Introducing the Flipped Class to Students

After a long day of thinking, planning, editing, and revising, I have finally put together the "first draft" of the video my students will watch on the first night of school. (side note: It will probably be my final draft, unless I find some grammar error or something else like that)


My plan (so I have from now until August 22nd to figure it all out!!) is to do a few different activities the first day (different from what I've ever done before), and introduce the three "pillars" of the flipped classroom to my students before they go home.  Then, on the first night for homework, students will watch this 10 minute video, take guided notes (still have to make that up), and write down as many questions, comments, or concerns that they have.  Using the advice of someone wise on Twitter (sorry I can't remember who!!), I want to make this a CONVERSATION with the students where they feel ownership and feel they are a part of it - not just some directive I'm handing down to them.  I want them to buy in to what we are doing.


...by the way, the three "pillars" are...

• Three key "pillars":
• students managing their own learning,
• making the best use of our face-to-face time, and
• using higher order thinking to drive our class activities.

Throughout the first week or so of school, we will take time to have discussions, ask and answer questions, and just clarify anything about the flipped classroom that needs to be brought up.  I'm not sure how this will look yet (whole class, small group, partners, etc), but I'll figure something out.


With no further ado, here is the video...


Before I made this video, I typed up a script... me reading through the script was 8-10 minutes (I tested it 3 times, with small edits and changes each time).  Then I realized... why am I talking about everything being student centered and there are no students in this video?!?!  So, I chose some key portions of the script to actually say, and let my students do the rest of the talking with interviews I had done with them earlier in the year. 


Here is the script of what I actually ended up saying, for those of you who like to "see" it:


HI everyone!  This is Mrs. Kirch, and I am very excited to work with you this year as we delve into another year of math.  This year, you will be experiencing a new way of teaching and learning called the Flipped Classroom.  This video will talk about what a flipped classroom is, what you can expect this year, and why we are making the change.  

Let’s start off with “What is a Flipped Classroom”?  I’d like you to hear from my students last year a little bit about the flipped classroom.

-- students--

The flipped classroom is a place that is completely student centered and focused on your needs rather than on me...but what does that mean, exactly?  How is the flipped classroom different than what you are used to?

In a flipped classroom, I am not up in the front of the classroom giving a lesson every day, because you watch the lesson before you come to class on your computer, tv, or mobile device.  A 45 minute in-class lesson is whittled down to an 8-15 minute video lesson, so you save a lot of time and are able to learn at your own pace, whether that be faster or slower than your peers.  You are completely in charge of your own learning and the speed at which you receive the information.

When you come to class, you are ready to discuss the material, ask and answer questions, solve problems, and apply your learning in a variety of different ways. I’m able to walk around the entire period and help you either individually or in small groups, clarifying misconceptions and asking you questions to make you think deeper about what you are learning.   It’s a much better use of time - and the best part is that  you have a ton of help around you if you need it! My role has flipped from spoon-feeding you the content on a daily basis to providing you with all the resources and support you need to master this math class - it is now your responsibility to learn it!

And that is exactly what the flipped classroom is - flipping the responsibility for learning and focus of the classroom time from the teacher to the student..  In a traditional class, students are very passive and expecting the teacher to tell them exactly what they need to do, when they need to do it, and how they need to do it.  The teacher is generally in full control of everything that goes on.
In the flipped classroom, the responsibility for learning is flipped to the student instead of the teacher.  While I will still be providing all the resources you need in order to learn, it will be done in an individualized way and in a way that allows you to be active learners both in and out of class.  These resources might be videos, websites, or other sources that I find helpful, and you will even learn to find resources on your own! Because you have all the information you need in terms of the lesson, you are able to learn the material at your own pace, in your own time, in your own place, rather than during the 54 minute class period.  The flipped classroom enables you to take full responsibility for your learning and for class time to be focus on your individual and unique needs.  And now, I have the time to focus on YOU and help YOU in the way that YOU need it.  That’s what the flipped classroom is all about - focusing on the student and helping the student to succeed in the best possible way.  You are the one that matters the most in our flipped classroom!

