Description

I am a math and science teacher at a high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This blog documents some of my journey as I explore the use of the Flipped Classroom model with my classes.

Monday 14 August 2017

Welcome to my #flipblog!

This is my blog about the "flipped classroom" -- so what does that mean?

An excellent definition of Flipped Learning has been posted by the Flipped Learning Network here:
Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter.
(image source: yuja.com)

In a traditional classroom, students often receive their direct instruction through a lecture given by the teacher in their classroom (the "group learning space"), and they are then given practice work and assignments they are supposed to do at home (the "individual learning space").

In a "flipped" classroom, the "flip" is that the lesson content students used to receive through lecture at school is instead accessed by them in some way at home (or some other "individual learning space," such as the library), and the classroom that used to be used for lecture is now instead used for practice and activities that help the students engage with the material and together deepen their understanding.

In many cases, the direct instruction piece for a flipped class is achieved by having students view and take notes on short "microvideos" on their own time, but this is not the only possible approach -- flipping teachers may also assign readings from a textbook, visits to a course website, or some other means of delivering the content. Whatever the source, viewing and taking notes on the material acts as the students' "homework." It may be accompanied by a couple of practice questions students can use to begin to assess their understanding, but no more; the "hard part" is reserved for the time spent in the "group space," where their teacher is available to provide guidance and answer questions in a more expert (and perhaps less frustrating) way than may be possible if students were to instead get "stuck" on a hard question at home and try to get help from someone there. Moving the direct instruction piece out of the classroom also opens up class time for some of the "dynamic, interactive learning" activities implied in the definition given above -- activities teachers in a traditional classroom bemoan that they have no time for because of the amount of curriculum they need to cover.

Okay, so...what's a #flipblog?

Shortly after I was introduced to the concept of flipping, I learned that one of the best ways to grow in my understanding of how to flip -- and how to flip well -- is to engage with the highly supportive community of teachers around the world who are already flipping their classes. It didn't take me long to realize that this doesn't simply mean passively taking in the experience of others; it also means sharing my own. Sharing my challenges and questions helps me explore solutions with the help of more experienced flippers (a fantastic bunch to begin with), but I have also been humbled to see that sharing my own thoughts is also helpful to others who are also exploring this flipping thing. And so, four years into my flipping journey, here I am, finally feeling ready to blog my experience to the world -- not because I am an expert, by any means, but because as I share, together we grow.

Andrew Swan first posted an introduction to #flipblogs in a post at FlippingAwesomeTeaching:



I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about what the response will be as I share my thoughts here. I also wonder how well I'll keep up with blogging once the school year actually begins. But hey, as we heard over and over in teacher's college, a habit of reflection is a must for any teacher who strives to grow and have an ever-better praxis, so here we go. I'll borrow one more image from Andrew Swan's post:


Time to take some more steps on this journey. Thanks for coming along.

3 comments:

  1. Happy to be along for the ride.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looking forward to reading and engaging in some discussion on this topic!

    ReplyDelete