98 IN-DEPTH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2014TOM TOM

!"#$#%&'()*'+",Flipped classrooms were intro-

duced to Algebra I classes at Bel-levue East during the 2013-2014 school year as an experimental method of learning. The concept RI� Á�LSSHG� FODVVURRPV� UHYROYHV�around the idea of learning ma-terial at home while concept en-gagement and homework take SODFH� GXULQJ� FODVV�� 7KH� Á�LSSHG�classroom method, while differ-ent from traditional teaching, has proven to be an effective way to ensure homework is completed because it is done in class.

“Students do not like watch-ing the videos as homework, but I think the concept of it; they like it because it is way easier than going home and doing a work-sheet,” freshman math instruc-tor Sarah Cornell said. “They are getting more help in class while working, which I think they ap-SUHFLDWH��EXW�GRQ·W� UHDOL]H�VRPH�times. The thing they are start-LQJ�WR�QRWLFH�WKRXJK�LV�WKH\�GRQ·W�get away very easily if they are a VWXGHQW�ZKR�QRUPDOO\�GRHVQ·W�GR�their homework since this is now

work done in class.”Freshman math teachers at

East make the videos that stu-dents watch at home through an app called Explain Everything. The videos can be shared on Youtube and other media shar-ing websites. Instructors use the class periods to make sure stu-dents are absorbing the material.

´7KH�Á�LSSHG�FODVVURRP�LV�VXS�posed to give students more one-on-one time with the teacher and allow them to ask more ques-tions about the problems they are working on,” Cornell said. “They are now in class with the teacher when they are working, so that LV� D� KXJH� EHQHÀ�W� DQG� WKH\� GRQ·W�get as frustrated while doing their ¶KRPHZRUN�·µ

According to Knewton.com, schools that have started us-LQJ� WKH� Á�LSSHG� FODVVURRP� PHWK�od have seen improvements in classroom success and fewer fail-ures. A Detroit school saw English failure rates drop from over 50 percent to 19 percent and math failure rates drop from 44 percent to 13 percent. More schools are beginning to adopt this method as WKH� VWDWLVWLFV� SRVLWLYHO\� UHÁ�HFW� LWV�

reliability. ´,� OLNH� WKH� Á�LSSHG� FODVVURRP�

EHWWHU�� ,� GRQ·W� IHHO� OLNH� ,� DP� UH�peating myself all the time. I am more exhausted just from help-ing so many students but at least I am not giving the same lecture 5 times. I think the other teachers that do this would agree,” Cornell said.

While taking time after school to watch lectures is somewhat of a nuisance to some students, many have responded positively WR�KDYLQJ�D�Á�LSSHG�FODVVURRP�DQG�VHH�LW�DV�EHQHÀ�FLDO�

“The teacher can help you do your work instead of teaching \RX�LW�WKH�ZKROH�WLPH�VR�\RX�GRQ·W�KDYH�WR�ZRQGHU�ZKDW�\RX·UH�GRLQJ�at home,” freshman Emma Mar-dinson said. “I think some people get frustrated because not every-body watches the videos, so then we have to get a lesson in class instead.”

Mardinson said that if she had to pick between a regular RU� Á�LSSHG� FODVVURRP�� VKH� ZRXOG�SLFN� WKH� Á�LSSHG� FODVVURRP� DQG�hopes that it “spreads to the up-per [math] classes.”

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Co-teaching is a semi-new teaching method being imple-mented within certain classes at Bellevue East, and although it is not affecting everyone in school, many students are enrolled in these classes. This way of teach-ing brings two teachers together to help with lesson planning, teaching the students, and giv-ing the students help, if needed. One of the teachers is a regular education teacher while the other is a special education teacher, allowing special education and regular education students to learn in the same classroom, re-gardless of ability.

As the National Education As-sociation (NEA) puts it: “As co-teachers - a regular and a special education teacher - you will plan lessons and teach a subject to-gether to a class of special and regular education students. Your co-teaching will support academ-ic diversity in the regular class-room and provide all students with access to the county and state curriculum.”

Subjects with co-teachers include different levels of math-ematics and English, such as English 9 and English 10. English and mathematics are important classes for students to under-stand, which is why co-teaching is being implemented at this lev-el.

