Saturday, February 11, 2017

A New Challenge...and one or two errors






Part of my new role is to integrate flipped classroom pedagogy into the general culture of education at my new workplace. I have moved on from my previous workplace and find myself employed in a larger school, in a promotional position, with more responsibility than before.

My new workplace involves a school that is low-tech, but very much on the fringes of of what could possibly be a tip over movement into effective digital device use in the classrooms.

Having previous successfully led the implementation of the flipped model, almost by accident, I am now being asked to do it deliberately here.This expectation has got me thinking.

There are some challenges.

1)    Staff – some staff are possibly reluctant to see any digital device usage in their classroom, let alone see this become a common tool in everyday learning.
2)    Parents – the might be said for some of the parent body, which given the level of distraction devices can generate in the classroom if not managed effectively, is quite a reasonable view. 
3)    Affordability – digital devices cost money. My new workplace is in a area of less socio-economic advantage than my previous school. 

To my concern I may have come off a little stronger than I would have otherwise preferred during my BYOT presentation to the parent body. During the presentation I could feel parts of the room thinking…’What is this guy saying?’

Fail. 

The lesson for me? Smaller steps. Better communication. 

Flipping the classroom can be done poorly. Or it can be done well. That said, Jon Bergmann would argue that if it’s not being done well…you are not flipping the classroom. There is merit in this position. The Flipped network provides the following as a definition for flipped learning:



Typically, screencasts are used to deliver this content within the individual learning space.

I have seen that flipping the classroom results in improved learning outcomes for students, which for me, is what it's all about.

I think the question for me in my new role is: can I help others see this as well?