Fulton, K. (2012). Upside down and inside out: Flip your classroom to improve student learning. Learning & leading, 39(8), 12-13. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120607?pg=14&pm=2&fs=1.
Summary: In this article author Kathleen Fulton examines the "flipped" classroom, asking if there is real merit in the concept or if it's just the most recent fad in education. Citing the experience of a Minnesota high school that "flipped" (assigning students to watch lectures at home and using class time to complete assignments that would traditionally be homework) due to budgetary and economic issues, as well as the promising results shown by early assessment data collected there, Fulton concludes that the flipped classroom is more than just a snake oil remedy. While flipped teaching may not be right for every subject in every school, it is definitely a legitimate tool teachers and administrators should consider seriously, particularly because of its emphasis on meeting individual student needs and its relevance in this time when educators must adapt to show students how to use technology for life-long learning.
It's exciting to think about trying to flip my own classes, but I also have a few concerns. First, I worry that students would not watch the video (or enough of the video) lectures at home. Lack of understanding would probably show up in daily assessment quizzes; not a problem if it happens infrequently, but very troublesome as habitual behavior. Flipping pioneer Jonathan Bergman maintains that when given this type of control students in fact take more responsibility for their learning. Most likely I would just have to try it out and watch what happens, while being prepared to address the situation along the way.
Next I wonder what impact flipped teaching might have on the families at my school. Our population is solidly middle- and upper-middle class. The majority have at least one computer, but many families are limited to that one, either by moral choice (it's much easier to monitor a teenager's computer use if he or she is working at the one household computer located in the family room!) or by financial necessity--they are already paying for private school, often for several children. How would mandating computer usage at home several nights per week affect these families? In that respect I tend to agree with former teacher Derrick Waddell who feels that the flipped classroom method will effectively disenfranchise a certain segment of students.
Question
#1: Some critics argue that the "flipped classroom" concept does not
really alter our educational model. If true, does this invalidate its
usefulness?
Answer: No, although some of the criticisms are valid. I agree that the weakest part of the concept is watching video lectures at home. This passive activity might be interrupted or thwarted by many factors, such as lack of computer/Internet access, sports or extracurricular activity commitments, and turbulent or unstable home situations. Also, in the current climate, teachers are still judged according to student performance on standardized test, which clashes with the premise of flipped education and could result in teacher vulnerability. Until these two areas are addressed, the flipped classroom concept will not reach its full potential. However, I think that educational experiences will improve if teachers and students refine the concept further.
Question #2: What classes, age group(s) or lessons that you teach would best lend themselves to flipping?
Answer: I'm glad that the article talked about trying to flip specific lessons before committing to flipping an entire curriculum. For the 11th grade AP U.S. History class, I could record a lecture on "The Ten Most Important Supreme Court Cases Before the Civil War," for students to watch at home, then have them use Internet and textbook to research more in class. I would end the lesson by pairing students and having them debate which one case is the most significant. For another lesson, I could begin a power point lecture in class and then have students access the final section of slides from home before answering a prompt posted on the class blog and commenting on two of their classmates' responses. The class I think would be easiest to fully flip is the 10th grade World History because these students are less proficient readers who also tend to be tech savvy. They would welcome the chance to use more technology and also be more likely to benefit from a "less reading, fewer lectures," format.
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Journal #4: "Join the Flock!" and "Enhance Your Twitter Experience."
Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(8), 13-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Join_the_Flock.aspx.
Miller, S. M. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(8), 14-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2010.aspx.
Summary: Ferguson's article provides a clear and concise how-to guide for teachers exploring the world of Personal Learning Networks on Twitter for the first time, providing suggestions of people to follow and addressing the fear of overexposure on the web so that new users can build up their confidence and participation level gradually. In the related article, McClintock Miller offers tips for those who are using Twitter regularly as part of their teaching PLN and who are ready to upgrade their Twitter use through online organizers like TweetDeck or HootSuite.
My initial reaction to the thought of building an online PLN through Twittter was a bunch of questions --"How will I ever find the time for this in addition to my other teaching duties?? Where do I start? Do I have to actually tweet anything?" I had to smile as I read Haley Ferguson's article because it seemed as though she wrote with me in mind, addressing most all of these questions in order! I especially appreciated her easy-going approach, which did not make me feel behind or inept. She also said it's OK for new Twitter users to just watch and learn for awhile before tweeting on their own, although she definitely encouraged her audience to move on to re-tweeting and posting new information for followers.
