Flipped Classrooms

A flipped classroom is new and interactive way to manage class time efficiently.  The typical school day is switched with the typical out of class work in a flipped classroom.  Instead of lectures, in a flipped classroom, teacher record on vodcasts or given instructions for students to view outside of class as homework.  During class time, the students put what they learned as homework to practice with the teacher there to guide and assist as needed.

 A vodcast is an online delivery of a video, sometime is blog form. Vodcasting experts, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, developed the concept of a flipped classroom.  To do this, they thought about what would be the best use of class time for my students.  Apply the strategies learned is a higher level of thinking than passively listening to a lecture.  Applying is also more difficult so students might need extra help.  The teacher is in the classroom during practice time in a flipped classroom.  If it was a traditional classroom, the students will me one their own to figure out the problem.

Read Jonathan Bergmann's blog!  

How do I create a flipped classroom?

Step by step instructions:

• Record yourself doing and explaining the skill through a vodcast
• Have students watch vodcast as homework
• In class, have students put the skill to use by doing the activity or skill explained in the vodcast
• Kidwatch, observe, and assist where needed as students do their work

The benefits of a flipped classroom:

• Less time lecturing
• Hand-on learning for students
• Interactive exchange between teacher and student
• Students can pause and replay vodcast if more explanation is needed
• Teacher can explain the concept in a variety of ways to specialize to different learning styles without wasting class time
• Students who are absent can stay with the class and not fall behind in their studies
• Students who already understand the concept do not have to sit through an explanation of the same skill over and over again

A flipped classroom can cater to many different student needs.  Most, if not all, of the multiple intelligences can be reached through different vodcasts of the same skill or through further explanation by the teacher during these videos.  EC, ESL or ELL students can listen and see what the teacher is doing, pause it, slow it down, and replay it if they need extra time.  Students who speak other languages could have the option to watch it in their own language to ensure comprehension.  AG students will probably understand the concept or skill faster than the average student.  They will not have to waste their time sitting in on a lecture they already understand. 

The idea of the flipped classroom is a great way to save and use class time efficiently. Students will get authentic learning and practice with the skills and concept while teachers get the chance to help out and guide practice.
References:

Aaron Sams - Educator, Consultant, Author. (2012, April 10). Aaron Sams - Educator, Consultant, Author. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.aaronsams.com/

Bergmann, J. (2012, September 8). Flipped learning and spaghetti sauce.Flipped Learning. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from flipped-learning.com/ http://flipped-learning.com/

Educational Podcasting, Educational Vodcasting. (n.d.). Educational Technology Network. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.edtechnetwork.com/podcasting_vodcasting.html

Gill, H. (n.d.). Kid Watching: A Naturalistic Assessment Technique.arslpedconsultant. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://arslpedconsultant.com/documents/Handouts%20Goals%20for%20the%20Future/Kid%20Watching.pdf

Jon Bergmann | Profile on TED.com. (n.d.). TED: Ideas worth spreading. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.ted.com/speakers/jon_bergmann.html

Learning Styles Online.com - including a free inventory. (n.d.). Learning Styles Online.com - including a free inventory. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.learning-styles-online.com/

Smith, M. (n.d.). Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education .contents @ the informal education homepage. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.html

The Flipped Classroom is Born - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-y9vR7YTak

The Flipped Classroom: Turning the Traditional Classroom on its Head. (n.d.).Knewton - Adaptive Learning Platformâ„¢ . Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/

Podcast Update

In the podcast Math dude, I listened to the podcast "What is Pi?"  This was a great podcast because of its relevance to the time of the year.  The episode was updated in the middle of march because the first three numbers of pi are 3, 1, and 4.  So, March 14th is pi day.  It is great to tie lessons into everyday life so students can make connections.  It is also used as a hook to engage and keep the students entertained and excited to learn.

The podcast talked about how to figure out the circumference using a string to go around the outside of a circle and measuring the length to get the diameter.  He gave the formula to figure out the circumference of a circle in a fun and easy to understand way.  It is pi (3.14) times the diameter.  He also told us that pi is a constant ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter.  My favorite part of this podcast were the cheesy jokes he made.
The Math Dude is a trustworthy and informative podcast to listen to.  His facts are accurate and podcasts are interesting to listen to.
Another podcast that is very informative at teaching math to young grades is Discovering the Basics.  I listened to a podcast about adding and subtracting simple numbers.  The first example it used was to numbers 1-9 plus one.  The podcast gave tips to teachers on how to introduce the topic of adding and number sentences.

Here a few tips from the podcast:

• Teacher should say the number sentence and students should repeat it
• Have the students point to the first number, to the second number, the equals sign, and the plus sign
• Teacher should say that the plus and equals sign are symbols
• Teacher should say that the + symbol means to put the value of the numbers together and that the = symbol means that is where you write down the new number that you get

This podcast is a great resource for teachers looking for ways to reach out and get the students to concretely understand what is needed to be learned.  I think that teachers should use this podcast to get tips and advice on how to introduce lessons, especially for the younger grades.  Even though this podcast can be a little boring, it is informative and accurate.

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to receive information in an easy to use and fun way.  You can get podcast through iTunes.  Listening to podcasts about math has certainly helped me as an educator get tips and develop strategies to use in my classroom.  The first podcast I listened to it the Math Dude quick and dirty tips to make math easier.  This podcast gives different strategies and techniques to help get ahead and stay on track in math.  Each episode features a different topic.

The topic that stuck out for me while listening to most of the podcast was the episode about patterns.  I am creating a unit about patterns so this was especially helpful for me.  In the episode, it told students to start on a small scale investigation of the pattern in order to figure out what the pattern is.  The math dude said students can make problems easier by simplifying the numbers by rounding and finding patterns in multiplication facts.  In a different episode, he gives hints on how to memorize numbers.  He does thinks by turning the digits of a number into consonant sounds and then adding vowels to make words and images.  By picturing this image in your head, you will remember the words, the consonants and the digits in turn which will make you remember the number.  All of the episodes give off specific and helpful tricks to make math easier and more enjoyable.
Other episodes feature:

• how to quickly check your answers
• how to use math to make estimates
• how to make and use venn diagrams
• ways to remember standard deviation formula
• what the batting average for a baseball player means

The other podcast that I followed was Discovering the basics- Math podcast.  It got teachers to think of their instruction in their students point of view.  This will help the students out more because they will be taught according to what they need instead of what the teacher is willing to give them.  

In one episode, a teachers explanations are not always helpful because they are based on our own experiences and observations.  Students need to make their own through inquiry to really understand the topic at hand.  The importance of fast facts were discussed in another episode.  It said that the students who memorized quick facts were a step ahead of those who are not.  Math fluency is important in math in the future because students will be able to skip steps and get more problems done.  This podcast was helpful in math instruction.  It discussed the reasons behind instruction and why these topics are important when teaching students.  It puts the educator in the students shoes through examples.