Response to Research Post #4 - Flipped Classroom Tips

If you haven't already noticed, I'm 100% on board with this whole flipped classroom thing. I first heard of a "flipped" classroom when I attended a technology summit last summer. I possess a Flip camcorder, and I thought, "Dang, I'll get right on this."

They stopped making these little boogers and that sucks. RIP Flip. 

Then a whole school year went by with zero effort. It's hard to reinvent the wheel when things are going well and you're busy. Fellow teachers in this course, what are some tips to get my butt in gear? I like technology, and I'm fairly good at troubleshooting when left up to my own devices. I prefer the "tinker with it until it works" method of learning, but I know there are some other ways. This class has been a great start, but what are some other resources you suggest?

20 NEW Facts about Flipped Learning in High Ed

This little ditty was posted on Twitter via Dr. Spring, and it contains some shocking (in a good way!) and insightful tips about the "flipped classroom." Well, maybe tips isn't the best term-more like 20 factoids and statistics debunking the mystery behind flipped teaching. Below are some of my favorites.

5. On average, 8 out of 10 flipped teachers have more than 6 years of experience teaching; 42 percent of ‘flippers’ have been teaching for 16 years or more.

I've  only been teaching for 4 years, so I'd like to break this statistic this year by pledging to do something "flipped." Who's with me?

6. While math and science classes were still flipped the most, there was a significant increase in English classes. In 2014, flipped teachers also reported using the method for social studies (18 percent), technology and computer sciences (17 percent) and world languages (7 percent).

I can name five assignments right off the bat from my English classroom that would be great for the flipped environment. Book report assignments, small class notes, mini-online lectures, and extra credit opportunities to name a few! 

19. The most common concerns about Flipped Learning are: student access at home, needed instruction on how to make or find high-quality videos, how to best use additional classroom time, and the time required to develop a flipped course.

Here's the major bump in the road. What do we do about students who can't afford computer access at home and have no way to transport themselves to a public library? In my opinion, this is where the school steps in. I know that Rock Hill school district now has iPads for all 5th graders as long as their parents sign a waiver and attend one info session. Also, despite massive budget cuts, schools are getting access to new technology now more than ever. Teaching is all about being able to monitor and adjust at the drop of hat, and I feel like the concern on "how to best use additional classroom time" is over the top. I know what I would do if I could cut out 20 minutes everyday spent on explaining things five times: party! Just kidding, I would actually build in times for more meaningful activities and possibly cross-curricular stuff. 

What are your thoughts on this facts and statistics? And furthermore, are you proud that I stepped out of my comfort zone and used a photo this post? Baby steps! 

Response to Research Post #2 - Tweeting in the Classroom

Twitter: Best Practices for Educators

The link above will take you to an article that explains different ways Twitter can be used in the classroom. Dr. Spring actually tweeted this article early this week, and I though it fit right in with my interests as a teacher. It has been a personal goal of mine to incorporate more "social media" into my classroom. I am a social media fiend with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Vine. However, I am not a pro at Twitter, which is somewhat disappointing. I pride myself on being on the "up-and-up" with new teenage fads, etc. since this is key to building meaningful relationships with my high schoolers. I was happy that Dr. Spring decided to incorporate Twitter into this class because it forced me to reacquaint myself with Twitter. I created a profile back in college, but never really explored the site. I think I'm now making headway which is awesome!

The author of this article, Vicki Davis, is also the author if a new book, Reinventing Writing. While I have not thoroughly checked this book out, it looks to be something I could possibly use for my profession. In the article, Ms. Davis goes through a variety of helpful apps, tools, and hashtags to get a Twitter account for the classroom up and running. Below are my thoughts on some of the tools Ms. Davis mentioned.

Hootsuite: This is a social media management website that lets a user easily see what is going on with favorite hashtags and followers. This would be ideal for a teacher who is teaching a large class and needs to keep up with a large amount of students. I haven't signed up for this yet, but I like the fact that is micromanages your class Twitter page, and it's FREE!

