College Comp I Class Blog

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Block 3, homework

Watch this TED Talk from Salman Khan.  Then offer three ideas from this video that would help improve LHS.  Then offer three ideas challenging Khan's take on "flipping" the classroom.  Please leave two responses to other students' feedback as well.


49 comments:

  1. I really think that we need to integrate more technology based learning into our daily lessons in all classes. The idea of having a teacher being able to break down and pin point what a student isn't getting is a great idea that needs to be practiced more. This would also bring more peer tutoring into light. A lot more people would be up for tutoring and being tutored if they could do it over a computer.


    One problem that I have with "flipping the classroom" is that it seems like it would mean we stopped having lectures in class. For me, thats where I learn most. The idea of doing homework in school and lectures at home seems almost backwards. It'd be hard to do the homework without discussing in depth the assignments first. It's also putting a lot of expectations on the kids when it comes to them basically learning/teaching by themselves.

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    1. I agree with the part that students would be learning/teaching by themselves. That would be a very hard thing to do, all by yourself.

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    2. I agree. I think more people would be up for tutoring if they could do it over the computer. Just having someone to ask a question to without having to stay after school would be great.

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    3. I agree that we have to integrate more technology into our lessons.

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    4. I agree. Not everyone learns the way that he has available, and by taking away the lectures, it puts some students at a disadvantage.

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  2. I think if we had videos on the lessons from the teachers would help a lot of students. So if you didn’t understand something you could go back and watch it again. Also, it would be a nice way to help study for test. Another thing I like is how you can master the subject completely and have a good grasp on it before you go to the next topic. I think that would help students so they understand the overall concept. This would also students interact with each other more and would hopefully be willing to help their peers.


    I think an issue with “flipping the classroom” is that if there aren’t lectures in class then, there is not the option of having a group discussion. Another issue, is that if we did “flip the classroom” not every student has access to wi-fi at home. That would cause an issue with them not even getting to watch the lesson. I also think that if you had a question during the lesson, online, you wouldn’t be able to ask questions. Yes, you would have the next day but if something doesn’t make sense, there would be nothing you could do about it.

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    1. I agree. I think that the video lessons would be a great idea. They would make studying a little less boring than sitting and reading notes for hours.

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    2. I agree with the video lessons idea.

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    4. I agree videos of the teachers would be great if you missed class you could get caught up and not feel so far behind. They could be homework for those videos so you could ask more questions in school.

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    5. I completely agree with Madison when it comes to the wifi issue. Many kids in the inner city schools don't have internet access at home.

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  3. Things to improve Lincoln:
    Record the teacher's lectures during class so that you can rewind and listen to what they say
    Have quizzes like the one in the video, where you don’t pass until you actually get it.
    Have the teachers find out what the students are bad at and focus on those areas instead of going on and on about a subject they already get

    Against flipping the classroom:
    I didn’t like his idea of assigning the video for homework then assignments for class work very much because if someone has internet problems at home or has something important come up, they will be behind in class the next day.
    Another thing I didn’t like was the videos instead of lectures. with the videos, the teacher isn’t readily available to ask questions to
    The graphs showing what the students aren’t doing well on might not be as reliable because the student could have someone helping him and never actually getting it.

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    1. I agree that people have assumed that everyone has a solid wifi/internet connection when that isn't always the case.

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    3. I agree with you on having the teachers find out what the student is struggling with to help them. It would make school more individualized.

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    4. I agree with not moving on until you fully understand something. If you learn something for a test and as soon as its done you throw it out the door, your not helping yourself.

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    5. I like the idea of recording teachers lectures during class so you can rewind on that! It makes much more sense than notes, then you do not miss anything!

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    6. I don't see why every lecture isn't recorded so we can rewind and look over it again. That'd be one thing Lincoln could improve on.

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  4. Improve LHS:

    “Using technology to humanize the classroom.” I like the idea of making the lecture homework, then discuss it in class. I think this is a good way to teach students. They are not bored with the hour-long lectures in class, and bombarded with homework. This way of teaching would definitely improve Lincoln.

    Having the online homework would benefit students as well. Instead of doing homework “the old fashioned way” doesn’t really help student retain as much as the material as it could. Setting up the problems online, and letting the students go through them one by one takes out the guessing in homework. For every question you get wrong, there is a step-by-step process to help the student realize the mistake he/she made. It would also be a benefit to the teachers. They could see the mistake that the students are making right away, and build a lesson plan off what they don’t understand.

