Back to School September 4, 2012

September 2, 2012    

Khan Academy will be back in the class in September 2012.  I was not very consistent in posting last year as I was just learning how to use Khan Academy in the class.  This year I will be posting my Khan Math Day everyday to keep track of what works and what doesn't.  I had a lot of experience last year with many ups and downs.  Lots of which I loved and lots which fell flat on its face.
 
 Last year I started using Khan Academy with my grade 7 students and here are some thoughts about how it went.

-the hardest thing I found was how to assess my students.  I found that they were successful, or very successful when working on the modules online, but when I created a written test and had them write it, the results showed the students fell back into their pre Khan Academy rankings instantly.  I found this made no sense according to their accomplishments in the online modules.  
I am puzzled by this and at a complete loss how to rectify this. 
 I wish Khan had tests as part of their modules.  Maybe they do by now.

-students did not complete homework on time even when they knew that I could monitor them online

-administrator and superintendent were not supportive of my initiatives of using Khan Academy in the class (they would not sign the application form to be part of the world wide data collecting teachers...frustrating)

-students worked diligently in class, but didn't usually do it at home except for the exceptional students

-I really had to be very prepared and should have done the modules myself before the class/lesson

-the mean module wasn't useful.  We had to dissect it and I used it for a teachable moment

-When I asked the students what they missed at the end of the year, they said they still like being instructed by the teacher, and paper and pencil work

-the scratch pad was useless unless the student had an ipad.  Students hated the scratch pad.

-Technology hiccups were really frustrating!  The internet not working, the site crashing at times

-some technology hiccups from the site were: students working on a module and never reaching the end, and telling me that they worked on and finished the  module so many times and it doesn't show up on the progress page

-frustrations and fatigue need to be monitored with more breaks

-some students thought they could hide behind the computer to say they were getting it, when clearly they weren't

-at times I would sit beside a student struggling and the student was able to accomplish more with me beside them, and free from distractions from other students.

-placement of students is crucial so that optimal conditions for no distractions

-students are excited when doing well, but frustrated to the optimal level when not and the progression bar goes down.  Time to sit down with them and help them finish the bar together.

***they have a tool which they can access in high school when struggling in math***

- my college aged daughter and my former students use Khan Academy for Math help

 

Here are my initial plans for implementing Khan Academy in Math this year are:

-setting them up and teaching them the ins and outs of Khan Academy

-letting them go wild for one week on Khan

-after one week  split the class into two groups

-have a strong student and a weak student sit side by side

-Have Group One go on Khan Academy right away and listen to the module planned for lesson of the day, and start working on module, if finished have them either: finish any unfinished work, review a module, or forge ahead while I teach the lesson to Group Two.  After the lesson and discussion to Group Two switch groups.  Have Group Two work on module from lesson, and if finished have them either: finish any unfinished work, review a module, or forge ahead.   This sounds very simplistic which in the class it will not be, but from last year's experience the students "missed" some paper and pencil work and lessons in which we could talk it out together.  And I'm hoping the transition to a written test may be easier.    I will be able to focus on half the class and hopefully get to more students. 

Please check in from time to time to see how Division One at Bayview Community School in Vancouver B.C. is doing.  If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you, and I will try and answer them in a post.

Gina

Student Comments on Khan Academy

Two weeks ago I discovered Khan Academy and I decided to jump right in and implement it into the classroom. I just let them run with it, and for the last two weeks they have been on their own with Khan Academy. 
Today was the first day that our class actually discussed the pros and cons of Khan Academy after the two "teacher free" weeks.  When we finished our discussion,  I asked the students to write in their math notebooks their likes and dislikes of Khan Academy. 

This was an especially good exercise for me as the teacher.  I have gained a lot of information and insight from my students's comments on how to proceed with Khan Academy in the classroom.  As I am learning along with the students and other teacher's blogs on how to implement Khan Academy into my grade 6/7 classroom,  new ideas and lessons will be tried and I am sure some will be excellent, and as in all classrooms some will fail terribly.  I am excited with the new prospects of teaching math using technology. 


Here are my students's comments. 