--students--

Some of you may be thinking, “This sounds awesome! Let’s get started!”  Others of you may be wondering why we are making this change?  You’re thinking, “Isn’t what we’ve done the last 100 years good enough?”  I don’t know about you, but I’m not okay with being “good enough” - I want to be great!  Because of the flip that will be happening, we are now able to make the best use of our time together, help you learn how to manage your own learning, and challenge ourselves in ways we weren’t able to in a traditional classroom.  We can no longer settle with just getting by, playing school, and passing tests- surface level learning that is spoonfed to you is just not enough anymore.. I do know that any change is difficult, and it will be rough for you at first as you transition to the expectations of a Flipped Classroom..  But, I will be here every step of the way to support you and help you as you make this transition.  I know that even though it will be hard at first to get used to this new style of learning, you will be grateful for it in the end because you will have learned math much better and deeper than you ever have before.  The most important thing is to start off with a positive attitude towards the change and be open to learning in a new way.

To summarize, My ultimate goal is to help you learn.  I have found that teaching for 45 minutes and then having you go home to try problems on your own for 30-45 minutes was not the most effective use of my time with you.  So, we are flipping things around.  You get the lesson at home, take some time to process it, and try a few examples on your own to test your knowledge.  Then, in class, we can spend then entire period working together, asking and answering questions, solving problems, working in small groups and one-on-one, applying our knowledge, and helping you to learn, understand, and succeed.  I think that sounds awesome!

Wow, this was a lot!  At the end of this video, I would like you to write down all of the questions, comments, and concerns you have regarding the flipped classroom.  We will be spending time in class over the next week discussing what you write down, and this will help us work together as we make this transition and make sure that everyone will succeed.


Here is some stuff I typed up, but didn't end up using. I figured I'd post it, since I wrote it, and it might spur some thoughts for you! Originally, all these thoughts were interspersed with what I actually chose to say (above)


Sound interesting?  Let’s talk a little bit more about what you can expect in a Flipped Classroom and how is it different from what you are used to.  There are two “flips” happening in the flipped classroom.  The first is a physical flip, and the second is a mental flip.

• Traditional
• Graphic: traditional - 5 minute intro, 30-40 minute whole-class lesson, 10-15 minutes for individual or partner practice, 30 minutes at home individual practice
• Let’s start off by talking about the physical flip.  In a traditional class, I would spend about 45 minutes of the class time up front explaining the lesson, working out examples, and answering questions as a whole class.  Some students would be bold enough to raise their hand to ask a question while others would sit there quietly, not understanding but not wanting to be embarrased in front of the whole class. Still others would be bored because they understood the material quicker than their classmates
• Sometimes there would be time at the end for you to do some practice on your own before the bell would ring, but sometimes not.  Then, you would go home and try the homework problems on your own.  Hopefully, you would remember what you learned in class and be able to do it.  If not, you either stared at it for a really long time, wrote some stuff down to make it look like you did it, or copied from a friend the next day.  Either way, the practice was probably not very helpful or meaningful to your learning.
• Flipped
• Graphic: flipped - 5 minute intro, 10 minute WSQ discussions, 40 minute individual/partner practice, small group teaching, applications, creation, etc, 30 minutes at home completing WSQ for next day
• The idea of homework and classwork is going to be physically flipped around.
• In a flipped class, that 45 minute in-class lesson is whittled down to an 8-15 minute video lesson that you watch at home before you come to class.  You take notes, pausing and rewind when needed.  If you need to re-watch the whole video all over again, you can.  If you understand the material and want to watch it at double-speed, you can.  The important thing is that you are in charge of your learning and the speed at which you receive the information.  There is no pressure from me or the people around you.  There is even an online study group you can participate in via ThinkBinder to ask questions and share ideas with your classmates and possibly Mrs. Kirch that night.  
• After watching the video, you complete a reflection piece called a WSQ and come to class ready to discuss and ask questions.  Everyone comes to class with the same notes and received the same lesson, and it didn’t take nearly as long as it would have in a traditional class!  In fact, the average student from last year says that they usually double the length of the video as a guide for how long their homework will take that night, so it’s very easy to plan ahead. Once class begins, we are able to get right to work - discussing, asking or answering questions, working on problems, and clarifying anything that wasn’t clear from the previous night.  
• You are not expected to master the content after just watching a video, although if you do, that is great!  Generally, that’s what class time is for!   Learning the concepts is done outside of class time so that class time can be focused on YOU and YOUR NEEDS rather than on me:  actually working on problems where there is help if you get stuck, asking questions to clarify misconceptions, discussing material with your classmates and teacher, and applying what you’ve learned in a variety of different ways.  I am active and moving around the whole class, there to help you with whatever you need help on.  You no longer have to sit there and listen to me teach during class, because you have already been given the lesson and are ready to dive right in to practicing and applying it. It’s a much better use of time - and you have a ton of help around you if you need it!
• My role has flipped from spoon-feeding you the content on a daily basis to providing you with all the resources and support you need to master this math class - it is now your responsibility to learn it!

