Flipped Learning: Creating Buy-In

One of the most crucial ingredients in a successful flipped learning environment is buy-in.  Students have to buy into the model and understand that it’s going to be in their best interest.  Parents have to buy in (especially at a private school, like the one I teach at) in order to feel at ease with their child’s classroom experience.  As a teacher in a flipped learning environment, I’ve had to come up with ways of explaining and describing my teaching that would “play” to both parents and students, and help with the buy-in.  In other words, I’ve needed to learn how to market my classes.

For me, it’s been all about terminology.  I no longer assign “videos” to watch.  Instead, the students watch “pre-recorded virtual lectures”.  You might think that this is a fairly transparent and minor semantic issue, but you would be surprised at how differently those two terms are received, both by students as well as their parents.  “Watching a video” is a passive activity that doesn’t connote a great deal of intense focus and attention.  These students watch videos all the time - they have them on in the background while they’re doing other things.  A “pre-recorded virtual lecture” however, feels like something that might be important.  After all, in their other classes, lectures are how the teacher gets them the important information, which they usually need to write down.  In my conversations with parents, referring to the videos as “lectures” adds an air of import, and subtly reinforces the fact that I am still lecturing in this class, just in a different way.  A simple change in terminology, but one that has seemed to work.

Equally important is the changing of “homework” to “practice”.  When I first decided to try flipping, I  sent an email home to my students’ parents describing how the students would be watching a video lecture at home, and then doing the homework in class.  The uproar that I received from a few vocal parents was surprising and disappointing.  They felt that they were paying far too much in tuition to have their children doing homework in class.  In the words of one parent, “we pay tuition so that our daughter can be taught by teachers, not so that she can do her homework in school.”  This is a natural reaction from someone who doesn’t truly understand what a flipped learning environment is all about.  Calling the work in class “practice” rather than “homework” (and it really isn’t HOME-work anymore, is it?) implies that we’re simply reinforcing concepts or skills already learned, not just doing the homework in school, even if that is, in essence, what we’re doing (I have more to say on that subject, but I’ll do so in a future article).

Much like a company that wishes to sell a product spends resources and time to get information about that product to their customers, so too do we need to expend effort in informing our students and parents about this whole “flipped learning” thing, before the class begins.  At the beginning of this year, I assigned my students the task of watching an introductory video that is on my website.  More importantly, they were supposed to watch it with their parent or guardian.  When I met with parents at our Back To School Night, and later at conferences, it was easy to pick out the parents who hadn’t watched the welcome video with their students - they were the ones who were either very confused as to why their child was on YouTube every night, or were angry because it didn’t seem like their child had any homework in Chemistry class.  Explaining the process to these parents and assuaging their concerns became a sales pitch that I still use to this day when trying to “sell” someone on the flipped classroom experience.

Getting the students to buy into this kind of class means more than just getting them to watch the lectures with the attention that they would give any other teacher’s live lectures.  It also involves getting them to understand that class time is now where they ask questions, clarify concepts, practice skills, and clear up confusion.  This is most especially true of the unmotivated students - the ones that don’t really want to be there, and certainly don’t want to work.  Getting those students to use the time effectively requires a whole different kind of sales pitch, and is often my biggest challenge.  Hooking students into a class like Chemistry, fortunately, is sometimes pretty easy; I just have to set something on fire or make some loud noise and smoke, and they key right in!

If you’re new to flipping, you may encounter some initial resistance from students, parents, or even administration.  How you present the strategy will go a long way to easing the minds of those involved.    If you have the option, it might be a good idea to pave the way for the flip by sending out lots of information before you flip your classroom.  Be ready to answer lots of questions, and try not to go on the defensive - remember, this is new to you, and often unheard of by others.  New strategies can be scary until they are more clearly understood.  Happy Flipping!

Chemical Misconceptions: The Truth About Turkey...

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I am reminded of an argument I had with a friend years ago as to the contribution of turkey - more specifically, the amino acid L-Tryptophan - on our typical feelings of lethargy and sleepiness after the big Thanksgiving meal.  I wrote this post way back then, and I thought I'd re-post it now (t'is the season).  I would encourage all of you who read it to spread the truth.  When someone blames the poor turkey for your sluggishness, stand up (stagger to your feet) and say, "It's not the turkey!".  Perhaps, together, we can make the world a happier, more informed place!

