroom listening to your teacher talk at you about math. I don't lecture; I usually don't say more than 3 sentences before a question to my students is interjected and a discussion takes place. (I think it should be even less than 3 sentences, I'm working on that.) I try to create a math dialogue. Now, again, it's not perfect, but I try to pull the students in, ask lots of questions, engage them on finding patterns, trying things on their calculators. My students tell me they learn best by doing, so I try to give them that opportunity to learn by doing. Sometimes they have to be reminded that they need to 'do' in order to learn, but I usually have a large number of students participating...I don't know that you can always get 100%....but I do try.
Basically, I have found that flipping is good for a few things, but not for introducing new material in math...or at least it doesn't work for me. Flipping is good for review material. I have students who do like to have the videos to re-watch as review after we have had class discussions and practice together. The videos serve as a refresher for them. Flipping is also good for simple concepts that students need to bring back to the front of their minds; things they learned or had been exposed to in previous courses.
I think the best form of flipping I have experienced has been to have the students flip their assignments. Rather than turn in a worksheet full of problems, they can turn in a video explaining the work that they completed. These videos help the students really truly learn and understand the material in a way they may have not previously.
Flipping may work for some people. I think it depends on your teaching style and your students. My style is to be engaged with the students in conversation. This is how I build relationships with my students and let my students see my personality and it's an opportunity for me to model problem solving, risk taking, and mistake making (lots get made when I'm talking and writing at the same time).
I am all for new technology. I LOVE technology. But I'm not completely sold that flipping works the best for me and my classroom.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Makeover
A dear friend and colleague sent me this great Ted talk today. I have seen this guy's blog before and he has some great stuff, but this talk spoke to me even more today.
Math curriculum does need a makeover. I have been feeling this more and more each year of my teaching, but I have been especially aware of my own doubts of what we are teaching in the past few years. I question what I am told to teach, how I am teaching it, and why I am teaching it. I learned through this curriculum and still managed to find the fun in math, but perhaps I'm one of the few; perhaps we could get more engaged and excited about math and problem solving if we show them the light.
I LOVE his opening statements about selling a product to a room full of students who do not want it. I love my product. I love math. I love solving problems. But wow, it's hard to sell it to my students when it seems so irrelevant and useless at times. I do find that they are conditioned to be bored in math class. They show up wanting to just get this whole thing over with. "Fill my bucket and I will spill it out on some test and I'll be on my way," they say. I am done filling buckets. I don't want the contents of your bucket back. You keep them dear student of mine.
I have been straying from the traditional teaching methods for a while now. Now, I am far from non-traditional because I feel there are still some things that are holding me back, but I try, I really do, to help students see and truly understand the concepts we are asked to teach them. I have been working to tear apart the curriculum I have been given to group like concepts, to allow students to look for an identify patterns, instead of me just 'telling' them. I search for problems and activities that will help students understand and engage, but sometimes it takes some convincing to get the students to dive in. They need to be unconditioned to getting their bucket filled and find it in themselves to seek out and discover. My job is to set up opportunities for them to engage and seek.
I agree 100% with the speaker in that what the law says we have to teach is not adequate, but at this point, that is still the law/tested. So, I try my best to weave in my own style and love of math to help the students hopefully see and be pulled into the awesome world of mathematics.
It's great to be a math teacher right now. He's correct in that. We have such a great opportunity to change and shape mathematics education into something more than a textbook full of formulas and computations to be completed.
This year I was given the opportunity to teach a college algebra class. But this isn't just an ordinary college algebra class, it's a mathematical modeling class where my students are given problems that they create their own solutions to through their own research and mathematical understanding. It has really challenged my students. Some students love creating models and some are still struggling with it; however, I feel that all of my students in the class have become better at problem solving and seeking out information when something is missing. The problems have been rich with possibility for learning and it has been beautiful to see the growth in the students.
One step at a time. I have continued each year to implement something new, something to draw students in, something to better help students understand, something to better challenge students. I want to be a part of this change.
Math curriculum does need a makeover. I have been feeling this more and more each year of my teaching, but I have been especially aware of my own doubts of what we are teaching in the past few years. I question what I am told to teach, how I am teaching it, and why I am teaching it. I learned through this curriculum and still managed to find the fun in math, but perhaps I'm one of the few; perhaps we could get more engaged and excited about math and problem solving if we show them the light.
I LOVE his opening statements about selling a product to a room full of students who do not want it. I love my product. I love math. I love solving problems. But wow, it's hard to sell it to my students when it seems so irrelevant and useless at times. I do find that they are conditioned to be bored in math class. They show up wanting to just get this whole thing over with. "Fill my bucket and I will spill it out on some test and I'll be on my way," they say. I am done filling buckets. I don't want the contents of your bucket back. You keep them dear student of mine.
I have been straying from the traditional teaching methods for a while now. Now, I am far from non-traditional because I feel there are still some things that are holding me back, but I try, I really do, to help students see and truly understand the concepts we are asked to teach them. I have been working to tear apart the curriculum I have been given to group like concepts, to allow students to look for an identify patterns, instead of me just 'telling' them. I search for problems and activities that will help students understand and engage, but sometimes it takes some convincing to get the students to dive in. They need to be unconditioned to getting their bucket filled and find it in themselves to seek out and discover. My job is to set up opportunities for them to engage and seek.
I agree 100% with the speaker in that what the law says we have to teach is not adequate, but at this point, that is still the law/tested. So, I try my best to weave in my own style and love of math to help the students hopefully see and be pulled into the awesome world of mathematics.
It's great to be a math teacher right now. He's correct in that. We have such a great opportunity to change and shape mathematics education into something more than a textbook full of formulas and computations to be completed.
