Pre-class activities:

In-class activities:

What is needed to make sure the 4 pillars of flip are included: Making sure there is a flexible environments. Meeting the learning needs of all the students in the class. The teacher is no longer the source of all information. Learning becomes more student centered. The teacher's role is of guidance in the right direction. The teacher is intentional with the content they chose to teach versus what they have students research and discover on their own. Lastly, the teacher's role is to be readily available to students at all times. Checking in, providing continuous feedback and reflective of their own practice.

In order to make sure that I have the 4 pillars of FLIP, I need to make sure that I am fully present so that I can observe students and give feedback while they are working. Also, in the preparations, I would like to run these ideas through my PLN and get some feedback prior to executing and then share with my PLN on  how it went. Ideally, what I would like to do is collaborate on FLIP entirely and then execute and revise. One other thing that I need to focus on is providing my students opportunities to be in control and direct themselves so that I can go around and focus my attention on students who need it. 

I believe, the flipped model will give me more of class time to monitor on actual student learning. As the entire class time will be meant for discussions, analysis, activities, inquiries and collaboration. This will give me ample time to track the student's learning in real time, which is the ultimate goal of teaching. I will get to timely reflect and rectify the misconceptions through out the process of learning. So, surely class time will be more effectively used to ensure the learning. However, this will require a lot of advance planning and organization to start with. Without a robust flipped learning lesson plan, the results might be totally ineffective!

To ensure the four pillars of FLIP model, a carefully organized and robust plan is the primary requisite. 

I think the class time will have more student agency and less teacher led discussion.  In this model I envision students working independently or in groups on activities related the the topic at hand.  They have technology that they can use to answer their own questions if need be.  I see the teacher as the coach.  Checking in on students to see if they need assistance or help solving a problem.

To make sure you have the 4 pillars of FLIP, I think you need to invest in the student.  You need to believe every kid can learn every concept fully.  You need to put in the time and effort needed to make it happen.

As the teacher, you may see me working with small groups, individuals, or just walking around facilitating discussions with students. My role will no longer be only at the front of the entire classroom for extended amounts of time. I will have to train students how to be comfortable being uncomfortable with being collaborative with peers in order to solve problems and find out information. My Content will not truly change as my prescribed curriculum really lends itself easily to a Flipped Classroom model already. The delivery of this content will change based on how I distribute information to the students. 

In order to make this successful in my classroom, I will need to plan very far in advance. I will need to be on top of my digital game. My district is very advanced when it comes to availability of technology tools and permissions for students to engage in digital discourse. Being an expert at all of the digital components that kids will need will take some time and trial and error I am sure. I have had some practice with this in the past but one of my professional goals is to become fluent in things like Google Classroom and Google Sites. This will help with the organization of our digital components as well as student work. 

Now, with that said, I’m not going to say it’s great instruction.  There are several key elements missing from our current on-line curriculum based on the Four Pillars of F-L-I-P: 1) It can be very challenging to observe and monitor students to make adjustments since I don’t physically see them in ‘real’ time; 2) as is everywhere, students are enrolling in our program with multiple reading and writing deficiencies - deficits that can be more easily hidden in the virtual world.  Is the assignment not complete because they can’t do it, or simply won’t do it? What forms of on-line instructional methods can we utilize to better help determine this? 3) Currently, our main forms of feedback involve Google docs and gradebook comments.  What other strategies might increase the likelihood of students reading the feedback and making revisions?

Thinking about the fall, what I’d like to see is better use of student conferences - both virtually and in person during the limited time we have available.  I find that engaging with students one-on-one is the surest way to get the biggest impact when it comes to student progress.  It’s also one of the few ways I have of knowing that students have actually absorbed the feedback and applying it in real time - not just as a recommendation to be used sometime in the near future!  

To make sure we have the 4 pillars first we need to work on the learning culture. Shifting mentalities away from the teacher being the keeper of the knowledge is a vital goal that we need work on. Whether we are a school that flips or not, allowing kids to lead with their passions, have fun at school, and have classrooms where controlled chaos is accepted would be a great change. Also, the parent learning culture would need to be educated. A lot of work is needed getting parents on board and helping them understand that flipping goes way beyond an online game or electronic worksheet. 

