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.

Swivl Can Make Flipping Your Class Even Better #FlippedClassroom

I heard about Swivl from a friend who attended a conference on the Flipped Classroom and it sounded amazing. I reached out to Swivl and was able to use a demo model for this piece.

Swivl is a robot that allows you to record everything you have wanted in a classroom. By wearing or holding on to the Marker, Swivl will follow you around the room and record your audio. Take a look at the graphic below for more details.

The idea is pretty simple. Have a camera follow the user around as they teach a lesson. The Marker can hang around the neck and it will be tracked by Swivl. The Marker has a microphone in it, so it will record the audio from there, so standing far away from Swivl does not matter.

I was able to carry the Marker around and pass it to students so they could share their answers and have it recorded on the video. It was easy and the audio sounded great.

All of this is done through the Swivl Capture App that connects your device directly to the robot. From the app, you can record your lesson or upload slides that will then be incorporated into the video you are recording. So, if you have slides your students will see on the wall, you can upload those slides to the Swivl app and move through them with the Marker. This connection is all done through Bluetooth and it was seamless to set up and use.

Swivl runs on battery and can be charged each night so it is ready for the next day.

Swivl also provides a cloud service for all users. Everyone starts off with 200 total minutes of video, but they do offer upgrades you can purchase.

Using the Swivl Cloud is great for teachers that want to record their lessons, but restrict who has access to it. While the videos that are recorded could be downloaded and uploaded to YouTube, the Swivl Cloud allows users much more control over the content and would address privacy concerns some parents or districts might have regarding the recording of class. The group management is also very nice so the user can create specific groups for students to join and access specific videos that have been shared by the user. 

For me, I often have discussion that head in different directions in different classes. I would love it if other students could see those conversations and add that to their notes. It is a great way to expand my classroom as an English teacher so more of my students can see and hear the ideas of their peers. I also see this as being huge in Science, Math, Social Studies, Foreign Language and many other disciplines because of the ability to easily record video and audio and make it available to students. 

The Swivl robot is wonderfully made and works flawlessly with my 4th Generation iPad. It also works for the iPad Air, 2nd - 4th Gen, iPad Mini 1st and 2nd Gen, iPod Touch 4th and 5th Gen, as well as the iPhone 5S, 5C, 4S, and 4. They are testing other Android models and cameras as well. 

The overall price for the Swivl robot is $299 with options for a $499 and $799 package that will also add the different levels of Swivl Cloud. 

If you are looking to Flip your classroom and have been striving to find the right tool to make it possible, you should really consider the Swivl. It is portable, so it can be shared in the department. It is easy to set up and use. It works with devices you might already own. It provides wonderful audio recording that is perfect for making great videos. I'm recommending Swivl to all of my teachers looking to Flip their classrooms. You should check it out as well.