The Original Post (my new additions are in purple):

OK, I'm getting tired of having to explain this to people every time Thanksgiving rolls around. I'm not sure how these myths get started, or what perpetuates them, but nothing irritates me more than bad science. So I decided to post this to set the record straight.

First, the facts about L-Tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid in your diet. That means your body can't make it by itself - you have to eat it. One of the uses of L-Tryptophan is in the production of Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Serotonin is partly responsible for creating a relaxed, sleepy effect. So, since meats like turkey contain L-Tryptophan, shouldn't it make you sleepy when you eat lots of turkey?

In short, no. In order to become sleepy from L-Tryptophan, it would have to be the only thing in your stomach, and that means no other proteins present (never mind carbohydrates). Since few people actually eat pure L-Tryptophan, and since turkey meat is almost entirely protein, you can't get the serotonin spike just by eating turkey meat. In addition, the levels of Tryptophan in turkey are not much higher than the levels in other meats.  So what's the real story? Why do we get all befuddled after Thanksgiving dinner?

The real reason lies in the enormous amounts of carbohydrates and other food that we eat on Thanksgiving (or any holiday where food plays a central role). The large amounts of carbs in your belly diverts blood from your brain to your digestive tract, causing you to become sleepy (why do you think that most predators rest after they eat? It's so they can effectively digest.). Your digestive system works best when there is lots of blood supply in the area to cart away nutrients. The decreased blood flow in your brain deprives the brain of glucose, which in turn makes you a bit sleepy. Add to that the effects of alcohol (a depressant), and the glucose/insulin effect, and you've got nap time!  There is a psychological component to this as well.  Since holidays are typically times of relaxation (unless you're a member of a big Italian family that argues a lot, *cough, cough*), and because the most relaxing time of the actual day is usually meal time, your brain is more predisposed to feeling relaxed.  This feeling can persist even after the meal is over.

So, let's stop perpetuating bad science! Next time someone tells you that it's L-Tryptophan that makes you drowsy on Thanksgiving, offer this experiment. Challenge them to skip the turkey and eat only the other stuff and see if they're wide awake afterwards. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat.

The Fun Equation Revisited

Author's Note: This is a re-posting of an article I wrote a few years ago.  The blog in which I wrote the original is now defunct, but I loved this little piece, so I'm re-publishing it.

When I was in college, one of my best friends introduced me to the idea of The Fun Equation. Being both chemistry students, we often found humor in relating math and science to the 'real' world (whatever that is). The Fun Equation was a cute, funny, and fun way of looking at what makes an experience "fun".

Here's the equation in its most modern form. In order to really understand how fun is to be had, we first need to define our variables.

• F is, of course, Fun. The amount of fun to be had.
• M is Mess. Mess may be made by the person having fun, or be a result of the fun.
• N is Noise.
• Cp is the Potential for Getting Caught (but not actually getting caught - think of it as risk)
• S is Sleep.
• Is and Io are Injury terms. Is is Injury to Self, while Io is Injury to Others.
• Dp is Damage to Property, either belonging to self or others.
• Ca is Actually Getting Caught.

From the equation, we can see that Fun is compounding exponentially with respect to Mess, Noise, and the Potential for Getting Caught. Obviously, we'll want to maximize these to ensure that maximum fun is had by all. Experimental evidence for the dependence on Mess can be seen in the aftermath of any gathering (and I've had to clean up after my share). The Noise factor is usually observable during the event. The correlation with Potential for Getting Caught is only palpable if one is in attendance ("Quiet guys! The RA is coming!"). These relationships are clearly seen in the typical college party (which are arguably among the most fun).


The compound growth of Fun is offset by Sleep and Injury (both to self and others). Sleep, of course, removes us from the event (anecdotal effects of pranks perpetuated on the sleeping have been ignored). The sum of the Injury terms is squared due to the serious nature of injury. As injuries become more severe, they will naturally have more of a dampening effect on Fun. It should be noted that minor injuries do not often decrease fun to a noticeable degree, and there has been some evidence that, in the moment, these can actually increase Fun, although more research is needed in this area.


From the main expression, we must subtract the effects of Damage to Property and the square of whether or not we Actually Get Caught. Severe property damage subtracts a significant amount of Fun, and Actually Getting Caught (which is squared), can actually result in a negative value for Fun. Clearly, lack of permanent damage and avoiding getting caught eliminate this term from the equation. The balance between the Potential for Getting Caught and Actually Getting Caught is still being studied, and may result in a separate relationship that may need to be considered.


