Why Flipped Learning?
Flipped learning allows you to take in information at your own pace without the usual classroom distractions... it's almost like having a math teacher with you 24/7! Instead of having to practice math problems at home every night with little or no support, you learn new information from a video and take notes. Then, when you come to class you will have the new information you need to practice, make mistakes, ask questions, and analyze & fix your mistakes in class with the support of your teacher and your class mates.
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What is Flipped Learning?
I collaborated with a group of middle school teachers at Mid-Prairie Middle School for the last two years to create a Flipped Learning program for middle school math and science classes. I plan to continue this work to engage and inspire learners at Sigourney! Below, you will find the Flipped learning vision, and a list of student skills, incentives, and resources that I created with the other Mid-Prairie teachers followed by an introductory video describing Flipped Learning.
Vision: Implementing a flipped learning environment will increase exploration in class, 1 to 1 time with the teacher and create stronger teacher to student and peer relationships.
Student Skills:
Student Skills:
- Engage in videos through questioning and note taking
- Explore more complex problems in class
- Create the connection between learning and life
- Students have no other homework on a given night than the video and response form.
- Students can learn at their own pace.
- Students are more prepared for class.
- Students have more support during class time when dealing with complex problems.
- Students are able to learn without distractions.
- Classroom website - sig78math.weebly.com
- Notebook or Google Doc
- Students can come into school by 7:45 a.m. to view videos either in the cafeteria or in my classroom.
- On request, video can be made available to students via flash drives or Google drives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of frequently asked questions that the group of Mid-Prairie "Flip" teachers and I have answered. If you have a question that is not answered here, feel free to ask me!
How does this change the way homework is done?
Students will not have traditional homework. Instead they will watch short videos and respond to those videos at home, then in class students will be able to explore more complex problems. Students will be taught how to be active learners while viewing the videos.
How can my child learn from a 10 minute video?
The videos made for classes are short and focused on one topic or learning goal. Flipped Learning gurus strongly suggest videos should only be 1.5 minutes times their grade level. Being on a video, it takes away from the distractions of a regular classroom and allows the learner to practice time management and watch it in parts to best fit the needs and focus of the student.
What if my child doesn’t understand something in the video?
If your child does not understand something in the video and requests your help there are a number of things you can do:
What are the benefits of learning from a video?
Students will not have traditional homework. Instead they will watch short videos and respond to those videos at home, then in class students will be able to explore more complex problems. Students will be taught how to be active learners while viewing the videos.
How can my child learn from a 10 minute video?
The videos made for classes are short and focused on one topic or learning goal. Flipped Learning gurus strongly suggest videos should only be 1.5 minutes times their grade level. Being on a video, it takes away from the distractions of a regular classroom and allows the learner to practice time management and watch it in parts to best fit the needs and focus of the student.
What if my child doesn’t understand something in the video?
If your child does not understand something in the video and requests your help there are a number of things you can do:
- Have your child stop and review the video at a slower pace. Make sure they use the pause button when they don’t understand something. Doing this will allow them to pinpoint where they are getting confused. In addition, have them write down what they do not understand so that they can be able to put what they don’t understand into to their own words.
- Work through example problems. Some of the videos will contain an example problem. Have your student pause the video, copy the problem down and then work through the problem before resuming the video.
- Watch the video with your child. One of the best parts about Flipped Learning is that parents/guardians now have direct access to the teachers’ instruction of the curriculum. This will allow you to view the video with your child and help them if they get stuck. Please keep in mind that the Flipped Learning environment is a wonderful opportunity for your child to take charge of their own learning.
- Look for alternative videos. Since we are encouraging students to take charge of their own learning, if a student is still struggling with the concept, we are encouraging them to look for additional alternative videos that may make more sense to them. An example of an additional video resource is the Khan Academy.
- Proceed to the video assessment. Sometimes working through problems and getting immediate feedback is the best way to understand the concepts being taught. The results of this video assessment will be viewed by the teacher and will alert the teacher of your child’s understanding of the concepts.
- Communicate with the teacher. Every teacher will have a way for students to communicate with them. This may be through email, phone messages, or your child’s notebook. If your child is stuck/frustrated, please encourage your child to communicate with the teacher. Flipped Learning teachers have designed their class time to be able to address student concerns immediately.
What are the benefits of learning from a video?
- Pace. One of the benefits of learning from a video is that your child can view the video at their own pace. In the classroom, some students may not be comfortable raising their hand and asking a question. With a video, your child can pause and rewind the video at their own pace, or view the movie a second or third time. Students can even watch the video at a later date if they need to review information before a test or quiz.
- Teacher interaction and personalization. Another benefit from learning from the video is the time that is now available in class for your student to work through problems and interact with their teacher. Our hope is that class time becomes a more personalized experience for your child, and that students will be able to move at their own pace, whether that is a bit faster or at times, slower. Students will also have more time to collaborate with peers and work on more challenging problems.
What happens if my child falls behind?
It is strongly encouraged that your child does not get behind on watching homework videos. However, students could fall behind if they are having trouble understanding the concept. In a traditional classroom setting, it can be days before a teacher realizes that a student does not understand the concepts. Feedback comes only after an assignment has been completed, turned in, corrected and handed back. The delay here is critical and can often lead to a student falling further behind or getting frustrated. Remedial help often occurs outside of class time. A student may meet with a teacher or a tutor to work and get caught up. In a flipped classroom, the teacher recognizes more quickly when a student is struggling with the current concept or skill, and will be available to do remedial work the with student during class time.
Will my child need internet access?
No. Students may request a copy of the video as an mp4, and may watch the video and take notes offline. However, response forms for the videos require internet to complete. Students may write down their work on paper, and submit these when they get to school in the morning before school begins.
How do we do homework if we are out of town for the weekend?
Since the math videos will be hosted on my classroom website, and on Google classroom, any Internet accessible device will be able to access the videos. This makes it possible to use a variety of devices to view the videos (desktop computer, laptop, iPod Touch or iPad devices, Smart Phones, etc).
It is strongly encouraged that your child does not get behind on watching homework videos. However, students could fall behind if they are having trouble understanding the concept. In a traditional classroom setting, it can be days before a teacher realizes that a student does not understand the concepts. Feedback comes only after an assignment has been completed, turned in, corrected and handed back. The delay here is critical and can often lead to a student falling further behind or getting frustrated. Remedial help often occurs outside of class time. A student may meet with a teacher or a tutor to work and get caught up. In a flipped classroom, the teacher recognizes more quickly when a student is struggling with the current concept or skill, and will be available to do remedial work the with student during class time.
Will my child need internet access?
No. Students may request a copy of the video as an mp4, and may watch the video and take notes offline. However, response forms for the videos require internet to complete. Students may write down their work on paper, and submit these when they get to school in the morning before school begins.
How do we do homework if we are out of town for the weekend?
Since the math videos will be hosted on my classroom website, and on Google classroom, any Internet accessible device will be able to access the videos. This makes it possible to use a variety of devices to view the videos (desktop computer, laptop, iPod Touch or iPad devices, Smart Phones, etc).