Why I chose to flip this lesson:
As I have been researching and studying the transformation of education in the 21st century, I have found that a very new popular trend in classrooms is "flipped learning". However, as I continue to search for ideas and information, a lot of the examples of flipped learning are from older grades. It was difficult to find any ideas for elementary school, especially first grade. A true flipped lesson would typically involve the teacher introducing or teaching a lesson to students via screencast or video that is assigned as a homework assignment. This way, class time is fully dedicated to reinforcing and practicing the skill. However, there are many barriers to delivering a fully flipped lesson- especially when your students are six years old. For example, not all families have access to the internet at home. Even if they do, young students usually have limited time spent on the computer in the evenings. Also, with such young learners, it is difficult to rely on this method to deliver important foundational skills that the students need. This is why I chose an "in-class flip" instead.
My first grade class has been paired with a kindergarten class to be "tech buddies". My students are teaching the kindergartners how to use the one-to-one devices and introducing them to the programs we use in first grade. Since we had an upcoming afternoon scheduled to work with our tech buddies, I thought it would be a great idea for my first graders to create a lesson using Wixie to teach to their kindergarten partner. Not only would my students be able to apply their knowledge to something purposeful, it would introduce the kindergartners to Wixie.
The topic of the lesson my students created to teach to their tech buddies was "the letter i". My class spent over two weeks learning the sounds of the letter i; long and short. Now that they are experts, I figured they can apply what they know to teach someone else.
From what I have read and researched, a typical flipped lesson would deliver instruction via a screencast or video. This would allow more time during class to practice the skill and perfect it. I, like most teachers, am always looking for more time in the day to meet with students and conduct small group experiences. This is especially the case for me during our Phonics block. With only 20-25 minutes a day to spend teaching Phonics, it is very difficult to find the time to do small groups or intervention groups during this time. This is why I was so interested in the idea of flipping a lesson- anything to create more work time!
Anyone who teaches a primary grade can agree that a LOT of class time is spent modeling an activity and giving directions. I realized that if I could deliver the modeling and instructions in a different way, I would have 5-10 extra minutes to spend meeting with students. This is how I decided to utilize the "in-class flip" idea.
My first grade class has been paired with a kindergarten class to be "tech buddies". My students are teaching the kindergartners how to use the one-to-one devices and introducing them to the programs we use in first grade. Since we had an upcoming afternoon scheduled to work with our tech buddies, I thought it would be a great idea for my first graders to create a lesson using Wixie to teach to their kindergarten partner. Not only would my students be able to apply their knowledge to something purposeful, it would introduce the kindergartners to Wixie.
The topic of the lesson my students created to teach to their tech buddies was "the letter i". My class spent over two weeks learning the sounds of the letter i; long and short. Now that they are experts, I figured they can apply what they know to teach someone else.
From what I have read and researched, a typical flipped lesson would deliver instruction via a screencast or video. This would allow more time during class to practice the skill and perfect it. I, like most teachers, am always looking for more time in the day to meet with students and conduct small group experiences. This is especially the case for me during our Phonics block. With only 20-25 minutes a day to spend teaching Phonics, it is very difficult to find the time to do small groups or intervention groups during this time. This is why I was so interested in the idea of flipping a lesson- anything to create more work time!
Anyone who teaches a primary grade can agree that a LOT of class time is spent modeling an activity and giving directions. I realized that if I could deliver the modeling and instructions in a different way, I would have 5-10 extra minutes to spend meeting with students. This is how I decided to utilize the "in-class flip" idea.
Preparing for the lesson:
My plan was to create a screencast that would model the lesson I wanted my students to create and explain the directions for the assignment. I put together a quick ActivInspire flipchart that I would normally use in class, and used Wixie to model how to complete the lesson. My screencast for each day was about 5 minutes long.
All I had to do after finishing the screencast is assign the video to my students' devices. This way, they could access it on their own and listen to it using their headphones. They would then be able to complete their Wixie assignment independently. One of the BEST parts of doing this: they can go back and hear the directions again! All they need to do is re-watch a certain part of the video! No more repeating the same directions over and over and over to the students who chose not to listen.
I also needed to prepare for more time spent meeting with small groups of students. I didn't usually need to consider the fact that I would finally be able to meet with more than one group of students in a day for Phonics. I was finally able to prepare differentiated mini-lessons that I'd actually be able to fit into the 25 minute block.
Because of the short Phonics block, I found it necessary to expand this project over a 3 day period. It allowed my students enough time to focus and put effort into each page of their lesson. It also allowed me to reflect on the experience of the flipped method and make changes to improve the following day.
All I had to do after finishing the screencast is assign the video to my students' devices. This way, they could access it on their own and listen to it using their headphones. They would then be able to complete their Wixie assignment independently. One of the BEST parts of doing this: they can go back and hear the directions again! All they need to do is re-watch a certain part of the video! No more repeating the same directions over and over and over to the students who chose not to listen.
I also needed to prepare for more time spent meeting with small groups of students. I didn't usually need to consider the fact that I would finally be able to meet with more than one group of students in a day for Phonics. I was finally able to prepare differentiated mini-lessons that I'd actually be able to fit into the 25 minute block.
Because of the short Phonics block, I found it necessary to expand this project over a 3 day period. It allowed my students enough time to focus and put effort into each page of their lesson. It also allowed me to reflect on the experience of the flipped method and make changes to improve the following day.
Materials used for this project:
Student Checklist:
wixie_lesson_student_checklist.docx | |
File Size: | 22 kb |
File Type: | docx |