Response #3 Webinar: Flipped Classroom
A flipped classroom is a great learning strategy, especially in math, that changes the way instruction is delivered and allows for maximum practice time in the classroom. I believe the idea of a "flipped classroom" is becoming more largely popular as more students have technology readily available to them in their own homes and outside of school. Flipped classroom is a practical and efficient teaching strategy when students make use of/have access to the technology at home, come to class prepared with questions, and when teachers have a way of delivering the content at home in a way that is engaging and clear.
As a newer teacher, I have considered using this strategy in my classroom before, but I have not had the opportunity due to limited access at families' homes, and my desire to instruct my students in a more authentic and personal manner. Although this is true, there are definite advantages to a flipped classroom, such as students being able to work at their own pace, maximizing classroom activity time, and being able to spend more one-on-one time with each student. The flipped classroom strategy emphasizes the 21st century competencies of skilled communication and self-regulation. I can see students taking more control over their learning by focusing on the lessons and independent learning at home with the majority of communication, collaboration, and practice taking place in class.
Currently there are a multitude of obstacles in my own teaching situation that make implementing a true flipped classroom very difficult. That is not to say I won't be able to try it in the future. At the moment, I hope to expose students to the resources that they CAN use at home to help them with their more traditional homework. My first step in doing this is learning more about the technology myself in addition to making it a part of my daily classroom culture. I look forward to creating my own classroom website in which parents and students can gather information about these resources and have a consistent way of getting their questions answered!
Remember, a flipped classroom can happen in a lot of ways. I think you currently are envisioning it as an all or nothing kind of idea. Really it can be something that you do a little at a time when you decide it will be beneficial for students. For example, as a math teacher imagine teaching the students a lesson on factoring polynomials. In a traditional classroom you would present this lesson using the whiteboard with some possible manipulative support. The students would then likely work through some practice problems in groups or on their own to practice followed by a variety of assessment strategies. A student who "didn't get it" for whatever reason during the initial lesson might struggle with this model.
ReplyDeleteOne way to begin to flip this lesson would be to record the initial lesson and post it where it is accessible to students at any time. Because students can re-watch the content as needed they now have an opportunity to construct knowledge at a pace that is more comfortable to them. Another way to do this would be to have students use an app like Educreations when solving their practice problems; recording their solutions and thoughts as they proceed. This would allow you to later see not only their work but to hear their own descriptions of their thinking as they worked.
There are lots of ways to approach flipping the classroom and it doesn't have to big a huge change, especially not at first.
The idea of using Educreations is one that I'm very curious about. I'm wondering how many of our students could really explain their thought processes. I'd love to implement it and be blown away. I'm always trying to understand how they think because then I could do a better job of teaching them. I see the point that flipped classroom doesn't have to be all or nothing, but it still doesn't address the concern of access.
ReplyDeleteModeration is the key to this, right? I am really more nervous about HOW to use my blog to flip than WHAT I want to use it for so this post was a great reminder to just start with something easy and small. Great share!
ReplyDeleteBella, I like what you say about how you can flip the classroom at little at a time. There is that balance of how comfortable you are as a teacher to begin flipping the classroom and making sure your students understand the content being taught. Teachers and students can use apps they are comfortable with and are easy to use yet be able to learn about the content. I am someone who would definitely be accepting of the "baby step" approach.
ReplyDeleteI think that a website would be a good place to start. It is a simple way for students to have access to classroom materials from home. Once that is established we can introduce new things little-by-little.
ReplyDeleteI think that a website would be a good place to start. It is a simple way for students to have access to classroom materials from home. Once that is established we can introduce new things little-by-little.
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