Getting IT Right @ CeVMS: Flipping Algebra

Taking a cue from the Khan Academy, the 8th Grade Algebra teachers Mr. Lawrence and Ms. Deitch have started creating video lessons for their students. The expectation is that students go home and watch the lesson the night before to get an idea of what to expect in class the next day; then when students come into class, they spend most of the time practicing with the teacher easily accessible for assistance. (This is one definition of a flipped classroom.)

Teachers keep the students accountable by having each student complete a quiz (see Deitch and Lawrence for examples) at the end of each video. Both teachers have created a video catalog that allows students to go back and revisit the lessons if needed. Click here to see Ms. Deitch's Videos. Click here to see Mr. Lawrence's Videos.

Feature Me! - Getting I.T. Right @ Cedar Valley

Math in the Cloud
Small group settings make understanding difficult concepts much easier. That's why the 8th grade math and algebra classes at Cedar Valley have reorganized their classrooms to include mini-labs (although, I know they'd love having access to more computers!). Each of these classes has a minimum of 6 laptop or netbook computers in the room that students are asked to rotate through to complete online assignments. Using online programs like The Khan Academy and IXL, students can have their lessons tailored to their needs. When the students are not in their rotation on the computer, the teachers can focus more attention directly where the students need it based on feedback they receive from the online applications.

Mr. Lawrence and a student work in the Khan Academy online application.

Touring the Battlefields
Ms. Moore's 8th Grade History Class got to tour the Battles of the American Revolution without leaving the computer lab! By combining Google Earth with BatchGeo, Ms. Moore took her students on a fact-filled tour. Students were focused and engaged as they went from battle to battle--even if they flew over their own house or nearby present-day attractions with the additional features in Google Earth. At the end of each class Ms. Moore asked for feedback from the students who said that, once they got the hang of the program, it was much better than reading the information from a book. Maybe next time, the students will take Ms. Moore on a tour...

An 8th Grade student touring the Battles of the Revolution.

Cha...Cha...Changes!

6th Grade science classes are experiencing some changes--physical and chemical changes, that is. The students were asked to enhance their understanding of physical and chemical changes by watching video simulations. Ms. Ebers, one of the 6th grade science teachers, elaborates: "Lab experiments are fundamental to a true science learning experience. Many experiments are too dangerous to perform in class. With video simulations, students can have access to investigations and equipment not commonly available in the classroom."

Click here to take a look at some of the experiments that were analyzed. 

In addition to this opportunity, the 6th grade science classes used one of the district-provided, online resources--Discovery Education--to help them learn about physical and chemical changes. With Discovery Education, the students can view lessons at their leisure that will enhance their prior knowledge before they enter the classroom. This program focuses the lessons on the standards (TEKS) that will be tested later in the year and offers questions like students will see on the state assessment in 8th grade.

I want to be a Meteorologist when I grow up...
8th Grade science students just finished up their unit on weather with a visit from a local meteorologist. Albert Ramon from KVUE Weather in Austin gave students an inside look to what being a meteorologist is all about in his presentation to students and staff on October 4. But leading up to this presentation, students had to do a little weather predicting themselves. Mr. Cearley describes the preparation process:

"The Students are becoming their own meteorologist by looking at our local weather updates online and recording all of the weather data in the United States for a week and making assumptions and weather predictions based on the data that they have gathered and by interpreting the local weather stations online weather maps and radar systems. The students are learning what type of weather to associate with weather fronts, pressure systems, air masses and much more. If they have ever wanted to be a weather reporter before, now is their chance!"

Students used online resources like http://www.kvue.com/weather to formulate their predictions.

Foreign Language is Talking it UP!

The presentation of the Grant money to Ms. Macharia.

Congratulations go to Madame Macharia for applying for and receiving a grant from the Partners in Education Foundation. Ms. Macharia and the LOTE department are consistently featured on this blog for the innovative ways they use technology in the classroom, and they will no doubt continue to impress as the year progresses. Ms. Macharia was presented a PIEF Grant in front of the CeVMS staff on Monday, October 8. The LOTE department intends on using this grant money to purchase class sets of headphones which will be used to practice speaking the foreign languages with programs like Audacity which is used for the AP/IB French, German, Chinese and Spanish tests. We are anxious to see the products you all come up with!



CeVMS Teachers, if you have an exciting lesson happening in your classroom or that you observe in someone else's classroom that uses technology, please visit the Technology Webpage and submit the Feature Me! form. I love to hear what's happening around campus.