This year I was given the opportunity to teach a college algebra class. But this isn't just an ordinary college algebra class, it's a mathematical modeling class where my students are given problems that they create their own solutions to through their own research and mathematical understanding. It has really challenged my students. Some students love creating models and some are still struggling with it; however, I feel that all of my students in the class have become better at problem solving and seeking out information when something is missing. The problems have been rich with possibility for learning and it has been beautiful to see the growth in the students.
One step at a time. I have continued each year to implement something new, something to draw students in, something to better help students understand, something to better challenge students. I want to be a part of this change.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Unit One Done
This week my algebra class took the end of unit assessment on functions to end our first complete unit of the semester. I was very interested to see how my students would do with the new homework policy I implemented, along with the self-assessment they have been doing with their blogs.
I was pretty impressed with the end result. Right now, in my class of 37 all students the average was 41.6/50 on the test whereas first semester the average was 40.8/50 in one class and 41.2/50 in another class. Now, I realize that these averages are pretty consistent, only a little higher this semester, but the BIG thing I have noticed is the lack of failing students in my grade book. Not one student is currently failing my class. I cannot say that was the case at this point last semester due to all the missing assignments. Right now, I feel that taking away the 'requirement' and due date for daily homework has made homework more useful. Putting a deadline on homework, puts a different meaning on homework for the students. Homework becomes something they have to do, not a tool to learn content. Writing in their blog everyday has become a check in for these students to put into words for themselves what they have or have not been doing.
Many students have still been completing the practice problems each day, and used them as evidence for showing they are ready to take the test. Showing students that learning is my ultimate goal for them, not assigning them hundreds of points and just making them do things they may or may not need to spend their time doing. Having me put a zero in the grade book to tell them they didn't do something had very little affect on most students. Students writing in their blogs, "I haven't done anything to prepare" internalizes the lack of work and the blame is coming from themselves.
I am LOVING this new system for homework.
As for the blogging, I am still trying to figure it out completely. Getting quality posts is difficult, and I need to do a better job of modeling exactly what I want the posts to be...but sometimes I'm not 100% sure what I want the posts to look like. I have been using their posts as quick checks (formative assessment) to know where the students are after each lesson and as we progress through the units. My favorite posts are the feedback posts where they have been reflecting on the new system and how it's working for them as a learner. They are very honest, and having a class of 37, it's been a great way for me to quickly get to know the students, their names, and where they stand as far as math and my class. I feel like I know more about this huge class of 37 than I have this early in a quarter ever before about a group of students.
The feedback has been pretty positive thus far, I even had one student say he really didn't enjoy the blog at first, but has warmed up to the idea and that it seems to be helping him stay on top of his work better than previously.
It's an adventure. I'm only one unit in. We're still moving forward, I have these students trained in the blogging and we're going to keep working on it and improving the blogging system. As for the homework system, I am NEVER going back. All future math classes will be reorganized to be the same. It's such a stress off of me, off of the students and it makes the homework meaningful, there is a new purpose, not just completion but actual learning....what a concept!
Boo to those who say, "If you don't assign it, they won't do it." They will, if you make it meaningful and give them a purpose. Requiring my students to create a portfolio of evidence before testing is a pretty good purpose. We all win; we all learn.
Here's hoping that this awesome journey continues to show great results.
I was pretty impressed with the end result. Right now, in my class of 37 all students the average was 41.6/50 on the test whereas first semester the average was 40.8/50 in one class and 41.2/50 in another class. Now, I realize that these averages are pretty consistent, only a little higher this semester, but the BIG thing I have noticed is the lack of failing students in my grade book. Not one student is currently failing my class. I cannot say that was the case at this point last semester due to all the missing assignments. Right now, I feel that taking away the 'requirement' and due date for daily homework has made homework more useful. Putting a deadline on homework, puts a different meaning on homework for the students. Homework becomes something they have to do, not a tool to learn content. Writing in their blog everyday has become a check in for these students to put into words for themselves what they have or have not been doing.
Many students have still been completing the practice problems each day, and used them as evidence for showing they are ready to take the test. Showing students that learning is my ultimate goal for them, not assigning them hundreds of points and just making them do things they may or may not need to spend their time doing. Having me put a zero in the grade book to tell them they didn't do something had very little affect on most students. Students writing in their blogs, "I haven't done anything to prepare" internalizes the lack of work and the blame is coming from themselves.
I am LOVING this new system for homework.
As for the blogging, I am still trying to figure it out completely. Getting quality posts is difficult, and I need to do a better job of modeling exactly what I want the posts to be...but sometimes I'm not 100% sure what I want the posts to look like. I have been using their posts as quick checks (formative assessment) to know where the students are after each lesson and as we progress through the units. My favorite posts are the feedback posts where they have been reflecting on the new system and how it's working for them as a learner. They are very honest, and having a class of 37, it's been a great way for me to quickly get to know the students, their names, and where they stand as far as math and my class. I feel like I know more about this huge class of 37 than I have this early in a quarter ever before about a group of students.
The feedback has been pretty positive thus far, I even had one student say he really didn't enjoy the blog at first, but has warmed up to the idea and that it seems to be helping him stay on top of his work better than previously.
It's an adventure. I'm only one unit in. We're still moving forward, I have these students trained in the blogging and we're going to keep working on it and improving the blogging system. As for the homework system, I am NEVER going back. All future math classes will be reorganized to be the same. It's such a stress off of me, off of the students and it makes the homework meaningful, there is a new purpose, not just completion but actual learning....what a concept!
Boo to those who say, "If you don't assign it, they won't do it." They will, if you make it meaningful and give them a purpose. Requiring my students to create a portfolio of evidence before testing is a pretty good purpose. We all win; we all learn.
Here's hoping that this awesome journey continues to show great results.
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