Flip this!

A colleague and I are playing around with the idea of flip classroom. This is when the student watches the lesson at home and then works on assignments and projects in class. So the teacher becomes more involved with the hands on learning and the passive lessons are left for home. Here is an article that talks about how two teachers made this flip classroom idea work for them. Click here.  The time thing is my problem and becoming fluent at creating these lessons.  I am not sure using other people’s videos is the best idea but that is where we will start.  This is driven by my colleague (and friend) so I am lucky to be collaborating with her.  I will post again to tell you how it went.  We are attempting this with a Real Number video and an Absolute Value video.

More to come.

One step…

It is the start of week two with this “tech” thing.  I have to keep reminding myself that really I am not a novice at this tech thing.  When I taught at a private school right outside of NYC I worked with a smart board and the school had distributed laptops to the entire upper school.  We battled low batteries, lost laptops, etc.  This was in 1998.  I taught my entire Geometry class with the laptop and the smart board.  So what is the difference?  The access to the technology is different, the way it is infused into the students everyday is different.  The apps, the internet access, the types of tools that are at our finger tips, all different.  Today I had a colleague ask her class to take out their cell phone if they had unlimited texting so that she could do a poll on polleverywhere.  All but one student had this option so she only needed one laptop.  WOW.  I have been using my iPad like I have had it for five years.  All of my information is on it.  No longer wedded to my computer I can access my professional information in multiple ways and from anywhere.  Pretty cool.  My blogs for my classes are up and running and I have found it rather easy and fun to post everyday.  I guess I try to not worry about how much and how grand.  One step at a time.

Making cookies

So the tech thing in the classroom is well coming along. I have yet to project the iPad. Not sure when I have time but I am hoping to get it going and see if I can do some fun stuff with my 7s. Another colleague of mine is going to do the flip classroom and I get to use it so that will be cool. I’ll let you know. But right now I have to grab the cookies. Technology might wow them but cookies really bring them around to math.

Hey I could get used to this!

Seriously I can’t see this type that aim creating. Tch help plea?

We are live people!

So it has begun. They showed up today and filled the seats of my classroom. They laughed (maybe cried a bit) and humored me as I introduced the old with the new. The old being the math that we will study – sad to think that it is old. And the new – this technology thing and how we think about the math.  What it is all about and how they will be just as a part of it as I will – if not more. The interactions and trials, the fun and wow with the oops – that went wrong. It is all about them. The students that fill my classroom and ask why? Why do we need this? Any of it? I have lots of answers. Math is actually filled with them. That is why you either love or hate it. But I am not sure I have any of the answers these bright young minds are looking for. But maybe just maybe with what we are trying to do here I can help them find their own answer. By the way – welcome aboard students – I hope it’s a great ride!

WOW

So where did the time go?  Everyday – yea right!  How about ALMOST everyday.  That sounds so much better.  :)  Anyway – tomorrow is the first day of classes.  I know get on with it right?  I believe the Nucci has been teaching for about 2 months now.  I am sure it feels like it.  I also have been doing some techy homework.  Found an app for planning my lessons.  I also found a website for the very same thing.  I may have them battle it out.  See which one proves to be a better option.  The first one is planbookedu.com and the other one is an app for the iPad2.  I am also going to try to see if I can put the one from the web on to the iPad2 because I am not liking some of the features on the app one.  Maybe I will do a little “this one vs. that one” post.  I am sure that will bring on the “likes” and subscribers!

Amongst celebs!

Why does it feel like I am among the elite when I noticed that BTN.com is a wordpress site?  Another VIP site that is, but for some reason I am consumed. Not much to work out today with the ole techforayear and posting all about teaching with technology in the classroom. We went on a field trip to the Observatory and East End Cemetery in Portland today with 7th graders. Here is the site and check out the history – pretty cool. Now I am exhausted so nighty night!

Click here to see more about the Observatory.  HERE