To make sure we have the 4 pillars first we need to work on the learning culture. Shifting mentalities away from the teacher being the keeper of the knowledge is a vital goal that we really need to work on. Whether we are a school that flips or not, allowing kids to lead with their passions, have fun at school, and have classrooms where controlled chaos is accepted would be a great change. Also, the parent learning culture would need to be educated. A lot of work is needed getting parents on board and helping them understand that flipping goes way beyond an online game or electronic worksheet. 

(F) We are always arranging and re-arranging my classroom for activities and for creating a more comfortable learning environment. The only way one won’t see my desks, is in rows. The bigger challenge might be the flexibility in time. As teachers we tend to get wrapped up in our pacing guides. If students are going to be watching videos and learning content at home, I cannot expect all students to have the video watched and lesson completed by the next day. Students have other responsibilities outside of class. For many reasons, it may not be possible for them to complete a viewing assignment in one night. Allowing for a flexible learning timetable will help students overcome this challenge. For students who may not have a computer or access to the internet, I need to make sure that there are other options/opportunities for them to watch the videos. (L)  Many of my students are used to traditional learning. The teacher stands up-front, lectures, and then gives students an assignment to check for “learning”-more accurately stated how well students recall the information. It can be a challenge to move students out of this traditional learning mindset. Since student-centered classrooms will be new to most of them, I need to create a learning culture that is understanding and supportive while students grow accustomed to the procedures and opportunities provided by Flipped Learning. (I) I have learned a lot in this unit about better utilizing videos in class and how to create my own.  No longer though will these videos be shown in class. Having students watch them at home will provide more class time for exploring topics in depth. That said, in my flipped class, I need to make sure that my class time is used wisely and with great intention. I need to ensure that activities allow students to not only apply what they learned but do so in a way that is engaging and more meaningful to them. Furthermore, I need to ensure that there are activities for all students, regardless of where they are in the learning process. (P) I hardly ever sit or stand still during class. I am always roaming the classroom to work with students and groups. Even in a traditional classroom setting, providing feedback to students in real-time is important. However, in the traditional classroom, it is not as easy to do as it is in a flipped one. Conversations with students will aid formative assessments. I can adjust what we are doing to meet the needs of the whole class, small groups, or individuals. As I begin implementing more Flipped Learning into my classroom, I know I will be relying on my broader PLN for support. It would also be great if other teachers in my building began using the Flipped Model. Working on this new method together and meeting F2F to discuss the development, implementation, and challenges/advantages of the flipped model would be very beneficial. Perhaps after one or two initial lessons, I can convince a few of my colleagues to start their own journey in Flipped Learning.

F – create different types of lessons so that I am reaching different learning styles.  Allow students time to reflect as should I do the same.

L – Differentiate the instructions with videos and other activities, not just lectures.  Have students work together to solve problems instead of just being told what to do.

I – look at my content and make it interesting and relevant

P – be part of the learning.  Look at and observe what the students are doing.  Ask questions and donʻt tell, but just ask.  Of course reflect on the project not only at the end, but throughout as well.

Flexible learning environment

Learning Culture

Intentional Content

Professional educator: observe and give feedback

 In order to implement such a strategy I would need to rethink the structure of a few things in my current classroom and practices: 

Class Time Differences:  My class time is already quite flexible, with students working on projects at their own speed, within groups. If I create flipped lessons, kids can start working immediately instead of transitioning from hall-passing-time to listening to me give verbal instructions. I think they might get focused sooner, and I'm excited to try!

Flipped Learning class time will be much more student centred with less teacher talk and many more student questions and student lead inquiries. I imagine that this class is better in a more collegiate environment such as desks in a board table style arrangement rather than rows, to encourage open and inclusive discussion. Relationships will be more readily built as discussions are more two way and students will increase in confidence as they are empowered to offer their voice and be heard. 

b) What do you need to do to make sure you have the 4 pillars of FLIP?