Likes:                                                                Dislikes:

-easy point and click on a problem                  -scratchpad is hard to use on computer
-problems well explained                                 -won't teach everything
-work at own pace                                            -confusing questions    
-achievement system                                        -scratch pad is hard when using a mouse
-rewards                                                            -I don't like how I don't know if I am learning the
-variety and choices                                           right things I need for highschool
-helps and explains                                           -I don't like having random, short lessons that don't
-computer accessible                                          relate to each other
-learn a lot and time flies by                             -I miss having lessons with the teacher
-avatar                                                               -It's hard to know which lessons to do
-FUN                                                                 -I want to stay on each lesson longer
-no tests                                                             -scratch pad hard to use
-choices                                                             -scratch pad
-take a test when ready(sort of)                         -how's there's not videos that specify what to do
-homework recorded                                         -not much help
-go at your own pace(fantastic)                        -annoying when you get multiple questions wrong
-it's easier to keep track of my math                 -when you get something wrong the bar goes down
-you have a personal teacher whenever you want     -scratch pad
-if you're stuck on one thing you can do something else     -unhelpful scratch pad
-you can obtain mastery                                    -questions can not be answered directly
-Khan math makes math less stressful              -scratch pad hard to use
-I like the badges                                               -scratch pad is kind of hard and not that useful
-fun aspect                                                         -sometimes you just can't understand
-badges                                                              -It can't teach everything
-avatars                                                              -scratch pad
-I like the videos because they explain better   -losing energy points
-the scratchpad only if on the ipad                    -scratch pad is hard to use
-videos always available                                   -hard to use without real teacher
-rewards                                                            -scratch pad tedious and hard to use
-choose what you want when you want           -don't know if really get it because not in order
-review makes sure you don't forget your skills  -I prefer writing and doing math on paper
-FUN!                                                               -I don't like when you get one question wrong you have
-if struggling makes sure you fully understand    to do 30 more questions to get back
-if easy, less questions                                      -scratch pad is too time consuming
-the videos                                                        -no writing on paper
-videos                                                              -no written instructions, just videos
-hints                                                                 -I don't like working on computer too long
-achievements                                                   -I feel like I'm not learning because you go from one
-space                                                                 thing to another and I'm not remembering things
-FUN                                                                 -It's hard to write on the scratch pad
-achievements(awesome)                                 -if you make a mistake you go back to the beginning,
-proficiency                                                        but in a note book you can look it over
-getting energy points (awesome)                    -I don't think they explain it very well sometimes
-makes math more fun                                     -the scratch pad is hard to use
-don't need to write just type                           -the questions are kind of all over the place
-get badges kinda fun                                      -need teacher sometimes
-they will teach you if you don't understand, and you can just watch video    -videos sometimes make
-you can just watch again and again if you still don't understand                       no sense
-rewarding                                                        -scratch pad hard to use with trackpad
-choose subject
-go at your own pace
-videos explain well
-makes if feel like a game
-no tests sort of
-easy to use
-doesn't use paper
-hints
-videos
-personal teacher
-awards
-that you can see your progress
-videos
-it makes math fun
-I like the scratch pad, but only on the ipad
-goals
-medals
-rewards
-points
-badges
-lots of things to do
-FUN!
-scratchpad
-the mysteries of the questions
-math is fun
-it challenges me
-it makes me better at math
-videos
-goals
-badges
-app
-going ahead
-fun
-has a screen
-videos help a lot
-badges are awesome
-on a device(electronic device)
-it works well with ipad
-videos are very easy to understand
-hints are good because if you read the question wrong it re-shows you
-videos are good at explaining things
-badges
-videos
-avatars
-points
-go at my own pace
-fun
-less nagging
-every subject
-better understanding

This was an especially good exercise for me as the teacher.  I have a lot of information from my students on how to proceed with Khan Academy in the classroom.  As I am learning along with the students and other teacher's blogs on how to implement Khan Academy into my grade 6/7 classroom new ideas will be tried and I am sure some will be excellent and as in all classrooms some will fail terribly.  I am excited with the new prospects of teaching math using technology.