Round 1: Make Learning Meaningful

A little over two weeks into the semester, and with three classes of College Technical Math under my belt, I'm excited to share I'm still learning. I knew going into this experience that creating video lessons would be time consuming. I was also quickly reminded how important it is to make them meaningful. After all, a boring lecture is even more boring when done via video. Students want to see the application of math skills as they relate to their program areas. The challenge for me has been how to provide relevant examples that cover 3-4 program areas simultaneously. 

I am fortunate to have a very small class this semester - program students in Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, and Prototype and Design. Contextualizing the math skills for these programs has helped to connect the math with practical skills in their field of study. The students are seeing why math is important and how it is connected. Yet, what I was quickly reminded of early in the semester was how important building rapport and relationships with the students is to tackling more important barriers to learning. 

The Flipped Classroom has given me the chance to really get to know each and every student on an individual level and identify ways to best support his/her educational needs. Several students that are coming right from high school are finding the work time in class to be a huge benefit. They see the ability to work with others from their program area to understand and apply the math a huge plus. Likewise, a few students that haven't taken math in quite some time appreciate the opportunity to practice and ask questions immediately. 

The time I have gained with students to work on practical, critical thinking, story problems has proven to be invaluable to their learning. While creating the videos may be more time consuming than I originally remembered, I can see the benefits pouring in. I'm excited to continue this journey for 13 more weeks, helping students see how successful they can be in math. Dare I say I might be getting the itch to do this full-time?

#BeTheONE