Canva a.ka. InDesign for dummies: This is a online service/app that allows a user to add graphic designs to photos, webpages, fliers, etc. It is free from what I can tell, and seems to be idiot proof. (Meaning, I can use it since I know ZIP about graphic design.) Davis suggests this to be used in conjunction with photographs. She explains that studies have shown that tweets with photos are ten times more likely to be retweeted than just plain text.

Various statistics and tips: Davis ends her article with tips and tricks on how to successfully tweet to a broader audience. She advises teachers to use less words in their tweets and more interactive media such as links, photos, and videos. She also gives a FANTASTIC tip about mentioning to celebrities that you are a teacher or are teaching a class pertaining to their work. Apparently, famous people are more likely to respond to teachers than random peons in the Twitterverse. Can we say, "Tom Hiddleston," anyone? Finally, Ms. Davis gives three handy hashtags for the classroom: #mysteryskype, #comments4kids, and a hashtag of your creation. Dr. Spring has already done this with our class, and I am excited to create one for my own! #mysteryskype helps teachers find other classroom teachers via Twitter, and #comments4kids is apparent Twitter code for "Hey, I teach cool kids, so you should check out our stuff and we'll check out yours!" What are some other handy hashtags that you know that can be used for teaching? Or English? Or writing? Or all of the above?

Response to Research #1: "Education’s war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the 'digital generation'"

Education’s war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the “digital generation”

The link to the article above will take you to a post Dr. Spring tweeted earlier this week. I have ran across the issue of "high-tech" cheating this year during End of Course testing. I teach predominantly English I, which is a ninth grade, skills-based English course. In South Carolina, all ninth graders who take English I must take a state-mandated final exam (called the EOC) at the end of each semester. Let me reiterate: this is for English I students ONLY. During my bi-yearly test administrator training, we were warned about the different types of cheating covered in this article. For the first time ever, students were not allowed to have water bottles in the testing site. This derived from the fear that students will custom create labels with pertinent information pertaining to the test. However, I don't want to focus my blog post on the evils of students cheating. In stead, I want to focus on the counter-argument presented in this article: technology can be used for good. Specifically, I want to point out and respond to certain statements the writer made.

In response to the effort made to cheat: "Many of the educators argued that in the age of ubiquitous computing, depriving students of reference materials does little to test them on their ability to apply concepts in real-world situations. Several provided testimonials to the value of allowing them to bring their own study aids, such as note cards, to examinations." I agree with this statement. There have been many occasions where a professor allowed me and fellow students in a class to create an old-fashioned, one page "cheat sheet." By taking advantage of the opportunity, I reviewed my notes, categorized them in a way that I could read easily, and re-familiarized myself with the information. Nine times out of ten, I a barely needed the cheat sheet by the time test day came around because I knew all the material! While I have never used this concept in my own classroom, I am definitely considering the idea. 

In response to the war against technology: "On one side, we—the faculty—seem to control course management systems, online quizzes, wireless clickers, Internet access to PowerPoint slides and podcasts, and plagiarism-detection software. On the student side, they are armed with smart phones, laptops, music players, digital cameras, and social network sites." Once again, I agree. I have attended umpteen professional development days where technology is the focal point. Whenever I attend one of these "mini-conferences," I make a conscientious effort to implement at least two new things I learned, whether that be using a new website or creating a new SmartBoard document. Sadly, not all teachers do this. It's baffling. I have access to many outlets for digital learning, and I do not utilize them to their fullest potential. Students are constantly plugged in, and I need to implement ways that can blend their favorite things with educational standards. 

In response to "learning the old fashioned way": "Promoters of gadget-oriented instructional technology argue that students in the digital generation need to be connected to a technical device in order for there to be any hope of engagement with formal education." Sometimes I feel like I am being a traitor towards my classic training in literature. I am a firm believer in teaching the canon, but I support and PUSH for teaching the canon in different ways. Just as technology has evolved, so should teachers and the method to teach. 

Losh, Elizabeth. "Education's war on millennials: Why everyone is failing the 'digital generation'." Salon. 14      June 2014. Web. 16 June 2014.