"Upside Down" - Just Like Jack Johnson Said

     "Upside Down" is a song that was written, played and sung by Jack Johnson. It is the first track on the album “Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies” from the film Curious George, which was released in February 2006.  My kiddos loved this movie and this song in particular.  The movie was in their regular rotation of “please can we watch” requests.  I must admit I enjoyed the movie and continue to enjoy the song.  My favorite lyrics are:

“…And as my mind begins to spread its wings

There's no stopping curiosity.

I want to turn the whole thing upside down

I'll find the things they say just can't be found…”

      These lyrics really remind me of the direction I’d like to take this week’s blog.  Our assigned readings covered different aspects of today’s youth in relation to the digital age.  We, as a class, were given latitude to focus on any emerging media trend or topic and the effect on youth.  Instead of “Upside Down”, I’d like to take the spirit of the lyrics and look at the digital content based Flipped Learning educational movement.  Often simplistically described as “school work at home and home work at school,” Flipped Learning is an approach that uses digital content to allow teachers to implement various methodologies in their classrooms.  There now exists a Flipped Learning Network (FLN) comprised of a governing board, key leaders, and experienced flipped educators.  Together they have composed a formal definition of “Flipped Learning.”  They did so in the hopes that many of the myths that were being spread by teachers, media, and researchers could be dispelled.

         These Flipped Learning leaders also made a clear distinction between a Flipped Classroom and Flipped Learning. Mistakenly, they’ve often been used interchangeably and there are some noteworthy differences.  Yes, flipping a class can, but does not always, lead to Flipped Learning.  Many educators may already be flipping their classes by, for example, having their students read additional text outside of the class environment, but to engage in Flipped Learning, these educators must also be incorporating the FLN’s four pillars into their teaching methods.

The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P™:

     In a recent article for www.emergingedtech.com , website founder Kelly Walsh said about Flipped Learning that he “…quickly realized that this was one of the most meaningful ideas I’d come across for using technology in the instructional setting.”  Mr. Walsh is a leading expert and also a frequent contributor to Flipped Learning Network outreach initiatives.  “As a big fan of the flipped classroom and the possibilities it offers, I am delighted to see this grassroots movement continue to evolve.” 

     One of the primary reasons why technology is being integrated into the classroom is due in large part to the “grassroots movement” to disrupt traditional education.  “The traditional classroom, with an emphasis on lectures and rote memorization, does not take into account the experiences of the students. It was all about discipline and punish.”  Flipped Learning, in stark contrast, then allows students to take control over their learning process. Digital technology plays an essential role in Flipped Learning.  By using digital technology the students and teachers are able to collaborate in an often called “more productive and interactive environment.”

     Just a few weeks ago, for the 5^th year, the Alliance for Excellent Education launched its “Digital Learning Day (DLD)” campaign on Thursday, February 23, 2017. 

     This year’s day-long charge was to “Get your #DLD17 on by Flipping Your First Lesson!”  Digital Learning Day was marketed in the hopes of getting teachers to embrace the potential of “digital learning”.  Defined, digital learning is any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, and individualized instruction to ensure students can reach their full potential.

     Digital Learning Day 2017 was all about raising awareness, encouraging innovation, and celebrating the good things that can come from embracing the power of technology to “strengthen a student’s learning experience”.  The Alliance even helped with suggested methods and varying levels of Flipped Learning for teachers new to this movement.  The following excerpt is from 2017 Digital Learning Day’s information on FLN’s website:

“Have you thought about possibility of trying flipped instruction in your classroom, but just haven’t gotten around to figuring out how to start? Well, we here at the FLN are embracing DLD 2017 as an opportunity to get started! Dipping your toes in the waters of flipped learning can be as easy as flipping one lesson.

Now this is not to say that flipping is a simple and takes no effort … putting the flipped model to effective use on an ongoing basis takes effort and requires time and professional development, but taking a first step to help get you thinking about the longer term doesn’t have to be hard.

Here is a pretty simple approach to flipping a lesson. You get to decide how tech-y you want to be with this be selecting from 1 of 3 different levels of tools or techniques.

Find a great video on a topic to introduce it and make that the homework the night before you want to start exploring this topic

Require engagement and gather feedback that can expose areas that require further exploration, or simply raise fun questions, by using one of these tools or techniques:

(Low Tech) Have your students complete a “WSQ”: The “WSQ” is a simple idea that requires students to Watch the video and then write a Summary that includes a Question. You give the student guidelines on what’s expected in the summary (how long it should be, for example). As for the question, this can be a question that students think you might ask about the material, or it could be something they want to ask about regarding the material.

