Monday 19 October 2015

The Flipped Classroom

This is one of the forum topics in PIDP 3250. Before this forum, I have to admit that I didn't really know what a flipped classroom was. I had heard the term before, and I knew it was a 'newer' way of doing things, but I had never really pursued the topic. 

In this video, the flipped classroom is defined and presented in an easy to understand, entertaining way. 



Copyright © 2015 · All Rights Reserved · Flipping Physics Posted with permission October 22, 2015
Personal note: I was amazed that this high school teacher, Jon, has actually found a way to make physics fun! I think the world needs a lot more teacher's like him, especially in high schools. See more at www.flippingphysics.com.

Based on the above video, some of the benefits that I see of the flipped classroom are:
  •  Parents have the option to see what their children (adolescent or adult) are learning, or even spouses for that matter (since we're mainly addressing adult learning). It can open up discussions in their personal life on the topics, which also solidifies learning. (I personally frequently talk to my spouse about what I'm learning in PIDP, mainly because he's around when I'm all excited about it)
  • There is more time for active learning - demonstrations, games etc., and assessments.
  • Students can ask questions as they're completing assignments, instead of wasting time at home, if stuck.
  • Classes are more engaging and fun!


I'm presently developing a curriculum on basic bookkeeping in PIDP3210, and this has completely changed how I'm going to present it! It's kind of like a workshop for people who own their own small business, or their family members (whoever wants to do the monthly bookkeeping). 
One of the problems, I was finding, is that there is a lot of material to cover, starting with basic accounting knowledge. So, it was going to need to be minimum a 30 hour course. This could increase the challenge of having students commit to it. 

I had originally set up the plan of having the students come in to class, then I would present the material, we would do activities to help lock it in, and then I would assess their learning. This was going to be a long process considering we would be addressing 3-4 lessons a day that would need to run through that process. My original plan didn't include any work at home. 
However, with the flipped classroom idea, I can make videos (hopefully very creative, interesting videos) on the key concepts, and then have the students attend a series of interactive weeknights, instead of full days at a time. 

First and foremost, this will be a much more engaging experience for the students. But also, I think it will cut down on instructional time needed in the classroom and increase time for activities and questions. Likely, I will be able to cut the total time down to maybe 20 hours? I'm excited, I think this will make it so much better!

1 comment:

  1. Arleah, Your "personal note" compliment is exactly what I needed tonight. Parent-Teacher Conferences today, which were great, however, it makes for such a long day. So, thank you, it feels good to be recognized for my Flipping Physics work.

    Suggestion for starting Flipped Learning. Start by making a few flipped lesson videos so that you have a concept of how long it is going to take you. You can then learn from that what is reasonable for you to be able to create as far as video lessons are concerned.

    Good luck, glad to know you are excited.

    Jon

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