Flickr CC, TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³

A comment I hear frequently after a visit is, “That looked nothing like what I thought it would.” It’s a good place to start a discussion about the total redesign a flipped classroom brings.

A major criticism of the flipped classroom is that lecture is given as homework, and homework becomes the new class work. This view is too simplistic and leads to a labyrinth of other misconceptions. The main part of this argument assumes a flipped classroom simply injects video into a traditional teaching format. Assignments are not modified and class expectations do not change.

I think of this like adding more salt to saltines. It may increase the flavor a little, but you are not doing anything revolutionary to that cracker. Inevitably, the saltine tastes the same.

In order to leverage the power of video, either as instruction or as extension, you have to rethink what class looks like.

I do not have a preference where my students learn chemistry. I have a group that watches the videos the night before and then uses class time (extremely effectively, I might add) to work through challenge problems, labs, quizzes, and projects. In the same class, I have two students that work 30-35 hours each week outside of school. They use the class time to watch the videos together and then move forward. They rarely do chemistry at home, which is fine with me. Yet a third group does most of their chemistry at home, checks with me in class, and then moves on to geometry for the rest of the period. Each group is totally different than the others, but they are still learning.

I had to re-think what class looks like when information is available anywhere, any time.

Learning about and moving to a flipped classroom requires that you shift your thinking about class time in general. Your role, as the teacher, changes entirely. You have to be okay with students using class to learn chemistry, or using it to learn english, or math, or history. Part of the beauty in a flipped classroom is that it is no longer limited to my content. I can learn alongside students every day. (Did you know, frogs blink their eyes to help them swallow? So. Cool.)

At this point, you may be thinking, “This sounds like something that could easily end up in anarchy.” I want to reassure you, that although this sounds uncoordinated and chaotic, it is a good, fulfilling chaos. Students are engaged in their learning. They are coaching one another through hard questions. Groups form spontaneously, based on self-identified needs. There is freedom to be wrong, free from a fear of failure or negative consequence. Since the class is student time, the “noise” is really hypothesis, creation, and critique in their purest forms. Also bear in mind, this change does not happen overnight. This movement requires a shift that has to occur in both the student’s, as well as the teacher’s, perception of school and the learning process. This requires a healthy investment of time and energy.

Don’t simply salt your class with video and call it a flipped classroom. Many teachers begin by adding some of the new with the old, but that approach will rapidly stagnate and your class will not feel any different than when you started. Challenge yourself to think outside the box about the time in class. Ask students for their opinions. You could even go so far as to implement an iteration of Google’s now-famous 20% time initiatives. By simply allowing for flexibility, your class dynamic can change dramatically.

Time spent in school should be spent meeting your student’s learning needs, not defining learning for them. We seem to have lost that vision in the age of industrialized education.

A true flip is not in when or where videos are assigned…it is time to go deeper. Flip your thinking about where learning happens and work with students on making the change. Working together, you will all land on your feet.

“I’m a teacher and I deserve to be recognized. Yes, I’ll take a PTA lunch. Thank you for the cards and candy. I’m awesome.”

Then I remember that I’m only a teacher because of the people around me. How much more meaningful would this week be if we take time to appreciate what it means to be a teacher?

I spent an entire class period this year talking with a student about a bad breakup. What did that mean to her? What does it mean when I stay at school to five or six o’clock with a club? What does it mean when I go to the school play or musical?

I wouldn’t get to have those experiences or relationships if I wasn’t a teacher.

I appreciate students and the hard work of learning. I appreciate my administrators and colleagues.

I love a fist bump in the hallway as a student walks by. I love laughing and crying with students. I love jokes and serious conversations and everything in between.

I’m blessed to be a teacher.

“Mr. Bennett, to get through the muscle, I made a pinch cut again”

“I cut to the jaw instead of the larynx because it gave me more room to work. I pinched and then cut laterally to the jawbone hinge.”

Independent.

The same goes for teachers. We learn by watching other teachers and we can then imitate or emulate the tool or style in our own classes. This is especially true of first-year teachers, fresh out of watching and practicing with a seasoned teacher for a full semester. As far as preparation for a career, I think teaching has the best method (no comment on styles of teaching right now, simply the practice of watching and learning).