(Medium Tech) Use ed.ted.com to build a more complete lesson around the video: Ed.Ted.Com is a great way to turn any video into its own lesson. You can add questions, provide additional links to explore, and more. This article provides more insight into using Ed.Ted.Com.

(More Tech) Use EdPuzzle to build required questions into the video.  EdPuzzle is a tool that lets you insert questions right into a video – questions the students have to answer in order to continue watching. This is a powerful tool to make the most of using videos for teaching and learning.

Each of these approaches addresses several very important elements of good flipped lessons. First, they require engagement. Students have to do something while or right after they consume the learning content. They can’t just “zone out” and not pay attention while watching (and if they do, they’ll have to go back and really watch so they can do the work). Next, it gets them thinking about the content. By asking or answering questions, they have to make the effort to develop some understanding. Finally, those questions will likely help to expose misunderstandings or areas that really require further review. They can also provide some great feedback and thoughts that are fun to explore.

Of course, you can also give a shot at the “hi tech” approach of creating your own video, which is strongly recommended if you decide to move forward with more flipping, but it isn’t really necessary for this first go round. It can also be pretty time consuming to do this the first few times, depending on your approach. Students generally appreciate and expect their teachers to be the ones creating the content (assuming you do a decent job and don’t make the videos too long). But for your first flipped lesson, using someone else’s content is a great way to get started!”

    So now that we’ve looked at a few of the various ways in which teachers might be able to start flipping lessons, let’s take a quick look at some feedback from students who have been involved in Flipped Learning.  In a recent survey published by Flipped Learning educator and science teacher, Steve Griffiths, he shared his high school students’ responses to their experiences in the Flipped Learning environment:

“88.9% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they preferred the flipped classroom for learning science.   Some of the reasons cited by students include; that more class time is spent doing experiments, they can work at their pace, they can learn their own way and they can learn with each other.  Ultimately, it appears that students prefer the flipped classroom because it is more student centered.   As a powerful support for flipped learning, 88.9% of students reported that they wished that more of their subjects used flipped learning.

Students believe that it is easier to take notes from the videos.  This is because they can pause, rewind and watch the videos at their own pace.    Also, it is very important to teach students how to take notes and interact with the videos.  I have my students watch the video twice.  First at normal speed, then they watch it again to take notes, pausing and rewinding as required. I have my students watch a video on how to watch a video and I also send a video home for parents to watch as well.  I don’t assign homework videos until I am satisfied that students are taking effective notes.

Consistently, students commented that they liked how student centered the learning was.  For example, one student commented “students get to work it out themselves instead of being told” and another student said “we have freedom to learn the way the want to learn”.

The question that the respondents agreed most strongly about was being able to catch up on work when they are away from class.   All of the video lessons and learning experiences are on the web based learning management system.  So students can access the lessons at home and on family holidays.  Because flipped learning is more student centered, and students like and trust the process, they are empowered to keep up and catch up.”

    

     "It's really, really important for teachers to realize that flipped learning isn't about the videos — it's about what you can accomplish in class that adds value and engagement for students," said Jon Bergmann, one of the pioneers of the flipped class concept and a board member of the Flipped Learning Network.  Many practicing educators feel the most important part of the flipped lesson is the ability to use the additional time in the classroom to reach every student every day.   This is accomplished by designing activities that are engaging, interactive, and collaborative. 

     Ultimately, the Flipped Learning movement is all about being willing to take risks and try something new.  In our current period of innovation through rapid advances in technology I can think of no better time than now to try turning it all “Upside Down” or in this instance to try Flipped Learning in education. 

Strategically Yours,

Autumn

Works Cited:

Walsh, K.  (2016). “Flipped Educator Spotlight.”  Retrieved from http://www.emergingedtech.com/2016/12/flipped-educator-spotlight-videos-flipped-learning-org/.

Griffiths, S.  (2016). “The Students Have Spoken – Student Perceptions of Flipped Learning”.  Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/learning_culture/student-perceptions-of-flipped-learning/.

Lisi, J.  (2016). “4 Fascinating Trends in Education Technology”.  Retrieved from https://www.livetiles.nyc/blog/4-fascinating-trends-education-technology/.

n.a. (2017).  “Flip a Lesson for Digital Learning Day 2017 (Thursday, Feb 23)”.  Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/intentional_content/flip-lesson-digital-learning-day/.

Pierce, D. (2015).  “5 Keys to Flipped Learning Success”.  Retrieved from https://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/29/5-keys-to-flipped-learning-success.aspx.

Bergmann, J.  (2016). “Students Liked Flipped Homework More!”  Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/syndicated/students-like-flipped-homework-more/.