Blend That Learning!

I spend roughly six hours a week sitting in math classes, supporting regular teachers with Accelerated Math sessions. During that time, I generally sit in the back of the room and mind my own business while the students work. If they hit a technical issue, I can (sometimes) fix it. If they need a test generated or objectives added, I can do that.  This frees up the teacher to answer math questions that inevitably come up.  In fact, I've been known to help (or confuse?) students with their math questions as well. 

Our school has been using Accelerated Math for a bit more than a year, and I've been impressed with the transformation I've seen in that time.

Accelerated Math time used to be just that. Students with iPads, focused on AM.  The only throwback to traditional math classes would be students showing their work in a math notebook. If you were to walk into the room, you would see all faces looking down at mobile screens and would have a hard time guessing what subject students were working on....but you'd be impressed that they were working on iPads.

In recent weeks, I've noticed an incredible shift in how learning is done in these AM classes.

Second grade teacher, Mrs. Tissot actively scours the data generated by AM and traditional math assignments. She obviously puts in a ton of work outside of class, because she knows exactly which student needs more work with each objective. During AM time yesterday, she pulled individual students to sit on the floor with her to do measuring activities. It took only a couple minutes with each student, but they learned the desired skill and got right back to their iPads.

I also work with Mrs. Young who uses AM as a center.  When I am in her class, she normally has 4 or 5 students working on AM.  The rest of her class is working on other assignments and cycle over to the AM table. She uses that time to work with individual students on skills that they need extra practice on.  

In third grade, Mrs. Bartholomew's students have found themselves comparing fractions on MathFacts in a Flash.  Comparing fractions? In third grade? That's not a problem for Mrs. B. She dug around in her closet, found some fraction manipulatives, and told her students to practice with the fraction pieces before testing the skill. Yesterday, I watched as one little girl helped her friend figure out how to use the new tool.  Technology, manipulatives, and collaboration? Score one for Mrs. B!

Mrs. Plikerd teaches 6th grade math in a class with a very wide range of abilities. Most days I saunter into a glorious "organized chaos."  Some students are working on AM. Some are working in their books. Some are being taught a formal lesson. All students are engaged in math, but it's a fluid collaboration of teachers, students, and groups navigating math together.  And it works! Students are growing and learning some intense math skills, way above what I would consider within the ability level of a sixth grader. 

In middle school, Mrs. Gibbs took the idea of math review to a new level.  She posted a Super Bowl bulletin board, and broke the students into two teams.  Intricate rules have grown, but the concept uses class notes, book work, and AM as ways of gaining yards, scoring touchdowns, and even extra points with bonus questions.  Students are telling her how exhausted they are from answering as many questions as quickly and accurately as possible. 

As I waltz around the school, I'm seeing how we're getting this blended learning thing down. It's not necessarily the tech you use, but how you use the tech to teach your students in a way they can learn. 

Could You Please Generate Me an Exercise?

On three separate occasions this past week, I heard some very odd words from students.  "Could you please generate me an exercise?" In essence, these kids were telling me, "I think I need a bit more practice on this skill before I can master it."

When was the last time one of your math students asked you for an additional six problems on their homework?

I spent some time in third grade, helping the teacher learn the ropes of Accelerated Math, and couldn't complete a sentence. The kids kept bringing their iPads up to her to show her their score. "Look! I got a 5 out of 5!"

There is something about AM that just works. Maybe it's the instant feedback or the individual pacing. Maybe it's progression toward a goal. I don't know. 

What I do know is that I'm seeing some great student motivation grow out of Accelerated Math. It's a good thing!

Mini Lessons with Accelerated Math

I witnessed some great teaching today.  Marianne is my co-teacher in the pre-algebra class I'm working with.  She does the math, I do the tech, and we keep in constant contact about how to make it all work well.
About half the class is now working on slope. She identified the students who are currently on that objective and pulled them into one part of the room.  The rest of the class was sent to work on a diagnostic on their own.  Marianne then went into a 10 minute lesson on slope with the dozen or so students who were on that topic.  She made sure they had a handle on it, then sent them on their way.

Then, she identified each student who needed some 1:1 time on specific objectives. AM makes that easy by giving us a red flag, telling us to intervene with that student.  She went to each student, sat beside them and gave them the help they needed to be successful.

Once you get yourself immersed in Accelerated Math, you'll find that the role of the teacher changes. It involves constant analysis and working with those individuals or small groups to get around hiccups rather than lecturing large groups at one time.

Diagnostics in Accelerated Math

The more I work with Accelerated Math, the more I like what diagnostics bring to the table. Essentially, diagnostics are quick and easy way for students to master objectives without a ton of practice leading up to the test.

There are a few reasons why I would recommend using a diagnostic on an objective rather than practice, practice, test.

1. Catching Up Quickly.  A while back, I talked to a couple of teachers who have been using AM for years.  When AM switched to the Common Core objectives, they found those objectives to be harder for students than the non-Common Core.  They backed the kids up a year and used diagnostics to work them through that year quickly. 
2. Review. You're fairly certain students know the objective already.  You taught it already, it's a review of last year, it looks easy, or whatever.  You just know that a large majority of your class will know the material already.  Great! Give them a diagnostic to see.
3. Assessing Learning. You just taught a lesson on square roots and you want to see if they learned the material. Instead of assigning 20 problems out of the book, give the whole class a 5-question diagnostic on that objective.

