Whole Class Math Meetings

I've been using a flipped model in my math class since 2013. (Want to know more? Check out this post). That means that my whole group instruction has been replaced with short instructional videos. However, it does not mean that I don't meet with my class whole group at the beginning of our math workshop time. I just use that time differently now. 

As my school moves to virtual instruction to start the year (and with some students choosing this method for the foreseeable future), our district has designed a day where students tune in for a live lesson at the beginning of an instructional block. This lesson is also recorded for students who can't make the live time. So I had to stop and think - would there still be a way to do a flipped model in this style? Or would the live lesson replace my instructional videos? 

My biggest concern was the very reason why I switched to instructional videos in the first place - how would I keep students engaged while I lectured? And do I need to completely shift away from a workshop model or is there a way to keep things similar even with virtual learning? 

One of my favorite things about using a flipped model is that gone are the days of me standing at the front of the room while my students take notes. Trying to teach while ensuring that they are taking notes, that I'm not going too fast for slow students or too slow for fast students. That they're actually paying attention. That the lesson doesn't last too long. That I answer questions, but also keep the lesson moving along. You know the struggle. 

I can only imagine the added difficulty of this when I'm teaching to a computer screen and my students are staring at a screen that also has the faces of all their classmates staring back at them, along with whatever distractions are in their home. And it's not so easy to see that they're taking notes, or paying attention, or for them to feel comfortable asking questions. 

So the question remains, if I don't use my live lessons for teaching new content - what will it look like? 

I plan to treat the live lessons the same way I treated my whole group time in person - as a class math meeting. These meetings are a time for our class to come together and work challenge problems, play math games, work through engaging real-world problems, do number talks, or practice an activity they'll do on their own later. During these meetings students are active participants and it's a way to practice the current skill in a more play-based/discussion based format. 

Over the next week I'll be sharing tips for running successful math meetings - and they'll all be virtual learning friendly!

Leave a comment and let me know: will you be conducting live lessons with your virtual learners? 

Introducing Video Lessons

 This school year many teachers will find themselves using video lessons for the first time. Some will be teaching entirely online, while others will be using video lessons in combination with in-person teaching. 

I started using video lessons as part of an in-class flip for my math workshop back in 2013. I get asked all the time about implementing video lessons and my biggest piece of advice is to be intentional about how you start the year. Just like we set clear expectations for other parts of our school day, we need to set clear expectations for video lessons. 

Usually I introduce math workshop (which includes video lessons) during the first week of school, often on day 2or 3. We start with a concept that is related to our first topic, but is a review skill. For example, we usually start the year with place value so I’ll begin by reviewing 6-digit numbers (a skill they learned the year before). This way we can focus on the process of workshop without the added challenge of new content. It’s also a great way to get them thinking about math again. 

The first day that we watch a video lesson, I gather the students on the rug and play the lesson for the whole class. As I play the lesson, I pause and model my thinking as I complete the notes page that goes with the video. The kids fill in the notes page along with me. 

After we watch the video and complete our notes page, we review the process. What did they notice about how I watch video lessons? As we debrief/discuss I create an anchor chart for video lessons. A lot of times this takes the format of a t-chart with the headings “looks like”/”sounds like”. 

The second day we do a video lesson, I start by having the class gather on the rug and we review the anchor chart for watching video lessons. Then we walk through how they will find the video and again go over my expectations (wear headphones, taking notes as you watch, pause when you need to, rewind if you need to, etc.). I then send them off to watch the video while I circulate the room giving reminders when needed. After everyone is done, we come back to the rug and debrief again. 

Okay great, that’s a normal year. So what about if we’re learning virtually?? 

My school will be utilizing a lot of live lessons, but even though there will be live lessons there will still be times when kids are watching a video (or a replay of the live lesson) and I want to set clear expectations for both live virtual lessons and recorded lessons. 

I plan to follow much of the same process as I’ve done in person. I will model and “think aloud” what I expect. For recorded lessons, I plan on showing a video through my screen share and modeling for students what they should be doing when they watch a video lesson. 