• And that is exactly what the “mental flip” is - the responsibility for learning and focus of the classroom time.  In a traditional class, students are very passive and expecting the teacher to tell them exactly what they need to do, when they need to do it, and how they need to do it.  The teacher is generally in full control of everything that goes on.
• In the flipped classroom, the responsibility for learning is flipped to the student instead of the teacher.  While I will still be providing all the resources you need in order to learn, it will be done in an individualized way and in a way that allows you to be active learners both in and out of class.  These resources might be videos, websites, or other sources that I find helpful.  You will also learn how to find resources on your own, called curating content.  Because you have all the information you need in terms of the lesson, you are able to learn the material at your own pace, in your own time, in your own place, rather than during the 54 minute class period.  The flipped classroom enables you to take full responsibility for your learning and for class time to be focus on your individual and unique needs.  And now, I have the time to focus on YOU and help YOU in the way that YOU need it.  That’s what the flipped classroom is all about - focusing on the student and helping the student to succeed in the best possible way.  You are the one that matters the most in our flipped classroom!

• A while back, I thought about one question: “What is the best use of the face-to-face time I have with my students?” I quickly realized that standing in front of the room talking at you and showing you the math myself was NOT the best way, especially when I was doing so to all 40 of you at once.  The Flipped Classroom makes the best use of our class time because you are given the opportunity to get the individualized attention we all crave and we all deserve.  You are able to get the extra help you need IN CLASS during class time, and work at your own pace on the concepts you need to work on during any given day.
• In addition, the Flipped Classroom helps you acquire some very important life skills, including managing your learning and your time, communicating and working with others, and using a variety of technological resources.  This environment will set you up for success in your future as you grow and mature into a responsible member of our society, especially as you prepare to enter college or the career of your choice. By being in a "flipped classroom" you will all become more independent learners who know HOW to learn and HOW to use your resources to help you succeed.

• Lastly, because we have so much class time to work together, we can now focus on higher order thinking skills and do more engaging activities, such as applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating instead of focusing on just working out math problems - that can get boring after a while and doesn’t challenge our brains in the way we should be!  We will be learning about some of those activities in the coming weeks as we jump into this school year.

Summer is Ending... Flipped Class is starting - Time to Share!

I know none of us want to think about it, but it's halfway through July... and that means it's time to start thinking about next year (and I know some of you are saying, "Now? I've been thinking about it for the last month!!").

I have made a shared Google Doc for all of us to share our Introduction Letters and Introduction Videos for the Flipped Classroom (for students, parents, admin, or all of the above).  That way, we can all glean from each others ideas, creativity, wisdom, and experience in creating and modifying our own.

You can find the submissions here.  You should be able to type right in the document to add you own, so I hope to see lots of submissions in the next few days!!  We only have about 5 right now, and I know there are a ton more out there (because I've seen them on blogs and twitter)!!

Feel free to share what you used last year if you haven't made this year's yet... I know that somehow I just get a spark of creativity or knowledge by reading or watching what someone else has done!

Thanks for your help!

#flipcon12 archives: T.Cockrum, A.Brown, K.Darche, E.Watt/S.Huntemann, E.Dill

I was able to watch a few archived presentations from #flipcon12 this afternoon... here are some notes that stood out to me and my reflections...

I would highly suggest you check out the sessions yourself as well, because what stood out to me may not be what impacts you the most! :) 

Register for virtual access to all these sessions here.

Troy Cockrum  Using Flipped Class and Collaborative Tools for Writing Instruction

This is an awesome session for English teachers wanting a way to flip writing instruction.  Since I'm not an English teacher, I didn't take notes on all the details of the workshop, but rather some notes or themes that I want to remember personally.

