Flipped Classrooms
In general, flipped classrooms focus on switching class time
into opportunities for students to engage with one another and the assignments while
watching videos of the lectures outside of class. There are very loose
definitions which fluctuate based on who is leading the instruction and the
students involved. A lot of higher education programs are moving towards flipped
classrooms. I’m skeptical of flipped classrooms for students and teachers both.
The results for my future students as a special educator are mixed. The option
to watch the lecture multiple times, go at their own pace, pause, rewind, etc.
would be highly beneficial. Yet at the same time, it would be hard to ensure
that students actually do listen to the lecture outside and have a solid
understanding of the material because additional explanations aren’t necessary
factored in. Students who are organized, responsible and can learn more independently
will likely love this style, but I don’t know if that group is large enough.
Interactive Whiteboards
It’s very common now to see at least one interactive
whiteboard (IWB) in a school, if not in every classroom. This topic is very pertinent
to me as a future educator, but often times the decision isn’t up to the
teacher whether or not to have an IWB. I feel this is a growing trend with more
and more schools buying into them, but without an effect on student interaction
with content. In most cases, I think that IWBs are glorified projectors. I’m
skeptical about them because I don’t feel that they are used at full capacity,
which many of us are unaware of. It would be exciting to have one in my future
room, and my students would likely benefit only if I were using it efficiently.
The students that benefit from IWB will benefit solely because of the educators
use of it, not just because it’s there.
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI agree IWB would only benefit students if teachers use them properly, but I am still skeptical about them. They always seem to be broken, and my y5's-2nd graders had trouble using the board because they either could not reach every interactive piece shown on the board or they would place both of their hands on the board, messing up the writing. Ultimately, I think not being able to have two people write on the board at once will waste classroom time. I remember writing next to several peers on the whiteboard at the same time in elementary school to save time and to keep us more engaged in the lesson. This option is taken away with the use of IWBs.
Taren, great point about the shorter students not being able to reach everything. Both of my placements have been with 7/8 and now 9-12 so I haven't experienced that, so I didn't reflect on that but that's so very true. I do agree in that only have one person being able to interact with the IWB is a negative, it almost slows down the flow of the lesson and could potentially make more students lose focus. Great points, thanks for the comments!
DeleteI went to the CEC conference today and there was an interactive whiteboard that could be lowered up and down (meant for students in wheelchairs but short students would benefit too) and could recognize an accidental from an intentional touch. The person showing it off was really proud of it!
DeleteGreat point, given that IWBs are generally sought after by elementary teachers. Lots of wasted space on an IWB fixed to a standard whiteboard. Great idea on the movable one.
DeleteMegan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about being worried about a flipped classroom. Students with ADHD may struggle with this concept and others with emotional impairments may feel like this is pointless to them. I have found that trying to use power points in my student's math class, they are not focused and often do not obtain the necessary information. I also agree that trying to use the interactive white boards are glorified projectors, however, I did not realize that some teachers were expected to use them. I think they can be useful if used correctly, but often times, like you said, they usually are not.
Totally agree with the students you think would struggle with flipped classrooms. When I had to take one at Grand Valley I struggled, which I feel like only further demonstrated how our students could struggle too. I think there is a balance with IWB, but I'm not sure that we've found it or are even close to finding it! Thanks for you comments.
DeleteI struggle with using power points in my placement as well. I feel like I use them more as a guide for me to make sure I hit all of the points than for my students. Honestly, I have been lesson planning via google slides. I write what I want to say in depth in the comments section, bullet point student info, and create slides that let students know an activity will take place now. Then when I feel good about the power point, I plug it into a lesson plan format to make sure I covered all the necessary steps. The power points are more useful to me, not the students. Have you guys found that as well?
DeleteDo you, or would you, consider giving students online access (conversely, printing out the slides AND notes)?
DeleteTaren, I haven't taught using powerpoints so I can't really say! But I could definitely see how the teacher could benefit by using it as a guide or reminder of what they wanted to cover!
ReplyDelete