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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Flipped Learning Thoughts From #BBWorld15

Jon Bergman and Aaron Sims moderated a panel on Flipped Learning at BBWorld15 on Wednesday. The panel consisted of Paula Barr, David Hamman, Diana Bailey, and Jessica Gardner.

The Flipped Model is something that I have always found interesting and I have dabbled in it a bit myself. This panel was very interesting because it shed some light on flipping in the elementary classroom. That is something that I never really thought would be possible. However, there were so many different examples of teachers flipping their classroom for elementary. Teachers were seeing increased engagement and more depth in the classroom. They found that they did not have as much lost time in their classroom starting the material because the students have already covered in at home.

The addressed the big questions that always goes with flipped learning, "What if they don't watch?"

The big support comes from the other students. The students that have watched the video can help the other students who need more support. Some students might need/prefer direct help from the teacher, so they do not watch the video the night before. While this seems to defeat the purpose of flipping the classroom, this is actually an ideal situation. Students that have watched the video are emmersed in the content and are supporting others. This gives them practical experience with the material and they can teach others. That will help with understanding and retention. For those students who need more guidance, the teacher now has the time to dedicate to them and support their learning. That would not be possible if the teacher was trying to directly teacher all students at the same time.



Another issue that was addressed was the front loaded time that many teachers do not have. The panelist were all very honest about the fact that it does take time. Long hours upfront to create videos can be tough, but all of the panelists said that once the videos are done, they are in their collection to be used year after year. It will save them time in the long run. Also, there are great videos out there that teachers can use as they start to build their own video collection. +SciShow (YouTube Channel), Minute Earth, and +CrashCourse (YouTube Channel) are just a few create channels that have videos that would be perfect for a flipped classroom model. Over time, create your own videos and replace the others as you go.

One of the best tips at the end of the session was find a community of teachers that are flipping their classroom to get the support you need while you try and flip the classroom. Also, take your time. Flipping does not have to be everything for every subject. Ease into it and think long term, not just the short term.

Check out FlippedClassroom.org for more information.






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