Thanks to everyone who attended the Flipped for Fluency webinar courtesy of www.sophia.org on November 13. As promised, here is the link to that webinar. If you missed it live, please check it out. I would love any feedback you could give me in the form below.
Thanks
Heather
Showing posts with label how to flip your class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to flip your class. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Conquering the challenges
The last few weeks have been busy weeks in my classroom. Here is a quick recap:
Unit 1, Challenges in Teen Life proficiency assessment (culminating project for the unit - found in important docs) was a mixed bag. In many ways it was a success because the students all worked together to create a project in the target language. They worked over the course of the unit, but the last two weeks were the most intense. It was great to see the students working together, watching other commercials in the target language and creating posters, PowerPoints and videos.
As with most big projects, I realized at the end that I need to explain a few things better. I told them to create "campaigns" for the teen problem, such as "Don't Drink and Drive". However from many I got something that more closely resembled a report on drunk driving. Clearly I need to include a "slogan" portion of the assignment and we should watch examples of these types of commercials before they begin working. Sometimes, explanation just isn't enough. Overall, they were good, and they chose great teen issues and learned tons of Spanish. Next year, I just need to help them a little more with what I am envisioning. I need to give them choices, but still show more examples of what I think it should look like.
On to Unit 2, Fairy Tales and Legends! This is always a popular unit. Again, since the Spanish 2 teacher gave overviews of some of the elements I teach in 3, I still have some students that don't want to do the video instruction, because they "know" the concepts. However, this time I changed the way I did the grammar. It is in three small parts over the course of 3 class days. So, I have had the opportunity to catch those not taking notes, fix problems with irregulars, and then the students have still had another opportunity to practice the work again.We have our first Benchmark Assessment on Monday/Tuesday, and I am hoping that this will help them to do better.
Since last week was Homecoming Week, I had given the kids short Fairy Tale skits to work on in groups, learn and then present. I make the kids memorize their lines, bring costumes, props, etc. They grumble, and some just can't do the memorization, but the skits are loads of fun, and the students really enjoy doing them and watching the other groups. It is one of the activities I never had class time to fit in, that now I can enjoy with my students.
Here are some samples of the posters I received. (Imagine them as billboards!)
Here is a link to a great video that another group of students did.
Flipped Class progress - I still feel as though this year's classes are not getting as much out of the flip as we did last year. I am adding more fun activities to help them practice, for example we did Scattegories and Speed Dating. However, I am still having trouble getting the students to open up and interact with each other and me. Too many are content to be in their own zone and try to never say a word. I have to change this....but how?? I have been thinking about it for a few weeks, and think I have finally come up with some ideas.
First, I am going move away from the word of the day for a while and give them a speaking prompt of the day. They will need to have at least five minute conversation in pairs at the beginning of every class period. I am going to make each group record their conversation on a hand held recorder. I don't know that I will listen to them all the time (or at all), but it is my experience that if the students think I am recording it they will take it more seriously. I can usually get a good feel for the conversations as I am walking around the room. As far as I am concerned, if they are in the target language and trying, that is good enough for me.
Second, in the next unit, I am moving away from the short stories and going to introduce the readers. My focus here is going to be for students not to translate every word, but to read a few lines, a paragraph, or a section, and then in their group do a quick conversation to make sure they are keeping up with the story. I want to create some type of reading log to have them keep track of this. (Not sure yet exactly what this will look like.) Last year, we began with level 2 readers, and for many of the students, they were too hard. This year, we are beginning with the level 1 readers for the majority of the students. I will start the higher level students in some of the level 2 books. (I love reading because it is so easy to differentiate!) As we have been reading the short stories, I have been talking to the students about how they felt about each of the stories, and the reading groups are almost forming themselves.
Third, we are finishing the planning of the cross-level shopping project. The upper level students will create "booths" in the plaza, and the level 1 students will "shop". One of my biggest worries for some of the upper level students is that they get so caught up in some of the more advanced vocabulary and grammar structures, that they forget how to do the simple things, like ask how much something costs. I am also hoping that these types of projects will help encourage students to continue learning the language because they will know some of the fun things that go on in the other levels and look forward to them.