    Letting students work at their own pace is a better substitute for throwing them into a different class. I’m not saying let the students work as slow as they want, but if they are not getting it go over it more. The students who are getting it might get frustrated that they have to go over what they already know, but it will only help them because they will be reviewing.

    Challenging Kahn's takes:

    Having the “green” students tutor the “red” students isn’t something that I think would work. Why not just go over it as a whole class? Even if the majority of the students are getting it correct, it isn’t fair to just move on to the next lesson and dump the kid off onto another student for help.

    Tutoring students globally doesn’t really do it for me. If the “gifted” students don’t want to tutor their own peers, why would they tutor someone they don’t even know? Having a student from somewhere else teach you what you do not understand is wrong. I think it should be left up to the teacher.

    I don’t think that throwing out regular teaching is a god idea. Some days teachers have to lecture students in order to get their method of teaching across.

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    1. Grant Stewart
      I agree with the letting students work at their own pace. If you fly through a subject and someone doesn't get it they'll never ask questions because you've already moved on. Slow down and help students in any way you can

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    2. I agree that teaching in the classroom shouldn't be thrown out the window. You can't tell what teachers expect and how they teach very well through technology.

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    3. I agree that the more student's most likely won't want to tutor each other and most teaching should be left to the teacher.

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  5. Things to improve Lincoln:
    - try to individualize teaching styles to maximize "mastery"
    - taking Khan's idea of taping lectures should be taken into our school
    - taking quizzes until you get it should be what schools have been doing all along

    Ideas challenging "flipping" the classroom:
    - Khan says that by using the videos, it takes away the "one size fits all" learning style, which is not true at all. There are people who don't learn the way a few of his success stories do.
    - By teachers assigning the videos, it takes away the face-to-face interactions. Peers teaching peers is not a bad thing, but you are taking away the discussion and questioning away for the normal in class lectures. Which I think is important.
    - Cheating could also be a more prominent when videos and quizzes like this are assigned.

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    1. Individualizing teaching styles is a great idea! Everyone learns and masters things differently. I think if teachers adapted to the student when it comes to teaching, that there would be a better understanding.

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    2. I agree that cheating could be a possibility, many people just want to take the easy way out and get it done. It would be very easy to ask a parent, older sibling, or google it and the teacher will then think you understand it.

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    3. I agree! Individualizing teaching styles to maximize mastery would make students more successful.

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    4. I agree that not everyone learns the same way, and that the videos might not work for everyone.

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  6. The things I do agree with:
    Videos to get something across
    Not having the same box for all people
    Experiment more and allow more failure to get the right answer

    The things I don't agree with.:
    You can't diagnosis a student if they don't get a section there could be many problems other than the comprehension part. Maybe they just don't really care.

    People should have to get more than 10 problems in a row and the topics don't come back into play after that section.

    Some people would not be comfortable with tutoring kids in another country when they don't know all that they need to yet. what if the kid you were helping surpassed you then it is pointless.

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    1. You can get more than 10 questions, it says that the program will keep producing questions

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  7. Grant Stewart
    Improve: •Video lessons, if someone isn't quite getting something they could look at a video of someone explaining it which could help. I think it would be a good studying technique. •If someone isn't getting something as well as they should be, take time to slow down and go into more detail on the subject for them. Don't briefly cover it and move on then have them ask questions later when the topic is done. Slow down and teach to students needs.
    Flipping the classroom: •If someone isn't getting something in class well enough they won't get it through a video better. Videos would be good but having a teacher actually say it is still the best method i feel. • You won't be able to ask questions. If you try to figure it out through video and just can't you don't have a teacher their to answer questions you may have. • Having a lesson through video and expecting kids to do it at home on their own won't work. You'll have some that will do it but a majority won't. Having a teacher actually talk about a subject in person is the best because at least the kids will be there and hear it. Some won't pay attention, but some will and learn better through actually hearing and seeing someone do something rather then watching a video on it like an instruction manual.

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    1. I agree that having students watch videos for homework won't work. It will just get put off.

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  8. I personally love the video lecture concept. Many times in class I either daze off, or just don't understand exactly what was said. If teachers were to instead record the lesson, then students would be able to re-watch concepts they aren't grasping

    Why do we go on with the class regardless of test scores? When the point was brought up in the video I thought it was interesting. What was the point of even going over that whole unit in class if, regardless of test scores, you move on? Strive for mastery

    The dashboard is a great idea! Along with each lecture students should fill out the dashboard. The teachers can see what concepts the students are getting and which their not confidentially. Students are way more likely to say they are having trouble without their peers knowing.