This version of The Fun Equation seems to be most appropriate to younger people. I am currently working on the Grown-Up Fun Equation, and will post this when suitable and sufficient testing has been completed. Variables such as Cost, Fatigue, and Good TV, are in contention for inclusion, but I am open to suggestions from my readers. Leave your ideas in the Comments.

The Flipped Classroom: It's Not ALL About the Videos (But It Is a Little)

Recently, I read this article about how easy it is to make videos for your flipped classroom, and why you shouldn't be afraid to take the leap.  While I entirely agree with this in principle, something at the end of the post caught my eye.  The author writes, "Make the video, save the video, send the video. No Post-Production! Don’t even watch it back. You were there when you made it, I assume you know what’s there!"  I have a problem with the idea of producing a video with No post-production - shouldn't we aspire to more than just "getting the content out there"?

Look Ma, picture-in-picture!

Many teachers, myself included, find the profession a good fit because we are, at heart, performers.  We take great delight in standing before a class and presenting content about which we are passionate.  We try new ways to engage our student and capture their imagination.  With a "live" audience, we get a natural energy back from our students (unless it's first period) that helps to fuel our performance.  It's like any other type of show - the audience can make or break it.

With a video, however, we don't have the audience there (unless you're recording your class live, which would result in a 40 - 50 minute video, and that's WAY too long!).  It takes more effort to create that presentation that is engaging.  That means that we want to avoid the um's, ah's, and other pauses or filler words.  It's distracting, and it takes away from the valuable focus-time of the average student.  Sure, you could simply do another take...and another...and another, until it's just perfect.  But if your goal is to save time by not editing, you're doing it wrong.

When I first started creating videos, I used to do multiple takes, and I found I was spending a great deal of time on each video, because I wanted it to be perfect (or at least engaging).  When I discovered the myriad of free, easy-to-use video editing options out there, I just made my mistakes and cut them out in post.  It ended up saving me time, rather than adding to it.  Even today, when I make a mistake in a video, I pause for a few seconds, and continue (or back up and proceed) until I'm finished.  I average about 3 - 4 "mistakes" per 7-minute video, but I just cut them out and no one ever knows!

Nowadays, I use a slightly more sophisticated software suite called Camtasia Studio, which my school was kind enough to purchase for me.  It has a few more bells and whistles, which I've manages to teach myself, but honestly, it's pretty intuitive.  Still, there are plenty of free, online video tools you can use, such as Screencast-O-Matic (PC and Mac), a free, online screencasting tool, or the free Techsmith Snagit extension for Google Chrome.  A quick Google search will find you many from which to choose.  If your biggest roadblock to making your own videos is that you "don't know how", believe me, it's easier than you think.  And more importantly, it's a lot of fun!

The Quantum Physics of Santa Clause!

This is just a short post that I thought was a long time in coming. It seems there are people out there who doubt the existence of Santa. I know, right? Now normally, I'd respond with something quaint about how Santa lives in your heart, and if you truly believe, then he's real, yadda, yadda, yadda. Let's face it, that might have worked on some little girl in New York, but it doesn't carry much weight with us worldly grown-ups, does it?  

So I decided that, if Santa is real, then there needs to be some scientific proof of his existence. Well, any science-savvy person who knows anything about basic physics will tell you that Santa, and his Impossible Task are pure bunk! I mean, how can one man, with one sleigh, carry ALL those presents to all the good little boys and girls of the world in one night? Impossible, right?

Well, yes, if you look at it scientifically. Given that approximately 15% of the world's children are Christian (and therefor on Santa's list), that makes about 375 million kids who need presents. Even if he travels from east to west (to maximize the amount of nighttime hours), he only has 31 hours in which to make all his deliveries (this takes into account timezones). If we go with the average of 1.89 children per household (from the US Census), that leaves a little over 198 million households for Santa to visit. This means Santa must make 1,774 deliveries per second. That's pretty ambitious, even for a "right jolly old elf".

Add to that the problem of the sheer mass of presents. Even if we limit each child to one two-pound gift, Santa is carrying over 500 thousand tons. Eight reindeer can't pull that much on their best day, not to mention that the fat guy himself is perched atop the whole thing! It's pretty clear that science has proven that Santa cannot possibly exist.

