"Flipping" your Classroom

The Flipped Classroom
(graphic by Anna Cook)

The flipped classroom is a model of teaching in which students view lectures/presentations at home and then come to class to do what is usually assigned as homework. "Flipping" is a model often employed by hybrid teachers as a way to save time in the classroom, and provide a more student-centered approach to our learners.

At the upcoming COLTT conference, myself and my ALTEC colleague Edwige Simon will be leading a workshop on how to flip your classroom using an OIT-supported tool called VoiceThread. "A Model of Teaching: Flip your Classroom" will be on Thursday, August 8th from 1:40-3:45pm. In this hands-on workshop, participants will: 1) learn about the concept of the flipped classroom, 2) learn how to build and assess effective online tutorials using VoiceThread, and 3) brainstorm ways to create engaging follow-up activities for their students.

Here is an example of a flipped VoiceThread tutorial from my Spanish hybrid course from last spring:

(Chrome users may need to switch browsers for the VoiceThread to play)

My students are required to go through the tutorial at home in D2L and comment on the VoiceThread to provide examples and ask questions about the new material. Then, the next time we meet face to face in class, I see if there were any questions/problems and we have the rest of the class to practice the new concepts. It has worked so well for me and my students! 

Please consider attending this workshop at COLTT or schedule an appointment with me to learn more about flipping your own classroom!