Running

head: CAPSTONE REPORT PART B

Capstone Report
Part B
Claire Mracek
Kennesaw State University

CAPSTONE REPORT PART B

As the world around is rapidly changing, the needs of twenty-first century learners are
also morphing. Students need academic experiences that push them to think critically, create,
innovate, and collaborate with others (ISTE, 2012). Students need experiences that foster
resilience because their academic training is likely preparing them for jobs that are yet to be
designed. Our students are growing up in an information-saturated and globally interconnected
world. This fundamental change needs to dramatically alter the way classes and schools operate
(Bergman and Sams, 2014, p.161). Educators are charged with rethinking their practice to design
thoughtful, more engaging experiences for their students. As educators are also faced with
intensifying curricular demands and a scarcity of time with their students, they must facilitate
meaningful activities that challenge students and utilize class time effectively.
Flipped and blended learning are practices that educators are using to transform their
classrooms. Educators are embracing technology as platforms for knowledge by creating
instructional videos for students to view before attending class. Class time is then used to jump
right into an activity with the material, making face time with the teacher more valuable. John
Bergman and Aaron Sams, teachers from Colorado, designed this model in 2007, naming it The
Flipped Classroom. These teachers began creating short video presentations on their academic
material and posting them online for their students to view as homework. Class time was then
used to practice the skill with interactive discussions and activities. As a result, students would
receive instant feedback on their work, students were less frustrated in class because they had
more face time with the teacher to ask questions, and teachers were allowed time to reteach
concepts that student did not grasp (Bergman & Sams, 2014, preface). Studies show a significant
decrease in student failure rates and discipline cases among students in flipped classroom than

CAPSTONE REPORT PART B

those in traditional classrooms (Knewton, 2011, p. 1).

This capstone project was completed in a fourth grade classroom at The Lovett School in
Atlanta, Georgia. The Lovett School is a private, independent school, focused on the
development of the whole child. Lovetts progressive instruction inspires students to love
learning, think critically, communicate effectively, and collaborate purposefully (Lovett, 2013,
para. 2). Teachers are expected to follow research-based best practices in education in order to
provide students with rigorous academic experiences. This candidate serves as an Academic
Technology Specialist at Lovett, and she coached a fourth grade teacher through flipping several
math units of study to increase students engagement and understanding of mathematics.
Process
When implementing new technology integration strategies, one must be aware of typical
human behaviors in regard to change. These behaviors include people who are innovators and
eager to try new ideas, early adopters who adopt new ideas quickly, early majority, late majority,
and resistors who oppose change (Promote Prevent, 2013). The candidate partnered with a fourth
grade teacher who could be considered an early adopter in change, as she is motivated by best
practices in education and her ideas and opinions are well respected at Lovett. This teacher was
new to the fourth grade level this school year, adding a layer of stress, as the teacher was
unfamiliar with the curriculum. Having taught fourth grade the previous year, the candidate and
the teacher agreed to partner to design a unique mathematical experience for her students and to
create a smooth transition to the curriculum for the teacher.
At the beginning of the school year, this partnership began very strong. The candidate
and the teacher set routine meetings times to discuss math concepts, video creation, and class
projects and activities. The candidate spent time getting to know the teacher by conducting

CAPSTONE REPORT PART B

informal interviews, collecting information about the teacher, her teaching philosophies, and her
desires from their partnership (Knight, 2007, p. 100). The teacher looked forward to seeing
flipped learning in action as well as utilizing the fourth grade one-to-one laptop program. The
candidate and teacher developed an open and honest line of communication and provided each
other with feedback on their work together. The teacher and candidate spent a lot of time
discussing flipped learning, and they decided that a blended learning model, combining both
flipped instruction and traditional instruction, would fit best in this classroom setting. The
candidate and teacher also decided not to issue a survey to parents at the beginning of the school
year as proposed, but to discuss blended learning during a parent night presentation and open the
floor for questions. The general parent pulse was upbeat and excited about this opportunity for
their children.
Class visits were an integral part of this partnership. At the beginning of the project, the
candidate visited the classroom both formally and informally to observe teachers instructional
strategies and begin building relationships with the students. This was extremely beneficial for
the candidate to get to know the classroom environment and routines and to develop rapport with
the teacher and students. The teacher and candidate decided that they would begin the blended
math units with the second unit of study, beginning in September.
In preparation for the first blended math unit, the teacher and candidate reviewed the unit
goals and objectives and identified specific lessons that would be taught through instructional
videos and lessons that would be taught traditionally. They put together a unit plan using a
planning document created by candidate.

