Blog
May 16, 2018

6 easy steps for flipping your classroom


May 16, 2018
 / 
Gary Falcon
 / 
Featured image for “6 easy steps for flipping your classroom”

The way we learn today is incredibly different than previous generations. With the internet at our fingertips, we’ve got unlimited access to most, if not all, of the information that exists. Today’s students are definitely influenced by this move toward self-directed learning, which likely accounts for the rise in popularity of flipped classrooms.

In case you’re not familiar, flipped classrooms are a form of blended learning where teachers use recorded video lectures and other resources to deliver information to students outside of class, freeing up class time for projects, practice, and individualized assistance. If you’re ready to jump in and get started, TeachThought’s Josh Corbat has 6 tips for making your transition successful:

  • Decide which technology to use. The videos you make for your class don’t have to be cinematic masterpieces. You can go as simple as recording yourself talking with your cell phone camera or as complicated as filming multiple things with a video camera and cutting them together with video editing software. It isn’t as important how you make your videos as it is that you are comfortable with your method and able to let your personality shine.
  • What video service will you use to host your videos? There are many different video hosting services to choose from, although YouTube is the most popular. One advantage of hosting your videos on YouTube is that your students are likely already using it in their personal lives, so there won’t be much of a challenge for them to view your videos.
  • Make your videos. Make sure you decide ahead of time how long your videos should be and how much time you want your students to spend watching them each night. Corbat was able to condense his 40-minute lectures into 15-minute videos once the classroom disruptions were taken out. If given the option, aim for shorter, rather than longer so you don’t lose students with short attention spans or who are watching on their phones or tablets.
  • Ensure your students are watching the videos. Whether it is a quiz on the material, collecting their notes on the video, or some other method, it is important to take some kind of action to make sure students are actually viewing your videos. Just like there are students who never turn in homework in a traditional class, you’ll have students who don’t watch the videos sometimes, but having some kind of check in place will be helpful if parents question your methods. Having a learning management system like Twine makes these checkpoints easy, with quizzes or other assignments built right in near where the videos are posted.
  • Stay on top of things. Don’t let your videos get away from you or run out of things for your students to watch. Getting the first year’s worth done will make next year a lot easier, but it is crucial to make time for these videos now – if you slip up, it will be detrimental to your students’ routines.
  • Enjoy the outcome of your hard work. Flipping your classroom allows you to spend class time doing fun activities, helping students who need it, and working through projects. It also allows students who miss class to catch up on their work more easily and for parents and other teachers or staff to see what you’re doing each day.

At Twine, we are excited about helping schools, passionate about transforming learning and focused on improving student achievement. We are proud to provide technology solutions that help schools achieve their goals. Want to know more about what type of school management software might work for your school? Please download your checklist.

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