Combining Video Tutorials With One-on-One Tutoring For Struggling Learners

Creating videos online and having students learn from them sure saves time, doesn't it?
It's also great when you tell students that they can use the videos while taking their test.
It will take some of them forever to finish the test because some learn from the videos for the first time while taking the test. But they still learn. A little.

But more students complain about learning from videos than appreciate it.

Then came the idea that having students create video tutorials themselves helps them learn content and forces them to communicate their reasoning.
For hard working students, they had to re-record multiple times to get to the end product and I saw that the level of mastery was much higher than when a worksheet was handed out to them.
Videos are only one of the many tools we have at our disposal to help our students master content.

But for struggling learners the best thing really is one-on-one attention.

Truth is, today's teachers don't have the time to help all 36 students in a classroom everyday, in each period. And reality is that for many parents and students, learning online is just too foreign.

When I tried using videos so I can spend one-on-one time with my students, parents started complaining. They didn't see that watching videos and listening to my lecture was the same boring task. I stayed strong last year, but this year I caved in. When the customers refuse to buy my product, I am not a forerunner, I am just a loser.

So last semester, I didn't record a single video. Even with student created video tutorials, I told them they had the option of making their own video tutorial or showing me that they can solve the problem in front of me. Most students chose to solve the problem in front of me rather than create video tutorials because if they make a mistake, they'll have to correct themselves, but it's not like they have to start from the beginning.

One week before the end of the grading period, my Algebra 2 students were noticeably frustrated. They asked me what happened. Didn't I allow my students last year to do test corrections? Didn't I sit with them one-on-one to help them learn and bring their grades up? I explained that I can't teach in person and also help them one-on-one simultaneously. It's physically impossible.

So this time, THEY suggested I record videos for them. They said they will learn from my video. They said I can sit with them one-on-one to tutor them and get them to solve similar questions in front of me so they can bring their grades up.

To keep the students accountable, I gave them a short 4-question-quiz on the last day of the grading period based on the videos they were watching throughout the week. They averaged a C on that short quiz.

After report cards came out, some students said they didn't like learning from the videos while others requested that I only teach online. But all of my students liked the opportunity to spend time with me one-on-one. It helped them understand where they went wrong. It also helped them bring up their grades since they corrected a test item, then solved a similar question.

When I read that book by Michael B Horn, I thought it was interesting how he described learning using cars. Yes, electric cars are cool, but if there is no market for it, it won't sell. And it won't replace the market that is dominated by traditional gas guzzling cars. So then came hybrid cars. There is a niche for electric cars and the market for these will grow.

I tried selling electric cars in my classroom. It didn't sell. This semester, I came up with a hybrid. My customers liked it. It's an ongoing research. What works best in the classroom? And each classroom is different.

I love that I work at a school district that provides a Chromebook for each child. I love all the available resources out there that help students learn content in depth. But you see, the most important thing we need to look at is, how can we use all these resources so we can make more one-on-one time for our students. I heard speakers talk about emphasis on learning and not on technology itself. But it didn't really click with me till this semester. I was so excited about this tool and that tool. And I was so scared that I'd fall behind other teachers if I don't stay updated on new tools. But now I see that all those things are secondary to interaction with students. Some students will not lift a finger till you sit next to them and force them to do something. Wait. Some students do not lift a finger EVEN if you spend time with them. But most will learn if they get more time with you. And no, they don't want to share you with 35 other students. They want you to themselves. Right now, I'm at a happy spot. I have enough tools at my disposal so kids can learn while I spend one-on-one time with them. I wish that I can come up with more hybrid cars for my customers.

My Best Blended Lesson Model This Semester!

So I am that teacher. The one that makes them learn from videos. Who learns from videos anyway?

Nobody told my students that they would have to watch educational videos online when they received their Chromebooks from the District. So it was a great shock to them when they learned they had to with Ms. Choi.

Truth is, I didn't know what I was going to do when I learned my students were going to receive Chromebooks. I continued to teach the old way and got frustrated because they kept watching non-educational videos online.

Then I thought, "hey, why not record myself while I teach, then play it in my other classes so I won't have to repeat myself?" This was a great idea. I had time to walk around the classroom and help students who were behind. The fast learners did not get bored since they didn't have to wait for me. Back then, I had a Sophomore Algebra II class and a Repeating Algebra I class with Juniors and Seniors.

I noticed something. My Algebra II sophomores wanted me to upload my video links on Haiku the day before the lesson. They wanted to watch the videos at home and have me check their answer in the classroom. My Algebra I Juniors and Seniors used their swift finger movements to switch their tab as fast as they can so I won't catch them watching their music videos or basketball games. This was the 2013-14 school year.

Then this school year, I got the regular Math 1 and Math 2 students. I got excited. I decided to Flip my lessons. I thought my students would love it!

Well, they hated it.

I wanted students to be self learners and self advocates. I wanted them to watch the videos at home. Then I wanted them to come to class filled with curiosity. How do you solve the homework questions? How do you move on to the next step? I thought students would walk into my room asking me these questions. I told them they can work in groups. I wanted them to use the boards plastered all around my room to work out problems. How much better would they learn if they first started by asking questions to each other, then seek my help? I almost felt like a superhero.

Instead, what I received were angry students and parents. "How do you learn from a video? What are you here for?" These were some of the questions I received.

So I kept on going. 

Yes. I didn't give up. 

I

Kept

On

Going.

But I modified my flipped lessons throughout the semester. This is how it looked like toward the end of the semester.

1. The videos got shorter (from 45 minutes to 17 minutes max).
2. Students got 5-10 minutes at the beginning of class to watch the video.
3. Then they went to the boards and wrote down 1 to 3 things they remembered from the video.
4. Everyone took notes from the board into their notebook or Google Docs (crowdsourcing).
5. I solved ONE problem without allowing students to ask questions using my Wacom tablet projected on my screen. 
6. Then I made ALL students go to the boards again to solve a similar question (checking for understanding). And yes, they could collaborate with each other. 
7. Finally it's time for them to solve more questions either in their notebook or on the board in groups and I walk around to help. 

Time flew since students were doing different things every 5 to 7 minutes. Students felt like I was teaching them something. They didn't have to feel embarrassed about not watching the video prior to the lesson. When they felt lost, they had the video, their friends and maybe even me to fall back on.

The semester is over.

I am proud to say that the students in my classes did great on the district finals. They did better than the district average. And my school almost always has a lower average than the district. So this is a great accomplishment.

Most of you who know me knows that this is not a 5-day-a-week thing. I do other stuff too.

But I wanted to share how my blended model evolved. Most importantly, I wanted to share how I stayed strong despite parents, students and other teachers telling me blended doesn't work.

I know my system is not perfect. But results were good this semester and I will continue to tweak and improve my model so it will work for me and my group of students.

Please leave me comments since I know you are dying to share different perspectives. I would like to learn from you! :)