Want to know more about how I launch math workshop? 

Check out my launching math workshop series

Need more information on video lessons/flipped models? I have a *free* course that will teach you everything you need to know. Check it out here

Blended Math Workshop

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what math workshop will look like this year. Is it even possible? There are still so many unknowns, even as the start of the school year quickly approaches.

For my school, the *current* plan (seems to change by the day) is to start the year virtual for 3 weeks and then offer both in-person and virtual learning. Parents will choose the model they want for each 9-week grading period. 

In-person learning will also look very different with students staying apart from each other, no sharing of materials, and wearing masks all day. 

While I am certainly no expert in how to teach in a socially distanced classroom or an entirely virtual one, the blended workshop model I’ve been using for years (which includes video lessons) makes this challenge a little less overwhelming. 

Click below to watch my video where I discuss my typical blended workshop model along with thoughts and ideas for the current school year. 

After you watch, leave a comment with what your year will look like and your biggest challenges with incorporating math workshop.

Everything You Need to Know to Flip Your Class

I've been flipping my 4th grade math class for about  years now and I can honestly say it's completely changed the way I teach.

I love sharing how I flip my class with other teachers and I always get asked a lot of questions.

What does a flipped class even mean?

When do you have kids watch videos?

Where do you get your videos?

How do you know your students are paying attention? 

That's why I decided to create this *free* video course on how to flip your class. 

Click the picture below to sign up now!

This email course consists of 4 videos where I walk you through everything you need to know to start flipping your own class.

I'll cover Flipping 101
- What is a flipped class?
- Why do I flip my class?
- What does my flipped math class look like?

You'll learn All About the Videos
- How do you make videos?
- Where can you find videos?
- How do you choose a good video for students?

Start the Free Course Now!

I'll tell you how to Hold Students Accountable

- How do you know students are paying attention?

- How can you have students reflect after lessons?

Finally, I'll help you Put It All Together

- I'll give you bonus tips and tricks to make your life easier

- I'll show you what one of my flipped lessons looks like so you have an example

Ready to start flipping? Start the course now!

Hands-On Math: Base Ten Blocks

Hands-On Math is a blog series where I highlight a math manipulative or tool that I use in my 4th grade classroom. The posts will include links to purchase the tools from Amazon. Please be aware that these are affiliate links. I only recommend tools that I have used and loved myself!

What are Base Ten Blocks?
Base Ten Blocks are typically used for place value as they exemplify our base-ten numerical system. However, there are TONS of other ways to use them. Most sets will come with a thousands cube, hundreds flats, tens rods and ones cubes/units

How do I use them in 4th grade?
Big kids still benefit from concrete experiences for math. One way that I have used base ten blocks is to have students build multiplication problems. This comes at the beginning of our lessons on how to multiply two 2-digit numbers together. We use the base ten blocks to model the array model for multiplication. This provides kids with the concrete experience before moving to the pictorial area model and finally to the abstract traditional algorithm. 

We use centimeter grid paper to set up the problem. I got our grid paper from the ETA book that came with the blocks (see link below). First we outline an array to represent our problem. Then starting with a hundreds flat we fill in the array with blocks. Again starting with the hundreds block, we take away a section at a time and write a multiplication sentence for that section. Finally, we add all of the numbers up. 

Ready to try it? 
Get a starter kit from Amazon to use with your small groups. Click the picture below to check it out on Amazon!

Mastering Multiplication

We just finished up our unit on the 4 operations. When I am introducing multiplication and division with large numbers, I first focus on the skill. Then we follow up the skills with an in-depth problem solving unit.

One of the first skills I teach is multiplying large numbers by a 1-digit number. Our standards in Texas include multiplying a 4-digit number times a 1-digit number. This is an important skill because it builds on their knowledge from 3rd grade (2-digit times 1-digit) and lays the foundation needed for 2-digit times 2-digit - which comes next in our curriculum.

