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Probability equations
Equation Fundamentals
The equation and its relationship with a balance.
Sample Issue 2x + 7 = x + 18
Solution x = 11
Proportion Fundamentals
How to solve basic proportions.
Sample Issue
12 = 4
3 x
Solution x = 1
Word Issue Fundamentals
Introduces methods for solving integer word issues through equations.
Sample Issue What are four consecutive even integers that have a sum of 26?
Solution 12 and 14
More on:
Matrices problems
Infinite limits
27 Haziran 2012 Çarşamba
Donnelly Elementary School Teacher Garners White House Praise for Excellence
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DeirdreBingaman, a Donnelly Elementary School teacher, has been selected as one of 18teachers nationwide to receive the President’s Innovation Award forEnvironmental Educators. Ms. Bingaman was selected for “her demonstratedexcellence in focusing her class on environmental education projects thatreflected real-life community challenges and creating a powerful connectionbetween her students and the natural world.”
ThePresident’s Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes andsupports teachers from both rural and urban education settings who make use ofexperiential and environmental opportunities that use creativity and communityengagement to help students develop a sense of civic responsibility andstewardship in ecosystems. The prestigious award is bestowed by the White HouseCouncil on Environmental Quality in partnership with the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency.
“Ms.Bingaman earned this honor the ‘old fashioned way’,” said Kate Kelly, Directorof EPA’s Office of Ecosystems, Tribal and Public Affairs in Seattle. “Byworking hard to demonstrate inspiring leadership and deliver excellence inenvironmental education, all the while sparking her students’ imagination withchallenges and adventures beyond the traditional classroom.”
DiedreBingaman’s fifth grade classes have worked as equal partners on a range ofenvironmental projects with area professionals. Bingaman started the BoulderCreek Project in 2008 after learning that the State identified a nearby streamas suffering poor water quality. Her classes compiled stream information,applied scientific methods to answer tough questions, and then presented finalresults to the City Council and community members. Bingaman’s students havealso analyzed the school recycling program and are part of a Idaho elementaryschool effort to report their recycling results online to help calculatestatewide results.
Thisyear’s winning teachers' programs range from field studies in watershed andwetland science in New England to the study of clean energy sources in Coloradoand ocean and climate science in Texas, forest ecology and trout studies in thePacific Northwest and water resource management projects in the desert.
For more information aboutthe other winners please visit: http://www.epa.gov/education/teacheraward/winners.html
For more information about this program please visit: http://www.epa.gov/education/teacheraward
DeirdreBingaman, a Donnelly Elementary School teacher, has been selected as one of 18teachers nationwide to receive the President’s Innovation Award forEnvironmental Educators. Ms. Bingaman was selected for “her demonstratedexcellence in focusing her class on environmental education projects thatreflected real-life community challenges and creating a powerful connectionbetween her students and the natural world.”
ThePresident’s Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes andsupports teachers from both rural and urban education settings who make use ofexperiential and environmental opportunities that use creativity and communityengagement to help students develop a sense of civic responsibility andstewardship in ecosystems. The prestigious award is bestowed by the White HouseCouncil on Environmental Quality in partnership with the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency.
“Ms.Bingaman earned this honor the ‘old fashioned way’,” said Kate Kelly, Directorof EPA’s Office of Ecosystems, Tribal and Public Affairs in Seattle. “Byworking hard to demonstrate inspiring leadership and deliver excellence inenvironmental education, all the while sparking her students’ imagination withchallenges and adventures beyond the traditional classroom.”
DiedreBingaman’s fifth grade classes have worked as equal partners on a range ofenvironmental projects with area professionals. Bingaman started the BoulderCreek Project in 2008 after learning that the State identified a nearby streamas suffering poor water quality. Her classes compiled stream information,applied scientific methods to answer tough questions, and then presented finalresults to the City Council and community members. Bingaman’s students havealso analyzed the school recycling program and are part of a Idaho elementaryschool effort to report their recycling results online to help calculatestatewide results.