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To begin the first blended math unit, the candidate taught the first several lessons in order
to model the routines for the teacher. As students had not experienced flipped instruction, the
candidate began the unit using a strategy called the In-Class Flip. This strategy is a
modification of the flipped classroom, where students watch the instructional videos in class as
they learn how to watch an instructional video and what the teacher expects from them
(Gonzalez, p. 1, 2014). Though this strategy is time consuming, it was a great way to introduce
instructional videos to students and the website where the videos would be housed for viewing at
home. Following each video, students completed a short quiz to answer questions about the
concepts in the video. These quizzes were created in Google Drive so the teacher could access
student results at any time. Students were extremely excited about this new math unit because it
allowed them to use their school-issued laptops from home and experience a math unit different
than other fourth grade classes.
To provide easy access to the videos and quizzes, they were housed on the teachers
website where students frequented. The candidate developed the majority of the instructional
videos using Camtasia, Screencast-O-Matic, iMovie, and YouTube Video Editor. Some
instructional videos were pulled from YouTube EDU. The quiz questions were developed by the
math curriculum, the teacher, and the candidate. Because the quizzes were delivered on a
collaboration platform, they provided the teacher with immediate feedback on student
understanding and what questions to anticipate.

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This first blended unit provided feedback to the candidate and teacher regarding students
understanding of the concepts and their adjustments to blended model routines. They quickly
realized that the fourth grade students need more explicit instruction on how to watch an
instructional video and how it differs from a cinematic video. They also realized that students
engagement levels were extremely high, and they were able to participate in more hands-on
games and activities during class to practice the material. The teacher and the candidate decided
that they would need to issue students a notetaking tool for students to use while watching the
videos for the next blended unit to motivate students to watch the videos from home and better
track their understanding.
For the following blended unit, the teacher and candidate created a unit plan that included
a notetaking tool called the Watch-Summarize-Question, created by Crystal Kirch (Bergman and
Sams, 2014, p. 47). This tool, commonly called W-S-Q (pronounced whisk), guides students to
be in control of their learning while watching instructional videos. This tool provides a place for
students to summarize the main ideas of the video, complete practice problems, and record any
questions they may have after viewing the video. During this unit, the students created a W-S-Q
for each video they were assigned to watch. They developed each W-S-Q in a shared Google
Doc, so the teacher and candidate could see the notes the students were taking and respond to
questions. This tool provided more structure for the students and a record of their learning. When
introducing this tool to students, the candidate modeled how to watch an instructional video with
a critical eye and take notes on this document. Students created their own W-S-Qs after
experiencing the process as a whole group.

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5.1 - Extended Multiplication Facts

W-S-Q
Watch the video.

Video Title: Extended Facts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWp0lLf5Hvo

Summarize.
(notetaking)
* What is the main
idea of this video?

Factor x Factor = Product

My basic facts can help me to solve larger multiplication
problems.
When I multiply a single digit number by a multiple a of ten, I
can add a power of ten (or one 0) to the product.
For example: 500 x 50 = 25,000

* What did I learn

from this video?
* What could I
teach others from
this video?

Questions you still

have.

Does this same rule apply when I divide multiples of ten?

Does this same rule apply when I multiply by one million?

The summative project for this unit required each student to create their own instructional
video to teach others about the partial products multiplication algorithm. Students were tasked
with developing their own multiplication problem in which they felt comfortable teaching. They

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created a storyboard for their video to outline their steps and explain their thinking, and they
collaborated with peers to practice and record their instructional videos. Because this unit of
study was more interactive and allotted time for students to wrestle with multiplication through
games and classroom activities, students were thrilled with the task of creating their own video.
Students who typically do not excel in math were confidently choosing more advanced
multiplication problems to explain in their video. At the end of the project, the videos were
uploaded to the teachers website, and the class celebrated their videos by hosting a live viewing
to provide positive feedback for each student.
Throughout both blended units of study, the students scores were analyzed and
compared to a group of fourth grade students from the previous school year. The previous
students had been taught the same mathematical concepts, with the same curriculum and
assessments, but inside a traditional framework and not blended. The students who experienced
the blended math instruction scored higher on the majority of assessments given than the
students who experience traditional instruction. The blended math students performed an average
of 18.4% higher on unit assessments than the traditional math students.