We spent a week on multiplying by 1-digit numbers. All of the activities that my kids did were in a Google Slide that I shared through Google Classroom. They worked through the following activities at their own pace:

They started with a video lesson, while completing a student anchor chart. The completed charts go in their math binder.

After the video lesson, they completed a sort. The sort was multiplication problems. They solved them on white boards and then sorted them by odd products and even products. {My kids LOVE to work problems out on white boards!!}

Next they used a deck of cards to create 10 multiplication problems that they solved on white boards and *their favorite part* got to check with a calculator. What! You let your kids use a calculator?? Yep! It keeps them motivated and they have to go back and find their mistake if they see that they get the problem wrong. We also spend a lot of time discussing why they really need to do the work on their own and use the calculator to check.

Finally, they complete a set of task cards. There were 10 task cards. I posted each card around the room. They walked around the room with a white board to work the problems. Then they posted their answers to a Google Form that automatically graded all their work. With a click of a button I could see which kids needed more help before their Friday math quiz (hallelujah!).

My kids love having their assignments in Google and having the freedom to work at their own pace. It also helps me pull students in small groups throughout the week.

More visual? Here's a quick glimpse of the Google slides.

Want to try it in your room? You can get all the materials I used in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Just click the picture below!

Need white boards for your class? You can find some on Amazon that are pretty affordable. This set has a good reviews (this is an affiliate link)

Going Digital with Google: Google Slides (plus a link up!)

If you've been following along for a while, then you know my math workshop has been digital for the last 2 years. You also know that I've been using a website called Blendspace to house my math workshop directions. I even did a blog post you can check out.

I thought Blendspace was the greatest thing ever. And it still has some redeeming qualities, but it also had some downfalls. Like some days the site was reeaaaally slow to load. When I included sites to visit within blendspace it was a bit glitchy on the ipads. My class didn't have usernames so they were still recording work other places and both the kids and I were constantly clicking back and forth.

Now let's fast forward to January 2016. I discovered a great group of teacher-authors on Teachers Pay Teachers who introduced me to using Google Slides in place of Blendspace. Now I knew all about Google. My kids were using Google Drive to back things up and we used Google Classroom. That being said, it had never crossed my mind to use Google Slides in a new way!

So here are my top 3 things I love about using Google Slides for math workshop.

stay with me people, there's a link up at the bottom : )

#1

I can house EVERYTHING in one place. My directions are in slides. Any links or videos are in slides. Ask a reflection question? They type their answer right on the slide. Building something with manipulatives? Take a picture and (you guessed it) put it right on the slide. Seeing a theme here? This was a game changer folks. For me and the kids. In fact, when I asked what they liked about Google Slides, the #1 thing was no longer having to click back and forth or keep up with separate papers. 

#2

It works seamlessly with Google Classroom. I love that I can click the magical make a copy for each student button and voi la! Every kid has their own editable copy. Huge time saver! Google Classroom also automatically backs everything up to their Google Drive so it's a built in student portfolio. 

 What in the world is Google Classroom?! Read about it here

#3

I love that using Google Slides is teaching my kids valuable computer skills. These are skills that I think they will carry on for many years. Sometimes I forget that I need to teach them basic skills because they seem so tech savvy. 

Yeah that all sounds great, but what does it really look like?? Here's a sneak peek into my latest Google Slide on Comparing and Ordering numbers.

Congrats! You made it to the end. As promised...here's a fabulous link up hosted by Mrs. Beers, Danielle Knight and The Daring English Teacher for Innovative Classroom Learning Day. Check out the links below to find other blog posts and digital products to check out.

Leave a comment and let me know how you plan on using Google in your classroom this year!

An InLinkz Link-up

Rounding on a Number Line

Last month I wrote a post about how my kids were using the Number Line app to help with rounding - you can check out the post here.

Using an app is always a great way to give kids practice with math concepts, but it does not replace the time they need with concrete, hands-on materials. I really try to stick true to the process of concrete--> pictorial --> abstract. The number line app was pictorial practice for the kids.