Thisyear’s winning teachers' programs range from field studies in watershed andwetland science in New England to the study of clean energy sources in Coloradoand ocean and climate science in Texas, forest ecology and trout studies in thePacific Northwest and water resource management projects in the desert.
For more information aboutthe other winners please visit: http://www.epa.gov/education/teacheraward/winners.html
For more information about this program please visit: http://www.epa.gov/education/teacheraward
Governor's Cup Scholarship Recipients Announced
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Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter todayannounced the 22 recipients of the 2012 Governor’s Cup Scholarships to Idahocolleges and universities.
Recipients were chosen from amongmore than 500 applicants by the Idaho Governor’s Cup Scholarship Fund Inc.’s17-member board of directors. Selections were based on each applicant’scommitment to public service, academic achievement, and community involvement.
The award is $3,000 per year,renewable for up to four (4) years, or two to three years for professional-technicalprograms, contingent upon the availability of funds. A total of 98 students nowhave been awarded scholarships through the program during Governor Otter’sadministration.
Here are this year’s recipients,along with their high schools and the schools that they will attend in thefall:
Academic Scholarships – Four-Year Programs
Erica Albertson
Borah High School, Boise – attending the University ofIdaho
Nikkaila Bain
Moscow High School – attending the University of Idaho
Demsie Butler
Bliss High School – attending Lewis-Clark State College
Kara Fleming
Meridian High School – attending Northwest NazareneUniversity
Brandon Garner
Sugar-Salem High School, Sugar City – attending BYU-Idaho
Matthew Greer
St. Maries High School – attending Lewis-Clark StateCollege
Roxanne Hill
Castleford High School – attending Northwest NazareneUniversity
Shara Kehrer
Payette High School – attending Idaho State University
Katie Keller
Bishop Kelly High School, Boise – attending the Universityof Idaho
Amanda Kleist
Century High School, Pocatello – attending Idaho StateUniversity
Argia Larrocea-Phillips
Meridian High School – attending Northwest NazareneUniversity
Taylor Maloney
Weiser High School – attending the University of Idaho
Amanda Michaels
Centennial High School, Meridian – attending the Collegeof Western Idaho
Demetria Riener
Prairie High School, Ferdinand – attending Lewis-ClarkState College
Michelle Robinson
Caldwell High School – attending BYU-Idaho
Ivan Esparza
Nampa High School – attending the College of Idaho
Tayler Schvaneveldt
Grace High School – attending Idaho State University
Katie Vandenberg
Middleton High School – attending theUniversity of Idaho
Sarah Walsh
Meridian High School – attending the College of Idaho
Professional-Technical Scholarships– Two-or-Three-Year Programs
April Hillestad
Columbia High School, Nampa – attending the College ofWestern Idaho
Edwin Lopez
Vallivue High School, Caldwell – attending the College ofWestern Idaho
Rafe Williams
Clearwater Valley High School, Kooskia – attendingLewis-Clark State College
“It’s an honor to help in some smallway to ensure our most deserving students get the financial assistance theyneed to prepare for a brighter future right here at home,” Governor Otter said.“The generosity of our sponsors and the passion that these young people showfor learning and giving back to their communities is matched only by thecommitment of everyone involved to making Idaho an even better place to live,work and raise a family.”
The 2011 event’s “premier” sponsorsof the Governor’s Cup Scholarship Fund, with $35,000 donations, were:
The 2012 Idaho Governor’s Cup eventis scheduled for August 23-25 in Coeur d’Alene.
Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter todayannounced the 22 recipients of the 2012 Governor’s Cup Scholarships to Idahocolleges and universities.
Recipients were chosen from amongmore than 500 applicants by the Idaho Governor’s Cup Scholarship Fund Inc.’s17-member board of directors. Selections were based on each applicant’scommitment to public service, academic achievement, and community involvement.
The award is $3,000 per year,renewable for up to four (4) years, or two to three years for professional-technicalprograms, contingent upon the availability of funds. A total of 98 students nowhave been awarded scholarships through the program during Governor Otter’sadministration.