Except, we forgot about quantum physics. In the early part of the 20th Century, a number of great minds (some of which, like Einstein, you've heard of) were busy discovering the nature of small particle behavior. They found that, at the sub-atomic level, particles just don't behave the way that they're supposed to. This turned the world of physics on its ear, and led to the development of modern quantum mechanical theory. Now, I'm not a physicist, and it's not my intention to explain quantum physics here. I just want to offer one rather interesting, and, I think, crucial theory in support of the existence of Santa Clause.

It's the idea of quantum superpositions. To keep it simple, Santa has mastered quantum existence. Santa is capable, just once a year, of existing in infinite quantum states simultaneously. Electrons do this all the time. In short, Santa can be everywhere at once. Now this takes a tremendous amount of energy, which is why he only does it once a year. But with polylocation, Santa only needs a powerful burst of energy for a very short time, say, approximately 10 - 15 minutes. Enough time to place presents, eat cookies, and maybe leave a note. Once his Santa-ly duties are complete, he simply returns to a singular state. What's more, this explains two very important things about Santa:

1. "He sees you when you're sleeping/He knows when you're awake." Of course he does - he can be everywhere at once! And he'd better know if you're awake, because:
2. Santa won't come to a house where children are awake. IF ONE SINGLE CHILD SHOULD HAPPEN TO OBSERVE SANTA, THEN ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF QUANTUM PHYSICS, ALL OF HIS INFINITE QUANTUM STATES WOULD COLLAPSE INTO A SINGLE STATE OF EXISTENCE, RENDERING HIM UNABLE TO PERFORM HIS DELIVERIES!!! Read that again! Kids, when it's time to go to bed on Christmas Eve, don't screw around!

So yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause, and Quantum Physics proves that not only can he exist, but that he's got some badass technology up there at the North Pole! OK, time for my long winter's nap! Merry Christmas!

Chemical Misconceptions - The Truth About Turkey and Tryptophan

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I am reminded of an argument I had with a friend years ago as to the contribution of turkey - more specifically, the amino acid L-Tryptophan - on our typical feelings of lethargy and sleepiness after the big Thanksgiving meal.  I wrote this post way back then, and I thought I'd re-post it now (t'is the season).  I would encourage all of you who read it to spread the truth.  When someone blames the poor turkey for your sluggishness, stand up (stagger to your feet) and say, "It's not the turkey!".  Perhaps, together, we can make the world a happier, more informed place!

The Original Post (my additions are in purple):

OK, I'm getting tired of having to explain this to people every time Thanksgiving rolls around. I'm not sure how these myths get started, or what perpetuates them, but nothing irritates me more than bad science. So I decided to post this to set the record straight.


First, the facts about L-Tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid in your diet. That means your body can't make it by itslef - you have to eat it. One of the uses of L-Tryptophan is in the production ofSerotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Serotonin is partly responsible for creating a relaxed, sleepy effect. So, since meats like turkey contain L-Tryptophan, shouldn't it make you sleepy when you eat lots of turkey?

In short, no. In order to become sleepy from L-Tryptophan, it would have to be the only thing in your stomach, and that means no other proteins present (nevermind carbohydrates). Since few people actually eat pure L-Tryptophan, and since turkey meat is almost entirely protein, you can't get the serotonin spike just by eating turkey meat. In addition, the levels of Tryptophan in turkey are not much higher than the levels in other meats.  So what's the real story? Why do we get all befuddled after Thanksgiving dinner?

The real reason lies in the enormous amounts of carbohydrates and other food that we eat on Thanksgiving (or any holiday where food plays a central role). The large amounts of carbs in your belly diverts blood from your brain to your digestive tract, causing you to become sleepy (why do you think that most predators rest after they eat? It's so they can effectively digest.). Your digestive system works best when there is lots of blood supply in the area to cart away nutrients. The decreased blood flow in your brain deprives the brain of glucose, which in turn makes you a bit sleepy. Add to that the effects of alcohol (a depressant), and the glucose/insulin effect, and you've got naptime!  There is a psychological component to this as well.  Since holidays are typically times of relaxation (unless you're a member of a big Italian family that argues a lot, *cough, cough*), and because the most relaxing time of the actual day is usually meal time, your brain is more predisposed to feeling relaxed.  This feeling can persist even after the meal is over.

So, let's stop perpetuating bad science! Next time someone tells you that it's L-Tryptophan that makes you drowsy on Thanksgiving, offer this experiment. Challenge them to skip the turkey and eat only the other stuff and see if they're wide awake afterwards. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat.

