Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Day 1 of "The Flip"

Within the last week I can say I have honestly been about as productive as I have been in any one given week of teaching thus far. In the past 7 days (more like 4) I have... bought a domain, registered my school for google apps, created a blog (this one as well as the one used to post things to my students), created the start of my PLN (@OSheaTeach), developed a website to be used with my math classes, recorded and posted a unit's worth of podcast style lectures (I guess I should also mention that I managed to figure out how to create these video podcasts too), figured out how to use my shiny new TFA iPad to best push students learning, and perhaps most importantly... renewed a great passion for educating my students of inner city Baltimore.

With the start of the spring semester and a new batch of 90 plus students just two weeks away, I decided to throw caution to the wind and unveil this new flipped classroom concept to my students today. I took a few minutes to explain the concept and answer the questions that students had before giving them the website that contained the videos I created. Students watched a series of 7 videos (ranging between 2 and 4 minutes) while jotting down whatever notes they might have thought were important. Aside from the students making fun of how my voice sounded on the recording... they took to the concepts very strongly. I gave them the assignments that would guide them towards their goals and immediately they set out to conquer. Even students that I had thought would never decide to attempt to work were giving it the ol' college try.

I was more of a coach/tutor today instead of a dictator/supplier and it was refreshing. Over the next week I will be looking for feedback from them and hopefully it will be constructive. I am looking forward to the possibilities that this has for my high flyers as well as my under performers. We will have to wait and see...


5 comments:

  1. Nice work man! Hit me up if you need anything!

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  2. I am so impressed that you're making this big shift from the traditional classroom. I work for an educational company that produces professional development videos for educators at all levels, and I'd love to learn more about the process you're going through to flip your classroom. Can you email me at amy.chamberlain@schoolimprovement.com?

    Thanks...Amy Chamberlain

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  3. I just want to encourage you to keep it going. I am looking for a similar style classroom at the elementary level. If anyone reads this and has an elementary comrade attempting similar please let me know @MES_Principal

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  4. Tim - I am very curious to see how this will work for you. I suspect that the student's use of media could very well work. I'd be up for getting with you to see how you are setting up the videos. I am very intrigued. -Aubrey

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  5. Part of our professional development this semester is to decide on a topic that you want to learn more about and then apply to your classrooms. There are four of us interested in learning more about the flipped classroom. Do you have some of your videos we could view. Also, we don't have Promethean boards but do have Easyteach white boards and we don't have IPads. We all have MacBook Pros and recently (last Friday) became a 1:1 school. I think we're interested in the set up, how long are your lectures..things like that. If you would help us, we would appreciate it very much.

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