A diagnostic will give 5 questions on each objective assigned. (Be careful and keep your diagnostic short: 1-3 objectives at a time.) 

• If your student does well (4 or 5 correct) the objective is mastered and will come back to visit in a week.
• If your student does not do well (0-3 correct) the objective is rolled into the practices and students will practice till they get it and can master that objective on a test.

With all this talk about mastering objectives, please remember the real goal is student learning. The objectives make for an easy method to measure that learning - what and how much. The reality is that a diagnostic can help you quickly assess who knows material and who doesn't.  Those who have grasped it can move on to harder skills.

However, it is easy to see who has not mastered an objective and needs some extra 1:1 or 1:small group help.  Working in that small ratio can help your student learn these skills quickly with personal pitfalls identified and worked through alongside a teacher who can give undivided attention.

Mastering Objectives in Accelerated Math

Raise your hand if this sounds familiar.  And don't call out!

Your math teacher teaches a lesson.  You may read from the book, do practice problems on the board, or even use manipulatives.  However, at the end of the lesson, the entire class gets the same homework assignment.  If you understood the concept in the first 5 minutes, you still get 20 problems.  If you have no idea what the teacher said, you still get the same 20 problems (which you can't do). It doesn't matter if you understood yesterday or not, because today is coming.  Repeat, repeat, repeat for about 2 weeks till it's time to test and move to the next major topic.

That's the way math works in many classrooms around the world...but not so with Accelerated Math.

When the class sits down to get their work done, each student is working on different objectives based on their personal skill level.  The STAR Test tells the teacher where to start students, and the student is responsible for the forward movement from there.

There are two ways a student can master objectives.

First, students will practice objectives over and over till they demonstrate a level of mastery over that objective (5 out of the last 6 questions).  Then, the teacher assigns a test over that objective.  Score well on that (4 out of 5), and it's mastered.

Second, diagnostics are a great way for a student to show the teacher that she understands an objective.  A diagnostic will generate five questions for each objective diagnosed.  If a student gets at least four right, the objective is mastered.  So, pretend you just taught your lesson on reducing fractions.  You know that kid who fell asleep 15 minutes ago.  She can show you in 5 questions that she got it and can move on to new material.  Awesome!

However, there is also that kid who has that glazed over "I have no idea what you're talking about" look on his face. What do we do with him? Easy. If his diagnostic comes in with less than 4 correct answers that objective gets rolled into his practices.  He will continue to practice that objective till he can test on it, then move on.

Whether mastering through practice/test or diagnostic, students still can move at their own pace and not be forced to move on till they are ready.

Now, every good teacher wants to make sure that each student TRULY grasps the skills and information taught.  The great thing is that mastered objectives tend to come back to practices a week later. After students answer questions effectively the objective will go away forever.

I love the individuality of Accelerated Math! No matter where you live on the bell curve of math skills, you can move at your own pace and truly master a topic.  It's a beautiful thing!

Accelerated Math

We are quickly coming to the end of a 30-day trial version of Accelerated Math, which we will be implementing throughout our school from second through twelfth grades.  I was tagged to step into an 8th grade pre-algebra class as a co-teacher to help pilot the program and immerse myself in it.  This post is my attempt to tell you about the program along with its pros and cons.

What is Accelerated Math?

AM can be run as a stand-alone math curriculum or a supplement to your normal curriculum.  It actually is three pieces that can be run simultaneously or separately.

• STAR Math Test: The goal of the STAR is to assess what students can and can't do.  The test itself takes 20-40 minutes and adjusts the difficulty of a question based on how the previous question was answered.  In the end, it gives data to the teacher about each student's math abilities.  You can see a scaled score, percentile rank, and objectives that need to be retaught from previous years. Tests can be administered as often as you please, and it is good to test periodically to track student growth.
• MathFacts in a Flash: This is pretty much what you might expect. Students have 2 minutes to complete 40 virtual math flashcards. If you pass the level within 2 minutes, you move up.  If you fail it, you get to practice over and over till you can pass the test. There is nothing flashy about this, except the name, but it helps students automatize their facts. Let's face it. No one wants to take time to learn their multiplication tables, and most kids never really learn them.  This gives students 71 different levels of math facts to work through (start with adding 0 and 1 and end with a review of +, -, x, /, and squares with everything you can imagine in between). The more math facts you memorize and can quickly recall, the better your overall math computation will be.
• Accelerated Math Live: Students do practice assignments online with objectives previously determined by the teacher. These objectives should be selected by two criteria: the objective being taught in the regular curriculum for the day and the results of the STAR test. As students do well on an objective (5/6 correct) they have the opportunity to test on that objective.  Should they pass the test (3/4) it is mastered and will slowly rear its head again over the course of the next week or so till the program is convinced it's really mastered, then will go away forever.  There is also a help section where students can get help (a glossary, example problem, Khan video, and a list of other students to ask for help) should they get lost. 

