Flex Time in the Flipped Class

There is no such thing as FREE TIME in our Flipped Math Class (that would indicate a freedom to do whatever you want!) Rather, we use a philosophy called FLEX TIME - a time that is flexible to each individual student to choose an activity that will continue to build their math skills and knowledge. This Flex Time has been an ever growing and learning curve for both teachers and students.  We have slowly began to build our arsenal and offer students many more choices to become better at math.  We have found that by giving students more choice and freedom, their learning has become more authentic and meaningful. Below is a list of some of the activities we use during our Flex Time!

1) Sumdog.com - Sumdog is a web-based gaming site that helps students build on a wide variety of math skills from K - 6.  Create free accounts for students, enter them into contests by state, nation, and the globe.  Watch students have fun as they build their basic math skills.

2) Word Clouds - By using tagxedo.com or wordle.net, students have been developing word clouds for the chapter vocabulary.  Through these word clouds, students begin to notice what words are used the most and essential to the chapter content.  Tagxedo even offers unique word cloud layouts that students have really had a blast using. 

3) Challenge Problem Video - We encourage our students to use technology and video taping skills by recording themselves solving a challenge problem.  Often, they will use our Smart Board or white board to become the "teacher" and share the video with us.  Students have really started to take off with this idea, and some have even become using software to enhance their videos. Yet, other students have begun to explore the Educreations App for the iPad - which allows for some pretty cool video casting. 

4) Tic-Tac-Toe Tasks - This activity asks students to complete three activities from a Tic-Tac-Toe board that will create a "winner" when they've finished their three tasks.  We use many enrichment and textbook resources to have students take the current unit a little deeper.  The key to this Flex activity is offering student choice to control their own learning.

     * See our Ch. 5 Tic-Tac-Toe Tasks Sample - Click Here

5) Tutoring - During our Flex Time, some of our students have mastered a certain skill or objective and become tutors to peers that might be struggling.  We have only begun to explore this option, but feel there is a ton of potential in peer-to-peer tutoring, when done correctly.

6) Prezi.com - Students use Prezi to create a Unit Review presentation as a tool to review unit content.  Students will often capture pictures of their work, and upload them to their Prezi as examples of a specific skill.  The more students continue to use Prezi, the more they continue to explore and find to create some amazing presentations.  

7) Watching Video Lesson - Only about 60% of our student population has viable Internet options to watch our Video Lessons.  Therefore, we do encourage some of our students to use their Flex Time to view the next video lesson.  Because watching each video lesson is critical to our Collaborative TWIRL Groups, we really want to make sure each student has the ability to view the lesson.

While this list is not finite, these are the options we have given our students during their Flex Time.  While it creates more work for me us teachers to make sure we have everything prepared for each chapter, the benefits we have seen in our classes remind us that we are doing something right.  As we continue to provide more choices and options for our students, they continue to amaze us with their work ethic, learning, and responsibility for their own learning.  

As we continually remind our students, "Mistakes are proof that you are trying!" 

Empowering the Un-Motivated

Undoubtedly, every year teachers have their handful of students that seem less interested in their class and more interested in the opposite sex, the next big game, or when they get to home and chat. While most of these students have the skills necessary to be successful, they are highly unmotivated and struggle when pushed. As teachers, there is a delicate balance needed between pushing these students and empowering them in their classroom.

Enter the flipped class...my means of reaching the various needs of ALL our students. You see, the flip class puts less emphasis on the video lesson and more emphasis on the learning opportunities created within your classroom. Simply put, I value the time I have with students too much to lecture to them for 30 minutes. I want the time I have with them to be more productive and meaningful.

How do I empower the unmotivated you might wonder? It's a rather simple approach. First and foremost, I get to know them as an individual. I need to build trust and respect with them so they understand my intentions are genuine. I seek out their interest and hobbies, the methods they feel work best for their learning, and their struggles within my class and school.  This picture that they paint for me provides valuable information moving forward.

After I have build this trust, I am able to begin pushing them slowly to show me what they know and have learned.  In the flipped class, students are all at different places of learning.  Some are experts, while others are only beginners. My ability to differentiate between these students is critical to empowering them to push themselves.  Frequently, I offer enrichment activities to students that have shown they have mastered a skill.

Many of these enrichment activities take a skill learned and dig a little deeper.  Group work is often involved and students like to see how a topic might be related to something in 'real-life'. I am also able to tailor some of these enrichment activities to student interest - hence I can reach the unmotivated rather easily.  Students enjoy their FLEX time in my class and the ability to work on something that interests them and they enjoy.

Meanwhile, I am able to meet with those struggling learners and provide them a bit more attention to help them overcome an obstacle they have encountered.  If an unmotivated learners fails into this category, I can again fall back on the relationship I have built with them to help them see where they can go. These small-group, guided instruction opportunities have proved very valuable to many unmotivated learners and they begin to realize they are capable of far more than they give themselves credit for.

I cannot speak for every teacher, but I can speak for myself.  I know I got into teaching to make a difference in the lives of as many students as possible. My flipped class experience has truly helped me maximize the students I can reach and enable ALL students the opportunity to learn and grow in math as they are ready.  Creating more face-to-face time with students has been critical in empowering all students to want to become better at math!

"If you aren't making mistakes....then you aren't trying!"