People learn and internalize more when they are engaged and interested in a topic. The "Flipped Classroom" enables students to take control of their learning, and have more control over the subject matter. They will still have to cover the basics of any lesson, but they will be able to identify what areas they need more time on, and also what areas pique their interest, leading to further exploration. The goal of a teacher is not to "teach" a certain subject, but to inspire self-learning in a student. Furthermore, the teacher can then spend individual time with students on a segment of the lesson, thereby eliminating problem areas that can hinder absorption of the entire material.
The TED ED "Population Pyramids" (http://ed.ted.com/lessons/population-pyramids-powerful-predictors-of-the-future-kim-preshoff) was a fantastic example of how to start a conversation on a subject through a brief, but adequate, video introduction. It showed how a population pyramid is different for each country depending on the gender and age of it's populations for various age segments. This pyramid can be used to predict the future population, as well as be a record of the past. Pyramids can be used by both scientists and legislators to try to adequately govern and protect humankind. The video is followed by a "Think" section which checks comprehension and inspires some more exploration, which is complemented by the "Dig Deeper" tab. Finally, the students are empowered to offer their own feelings in the "Discuss" tab. I found the "Discuss" tab the most interesting, because it is where students really grow to love and appreciate learning. They become the author, rather than the reader. They get to express their views and their voice is not limited by the amount of time in class or the number of questions that they have already answered.
Overall I really liked this TED ED, and the idea of a "Flipped Classroom" in general. The only limitations I can see is that feedback from the teacher, and the discussion itself, is not in real time (presumably). Therefore, the students may get distracted from their thoughts or passion that was initially sparked. Also, if other students are not participating in the "Discuss" tab, they may lose out on hearing some great ideas from their classmates that they would be exposed to in the actual classroom.
Tim, you bring up a really good point about how the "flipped classroom" can enable students to think about how they are thinking and learning. Helping students to become more metacognitive in their learning will not only allow them to become better students in a subject area, but also a more effective and focused learner.
ReplyDeleteYou also mention that students may “get distracted from their thoughts” while watching a video-lesson, or they may not participate in online discussions. These are similar problems that plague face-to-face teachers as well! Again, it is imperative for the teacher to properly model the video-lessons--and to incorporate other learning strategies to meet the needs of all students in the class. Perhaps if students are not “showing” any learning, or are not participating---the flipped classroom may need to be reconsidered as a strategy.
Professor,
DeleteThanks for the feedback! I agree that it is so important for a teacher to properly model how to most effectively utilize videos, as well as the flipped classroom in general. Students need to "learn how to learn", before they will reach the metacognitive space that you mention above. A tool is only effective if the holder knows how to use it! Thanks again.
Tim, I really enjoyed your blog post. I found it interesting that you brought up the lack of peer-to-peer interaction, when you mentioned that if a student doesn't join the discussion, they may not be able to hear great ideas from their classmates.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, I disagree with you, and feel that our online class is a prime example of a classroom where we (virtually) hear great ideas from our classmates, without being in an actual classroom.
On the other hand, I feel very strongly about school being a place where we teach students how to properly socialize with other human beings. Moreover, I believe that we teach kids how to act in school as a microcosm to how we hope that they will act as future engaged citizens within society, a macrocosm. In that sense, you are correct in that if we can't force a student to press "Discuss" and we can't force a student to participate in a discussion, then we are missing a vital educational opportunity.
Ms. Lejtman,
DeleteThank you for your valuable feedback. I concur that the virtual classroom, when taught properly, can be an opportunity for so many different opinions and voices to be heard by a student. The rewards are scaleable to a high degree.
I also liked what you said about school being a place to learn how to socialize. I think this is especially vital in today's age of increased technology and "social media". Being connected has never felt so lonely!
Thanks again for the feedback and thoughts!
Hey Tim, nice post. My first thoughts on this style of teaching and learning are pretty similar to your's. I thought that it was a good introduction to the concept and found the questions and discussion tabs to be a great idea to substitute for classroom interaction. However, I was most concerned with real-time feedback as well. My discipline is music and real-time feedback is critical when learning new musical concepts. Do you think that there's a way to check for understanding within the edTed framework? Such as perhaps questions/prompts that address areas where students are commonly confused?
ReplyDeleteHi Jeff-
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! Great idea about a FAQ section for common problem areas, especially after the EdTed has been open for a short while to give students and educators time to review the content and give feedback.
I like it!