Should You Flip Your Classroom?

Flipped Classroom: Beyond the Videos Last week, I read an interesting blog post by Shelley Blake-Plock titled “The Problem with TED ed.” It got me thinking about the flipped classroom model and how it is being defined. As a blended learning enthusiast, I have played with the flipped classroom model, seen presentations by inspiring educators who flip their classrooms, and even have a chapter dedicated to this topic in my book. However, I am disheartened to hear so many people describe the flipped classroom as a model where teachers must record videos or podcasts for students to view at home. There are many teachers who do not want to record videos either because they don’t have the necessary skills or equipment, their classes don’t include a lot of lecture that can be captured in recordings, or they are camera shy. Too often the conversation surrounding the flipped classroom focuses on the videos- creating them, hosting them, and assessing student understanding of the content via simple questions or summary assignments. 1. 2.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Flipped Classrooms I really enjoyed Mary Beth Hertz's excellent blog published earlier this week, "The Flipped Classroom: Pro and Con" -- one of the most concise and balanced views I've read on the buzz-wordy concept of flipping the classroom. Advocates say that "flipped classrooms" help overburdened teachers differentiate their instruction to reach more learners, provide an avenue into more hands-on and student-driven learning during classtime, and shift the teacher's role from "sage on the stage" to learning coach and facilitator. Critics say it's just a fad, relies too heavily on rote instruction, and doesn't go far enough in making the needed changes for teaching and learning reform. Video Playlist: Flipping the Classroom Keep watching the player below to see the entire playlist, or view this playlist on YouTube. More Flipped Class Resources Of course, there are thousands more videos on the subject. Flipping the Classroom Guides and PD Articles and Press on Flipping the Classroom see more see less

10 TED Talks That Could Be Used As Course Titles I was perusing my morning Twitter stream and came across a few friends discussing the current state of course titles. Long story short, most are still stuck in the dark ages. Biology 101? World History 1812-Present? These titles may seem like they’re accurate and fit but… they’re boring. In this day and age of short attention spans, flipping of classrooms, and rethinking of education… it’s time to rethink course titles. In an effort to give school administrators and teachers a guidepost with which they can rethink current course titles (what better time than in July, right?) In other words, make the course titles sexier, the descriptions more attractive, and get students excited to attend a class before they even step foot in the classroom for the first time. So, without further ado, here are potential course titles that are actual TED talks / TED categories. Inventions That Shape History (Could be a course on world history or even engineering / physics.) The Way We Think How Things Work

User Generated Education The Flipped Classroom: A Pedagogy for Differentiating Instruction and Teaching Essential Skills July 31, 2012 by Scott Sterling Summer is almost over and some educators, when thinking about the upcoming school year, may be considering “flipping their classroom” as a new method for instruction of essential skills. A flipped classroom is one in which the background learning of a particular topic or skill occurs outside of class time - utilizing technological tools like videos and podcasts to teach the essential skills. This leaves class time free to work collaboratively on the higher-order thinking needed to utilize these skills. In other words, class time is now free to spend working with the students because everyone has already received the background instruction that takes up so much time in the traditional classroom. For example, let’s say you are teaching the Pythagorean theorem. The students are instructed to watch the instructional video and then post one question about the theorem on your online classroom message board. For further reading: Related reading :

Why I Gave Up Flipped Instruction A little over a year ago I wrote a post about the flipped classroom, why I loved it, and how I used it. I have to admit, the flip wasn’t the same economic and political entity then that it is now. And in some ways, I think that matters. Here’s the thing. When I recently re-read the post, I didn’t disagree with anything I’d said. Yet my brief love affair with the flip has ended. When I wrote that post, I imagined the flip as a stepping stone to a fully realized inquiry/PBL classroom. What is the flip? The flipped classroom essentially reverses traditional teaching. When I first encountered the flip, it seemed like a viable way to help deal with the large and sometimes burdensome amount of content included in my senior Biology & Chemistry curricula. My flipped experiments I first encountered the flip in a blog post. My students loved the idea of trying something that very few other students were doing. We began to shift What was my role? The flip faded away The flip is gone for good No.