Thinking about Flipping Instruction?
Faced with the continuous changes happening in education I feel compelled to break out of the classroom any way I can. The students who are in the classroom today are different than any student who came before them. The state of education is volatile - both in good ways and bad ways. In good ways because we know more about the brain and how people learn, we have access to all kinds of technology, the world is available 24/7/365 days a year. Bad because our country is suffering from a commitment to education. Not just education but many important and necessary public services that keep our society in balance. So how does a dedicated teacher handle all the change? They flip out! Ok, maybe not lose their mind although some days.... : )On a serious note, teachers are having to become more innovative than ever before. Absenteeism is high. Students are having to work to help support their family or watch siblings while parents work. Schools are shortening days, getting shut down or consolidated and rural travel is costly. How will students continue to receive and education? One thing is flipping instruction. Now don't be scared or standoffish. Think about this. What if students could do the stuff that takes a lot of time and where they might need a quiet space to focus - like reading for instance and get it done before they come to class. Using an online platform like Edmodo and combining it with other resources can provide more productive time in the classroom.
Here is how it would work. Create your classrooms on Edmodo (this is free by the way). Assign resources students might need to build background knowledge and learn more about a topic. These could be videos, something to read or something to listen to. There are many resources to choose from and if you need ideas, you should visit Spotlight on your Edmodo tab. It has thousands of ideas to choose from. I might suggest short and sweet. So check out @listenwiselearn. They have short audio records and even have discussion questions that students could answer in small groups on Edmodo or bring the answers to school and be prepared to have a discussion.
Read these blogs to learn more about flipping instruction with Edmodo.
Flipped Learning Using Edmodo: An Innovative Approach to Education
The Teacher’s Guide To Flipped Classrooms
Flipping My Classroom With Edmodo
Baker's B.Y.O.D.-- Bring Your Own Device, Dog, & Deconstruction of Literature