Unit 1, Challenges in Teen Life proficiency assessment (culminating project for the unit - found in important docs) was a mixed bag. In many ways it was a success because the students all worked together to create a project in the target language. They worked over the course of the unit, but the last two weeks were the most intense. It was great to see the students working together, watching other commercials in the target language and creating posters, PowerPoints and videos.
As with most big projects, I realized at the end that I need to explain a few things better. I told them to create "campaigns" for the teen problem, such as "Don't Drink and Drive". However from many I got something that more closely resembled a report on drunk driving. Clearly I need to include a "slogan" portion of the assignment and we should watch examples of these types of commercials before they begin working. Sometimes, explanation just isn't enough. Overall, they were good, and they chose great teen issues and learned tons of Spanish. Next year, I just need to help them a little more with what I am envisioning. I need to give them choices, but still show more examples of what I think it should look like.
On to Unit 2, Fairy Tales and Legends! This is always a popular unit. Again, since the Spanish 2 teacher gave overviews of some of the elements I teach in 3, I still have some students that don't want to do the video instruction, because they "know" the concepts. However, this time I changed the way I did the grammar. It is in three small parts over the course of 3 class days. So, I have had the opportunity to catch those not taking notes, fix problems with irregulars, and then the students have still had another opportunity to practice the work again.We have our first Benchmark Assessment on Monday/Tuesday, and I am hoping that this will help them to do better.
Since last week was Homecoming Week, I had given the kids short Fairy Tale skits to work on in groups, learn and then present. I make the kids memorize their lines, bring costumes, props, etc. They grumble, and some just can't do the memorization, but the skits are loads of fun, and the students really enjoy doing them and watching the other groups. It is one of the activities I never had class time to fit in, that now I can enjoy with my students.
Here are some samples of the posters I received. (Imagine them as billboards!)
Here is a link to a great video that another group of students did.
Flipped Class progress - I still feel as though this year's classes are not getting as much out of the flip as we did last year. I am adding more fun activities to help them practice, for example we did Scattegories and Speed Dating. However, I am still having trouble getting the students to open up and interact with each other and me. Too many are content to be in their own zone and try to never say a word. I have to change this....but how?? I have been thinking about it for a few weeks, and think I have finally come up with some ideas.
First, I am going move away from the word of the day for a while and give them a speaking prompt of the day. They will need to have at least five minute conversation in pairs at the beginning of every class period. I am going to make each group record their conversation on a hand held recorder. I don't know that I will listen to them all the time (or at all), but it is my experience that if the students think I am recording it they will take it more seriously. I can usually get a good feel for the conversations as I am walking around the room. As far as I am concerned, if they are in the target language and trying, that is good enough for me.
Second, in the next unit, I am moving away from the short stories and going to introduce the readers. My focus here is going to be for students not to translate every word, but to read a few lines, a paragraph, or a section, and then in their group do a quick conversation to make sure they are keeping up with the story. I want to create some type of reading log to have them keep track of this. (Not sure yet exactly what this will look like.) Last year, we began with level 2 readers, and for many of the students, they were too hard. This year, we are beginning with the level 1 readers for the majority of the students. I will start the higher level students in some of the level 2 books. (I love reading because it is so easy to differentiate!) As we have been reading the short stories, I have been talking to the students about how they felt about each of the stories, and the reading groups are almost forming themselves.
Third, we are finishing the planning of the cross-level shopping project. The upper level students will create "booths" in the plaza, and the level 1 students will "shop". One of my biggest worries for some of the upper level students is that they get so caught up in some of the more advanced vocabulary and grammar structures, that they forget how to do the simple things, like ask how much something costs. I am also hoping that these types of projects will help encourage students to continue learning the language because they will know some of the fun things that go on in the other levels and look forward to them.
Friday, July 6, 2012
So you want to flip? Great resources to get you started!
In response to a number of emails I have received about getting started with the flip, I wanted to try to group some great resources all in one place so that you fledgling flippers (is there no end to the possibilities with alliteration?) have a good place to start. It takes valuable time to find the right resources, so hopefully this will save everyone time and give you the information that you need. This is a more in detail look at portions of my earlier post Steps for a successful flipped class.