• Every flipped class is different - so share with people the conceptual, they can figure out the how-to. 
• Important point. I think people want it to be easy, to be something like "hand me what I need to do and I'll do it"... but it's more than that.  You need to do what is best for your students in your class and that may not be the same as what is best for mine!
• "When writers write everyday, they begin to compose even when they are not composing" 
• Tools
• Google Docs/Google Apps
• Dropbox
• ScreenChomp
• Educreations
• Camtasia
• LiveScribe Pen

Anna F Brown The Flipped Experience in Higher Ed

Adjunct professor, Doctoral student, researching the flipped classroom

Presented the study she conducted with 8 professors.

• Benefits/Challenges
• From lecturer to content creator
• from lecturer to facilitator
• from expert to coach
• increased learning for instructors and students
• Greater flexibility for instructors and students

Kim Darche Taking the Plunge!   

• Todays Meet - chat room. No login required.  Can choose when you want it to expire
• Would be interesting to try out when we are in the computer lab (not too often though)!
• xtranormal - type in text, cartoon characters do the talking. Phonetic, so you may have to change the way you type it
• I definitely want to try this out this year!
• Puffin - free or 99cents - flash app?? 

Eric Watt and Suzanne Huntemann Implementation of Flipped-Mastery Class in HS Chemistry: Year 1

• Communicating with parents:
• "Lecture and teaching is the same word" - that's how parents think
• This is NOT experimental...
• This is NOT self-taught
• They brought up some very important key things to say/not say when introducing it to parents.  I agree that many students and most parents think that lecture = teaching, just because that is what they are used to.
• Definitely NOT going to mention the word "experimental" or "guinea pigs" this year - this is the way it is!!!
• Still had test day, but students could take it EARLY.  If students fall behind, instead of taking the test on that day, they take it before or after school.
• They only allowed one attempt at the exam (they can retake quizzes though)
• I like their ideas with tests.  I think it might work for me.  I always hate it when students are not ready for the test because of different circumstances and that leads to them doing poorly on a test, essential wasting an hour of their life.  I will have to think about how I want to present this and what that means in terms of different versions of the test for those not taking it on the specified day.

Ellen Dill  Flipping French: A Middle School Experience

• She uses choice boards mainly for projects
• I'm planning on using choice boards, and this might be a place for me to start and "get my feet wet" since I'm a little overwhelmed with using it for the normal unit
• Kids can collaborate with other kids from other class periods
• I've always siad no in the past because I'm like, "what if I give you time to work on it in class, you couldn't collaborate"... but if everything is online and they can still make progress individually, it might be good!
• Choice Boards - Toni Theisen?
• Create a play, puppet show, or film
• Write a story and make it into a presentation
• Complete book activities and write a review
• Create an online movie critic show
• Create a comic strip
• Make, give, and express results of a survey

I'm a teacher on a journey... (personal reflections)

(If you want the synopsis of this post, feel free to scroll all the way to the bottom...)


I've been feeling rather frustrated lately as I've been planning for next year.  Not frustrated with the flipped classroom, but frustrated with myself, I guess. It's hard to pinpoint.  


I guess I am someone that always wants to have it all together, and the more I think, read, and reflect, the more I realize how much I don't have it all together. And I have come to the point that I must learn to be okay with that.

I tweeted this a little bit ago, and I think it helps to state a little how I'm feeling...

I started this blog as a place to reflect on my journey with the flipped classroom.  To write about what I tried over the course of the semester and my perspective on how things were going - what worked, what didn't, what I liked, what I didn't like, etc.  I would definitely say this blog has served its purpose.  It has been an amazing tool for me to brain dump and make sense of what was going on in my classroom.  It has been a great place to share ideas and to collaborate with others about what is going on in their flipped classrooms.  The amount of professional and personal growth that has occurred over the last six months due to this blog and the people I have met because of my involvement in the blogosphere and on twitter is astounding and something I would never take back.  I cherish every conversation and interaction, whether in person or through tweets, emails, or Google+ Hangouts.


What I didn't expect was that so many people would start reading this blog and coming to me for advice on how to start their own flipped classrooms.  Don't get me wrong - I love that I actually have people reading and commenting on what I am writing.  I love sharing my experiences with other people and giving tips on what I have seen work in my classroom.  It is always fun to get a comment or an email in my inbox asking follow-up questions and thanking me for blogging.  I've gotten some pretty amazing compliments in those emails ("You have inspired me!" "You are the most amazing teacher ever!" "You have made such a difference in my teaching!"), but they oftentimes remind me just as much how unworthy I am to receive those words of praise. 


