Links from class:
Camstudio – free software to capture your computer screen
Screenr – free online software to capture your computer screen
Myna – free online software to record sound
Greenshot – free software to capture your computer screenshot (still images)
Pixlr – free online software to edit photos/images
Activities:
Check out the example of the lesson planning tool on TED-Ed @ http://ed.ted.com/on/ITfkrdI5 This is a resource and format that could help you start to Flip your classroom. Complete the activities and post your reaction to the lesson on the comment section of this post (The link in the Ted-Ed is not working).
Course Readings:
Rosenthal Tolisano, Silvia. “Digital Storytelling – Part I.” Langwitches Blog. N.p., Apr.-May 2008. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/04/19/digital-storytelling-part-i/>.
Post a response on your blog:
1 – How important is it to use visuals to support your instruction? Use a blog and/or online article to support your opinion (provide link).
***June 19th is Virtual. Login here to participate. I will be at the Joseph Hall if you prefer to be in the lab with me (for extra tech support). Since class will be no longer than a hour, please plan for a few online assignments to be completed before the June 26th class.
Steven Knight
ED554 Summer 2012 
#1 by Maretta K. on June 14, 2012 - 4:56 pm
I think the flipped classroom is a great idea. I hadn’t heard of it before you mentioned it in class, but by using this and having the students do a bulk of the lecture part of the lesson on their own it frees up valuable time to be working with the students in the classroom. I think that being able to interact and observe the classroom interaction through an activity is extremely important, and often gets put to the side because teachers need to be giving a lecture of some sort. I think the extras that Ted Ed offers are great like a quick quiz, extra resources of allowing students to watch the lesson while completing the activities is really important. A lot of times in the classroom a teacher needs to cover the material so there is not much time to go back and reteach things to students who may need extra explanation, but by putting a lesson in a video format, the students can rewind parts they need clarification on.
#2 by Jillian Hesse on June 15, 2012 - 2:09 pm
I believe the Flipped Classroom idea/movement is a great start to addressing the changing needs of the 21st century learner. I also believe that all current teaching practices shouldn’t be resigned to the museum as technology can fail and at a future date current practices may be found beneficial over others. With that said, I am interested in trying a Flipped Classroom as it seems to lend itself very well to science. In science it is important to have practice in the skills associated with the content and Flipped Classrooms seem to allow for added practice time with teacher aid. I think it would also be beneficial for making accommodations and making slight adjustments to cater to diverse learners. It is also important to have accountability as both a teacher and a student. Teachers should just become complacent with making videos and doing activities, but should really be there to guide the students and give them the support where needed, but also know when to have students lead the discussions and explorations. I think before showing the video or as a first slide for a video the objectives should be clearly labeled for the students and essential questions outlined so the students know what should be focused on. After the video students should have to write a reflective comment or perform a quick activity. In one class I had the teacher had us take a short quiz after a reading and had us keep taking it until we got 100%, so there were unlimited amount of submission. I think Flipped Classrooms are beneficial, but have to have accountability measures.
#3 by Lorena Beverley on June 17, 2012 - 7:12 pm
Second language learners can benefit tremendously from a Flipped Instruction model. One of the great things about FI is the possibility of spending more classroom time with students since the lecture part of the lesson is done at home. ESL students need the one-on-one attention where the teacher can customize the instruction according to students’ needs, respecting their own pace, allowing therefore for more differentiation. Second language learners benefit from the opportunity of doing the homework in class and having that time to ask questions and practice skills with a teacher close by. It is also a great way for the teacher to monitor students progress. Students now have more time to master concepts. Another aspect of differentiation is that students can always watch the video repeatedly whereas they can’t rewind a live lecture. It’s also a great reviewing tool for tests and cumulative assignments.
On the other hand… it requires technology that some may not have access to. It also requires some teacher training. Students with low motivation most likely won’t see the video but they probably wouldn’t be motivated to pay attention to a classroom lecture either. Students with short attention span or learning disabilities who need special accommodations and reminders to focus on the activity could have a hard time being in charge of their own lecture delivery. Students who would raise hands on the spot, make connections, share ideas from the lecture will not be able to do that when watching the video at home. One alternative would be to encourage them to take notes as they watch it or to record their questions.
#4 by Mike Cresson on June 17, 2012 - 7:21 pm
In our school this year teachers were heavily informed about the Flipped Classroom. I have already seen these videos and other ones as well because we discussed them as faculty in our meetings. A few teachers have tried using this method, and I myself was considering trying it next year. I would have done as a trial basis with a mixture of lectures online, not necessarily all of them. By trying this method it would a lot of work for one year, but after that the workload would be substantially less. The two major problems with this methods are based on accessibility and cooperation. This would be very hard for students who don;t have access to a computer or the internet. They would be at a huge disadvantage compared to everyone else. The second major problem is who to ensure students are watching the videos. Some will refuse to watch, others will believe they don’t need along with many other reasons. It would be much harder to enforce because you cannot supervise the watching of videos. If I had been staying the classroom I would have been open to trying this method because it seems to work much better and appears to be much more interesting. I do feel that the Flipped Classroom is more adapted to the math and science courses because there is more applications. I taught history and this method would probably be a little harder to adapt because history revolves around research as opposed to problem solving.