    Flipping the classroom also poses the problem of an end to classroom lectures. Although they are sometimes very boring, for some people that is how they learn. Also, it is much easier to have a conversation with the teacher in person to help explain something.

    As I said above I like the idea of the dashboard, but only for a marking point of where each student, and the class, is with the lessons. I don’t like the idea of just letting them do their work independently. There should be some lessons in class still.

    I would not want to tutor globally. As much as I love being able to pause and rewind, I would not like never having someone tutor me in person. I think it would cause a lot of problems, and what if the wifi is out one day?


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    1. I agree about the different ways students learn. Not every student is the same.

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    2. I agree, we need to put mastery over test scores.

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    3. I think that what Mikey was saying during class about the projects will go hand in hand with this, you cannot just see someones full knowledge on a test.

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  9. I believe that the Khan Academy way of learning could be very beneficial to LHS. If we did our lectures at home, we could do it at our own pace, at a time when we know we can focus on the information we need to learn and not end up dazing off.

    I loved when he talked about the boy with autism and how he never understood decimals until the Khan system. Approaching learning in a new way is sometimes all someone needs to really understand it, not everyone learns the same way.

    Lastly, I like that the teachers can see exactly what each student is struggling with. This could make the learning process so much better. I know that when I do not understand something and the teacher has already taught it to us a few times, I feel rude asking again. With this system you could just replay it, and the teacher will know what you are struggling with, so it is there to help you with it.

    Some down sides to the Khan academy flipping the classroom is students might now want to listen to a lecture after and entire day of school, possibly sports, and a job. It would seem easier to just quickly do the homework to show what you know. Plus, if a student has computer problems or internet problems it could make the situation even more stressful. Along with that, not all student have wifi at home.

    Another thing I could argue is what is this going to do to the jobs for teachers? Won't this eventually eliminate the job of teaching? As technology changes, school could become all online, and that is scary for people who spent lots of money to get a job in the education field.

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    1. I agree that the data results for teachers would be very helpful for students.

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  10. In my opinion, video lectures would be a lot more efficient. Being able to stop and understand something that you had troubles with will benefit students more. I liked the example about how school education system is like learning to ride a bicycle. You have troubles with left turns and stopping so you get a C. And then we are expected to learn how to ride a unicycle right after. That is exactly how we are educated.

    Khan Academy would be a great addition to LHS. I honestly believe students would have a easier time with learning. Doing the lectures on our own time would make focusing easier and we would be able to work at our own pace which has be a huge stress factor for students.

    Another thing I really loved was the fact that the teachers would be armed with lots of student data. They know exactly what the students are focusing on. Peer tutoring would be more efficient too because teachers would know exactly what students have mastered a concept.

    One problem that arises with flipping the classroom is the option of learning is placed in the students hands. It is all up to them if they listen to the lectures or participate in the assignments.

    Secondly, finding time to complete Khan Academy beyond the classroom adds a great deal of extra time to student's lives. Many are involved in sports, extra curricular activities, and jobs. Time for most students is limited.

    If students have questions on the lectures and teachers that are available to them might not always have the answer. Or the teachers still might not have an efficient way of explaining the answer well enough for students to master.

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    1. We do have a lot of students that do not mesh with the current classroom environment.

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    2. I agree that we are putting a lot of the learning responsibility in the kids hands and how will they respond to it.

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    3. I agree that it may be risky to put it into the student's hands to watch the videos. It is hard today to get some student's to do their homework, and if they don't care to watch the video, they are not going to learn anything. It also may be tricky for some students to find time to watch these videos, because our society today pushes students to be involved in many activities.

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  11. I like the idea of the videos. When teachers give lecture I forget what they say anyways because they just ramble on one topic after another. There is no way of repeating unless you ask them too. With video you could rematch, pause it and take notes instead of trying to listen and write like you would in a normal classroom.

    One problem is that some student don't do good with lectures so the hands on things in the classroom that the teacher would sometimes do might be lost. Teachers and student might have to consider the differences of students.

    Not every night right now do I get homework but it seems like you would get a video every night with flipping the classroom. Usually lectures aren't short so you would have to put in the time to watch the video. If you don't watch the video you will fall even more behind.

    Lastly some students hold back their question so somehow we would have to get student to speak up and ask questions. Videos can only get you so far and if your not understanding the way the video is explaining it you won't understand it.