Hence, my tweet.  If anything, this summer has conveyed one thing to me: I really don't know much at all.  I'm far from an expert.  As "expert" as some people may think that I am, I remind myself that I don't really know it all and I don't really have it all together.  And do you know what? I think that's okay. In fact, I know that that's okay. 


I am a teacher on a journey.  A journey I am writing about for the public to follow and engage with, should they choose.  I am not an expert and I don't claim to know all the answers, even if others expect me somehow to know it all.  I am willing to try new things... and possibly fail at them.  I am willing to share my opinion... and not have people agree with me (although I'm still not very good at that second part yet :)).  And most of all, I am willing to write about my journey, my successes and my failures, in a public forum for anyone to read.  It's a scary endeavor, if you think about it.  Not too many people are willing to put themselves out there like this.


However, sometimes I feel like because of my experience, I'm supposed to know all the answers.  Like I'm supposed to know the best way to do this and the right way to do that and come up with brilliant ideas of how to effectively communicate a certain idea.  At those points I must come the point where I realize that people enjoy honest sharing (because deep down if we admit it, we can all relate), and true members of my PLN won't really care if my ideas aren't perfect or if my plans don't necessarily lead to success the first time around.


I have encountered some very seemingly cocky educators this year, whether on twitter, blogs, or during the summer at ISTE (many of whom I've seen on blogs or twitter), at least that is how I perceived them.  Educators who seemed from the outside to have it all together, to know exactly the right way to do things (their way, of course), and had no problem discounting others' ideas.  They blatantly talk down on others in public forums.  It almost disgusts me.  Then I met some educators who I thought were "experts", only to find out that they are just like me - educators on a journey, willing to share, wanting to grow, and desiring to find out more how to help our students be successful.  These are the type of people I want to surround myself with, this is the type of person I want to be.


I'm writing for myself and my professional growth and learning.  I just have the privilege of walking this journey with some other amazing educators because we are all willing to share openly and honestly about our journeys.


I am honored that you have found my experiences helpful to your practice.  
I am blown away that my ideas have transcended my classroom and are being used all across the country.  
I am excited when I receive questions and comments regarding what I am doing in my flipped classroom.
I will continue to blog, writing and reflecting on my experiences and new knowledge gained.
I will continue to share, knowing that others can benefit from my ideas and will share their ideas right back - then we can all learn!
I will continue to question, read, research, think, analyze, and discover - because there is always more to learn.
But I am not an expert.  

---------

I'm a teacher on a journey. 


I like to blog.


I love to share ideas.


I want to continually grow and improve my practice.


I want my students to succeed at their highest levels.


I don't know everything (not even close), I never will, and I can admit that openly.


Thank you for joining me on my journey.

#flipcon12 archives: Crowd-sourcing session with Brian Bennett

I was able to watch Brian's archived presentation from #flipcon12... here are some notes that stood out to me and my reflections...

I would highly suggest you check out the session yourself as well, because what stood out to me may not be what impacts you the most! :) 

Register for virtual access to all these sessions here.

Google Docs with all the notes from these sessions
Tuesday (the one I watched)
Wednesday (not filmed)
Powerpoint here

