Flipped Classrooms

     Most teachers are used to giving lectures. This means that information is distributed evenly for all students. This teaching technique has being implemented in schools for years. It may be considered the right way to teach. Yet, there are others who have come to change this view.
     Times are changing, so is our society and the way we communicate with others. Technology is also taking a major role in our lives and the way we communicate. Teaching is a way of communication. It is a way a teacher shares information about anything to the students. Therefore, everything that affects communication affects teaching too.
     In my last post I talked about TPACK. I explained what it is and how technology can be applied in the classroom. This time I would like to talk about a new teaching model called Flipped Classrooms. This new model also involves the use of technology.
     A flipped classroom is one in which the teacher assigns lectures and/or videos for the students to watch at home. Along with these, a series of quizzes help the students see if they understood the concept. In this phase of the homework, the students are able to evaluate their understanding of the lecture. In case they did not understand a concept, they are able to watch the lecture again, pause it, or press forward to key points. This helps students who are fast and slow learners to study and learn the concepts at their own pace.
     All of these activities are done at home. The next day, children to go to school to apply what they learned from the lecture. The teacher might have some activities or projects so students can apply what they know, test themselves, and receive immediate feedback from the teacher. The teacher benefits by knowing where their students are at and where they need help.
     Teachers who are using this teaching method provide an interactive atmosphere in the classroom. Children are able to socialize, discuss, experiment, discover, get guidance from the teacher, and many other things. This type of classroom helps those students who are visual learners, those who learn doing hands-on activities, and all other types of learning styles.
      The way I would use this idea of Flipped Classrooms would depend on the grade I am teaching and the topic we are learning about. I do not think that this method could be used for all topics. Nevertheless, I think I would try to find ways to incorporate it in my classroom.
     After learning about Flipped Classrooms I was very excited to plan an activity. This could be an activity for first graders. For example, we are learning about volcanoes. For homework I might ask them to watch these videos about volcanoes and plate tectonics.



 

 

 



     Then, in the classroom we might discuss what they learned about volcanoes and how they form. We might have group activities and a project. The project would be making our own volcano. Other assignments might be quizzes to see if they learned the concept well.

This is an example of how I would use the concept of Flipped Classrooms in my teaching.

 

 

Other Resources and Information on Flipped Classrooms

 



-Technology in the Flipped Classroom

-Learning From The Flipped Classroom

-Flipping The Classroom

Important Best Practices For Technology in Education

Over the years, the way teachers educate their students has changed. One of the factors that has influenced a change in education is technology. The implementation of it has been adapted little by little. There was a time when books, pencils, colors, and notebooks were the main resources for teachers and students. Years later, other tools like the typewriter and the computer came to revolutionize classrooms. With the computer came other more sophisticated tools and programs. All of these have influenced teachers on transforming the way classrooms work today. Without noticing it, technology has shaped the way some teachers approach their students and parents,how assessments are done, and even how children unfold in the learning community.

Along with innovation came the responsibility of using the available technological tools in a proper manner.
The idea of best practices for technology in education involves the implementation of technology in beneficial ways for students and teachers. The article Best Practices in Education Technology by Charles Fadel offers a detailed list of techniques used by some teachers around the globe that are revolutionizing the way students learn. According to this article, there are different tools being used for taking education to a new level. The best way technology is being implemented in schools is as a support for learning. Rafi.ki and NotSchool are two of them. The first brings together a community of learners around the world to learn about local and global issues. This enables learners to be aware of diversity and appreciate different point of views. NotSchool is being implemented as a way to reengage students and places them as researchers and administrators of their own learning. These two approaches, and many others mentioned in the article, are "challenging traditional school structures".  In other practices mentioned in the article, the teacher becomes the guide and even a co-learner with the students. Some of these practices focus on collaboration and participation, as well as helping students take control over their own learning. This could benefit students by helping them feel self-sufficient. It can also work as a way to let students know how to take advantage of the technological tools that this society provides for them. That way, they will be equipped with the ability to become independent and self-sufficient. The idea of all of these practices is to reinvent the way we teach our students by making technology a huge part of it.

 "The future may hold less fitting technology to existing systems of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment,
and more transforming education."(Charles Fadel, Best Practices in Education. 2010)

Best Practices in Education Technology
Information on NotSchool
Not School Video

What Is TPACK?

The concept of TPACK derives from the idea that technology, pedagogy, and content can work together. The interaction between these three occurs in a specific context, thus outcomes will vary in each classroom. This interaction of teacher’s knowledge can result in the appropriate implementation of the three to create a unique experience for students. TPACK is also the result of extensive research based on Lee Shulman's concept of Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Matt Koehler and Punya Mishra added technology to this idea and expanded it to create TPACK. 

TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. The result of adding technology to the previous concept extends the possibilities for a rich and vast classroom experience. Because technology surrounds almost all of us, teachers must learn to take advantage of it to incorporate it as a teaching technique. This is part of TPACK’s goal of understanding how technology, pedagogy, and content interrelate. 

To understand how these three types of knowledge work together, we must know what each mean. Technological Knowledge refers to teacher’s ability with technological tools. This idea includes the tools a teacher might need to implement them in any lesson. These might include laptops, IPads, cameras, and smart tables to name a few. In addition, other resources such as Google Earth, word processors, or any other software can be useful. The use of technology will enable the teacher to help the students understand the lesson easily.

In addition to Technological Knowledge, there is Pedagogical Knowledge. This refers to theories and methods of instruction. Pedagogy is how teachers implement each lesson. This include if the lesson will be in the form of a debate, a group discussion, or with direct instruction to name a few. It is here where teachers demonstrate and apply what they know about how their students learn and how to address it. 

The third type of knowledge is Content Knowledge. It refers to the subject matter. This is where teachers need to identify the purpose of their lesson. In addition, it involves the implementation of learning standards and the goal of the activity. Content includes knowing about the subject such as Math and Science, as well as other concept, theories, ideas, and approaches to use.

As these three types of knowledge connect and interact with each other, new types are created. These are Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). PCK refers to how teachers represent the subject matter in a way that adapts it to student’s needs and knowledge. For example, a teacher arranging a science activity by groups of four. She takes in consideration the pedagogy (work in groups) and the content (Science). 

TCK occurs when technology is applied to change the subject matter. For example, a teacher using Google Earth so students learn about the relation of the location of mountains and the interaction of tectonic plates. TPK is an understanding of how we can take advantage of technology to use it in particular ways. The result of the interaction of all three types of knowledge is TPACK. It is the representation of all three working together. Matthew Koehler and Punya Mishra describe it as a way in which all three are equally important and interactive.

For me, TPACK is a unique understanding of how knowledge must be seen as interactive rather than isolated. It is a way to bring all previous knowledge together and enhance them with the use of technology. Technology surrounds us more and more every day. As teachers, we need to be informed and well prepared to take advantage of any innovation. This will benefit our students by preparing them for using them in the future.

If teachers know how the three types of knowledge interact, they will easily identify ways to implement them in their classroom. Teachers need to be aware of all the different tools to which they have access. This will enable them to mold those tools, combine them with their own content and pedagogy, and create a unique learning environment for their students. An easy way to know which technology to use is to learn about new technological trends. In addition, about ways other teachers use them. This will give them an idea of what other students are having access to and implement them in their own classroom. 

Resources:

Image of what is TPACK
TPACK explanation in two minutes

What I hope to get out of this course

I was first introduced to a computer in my first grade classroom. This device has enabled me to create almost anything I can think about with less effort than using any other tools. I have used it to do homework, projects, crafts, presentations, edit pictures, and even create databases to record information. All of this has helped me see that computers are devices that can be manipulated to fit our needs. The key for this is to understand how it works and how we can use it.

The computer was the first educational technology device I used. After it, I was introduced to more tools like projectors, tablets, laptops, and smart boards. All of these have also helped me with school and personal projects. Although I have some experience with technology, I hope that this class helps me expand my knowledge. I would like to know more about other tools that will enable me to enrich the activates I plan for my students. Today’s world is evolving at an accelerated pace. Technology is all around us and we need to start feeling comfortable with it. That is why I hope to learn everything I can about technological trends implemented in other classrooms. I would also like to learn about a software that will help me as a teacher to keep track of my student's progress.
Another thing I would like to learn about is how to utilize a smart board in the classroom. I think that this tool is very beneficial to the teacher and the students. It can be helpful to expand the children's curriculum by exploring topics that might interest them. For example, when learning about cultures there might be some children who will learn better by watching a video or looking at maps, pictures, and many other things that can be accomplished with the smart board. These are some of my expectations and what I hope to get out of this course. This is the first class I am taking about how to implement technology in the classroom. I am feeling very excited and eager to learn everything I can.

Other resources:

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•            The Ten Biggest Trends in Ed Tech http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/12/13/the-10-biggest-trends-in-ed-tech.aspx?m=2

(This website will give you a good introductory report about current educational technologies used in US classrooms).

• NMC Horizon Project Short List http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-k12-shortlist.pdf

(This list of projects may resemble the list of trends mentioned in the previous link but it explains each of them more broadly).

•        Smart Board-Elementary Educatiion http://youtu.be/lCfmJCSAG70

(This video shows the implementation of the smart board in an elementary classroom. Children are able to interact, engage, and learn using this technological tool).