Flipping the Lab Safety Discussion: 2010 chemistry team recorded videos together to create a flipped class for all chemistry students. Click the image to access the Carolina Tips Article "Flipping the Lab Safety Discussion" (Maze, 2013).
Think of all the engaging structures and meaningful discussions that could take place in classrooms if only there was a little more time. Given the performance pressure and high stakes testing teachers and students endure, it is important to maximize face to face instructional time so that instructional standards are mastered and while at the same time differentiating the learning for individual students. What if you had time to talk to every student in every class every day - not just about their performance in your class, but also about their goals, dreams, aspirations, and passions? What if you could provide meaningful corrective feedback to guide students through their work? What if you could allow students to pause, rewind, and closed-caption their teacher during direct instruction? These are some of the reasons that I chose to flip my chemistry classes in the 2009-2010 school year. Chemistry homework is incredibly complex and challenging, but if students attempt the hardest problems in my presence, they will have a coach to guide them as they develop into independent learners and problem-solvers. But I would not be able to spend 45-50 minutes lecturing and still have time to help individual students or small groups as much as they needed. It turns out that blended and flipped class are major disruptors to traditional classrooms because they force teachers and students both to think very differently about how to use class time and about when and where learning can occur. It wasn't long after beginning a flipped class that I also began utilizing more inquiry-based instruction, collaborative learning, and mastery-based grading strategies.
On-demand learning leverages technology to deliver basic content, provide feedback to students about their understanding, and tailor instruction to meet students needs on an individual basis. To set up a flipped or blended class takes a large investment of time and effort, especially in carefully planning how best to utilize class time that was once devoted to lecture. It also requires close communication with the tech department, administrators, and parents about changes to the traditional workflow. But I found that student test scores on the final exam rose by 15%, whereas their overall grades in my class were basically not affected (not a statistically significant difference). This told me that students before the flip had found a way to earn the points to pass the class without doing any real long-lasting learning. I could never go back to the way I had done things before.
Instead of lecturing about molecular structures and geometries, students in flipped AP Chemistry classes have time to build models of various electron domains to help them visualize three-dimensional molecular shapes. Click the image to access the Carolina Tips article "Flipping Molecular Structures" (Maze 2016).
Part of the daily routine is to do "Good Things" after the Warm-Up assignment. This is a chance for students to share about positive experiences from their lives. Since I use the same slide for German classes as I do for science classes, everyone knows what's coming when they see "Wer hat etwas Gutes?"
In addition to gaining time to use more engaging learning strategies, I also found a way to incorporate more culturally-responsive teaching into my class. By shifting the lecture to the individual learning space, learning became more collaborative and building trusting relationships among classmates was necessary. Around the same time, my school district embraced the Capturing Kids Hearts Model (The Flippen Group), which focuses on building a school culture that is relational and tends to the social-emotional needs of students and educators. Simple research-based strategies, such as greeting students at the door and taking time to talk with students about their lives outside of class, help to foster a culture of trust and collaboration. Using Kagan structures for collaborative learning along with class builders and team builders also increase the trust between students and nurtures a respectful culture within the classroom and the school. To further encourage an inclusive environment, I have utilized learning strategies like Specifically Designed Academic Instruction in English, SDAIE (Nickolaison), and Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, SIOP (Ecchevaria, Short, & Vogt, 2013), to create a richer learning environment for everyone, not just English language learners (ELL) students. ELL students especially benefit from having clear expectations and established routines so that class time is less confusing for them and they know what to expect. This lowers their affective filter so that they can focus more on academics and less on the confusion and anxiety they experience (Maurer, 2018.) The use of gestures, pantomime, comprehensible input, CI, and total physical response, TPR, also help to make vocabulary more accessible. Allowing for peer-assisted work gives an added level of support and builds social skills more rapidly. Finally, ELL students will feel more at ease and more valued in the class when their culture and unique experiences are welcomed and shared. Connecting content to culture and having books and articles about their homeland are some ways to accomplish this (Colorincolorado, 2011). The benefit to your ELL students is increased achievement and acceptance, but the benefit to all students in your class is immeasurable. Specific culturally-responsive teaching strategies utilized in the chemistry unit, Locating Electrons, are highlighted in my lesson plan. Click the link for details.
Each of my classes develops a Social Contract at the beginning of the year so we can all be in agreement about how to treat one another. Click the image to view the questions used to develop a Social Contract.
The classroom ambassador welcomes newcomers to class and reviews our Social Contract with them so they understand the foundation of our class culture. Click the image to view the details of my school's House/Order system.
My students regularly write affirmations for one another, especially after group projects. At the end of every day, we also meet with a small group of students called our House. This gives us another chance to ensure that every student in our school feels connected and valued. Click the image to access the slides I use to introduce affirmation-writing to my classes.
References Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2015). Flipped learning for science instruction. Eugene, Oregon ; Arlington, Virginia : International Society for Technology in Education Bergmann, Jonathan, & Sams, Aaron. (2014). Flipping for Mastery. Educational Leadership, 71(4), 24-29. Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2014). FLIPPED LEARNING: Maximizing Face Time. T+D, 68(2), 28–31. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=94004879&site=ehost-live Brown University: Culturally Responsive Teaching. (2014). Retrieved October 4, 2018, from https://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/teaching-diverse-learners/strategies-0/culturally-responsive-teaching-0 Colorincolorado. (2011, June 26). What to do first: Creating a welcoming ELL classroom environment. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FegO4Gh3uyk Echevarria, J., Short, D., & Vogt, M.E. (2013). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model, 4th Edition. Introducing the SIOP Model & Lesson Preparation: Pearson. Retrieved from https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/product/Echevarria-Making-Content-Comprehensible-for-English-Learners-The-SIOP-Model-3rd-Edition/9780205518869.html?tab=authors Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. (2013). The 12 touchstones of good teaching: A checklist for staying focused every day. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. High, J. 2010. Second Language Learning Through Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing. Kagan, S., & Kagan, M. (2009). Kagan Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing. Krasnoff, B. (2016, March). Culturally responsive teaching: A guide to evidence-based practices for teaching all students equitably. Region X Equity Assistance Center; Education Northwest. Retrieved from http://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/culturally-responsive-teaching.pdf Maze, J. (2013, March). Flipping the Safety Discussion and the Lab Work [Blog post]. Retrieved from Carolina Biological Flipped Corner. Carolina Biological Supply Company website: https://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/flipping-the-safety-discussion-and-the-lab-work/tr32713.tr Maze, J. (2016, April). Flipping Molecular Structures [Blog post]. Retrieved from Carolina Biological Flipped Corner, Carolina Biological Supply Company website: https://www.carolina.com/teacher-resources/Interactive/flipping-molecular-structures/tr37501.tr Maurer, A. 2018. Strategies for teaching English language learners. Scholastic, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/strategies-teaching-english-language-learners/ Nickolaison, D. Specifically designed academic instruction in English (SDAIE). v - xii. Retrieved from https://people.ucsc.edu/~ktellez/sdaie-easy.pdf Sams, A., & Bergmann, J. (2013). Flip Your Students’ Learning. Educational Leadership, 70(6), 16. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mih&AN=85833625&site=ehost-live Unknown Author. ELL/SDAIE Strategies: Instructional strategies used throughout the year. Retrieved from http://orh.sweetwaterschools.org/files/2012/06/EL-SDAIE-Strategies.pdf