Removing the Ceiling: The Self-Paced Classroom

"It always seems impossible until it's done."

- Nelson Mandela

Contact Info

jessica.mccubbin@taylor.kyschools.us

sarah.hayes@taylor.kyschools.us

@McCubbinJessica

@sbhayes11

Removing the Ceiling: The Self-Paced Classroom

by Jessica McCubbin and Sarah Hayes

A Sneak Peak Into

a Self-Paced

Classroom

That Was Me!

In school, were you the kid who..

2 Major Underlying Ideas Behind Self-Pacing

• finished early and had to wait on everyone else?

Self-paced classes allow students to continue with the content w/o having to wait.

Flipping Vs. Self-Pacing

Self-paced classes allow students to rewind teacher instruction and focus on the content being taught.

• got distracted while the teacher was talking and missed parts of the instruction?

Everyone Needs a Little

Support from "Above"

Flipping

Self-paced classes allow the teacher and students to interact in small groups and on a more individual basis.

• would rather ask the teacher a question one-on-one vs. in front of the class?

Self-Paced

Self-paced classes allow students access to content 24/7.

• missed school and were overwhelmed with the work you needed to make up?

All students watch the same video lesson prior to coming to class. Class time is devoted to assignments, projects, etc. with teacher/peer support.

The students should be able to move on with the

content without having to wait on the teacher or

the rest of the class.

The students should have access to all unit requirements and resources to avoid having to come to the teacher for directions to each activity they need to complete.

Students are moving through the curriculum at their own pace. Videos can be watched at school or at home. Teacher becomes facilitator of class.

Self-paced classes allow parents to learn the content alongside their students.

• went to your parents for help with your homework and they said, "I don't know how to do this stuff!" ?

• Administrative support
• Technology
• Wi-fi upgrades

Essentials for Organizing the Class

Unit Pacing Guides/Checklist

In order for this type of classroom to run smoothly, there are some essentials that must be in place. These essential aspects include:

Instruction

(Testing Procedures and Corrections)

Assessments

Setting Deadlines

Progress Monitoring

This tells students the order in which to complete the lessons, assignments, and activities so they don't have to ask you what to do next. Have a protocol for naming videos, guided notes, and assignments so students can easily locate materials for each lesson.

• Decide if you are going to give them the entire unit at once or lesson

by lesson.

Determine how students will receive the content. Will you create your own video lessons, locate good instructional videos on the web that address your standards, have them reading from a text, or a combination of these?

Decide how you want to administer tests. Will students take tests when they are ready or will you have a specific date for all students to test. If students take them when ready, where will they go to take them and will you have different versions of the test on hand?

Alternative Seating

PROCEDURES

Use your traditional pacing guide and lesson plans to

think about how long it should take for students to

complete each lesson. Also set mini deadlines so students know their goal for each day/week. Also think about possibly giving them a grade as a motivator for staying on track and taking the test by the deadline day. At minimum, students need to be on the normal “teacher pace”, which would resemble the traditional classroom’s pace.

**Remember, the content must be

covered by the end of the year!!

Sticker charts can be used to track students’ progress as they complete lessons. It is a quick visual reference for both the teacher and student to determine if they are on track with their lessons.

• Bell Ringer System
• Alternative Seating
• Grouping
• Whole Class Activities
• Reward System (Secret Student)
• Room Organization
• Early Finishers

CORRECTIONS

You now have the opportunity to go over test corrections individually, in small groups, or in peer-led groups. Since you will only have a handful of tests to grade at a time, you can provide more meaningful feedback to students and have more in-depth conversations about their misconceptions. Will you have students going back and re-watching video lessons and reworking practice assisngments? Will they have the opportunity to test again?

