Using Flip Videos in High School Math Class

Why don't you try to have your students use flip videos to videotape each other doing math problems and then post them on your website or view them in class? It is a great way to have students really know their problem. This is an assignment that I have not graded. The students want to do well for their classmates. They don't want to steer their classmates in the wrong direction. Here are my 3 reasons why FLIPS work in the class.

1. Accountability to know the material

2. Fun for Students.

3. Depth of Understanding with the Topic



I have posted before on the use of Flip Videos in the classroom. Click here to go to that post. Now I have some solid rules for the use of Flip Videos in the class.

FLIP VIDEO STUFF

Directions

· Each pair of students will be given a problem.

· Figure out the solution to the problem on paper and check to make sure it is correct. Check your solution with the answer key.

· Plan out a 2 minute or less presentation. See Presentation below.

· Write out the section/problem number(s) on your whiteboard or desk.

· Write out the question with any key information on your whiteboard or desk.

· Write out part of the problem’s solution on your whiteboard or desk.

· Remember each person will do some explaining in the video.

· Make sure that your writing is big enough to see through the video.

· Get a “FLIP” and read the instructions about “The FLIP”. See below.

· Once you are finished with your presentation, return the “FLIP” and begin working on the rest of the homework assignment. Make sure you put a note-card with your names and section/problem into the black bag of the FLIP.

Presentation: 2 minutes or less (redo your video if it is over 2 minutes)

1. Introduce yourselves: first names only.

2. Read the section/problem number(s) from the writing on your whiteboard or desk.

3. Read the question and any key information from the writing on your whiteboard or desk.

4. Explain the solution that you have written out on your whiteboard or desk so far.

5. Finish the problem by actually writing in front of the “flip” while explaining the solution.

6. Thank the audience for their time and to have a good day.

The FLIP

· Put a note-card or piece of paper with all the people who contributed to this video as well as the section/problem that was done in the bag of the FLIP.

· Delete all videos on your flip except your finished version including any previous videos.

· Do not video tape your partners face. These videos will not be posted.

· Do a practice video with your partner to start. Each of you should take turns holding and filming with the “flip”. Delete this video.

· The camera will not be able to pick up the calculator screen so any graphs will need to be written out on your whiteboard or desk.

· Here is an example of a “FLIP” video.

http://tiny.cc/theflip

Click here to get the document in WORD from my google doc's file.


Here is the structure of this activity

1. Give out 6-8 questions that are in the medium to difficult range that will be due the next day.

2. Assign a problem to each pair of students. Have them work out the problem before you hand out the Flip Video camera. Make sure they check their answers with some type of key before moving on to the videotaping step.

3. Each student will need to write out the question on a large piece of paper, a personal whiteboard or in our case, on their desk with a whiteboard marker. Have the students start solving the problem, but not completely finish it. This will be done while they are videotaping the explanation.

4. Give out the Flips and make sure the students know the rules like only 2 minutes, start with introductions, no faces, both people must talk, and so on.

5. Give them time to work.

6. When the videos come back just load them onto your computer. This is pretty easy with the flip video software.

7. The students will need to work on the other problems from the original problem set. If you are going to post the videos, they will be able to see them that night online. I use http://www.youtube.com/ to upload my videos. It is easy and free.



I have a couple of videos for you to see the students working in action.











All the best,

Dave

Classroom Timer

I found a great timer to use in your class. You must use it online. It is almost full screen. It can be adjusted to count up or down. You can change the end noise to be different sounds. You can adjust the size and color as well. It is perfect for any standardized testing situation. I think it is perfect for a class to use in group work time.

ONLINE TIMER

Video Clip Ordering with SMARTBoard

Here is an idea for you. In SMARTBoard these shapes have links to video clips. The idea is to order the video clips into the correct sequence. The video clips are steps to subtracting two mixed fractions together. Now you will want your class to order them. Here is how you can do that. Have pairs of students come up to the smartboard and click on a shape. Once they have watched the video clip the pair, as well as the rest of the class will discuss with each other where that video clip belongs in the sequence of the others. Maybe they will put it in the second place slot. Have them justify why they put it there. Have another pair of students come up and click on a different shape. They will watch the video clip. They then discuss with each other, as the rest of the class is discussing, where that clip belongs. This happens for as many steps or video clips you have. I think this really teaches a good example of how to do the problem, but more important it cements the order in which it is done. I have put the four videos that I made for this example in this post. I have also given instructions on how to do this with SMARTBoard Notebook software in a video below.
Enjoy

A Smartboard Notebook "How To" Book Now Available

Easy Smartboard Teaching Templates
The book is finally here. "Easy Smartboard Teaching Templates" is a book full of great ideas for helping you make lessons for your Smartboard. It is a 'HOW TO' book of using SMARTBOARD notebook software. It is an excellent resource for beginners to advanced users. The book explains in great detail how to make and use any of the 25 teaching templates that we have covered in the Podcasts. It is full of color cardstock pages. It is spiral bound with laminated front and back cover. This is a great resource for people to have something in their hand to explore as opposed to just looking at instructions on the screen. The book is written by Scott Miller and David Sladkey who host the Teaching with Smartboard Podcast. For more information click here. To see some sample pages please click here. The cost of the book is $16.95 plus shipping.

Click Here to goto Teaching with Smartboard to purchase the book.

Battleship for Introduction to Algebra Students

http://www.teachforever.com/2008/11/coordinate-plane-battleship-game-2008.html

I got this idea from Tom DeRosa and his blog http://www.teachforever.com/ I have modified his original document to work for my needs.

All the students will place their 3 boats on their grid covering the correct number of points.
The teacher will shoot random shot to all students in the class. Everyone will write this down on their paper. Students will put a O for a miss and an X for a hit.
The teacher will then call on a student to fire at back. Everyone will write down this coordinate on their paper. The teacher on the Smartboard will write a O for a miss and X for a hit.

This will go back and forth until someone wins. Usually the students will win since the teacher is randomly firing.

Tom DeRosa suggests having the student explain where the point is when giving it to the rest of the class. Such as "its in the first quadrant." It is on the y-axis. Or things like this.

I've attached the lesson that I have revised from Tom DeRosa .

By the way, I have included sounds in the smartboard lesson to add the fun of BATTLESHIP.

Give it a try.

Word Document Battleship Worksheet

Smartboard Notebook Document

PDF of Smartboard Notebook Document

Clicker Circuits

My colleague Tony Schlorff made a lesson for our Introduction to Algebra Team. It was a Smart Response 10 question review. I used it the other day and it worked great. He has the questions set up all over the room. They are numbered. The students each take a clicker and log in with their ID. They then can walk around to any problem they choose. They then put their answer at the appropriate number on in the clicker. They then answer all 10 questions. They are constantly MOVING around the room to go to each question. Once they get all 10 questions, they submit their answers. They will then get a chance to see which problems are correct and which are not. Most importantly, I get a can get a printout of the types of questions that were most missed. I also get a idea from tagging my objectives which objective was most missed. I know now which problems I need to work on for the next review.

If you haven't used the CLICKER system, you should try it. It is a great way to get instant feedback on my students learning.

Another thing that I can do is identify my students in thirds for the next review. This little review sets up well for differentiated learning groups for the next day.

If you are interested in looking at the smartboard notebook document click here.

If you would like to see the document as a PDF click here.