• Teacher helps create meaning of the content within the context of the class 
• leads to personalize learning
• Understand your learning style to help your students' understand theirs
• Multiple intelligences  *Bring this back! Have students do a learning styles/MI self-assessment like I did in years past.
• "Oh, I could be any one of these!" -  we want our students to be adaptive!  While we recognize our strengths, we are also improving on our weaknesses! hmmm very true - I've never thought about this.  Yes, we want students to be able to learn in the ways they learn best, but we also want them to challenge themselves to learn in new ways!!
• Oral Exams
• Turn objectives into "I can" statements
• Individualized assessments
• Not all of these go in the gradebook
• Version 1: 
• Discuss with them in person the objective.  If they can do this without any prompts, questions, etc, full credit (5 points).  Every prompt = -1pt. Very subjective.  
• Version 2:
• Turned into an objective rubric (see slide 11 here) *I like this (having oral assessments), but I'm always concerned about my subjectivity.  The objective rubric will help with that.  I just can't see myself being able to do this often with my 40 students...even though I want to.   But, maybe this is something I can do with certain students who need that alternative assessment
• Think-Tac-Toe from daretodifferentiate wikispaces *On my to-read list, coming soon!
• Collaboration Grid from Teach Paperless blogspot
• Camtasia for PC does automatic captioning. Mac doesn't yet. argh :( 
• Student self-assessment (see sample Google Form here)
• "This is the goal, I'm interested in the process you use"... then give them the freedom to do that 
• Alternative Assessment rubric here 
• Allow students to come up with their own assignments for assessments
• Let students set their own due dates = late assignments hold even more accountability *Interesting point! Gives them ownership of their learning!
• Random good stuff from Brian's website
• Tools for students to use to create http://www.brianbennett.org/learn/create/ *Give these to my students as ways to create content!
•  Getting ideas from students about videos - *I just mentioned this in the last post, but I do want to keep getting feedback.  The one thing my students have a hard time with is saying "why". Meaning, they will say "I didn't like that video" or "That video was confusing", but they have a hard time expressing WHY.  Then, some students just won't say anything because they aren't used to teachers actually wanting their feedback.
• "It would have been better if..."
• "This was a really tough video, it probably would have been done better not on video..."
•  Big reminder: 
  • Have a discussion...talk to them about why you’re doing what you’re doing, not how.
• ARTICLES to read!!! *I really want to find these!  And have my students blog about them... :)
 

#flipcon12 archives: Transitioning to a Flipped Classroom: from pilot to expansion (Kristin Daniels and Wayne Feller)

I was able to watch Kristin and Wayne's archived presentation from #flipcon12... here are some notes that stood out to me and my reflections...

I would highly suggest you check out the session yourself as well, because what stood out to me may not be what impacts you the most! :) 

Register for virtual access to all these sessions here.

Technology Integration Specialists-

Kristin Daniels @kadaniels

Wayne Feller @fellbop

Download (for free) their iBook! - bit.ly/itunesflippedbook

• Past, Present, Future!
• Started with ONE teacher (5th grade, math)
• Set up program with 6 "control" teachers and 6 flipped teachers
• 4 day summer institute for those 6 teachers
• Set up parent website *Need to add tab on my student blog for this
• Sent out technology survey
• Set up Flipped Classroom FAQ *Need to add tab on my student blog for this
• Stillwater Flipped Webpage (lots of great resources!)
• Showed some great results from student and parent surveys...definitely check out the archive to hear these responses!
• All 6 teachers after pilot: YES WE WANT TO CONTINUE (even if you don't let us!).  Favorite part is: Time! (more time to work in class, more time to work one-on-one) *Personally, I could never go back either. I can hardly remember what my classroom was like in a traditional setting, and it hasn't even been a year!
• Teacher goes from master of content to master of context
• Winter Institute for new teachers - 25 teachers, 1 day + 1/2 work day
• wanted to create a more sustainable "team" approach to the FC
• not as "daunting"
• Asked each teacher to take on ONE role
• Quiz Creator
• Do you have any questions about the video? Is there anything you want your teacher to know? If so, type your questions/comments in the text box below
• How well do you understand the concepts presented in the math video? - Not well, somewhat, very well. * Metacognition
• Add these questions to my WSQ forms
• Moodle Manager - managing courses (getting videos in right place, etc)
• Video creator
• Started incorporating a "character" (pirate) into some of their videos
• Looking into having a storyline/theme that runs through the videos to help with engagement
• Consider that students may have internet at home, but it may not be HIGH-SPEED INTERNET *Add this to my technology survey as an option
• I need to get some "cheesy" old school headphones (not earbuds) to keep with my class computers.
• Flipchart creator - presentation software by ActiveInspire
• A LOT of work in the first year, even if you take a team approach.  WorkLOAD is much less in year 2.  We can selectively improve quality of videos, quizzes, etc.  The work you put in on the front end is very much worth it on the back end  *I am so excited for that this year :)  Even though there are videos I want to fix (reminding myself that perfection is not the goal), the workload is going to be much less!
• A LOT more time in class to dive into more activities and applications they previously had to skip
• When students are empowered to be creative, it adds a whole new dimension!!

#flipcon12 archives: Preparing for the Flip – The Nuts and Bolts of Flipping Your Classroom (Kim Duncan)

I was able to watch Kim's archived presentation from #flipcon12... here are some notes that stood out to me and my reflections...

I would highly suggest you check out the session yourself as well, because what stood out to me may not be what impacts you the most! :) 

Register for virtual access to all these sessions here.