I made sure to give them some concrete experiences during our guided math lessons on rounding.

I started my guided math lessons by activating their prior knowledge on rounding. They played a matching game with smaller numbers. They worked together to find all the matches.  This got them talking and thinking about rounding.

Next, we spent some time working through a guided practice page together, using a number line in a clear sheet protector and a counter.

We read through the problems together and then used the number line to help us round. The number we were rounding went on top and then we set up our number line, depending on the place we were rounding to. Finally, we placed the counter on the number line to represent where our original number would go.

This was a lot more difficult for some students than I was anticipating. They really struggled to figure out what numbers should go on the number line, and they also had trouble placing the counter. You can see that student had the counter much closer to 15,000 than it should be.

After lots of discussion, we would then slide the counter over to the number it would round to.

Finally, they had to do a few problems on their own for me to check for understanding.

If you're interested in using these ideas in your classroom, you can download my Guided Math Plans for Rounding Whole Numbers - it's available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store

Digital Number Lines & Rounding

This week my kids are learning to round large numbers. I really want them to understand rounding and not just memorize tricks. In the past I would teach my kids a poem, and while they could round, they didn't really understand why.

Since my classroom is digital, I'm always looking for ways to use our ipads for our math workshop activities.

I found this *free* app called Number Line.

My kids are going to use this app to practice rounding some larger numbers. They'll take screen shots of each number they round and then put them together in pic collage. I made a video to show them how they'll be using the app for the activity.

Check it out:



Here's an example of one of my student's finished products:

How do you teach your kids rounding?

Launching Math Workshop, Part 4

Just joining in? Check out the rest of this blog series!

part 1

part 2

part 3

Read on to find out what day 4 of math workshop looks like.

By day 4, I'm just excited that I've made it to the end of the first week! I'm also amazed by how well my kids are doing with math workshop. The structure is very different than what they're used to and there's a lot for them to figure out.

Day 4 is all about creating workshop rules & becoming independent.

Before the kids start working, we create an anchor chart on our math workshop rules. The class helps decide on the rules based on their experiences throughout the week. Of course I forgot to take a picture of our anchor chart...

Our rules focused on working the whole time, using math tools appropriately (tools, not toys), working together (helping, not giving answers), problem solving, and reading the directions (I really try to make a big deal out of this one). 

Once we've reviewed the rules and the structure of math workshop, I have the kids hold up a number to show me what box they are on in our blendspace. (Wondering what blendspace is? Check out this post).

Then we spend the rest of the time working on finishing up the activities. Here are a couple of pictures of my kids hard at work.

You can find all of the activities my kids did, including the video, in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

That ends my week of launching math workshop! Over the next couple of weeks I'll be reinforcing routines with students and helping them understand where and how to turn their work in. By the 3rd week, I'll start pulling my guided math groups. 

Launching Math Workshop, Part 3

If you missed the first 2 parts of the series, you can check them out here:

part 1

part 2

Read on to find out what the 3rd day of math workshop looks like.

Day 3 is all about gradually releasing responsibility. 

I start off by having the kids talk about what we did the day before in math workshop. Through our discussion, they remember that we use the website blendspace and that they watched a math video. 

Wondering what the heck blendspace is? Check out this post

Then I let them know that today they'll be watching the video on their own. 

We are using Google Classroom this year, so I shared the link to the blendspace with my classes through that website. So to start off, the kids get onto Google Classroom and we walk through finding the blendspace. 

Once everyone has found the instructional video (included in their blendspace), we quickly review our anchor chart on watching videos. Then, they grab their headphones, spread out & get started. 

I walk around while they're watching the videos and make sure they're:

1. actually watching it

2. not experiencing any technical difficulties

3. remembering to complete their anchor chart

For today, I have them go back to their desks and read a book when they're finished. Once everyone has finished, we glue our charts in their journals and quickly review how the process went. I was pleased to see how much the kids enjoyed watching the videos. 

