+ FLipped Classroom

Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts When Flipping Your Classroom #edchat

SEPTEMBER 15, 2012 49 COMMENTS

DO

1. Produce material for YOUR students to engage them outside the classroom. Generic content works as a starting point but students have greater faith in their own teacher’s input.
2. Decide on a workflow solution and stick to it. I use Edmodo to set assignments and annotate responses. Students are happy with this solution as it is cross platform and supports learning with library and backpack resources.
3. Set specific deadlines for your students. If they are given a date then unfortunately that can be construed as midnight!! The old hand-in mantra of next lesson doesn’t fit the ‘flipped‘ class idea and as such can present a problem.
4. Provide access for students who aren’t connected to the internet at home. Whether it be provision after school or via downloaded material, there will still be issues for home learning.
5. Write to parents to explain the new style of learning and be prepared for questions. The concept doesn’t sit well with many parents who believe the teacher’s job is to deliver content in the lesson. In a time where our profession is questioned daily a reliance on home support is crucial to your success.

DON’T

1. Expect students to watch/read your material just because you tell them to. A task set in conjunction with the content can be submitted to Edmodo and assessed before the lesson. Simple AFL starters can also help at the beginning of each lesson.
2. Assume that because content has been delivered at home that classroom tasks will run smoothly. Even though the 1:1 time has increased the need for differentiation tasks actually widens. Extended activities are often required very early in the lesson by some students and never reached by others.
3. Expect other staff members to agree with the concept and support the workflow. Real consideration has to be given to the way assessment is made and how it fits with school requirements. Grading points are often out of sync with ‘flipped’ class progression.
4. Expect your teacher observation templates to fit with the ‘flipped’ lesson format. Ensure any observer is sent the content delivery method before they enter the classroom. There is no doubt that teacher input decreases for some classroom time and this can be unnerving when being evaluated.
5. Believe your content, once created, will last for many years. The ‘flipped’ classroom is successful when resources are updated with the needs of students in mind. Fortunately, with the iPad and other technologies, resources can be enhanced very easily year to year.

This post is in response to the success we have had with workflow and assessment for learning this academic year. For example, recently, students were given a specfic time to ‘hand-in’ their assignments based on video content and research. Their work was then annotated at a time convenient to me and ‘handed back’ to the students online. The students could then read the comments and come prepared to ask questions, all before the next lesson. Content had been encountered for the first time at home and meant that the first contact time for the module could begin from a more advanced stage. It sure beats the old regime of – set work, hand in next lesson, mark, give back the following lesson. The ‘flipped class’ now ensures home learning is more effective and informs the teacher where and how to pitch the next lesson.