#5 by Whitney Field on June 19, 2012 - 2:23 am
I love the idea of a flipped classroom and I think I need to learn more about it in order to figure out how I would be able to implement it into my classroom. I will be a high school English teacher, so for tasks such as reading novels, a lot of that is often assigned out of the classroom, but I’m wondering how to flip this in the classroom so they read while I’m with them (however this seems a bit boring) and then relate my lecture to the reading, then have a classroom discussion, so on and so forth. I think that I need to know a little bit more about it and perhaps explore some on my own to see English teachers who have gone with the flip. I definitely think there are benefits to the current teaching structures, so I think a combination of a flipped/traditional classroom would be something that I’m interested in doing.
#6 by Lauren Summers on June 19, 2012 - 1:49 pm
I agree with Whitney’s thoughts about the flipped classroom for English teachers. If the classroom is designed with the idea that students will perform much of the reading outside of the classroom, it is asking too much for students to also watch a video at home? I’d be afraid that students would come to except that the videos/lectures would serve as summaries of the reading and would use these videos to replace their reading. No lecture I could provide would ever be as powerful as the firsthand reading of a novel.
On the other hand, most of the lessons plans I have designed for my future English classroom so far depend a lot of class activities and discussion. It seems like everything I have read about the flipped classroom allows for more time for these projects and discussion. English classrooms might require a little more thoughtful planning to flip than a science or math classroom, but I think that there are ways to do so successfully and I’d like to further explore those ideas.
#7 by Reijane Pandolfi on June 19, 2012 - 3:17 am
Being able to flip lessons means that there will be more time in class for students to work on because they will be expected to come to class having reviewed texts and videos and, the most important, have some background knowledge of what is to be practiced in class rather than using the time at home to finish an assignment that was previously started with no teacher to access for help. Visualizing an ESL class means that students will have more time to spend on their doubts and practicing the specific topic learned when in class. Moreover, practice the real use of the language as well as have a more one-to-one approach.
Each topic discussed in the 554 class makes me curious to know what my classes will be like when applying the 21st century skills. All the changes that I may plan to happen will demand a lot of effort from me and the students, but I will try to set ways to make it more meaningful, less painful and profitable to everyone.
I see accessibility to technology and willingness to cooperate as two problems regarding the use of flipped lessons in my country. Nobody guarantees that students will come to class with the videos watched, and that those who luck technology at home will have access to it before the beginning of the class. In addition, although this tool sounds worthy it, I would not make full generalizations and comparisons based on a review that does not demonstrate the sample studied, which makes me even more curious to know about the general results of the classes which have been using this tool. Therefore, I would like to get to know more results and experiences of it to increase the chances of having a better picture and really use it.
#8 by Cassidy on June 19, 2012 - 3:14 pm
I can see the flipped classroom being used in my room. I think it is great how the flipped classroom helps all types of learners. Visual and auditory learners can watch the lecture many times over if they need to hear or see it again, which would be very beneficial for ESL learners. The flipped classroom also works better for kinesthetic learners because they will get more hands-on time in the classroom. Many times students do their homework on their own, get stuck and then the greater part of the next class period is taken up going over the work that the students should have done at home. The flipped classroom will eliminate this due to the work being done together in class with the teacher easily accessible for questions. It will also allow for more time to hear from students and have thoughtful discussions in class. This is more beneficial and a better use of time rather than just having the teacher talk and the students trying to comprehend new material most of the period. I am excited about this new classroom structure and am interested to try it out in the near future.
#9 by rayya on June 19, 2012 - 4:14 pm
Flipped classroom is another new method of teaching that is everything but traditional.I liked how the lecture is being online and the homework is moving into the classroom.It gives the students the freedom to watch and listen for as many times as they need without feeling embarrassed or slow.It’s also great the class time is spent on activities that illustrate the material shown in the flipped video.I can definitely see the flipped classroom used with my ESL students.
My only concern is that some students may not have access to technology.Although I’m very excited and I can’t wait to flipp my classrooms, I know I might face many obstacles and challenges.One of many problems would be to convince administrators who are not used to modern ways of teaching and believe an idol way of teaching is when a teacher is standing and lecturing her students. Another problem is dealing with parents who don’t want their kids learning this way thinking the teacher doesn’t feel like talking in class so she is just making them learn at home.However I am very excited about learning about flipped classrooms and I’m interested on trying it out and seeing how far I go with it.