Then we looked at the directions for the next activity together. I model what the activity will look like and where they will find the math tools. We don't spend a lot of time talking about the rules for workshop yet. That will come tomorrow.

Once everyone understands what they need to do, they spread out again and get started on the activity. The activity they did was using place value blocks to build a number. Then they took pictures of each number and put them into PicCollage. Finally, they added the expanded notation for each number into their collage. 

Not everyone finished, but that was okay. I let them know that they will always have 2 days to work on the activities in each blendspace. 

Next up - creating expectations and letting them work independently

Launching Math Workshop, Part 2

If you missed part one of this series, be sure to check it out here to find out what I do on the first day of math workshop.

Read on to find out what the 2nd day of math workshop looks like.

For me, day 2 is all about *modeling*.

I start off by briefly explaining to the students what math workshop will look like this year:

- We'll use the website blendspace for their directions 

- They'll watch an instructional video for their lesson

- I'll be pulling groups every day

Then we pull up our first blendspace. Since our 1st unit is place value, I introduce workshop with a place value review.

You can find the blendspace here.

Every blendspace will start with a video. I've found my kids focus better watching a short video than they do with the distractions of a whole class mini-lesson. I can also get the information across in a shorter time in a video. 

I'll show the video whole class and we'll pause the video and fill out our anchor charts together. (I make a student copy of the anchor chart for each video). I do lots of "think alouds" during the video and make sure the kids really understand what's expected of them while they're watching an instructional video. 

After we've all completed our anchor charts & glued them into our journals, we make an anchor chart on watching instructional videos. 

Then I have the students think-pair-share what they think they'll be doing for the next activity in the blendspace. They work on the 2nd activity, which incorporates their iPads, on their own. During this time I walk around the room & provide feedback. 

Once everyone has finished, we come back together and discuss the next activity in blendspace. Again, they complete it on their own as I walk around the room. 

Once they're finished, we come back together and discuss things that went well & things that need to change for the next day. 

I tried to choose activities that all students should be able to complete independently, even if they're below level. 

You can download all of the materials for these activities here for FREE.

If you like these activities, be on the look out for more digital math stations in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Stay tuned for part 3 - gradually releasing responsibility to students!

Launching Math Workshop, Part 1

I'm super excited about my plans for launching math workshop this year! So excited, that I'm starting a new blog series to explain it all to you!

Last year I went way out of my comfort zone with the structure of my math workshop. It also happened to be my first year in a completely digital classroom - meaning that each kiddo had their own ipad.

You can read more about how my digital math workshop went last year here.

It went pretty well, but I definitely think with the right amount of planning, this year will go better. Last year I pretty much threw my kids to the wolves... I quickly explained the structure and then let them have at it. While there were some advantages to letting the kids problem solve their way through workshop, I definitely didn't set clear enough expectations (which I paid for later in the year).

So that leads me to this year. I'm going to be MUCH more explicit in how I explain and model math workshop.

Over the next few weeks, I'll share with you each step of launching math workshop in the upper elementary classroom, starting with the first week of school. My math workshop is very digital, however you could use the same steps for any classroom!

I start launching math workshop on the 2nd day of school. 

Our first math unit this year is place value, so while I'm teaching the routines of workshop I'm also trying to fit in some place value review and instruction. 

So on day 2 of school, I have the kids take a place value pre-test. You could start day 1 if you're super ambitious : )

The pre-test covers skills from 3rd grade and the new skills they'll learn in 4th grade. I really stress to the kids that this is not for a grade and helps me know what they remember or already know. Click on the picture below to download the pre-test I use for free.

I'll use the data from this pre-test later when I start pulling guided math groups (more on that in a later post).

This also gives us a chance to discuss what the classroom looks like and sounds like during independent work.

Once everyone has finished their pre-test, we set up our math journals. In the past I've had kids create their own table of contents. This year, I'm giving them a template to glue into their journals. Maybe this will keep them neater...