Here are this year’s recipients,along with their high schools and the schools that they will attend in thefall:
Academic Scholarships – Four-Year Programs
Erica Albertson
Borah High School, Boise – attending the University ofIdaho
Nikkaila Bain
Moscow High School – attending the University of Idaho
Demsie Butler
Bliss High School – attending Lewis-Clark State College
Kara Fleming
Meridian High School – attending Northwest NazareneUniversity
Brandon Garner
Sugar-Salem High School, Sugar City – attending BYU-Idaho
Matthew Greer
St. Maries High School – attending Lewis-Clark StateCollege
Roxanne Hill
Castleford High School – attending Northwest NazareneUniversity
Shara Kehrer
Payette High School – attending Idaho State University
Katie Keller
Bishop Kelly High School, Boise – attending the Universityof Idaho
Amanda Kleist
Century High School, Pocatello – attending Idaho StateUniversity
Argia Larrocea-Phillips
Meridian High School – attending Northwest NazareneUniversity
Taylor Maloney
Weiser High School – attending the University of Idaho
Amanda Michaels
Centennial High School, Meridian – attending the Collegeof Western Idaho
Demetria Riener
Prairie High School, Ferdinand – attending Lewis-ClarkState College
Michelle Robinson
Caldwell High School – attending BYU-Idaho
Ivan Esparza
Nampa High School – attending the College of Idaho
Tayler Schvaneveldt
Grace High School – attending Idaho State University
Katie Vandenberg
Middleton High School – attending theUniversity of Idaho
Sarah Walsh
Meridian High School – attending the College of Idaho
Professional-Technical Scholarships– Two-or-Three-Year Programs
April Hillestad
Columbia High School, Nampa – attending the College ofWestern Idaho
Edwin Lopez
Vallivue High School, Caldwell – attending the College ofWestern Idaho
Rafe Williams
Clearwater Valley High School, Kooskia – attendingLewis-Clark State College
“It’s an honor to help in some smallway to ensure our most deserving students get the financial assistance theyneed to prepare for a brighter future right here at home,” Governor Otter said.“The generosity of our sponsors and the passion that these young people showfor learning and giving back to their communities is matched only by thecommitment of everyone involved to making Idaho an even better place to live,work and raise a family.”
The 2011 event’s “premier” sponsorsof the Governor’s Cup Scholarship Fund, with $35,000 donations, were:
- CenturyLink
- Mountain View Hospital.
- J.R. Simplot Co.
- Potlatch
- Micron Technology Foundation
- Blue Cross of Idaho
- Agrium
- AREVA
- Paris Hills Agricom
- Premier Technology
- Sun Valley Co.
The 2012 Idaho Governor’s Cup eventis scheduled for August 23-25 in Coeur d’Alene.
IDAHO TEACHERS TO LEARN FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL LEADERS ON CREATING THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM
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Hundreds of Idaho teachers and principals will visit Boise this week to learn from local and national leaders about how to create the 21st Century Classroom to keep students engaged and improve academic achievement.
EduStat University 2012 will bring together Idaho educators working hard to increase student outcomes through a 21st Century, technology-rich, data-driven practice.
More than 300 teachers and principals from across Idaho are scheduled to attend. The event will be held at The Riverside Hotel in Boise on June 26-27, 2012. The Idaho State Department of Education has partnered with Schoolnet, the statewide instructional management system, to host EduStat, which is funded through a grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation.
EduStat is aligned with Students Come First, which passed in 2011, and will help Idaho’s teachers and principals as they work to implement these reform laws at the building level.
Presenters include Idaho teachers who are using digital learning to raise student achievement and educators from New Plymouth School District who successfully created and implemented pay-for-performance nearly 10 years ago.
In addition, EduStat will feature nationally known speakers, such as chemistry teacher Aaron Sams who uses a “flipped” classroom to engage students every day, Jeff Mao who has led the implementation of the 1:1 laptop initiative in the state of Maine, and Adora Svitak, an innovative 14-year-old with brilliant ideas about what adults can learn from children.
Here are some of the highlights of EduStat University 2012:
Tuesday, June 26:
All keynote addresses during EduStat University 2012 will be streamed live online at http://www.idahoptv.org/leglive/.