Where do I find more information? Use resources like on my MentorMob Playlist or use a powerful search engine Mashpedia to find available resources. Increase (or get) a personal learning network (PLN) of educators with similar interests in goals. Check out Twitter and look at #flipclass, #flippedclass, #langchat, #edchat. Don't be afraid to follow the rock stars you find there! Publications like Tech & Learning or eSchoolNews. You can receive free subscriptions to both, and they are full of great resources and articles. If you are looking for a mini-class on flipping, check out the new Flipped Class Certification program which is a fantastic place to get the basics on flipping.
What do you use to make your videos? I use Camtasia 8 which isn't free, but has great tools that some of the free resources don't. For me, I have to have the editing capability, adjusting audio levels, have an easy way to include the webcam into my presentations, and it is super easy to create the videos in a variety of ways (including offline options) for all my students. With this new version, I can include captioning and quizzing which I am very excited to try. You can try it for free for 30 days with the link above. If you must use a free software (which I get, I am a poor teacher too!) try some of these: Jing, Screencast-o-matic, or if you are a Mac person, try using iMovie.
Where do you post your videos? I post my videos in a couple of places to try to avoid any technology issues. I do post to YouTube, even though it is currently blocked at my school, because I found students found my videos easily using their smart phones and the YouTube app (when they are using their 3G). I also post to Screencast and to Sofia because students can access both places at school easily.
What content do you offer through videos? I teach all of my grammar concepts via video. I also have students practice vocabulary with videos as well as have listening and culture videos for students to watch. I give the students practice exercises that are basic comprehension, and in class we have discussions and/or do activities to demonstrate comprehension of the material. I am revising my videos from last year and publishing links to some of them here on my blog. Check out the first, Zapatos Nuevos.
On another note, as you move through the process, I encourage you to start your own blog. Even if you don't share it (but you should), it is really a necessary part of the process to take time to reflect on what has worked, what didn't, and most importantly you can see where you need to make adjustments for next year.
As always, comment or email me with questions and I will do everything I can to help you!
Where do I find more information? Use resources like on my MentorMob Playlist or use a powerful search engine Mashpedia to find available resources. Increase (or get) a personal learning network (PLN) of educators with similar interests in goals. Check out Twitter and look at #flipclass, #flippedclass, #langchat, #edchat. Don't be afraid to follow the rock stars you find there! Publications like Tech & Learning or eSchoolNews. You can receive free subscriptions to both, and they are full of great resources and articles. If you are looking for a mini-class on flipping, check out the new Flipped Class Certification program which is a fantastic place to get the basics on flipping.
What do you use to make your videos? I use Camtasia 8 which isn't free, but has great tools that some of the free resources don't. For me, I have to have the editing capability, adjusting audio levels, have an easy way to include the webcam into my presentations, and it is super easy to create the videos in a variety of ways (including offline options) for all my students. With this new version, I can include captioning and quizzing which I am very excited to try. You can try it for free for 30 days with the link above. If you must use a free software (which I get, I am a poor teacher too!) try some of these: Jing, Screencast-o-matic, or if you are a Mac person, try using iMovie.
Where do you post your videos? I post my videos in a couple of places to try to avoid any technology issues. I do post to YouTube, even though it is currently blocked at my school, because I found students found my videos easily using their smart phones and the YouTube app (when they are using their 3G). I also post to Screencast and to Sofia because students can access both places at school easily.
What content do you offer through videos? I teach all of my grammar concepts via video. I also have students practice vocabulary with videos as well as have listening and culture videos for students to watch. I give the students practice exercises that are basic comprehension, and in class we have discussions and/or do activities to demonstrate comprehension of the material. I am revising my videos from last year and publishing links to some of them here on my blog. Check out the first, Zapatos Nuevos.
On another note, as you move through the process, I encourage you to start your own blog. Even if you don't share it (but you should), it is really a necessary part of the process to take time to reflect on what has worked, what didn't, and most importantly you can see where you need to make adjustments for next year.
As always, comment or email me with questions and I will do everything I can to help you!
Monday, May 21, 2012
How I began my flipped class
After many questions and much prompting (and frankly some jealousy over some other teachers' videos), I have made a video about my how I came to the flipped classroom. It is nothing super fancy, but hopefully it answers many of the questions about how a foreign language teacher decided to start flipping.