We glue in the table of contents, number the pages in our journal and then add our very first entry: "Place Value Review".

This year I'm going to try having the kids color code their math journals. All the entries on place value will be in one color in the table of contents and then when we switch units, they'll switch colors.

You can download my table of contents template from Google Drive here.

We'll also spend some time discussing our math journals - where we keep them, how we use them, what they should look like, etc.

There you have it - day 1 of launching math workshop!

Next up: introducing kids to blendspace (the website we use for workshop) and instructional math videos 

Math Workshop

I am LOVING math workshop this year! I'm doing something totally different than past years and it's been fantastic. We are 1:1 this year with iPads so we're using technology a lot in all of the content areas. I decided to try an in-class flip model for math workshop. We are using the website Blendspace to house all of the workshop activities.

Here's a breakdown of what my math block looks like. I have 60 minutes a day for math.

Challenge Problem

We start off each block with a challenge problem. These are rigorous/multi-step word problems. The kids have 5 minutes to work out the problem with a partner on their white boards. Then we spend about 5 minutes talking about the problem and sharing different strategies for solving it. The kids love doing the challenge problems and it's a great chance to mix in lots of different skills.

Warm-Up

Each week they get a spiral-review sheet to work on. I break the problems down by day. There are 5 problems for each day. Monday is always vocabulary, Tuesday and Wednesday are skill review and Thursday is problem solving. They don't have any problems on Fridays. As we move on throughout the year, Wednesday will become more problem solving practice. I have an extra block of time for math on Tuesdays when my G/T kids are pulled out. I plan on using this time to go over the previous week's warm-up. My G/T kids typically don't need reteaching on these problems, but I can pull them in a small group during workshop for any reteaching they need.

Workshop

Once the kids finish their warm-up problems for the day, they start their workshop activities. We are using Edmodo at our school this year. I post the link to the blendspace in their Edmodo group. They get a new Blendspace on Mondays and Wednesdays and have 2 days to work on the activities.

What's in a Blendspace?

Every Blendspace starts with a video and an anchor chart. I'm a bit of a control freak (aren't all teachers??) so I make the videos myself because I want the kids to hear it the way I'd explain it. I've been using a screen capturing app (Doceri) on my ipad to record the videos. They're pretty basic - it's what I used to do whole class. For each video there's an anchor chart for the kids to fill out. They glue these into their journals. After the video, the kids have different activities to work on. I'm really trying to follow the concrete - pictorial - abstract model. A lot of times the activities are independent, but there are also partner activities mixed in. The kids also know they can help each other during math workshop.

Small Groups

I have 2 groups of kids that I pull every day. These are kids that I know need some extra hands-on practice with me. I pull them as soon as everyone starts working on their warm-up. This way they get a mini-lesson in with me before they watch the video and work on the activities. After I've worked with those 2 groups, I pull kids for reteaching, work on corrections with kids, and help with their workshop activities. I've been amazed at how much more time I have to work with small groups.

Accountability

After kids finish their anchor charts and glue them into their journals, they bring their journals to me to get checked. This helps me check-in with each student before they start the independent activities. It also helps me make sure they're putting their charts into their journals correctly. Before I did this, I discovered a lot of kids weren't gluing their charts into their journals or were leaving the examples blank.

I give the kids a grade for math workshop based on the activities that they complete. Not every kid will complete all of the activities and that is okay! I always put the activities that I consider the most important towards the beginning. If students are working with me, they won't have as much time to work independently. However, they're still getting practice. I give them a check, check plus or check minus on the different activities they complete during workshop. Then I take an average for the week.

Fridays

Friday is my assessment and reteaching day. We still start off with a challenge problem. Then they have a "quick check" to do. It's 5-10 questions over the skills we've been working on that week. I'm able to check these right away and re-teach that day. Friday is also a day for them to finish their warm-up and any unfinished work from the week.

Wow that was a long post!! Now for some pictures : )