To view the full schedule for EduStat University 2012, visit http://www.studentscomefirst.org/edustat.htm.
EduStat University 2012 will bring together Idaho educators working hard to increase student outcomes through a 21st Century, technology-rich, data-driven practice.
More than 300 teachers and principals from across Idaho are scheduled to attend. The event will be held at The Riverside Hotel in Boise on June 26-27, 2012. The Idaho State Department of Education has partnered with Schoolnet, the statewide instructional management system, to host EduStat, which is funded through a grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation.
EduStat is aligned with Students Come First, which passed in 2011, and will help Idaho’s teachers and principals as they work to implement these reform laws at the building level.
Presenters include Idaho teachers who are using digital learning to raise student achievement and educators from New Plymouth School District who successfully created and implemented pay-for-performance nearly 10 years ago.
In addition, EduStat will feature nationally known speakers, such as chemistry teacher Aaron Sams who uses a “flipped” classroom to engage students every day, Jeff Mao who has led the implementation of the 1:1 laptop initiative in the state of Maine, and Adora Svitak, an innovative 14-year-old with brilliant ideas about what adults can learn from children.
Here are some of the highlights of EduStat University 2012:
Tuesday, June 26:
- 8:30 a.m.: Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna will kick off EduStat with opening remarks.
- 9:30 a.m.: 14-year-old Adora Svitak will give a student’s perspective on technology and education with a keynote address, “The New Kid(s) on the Block”: Youth Digital Culture and Implications for Student Voice in Education.”
- 10:45 a.m.: Aaron Sams, a chemistry teacher from Colorado is a dynamic speaker who will describe how he uses advanced technology in a “flipped” classroom setting to improve student achievement and make sure all students are engaged every day.
- 2:15 p.m.: Idaho teachers and administrators from New Plymouth School District will present on their successful pay-for-performance plan during a breakout session. (They will present again at 3:30 p.m.)
- 2:15 p.m.: Idaho classroom teachers Dave Gural (Eagle High) and Michelle Chavez (Weiser High) will describe how they use digital learning over the Idaho Education Network to engage Idaho students and improve student achievement in breakout sessions. (They will present again at 3:30 p.m.)
- 8:45 a.m.: Jeff Mao will give a keynote address on how the state of Maine successfully implemented a 1:1 laptop initiative in grades 7 and 8.
- 10:00 a.m.: Greg Green, a principal from Michigan, will describe how he turned student achievement in his school around using classroom technology to engage students every day and show them relevance in what they were learning.
All keynote addresses during EduStat University 2012 will be streamed live online at http://www.idahoptv.org/leglive/.
To view the full schedule for EduStat University 2012, visit http://www.studentscomefirst.org/edustat.htm.
A Great Start to EduStat 2012!
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Today’s EduStat University 2012 conference kicked off this morning at 7:30 a.m., when educators began to fill the large conference room of The Riverside Hotel in Garden City. Several hundred teachers from around the state of Idaho came together this morning to be a part of Idaho’s first educator conference focused on increasing student achievement through a 21st Century, technology-rich, data-driven practice.
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna opened the conference, thanking educators for playing a role in the education renaissance that is happening around the nation—a renaissance Idaho, with its forward-thinking Students Come First laws, is helping to lead. Yet, even as Idaho takes a leading role in education reform and technology integration, our state has been lucky to have a number of successful examples from around the country on which to base our approach. Representatives from those successful programs, including Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director for the state of Maine—which has been implementing a 1:1 program at the state level for the last decade—have come to EduStat University 2012 to share their insights with Idaho educators.
Idaho’s Students Come First reforms were passed to support the needs of students—modernizing the classroom to engage and provide Idaho’s students with the skills they need to find success in postsecondary education and the workplace without the need for remediation. It was fitting then, that, to set the tone for EduStat, today’s first presenter was a student.
Adora Svitak is a gifted young student who decided at age seven that she wanted to write a book. With the enthusiastic support of her parents, she was first published at the age of 12. She has been a champion of literacy and delivered the speech, “What Adults Can Learn from Kids” at the prestigious TED Conference. Read more about Adora here: http://studentscomefirst.org/speakerSvitak.htm.
