PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE
CPHS’s Higginbotham finds student
success with ‘flipped’ classroom
W
hen Rob Higginbotham began
teaching at Champlin Park High
School (CPHS) eight years ago,
the math teacher remembers going home
with “marker arm.” After spending the day
giving lessons using an overhead projector,
Higginbotham would have marker all over
his arm.
In using a flipped classroom,
Higginbotham has seen student test scores
significantly increase, moving up an entire
quartile. Prior to his flipped class, 25 percent of Higginbotham’s students would
earn 90 percent or better on their exams;
with the flipped classroom that number
has increased to 50 percent.
Higginbotham decided to try this form
of instruction after researching it for his
graduate work at St. Mary’s University.
Even before his graduate work,
Higginbotham was on his way to using a
flipped classroom.
“I started to make videos of my lessons
a couple of years ago,” he said. “Between
the video and giving the lesson in the classroom, I felt like I was teaching everything
twice. And the students would watch the
videos at home, come into class and want
to get going on the assignments right away.
“I did research and found out teachers
C
urrently, Anoka-Hennepin elementary and
middle school students’ scores are well
above the state average on math tests while
high school students’ scores are slightly below the
state average.
To even out this equation, Ellen Delaney,
director of secondary curriculum, instruction and
assessment, said district staff is looking at the
entire math program. Staff wants to ensure elementary students are ready for the middle school math
classes; middle school students are prepared for
high school math classes; and high school graduates are ready for whatever comes next.
While marker arm is a thing of the past
for Higginbotham, so is standing in front
of his Honors Algebra II students and
giving a lecture.
Under this form of instruction,
Higginbotham records videos of his lessons. Students watch the videos outside of
the classroom. Classroom time is spent