´,I�\RX�FDQ·W�GR�PDWK�DQG�(QJ�OLVK�� \RX·YH� JRW� D� SUREOHP�� VR�those are the ones we spend all our time on, which makes perfect sense,” co-teacher Kory Hill said.

The classes focused on are two classes that will most likely help students in the future, so intensive help is placed on Eng-lish and math classes to ensure increased understanding among students. However, sometimes problems are encountered in the co-teaching method, such as the possibility of it being easier for confusion to ignite within classes.

Having two teachers can be confusing, especially if their teaching methods and styles are different. There is also the chance of lesson plans not be-ing carried through, which in turn would cause disruption in the classroom. Some students in co-taught classrooms do not particu-

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larly care for the new method.“I think it was implemented to

help the student better under-VWDQG�ZKDW·V�EHLQJ�WDXJKW�DQG�IRU�more one-on-one time. It was a good idea, but poorly executed,” VRSKRPRUH�$OLFLD�*RQ]DOH]�VDLG�

The implementation of co-teaching can be done in different ways, using different teaching methods and styles together. In explaining one method to teach-ers, the NEA states, “When you plan lessons together, you can use your two styles to comple-ment one another and thus en-hance the lessons and the de-livery of instruction. You create a cohesive classroom with consis-tent expectations when both of you are on the same page with instruction and discipline styles.”

Co-teaching is still new at East and teachers, students and ad-ministration are still in the pro-FHVV� RI� DQDO\]LQJ� ZKDW� ZRUNV��what needs changed, and what can be improved. At this point, it appears as though it is work-ing well in some cases, but could work better in others. Sophomore Sara Kepford is one student who has experienced confusion in her co-taught classroom.

“It causes more confusion be-cause when you have two teach-HUV�WKHUH·V�VRPHWLPHV�D�PLVFRP�munication between them for, like, lesson plans or if one of them forgot to bring something for the lesson plan,” sophomore Sara Kepford said.

Despite the logistical draw-backs, co-teaching does allow students to get more time with their teachers precisely because there are two of them. More often than not, when one student has a question or needs to talk to their teacher, another student also needs to ask a question or speak with a teacher. Now, with two teachers teaching a class, ques-tions can be answered twice as fast and students who want help can get two different, although possibly similar, opinions on the matter at hand. This is also help-ful in that because students get attention from the teacher more quickly, they should be able to have more time to work in class if that is allowed.

“I believe that co-teaching is a EHQHÀ�W�WR�DOO�VWXGHQWV�LQ�RXU�FODVV��As students struggle to learn new concepts one of us will work indi-

vidually or pull-out small groups of students to re-teach material. In addition, students are also ex-posed to different teaching styles and ideas which helps increase student achievement,” co-teach-er Angela McCrone said.

There are both cons and pros when on the matter of co-teach-ing, all of which can even affect the grades of students. If a stu-dent has more help, grades may improve. If a student gets con-fused due to miscommunication and the likes, then grades may decrease. It also depends on the students, though, and their readiness to learn and get help. The goals of co-teaching were meant to bring students together and help improve their grades by combining the teaching styles of two teachers, however, not all classes have experienced im-provement.

“I counted up our grades, and that has not been the case. I counted up how many kids had As, Bs, Cs, Ds, and Fs. That ZDVQ·W�WKH�FDVH�µ�FR�WHDFKHU�-RQ�na Catholos said.

It is possible that, while co-teaching is a good idea for class-rooms and schools, it has not always been used properly and FRXOG�VWLOO�KDYH�NLQNV�DQG�Á�DZV�LQ�its design or implementation.