As we learn new practices and skills, we need to remember to put our own spin on what we do. I can tell you right now, a lesson copied from someone else will not be successful. We can see this even between classes. One method of instruction may work for one group of my students, but fail completely with another. I need to adapt my approach to meet the needs of each group.

Flickr CC, jonrawlinson

This comes up a lot with the flipped classroom. I see ads for “solutions to flipping” and “use service ____ to unlock your flipped classroom!” I am getting more and more questions from people asking, in a step-by-step instruction manual, how to flip. There is no answer to that question, there is no service that you can use and magically change your teaching.

The best I can do is show you what I do, and then you can take what you like and leave the rest. My class is not your class. My student’s needs are different from your student’s needs. Do not go searching for the “perfect” flipped class to copy because it does not exist.

Repeated copying ends up diluting the sharp contrast and color of a beautiful original. Be original in what you do because you and your students are one of a kind.

Just as my school schedule is bursting at the seams, my summer schedule is just as busy. I will be travelling to multiple conferences to share the flipped classroom with as many people as I can and (hopefully) to run into many people I speak with on Twitter for the first time. My current schedule is below…I would love to hear in the comments if our travels will overlap at any point so we can try to meet one another.

Right now, I do not have any dates in July, but if you are looking for someone to speak on technology in education or on the flipped classroom (full training), please feel free to contact me and we can speak about specifics.

June

(May 31) – 1: W. Leyden High School, Chicago IL

9 – 11: Strelka University, Moscow, Russia

18 – 20: Flipped Class Conference, Chicago, IL

23 – 27: ISTE, San Diego, CA

Finally, this year, my wife and I will be transitioning to South Bend, Indiana. It has been a good year in Evansville, but due to changing family circumstances and opportunities coming my way, South Bend is the next step in our path. I want to thank everyone for the support you have shown me this year and for all the growth opportunities you have provided.

There has been a lot happening with the Flipped Classroom recently…almost too much to list. For example:

• The Flipped Classroom book by Jon and Aaron being published by ISTE had its release date moved up a month because of high demand.
• Ted-Ed launched.
• The Flipped Learning Network began.
• The Flipped Class Network NING passed 4000 registered members.
• The #flipclass hashtag on Twitter is exploding with links, articles, and connections.

Plus, dozens of articles on the flipped classroom.

As I have been reading and following articles and discussions, one thing stood out: the prevailing description of the flipped classroom is “videos at home, ‘homework’ in school.” And this bothers me.

The biggest complaint I hear from flipped class skeptics is that it still relies on homework and technology use. Any ideology that relies on any one tool is doomed. If your class relies on textbooks and kids do not bring their book, what will you do with no redundancy built in?

What is missed in so many articles on the flipped classroom is the fact that it does not rely on homework or video. That is simply one iteration of a larger process.

I have a flipped classroom, but I do not assign homework nor do I require students to watch lecture videos. What I do expect students to do is drive their own learning rather than relying on someone else (me) to crack the whip behind them. That is what the flipped classroom is about…reversing the learning roles. Not the video. Not the technology.

Flickr CC, Viernest

If you are a flipper, I want to encourage you to change the discussion focus from video to how we can better support student learning in a flipped classroom. What works well for you? What did not work well for you? How has your teaching changed since flipping? I do realize that video is a great tool in flipping, but it really is the smallest part of the puzzle and does not accurately represent the whole picture. If we want to move forward, we need to start having more deeper, connective conversations with other educators, just like we try to with our students.

When I am asked about what things should be done to flip a class successfully, I always respond with good pedagogy, collaboration, and reflection. If we are not reflecting, we are not growing. If we are reflecting properly, student voice will also be a major player in decisions as classes move forward.

I like to think of class adaptations like I think about Facebook changes. The outward appearance changes and people lose their minds about how terrible the new design is and how they want to go back to the old, familiar way of doing things (status quo). Teaching is no different. When a teacher flips for the first time, students are put under the microscope and they hate it…at least in my experience. They have to unlearn how they have been learning playing school up until your class. Needless to say, student surveys usually do not go well the first time they are asked about the new style.

Second, grades are imperfect. Students that play the school game well get good grades…that is just the way it is. Learning is messy. It requires failure, and in today’s grading atmosphere, that usually means a lower class average. Do not define your teaching by the grades of your students. Talk to other people (parents, students, administrators, colleagues) about why true learning is so ugly in the grade book…it is not rewarded by the traditional school model. Do not sacrifice what you know is right for your students because of a number on paper.

