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.