At EduStat this morning, Adora shared her insights about digital youth culture and her excitement about some of the changes that have already begun here in Idaho. “I think this is a really awesome time to be both a student and a teacher,” shared Svitak. “This is a world that excites me immensely.”
Adora Svitak explained that change in our schools requires not only creative forward thinking but also an understanding of youth digital culture. By understanding how students today express and interact with each other, teachers can harness student enthusiasm. We see viral memes and creative advertising—everyone is trying to reach kids—so why isn’t education doing the same.
Adora suggests that students today (as they probably always have) love an audience. An audience gives students a purpose for their creation. Whether it is creating an engaging video or presentation or simply writing a report, sharing that work gives students a sense of pride and purpose. Using tools like social media, Adora has connected with her classmates in groups created to support classes she is taking.
Svitak also encouraged project-based learning. Digital tools make it easy for students to creatively engage in projects. It also gives them a platform to share with and teach their peers. Svitak herself has posted videos to YouTube. Students are unlocking these tools outside of the classroom, why create “blue tape zones” that prevent students from the same benefits in the classroom, asks Svitak.
Svitak wants to see technology in the classroom, pointing out that laptops allow student both a venue for content delivery and a means for content creation. And she encourages educators to let students experiment, advocating a “touch the stove” approach that lets students learn on their own and circumvents the attraction that students often have towards items that are forbidden.
Adora finished her presentation by recommending that we reconsider our learning environments. In one slide, Svitak drew chuckles by showing several images, one of which looked like a high school hallway. The others looked like a cathedral and a library. With a voice vote, the attendees concluded that the first image looked most like a school environment only to find out that it was a prison. Svitak encouraged educators not to imprison learning but to open the digital doors to a broader world of learning.
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna opened the conference, thanking educators for playing a role in the education renaissance that is happening around the nation—a renaissance Idaho, with its forward-thinking Students Come First laws, is helping to lead. Yet, even as Idaho takes a leading role in education reform and technology integration, our state has been lucky to have a number of successful examples from around the country on which to base our approach. Representatives from those successful programs, including Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director for the state of Maine—which has been implementing a 1:1 program at the state level for the last decade—have come to EduStat University 2012 to share their insights with Idaho educators.
Idaho’s Students Come First reforms were passed to support the needs of students—modernizing the classroom to engage and provide Idaho’s students with the skills they need to find success in postsecondary education and the workplace without the need for remediation. It was fitting then, that, to set the tone for EduStat, today’s first presenter was a student.
Adora Svitak is a gifted young student who decided at age seven that she wanted to write a book. With the enthusiastic support of her parents, she was first published at the age of 12. She has been a champion of literacy and delivered the speech, “What Adults Can Learn from Kids” at the prestigious TED Conference. Read more about Adora here: http://studentscomefirst.org/speakerSvitak.htm.
At EduStat this morning, Adora shared her insights about digital youth culture and her excitement about some of the changes that have already begun here in Idaho. “I think this is a really awesome time to be both a student and a teacher,” shared Svitak. “This is a world that excites me immensely.”
Adora Svitak explained that change in our schools requires not only creative forward thinking but also an understanding of youth digital culture. By understanding how students today express and interact with each other, teachers can harness student enthusiasm. We see viral memes and creative advertising—everyone is trying to reach kids—so why isn’t education doing the same.
Adora suggests that students today (as they probably always have) love an audience. An audience gives students a purpose for their creation. Whether it is creating an engaging video or presentation or simply writing a report, sharing that work gives students a sense of pride and purpose. Using tools like social media, Adora has connected with her classmates in groups created to support classes she is taking.
Svitak also encouraged project-based learning. Digital tools make it easy for students to creatively engage in projects. It also gives them a platform to share with and teach their peers. Svitak herself has posted videos to YouTube. Students are unlocking these tools outside of the classroom, why create “blue tape zones” that prevent students from the same benefits in the classroom, asks Svitak.