Kim Duncan

Upper School Science Teacher

Flint Hill School

Oakton, VA

bit.ly/KimFlippedClassroom (? link didn't work for me?)

•  Four steps:
• Review/streamline classroom materials
• figure out what was essential and what was extra
• What content is really important?
• What can become part of an activity? (instead of being in the lecture!)
• How much practice is necessary? (everything else turned into "optional" practice problem)
• Clearly state your expectations
• for students (example: Before you join in on the activity, you must have the vodcast watched and the notes taken)
• High expectations, and check them on it! (she sent email to student and parent restating the expectations that day)
• What to look out for...
• Make sure parents are informed
• Get your administrators on board

I feel like I really started to do this about 4 years ago when I made my "Unit Maps" of concepts from each unit.  I do want to take it a step further and divide those concepts into "essential" and "secondary" (or even A,B,C categories like some teachers do).  So many things on my list, I really don't know if that will happen for this school year or during this school year (for next year).  But, it is there :)

I hadn't really thought about taking some stuff completely out of the lecture and making it into an activity.  This might be where some of my inquiry/discovery occurs this year, as I do want to explore what happens when I let my students discover things on their own.  (Definitely something I will be trying in my Math Analysis class way before Algebra 1...)

I feel like I do a good job of only assigning necessary practice and not just "drill and kill" them with too much practice.  On my list for the next month as I sort through my curriculum stuff is to have "extra practice problem" worksheets premade for each concept for the students to access.  I have always offered these upon request in the past, and not too many students took me up on it (I think they thought it would be too much work on my part).  But, with the program I use (KutaSoftware) it really doesn't take that long and I'll just link to them on my class blog.

I am very excited to start from day 1 with my expectations for students.  I plan on having expectations clearly laid out for students, parents, and teacher (me).  I'll post those here whenever I get them done!

• create hands-on support and practice activities
• "How do you know they watched the video?"
• Guided notes (really nice setup for guided notes with her powerpoint slides around 13min in video!) *Can export Pwpt slides to Microsoft Word to further edit! (Publish)
• Safety net
• Essential Questions
• Complete while watching videos
• Fosters independent learning; teaches them how to learn
• Have required problems and optional problems - can look at see which problems students chose to do and if they chose to do any of the optional problems.
• If they fake it, once we get into the activity, it's really obvious

Kim has a system very similar to mine with her guided notes packets. I couldn't agree more how effective the notes packets are in sooooooo many ways.  This is the first year I am incorporating all practice problems right in the packet instead of on a separate worksheet.  I think students like and crave structure, and providing them with the packets at the beginning of the unit allows them to know exactly what they need to learn, how much it is for the unit, and the activities they will need to complete to help master the material

• At first, "We can't stop you and ask questions right away".  Then, "You know, if we just keep listening, most of our questions get answered!) - That's why lectures in class take so long!
• Tried to turn as many of her worksheets into some sort of lab-based activity or demo
• How do you get the students who need to do extra practice to do it?
• That's what we have all that one-on-one time for!
• record and edit your lectures
• Nice thing: All your classes get the same video!

Never thought of this before, but it's true.  I would also either remember something later in the day, or forget it b/c I had already done the same lesson twice previously.  Now all students get the same content.

• What to look out for:
• Don't be a perfectionist!
• Don't dwell on the editing - you don't have to use all the cool features!
• one-on-one interaction and feedback
• *Most important thing!
• See each student every day
• Questions - do they really get it?
• Effective use of classroom time
• Students learning how to know when group work was beneficial and when they needed to work individually
• Ask for feedback! - ask what is working for them and what isn't... also good timing to give THEM feedback

Getting student feedback is essential in having them buy-in to this "change".  It is important that they know their opinions and feelings are valued and desired.  I would like to somehow get better feedback on each individual video/tutorial.  On Sophia, they can "rate" the tutorial, but that doesn't really tell me much as far as if they rated me 5 stars WHY it was so good or if they rated my 3 stars what was missing or could have been improved upon.  Maybe I can add a question to the end of the WSQ form that leaves it open for suggestions if something wasn't clear or if I didn't explain something well enough.  My only concern is that sometimes students really don't know how to be constructive in their comments (I guess there's no time like the present to learn!) and receiving feedback nightly might get a little overbearing for me...