• Unit Pacing Guides/Checklists
• Setting Deadlines
• Instruction
• Practice
• Procedure for Checking
• Progress Monitoring
• Turning in Work
• Assessments
• Grade Book

TEACHER-CREATED VIDEOS

Determine a program that you are going to use to record your video lessons (Screencast-O-Matic, Knowmia, Educreations, etc.). Determine a place to store your videos for easy student access (teacher website, Vbrick Media System, Google Drive, Google Classroom, etc.).

VIDEOS FROM THE WEB

Determine where to find good instructional videos (Learn Zillion, YouTube, Khan Academy, etc.)

** Remember: You must stay ahead of your fastest student!

Bellringer System

Whole Class Activities

Early Finishers

Student Choice

Grouping

Secret Student

Group Realignment

Procedures for Checking

Set aside time to “stop" and do whole-class activities and games as you go through the unit. It will be a review for some and right on track for most, but that is ok. This is a great opportunity for students who have already mastered the content to step up and teach the material to others.

Establish a routine that allows an opportunity for you to formatively assess your students and ensure they are meeting the Common Core standards. This will also give you a quick glimpse of who needs more direct instruction that day. Bell ringers are a great way to incorporate some whole-group instruction and rich discussions that are vital to learning.

Bell ringers can be as simple as a problem on the board for them to

work through, or they can be more interactive (the EduCreations interactive whiteboard app, Google Forms, Khan Exercises, internet searches, etc.)

A system has to be in place for students to move on if they finish the

grade-level content early. Ideally, it needs to be another self-paced

classroom so they can start on Unit 1 at the next level.

Students will need to be able to work collaboratively on a daily basis. Grouping may change from day to day based on the needs of each student and the lesson/assignment on which they are working. Provide students with the choice of who to work with and only when you see they aren't proving themselves on formative or summative assessments should you realign the groups.

As a motivator, you and the class can develop criteria

for what hard work looks like in a self-paced class,

and then randomly choose a student each day to

watch. If that student has exhibited the class

expectations all period, they are revealed as the

“secret student of the day”. Rewards might include bonus points, preferential seating, “me time” on a game or device, candy, etc. If the selected student is NOT exhibiting the proper

behavior, they are pulled aside individually and told why they did not

meet the criteria.

Decide on a procedure for checking student work (you can have answer keys available for students to check themselves, the teacher can grade everything, students checking their peers, or a combination of these).

**Remember: It is very important for students’ work to be checked as they finish each lesson and not wait until the end of the unit!

If teacher-selected peer coaches or “checkers” are put

into place, you may want to consider using a peer coaching

board system where students write their name on one side

of the board if they need help and the other side if they

can offer that help. Selected peer coaches can be

rewarded with bonus points, etc. for their efforts.

Data to Supports Our Efforts

KPREP - 4th Grade Math

Students in Traditional Classes: growth

69%

Students in Self-Paced Classes: growth

77%

KPREP - Before FulI Implementation

5th Grade Math:

30% P/D

43% overall growth

Practice

Gradebook

Student Empowerment

Room Organization

4th Grade Math:

37% P/D

64% overall growth

Decide how to set up your grade book so you can record work for those

who are ahead (i.e. Section Summary report in Infinite Campus).

Using Leader In Me along with Google Forms will help with the organization, day to day activities, and student ownership of this type of classroom.

Think about always being at least 2 units ahead at all times, so that means you will need somewhere to put the future units to have when needed and somewhere to keep the current unit’s materials/extra copies, etc. Some kind of organizing system is vital to this process!!

KPREP - After Full Implementation

5th Grade Math:

52% P/D

74% overall growth

How will you have students practicing the content?

• online activities
• projects
• traditional activities

Use those good activities that were a part of your traditional classes, along with new digital resources to make for a better learning experience.

It’s vital that you provide students with additional instructions for

hands-on activities and assignments, such as where to go in the classroom to

get supplies, if you want them to work with a partner for the activity, etc. so they don’t have to ask you prior to each practice activity.

4th Grade Math:

53% P/D

71% overall growth

QUIT TALKING

BEGIN DOING

"The way to get started is to and

."

-Walt Disney