In this review, I will be reviewing the fourth chapter of the book Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day by Jonathan Bergman and Aaron Sams. This book was written by two Colorado educators: Bergman, recipient of the Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching in 2002, and Sams, recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence for Math and Science Teaching in 2009. The two teachers taught high school chemistry together using the flipped classroom model, and have written this book as a guide for teachers who want to use the flipped classroom.
Chapter 4 serves as a how to guide for teachers wanting to begin flipping their classrooms. The chapter covers choosing or making videos, recommended technology and equipment, stages in making a video, making videos students will love, and how to use class time in the flipped classroom model. The authors suggest that teachers should only make videos if they feel comfortable doing so, and cannot find what they need elsewher. They warn not to use "technology for technolgy's sake" (Bergman, pg. 36). When making a video, they suggest using Camstasia Studio which captrues the teachers computer scree, voice, face, and pen annotations. They also warn that doing this may be time consuming and suggest spending a year recording each lesson of live direct instruction to build a library that can be used in the future. When it comes to making pen annotations, the authors suggest using the Wacom Bamboo tablet for its compromise between quality and affordability. Bergman and Sams lay out four stages to making a video: planning the lesson, recording the video, editing the video, and then publishing the video (Bergman, pg. 41). According to the authors, planning the video is very important. They suggest using a script to keep videos on pace and concise. They add, "The more comples your final video product will be, the more you need to plan (Bergman, pg. 41). When recording the video, the authors say that it is as simple as pressing record and executing your plan. They give the tip that having two teachers conversing in the video has been helpful for them as it is more interesting. They make the argument "Not often do you listen to a radio show and hear only one voice talking" (Bergman, pg. 45). When editing the video, the authors say that this can consume a lot of time if the teacher allows. They warn that their rule of thumb is "Do I need this video perfect, or do I need it Tuesday" (Bergman, pg. 43). When publishing the video, the teachers offer the tip that besides posting the videos on the internet, teachers can also burn them on DVD's for students lacking internet access. Next the Bergman and Sams describe how to make videos students will love. They advise to keep videos short because we are teaching to the "YouTube generation" who "want things in bite-sized pieces" (Bergman, pg. 44). They also add that animating your voice, adding humor, and making your video with another teacher help to keep students' attention and interest. Finally, the authors discuss how to use class time. They say that despite the flipped classroom being known for students consuming the lecture outside of class, "The greatest benefit to any flipped classroom is not the videos. It's the in-class time that every teacher must evaluate and redesign" (Bergman, pg. 47). Since class time is not being eaten up by direct instruction, students can spend class time problem solving meaningful problems. In foreign language classes, the authors say, "This includes having more conversation, reading literature, and writing stories, all in the target language" (Bergman, pg. 48). In mathematics "Flipped math classes are becoming laboratories of computational thinking, inquiry, and connectedness with other STEM areas" (Bergman, pg 48). They add that in social science courses, "There is more time to debate, give speeches, conduct pro se court, and discuss what students are learning more deeply" (Bergman, pg. 49). My Thoughts Although this chapter does not reference any research, it is nice to have the teachers' perspectives who have taught using the flipped classroom. Since this is something I would like to try based on the research, this chapter will greatly influence how I go about flipping my classroom. References Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip Your Classroom : Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day. Eugene, US: ISTE. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
2 Comments
Alex Gardner
1/9/2017 11:45:18 am
Hi Taylor,
Reply
Alex Gardner
1/9/2017 11:46:46 am
Hello Taylor,
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2017
Categories |