I want to encourage you, if you are flipping for the first time, to look at your survey results as reflex reactions to a new environment, and not necessarily as a success or failure in your book. You will never have 100% satisfaction or love from students, so do not expect it. If it is your first time, I would expect your results to be split 50-50. The first few weeks will be hard, and we do not talk about that enough. But, take heart…it does get better.

Listen to your students and work with them. Find ways to compromise on expectations or methods. Take their advice on how to improve instruction. Reward failure and look at the big picture being painted. Watching students learn is beautiful, and we need to begin to recognize the process, not snapshot performances. You, the teacher, know what is best for their learning, so keep doing what is right.

These simple steps helped me prepare over 100 study guides this year. Hopefully, they can help you, too.

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The Flipped Classroom has enjoyed a boost in popularity recently. Unfortunately, the focus has been on the distorted idea that students spend all their time listening to web-based lectures and completing worksheets.

A true flipped classroom is centered on the idea that technology can help us deliver quality teaching when and where the students are ready for it. Teaching methodology must be pedagogically sound in order for a flipped classroom to be effective, but that is no different than any other method being explored by teachers.

Having said that, the flipped classroom is an extremely effective way to A) reduce the cognitive load of learning new content (Musallam 2010), B) open up time with students for differentiation and personalized learning, and C) be a powerful tool in a teacher’s arsenal of teaching strategies.

There are multiple articles (Musallam 2010, Overmyer 2011) published that show that a flipped classroom (or even using video as a teaching tool) can help students learn difficult content at an appropriate pace. Not all material can or should be taught using constructivist or inquiry approaches, and it is a well-known fact that people learn at different rates. Rather than forcing pupils to learn on a set timetable, the flipped classroom allows students to learn in a variable, scaled environment. Students that work quickly through content can be pushed to higher levels of reasoning while students that work slower can be nurtured and guided by the teacher. The time I would spend talking to a group of passive listeners is now spent engaging every student every day at a level appropriate for their individual learning needs.

The flipped classroom does not claim to be 100% constructivist, nor is it exclusively based on direct instruction. Rather, it is a blend of tools used when and where they are appropriate. When direct instruction is appropriate, it can be recorded as a video. When inquiry is appropriate, I can use inquiry in class and then offer the opportunity of reinforcement through a short video tutorial. I do not require students to watch my videos, but they are an available resource for learning. Many times, students end up curating and sharing their own discoveries in their learning.

Finally, technology limitations are often a cited reason to avoid a flipped classroom at all costs. Again, there are workarounds to this problem. Many times, students can use a flash drive to share the content with one another. Sometimes, teachers are even taking a portion of their classroom budget to buy the drives for students lacking their own resources. DVD’s can also be burned (although on a limited basis for rare access situations) with the chapter’s videos for students to watch at home. In these cases, parents begin to learn with their students each night at home. With the optimal video length ranging from 8 – 15 minutes, there is usually a significant decrease in “homework” time listening to the material the first time through. Flipping can also be done without assigning homework at all. Particularly for me, there are students that choose to listen to videos in class in small, collaborative work groups (self-assigned groups). The groups then support one another through the material.

All in all, the flipped classroom is not a panacea, nor does it claim to be. It is unfair to relegate it to the section of “completely hopeless” education ideas. There is a growing number of educators, myself included, who are working to remove the time variable in schools by developing and supporting students in flipped classrooms, and that endeavor alone is a step in the right direction.

The answer, I think, is that relationships are required, and that introduces the possibility of failure. When we are isolated from others, the possibility of failure is eliminated.

Allow me to elaborate.

Say you are planning a date for that certain someone. This is not a normal date…you want to surprise them. You have two choices:

1. Do something you have both enjoyed in the past.
2. Try something new.

Option 1 is safe. We have prior experience with the activity and the outcome, and we know that while it may not be as exciting, it is predictable and therefore, comfortable. Option 2, on the other hand, requires significant risk. Your date could be amazing, or it could flop completely and end in total failure. The reason this choice matters is because of the relationship that is involved in the choice.

Conversely, if you were trying to decide what to do alone, there is no risk of failure because there is no relationship associated with your choice. You can do something you have done before, or you can try something new. There is no one to let down if it does not work out the way you imagined.

