Flipped Lessons

Lately I am really into flipped lessons.  I liked building my background knowledge before attending seminars as a learner, but for some reason I never thought to do this for the learners in Team Explore.  

We are fortunate enough to have some great media resources in our school, Discovery Education being a personal favorite, that make flipped lessons possible.  I am also lucky enough to get to work with a great staff that would talk about flipped lessons and keep it buzzing in my ear.  

A couple weeks ago I decided to go for it after teaching our class how to login into Discovery Ed and access their assignments with our technology integrator.  I picked a math group that I knew would enjoy it, and also be able to login independently.  This group had been learning new strategies to solve addition problems and was going to start learning about ways to make ten.  They were assigned a fun Math Monster video about making groups of ten.  In their math pocket they were given a sheet to record the many ways to make ten while they watched.  Students were watching, pausing, recording ideas, playing it again, etc. so naturally that it blew my mind.  After they watched and recorded all of their ideas/findings they were free to transition to workshop.  The following day they came to their first seminar on making ten with more background knowledge and a better understanding.  I received many comments on how they liked using videos and think sheets to get some information before attending a seminar to learn it from me.  We have done this a couple more times since then in math.  The students are able to gain insight and new information before diving into problem solving and discussions with their seminar group.  They seem more confident and comfortable then when faced with challenges in a group of their peers.  

I would definitely recommend flipped lessons in your learning environment.  

Personalized Learning Plans

At school we use Personalized Learning Plans or PLPs to guide the students learning during their workshop time.  A group of students, to individuals can all have similar plans; depending on the needs of our class.  Over time students will have a reading, writing and math PLP to have by their side during each block of time.  Students start to use these when we sit fit as professional educators.  For example, at this point in time 1 math group of 7 students, 1 writing group of 12 students and a few reading groups of 14 students have a PLP to focus their workshop time.  By the end of the year each student will have a PLP for reading, writing and math. 

My rule of thumb is that the PLP activities should take up about 75% of their workshop time.  We are not always able to put some of our digital platforms such as Lexia and Dreambox onto their plans, and do not want these components left out.  

The form we that is used in Team Explore is a district created form that is used in grades K through 12.  There is a place for essential questions and the standards being addressed at the top.  This part is really meant for the adults that will be working with the child to guide their instruction and interactions throughout the time of each PLP.  There is then a table with a place for the main goal/focus of the unit, and a place for the student to choose how they will demonstrate that.  Below is a second table with a spot for specific learning targets and corresponding activities the student has selected to do during workshop to 'practice' each target.  If there are activities that are very specific to a learning target I will use a color coding system to show which activities will help each target.  Then at the bottom there is a place for students to self assess their work for the unit.  

At the start of a unit we sit with a group of students or individuals, depending on who will be working with the PLP goals, to fill it out.  Students are prompted to find apps, activities and games to do throughout the day to move towards their goal.  They also discuss ways they could demonstrate their learning.  These include, but are not limited to, Scribble Press Books, creating a video on iMovie, making a poster, recording them doing a task, and taking photographs of their work.  Once a PLP is written each student receives their own copy of it to keep in a designated place.  The places are different for each content area, depending on how materials are stored.  Then during their workshop time they have their personal form at an arm's reach and refer to it as needed.  As they begin to show proficiency and the unit is coming to an end students independently create their evidence of learning and this is assessed by the teacher.  This cycle starts over at the start of the next unit.

Here is a sample PLP for students who are working on sight/snap words during reading workshop 

to grow as a reader.  

Here is a math PLP for a group of students working on addition strategies.  The 'demonstrate learning' box was left empty, because in this situation students wrote in the way they would provide evidence of learning.  Their selections were to make a video of themselves solving 5 problems and taking photographs of their work/thinking for 5 problems.  On this PLP you can also see the color system mentioned above.