A new term: The flipped classroom

Prior to this course I had never heard of the term 'flipped' classroom.  There is some degree of  online posting of materials online at my institution but it is not compulsory, nor is it sustained.  It is up to the lecturer to put the materials online. I really like the idea of the flipped classroom. The use of videos or pod-casting to put classroom material for the students to view within a specific time.  In addition to this, it allows students to take ownership of their learning.  The flipped classroom replaces the traditional role of the teacher as the 'sage on the stage' to the guide on the side.  This role of the teacher as a facilitator is highly desirable as we encourage students to collaborate to increase their engagement with learning tasks.  The flipped classroom makes it easier for co-operative learning techniques to be practiced.  The students and teachers could now engage in discussions and active authentic learning. 

Being able to view the materials before hand enables the students to do further research, to think critically about the information before class time.  It provides the opportunity for teachers to readily assess students' and clarify students' understanding and to put remedial strategies in place to enhance learning.

Cell phones in the classroom

 The smart phone, a must for the 21st century student!

 
 Source            http://www.teachhub.com/how-use-cell-phones-learning-tools





 The phones have so many features to support learning that teachers are not aware of.  In this information age we must see how they can be integrated into the teaching and learning process. They are becoming increasingly lightweight with bright LED screens the numerous features ensure students are drawn to them like moths to a light. WE CANNOT BAN THEM FROM THE CLASSROOM!




As teachers we must learn how to integrate cell phones in our lessons.  There has to be guidelines about how and when they can be used. Students are going to come with them to school, the question is should we ask them to keep them in lockers until the end of the school day? Definitely not!  We must recognize the potential of cell phones to keep our kids safe in the the event of  emergencies. As adults we use the cell phone on a regular basis and yet expect the students not to use them.  As teachers we should actually ask the students to put them on silent mode but invite them at specific times in the lesson to use them, for example, to do research about a particular topic.   I am of the opinion that when there are computers and tablets available then they should be used.  If the students only have cell phones then their use in the classroom should be encouraged.

 It is difficult to guide the use cell phones out of the classroom  but the school should devise a protocol  on how to use them, for example during the school breaks and out of the classroom.  The parents must be involved in the drafting of these rules. Periodic reviews of these rules must take place to ensure the are in keeping with the school's mandate, the education acts of the various countries and they are reflective of the technological age.  In my experience in the classroom, I have found that the parents or other adults are the ones who cause the disruptions when they call or text the students. Parents need a lot of education about how disruptive cell phones can be when they call their children in the times.  I think a class or two per week on the use and misuse especially for the younger children should be conducted.   Can we ban the cell phone from the classroom if we have not fully used them as learning tools and we have not educated our students about the positives and the negatives of their use?

I am so accustomed  to see students whipping out their cell phones to look for example, a definition, that to think of asking studenst to refrain from using them will be really be untenable.  I will caution the students about letting them ring in the classroom and unless it is some form of assessment where I do not want cell phones to be used, then I allow their use.

Using Social Networks in the classroom

 An  image obtained from the internet showing a popular social network, FACEBOOK, that shows the communication network between 'friends'.










There are many issues relating to the use of social networks in the classroom.  Social networking should not be discouraged by schools.  They are valuable communication tools but many negative consequences may develop.  The issue of security has to be given serious consideration. There are many predators outside who try to get information about students for nefarious purposes.  Today's schools must be aware  of this possibility and should  introduce measures to protect the learners.  Guidelines must be put in place to communicate and ensure e-safety for the students. These guidelines must be readily communicated to parents, teachers and students. These guidelines must be reinforced as often as possible.

The negative and positive consequences must be made clear to the degree that students know that they are not prohibited from using this cheap and readily available communication platform, but they must know that they cannot engage in certain activities because they will open themselves to harm.  These guidelines must highlight the permanence of anything  they posted so great care must be taken to ensure appropriate content is placed online.  The students must be taught how to use the internet responsibly.  Even the teachers too must be taught how to use these social networks responsibility. They should recognize that they must incorporate them in the teaching and learning process.

Using Tablets as learning tools

Do you think they are engaged in learning or they are having fun showing off their own devices?


 I found this photo online  and it had me laughing.  The classroom looks so chaotic.  I certainly would not want my classroom to look like this with all the tablets. I wonder how the teacher keeps the students on task?  Is there competition in the classroom about who has the latest model, the best apps, the most expensive among other things? Did the school supply the students with tablets?



I am in full support of using tablets in the classroom but I must ask  myself if the students get a chance, will they use them for classroom learning tasks?  They are will use them for social networking, games and other forms of entertainment if there is not a serious effort made to incorporate them in the learning process.  We also must ensure that devices are available for the students who cannot afford to purchase them.  Perhaps apps must be installed to track their unauthorized movements and use if they do not belong to the students.  The need for this will be eliminated if students have their own devices.   These devices must be integrated into classroom instruction. I am now realizing that tablets can limit the face to face interaction which is a part of the classroom process.  Students can actually become 'isolated' as they lock themselves off with their devices.

One to one learning in the classroom

One to one learning in the classroom


Picture of some of my students using their individual laptops to complete an assignment. Notice the students are doing their individual tasks,yet they are able to collaborate and share ideas. 

 Using different forms of instructional media


The benefits of using different instructional media are evident here.  The students are using a text with visuals and the I phone is used to gain supplementary information.  Clearly the one to one learning devices are a must in the classroom particularly for the older students.





St Vincent and the Grenadines must ensure that students are competitive  in the global market. Access to ICT will  be one way to prepare students.  The government through an OECS policy initiative has implemented the 'one lab top per child' to improve ICT in the schools.  ICT improvement is a priority recommendation for Universal Secondary Education  (USE). This USE implementation meant that the traditional computer lab in one assigned space has to give way for one to one learning in different environments.

The Interactive White Board

Interactive White Board

The IWB is a useful when teaching the younger students.  These students can actually manipulate objects on the whiteboard to promote understanding. I have never used the whiteboard myself but when I saw it used, the teachers used it for power point presentations and demonstration. There were no student interactions with the board. When I saw the lessons, I not think much about how these whiteboards could have been used to enhance the teaching and learning process.  I did not realize that they really could be used to promote interactivity. Ignorance is really a bliss! What made it so sad, is that I was assessing lessons for teaching practicum sessions but I did not comment on the lack of students interactivity with the whiteboard. Now I think about it, the lessons ended up being very teacher centered. The article entitled: Investigation, The Educational Value of Interactive Whiteboards in the 21st Century Classroom by Allan Alach really opened my eyes. This article will make me question if the teacher was still engages in explicit teaching rather than allowing direct student interaction with the board. I will not assess lessons conducted by my teacher trainees in the same way where the whiteboard is used.  There is obvious a need for further training in the use of the IWB.

Using the one computer classroom for global communication

As I reflect on the article 6 Ways to Turn Your 1-Computer Classroom Into a Global Communication Center,  I note that in the Caribbean context, the one computer classroom is used mainly to support content area teaching rather than for purposes such as social networking. Although there is limited used of  VOIP  and messaging connections in the teaching and learning process,the computer is not a main tool to bring experts and other resource persons  from outside into the classroom.