My flipped class story
Here is the AP thematic document I refer to for those who have not seen it. This is from the AP College Board course framework for the Spanish Language exam.
My flipped class story
Here is the AP thematic document I refer to for those who have not seen it. This is from the AP College Board course framework for the Spanish Language exam.
5 W's of flipping video
I am working diligently with my wonderful friend and colleague, Randa Kelton, to finalize our professional development session for Thursday. I don't want to give away too much, but I thought I would share this video given I have given (with an appropriate intro and conclusion) as "homework" prior to my flipped class presentations to cover the basics.
Alternate Link: http://www.screencast.com/t/HnBRFlQJPqP
Alternate Link: http://www.screencast.com/t/HnBRFlQJPqP
I am also working on the presentation for the Flipped Class Conference in Chicago in June. (Sold out, but streaming is still available!)
Student Culture Presentations
The culture projects were an interesting experience. Students could choose their own topics, and I had a wide range - everything from Dali to the Spanish Space Program to local cuisine and fashion. I had the opportunity to learn many cool things from my students, which was a pleasant change! I had many students that were very excited about their presentations and worked hard for hours and hours on getting them just right. Unfortunately, I had some (not too many) on the other end of the spectrum that didn't follow the assignment directions and/or murdered the language that I love because although their project was well researched, they didn't practice it. I also had too many students that just READ which makes me crazy.
So, I have decided not to do this as a final project for next year. I am going to do it again, just not for the exam. I have also decided that one of my main focuses for next year is going to be teaching my students HOW to present. (I have ideas cooking on that...more to come later in the summer.)
However, since I have never really shared student work before, I wanted to share some of my favorites. Although the language may not be perfect, there is huge growth and effort in each of these presentations.
Animals of the Amazon - This was done by a student that went from "I can't say anything in Spanish" to a peer tutor! She was so excited about her research that she asked if she could add the English subtitles.
Alternate Link: http://sdrv.ms/Js7Jlq
Guitar Music of Spain - This video is great (if you discount the Lady Gaga wig). After the video, he did a presentation about the origin and music of Flamenco. I wish it was on the video as well!
Alternate Link: http://www.screencast.com/t/LzAggODSIpTQ
Honduras Tourism Video - One of my "super smarties" that really struggled with the move to the flipped classroom. It was hard for her to go from being good at "the game of school" to actually being good in the class of Spanish.
Alternate Link: http://sdrv.ms/Js7O8L
Mexican Fashion - I had a couple of fashion presentations, all of which were really good. I had quite a few projects using this online book tool.
Just to reiterate how much I love the flipped class.....the kids got to allocate their time in class, so many had quite a bit of class time to work on their presentations and ask me questions about the programs and content. Without the flip, this probably would have had to be a total "at home" project.
So, I have decided not to do this as a final project for next year. I am going to do it again, just not for the exam. I have also decided that one of my main focuses for next year is going to be teaching my students HOW to present. (I have ideas cooking on that...more to come later in the summer.)
However, since I have never really shared student work before, I wanted to share some of my favorites. Although the language may not be perfect, there is huge growth and effort in each of these presentations.
Animals of the Amazon - This was done by a student that went from "I can't say anything in Spanish" to a peer tutor! She was so excited about her research that she asked if she could add the English subtitles.
Alternate Link: http://sdrv.ms/Js7Jlq
Guitar Music of Spain - This video is great (if you discount the Lady Gaga wig). After the video, he did a presentation about the origin and music of Flamenco. I wish it was on the video as well!
Alternate Link: http://www.screencast.com/t/LzAggODSIpTQ
Honduras Tourism Video - One of my "super smarties" that really struggled with the move to the flipped classroom. It was hard for her to go from being good at "the game of school" to actually being good in the class of Spanish.
Alternate Link: http://sdrv.ms/Js7O8L
Mexican Fashion - I had a couple of fashion presentations, all of which were really good. I had quite a few projects using this online book tool.
Just to reiterate how much I love the flipped class.....the kids got to allocate their time in class, so many had quite a bit of class time to work on their presentations and ask me questions about the programs and content. Without the flip, this probably would have had to be a total "at home" project.
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