Flipped Classroom

Imagine having a classroom that did not always involve lecturing. Where the teacher was seen as more of just a facilitator and the students were able to interact and learn at the same time. Imagine being able to have a lecture done at home and the students are able to work on assigned problems in class. That is what the flipped classroom is. The flipped classroom is a new innovation created by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams that has shown great success in classrooms thus far. There are many questions about what the flipped classroom actually is and how it can benefit students. Those questions will be answered.

What is the flipped classroom?

•    It is where the classroom is actually “flipped.” Teachers record videos of a lecture for students to watch at home and the class works on assigned problems actually in the classroom.
•   Teachers act as facilitators in the class and can help students one on one with their work instead       of having students struggle at home.

What are the benefits

•     There is more contact time between the teacher and students
•     Students must take responsibility for their own learning
•    More interaction and individual attention between the students and teachers
•     Students that are absent do not fall behind
•     Engaged and personalized learning

 How does it work?

•  The teacher records what he or she would normally lecture.    Students watch those videos before coming to school and when they get to school and class starts, they apply what they already know. 
• The time in the classroom is spent mainly on applying rather than just lecturing.

The flipped classroom has proven to work! Math, science, and foreign language topics have been mastered thanks to the flipped classroom. Many teachers are hesitant about it because it is very different than what we are used to, but it is worth it once you figure it out. The flipped classroom is not just replacing teachers with videos. The teachers are in the classroom helping students one on one with aspects they might be struggling with. It is not just students working in isolation. Students work together and with the teacher to make sure they truly understand what they are learning. Lastly, it is not just all about the videos. The most important and crucial aspect is the face-to-face time the students and teacher spend together. In the class they are conducting meaningful activities, asking questions, and working together.

References

The flipped classroom infographic. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/

How the flipped classroom is radically transforming learning. (2012, April 15). Retrieved from http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/how-the-flipped-classroom-is-radically-transforming-learning-536.php

Niederberger, M. (2012, May 09). New twist in education: 'flipped classroom'. Retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-west/new-twist-in-education-flipped-classroom-makes-homework-an-in-school-effort-puts-lectures-online-216213/

Bergmann, J., Overmyer, J., & Wilie, B. (2012, April 14). The flipped classs: myths vs. reality. Retrieved from http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/the-flipped-class-conversation-689.php

Podcast Blogger #2

After watching new episodes of the podcasts I have been following I have found some that I find very interesting. In one of the science ones I think the person did a very good job because some of the videos were also tips for teachers. I think there is much more then just teaching the students about topics. I think it is extremely important for teachers to acquire tips as well. In the videos, they give tips to teachers to how to teach students topics, lessons, fun activity ideas for teachers and much more. It is crucial that teachers can gain input from others in order to enhance the classroom experience. That is why I thought these videos were very important.

For the math podcast I have been following, it is unfortunate that there has not been any updated videos. I watched some of the different ones though. I think these videos are very unique because it is actual students  that are speaking and teaching in the video. Each video is a different topic in math and it is students that are talking throughout the video. It is obvious that students need to understand concepts. I think they will be able to understand topics much more if they get the opportunity to teach other students concepts. I think it is also beneficial for the other students as well. Other students get a chance to hear their peers explain concepts and this will give them a better chance of understanding things. I think these videos are great for other students because they can explain concepts for other students to understand.

**The first link tells how to create podcasts and how they can be helpful in the classroom
**The second link has teaching tips for new teachers
**The third link gives teachers tips for how to integrate podcasts in the classroom
**The fourth link talks about the importance of peer teaching for teachers
**The fifth link talks about the benefits of students working together

Podcast Blog

I chose to subscribe to the podcasts titled The Wacky Wonderful World of Math and Dr. Carlson's Science Theater. I chose the math podcast I did because it had many episodes that related to the topics that I thought I would be involved in for my practicum. It is unfortunate that the podcast has not been updated recently, however I figured that the information has not exactly changed. Some of the episodes I really wanted to focus on were about simplyfing fractions, multiplying fractions, dividing fractions, and any of the ones about fractions and decimals. I thought these would be very helpful since my practicum teacher informed me that they would be mainly focusing on fractions.

It was very difficult to me to find an elementary science podcast about force and motion for fifth grade. I really wanted to try and stick with what I would be focusing on in my unit. I focused on any of the episodes that involved force and motion, friction, inertia, etc. There was a total of 46 episodes however, I was only about to focus on the ones that went along with my unit.