#10 by Ellen Coney on June 19, 2012 - 5:13 pm
I like the idea with Flipped Classrooms students can watch a podcast repeatedly so they can understand the content. One student may need more time with content than with another, and watching the podcast on his or her own time, they will not slow down the entire class and/or feel they are being left behind wise. I would think it might be hard for a teacher to try a Flipped Classroom as they might feel they are giving up control of their classroom by putting the content in the hands of their students. Teacher’s need to trust that students will watch the podcast/DVD/etc lecture at home and come to class prepared to discuss the lecture(s) and/or to complete an assignment or experiment, etc. Students need to realize they need to watch the material at home and keep up with the lectures as they will be completing homework, experiments, etc. Students need to realize they are not just going to watch television. Teachers also need to know if all of the students in their classroom have access to a computer, Internet, etc. and may need to be aware that computer and technological issues arise and a student may not be able to view a video. I also think that certain subjects (math and science) might work better in a flipped classroom as compared to English. A novel might work with the Flipped Classroom that can be tied to other topics. For example, if a class is reading A Tale of Two Cities, a podcast could cover the historical components of the novel and character development could be discussed in the classroom.
#11 by Elaine Kennedy (@talk_science_ed) on June 19, 2012 - 5:40 pm
I believe that the flipped classroom is an innovative strategy to deliver content material to students. However, I feel like I’m being “sold,” on a strategy this is heavy on use of technology, which is great, as long as I’m in a technology class. The problems I foresee stem from my lack of experience with available technology. I know I’ll get better in time, but the videos I give my students to watch have to be compelling so that they will want to watch them! I worry that my first year or two in the classroom, I simply will not have time to investigate all the helpful resources that are available to me and also to make these beautiful, engaging videos that are to be central to my lessons. I don’t want to set myself or my students up for failure by not providing them with the best materials they need to learn the content.
My own science teachers relied heavily on direct instruction and copious use of direct and indirect questioning in the classroom. I loved science, and my science classes had labs with “built-in” hands on activities during which I applied what I learned in class. I really believe that an effective teacher will be successful in helping her students capture and apply knowledge using a variety of strategies.
I can’t say these strategies were ineffective- in fact, my teachers were so effective at imparting a love of science and a love of school that I decided to become a scientist and a teacher! I am now a hematology specialist at a large local hospital and am working on completing my master’s degree in order to teach high school or middle school science.
That said, I plan to use flipped lessons in my classes whenever possible. I can imagine my students watching them out of sight of their peers, because I know appearing too engaged or too successful in class could have a negative impact on their social lives, which is a top priority for them, particularly during the middle school years.
#12 by Heather Caaey on June 19, 2012 - 7:47 pm
I think that a flipped classroom is a new technique that could be effective in the classroom. One of the major positives about using a flipped classroom is that it would allow for class time to be dedicated to learning activities and cooperative learning. Most of my lessons include great learning activities that my students would be working on and I would like to have more time for this in the classroom. I also thought that the idea of putting the lectures on cd’s is great and I think it could help a lot of students who do not have access to the internet at home. I believe that a flipped classroom could be successful as long as the students were willing to watch all of the lectures out of school. Unfortunetly this is not always the case.
One negative to using a flipped classroom is that if the students do not watch the lecture before class they will not be able to participate in the class activities. Many students are not able to do their homework and come up with many excuses as to why that is. Therefore, if a few students come into the class unprepared it could set back the entire lesson for the day. Overall, I think that a flipped classroom could be successful in any class as long as the students understand the expectations of the class.
#13 by Val on July 31, 2012 - 10:36 pm
Take Two:
If I were to apply flipped instruction to the grade levels I currently teach, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade Language Arts, I would need to work hard to ensure that for 7-10 minutes my presentation was really captivating. Kids in this age range have a limited attention span. So, including great images and short video clips will be key. Plenty of planning time for my first few attempts will need to be
carved out my schedule. Also, when I’m in front of the class, I can scan faces and take a quick read on who is getting the material and who is looking a little confused. With a video presentation that ability is lost. I think I would have to consider attaching a quick poll to assess afterwards, as a safety net of sorts.
My other item to bear in mind is whether all my kids not only have computers and access to the internet, but someone on hand to help them navigate to my link on the school’s website. Whilst many of my students have the latest technology at home, unless mum and dad are present there’s no guarantee that the childcare provider will be able to assist in this regard. Given this, I would be interested to know if there is a way to monitor who has seen the video, and who hasn’t. Otherwise, I can see the potential for double work if I plan a lesson around the presumption that the students will have viewed the lesson the night before, in order to be ready for the next day’s practice activities, only to discover the majority, for one reason or another, did not.
Apart from these things however, I think flipped instruction would have many uses in my classroom. Student projects, for example, would really benefit from a flip. All to often, when book, state or research projects are assigned, parent “help” is more than just a little evident. Using a video presentation, the project would be outlined, its due date(s) given, key concepts highlighted and potential pitfalls underscored, and grading rubric provided. Class time would then be provided during the unit to work on the projects, thus ensuring that the grade earned was the student’s and not the parents’.