Flip Class and the ISN

So as you all know, I'm in love with the ISN.  IN LOVE!  Sadly, as in love with ISN as I am,  I need a change.  Change is good when done right.  When done wrong, it's really just a pain.  I, as well as the most amazing co-teacher anyone could ever ask for, have decided it's time for change.  I know, you're probably thinking, she's nuts.  Why change when she has everything for the past two years at her fingertips?  Call me crazy, but I'm bored.  I'm absolutely bored of the way I teach.  Funny as I'm still considered a newbie to the field and I'm already bored.  I find that gross and annoying all wrapped into one, and you're probably right, there is something must be wrong with me.  I mean, seriously, check us out below (haha):

Seriously.  Love this.

We are so cheesy but yet this was so much fun :D 

This year, I have decided change how a teach and present the information totally different.  I want to flip my classroom.  Seriously, it's time.  For those of you who don't know what the flip classroom is, it is a classroom where the instruction is delivered 'outside' the classroom and the activities that are usual considered homework are done in class.  @Gayle_Gawlik explained it as a class that is inside out - its still the same clothes, but just put on differently.  Less time doing laundry.  I found this to be brilliant because this was the exact explanation that I was looking for.  It seriously is the best way to describe what it is.  There is less time focused on the direct instruction and more time focused on the students understanding the material and being able to complete the tasks.  It's going to be a very difficult process for me because many of my students do not have access to computers at home.  I'm working this out and following some really awesome people on twitter that have some answers to my questions/problems (Side note - twitter is the best pd in the world - I WISH I could use all I learn on twitter towards my pd).  Also, not everything has to be done outside - it all depends on the student, I'm reading a book on the Flipped Classroom right now and will probably post about it at a later date (I'm too excited to wait on this post!)

As a first step, I'm creating a library of videos and works that will help my students as they take this adventure with me.  So, being my goofy self (to my students, outside in the professional setting/'teacher talking to other teachers', I'm like that wallflower that is just there.  Or so I was, I really have to shut up lately...I blame the power of the blog!), I have created a small little video to explain the way I set up my ISN.  It just gets into the basics of things, but it's 2 minutes plus of Valdes/Baldino goodness.  To us it's funny, to our students, well to our students, we are probably the oddest pair of teachers they have come across, but we keep it real and fun for them.  After we show this little intro, we'll do a small little activity from it that will allow them to get up and move around.  Obviously, we are only the facilitators.  They will then complete their Author's pages in their notebooks.

Things I'm working on this weekend as I begin this amazing endeavor:  A YouTube channel and a place to keep everything organized - it's a toss up - Edmodo or Edu2.0.  I'll get back to you on what I pick :)  There is one thing that I know about doing the flip class this year:  It's going to make something that I love even more meaningful and more amazing.  Now that's just "awesome".

So without further ado, I present to you a little ISN introduction (yay!):

Interactive Student Notebook Introduction

Hope you enjoy :D

3 Big Things for Teachers to Know About the ISN

It is no secret that I love the Interactive Student Notebook.  The way you can use your ISN is endless.  I wanted to go through some ideas and strategies that you can use in class to help you become more successful.  Two of the items, I want you to really start to think about the process behind creating your own assignments.  The other is just a little organizational tidbit that any teacher using the ISN should do.  They are ideas that I came up with from my experiences and hopefully it can give you some ideas.

TEACHERS:

1)  Make your own ISN.  You will use this ISN more than you think.  It's a place where you can sketch out your thoughts and ideas.  Having your own is a great help as you learn how to change from using the typical notebook to the ISN.  As you become more comfortable with the book, you'll begin to see the activities you plan become more elaborate and allow for more higher order thinking activities.  For some reason, I find that helps to have the book in front of you in order to create the entries. 

Tide Notes: I was able to place the notes underneath to make it fit.



Tide Notes:  I sketched it out to make it all fit.  Took at little time, but it turned out great.  If I didn't have the book in front of me, I probably would not have come up with this idea.

2)  Your copy = a savior for when kids are absent.  This has been amazing!  I can hand over my book and they fill out the information they missed. 

I haven't really talked about the papers and how things are placed in the book as of yet, but in my pictures you can tell there is a lot of taping/gluing which means there are lots of papers.  When the kids are absent, it's so difficult to keep these papers in order unless you have a system. My co-teacher introduced me to this idea of having a file folder container.  I have a container that has 31 file folders in it, and the folders are labeled 1-31 to represent each day.  The kids can go over to the container, pick out the papers they need, and set up their book on their own.  I can continue on with my lesson without being asked a million and one questions.  It helps the kids and myself stay organized.  I got mine from Staples (I may have to shop somewhere else now because of the lack of love for the teachers...sigh), but I'm sure you can find them in any office supply store.  Totally worth it.

Something like this would work for keeping the papers organized

2a) I tried to come up with a class ISN that someone would fill out for me everyday, but it didn't pan out the way I wanted.  My co-teacher and I are working on ways to improve that.  It will be nice to have another book in the class as a reference or when more than one child is out at a time.  When I come up with a system, I'll let you know :)

3)  This is somewhat tied with number.  It's like the outcome of the planning!  This ISN becomes your textbook.  I don't have textbooks that can go home with my kids.  We're lucky enough to have about 15 textbooks per teacher and books online that all kids can access (if they have the internet at home).  We also have lab manuals which I absolutely despise and are nicely packet away in the back of my classroom ;)  You control the content that goes into your book, and not the textbook company.  Remember that purpose thing?  It comes into play here!  I may use some of the information from the textbooks, online, and other sources to create my book that meets my states standards.   It's fun!

This is a picture from a student's notebook.  The right is my side (parts of an atom notes) and the left is there side (the student's created a cartoon about the notes)

The kids love the idea about creating their own textbook.  It's nice because the ISN is really all they should need when it comes to any kind of assessment.  You have your important information you want to kids to know right inside your ISN.

These are just three simple and easy ideas for the teacher.  If there is one thing that you've noticed throughout is the idea of creating your own materials.  It's up to you and that might be a very daunting task for some.  Don't worry, I'll have some ideas in the future for you :)  Hopefully you're starting to see the benefits of using this book.  I mean we've all said it before, "If I created this textbook....".  Well, now here's your chance!