How I Flipped My Classroom In All the Ways That Matter - Part 4 (of 4)
[This past summer (2018) I had the opportunity to present at two different Indiana Department of Education Summer of eLearning conferences; the South Shore eLearning Conference hosted by School City of Hammond and the eVillage Conference hosted by East Porter County Schools in conjunction with eLeadNWI. The presentation that easily received the most buzz was my "How I Flipped My Classroom In All the Ways That Matter." This blog entry is the fourth in a four part series outlining the contents of that presentation.]
Part 1 Recap: Teaching the way I was taught wasn't working. I started using Khan Academy in class. That helped. But I wanted more.
Part 2 Recap: I flipped my classroom for 2 years. That seemed to work better, but it wasn't great. I wanted more.
Part 3 Recap: Being on Twitter introduced me to ideas in education I would not have heard otherwise. My past experience with coding gave me some perspective on the learning process. Great. Now you're up to speed.
Fast forward to August, 2017.
I had already seen the power and the benefits of students receiving instant feedback on their work. I had spent the previous year using Google Forms to collect and instantly score student work instead of Khan Academy because Forms allowed me to easily track their progress with each submission. I had decided that I would accept late work from students because I felt that students doing work after the due date would still lead to more learning than not doing it at all. I decided that I would allow students to redo assignments in order to improve their learning. This was an easy decision to make based on my experience coding. And I also decided that I would allow students to retake tests and quizzes. The purpose of completing assignments is to learn the material and the purpose of the tests and quizzes was to assess learning. If they improved their learning after redoing assignments, I wanted to know how much and I wanted them to get credit for it.
None of the things I had changed to this point had anything specifically to do with how instruction was delivered. But I had plenty of first hand knowledge already that large scale, direct instruction still wasn't going to work. I knew that had to change as well.
One of the things about the large scale, direct instruction that I knew did not work for my students was how long it took. Listening to someone talk about and demonstrate math for extended periods of time can be difficult for people who like math. I can't imagine how excruciating it must be for students who don't particularly like it. Even when I would call on students to answer questions posed during instruction, I could tell that most everyone else would stop thinking as soon as I called a name because they knew they were off the hook. The big question I wanted an answer to was, "how can I ask these questions to each student with the expectation that they all need to answer them?" I wanted all the students to think during instruction, not just the ones I called on.
The solution I came up with was to create Google Slides with the instruction included; terminology, explanations, examples, etc. But because I could add the slides to Google Classroom and create a copy for each student, each student could get their own copy of the slides that they could edit with responses to questions I asked. Every student was getting asked the same questions with the expectation that they needed to answer them. Since the content was preserved on slides, I could allow the students to work at their own pace (within reason). Students would be taking more control over their learning.
In order to make this work, I wanted my students to understand that I trusted them to work this way. That required showing them that I trusted them in other areas as well. They no longer ask my permission to use the restroom or get a drink. I only ask that they refrain from doing so during those rare occasions when I am doing large scale, direct instruction. They're allowed to check their phones. If a student is spending too much time on their phone I let them know and get them back on task.
When you assume that students want to learn and create the environment for them do so, implicit in that assumption is the belief that students can and often do manage their own time. They still need guidance from time to time, but in order for students to learn how to make better decisions, they need to be put in positions where they make their own decisions. Mistakes are discussed and only disciplined when warranted. Do students still get off task from time to time? Of course. But now when I get them back on task I'm not interrupting whole class instruction to do so.
Part 1 Recap: Teaching the way I was taught wasn't working. I started using Khan Academy in class. That helped. But I wanted more.
Part 2 Recap: I flipped my classroom for 2 years. That seemed to work better, but it wasn't great. I wanted more.
Part 3 Recap: Being on Twitter introduced me to ideas in education I would not have heard otherwise. My past experience with coding gave me some perspective on the learning process. Great. Now you're up to speed.
Fast forward to August, 2017.
I had already seen the power and the benefits of students receiving instant feedback on their work. I had spent the previous year using Google Forms to collect and instantly score student work instead of Khan Academy because Forms allowed me to easily track their progress with each submission. I had decided that I would accept late work from students because I felt that students doing work after the due date would still lead to more learning than not doing it at all. I decided that I would allow students to redo assignments in order to improve their learning. This was an easy decision to make based on my experience coding. And I also decided that I would allow students to retake tests and quizzes. The purpose of completing assignments is to learn the material and the purpose of the tests and quizzes was to assess learning. If they improved their learning after redoing assignments, I wanted to know how much and I wanted them to get credit for it.