There's more to it than that, but I'm hoping that at least gives you an idea of the program.

What I don't like about AM? 

• Accelerated Math is a small step up the SAMR Ladder. It's a step up, which is a good thing, but not by much.  I'd put it in the A category, and I'd love to push our teachers to teach above the line, not just under it. There is a lot of tech capital going into AM (time, money, training, teacher frustration) that I would prefer utilizing in other areas. 
• It's way too easy to sit behind a desk at my computer and merely assign objectives and generate tests while expecting my students to come running to me with any questions.  I know -- and you do too -- that a math teacher really needs to be proactive to be effective.  Yes, students should wrestle with math problems, but teachers need to teach, not just sit behind a desk.  (Yes, I feel like a hypocrite right now.) 
• It lends itself too easily for ability-grouping.  The students already know the division between the smart ones and the not-so-smart ones. There is no need for me to accentuate that.

What I do like about AM?

• Accelerated Math can help a student go back and pick up missing skills OR move ahead of the class. It is incredibly personalized, so everyone is learning at a level and pace that he or she is comfortable with...and done correctly, you don't have to do ability-grouping. 
• Students take control of their own learning. They have numerous tools to pick it up and run with it. I attended a seminar with an experienced high school math teacher. He had one girl who started in 10th grade at a remedial level and graduated after completing AP Calculus.  If someone wants to learn, they can learn and learn well. 
• The wonderful tasks of assigning and grading are done by the computer. That leaves the teacher to analyze and diagnose student work. Instead of plowing through papers with red ink flying, a teacher can actually look at what a student does and help him or her through any potholes in the road.
• It's Common Core aligned.  The creators are taking great pains to make sure that all objectives and questions fit with the Common Core objectives. If fact, it's still a work in progress as they are currently shifting the high school curriculum over to Common Core.  If, by chance, you're not a fan of Common Core or you aren't bound to it, you can still shift back to the old curriculum objectives. 
• I love the MathFacts section. I've spent a lot of time watching kids think through simple math facts that should be as easy to them as breathing. Keep those facts automatized and more complex math will get easier.

My principal made the decision to purchase the program, and we will begin it in earnest in January. In our pre-algebra class, we will put a hybrid curriculum into effect.  It will go something like this:

• Monday: Teach a lesson out of the book. Assign a few problems from the book to practice. Assign AM practice based on that objective.
• Tuesday: Assign AM practice based on Monday's lesson, plus three objectives based on individual student needs.
• Wednesday: Teach a lesson out of the book. Assign a few problems from the book to practice. Assign AM practice based on that objective.
• Thursday: Assign AM practice based on Wednesday's lesson, plus three objectives based on individual student needs.
• Friday: Test on all 8 objectives for the week.

I'm looking forward to seeing where we go from here.  I'm still hoping for a day when we can move our school to using Educreations and math blogs as a normal part of their workflow. Maybe Accelerated Math can help us take that next step towards not just doing math but being able to explain what we do.

Please let me know if you have questions or comments or thoughts.  I'd love to connect with other AM users or know what you're thinking about this program.

Pre-Algebra Teacher?

My principal stuck her head in my office.  "Can you come see me when you get a minute?" I should have known by the look on her face that something was afoot...but I blindly finished the Tweet I was on and followed her to her office.

When I walked out about 20 minutes later, I had another bullet point to add to my resume: pre-algebra teacher.  I was asked to give up my study hall of four students to team-teach pre-algebra alongside the current teacher of the course for an undetermined amount of time.

Now, before you go thinking terrible things about my new-found teaching partner, this wasn't a reflection on her as a teacher, but really a nice big pat on the back.  Let me explain.

I have been exploring the possibility of bringing Accelerated Math to our school for all math courses from kindergarten through calculus.  After yesterday's meeting with a sales rep, the general consensus among our faculty and administration is to move forward with it.  But, my principal is a very smart woman.  (Maybe that's why she got the principal job!) She realizes that -- like any educational technical advancement -- some teachers will jump in with both feet, some will wait and see what happens, and some will budge sometime in the next decade.  What we are doing here is taking a progressively-minded math teacher, pairing her up with the school's Tech Lead (who has nearly two decades of math teaching experience), and creating a team that will make this work well.  Once I have a handle on how to do it right, I can start showing other teachers how the model works.  Sounds like a good plan to me.

I know you're now wondering what Accelerated Math is all about.  AM (created by the same people who created Accelerated Reader) is an individualized math program that can supplement your regular curriculum.  Initial assessments can help teachers identify skills that students have already mastered or need more work on.  In fact, the rep told of a senior she is working with.  The assessment was able to pinpoint 2nd and 5th grade skills this student was missing.  Once these skills are identified, the program automatically generates questions to help work on those skills plus the objectives currently worked on in class.

As it looks now, I'll be working with half the class on the AM piece on class iPads while Marianne works with the other half on direct instruction, then switch students halfway through the period.  Hopefully the combination of AM and the smaller instructional groups will see an increase in student achievement.

And, so as my teaching journey takes another unexpected twist, I'm excited to see where this one will go and the improvements AM will bring to our math program. I'm sure I'll be talking about this more in the future.