Notes From FlipCon 2015

So, I'm attending FlipCon 2015 - a workshop/conference for educators interesting in the flipped classroom model of teaching.  Those who know me are well aware of my love for flipping, and so, being here is quite exciting.  I thought I'd jot a few thoughts and ideas here from each of the sessions I attend.  I've provided links to the presenters' Twitter pages - if you're on Twitter and you're an educator, you need to be following these people!

Keynote: Paul Andersen (@paulandersen):

I was fairly excited to hear Paul speak, having watched his flipped class lesson TED talk.  He's a science teacher (although, he teaches biology, but we can't all be perfect), so his particular insights are of interest to me.  So often I find that I am not able to translate the ideas of non-science teachers into my own context, which is frustrating, because clearly, there are some amazing things going on in classrooms around the globe, and I want to be able to apply them to my own teaching.  Paul's experiences somewhat mirror my own, and he struggled (albeit several years ago) with the same things I am currently reflecting on.

Paul's presentation was a retrospective of sorts about his own journey with flipping.  He is a masterful speaker, injecting humor, and asking the right questions.  His major themes focused on the heart of the flipped learning model - it's about the students and how you design your classroom should best serve them.  Until today, I hadn't really thought about my classroom in terms of design (or, at least, I didn't internally use that language).  Designing my class (not the physical space, but the way in which my students journey toward mastery) is something I've been trying to articulate in my head, and now, having some more concrete tools and language for that opens up a world of possibility.  Although, as with nearly every conference I attend, there is so much to think about that I feel as though my head may explode with it all.

I had already planned to attend Paul's other presentation about blended learning and mastery in his lab-based classroom (right up my alley), but after the keynote, I was definitely sold.  I'm hoping to gain some insight on how to implement a true mastery model in my own classes.  I'm expecting this might work better in the Honors Chemistry and/or AP Chemistry classrooms, but I'm excited to see the possibilities.  I began the summer thinking that I was done making videos, but now I suspect that there is more video production in my future, if I want to make things work the way I'm hoping they'll work.

The Blended Learning Cycle: Paul Andersen (@paulandersen)

Paul didn't disappoint with what seemed like a follow-up to his morning keynote address.  The idea of designing the curriculum to fit a mastery model is exciting, but daunting.  Fortunately, it seems like the College Board has helped with this (at least for AP Chem), with its recent re-design of the AP Chemistry course.  Using the Big Ideas through the lens of the Science Practices seems like a great place to start the redesign.  And if it's good enough for AP, why not Honors?   It's more about the approach than the specific content.

I liked Paul's QUIVERS approach to topics (QUestion, Investigation/Inquiry, Video, Elaboration, Review) as a way of leading students toward mastery.  I think that starting a topic with a question preserves the essential part of what makes science fun to learn - the question.  I'm not sure how well this model would fit with what I've been doing currently, but I'm excited to work on that somewhat (in the few weeks I have left this summer).

Mastery Learning 1-0-Fun: Michael Brust, Tim Kelly, Corey Sullivan (@TheAlgebros)

Listening to The Algebros present is vaguely reminiscent of a college frat party, but it's clear that these guys really know their stuff.  Taking a slightly different approach to mastery learning, these guys have no due dates (unlike Paul Andersen), and allow the students to complete work on their schedule.  If a student does not complete the required material by the end of the year, they have had them finish the content at the beginning of the next year before starting their next class.  If a student gets far enough ahead, they can start the next year's material in advance.

While the idea of having an entire program at the mastery level is fantastic and wonderful, the reality is that I don't have that kind of flexibility.  I also feel that due dates are important, especially for the sophomores. This past year taught me that I still need to follow a schedule, and that there still need to be some due dates for student work.  This is probably more my issue than the students', but it is a reality for my teaching.

What I believe I'll take away from this presentation is the idea of very short, immediately graded mastery checks (although, I'll probably still call them quizzes).  Nearly every teacher who was talking about mastery still gave traditional 'tests' (whether they were called Unit Summative Assessments or whatever - they were still tests), so I think that I may continue to do that.  What we have been calling quizzes in regular Chemistry are really tests anyway, so I don't think I'll need to change much there.

