While flipped learning may be a trending topic for education reformists, its practical implementation requires a lot of work. For teachers who may be considering this new model, coordinating both in-class and out-of-class elements in the most efficient manner can be a daunting task. The digital transition is undeniably difficult for teachers, but if they adhere to the following tips, they’ll be on their way to designing an engaging flipped classroom.
Source: https://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/2011/9/13/the-flipped-classroom-infograpgic.html
9 Tips for Designing a Flipped Classroom:
1. Put extra time into your video lectures
In the flipped classroom, classroom priorities shift. Lectures become homework assignments so that students can use class time to engage in discussion and group activities. Digital technology has enabled teachers to create and upload video lectures that students can access on their own time.
With students watching video lectures, it can be tempting to cut corners and just let YouTube do the work. However, given the tools available to educators, creating engaging lectures doesn’t have to be a Sisyphean task. Applications such as PlayPosit, for example, allow educators to insert questions that can be answered in real-time directly into a video’s timeline.
2. …But don’t make them tedious
Students have lives, and teachers can’t control them outside of the classroom. In a perfect world, students would prioritize learning over the latest Game of Thrones episode, but we all know that’s asking for too much. Instead, teachers should meet students halfway and offer bite-sized video lectures that can be digested in 15 or 20 minutes. Ted Talks videos are perfect for this. The average length is about 15 minutes, and they often present provocative perspectives on today’s relevant issues.
3. Show, don’t tell
Teachers shouldn’t just talk at students. They have the power of video at their disposal, and they should use it. This may require teachers to be a little more digital savvy, but there is significant value in helping students visualize important classroom concepts.
4. Encourage discourse
Class time is the place for teachers to clear up any confusion about the video lectures. In the flipped classroom, the teacher is no longer the sage on the stage; their role is to facilitate class discussion, not dominate it. One way to encourage discourse is to have students enter any questions or comments about the video lectures into OneNote and then discuss them during class time.
5. Promote classroom collaboration
Teachers should dedicate a significant portion of each class period for collaborative exercises. One of the hallmarks of the flipped classroom is group work, as collaborative projects engage every student in the class.
6. Stress formative assessment
To evaluate a student’s understanding of the key concepts covered in video lectures and in-class discussions, teachers can use quick formative assessment tools that measure retention of content and concepts. This real-time feedback enables educators to target individuals who are struggling and give them extra attention during class time.
7. Embrace social media
In order for the flipped classroom to be successful, teachers should let the conversation continue after class on social media. Teachers can effectively use social media to extend the boundaries of the classroom and remain accessible to those students who need extra help.
Teachers can also teach proper social media etiquette so that students learn the negative consequences of cyber-bullying. By monitoring the social media discourse, teachers can immediately address any concerning interactions and explain to the appropriate students why their behavior is unacceptable.
8. Establish a policy of openness
Transparency and openness make a successful flipped classroom. Teachers can let students know what’s expected of them by giving them access to their grades and the course’s policies and guidelines. When students know the standards of the class, they’ll be more inclined to meet them.
9. Involve the parents
Education is a team sport, and it is essential for teachers to make connections with their students’ parents or guardians. For the flipped classroom to succeed, teachers should know that students need to be supported in the home as well the school. If teachers give parents access to their course content, parents will be more willing to invest in their child’s education.
Source: https://teachonline.asu.edu/2013/05/the-flipped-classroom/
Although teachers are no longer center stage, the freedom provided by the flipped classroom makes their role that much more crucial. With all of these moving parts in the flipped classroom, teachers and students will need to find a way to bring all of these digital solutions together in a user-friendly fashion. LiveTiles Mosaic offers seamless online integration.
With Mosaic, teachers can use the simple drag and drop function to design a flipped classroom that works best for their class. As the screen shot below illustrates, teachers can embed Ted Talks videos, integrate a Yammer feed and upload group assignments to the same page, and this page will be accessible to any student in the class. Running off the Office 365 tenant, Mosaic makes it a breeze to access Microsoft apps like Sway and OneNote, as well as cloud-based services like OneDrive and SharePoint.
The flipped classroom can be difficult to realize. With its intuitive and accessible no code UI design, Mosaic streamlines the process so that teachers can concentrate on what matters: their students.
