Flipping the Science Classroom: Unit Three
Activity: Creating a Flipped Classroom Lesson
Introduction: In the Science classroom, or any classroom, there are a lot of lessons that could transition perfectly into a flipped lesson. The whole concept of flipping the classroom is to reserve more time in the classroom to apply learned content that is received outside of the classroom via a variety of technologies. Whether it is by watching a video, listening to audio, or working through an online simulation, technology is the focus point of flipping the classroom. By following the steps below, you can start to assess how you may flip a lesson and reap the benefits this pedagogy approach offers.
Step 1: Assessing Technology Access
Before flipping a classroom lesson, you must understand that technology is the main component of this pedagogical approach. In order to successfully flip a lesson, you must identify what technology students have access to outside of your classroom and what opportunity to use technology exists. If your students do not have access to technology outside of your classroom, your technology inclusion may be best served by incorporating it in your lessons in the classroom.
To accomplish this, you can survey your students and identify what access they have. Examples include:
- Study Hall Period to use Library or classroom computers
- Computers at Home
- Access to Local Library
Step 2: Choosing Technology
Once you have figured out what technology is available to your students and the time they are able to use it, you can directly plan a lesson aligned with their access. For example, if you have found that your students all have computer and Internet access at home, you can now choose from a wide variety of resources (refer back to Unit 2) to deliver content digitally.
Go back to Unit 2, and pick a content delivery method that you are most comfortable with. It can be one that you create individually or one that is already made.
Being a beginner at flipping the classroom, it may be wise to choose a platform or specific video/audio resource that is already created specifically for a flipped classroom lesson. As you research more about the pedagogy approach and see more examples of flipped classroom lessons, you can then start to create your own lessons using technologies listed in unit two, and create a lesson that is specifically aligned with your classroom. Research shows that resources that are made specifically by the teacher a student has are more effective, as this teacher knows the students that are watching the video and designs the video/audio specifically to these students and their learning skills/abilities etc.
Step 3: Picking a Specific Unit to Flip
The best way to start flipping your classroom is by picking a lesson and just going for it. There is no perfect unit or perfect lesson to use when flipping the classroom. However, you will start to develop skills in this pedagogical approach the more you do it.
Helpful Hints:
- Pick a lesson where you usually show a video in class to aid in your teaching.
- This video can easily be seen by the students at home and you can upload your notes along with it.
- Even if this video is short, this still frees up more time in the classroom the following day to review the video, discuss it, and apply the content within it to your class.