´,� GRQ·W� WKLQN� LW·V� EHHQ� LPSOH�mented correctly; I think that there are a lot of things that they QHHG� WR� À�[� LQ� WKDW�� DQG� KRSH�fully with some observations by some administrators that have FR�WHDFKLQJ��WKH\·OO�KDYH�WKH�GDWD�they need to make the correc-

*VIWLQER�EVI�XV]MRK�RI[�[E]W�XS�PIEVR�MR�GPEWW�ERH�SRI�MW�XLI�¾�MTTIH�classrooms. Freshman Sean Logan and Rohn Walker both are in one of these classes. Logan said that he likes it because “if you do the LSQI[SVO�EX�LSQI�]SY�GER�KIX�LIPT�MJ�]SY�HSR´X�YRHIVWXERH�WSQI�thing the next day.” Logan does like it, but Walker on the other hand does not; he thinks it is harder to understand when learning and he is unable to ask the teacher questions right there. !"#$#%&'%()*%+,-)-

Bellevue East makes

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teaching methods are

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/#"+%'!"#$%&In recent years, the Apple iPad

has been an interesting topic in the Bellevue Public School dis-trict. In past years it has been rec-ommended that iPads be brought into the school for students to use in class for educational purpos-es. Both students and teachers have had reasonable suspicion that these iPads were coming to Bellevue East for everyone to use. This is still a topic in discus-sion within the Bellevue Public Schools district

Last year there were rumors that there would be iPads in Bel-levue East for all students to use, but this has not happened. Only a small amount of students ever have the ability to use the school iPads and even fewer are able to use them all year

“I was kind of disappointed we were not getting the iPads. I thought it would help students in schools including myself. I would

take notes and be able to do as-signments on it,” junior Dilon Hike said.

Teachers were also expecting this change in technology, but only some have received iPads for their classrooms.

There are multiple ways teach-HUV�FRXOG�XVH�WKH�L3DGV�WR�EHQHÀ�W�not only themselves, but also the students. To receive these iPads for classroom use, the teacher must receive training.

“There is a program that the teacher of this district have to go though to receive iPads in their classroom. I took part in this just like good number of other teach-ers have done,” instructor Brent Gehring said.

Others schools around the DUHD�GR�KDYH� WKH�EHQHÀ�W�RI�KDY�ing the iPads in schools including middle schools within the district. The other districts have allowed a select number of schools to use a number of iPads in the curricu-lum, but Bellevue East so far has not received a large amount for

student use.,W� ZRXOG� EH� WKH� WHDFKHUV·� UH�

sponsibility to make sure that their students were on task and doing what is required from them.

“If these students are caught using the iPads in a way they DUHQ·W�VXSSRVHG�WR�WKHQ�WKH�SULYL�lege is taken away. This is just like having a phone out and using it when they are not supposed to use it. It would be taken away,” in-structor Sarah Cornell said.

The iPads that Bellevue East does have are shared throughout the entire school. This responsi-bility lies solely on the teacher of the class.

´,W·V�D� ORW�RI�H[WUD�SUHVVXUH�RQ�the teachers to keep up with the technology and make sure that these students are on task. The EHQHÀ�W� IRU� WKH� VWXGHQWV� LV� JUHDW��but it is a lot of work for the teach-er,” instructor David Bossman said.

WLRQV�µ� FR�WHDFKHU� -HQQLIHU� 0DO�lett-Smith said.

Even though some feel co-teaching is not helping to improve JUDGHV�� FR�WHDFKHU� -HG� *LYHQV�states that grades have, “a small-er failing rate… some of the stu-dents that maybe, had it not been for the co-teaching model, would have failed... those grades went up.”

Students do have more of an opportunity to get help within class, especially since, in most cases, the teaching methods of the two teachers complement each other. Perhaps students may not think so, but a lot of thought and planning went into pairing one teacher with another, according to Assistant Principal 6XVDQ�-HQVHQ��7KH�VWUHQJWKV�DQG�weaknesses of each teacher par-ticipating in co-teaching are taken into account, such as previous experience as a teacher and how well they know the material they would be teaching. The objective that has come from co-teaching is the wanting to help students im-prove and be the best they can be.

“You should be able to get a lot of differentiated instruction. So even if you have a HAL student in with a student who may struggle in that subject area, they should all still be getting what they need LQ� WKDW� FODVVURRP�� 7KDW·V� JHQHU�ally up to the individual classroom teachers to plan that and have suitable activities for different stu-GHQWV�µ�-HQVHQ�VDLG�

Desiree  Wilson  Francis  (Fritzie)  Buglewicz  Megan  Andrews  In-­‐Depth  Newspaper  Coverage  Bellevue  East  High  School