Schools are exactly the same way. We have done things the same way for so long because they are predictable and “safe.” We continue to carry out routines that have been established since the early 1900′s. Unfortunately, there are so many relationships at stake with risk-taking in schools that we often shrug our idea off for the “If only I could…” file that gathers dust in our imaginations.

While taking a risk is hindered because of relationships, it also works the other way. Risks taken in relationship with others can be extremely rewarding, even in failure. Work with a PLC in your building or collaborate with others across the globe. There are people just like you trying to do the same thing, many of them reaching for support.

As a disclaimer, I do recognize that many people are not in a position to even attempt small, calculated change because of school climate, oversight, or other reasons. I am not advocating that we begin jumping off cliffs in the near future. What I am suggesting is that we begin to identify what relationship we are afraid of damaging to then take preventative steps to make sure it stays strong in success as well as failure. This often requires compromise and collaboration, which takes time to build. Keep the collaboration local if you can and work toward improving your community at the same time. Encourage administrators or parents to join you in your ideas.

If you find yourself as an island in school, look to Twitter for help and community. I want to encourage you to make sure you have a group of people, digital connections or in your school, that you can turn to when things get difficult.

Do not let relationships scare you out of taking a risk that will improve your teaching. Use your relationships as a support network to move forward.

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In an attempt to build community, I would ask that you use #Edrisk to share your stories, successes, and failures. Let’s learn together in this.

Re: #flippedclassroom is it just teachers expected Ss to self direct w/o providing adequate support? #edcampme

March 31, 2012 8:36 am via Tweetbot for iOSReplyRetweetFavorite

@mrsalander

Vanessa Alander

@BrdCmpbll think some teachers expect Ss to watch a vid and to instantly get the material. Need to scaffold and teach how to learn from vid

March 31, 2012 8:41 am via Tweetbot for iOSReplyRetweetFavorite

@mrsalander

Vanessa Alander

These are important discussions to have because, and I cannot emphasize this enough, good pedagogy must come before technology use. A flipped classroom is not successful because of the videos being used, but because of the interactions teachers can have with students.

Some things to consider as you plan on flipping your class:

1. Build a support network for yourself – Anything worth doing is always better with companions. Whether it is in your building or online, a support network is imperative as you begin something new. Colleagues will be there to give feedback on your methods as well as support in failure. When working alone, it is too easy to give up when faced with setbacks. Having people to work with will significantly ease the burden of the transition you are making.

2. Do not focus on the videos – This may sound counter-intuitive, considering many flipped classrooms use video to deliver instruction. The best technology use comes when sound pedagogy is maintained. Remember, students may need to be taught how to learn from the internet. I have written before that the internet needs to be a resource, not a destination. Do not introduce videos as the only way to learn the material. The videos are a resource being provided to students. Pigeonholed ideas will rarely be successful.

3. Prepare extensions – Sitting and listening to content is not sufficient in building deep understanding. If you want students to be great at reciting information, then stop at the lecture notes. If you want students to be critical, creative thinkers in the context of the content, then there must be extension and application. Design these before introducing the content. Much like writing assessments before teaching a chapter, have your extensions in place before beginning to help lay the course of the unit.

4. Model and scaffold – Again, remember that students are students. Independent learning may or may not be an intuitive action. They will have a very difficult time navigating content if it is not modeled for them. Take time in class to discuss the power of videos in delivering content. Show them how to access the material. Show them how to use any print materials you are providing with the video. Give a daily list of goals (when first starting) for students to work toward. Assess (formatively) frequently to get an idea of where students are in their learning. Take time to work as a whole class to address common strengths and weaknesses. As you repeat this cycle, students will gradually become more independent in their learning.

5. Reflect – Ownership of learning is a key to improvement. Reflection must be part of the learning cycle for both the teacher and the student. Discussion and cooperation is a powerful catalyst in building a student-centered class. As the teacher, reflect on what went well from a standpoint of implementation. As students, have them reflect on what helped them learn the best. Collaborate on the two and move forward as partners.

Flipped classrooms can accentuate good teaching just as well as it can accentuate bad teaching. The guide laid out can be helpful, but it is by no means comprehensive. Find what works best for you and your students and run with it.