Top 5 Web Tools my students will be using this next year in my Flipped Class

Another "incomplete" "work in progress" "brain dump of my thoughts" post :).  This will be edited and updated throughout the summer.

Here are the Top 5 Web Tools my students 

will be using a lot this next year.

I will still be adding to the notes for each web tool in terms of HOW I am going to use it... these are just my thoughts right now.

1. Edmodo
1. Edmodo will be used for private class communication (anything I don't want to post publicly on the blog) as well as alerts/reminders to students and parents.
2. Students can use Edmodo to store their files.  Google Docs is linked to the Edmodo library.  I haven't explored that feature too much, but I am a huge Google Docs fan.
2. Blogger
1. Class blog
1. kirchmathanalysis.blogspot.com and kirchalgebra1.blogspot.com (still under construction until Fall 2012!)
2. Posting general discussions on main blog page for students to comment on (until they have their own blogs)
3. Pages for each Unit/Chapter where video playlists are hosted
4. All documents linked (from main google site) on each units' page
2. Student blogs (see my post on Class Blogs here)
1. Will link to on class blog (blogroll).  I will subscribe to student blogs with Google Reader.
2. Students will create pages for:
1. "Main posting page" - any "posting assignment" will go here.
2. "About me"
3. "Word Problem Playlists" (MA only)
4. "My Supplementary Resources"
5. "Fun Stuff"
3. Sophia.org
1. Flipped Classroom Tutorials
1. Students can ask questions directly on tutorial
2. WSQ is embedded below video
2. Student-created tutorials
1. A year-end project (or semester-end) that I've done several times in the past is having students teach a lesson to the class either individually, in pairs, or small groups.  Instead of doing it the "old way", why not have the groups make their own tutorials/playlists to share with the class to review the content?  Students would have to make their own videos, own worksheets, own notes, etc.
4. MentorMob
1. Supplementary Resources Playlists
1. Created by me as I find things I want my students to be able to use as resources.  Playlists embedded in blog on specific unit's page
2. Student WPP's
1. Word Problem Playlists.  See post here. 
2. I'm still not sure how students will be "grading" each others WPP's. There is a comment feature on each step of MM that they can use. 
3. I'm also not sure if I want the person who created the WPP to actually post their solution up front. I'm thinking they would make the solution and somehow submit it to me (so I know they did it), but then have their classmates do their own solution videos/papers... THEN the owner adds in his/her solution step.  The playlists can be edited publicly, so this could happen.
3. Student curated/collected resources for each unit
1. I want my students keeping their own "resource" playlists because I want them actively trying to find new resources of things that can help them learn.  
2. I'm not sure how much I will require of this - maybe "two items per unit" as a requirement or something like that. We'll see.  
3. Students will be responsible for creating and then embedding these playlists in their personal blog.  Maybe under a tab/page called "My Supplementary Resources"
5. ThinkBinder
1. Chat Sessions
1. I started having chat sessions before a test (one or two days before) with a public Google Doc last year.  I liked the process, but not the platform.  I think ThinkBinder will help with that.  It is private, and each "chat session" has a private link/code that must be sent out.  However, once a student joins a specific chat session, it is on their account and they don't need the code anymore.
1. You can see exactly which student is online (by name!).  All students who have logged in at some point are "in the group" with a red dot next to their name, once they are online it is green.
2. There is a live chat box
3. There is a "main screen" to post questions.  There is a math type feature, you can attach files (take a pic of your work so far to submit as a question).  Everything is threaded replies
4. There is a video chat feature
5. Probably more, but that's all I have checked out so far!
2. Group Projects
1. I think this would be great for group collaboration.  Students could communicate, post documents, video chat, etc all in this platform.  When they add me to their "chat session", I can see at any time what is going on and who is participating.

Others that I'm not quite sure how I'm going to have them use (hence why they aren't in my Top 5), but I still think are super-cool!:

1. Google Docs
2. Glogster
3. Jing
4. Present.Me
5. Prezi
6. WeVideo

Edit: *Educreations is my favorite iPad screenrecording app... it would probably be on this list but I have a grand total of ONE iPad in my classroom (mine). Hence, I can't fully use it to the extent I want to. But, if you are looking for a free, easy to use app, try out Educreations!

Do you have any super-duper awesome Web Tools that you think should definitely be on my list?  

Please share:

• what it is, 
• how you use it, and 
• why I should use it, too!