None of the things I had changed to this point had anything specifically to do with how instruction was delivered. But I had plenty of first hand knowledge already that large scale, direct instruction still wasn't going to work. I knew that had to change as well.
One of the things about the large scale, direct instruction that I knew did not work for my students was how long it took. Listening to someone talk about and demonstrate math for extended periods of time can be difficult for people who like math. I can't imagine how excruciating it must be for students who don't particularly like it. Even when I would call on students to answer questions posed during instruction, I could tell that most everyone else would stop thinking as soon as I called a name because they knew they were off the hook. The big question I wanted an answer to was, "how can I ask these questions to each student with the expectation that they all need to answer them?" I wanted all the students to think during instruction, not just the ones I called on.The solution I came up with was to create Google Slides with the instruction included; terminology, explanations, examples, etc. But because I could add the slides to Google Classroom and create a copy for each student, each student could get their own copy of the slides that they could edit with responses to questions I asked. Every student was getting asked the same questions with the expectation that they needed to answer them. Since the content was preserved on slides, I could allow the students to work at their own pace (within reason). Students would be taking more control over their learning.
In order to make this work, I wanted my students to understand that I trusted them to work this way. That required showing them that I trusted them in other areas as well. They no longer ask my permission to use the restroom or get a drink. I only ask that they refrain from doing so during those rare occasions when I am doing large scale, direct instruction. They're allowed to check their phones. If a student is spending too much time on their phone I let them know and get them back on task.
When you assume that students want to learn and create the environment for them do so, implicit in that assumption is the belief that students can and often do manage their own time. They still need guidance from time to time, but in order for students to learn how to make better decisions, they need to be put in positions where they make their own decisions. Mistakes are discussed and only disciplined when warranted. Do students still get off task from time to time? Of course. But now when I get them back on task I'm not interrupting whole class instruction to do so.
"If you want big changes, change big things."
When I was first developing the presentation I was thinking about this being the quote. This would be the quote that everyone tweeted out or shared with their colleagues or made their email signature. And you have to admit, it has the potential. It seems obviously true but that truth also seems a little elusive. Like it’s so true that we’ve all somehow missed it’s obvious truth. It has “truthiness.” But there’s a problem; it’s crap. Changing “big” things isn’t sufficient to usher in the types of changes you may be looking for.
If the things that most influence student learning remain unchanged, you won’t see big changes. Processes have to change. Routines have to change. Expectations have to change. Assumptions have to change.
"If you want big changes, change important things."
Now I walk around the room as students work answering questions or providing assistance only when asked. I can walk around the room and listen to students discussing their thinking with others. I can hear the conversations they are having with their classmates about how they approached specific problems and how they can correct their mistakes.
Technology plays a role in each of the changes I made. Because the typical workflow is much faster now, I actually have more time than I used to. Whether I am the sage on the stage, the guide on the side, or the guru in the seat next to you, in the end, I am a classroom resource and the students decide how they want to use me each day.
I used to stand at the front of the room doing my job, watching the students sit there with nothing to do. Now, I often find myself standing at the back of the room waiting for something to do while watching my students do their jobs.
And that's how I flipped my classroom in all the ways that matter.
When I was first developing the presentation I was thinking about this being the quote. This would be the quote that everyone tweeted out or shared with their colleagues or made their email signature. And you have to admit, it has the potential. It seems obviously true but that truth also seems a little elusive. Like it’s so true that we’ve all somehow missed it’s obvious truth. It has “truthiness.” But there’s a problem; it’s crap. Changing “big” things isn’t sufficient to usher in the types of changes you may be looking for.
If the things that most influence student learning remain unchanged, you won’t see big changes. Processes have to change. Routines have to change. Expectations have to change. Assumptions have to change.
"If you want big changes, change important things."
Now I walk around the room as students work answering questions or providing assistance only when asked. I can walk around the room and listen to students discussing their thinking with others. I can hear the conversations they are having with their classmates about how they approached specific problems and how they can correct their mistakes.Technology plays a role in each of the changes I made. Because the typical workflow is much faster now, I actually have more time than I used to. Whether I am the sage on the stage, the guide on the side, or the guru in the seat next to you, in the end, I am a classroom resource and the students decide how they want to use me each day.
I used to stand at the front of the room doing my job, watching the students sit there with nothing to do. Now, I often find myself standing at the back of the room waiting for something to do while watching my students do their jobs.
And that's how I flipped my classroom in all the ways that matter.
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