Science Job Alike Networking

I did attend the science job alike, which was something of a discussion group for science teachers.  We had some good discussion about cheating and how to prevent it.  I was lucky enough to meet Marc Seigel (@daretochem), someone who I have followed for a while on Twitter.  It was a little like meeting a celebrity - this guy knows how to teach chemistry, and is a true innovator.  It's inspiring to meet some of these folks who have already influenced my teaching in so many ways.  Not much else to report about this session - it was useful, but not very exciting.

Flipped Mastery: Nicole Avon (@AvonPhysics)

By now, you may have gotten the idea that mastery learning was a focus of mine at this conference.  Nicole's session was extremely informative, with a lot of good ideas.  Since I began to flip my classes, my biggest frustration lay in the lack of information from science teachers who were actually doing this.  It's wonderful to hear inspiring stories from an innovative social studies teacher who has flipped their classrooms, but I had a hard time relating what they were saying to what I wanted to do.  As I find more science teachers doing what I want to do, I become more confident and comfortable in the flip.

Nicole's flipped mastery physics classes have a lot of the the attributes I'm looking for in my classes.  I still have some technology hurdles to figure out (the most important of these, in my eyes, is online assessments that work well), but the organization of her material, and especially the idea of optional, additional assignments for students who want more practice, or who finish with the required material early, really got me thinking.  I think that, between her and Paul Andersen, I ought to be able to steal what I need to improve my classes and my students' success this coming year.

Some things I'm thinking would work for me:

• Building in an extra day or two around summative test day for retakes
• Requiring a minimum passing grade (I'm thinking 80% for Honors, 70% for regular) before they can move on
• Minimum re-test requirements - being sure that the students have done at least 80% of the required material before they're allowed to re-take a test.
• Keeping things scheduled

Keynote: Jon Bergmann & Aaron Sams (@jonbergmann & @chemicalsams)

Talk about celebrities! I have to admit that I'm still a little star-struck when I listen to these two talk about flipping. The passion for what they do is evident in their presentations - I mean, these are the guys that started this whole thing! Are you kidding me?

Listening to their ideas had me excited to get back to work and to try some of this. The main messages of their keynote that resonated with me were, "less tech, more teach" and "teachers change what they do when they talk to other teachers who are innovating" (I'm paraphrasing, of course).

Having spent a full year with Chromebooks in my classroom, I realize now that I used them FAR too much. Yes, the paperless goal was, and is, a good one, and I intend to still be as paperless as possible, but I have to work on definitive times when the students are using tech, and times when screens are closed. Since all of my assignments are online, I see this as being a challenge, but I'm going to work on it some more this year. I want to make sure that I'm playing an active role in the class, and while I don't want to be the center of the class, I do want to be the active "driver" of the curriculum. It's a balance I hope I can strike this year.

The importance of reaching my colleagues and helping them to see the benefits of flipping really resonates with me. I'm tired of being worried about talking about what I'm doing with the people I work with. I want them to try some of this. I want to change the culture of learning that currently exists at my school. I think I have some ideas on how to proceed, but I think it really has to start with me and other innovators at my school.

Flip the Flop: Kate Baker & Christina Roy (@KtBkr4 & @smallbutfeisty)

Kate and Christina's session was one of the most useful for me, in the context of my issue with talking to my colleagues.  We used a processing technique or protocol where I was the one presenting the "problem" and the group (about 8 of us) helped come up with solutions.  It was some of the most productive discussion I've had about education, and it left me with several very good ideas about how to change the learning culture of the school at which I teach.  I cannot wait to get back to school in August to try to implement some of these ideas.  I realize I have a long way to go, but I'm excited to begin.

Formative Assessments On The Fly: Crystal Kirch (@crystalkirch)

If you don't know who Crystal Kirch is, and you're a teacher (especially a math teacher), then you're missing out on one of the most innovative young teachers out there.  Crystal's ideas really helped me take the plunge into flipping in 2014, and I still use many of her ideas today.  This session introduced seven tools that can be used for formative assessments.  While I had seen many of them (and currently use several), I was still excited to learn about a few more.  One, in particular, Formative, has me very excited to see what I can do with it.  I'm looking forward to trying some of these with my students this year.

Final Thoughts

This conference was exactly what I needed this summer.  It truly helped me resolve some frustrations I had been having, and helped me to figure out an approach to solving some of the problems I had with flipping my classes this year.  I am excited about moving toward a mastery approach, and I think I have some good tools to help me do this.  I can't wait for next year's FlipCon (deep in the heart of Texas!).