The math videos are very interesting to me. It is a student that is actually doing the videos. Some of the ones I watched he was setting up problems, and doing them as if he was teaching them. They were very simple videos but I enjoyed how he talked through the problems and showed how to do them as if he was teaching it. In the science videos I watched I was happy to see that it was an actual teacher talking about and showing the different aspects of science. I watched some of the videos involving motion and I enjoyed how he was acting through everything and not just talking. He was fully explaining all of the different aspects and explaining how they work and why they work this way. I really enjoyed Dr. Carlson's videos.

*The simplifying fractions website I chose goes through each type of fraction and has step by step instructions on how to simplify that type of fraction. Has great examples too!

*The decimal website is great for students. It has cute videos about decimals and then also has links to instructions on all of the different things you can do with decimals. Extremely helpful!

*The force and motion website is very helpful for teachers. It provides links to many different aspects of force and motion, as well as what the student should be learning.

*The last link is great for students. It has "flashcards" to help studetns with all of the different vocabulary involved with force and motion.

Final Blog-Helpful Tools for Classroom

This semester I found a number of tools that I believe would be extremely helpful in an elementary school classroom. Some of the tools we learned about and used were blogger, turning point, animoto, activinspire, we learned how to make a virtual field trip, and glogster. It was really great being able to learn about all of these different tools that teachers can use in his or her classroom. I believe that turning point and activinspire would be the most helpful in an elementary school classroom.

            Turning point was something very different that I did not know could be done. It is practically an online quiz on something similar to powerpoint that students can take with small clickers. The quiz was very simple to make and did not take a long time whatsoever. We made a turning point quiz after we made the virtual field trip. All the teacher has to do is create questions, just like they would on a paper quiz, configure answers, and set up which answer is the correct one. Once the slides are set up the students just have to read the question and answers and press the button that correlates with the answer they think is correct. Teachers can put a countdown for each question to limit how long each student take on each question. This is helpful to make sure teachers stay on schedule. Once all the answers have been submitted, a graph will appear to show the percentage of what each student answered. Teachers are also able to put a symbol that appears that shows the students the correct answer after the answers have been submitted. Turning point is a great tool all teachers should use. It can be used as a review as a lesson or even as a regular quiz/test. It is very easy to create and students may not even realize that they are taking a quiz. It also saves paper! I would definitely use turning point in my future classroom.

            I cannot say that activinspire was the easiest and quickest project to create. It was very time consuming and very tedious. However, the end result turned out very well. Activinspire is an interactive powerpoint presentation. Students are able to write, type, draw, drag things, and create so many things write on the project. Students react so well to it because it gives them a chance to get involved in the lessons. They learn so much better when things are more hands on and not just listening to a teacher speak. Teachers can use activinspire for any subject and for any grade level. It could be used to teach an entire lesson as well as a review. I would absolutely use activinspire in my classroom. I probably would not create an entire project from scratch however. It is extremely time consuming. There are projects already made that have great activities on them and are on all subjects.  I would use activinspire as both a review and to start a new lesson. It really is great for both. All teachers should learn how to use activinspire and try and use it in their classroom. 

iPads in Education

iPads have become a national, and even global, phenomenon. The iPad started out by appealing to adults for work and leisure, however, it is the students and teachers in schools that have taken over the use of the iPad. There have been hundreds of applications created for schools to make classrooms more interactive and technology friendly. Children in every grade have started using iPads for reading, mathematics, and many other subject areas.

Many people are unaware of how a student can use the iPad in language arts. The iPad can be used to present information, which makes the information more interactive. It can also be used for phonics, spelling, grammar, etc. Also, as a personal whiteboard. In written language, students can use the application called Sentence Builder. The application helps the students to create full and complete sentences. Students can also use the application, Storykit, to create their own stories. In math, the iPad can help students with using manipulatives and tools. Also, students are able to practice their skills independently which helps them gain a better confidence. To help with speech and communication, students can download the application, ArtikPix, and they can hear models, and record and match sounds. There are also other applications such as, Proloquo2go, TaptoTalk, and Speak It, which support communication. 

Going away from the particular subjects that the iPad is extremely helpful with, it is also a great organizing tool for students. Students are able to write down their homework and assignments in it and have alerts go off when it is due. Also, applications such as, IStudiez, helps students set up their class, and even, daily schedule. Therefore, the iPad is exponentially helpful for elementary students. Elementary kids are extremely hands-on and they want to be able to interact with what they are learning. The iPad allows them to do this. Not only do the students adore them, but the teachers do too! They are capable of using them in so many different ways.