1.     Flexible Environment

Allowing for staggered deadlines for submissions rather than one at the end will allow students to break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. I can keep track of the pace of the particular student cohort and renegotiate deadlines to meet their needs. I will also allow time for summarizing what has been learned and authentic reflection.

2.     Learning Culture

I will set up the lesson so that students are at the centre and driving the lesson rather than myself lecturing us through a concept. More complex tasks can be scaffolded to give students a supportive framework of how to approach tasks and to make content more accessible to a wider range of student ability levels and skillsets. I will encourage learning with praise and use recognition and reward to motivate students to self direct their own learning.

3.     Intentional Content

I will make playlists of videos to guide Youtube ‘surfing’ but I will also allow students to contribute by finding their own resources where appropriate. I will provide resource lists that indicate essential references but also include wider reading or watching for more interested or competent students. I will also give students the opportunity to make their own resources, as they become ‘experts’ in the content, with authentic audiences such as their Year Level or ‘next year’s class’.

4.     Professional Educator

I will provide oral feedback to students as they work or contribute to discussions. I will also make sure they have some kind of written descriptive comments to give them an indication of how they are going against the assessment standards and what they could do next to improve their end result. I will also ask students to tell me strategies for improvement. As the class moves through an inquiry I will have smaller formative tasks to assess how the individual and the group is travelling. I will draw on other experts, seek best practice and be open to making alterations to my plans to make my lessons the best they can be.

Class time will be dramatically changed in a flipped learning model.  By teaching content in a flipped lesson, one benefit is the ability to differentiate and focus on individual learning needs. Students have the ability to review as they complete quick assessments.  They can further explore the topic if more direction is needed or desired.  The teacher will be able to restructure the learning space to allow for more collaboration and individual meeting space.  As students work on different aspects of the activity, the teacher can work closely with students as they problem solve.  This puts the learning more in the hands of the student rather than the teacher in terms of moving forward with a level and method that encourages creativity. Of course, being invested, students will be more engaged in higher functioning processes.  A current traditional classroom in the near future can seem like the prairie school house image that we have of ancient teaching methods. Learning becomes relevant to each students needs and interests.  Active learning can move in….so much more fun than lecture/practice learning.

What I have seen over and over recently...begin with the end in mind.  

My class will look different as there will more opportunities for engagement during my lessons. Sometimes, students are needing to do research, or gain important historical information about theatre practitioners and genres of theatre, that I have now realized is best studied prior to the lesson starting. I am always stating that there is never enough time to get something completed, but I think that this flipped model will benefit my teaching drastically. I had been using a flipped model for learning for when I am away in the past (to ensure that supply teachers and students have the correct understanding of the work expected to be completed during the lesson I had missed), but I realize now that I can apply that same model to my own lessons.

What will I need to do to ensure the 4 pillars?

To ensure these 4 pillars I need to ensure that I am organized in advance, preparing the flipped lessons will take planning initially, but I feel that by going through my units a few weeks in advance it will help me to rethink the teaching strategies I was already using, and then reworking them to suit a more flexible learning experience for my students. I think that I will need to create a culture of holding kids accountable as well, which will take some time to make sure that students are using the flipped learning videos in advance of the lessons. I would like to see that connection with other educators continue to develop and grow as well, and I am eager to share this style of learning with my peers.

 

In order for this model to have success, the teacher is responsible for developing meaningful learning objectives, varied sources for content delivery, and designing differentiated, engaging, and challenging activities (Learning culture, Intentional content). Class climate and accessibility to content delivery systems contributes to the students’ incentive and ability  to come prepared for class, a key for the successful use of time spent in class. The physical arrangement in class provides flexibility for how the students interact and learn.  Moving the students’ desks into groups of three or four rather than lining them up against a wall, for example, visually encourages students to interact and collaborate. A blending of physical and technological tools with scaffolded activities and student-driven projects support the learning journey with the teacher circulating as mentor and facilitator.  The students work to accomplish their learning objectives, at their own pace, in collaboration with each other (Flexible learning environment).  Teachers actively participate in providing feedback but also learn from the experience.  After reflecting on the lesson, teachers use their PLNs to get feedback on questions and to share what worked best (Professional educator).