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Assessment Scores in Traditional and

Flipped Learning Methods
3.7

4.0

3.3

3.5
3.0
2.5

3.2

2.5

2.5

2.3

2.0

Traditional

1.5

Flipped

1.0
0.5
0.0
Solving Multidigit
Subtraction Problems,
24.2% Increase

4.5

3.0
2.5

Computing Extended
Addition Facts, 32.4%
Increase

Assessment Scores in Traditional and

Flipped Learning Methods
3.9

4.0
3.5

Solving Multidigit
Addition Problems,
29.0% Increase

3.0

3.8

2.9

3.7
2.7 2.8

3.0

2.7

2.5

2.0
1.5
1.0

Traditional

0.5

Flipped

0.0
Demonstrate
Use Extended
Estimate
Use the Partial-
Explain Use of
Automaticity with Multiplication
Reasonable
Products
Estimation to
Multiplication Facts in a Problem Solutions to Whole Algorithm, 20.1% Solve Addition
Facts, 23.1%
Solving Situation,
Number
Increase
Problems, 9.1%
Increase
24.6% Increase Multiplications
Decrease
Problems, 2.6%
Increase

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There are several variables that make up this study. The dependent variable was the
assessments that the students were given. Year to year, the assessments stayed the same. The
independent variable was the method in which the lessons were being taught. Flipped learning
compared with traditional math instruction. A few compounding variables of this study include
the differences in teacher grading procedures and the instruction taking place over two different
school years.
When students were surveyed about their experiences with the blended units of study,
they gave feedback such as:

I most enjoyed pausing and being able to take notes, and to try it on pencil and
paper.

I most enjoyed how we could use a different way of learning and see which way
of learning is more comfortable.

The videos were easy to understand.

I like that the videos were short but very informed.

I most enjoyed that we got to go back to any part of the video we did not
understand.

The teacher and candidate completed two blended units of study together. The proposed
five units were unrealistic for this first year of blended learning implementation in this class. As
the curricular demands and responsibilities increased throughout the year, it was more difficult to
continue this new practice. As when implementing any change, one must be flexible and realistic
with how the change will best fit their classroom. The candidate hopes to continue this work next
year with additional units of study and compare results from year to year.
Reflection

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In completing this capstone project, the candidate grew as a technology leader in her
school. This project provided an opportunity for the candidate to build a stronger relationship
with a colleague and to guide her through meaningful technology integration. This experience
required the candidate to coach the teacher through blended learning instruction by developing
unit plans and modeling methods for the teacher. The candidate made adjustments to the unit
plans as needed depending on the level of student engagement and understanding.
This capstone was originally designed so that the candidate would coach the teacher
through the initial video creation and planning, and the teacher would lead following units as she
became more comfortable with blended learning. This portion of the project did not go as
planned, and the candidate led the majority of the planning, preparation, and implementation. In
reflecting on this component, the candidate would suggest choosing a unit upfront in which the
teacher would be responsible for leading, with support from the candidate. In this way, the
teacher can ensure that the material is delivered to the students using her personal techniques.
It is much easier to lead someone through new practices when they are equally as excited
and energized to try something new. The candidate learned quickly through this experience the
importance of a shared vision and strategic plan for technology integration. When expectations
are clearly outlined, all members of the project understand their roles and responsibilities. As a
technology leader, it is important to be able to make those observations and reevaluate plans for
the future. Moving forward, the candidate would like to implement this type of practice with a
teacher who has professional goals aligned to flipped or blended learning so the candidate can be
instructional support for the teacher.
This project was an extremely meaningful learning experience for the candidate and the
teacher. Many professional conversations came out of this project, including conversations with

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students and parents. The candidate and teacher saw improvement in student engagement and
student understanding of mathematical concepts through this project, making this capstone
extremely worthwhile.

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References
Bergman, J., & Sams, A. (2014). Flipped learning: Gateway to student engagement. Eugene,
OR: ISTE Publications.
Gonzalez, J. (2014). Modifying the flipped classroom: The in-class version. Retrieved 12 June
2015, from http://edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-in-class-version-jennifer-gonzalez
ISTE. (2007). Standards for students. Retrieved 12 June 2015 from
http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
Knewton. The flipped classroom. Retrieved from http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/
Knight, J. M. (2007). Instructional coaching: A partnership approach to improving instruction.
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Lovett School, The. (2013). Vision for learning. Retrieved 12 June 2015 from
http://www.lovett.org/page.cfm?p=1184
Promote Prevent. (2013). The process of change. Retrieved 12 June 2015 from
http://www.promoteprevent.org/sites/www.promoteprevent.org/files/resources/TheProces
sofChange.pdf