Negativity

Teaching an AP class is an interesting challange.  People think that it must be easy becasue you have all great kids.  And yes...I have great kids but teaching an AP class presents unique challenges.

That is the preface to my rant today.  Each AP class has a College Board run message board/list serve.  I like to read them for curriculur ideas and general conversation about education and speicigcally teaching AP US History.  Today I read some things about the flipped classroom that I think misrepresent what a flipped classroom should look like.  So...here goes my venting:

Myth:  Flipped classroom teachers do nothing. Reality:  I work more in a flipped classroom than I did when I lectured to my AP students.  It is easy to stand in front of the class and vomit content.  It is difficult to come up with genuine learning activities that involve higher order thinking skills.

Myth:  The flip classroom is about the videos.  Reality:  The flip classroom is NOT about the videos.  The videos help in content acquisition, but kids can get content anywhere these days.  Ask your students a question and more than half can get their phones out and get the answer within minutes.  Content can be done at home, and the videos help that.

Myth:  Kids wont watch the videos.  Reality:  Some kids wont...those are the ones that tune you out in a lecture.  Most will...I enable the views on my videos and I was astonished how many were being watched.  As with most things in the classroom, if you make it a priority or show it is important the kids will follow.

Myth:  Flipped is a "fad".  Reality:  This one is hard to prove, but this I know for sure...as educators we cannot stay in the industrial model of the 19th and 20th centuries.  Kids are changing...and we need to meet them where they are as learners.  Flipped videos allow my students to access me when and where they want.  That includes outside of the 4 walls of my classroom and the 47 minutes I see them  on a daily basis.

Myth:  Flipped classroom is the end all be all of education reform.  Reality:  It still takes great instruction for students to succeed.  A great flipped classroom is one in which students are exposed to high quality instruction that includes 21st Century Skills.  Great teachers are still needed for that to happen.

Finally, I am sure that many of you have seed the Sir Ken Robinson Changing Paradigm video.  If you haven't it is below.  This...for me...is truly the essence of the flipped classroom.

   

Its Been a While...

I have not been able to sit down and blog for a while...no real excuses other than I have been engulfed in my work.  I give credit to those educators that find time to blog on a regular basis.  It takes a real commitment to run a great blog and I am going to try my best to find the time.... 


Moving on....flipped classroom has been getting a lot of press lately.  From Education Week, to USA Today, to my favorite article from Wired, flipped classroom has become somewhat of a cult phenom in education.  But if you really get into flipping you learn something really fast...its not really about the videos.  Sure...the videos are a part of the puzzle, but it is really about high quality instruction that is NOT lecturing.  Students need to be ENGAGED and a part of their own learning.


In my own crazy little world flipping and video lectures give me the class time and freedom to do this. Flipped classroom is not for everyone or not for every unit.  For me....it is every unit it is how I believe in education and teaching.  I have spent more time with my students one on one, or in small groups than I ever have in my 12 years of teaching.  That is HUGE for the success of my students.  I was just talking to one of my students yesterday and loved being able to access content on our website whenever he wants to watch.  Pause, rewind, rematch are all things that my student can now do for homework and that is a great resource to provide for students. But the real winner in the flipped classroom is engagement and ownership of learning for students. That's the name of the game...

Add in 21st Century Skills like collaboration and creation and my students will be ready for the world...