Question
#1: Is it really important for a teacher to have a wide, online PLN as
opposed to a traditional group of co-workers or a personal mentor?
Answer: Like Haley Ferguson pre-Twitter, I tend to be a teacher who is comfortable doing research as needed on my own, or bringing questions to a respected colleague. I know what approaches work best for me and I hesitate to recommend or suggest what might work for others. I have no gift for sales and don't see myself as an expert at anything. Thus I am very wary of Twitter involvement. I don't want to be buried in piles of helpful-but-not-world-changing information, nor do I want people I've never met forming judgments about me or my practices. According to Ferguson, a Twitter-based PLN will allow me access to a much bigger "library" of education information than I could ever reach physically by virtually expanding my pool of co-workers and thus increasing the chances of finding specific help in my areas of interest. If/when I am willing to share my own classroom experiences with others, as Ferguson does, I will benefit from their feedback and encouragement. The key to mitigating my concern about negative judgments comes in one of Ferguson's concluding sentences: "Over time I have built relationships with people I know only by their photos or avatars, but they are real people to me nonetheless." Once I have built relationships with educators in my own PLN--and they've become "real people" to me--it's more likely I'll be comfortable sharing my ideas and experiences with them.
Question #2: What are the advantages of using a Twitter organizer?
Answer: A Twitter manager like TweetDeck or HootSuite will organize your tweet stream into columns onscreen by categories that you chose, keeping you from being overwhelmed by the flood of information. These sites will also help you "work smarter, not harder" because they include features that simplify composing a tweet, re-tweeting, sending replies and direct messages, translating a foreign-language tweet (!!), and updating multiple social-networking sites simultaneously.
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Journal #5: "Are Computer Labs Obsolete?"
Parker, J., & Telep, T. (2012). Point/counterpoint: Are computer labs obsolete?. Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(1), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Point_Counterpoint_Are_Computer_Labs_Obsolete.aspx.
Summary: This article provides two opposing views on the current usefulness of school computer laboratories. Jessica Parker asserts that computer labs are so last century: full of outdated equipment and reliant on tired pedagogical practices. She believes they should give way to portable wireless devices that are integrated into the classroom. In contrast, Tim Telep argues that instruction in a computer lab has its place in the 21st century, providing support and ensuring that technology use in individual classrooms is as efficient and beneficial as possible.
Question #1: Is it really feasible or beneficial to banish the computer lab from campus?
Answer: No, it’s not feasible OR beneficial! While I admire Parker’s visionary enthusiasm, it is unrealistic to assume that all students are going to be able to own iPads, or smart phones, or even lap tops. Even if they did, there are still issues of standardization of apps and capabilities. Plus, technology improves at light speed, so as soon as one classroom of kids all has their equipment, it’s outdated! I live in an affluent state in an affluent country and I can tell you that not all of my students can afford to have a portable wireless-ready device in class each day.
I really like what Telep says: “Direct instruction in
computer skills in a lab doesn’t compete with technology use in the classroom,
it improves it. What takes place in the
lab gives students the confidence to use technology effectively in other
classes.” This resonates with me
because, due ED 422, I am trying to get my students working on computers more
in class. I figured that once I got up
to speed, it would be easy to do computer work in class because the kids are so
skilled. BUT, I was quite surprised at
the time it took to walk the kids through signing on, getting an edmodo
account, etc. They weren’t as skilled as
I’d anticipated…and I think that lack of a computer class (axed 4 years ago in
favor of fine arts during an ACSI accreditation review) in our curriculum is
partly to blame.
Question #2: How do we go about getting up-to-date equipment into the hands of all students?
Answer: The more articles I read in the ISTE journal, the more I think that this question needs to be addressed before we worry about having favicons on our blogs or QR codes on our bulletin boards. The technology use in any teacher’s classroom is only as strong as the “weakest link.” It only takes one or two students without computer and/or Internet access and the process grinds to a halt. Having a computer cart available, or a class set of iPads is not good enough. As I am learning about these new technology tools it’s great to have Professor Heil showing us things step-by-step on the giant screen at the front and walking through the lab to help us individually. However, I haven’t really mastered a new tech skill until I can succeed at home on my own computer, or even better, show a friend how to do what I’ve earlier learned in class. Students must have access to computers at home AND at school in order to reach this same level of proficiency. This is going to require a huge re-allocation of funds and/or a huge level of commitment...not to mention a paradigm shift away from standardized tests.
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