Teach. Tech. Math. 

Dear Administrators and Curriculum Leaders of CHISD,   

 

Given the new Texas Senate Bill 2124, we will have more students than before taking advanced and honors math courses. We will need to address the best way to effectively pace the content to cater to individual learners. Blended learning, as an individualized approach, will allow us to bring the students to their full potential. As a district we strongly believe in high quality rigorous instruction, and blended learning with a personalized approach will allow us to achieve that goal.   

Following the COVA approach, we must allow our students to have more authentic experiences through choice, ownership, and voice (Harapnuik et al, 2018). By utilizing a blended learning model, or flipped learning, we will encourage our students to take ownership of what they are learning, which should boost achievement. Mathematics is often a struggle for students because they have a fixed mindset on the subject, but with blended learning, we will be able to change their attitude to a growth mindset because they will feel empowered through mastery of the content.   

  

I am proposing to implement blended and flipped learning in my 7th and 8th-grade mathematics classrooms over the next year.  

• Blended Learning: Blended learning will fill learning gaps in our honors and advanced courses through structured, individualized instruction. Students will be able to build mastery of content while continuing to learn new content, which will improve learning outcomes (Attard & Holmes, 2022). Students will also be able to master skills at their own pace and feel less worried when they do not understand a concept (Horn et al., 2017). 

 

• Flipped Learning: Flipped learning will create ownership of learning for our students in and out of the classroom. According to Egara and Mosimege, direct interpersonal interaction and participation in their learning at their own pace through the flipped learning environment creates high achievement among students (Egara & Mosimege, 2023). 

 

• Mindset Shift: With these changes to our methods of teaching, students will develop a growth mindset towards learning mathematics. A growth mindset is a powerful tool that we have as educators. If we can get our students to have self-confidence in their intelligence, they will rise to our expectations. With persistence, effort, and good instruction we can foster a change in our students' mindsets (Harapnuik, 2021). 

 

Our district is already 1-to-1 with technology at the middle school level, but we need to use that technology to enhance student learning, not just to deliver material. By creating personalized learning plans for our students, through collecting data, we will effectively commit to blended learning.  This will raise our student achievement and encourage them to take an active role in their education (Egara & Mosimege, 2023).  

  

I look forward to seeing math evolve in our district as we commit to individualized instruction in honors and advanced classes through blended learning. Our students deserve high-quality instruction that aligns with the methods and ideas of the new digital age. Over the next year, I am asking for your continued support and feedback as we work as a team to reach our students better and hit our goals while implementing blended and flipped learning to encourage student achievement.   

 

Sincerely,   

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​

Audrey Parcell  

 
 

References: 

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Attard, C., & Holmes, K. (2022). An exploration of teacher and student perceptions of blended learning in four secondary mathematics classrooms. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 34(4), 719–740. https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.1007/s13394-020-00359-2   

  

Egara, F. O., & Mosimege, M. (2023). Effect of flipped classroom learning approach on mathematics achievement and interest among secondary school students. Education and information technologies: The official journal of the IFIP technical committee on education, 1–20. https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.1007/s10639-023-12145-1  

 

Harapnuik, D. K, Thibodeaux, T. N., & Cummings, C. D. (2018). Creating significant learning environments through choice, ownership, voice, and authenticity.
 

Harapnuik, D. (2021, February 9). Learner’s mindset explained. Harapnuik.org. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8705  

 

Horn, M. B., Staker, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2017). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. Jossey-Bass.