Flipped Learning - a retrospective look

Flipped learning is a popular way of providing opportunities for students to learn.  I was looking through some of my notes on flipping and came across these examples that I had used in my teaching practice.  I thought it was worth sharing again.

Ways in which I have used flipped learning.

Trialling of different approaches.

1. Using flipped learning for staff PD. Using Techsmith’s Jing (free for 5 minute videos)  or Snagit software (about $30 for a download of this software from Techsmith), I have made videos for professional development of staff and posted them in a Myportfolio group or onto youtube as many of the flippers do.  This enables the staff to access the content of professional development 24/7.  PD as and when it is needed, just in time PD.  I can also post these videos to youtube and they can be accessed directly from there.  My example is shown here.
2. Giving instruction on a virtual field trip. Using the same software, so that students who miss out on the field trips through any absence, also have the chance to catch up by using the videos posted on youtube has been a successful method of delivery of content. My example is shown here.
3. Instructional videos for practicals I have made and posted these to our learning management system - Moodle (embedding them, using youtube) so that students can refer to them when carrying out these tasks.  This is also extremely useful when I have been absent and a reliever has been in class. Example for giving instructions like this is here.
4. Involving students in filming the videos.  Students can also be involved in videoing this instruction, so it is not onerous for the teacher to make.  My example of a video made by a student is at this link.
5. Ask students to create videos.  This really can show their understanding and they can also be posted on the learning management system so that they can use them to study or revise from.  This is particularly effective as the student takes ownership of the video and is keen to establish correct facts to learn from later.  My example is shown here. (My year 11 Maori boys class)

Use software to enhance videos. (Students or teachers)  Standards software like Jing will just record and allow basic editing for 5 minute videos.  An upgrade to Snagit will allow you to use some editing tools to enhance your videos. Camtasia is a full editing and enhancing programme ($200 for teachers).  Note that there is other free software to enhance the videos, for example one called Bubblr which gives you the ability to add short quizzes to youtube videos, or Presentationtube which allows you to generate videos from your Powerpoint presentations.  CollaborizeClassroom.com is also useful for engagement and teachers can track responses, and students can collaborate on responses to videos.  I have also used the Educreations app on the ipad.

eportfolios - why, how and what?

This afternoon I am presenting a webinar on eportfolios hosted by Enabling e-learning.  These are my thoughts around this topic.
WHY:  It is important to decide the purpose for which you are keeping an eportfolio. There are three main types of portfolios: - showcase portfolios, process portfolios and accountability portfolios. An educator may construct an eportfolio for any one of those reasons, and in fact, it could be all three.

An educator may be keeping a record of their best work for a CV with the purpose in mind of applying for a new job.  This is called a showcase portfolio.

Alternatively, they may be keeping a record of their inquiry which is a learning journey or process eportfolio.




Or they may be wanting to keep and present evidence for the purposes of accountability , either for the practising teacher criteria or appraisal, which may include goal setting.

An electronic portfolio is best constructed keeping in mind the concepts of "COLLECT, SELECT, REFLECT, and PROJECT" (Burke, Fogarty and Belgrade, 1994).  The process is well explained by Nick Rate in his slide show - eportfolios - the story so far.  Whatever the reason for your eportfolio, make it part of your regular practice - embed it into your every day teaching life.

Why have a cloud based digital portfolio?  Because the dog cannot eat it, it cannot be burnt in a fire or lost by the boss.  It can be constructed from multimedia artefacts like video, sound and images gathered essily by cameras, ipads, microphones and smart phones.   It can be shared easily with the right people.

Putting an eportfolio together has a very positive outcome, because when we reflect, we learn.  John Dewey is famously quoted for his words - "we do not learn from experience, we learn from relecting on experience".  Robert Manzano calles reflection the final step in a comprehensive approach to actively processing information.  It allows you to order and check the validity of your thoughts.  It is essential for teaching as inquiry, to allow you to decide your next steps and goals.  Morevoer,  when you share your reflections, it allows others to critique, provide feedback and feedforward.  Reflection is the sign of a lifelong learner.