Svitak wants to see technology in the classroom, pointing out that laptops allow student both a venue for content delivery and a means for content creation. And she encourages educators to let students experiment, advocating a “touch the stove” approach that lets students learn on their own and circumvents the attraction that students often have towards items that are forbidden.
Adora finished her presentation by recommending that we reconsider our learning environments. In one slide, Svitak drew chuckles by showing several images, one of which looked like a high school hallway. The others looked like a cathedral and a library. With a voice vote, the attendees concluded that the first image looked most like a school environment only to find out that it was a prison. Svitak encouraged educators not to imprison learning but to open the digital doors to a broader world of learning.
EduStat 2012: Aaron Sams and the Flipped Classroom
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Our second keynote speaker ofDay 1 of Edustat, Aaron Sams, gave an energetic presentation on his extensive experiencewith the flipped classroom concept. He joined and addressed the conference fromSan Diego, speaking to the crowd via synchronous video over the IEN.
Aaron has been an educator since2000 and currently teaches Chemistry and AP Chemistry in a Colorado highschool. Learn more aboutAaron. He was eager to share his approach and connect with other educators.Write him an email (aaron@flippedclass.com),follow him on Twitter (@chemicalsams), or take a look at his blog (http://chemicalsams.blogspot.com).
Sams is a high school teacher,but sees the value of the flipped classroom model at many grade levels.
The biggest question of the flippedclassroom model is: What is the most valuable use of classroom time? Theanswer, says Sams, is not what it used to be. Students used to go to schoolbecause that is where they had the most access to knowledge. Most of thatinformation came from their teacher. Today, students have access to informationaround the clock, and resources abound. Simple lectures and worksheets do notcapture a physical teacher’s value. Students can now access lecture informationat home, then process that information and learn how to apply and use it in theclassroom.
In this way, content deliveryhappens during down time, and a teacher adds value through face-to-faceinteraction with students. The flipped classroom often overlaps the blendedlearning model.
By archiving lessons and havingstudents watch them at home, Sams is able to allow students to work at theirown paces. But that instruction does not just have to happen at home, and itdoes not have to be delivered solely via video. Students can work throughcontent at their own pace in the classroom as well, receiving special attentionfrom the instructor when they have questions.
An instructional managementmakes it possible for students to work at different paces. The system allowsSams to generate random tests that prevent students from cheating or copyinganswers from their peers.
The flipped classroom is not aone-size-fits-all approach, and it often looks different for different educatorsin different subjects and grade levels. Sams offered examples from economics top.e. to demonstrate the flexibility of the flipped classroom model.
Sams also took the opportunityto address several misconceptions.
Misconception #1 is that theflipped classroom relies on video. In a lot of ways, the flipped classroom isnot all that different from we have always expected from students in somesubjects—for instance, reading at home in a literature class, then discussionwith a teacher in the classroom. The flipped classroom works exceptionally wellwith a video format, but it is not limited by it.
Misconception #2 is that flippedlearning creates a digital divide. Sams hasn’t found this to be true. Forstudents how lack the internet, he has the lessons available on flash drives.For those without computers, he burns DVDs. Other students simply do the workin class.
Misconception #3 is that flippedlearning propagates bad teaching (lectures). Sams and some of the examples hecites address this in several ways. They didn’t always choose lectures.Sometimes they drew from current events. They used other resources. They createdengaging videos and played characters. In one example, two characters explainthe lesson. One is the expert and one is clueless. The format allows forengaging banter and a question and answer format between the two characters.
For an easy association, Samsoffered a relatable example from his own experience. His snowblower broke down.So he searched the internet, found a step-by-step repair video on YouTube, andfixed his snowblower. Kids do the same all the time. Why not apply that modelto education? Watch the video, then practice in a classroom with the guidanceand supervision of an expert—the teacher.
And that’s the value of theflipped classroom. It’s a new tool that maximizes the value of the teacher. AsSal Khan suggested during his visit to Boise, the flipped classroom only makesthe teacher more important. It’s notmagic. It can’t replace teachers. But it can maximize the benefit of a teacherin the classroom.
