1.10 Classroom Culture: Routines & Procedures

This is the first component to ensure success in a BlendEd classroom.  I bounce back and forth between some evidence and fully integrated levels.  I have several procedures in places, but I am always adding new and improved routines to make the flow of class better for the students.  I always begin class with a bellringer to get the students focused on math - this could be from a past, present or future concept to keep the students engaged while attendance is taken.  Missing students know to go to canvas to modules where they will find any missing notes, homework, and activities from previous days.

I am going to utilize an idea on norms and connect it to my geometry classroom.  When it is time to close the laptops, the students will hear the prompt: 0 degrees.  When laptops are needed, the students will be prompted: 90 degrees. When it is guided practice time, students will be prompted:  180 degrees. I am hoping that this mathematical connection will help students to know the expectation quickly and keep class moving at a lively pace.

The video is a short piece on getting the students organized for new activities for a particular concept.

Each unit has the notes with videos, power points, written examples, etc. for each section.  

Another component involves the activities for each section where the students have a choice in the activities that will best help them to understand the content and then challenge them to think outside of the traditional practice problems with applications.  Each concept has digital as well as hands-on practice for students to demonstrate their proficiency on that particular concept. All answers are included, so each pod can work together to solve the problems that are difficult for students. Students know that I am working with one small group, they must wait until that group has their questions answered, they magically start to work together to figure it out.  It has been awesome to see students get a concept without waiting for so much teacher assistance. It taking training for them to understand that they need to keep collaborating and not merely wait for the teacher to take them through each problem step by step.

All homework is also chronological for the students to keep track of their progress in each unit.  I am going to give more freedom to students to work at their pace and stick with mini-lectures to help small groups of students.

Using modules has provided my students with a much clearer picture of where the information lies within their Canvas LMS.