HOW:  Some options for putting together your eportfolio are as follows.

1. Myportfolio is the Ministry of Education funded software for building an eportfolio for students and teachers.  It has a lot of functionality because it is Mahara software specifically designed for  eportfolios.  It is easy to journal, write a CV, add a variety of content and then select from the content what you wish to project to others.   You can sign on easily as long as your school is registered for its use.  Some teachers have found this platform clunky.  Personally I love it, but in saying that, I think you need a certain amount of confidence and/ or competence in using the software, so it is not the easiest platform for beginners.  However, it is constantly being improved and made more user-friendly and there is a lot of help available.
2. Websites - the most commonly used around New Zealand are Google Sites but Weebley Sites are also reasonably popular.  They are a more generic kind of platform as they can be used for a variety of purposes but they are also suited well to eportfolios.  I have made a google site template for the gathering of evidence for the practising teacher criteria and also a couple of videos to help you on your way. Video 1 and video 2.  You can set up a page to write a journal when you create a new page by selecting "Announcements" as the type of page.  This will allow people to comment.  
3. Blogging - blogging is becoming more and more popular because it is easy to collect artefacts as part of your daily practice.  Your entries are all dated, and you can label each post as you go, or even later.  It then makes it really easy to select or search for all of the evidence of good practice that you have collected around each of the practising teacher criteria or Tataiako or Pasifika Education Plan actions, or indeed the indicators of Success for All.    What is more, certainly if you use Blogger, you can use your phone at the end of each day or lesson to voice record direct into your blog using the Blogger app and the speech to text function, along with a few photographs and videos. Blogging makes it really easy to embed the collection of artefacts into your daily practice.

WHAT:  This depends on your purpose, but it is important that you have looked at what you and your school have decided are examples of good practice.  Sometimes it is examples of effective pedagogy from the New Zealand Curriculum pages 34-36.  When collecting for the Practising Teacher Criteria for re-registration, I would present sufficient evidence of your good practice using the practising teacher criteria or Tataiako or Pasifika Education Plan actions, and the indicators of Success for All.

There are excellent examples of PRCs using elearning on the enabling elearning site.

Finally, my tips, barriers and considerations

Tips	Barriers	Considerations
Collect (especially) photographic evidence of good teaching practice as part of your everyday practice Reflect often Using a blog easiest Tag/label your blog Video yourself in class and self evaluate with a peer Present digital evidence to your appraiser for regular feedback	Lack of evidence Forgetting to take photos, collect media Not realising that your evidence can apply to several PTCs, or Tataiako, Pasifika Education Plan or Success for All indicators Lack of regular reflection Making it into a huge task instead of embedding it in your practice	Try story hui as a way of recording your inquiry Everything can be recorded digitally Write up your inquiry only and then tag it with each of the PTCs and Tataiako - what is missing?   Inquiry is spiral not circle

Do you hate the term 21st Century Pedagogy?

I have recently heard quite a few comments about the detesting of the term 21st Century pedagogy.  I heard it said twice in the last week.

I have a different viewpoint.  I quite like the term, because it gives a clear line in the sand.  The 20th Century finished at the beginning of the year 2000, and yet we still have numerous examples of 20th century pedagogy in New Zealand schools.  The change to a very different paradigm of education has been painful and slow for many teachers and leaders caught up in the day to day demands of "teaching."  

I believe the situation is quite complex, requiring firstly a change in vision for schools.  Which means a principal willing to promote the changes needed, a shift of thought in the communities that they live in (many parents wanting their children to be educated in the same excellent way that they were and applying pressure to the principals and educators to continue in the old ways.)  As well as new tools to use, the teachers also need to come to grips with different ways of teaching (assuming that teaching means the enabling of learning).

So back to the "21st Century Pedagogy" term.  There is no doubt that pedagogy will evolve over the next 100 years but the term indicates very clearly to educators that there should have been an uncomfortable and major shift in their practice.  If you haven't felt that disruption in the way you think, act and practise in the classroom, then you are behind the eight ball and should do some serious professional development immediately.