The model even allows for whatAdora Svitak advocated earlier in the day. Sams offers the example ofmathtrain.tv, where students create math content videos to instruct theirpeers. Students love to teacher and share. It helps them learn better, and itmotivates them because they know they have an audience.
As a concept, the flippedclassroom harnesses new tools of technology to empower students and teachers inthe classroom.
Our second keynote speaker ofDay 1 of Edustat, Aaron Sams, gave an energetic presentation on his extensive experiencewith the flipped classroom concept. He joined and addressed the conference fromSan Diego, speaking to the crowd via synchronous video over the IEN.
Aaron has been an educator since2000 and currently teaches Chemistry and AP Chemistry in a Colorado highschool. Learn more aboutAaron. He was eager to share his approach and connect with other educators.Write him an email (aaron@flippedclass.com),follow him on Twitter (@chemicalsams), or take a look at his blog (http://chemicalsams.blogspot.com).
Sams is a high school teacher,but sees the value of the flipped classroom model at many grade levels.
The biggest question of the flippedclassroom model is: What is the most valuable use of classroom time? Theanswer, says Sams, is not what it used to be. Students used to go to schoolbecause that is where they had the most access to knowledge. Most of thatinformation came from their teacher. Today, students have access to informationaround the clock, and resources abound. Simple lectures and worksheets do notcapture a physical teacher’s value. Students can now access lecture informationat home, then process that information and learn how to apply and use it in theclassroom.
In this way, content deliveryhappens during down time, and a teacher adds value through face-to-faceinteraction with students. The flipped classroom often overlaps the blendedlearning model.
By archiving lessons and havingstudents watch them at home, Sams is able to allow students to work at theirown paces. But that instruction does not just have to happen at home, and itdoes not have to be delivered solely via video. Students can work throughcontent at their own pace in the classroom as well, receiving special attentionfrom the instructor when they have questions.
An instructional managementmakes it possible for students to work at different paces. The system allowsSams to generate random tests that prevent students from cheating or copyinganswers from their peers.
The flipped classroom is not aone-size-fits-all approach, and it often looks different for different educatorsin different subjects and grade levels. Sams offered examples from economics top.e. to demonstrate the flexibility of the flipped classroom model.
Sams also took the opportunityto address several misconceptions.
Misconception #1 is that theflipped classroom relies on video. In a lot of ways, the flipped classroom isnot all that different from we have always expected from students in somesubjects—for instance, reading at home in a literature class, then discussionwith a teacher in the classroom. The flipped classroom works exceptionally wellwith a video format, but it is not limited by it.
Misconception #2 is that flippedlearning creates a digital divide. Sams hasn’t found this to be true. Forstudents how lack the internet, he has the lessons available on flash drives.For those without computers, he burns DVDs. Other students simply do the workin class.
Misconception #3 is that flippedlearning propagates bad teaching (lectures). Sams and some of the examples hecites address this in several ways. They didn’t always choose lectures.Sometimes they drew from current events. They used other resources. They createdengaging videos and played characters. In one example, two characters explainthe lesson. One is the expert and one is clueless. The format allows forengaging banter and a question and answer format between the two characters.
For an easy association, Samsoffered a relatable example from his own experience. His snowblower broke down.So he searched the internet, found a step-by-step repair video on YouTube, andfixed his snowblower. Kids do the same all the time. Why not apply that modelto education? Watch the video, then practice in a classroom with the guidanceand supervision of an expert—the teacher.
And that’s the value of theflipped classroom. It’s a new tool that maximizes the value of the teacher. AsSal Khan suggested during his visit to Boise, the flipped classroom only makesthe teacher more important. It’s notmagic. It can’t replace teachers. But it can maximize the benefit of a teacherin the classroom.
The model even allows for whatAdora Svitak advocated earlier in the day. Sams offers the example ofmathtrain.tv, where students create math content videos to instruct theirpeers. Students love to teacher and share. It helps them learn better, and itmotivates them because they know they have an audience.
As a concept, the flippedclassroom harnesses new tools of technology to empower students and teachers inthe classroom.
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