I am SO glad I decided to flip this year. I’ve freed up more class time for application activities, questions about content, and more individualized instruction.
My classroom is more student centered than ever before, and I LOVE IT!
I’ve made one major change this semester in my classroom, and I think this change has been a huge benefit for my students.
What’s the major change you ask??
I’ve moved from the so-called “traditional” flip to the “in-class” flip!
What’s the difference?
The “traditional” flip requires students to complete instructional videos outside of the classroom, while the “in-class” flip has students completing instructional videos in the classroom.
Mind-blowing definitions, right? 😉
Why have I made this change?
I think it’s a better situation for my students.
While the vast majority of my students have Internet access, some students simply don’t have Internet access. Since I’ve chosen to use the AH-MAZING EDpuzzle as a tool in my classroom, Internet (reliable Internet) is an absolute must.
Yes, students can watch EDpuzzle videos on their smartphone or tablet, but the note-taking requirement of my activities proved too difficult to complete on a phone.
How does my flipped classroom look now?
Students still have 2-3 videos per week. Instead of viewing the videos on their own time, we take about 15 minutes at the beginning of class to watch an instructional video that pertains to one, two, and sometimes three days of activities and assignments. Students have reliable Internet (most of the time!) and are able to complete notes on their Chromebook as they’re watching their video. It’s great!
Opponents of the “in-class” flip may argue that this method doesn’t free up any class time, and therefore is not as beneficial as the “traditional” flip.My response…I RESPECTFULLY AND COMPLETELY DISAGREE!
My students still receive direct instruction. They still pause, rewind, and stop the video to review content. We still use class time to complete assignments that force students to apply knowledge. Students still evaluate information, create presentations, collaborate with each other and take part in activities that access the higher level of Bloom’s.
The “in-class” flip works wonderfully for my classes right now. However, it may not work for you, and it may not work for my students next year.
That’s part of what makes the flipped classroom method absolutely wonderful. FLEXIBILITY is ours!!!
Check out some posts related to this concept!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Does each student have earphones for the Chromebook or do you watch the videos as a class?
Hi, Denise!
Each student has a pair of earbuds they use to watch the videos on their Chromebook. If they happen to forget their earbuds, our library has extras they can borrow or buy. This helps keep with the individualized instruction that I love from the flipped model.
Thanks for reading!
Bethany
Was reading somewhat on my iPad. Glad I came across your post. Will definitely try to connect on Google+ tomorrow when I return to my desk.
I found this article extremely helpful. My goal for my classroom next year is to have an in-class Flip and to create mastery content folders for students to complete. I have 1:1 tablets in my room, so my goal is to have a set of lessons that should take 1-2 weeks. My students will be able to work on their own. The mastery requirements will require students to obtain certain scores before moving on to the next task.
Do you do any type of mastery in your room? How are your students doing this year compared to previous years? I know it’s difficult to compare because students are so different, but how do you feel your class runs?
Hi there!
I absolutely love my flipped classroom, and am so thrilled I chose to take the leap this year. I haven’t implemented a mastery system…yet, but it is definitely in my plans.
Moving to the in-class flip has been a huge benefit, especially with my students who have limited Internet access at home. Since I use EDpuzzle as a tool to encourage engagement in the instructional videos, having an Internet connected device outside of the classroom is a must, for a traditional flipped environment.
My students normally have 1-2 instructional videos per week that they watch as a Bellringer/opening activity. Sometimes these videos take about 20 minutes for the students to complete because they take notes on the content as well as answer the embedded questions as they go. Also, I’m there to help with questions they have as they interact with the video, which is so great.
As for the results, my 1st quarter final exam scores were up about 3% over last year, which may not seem like a huge difference to anyone outside the realm of education! I gave a different semester final this year, so I can’t accurately compare those numbers. Our 3rd quarter finals are next week, so I’ll be sure to post some results and comparison then.
Thanks so much for reading, and good luck with your flip!