Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Start

Dear internet,

Quite new to blogging. I can't believe that anyone would be interested in what I have to share, but my principal says they could be, so here goes..

I am a primary teacher in an independent school in the Sutherland Shire, Sydney, NSW.

This term I have started flipping my classroom, as much as reasonably possible, in order to improve student learning.

There have been some battles, stops and starts and outright wastes of time.

There have also been some successes.

I am going to try and start posting weekly.

A quick run down
1)      I read ‘Flip Your Classroom’ by two American authors - Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams.



2)      I was inspired. It made sense.
3)      Our school went BYOT.
4)      I built a web page via Google sites and started linking topic relevant math videos to it.
5)      I showed my principal. he liked it.
6)      I pre-tested all the students for semester 1 maths.
7)      I organised the lessons so that students only sat through the topic if they struggled in that area. All others were extended.
8)      I began to give homework (on slips of paper) to certain students who had not mastered the maths skill being taught the next day. They were to go home and watch the relevant vid pre –lesson. In order to expose them to the content as such. I think it went well, but I was unable to ‘check’ whether they had watched it or not.
9)      I started to make my own, skill specific videos. Students like these more. Plus they were shorter than the Khan Academy videos.




10)  Our whole class got on EDMODO. I recommend it.
11)  I started setting videos through Edmodo as a link. This then told me the students had at least started to watch it. A plus!!
12)  Now I am currently setting skill specific videos, through Edmodo, to certain students who had not mastered the specific skill in the original assessment. They are watching them for homework. The class will be re-assessed as a whole in a fortnight.
13)  It is my ‘vision’ as such, that the intense skill specific lessons, alongside the videos teaching that particular skill, will have really filled the gaps in their maths knowledge. All will be revealed at the next assessment.

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment! 


I have also started to consult in NSW primary and high schools with regards to flipping (or blending) the classroom. If you are interested in having me come along to speak to your staff, details can be found here:   https://sites.google.com/site/mattburnsflipyourclassroom/)