My first research with The Flipped Classroom began with Shelley Wrights’, "The Flip: End of a Love Affair" http://plpnetwork.com/2012/10/08/flip-love-affair/. Like Shelley, I believed my issues with student engagement when tackling the large frontloading of information needed in the first term of photography would be solved using the “flip” model. I envisioned “flipping” my photography class so content could be accessed outside of the classroom, leaving class time free for hands-on projects, fieldtrips, lab and darkroom work. After reading Shelley Wrights’ blog, my thinking took a slight shift. It was not just about me providing the content for my students to view on their own time; it is more about student-centered learning where my job is to assist in their learning. Students would be collaborating, researching, and reflecting on their learning process. A concept I took away from Shelley’s blog was that providing all the content for my students was doing them a disservice. If I did all the work for them in regards to using research tools and finding and evaluating sources, all that was left for them to do was passively watch a video. Mike Gorman ( http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/flipping-the-classroom-a-goldmine-of-research-and-resources-to-keep-you-on-your-feet/ ) states that “Delivering videos that allow the student to only be consumers of information will never allow student higher order levels of learning.” Gorman goes further by saying, “Students should be entering Bloom’s higher order action verbs that go beyond remembering and understanding. They should be analyzing, evaluating and creating”. Was a Flipped Classroom just about learning content at home? What activities are needed for students to achieve higher order levels of learning? Was the Flipped Classroom going to solve my issue of front-loading critical information? What does the term “flipped classroom” really entail?
Investigating the origins of the “flipped Classroom” and trying to define it led me to Aaron Sam’s blog, "There is no such thing as THE Flipped Classroom" ( http://chemicalsams.blogspot.ca/2011/10/there-is-no-such-thing-as-flipped-class.html ). Sams began using screencasting as a content delivery model in 2006. As years passed, the names podcasting and vodcasting were used. The teaching model changed again and was called Reverse Instruction. A few years later, the elements of UDL and Inquiry were adapted to the model. Karl Fish’s work (http://thefischbowl.blogspot.ca/2010/09/welcome-sunday-telegraph-and-daniel.html) was highlighted by a Daniel Pink story in 2010(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7996379/Daniel-Pinks-Think-Tank-Flip-thinking-the-new-buzz-word-sweeping-the-US.html) calling his model of teaching “flip thinking”, and then coining the phrase “Fish flip”. Ramsey Musallam integrated inquiry learning with the tutorial videos and began his Explore-Flip-Apply model(http://www.cyclesoflearning.com/). The “Flip” term was in use in full swing, culminating with Salman Kahn speaking at TED Talks(http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html). Sams makes a valid statement that The Kahn Academy is just one form of a “flipped Classroom”. The “flipped classroom” is broadly defined as Sams puts it” that which used to be done in class is now done at home, and that which used to be done at home, is now done in class.” Aaron Sams produced a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLLciZdUpDc&feature=youtu.be ) that summarizes his models of learning that he has built off of his “flipped classroom" beginnings. In his video, Aaron Sam makes a point of saying “it’s not all about the videos”. His classroom learning has evolved over the years and his guiding question was always “what’s best for my students?” Using videos for delivery of content is just one tool of a flipped classroom. Any educator can put the content of the course in screencast, but the real impact with learning is making the class time valuable so students can gain mastery of the learning outcomes. Educators can “free up time” in the classroom for demonstrations, engaging activities, collaboration and one on one formative assessment opportunities.
My goal for using a “flipped Classroom” model was to find a way to address student engagement when dealing with the large amount of critical information needed in Term One of my photography course. After researching “flipped classrooms”, the use of videos to deliver content to students on their time was just one appropriate tool to suit the job at hand. In the bigger picture, I now see my photography class using tools of a” flipped classroom”, such as video instruction online, to best suit the needs of my students. My focus has been redirected to the important aspects of teaching I believe in, such as:
Are you planning a “flip” in your classroom teaching? What tools will you use to best suit the needs of your students?
Investigating the origins of the “flipped Classroom” and trying to define it led me to Aaron Sam’s blog, "There is no such thing as THE Flipped Classroom" ( http://chemicalsams.blogspot.ca/2011/10/there-is-no-such-thing-as-flipped-class.html ). Sams began using screencasting as a content delivery model in 2006. As years passed, the names podcasting and vodcasting were used. The teaching model changed again and was called Reverse Instruction. A few years later, the elements of UDL and Inquiry were adapted to the model. Karl Fish’s work (http://thefischbowl.blogspot.ca/2010/09/welcome-sunday-telegraph-and-daniel.html) was highlighted by a Daniel Pink story in 2010(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7996379/Daniel-Pinks-Think-Tank-Flip-thinking-the-new-buzz-word-sweeping-the-US.html) calling his model of teaching “flip thinking”, and then coining the phrase “Fish flip”. Ramsey Musallam integrated inquiry learning with the tutorial videos and began his Explore-Flip-Apply model(http://www.cyclesoflearning.com/). The “Flip” term was in use in full swing, culminating with Salman Kahn speaking at TED Talks(http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html). Sams makes a valid statement that The Kahn Academy is just one form of a “flipped Classroom”. The “flipped classroom” is broadly defined as Sams puts it” that which used to be done in class is now done at home, and that which used to be done at home, is now done in class.” Aaron Sams produced a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLLciZdUpDc&feature=youtu.be ) that summarizes his models of learning that he has built off of his “flipped classroom" beginnings. In his video, Aaron Sam makes a point of saying “it’s not all about the videos”. His classroom learning has evolved over the years and his guiding question was always “what’s best for my students?” Using videos for delivery of content is just one tool of a flipped classroom. Any educator can put the content of the course in screencast, but the real impact with learning is making the class time valuable so students can gain mastery of the learning outcomes. Educators can “free up time” in the classroom for demonstrations, engaging activities, collaboration and one on one formative assessment opportunities.
My goal for using a “flipped Classroom” model was to find a way to address student engagement when dealing with the large amount of critical information needed in Term One of my photography course. After researching “flipped classrooms”, the use of videos to deliver content to students on their time was just one appropriate tool to suit the job at hand. In the bigger picture, I now see my photography class using tools of a” flipped classroom”, such as video instruction online, to best suit the needs of my students. My focus has been redirected to the important aspects of teaching I believe in, such as:
- Students creating content and researching their own resources for the learning outcomes in photography that will address the higher orders of thinking In Blooms’ Taxonomy.
- Planning for engaging learning activities that involve collaboration.
- Personalizing the learning in the classroom with one on one interaction for formative assessment
- The use of Inquiry-based learning that focuses on student centered learning
Are you planning a “flip” in your classroom teaching? What tools will you use to best suit the needs of your students?