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So ... let's talk about the in-class flip

7/8/2016

4 Comments

 
        I think this is one of the biggest fault lines in the #flipclass community.  
        Some adamant advocates insist that students should watch the videos during class time. Last Monday, one of these disciples published on her blog "3 Arguments in Favor of the In-class Flip".  I appreciate and accept many of Catlin Tucker's educational ideas, but I personally disagree with her apparent preference for in-class flipping: using at-school time for students to watch the video lessons, instead of learning from them as homework outside the classroom.  Maybe this is the right choice for you -- if many students are economically disadvantaged, and their personal computer/cell-phone access is limited or nonexistent.  In that case, of course it is unfair and unrealistic to require video-watching as homework.  
        However, Ms. Tucker characterizes the in-class flip as a superior model;  I see this method as a circumstantial compromise.  Perhaps we have different definitions of flipping:

"The original intention of the flipped classroom was to allow students some control over the time, place, and pace of their learning."  
--
Catlin Tucker
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     My colleague and I had other 'original intentions' for flipping instruction:
  • to simplify and standardize our delivery of the essential content and skills...
  • ... and thereby give each student a strong foundation on which to build deeper comprehension
  • to make homework tasks more meaningful, manageable, accessible (and hopefully less frequent)...
  • ... and give more in-class assistance with the 'hard stuff' like research and reading primary sources
  • to break away from the tyranny of the history textbook...
  • ... and avoid the trap of in-class lecture/Powerpoint/worksheet teaching
  • to improve our approach for students on IEPs and 504 plans (~30% of our classes)...
  • ... and facilitate better integration with special education staff for modifications & content preview
 
     My four Social Studies classes meet daily for 48 minutes (only 40 on Tuesdays).  Every classroom minute is precious for me to assess students' understanding, to help them "with the hard stuff" as Bergmann & Sams say, to facilitate interpersonal relationships, and just to maintain routines.  This is why I flip.

     Another issue: I do not work at a 1:1 or BYOD school.  All the in-class flippers that I know teach in a computer room, or their students have school-provided iPads or laptops.  In my middle school, laptop cart access is usually possible and we are luckier than many school districts, but availability is first-come-first-served.  Logistically, we cannot plan our curriculum and instruction around the in-class flip. Many of you couldn't do that either.  
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A snapshot of the GoogleDoc we use to reserve a lab or cart. I know we are very lucky to have this many options!! Still, the carts must be moved around the building, and some days every column is filled with reservations.
     4 key areas where I can agree with Catlin Tucker:
  1. She writes, "the magic is what happens in the classroom when the time created by shifting the transfer of information online is used to engage students in collaborative application and practice." Absolutely! Yes! No argument here!
  2. In-class flipping (or rather "supervised flipping") may be a solid strategy for September, to help students use the video lessons properly.  If you can get a computer lab or laptop cart, observe your students as they watch. Are they taking notes? Do they stop/rewind?  I addressed some common problems in my "How to Watch Videos" tutorial last summer, based on some occasional observations of students in the school library.  You could get a headstart with (limit) in-class flipping!
  3. When students can pause and replay the video lesson, that power definitely helps them to absorb the information more effectively than in-person lectures or simultaneously watching on a projector screen. Again, this is why we flip.
  4. Ms Tucker's classroom-center rotation model is an intriguing idea, which requires fewer devices but demands more complex management. I found another article here about the same concept. Not something I have tried, but could be helpful for beginners and elementary teachers.

      I am not trying to start a #flipclass civil war, but we need to acknowledge some potential flaws with the in-class flip method.  I believe it should be viewed as a compromise approach, a Plan B or Plan C to work around technological inequity.  Students should not come to school to look at a screen for a large part of their day. That is not what they need me to provide.
      If I am missing something, please comment below!
4 Comments
Crystal Kirch link
7/8/2016 02:31:20 pm

Andrew,
I really appreciate this post. I, too, have felt the "no homework" camp push into the #flipclass space in a way that isn't necessarily effective for ALL classrooms. If my Math Analysis students always watched the videos in class, there is NO WAY we would have been able to have the discussions, activities, support, etc that we did. My goal was that class time was so engaging and helpful that students WANTED to watch the videos outside of class so they had more time in class to learn, engage, participate, collaborate, etc. I don't think homework is a bad thing, if it's meaningful and purposeful [I know this statement is totally against a lot of vocal educators' philosophies right now, but it's what I believe!].
I used an in-class flip for my low-level class my last year flipping. It was a new course (transitioning to common core), so I didn't have a video library made and was trying to figure things out. It seemed to work well for that group of kids (lots of EL, Special Ed, etc). However, after that first year I left the classroom for my current position as a coach and didn't really get to explore new tweaks to the model. I don't know what I would have done with a second year of that, if I would have continued with the "in-class" or done a modified version (some videos out of class, some still in class).

Regardless, I like that you say, "Maybe this <is> the right choice for <you>" - it reminds us that every classroom is different, every teacher is different, and it's important to not place judgments on each other because when it comes down to it, we are all doing our best to help our students succeed in our content area.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Reply
Andrew Swan
7/9/2016 07:51:39 am

Wow, I am honored by your praise (and just knowing my little blog exists!). And I'm glad you agree that flipping needs to look differently for teachers' circumstances. The right choice is the best fit.

I got a big nudge down the path to flipping from my wife, who is philosophically anti-homework. When I complained about students' performance on assignments, she zapped me with questions like "Did you *have* to assign that?" or "Was it necessary for what you did in class?" Sometimes she was right: the homework was busy work and/or disconnected from the in-class experiences. Now she agrees that my once or twice a week video HW is meaningful and purposeful. My wife even approved this blog post! :)

I'm intrigued by the experience with the low-level class you mentioned. It sounds like you're curious too about how that turned out! I plan to strategize more effectively with next year's special ed staff about when/where/how those students should be watching the homework videos.

Reply
Chrystal Abbott
8/9/2016 12:10:36 am

I too am intrigued by the in class flip for low level or sped classes. It's something that I've been going back and forth with all summer... My grade level and honors students did great with the flip, but my low level class was hit-or-miss. I just found your blog and I appreciate the time you've taken to put your experiences out there for us to learn from!

Reply
Andrew
8/9/2016 06:24:04 pm

Thank you big time for checking in, Chrystal! I think there could be many reasons why certain students performed inconsistently. It seems like you have a separate "low-level" section, right? How many support staff do you work with? Have they bought in to flipping? Do they understand how to help students learn from that format? I have had a wide variety of adult assistance; some are more disorganized and disengaged than the students!

With my slightly different caseload this year, I plan to put more attention and focus into how flipping works for students with disabilities and other barriers to learning (absenteeism, broken homes, etc.). Please keep in touch, because we're on the same team! :)

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    Who is this flipping guy?!

       Andrew Swan has survived 20 full years of teaching middle school (currently grade 8 US Civics/Government in a Boston suburb). Previously he taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English, US History, geography, and ancient history in Massachusetts and Maine. 
      For the past 7 years, Andrew has flipped nearly all his direct instruction to give more class time for simulations, deep discussions, analyzing primary sources, etc. ... and also to promote mastery for students at all levels.
      His wonderful wife and his 2 high school-age children indulge Andrew's blogging, tweeting, & other behaviors. These include co-moderating the #sschat Twitter sessions and Facebook page. 
      ​Andrew does not always refer to himself in the third-person. 

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