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  12. Video lectures would be beneficial for students because they allow children to review the lectures over and over again. They are also on demand so kids can learn at their own pace.

    Khan Academy also would allow networking between many countries, so our great teachers can impact the education of children across the globe.

    It also emphasizes mastery over just repetition in pursuit of a test. We need to allow children to master subjects and not just learn for a test.


    Khan Academy fails at answering the questions of a student so a teacher would still be necessary.

    Not all students have internet access so they couldn't learn at home.

    There isn't enough practice for a student who actually needs help.

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  13. "Can't ride your bicycle? Well here is a unicycle." I feel that is the struggling point in our classrooms. If a student doesn't understand a topic it doesn't matter because the teacher is just going to move on with a new topic. This places "the holes of swiss cheese" in our learning. Now students would be able to perform mastery with this new technology. The option for students to pause and repeat things would be a huge helper. Some students aren't comfortable asking questions and teachers don't necessarily like to repeat themselves. This would give them the opportunity to do both of those. The data feedback Khan gives back to teachers on how each student is doing is amazing. This allows the teacher to focus on a subject and which parts of that subject they struggle on.
    I understand that we wouldn't have homework but watching a lecture could be just as much. You have to put some responsibility into the kids hands so they don't fall behind because they aren't watching the videos. Internet access could be another problem for schools. Not everyone has 1:1 and or computers at their home. This would also bring the question, will teachers become obsolete. Sure they are their to ask questions but I'm sure Khan co. will find a way to answer student questions and show them their progress.

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    1. I agree with Ian in what he says about after you can ride a bike, they hand you a unicycle. We have to struggle through things and when we master them, we have to step up on another level and struggle all over again.

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    2. I agree with what Ian says about how some students are uncomfortable asking questions or drawing attention to themselves in a classroom. With Kahn Academy, they can rewind if they need to listen to the explanation again or look up a question that they are not sure how to do.

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  14. I like the thought of a video lecture. You have to opportunity to watch it whenever you want and you can listen to a part of it as much as you want until you understand it. With a video lecture you usually don't ramble, when a teacher teaches a class they usually say what they are talking about and start to fill in space because they have so much time left in class. Being able to pause the lecture would make it easier to take notes, and overall understand it a little better.
    I would like to see the 20% time in Lincoln, there is a reason that it works for so many businesses so why wouldn't it work here?
    I would like to see the grading system adjusted to rate people by personal progress.
    I think it would be cool if there was one day a week that teachers would switch classes, it's a good way to get change in the classroom, and keep the student's attention.

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  15. I think that using the videos off of the Khan website could be very beneficial to the students at LHS. I do think that teachers should still have lectures, but I also believe that our school should bring more attention to this website. The idea of it is very new to me, but I am sure it would benefit a good portion of our students. Personally, I believe some students would have difficulty taking time out of their day to sit down and watch a video. I know that it is very hard for me to do this when assigned a video to watch at home, and it often requires me to rewind a couple times before understanding the concept because of other distractions at home. The engagement of having a person physically show and tell you how is a better learning experience for me than watching a video because I struggle to sit still when it is something I am not very interested in. However, having the khan academy videos as an available resource to look up at home if they are struggling, is a very smart idea.

    Despite my opinion that lectures should be done in the classroom, I do believe that doing homework online is a good idea. This way the teachers could see where each student is struggling individually or the class as a whole. This makes education more personalized which would benefit each and every student.

    Discovering the strengths and weaknesses of each individual student through an internet program could also benefit the classroom in the way that students could tutor their peers. This takes less pressure off teachers and it is sometimes much easier for students to learn from kids their own age. It would be beneficial for both the student tutoring, and the student being tutored. This would strengthen their mind and increase their grasping of each and every concept.

    The downside to the idea of "flipping the classroom" would be that it makes it easier for the student to lie about the information he or she knows. They may be getting answers from other kids, or parents, and not actually understanding how to do it themselves.
    Another downside is what would happen to the teachers if everything was done online? This job field may soon be eliminated. Technology has a lot of power in how the education system is going to change.

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  16. Three ideas from this video that will help improve LHS:
    1. Watching videos to replace lectures.
    2. Letting us go at our own pace.
    3. Mastering the subject before we move on to a new concept.
    Three ideas challenging flipping the classroom:
    1. If everyone goes at their own pace, how can we guarantee everyone will learn everything they are supposed to learn when taking that class?
    2. Some people may not be able to learn by watching videos, they might learn better by being lectured.
    3. This idea could potentially put many teachers out of work.

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