Flipping awesomeness in CTE.

Crevier, Sean

IN EARLY 2012, I RETURNED FROM AN EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE THAT focused on technology tools for teachers and students. During the conference "flipping" came up, and it lingered in my mind well beyond my return. In May of that year I committed to flipping my accounting classroom for the following school year. My primary reason for making this commitment was to create an environment where students could learn anywhere and anytime. The resounding student appreciation for this environment has been the driving force for me to share my experiences and help other teachers who are interested in flipping their classrooms.

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There are numerous definitions and articles regarding flipping, but I believe that flipping a classroom is when teachers deliver content as homework and students work with content in class. The "flip" is switching around the delivery and the "doing."

Teachers have been flipping the classroom for decades. Every time kids are instructed to "read these pages" for homework, the classroom has been flipped. The challenge is that reading assignments rarely get done, and when they do, the effectiveness is questionable. Technology has made it possible to create a more effective way to deliver content as homework, and most often this is done via video.

I asked myself three questions when considering how to flip my classroom:

1. How do I create the content--aka the video?

2. Where should I house the delivery of the content for students to access?

3. How do I provide student access to the housing location?

How to Create

There are many great tools (Screencast-O-Matic, Camtasia, ScreenFlow, Explain Everything) available for screencasting, especially compared to four years ago when I started. Screencasting is recording your computer screen movements as video while capturing audio narration that explains a concept or topic.

There are a few key thoughts to keep in mind when choosing which tool to use. First, do you want to be in the video? Most teachers whom I work with initially say, "No way!" and I totally get that. However, students consistently report that they are more engaged when the teacher is in a corner window of the video.

Second, how "techy" do you want to get? The free screencasting tools offer fewer options with editing. You have to know yourself on this one. I enjoy editing and manipulating videos, but out of respect for my own sanity and time, I knew that I could not give myself too many options. So, I went with the free version of Screencast-O-Matic (www.screencast-o-matic.com) because it limits me to 15 minutes, and it does not give me the options that will bring out my OCD when it comes to finalizing the video for viewing.

Third, how much ownership do you want? Some screencasting sites/tools do not allow you to download the file as your own, instead requiring that it be kept on their servers only. I wanted complete control of my creation as an MP4, so I did not consider any of these sites. If total control is not important to you, then you have more options here as well.

Where to House

This one depends on what you want to house. I decided that I wanted to be able to house more than just the video. I include printable PDF notes for the students, as well as objectives and learning outcomes. If you solely want to house the video, which is completely reasonable, then the options become greater. I've seen teachers have great success with YouTube, embedding the video file on their own websites or simply using the screencasting site they create in. I wanted a little of everything and chose to go with Sophia (www.sophia.org), which offers a host of integration options (built-in quizzes, PDF uploading, viewer response and commenting, etc.) within each tutorial you create. For an example of mine, go to bit.ly/CrevierOnSophia.

How to Provide Student Access

The simplest answer to this dilemma is to keep using whatever you're currently using to deliver digital content to your students. Four years ago Google Apps for Education was in its infancy, learning management systems were scarce and Twitter was mostly for telling the world what you ate for breakfast. However, I decided that Twitter would be a great way to model how to use social media professionally and for learning. So, I leveraged the hashtag as my way of giving students access to each Sophia tutorial. I still use this, but I'm not sure it would be my top choice with today's options, e.g., Google Classroom, website link, classwide e-mail, or any learning management system. So my advice here is to keep it simple by using what's already working.

FAQs

I receive a number of questions working with teacher groups on flipping. Below are the most common.

Q: How do I know if the kids did their homework if they are just watching the video?

A: I keep my kids accountable while they reflect on their learning by using a Google form (Figure 1). They are required to fill this out and submit it before coming to class. I project the responses (keeping names anonymous) at the beginning of class, and it dictates how we begin discussion and migrate into our activity.

Q: What if students don't have Internet access at home and can't do the homework?

A: It is my responsibility to make sure my students have the resources they need to do any work I assign them outside class. We have a library media center that is open before and after school. I make sure to have the link tweeted before the end of the school day so that kids have two time frames they can get in and complete their assignments. Additionally, I work with kids on how to properly plan their morning/afternoons to make sure they can get the work done.

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Q: I don't want to lose the connection I make with kids when lecturing!

A: OK, that's not a question, but it's a totally legit concern. I was terrified of this, too. I can tell you with 100 percent confidence that you won't for two reasons. I really need to talk for only 15 minutes, not 40, to get the point across. Second, the time you spend with them in small groups or one on one while working on things you never previously had time for is an amazing setting for connecting with your kids. You will get to know them and learn with them way more than you ever did while simply lecturing to them.

Happy flipping!

By Sean Crevier

Sean Crevier is the co-founder of the bi-weekly #BusEdu Twitter chat, a TEDx speaker, and a technology integration coach and consultant. E-mail him at busedcrev@gmail.com.

EXPLORE MORE

Visit bit.ly/RealFlipping to view a flipping model the author created that has been helpful for teachers thinking about or just getting started with flipping.