Video Syllabus

A New Syllabus!

I recently received a license for Camtasia and wanted to try it out.  So, what I decided to do is to create a video syllabus for my students and parents so that I don't have to bore the students on day 1.  Most of my videos from last year were made on Showme, so I was excited to try out Camtasia.  Here's the link if you want to check it out!

Here are a few items/tips on using Camtasia that I picked up while making my first video!

• Create a powerpoint first (or use an old one!)
• Think about what you want to say on each slide
• If you mess up, just pause, say "take two" and continue on.  This will make it much easier to edit out the mistakes once you are done recording.
• Use features like the zoom and call out features within Camtasia
• Use Twitter!  The first video that I made cut off the top of my head, so I tweeted @camtasia to get help and within 5 minutes I had a fix!  I also asked my PLN to help with what I should focus on in class.  Within 10 minutes I had several response!

My plan is to mail this video out to parents BEFORE the school year starts.  Then, I will show it to students on Day 1 and use it to model how I want them to watch the rest of my content videos.  It is only 10 minutes, so I have the rest of the block to engage students in better Day 1 activities such as a Problem Based Activity on Solving Social Security.

I plan to compile some data on the future of social security and ask students to determine how they could convince the government to make a change and then how the government would actually go about changing this policy.  This will introduce them to the idea of collaboration our classroom as well as the fact that many of the issues we will tackle will NOT have answers!  Plus, it leads into the first video on the public policy making system!

FlipCon13

FlipCon13

#itwasamazing

Through a grant of money from Michigan Virtual High School, I was able to attend the National Flipped Class Conference in Stillwater, Minnesota.  In a word, it was invigorating!

Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams (the fathers of the flipped class) started off the conference  by explaining the evolution of their idea of the flipped class.  It was exciting to see that my evolution throughout the year, matched much of how they evolved throughout the years.  It was clear that they are still evolving and wanted us to help lead that evolution.  They laid out the four pillars of the flipped class, which I think should be repeated for those new to flipping or want to try!

• Flexible Environment: homework is the lower level of Bloom's, in-class work focuses on analyzing, evaluating, etc.
• Learning Culture:Transfer ownership to kids.
• Intentional Content: How can kids interact with you on the  video?
• Professional Educator: find a collaborator!

After the keynote, I attended breakout sessions. I could go into detail about what I learned, but then this could turn into a book!  What I liked the most was how collaborative most sessions were.  It was not a simple sit and listen.  The presenters not only encouraged questions, but asked participants to share what worked or did not work.  I felt as though I was in a community of learners.  There was no person or group that felt that they were the only ones with the knowledge of a perfect flipped class.  You know why?  There is not such thing as a perfect flipped class!!!!!  The flipped class has always been a grassroots movement and seems to be continuing that way!

I picked up many resources, but more importantly, many co-flippers!  I met 5-6 other AP government teachers from across the country who want to collaborate next year!

We were shown this video on how to start a movement.  
I felt like the "lone nut" in this video at the start of last school year, but I thank Becky Carter, Betsy Foster, Teresa Johnson, Kristy Acker, Todd Kleinow, Ryan Sisco, and Tina Vansyckle for being my first followers! 

Here are a few of the resources I plan to use in my classroom this year

• TedEd videos
• Flubaroo to assess within google forms
• Cycles of learning (Explore-Flip-Apply). A new perspective on flipping!
• The Flipped Learning Journal (my goal is to write an article for this!)
• Camtasia (all participants received a free license to this!)

Stillwater is really pretty!  It is right on the St. Croix river and right across the river  from Wisconsin!


 

20% time in the classroom

20% Time: You are a genius, the world expects your contributions!

I am considered by many to be a little bit of a control freak (or a lot of bit of a control freak).  This year, the flipped classroom was my first step away from that "control-freakness."  Though the AP scores have not been released yet to show data on how much the flipped class improved instruction in my classroom, I know for a fact students were taking more control of their own learning.  After the AP test, there are about 4 weeks of school left without much content to cover.  I took a large step outside of my "control" comfort zone and implemented a 20% project or Blank White Sheet project with my kids.

If you have not heard of 20% projects, you are in for a treat!  In 20% classrooms, students are given about 20% of the time to work on anything they want.  This could be one day a week or a block of time every other day or a chunk of time at the end of the year. Students are given time to brainstorm something they want to know more about or something they want to do better.  Depending on the level of students you are working with, you might need to give more or less guidance.  

I started my 20% unit by sharing the rationale behind Google's 20% time.  Google gives their employees 20% of the time to work on any projects they want.  Gmail was actually a 20% brainchild! I asked them to consider something they thought could be made better or simply something they wanted to learn more about.  We brainstormed in small groups and shared out, which led to many a-ha's.

As the instructor, my job was simply to provide resources for students as they decided on what their project would be.  I also spent time helping students brainstorm what they wanted to do and pushing them beyond simple projects that they could do without much effort or risk.  I emphasized that it was ok to FAIL!

Here are a few case studies of what my students decided to do

• Build an app that would help with our freshmen mentoring program.
• Create a blog showing how to make healthy cookies.  Her first batch was a flop, but we shared this with the class as a learning experience for the next batch.
• learning Welsh
• Preparation for the ACT
• Blog of poetry

Want more resources?  Joy Kirr (who I follow on Twitter @Joykirr) collects 20% resources and posts them to this live binder site.

EdcampCHS

Today was our first day back from spring break and we were right in the middle of a unit.  I knew we needed to review, but knew the kids would be a little tired and groggy and I would need to get them up and moving.  I have read about and have been to several Edcamps for professional development and saw a couple of teachers on Twitter that were using them in their classrooms.   If you have not heard of an Edcamp, it is a conference where there is no schedule until the day of the Conference.  Teachers sign up for what they want to talk about that day and then spend time collaborating with other instructors about those topics.  I decided to do this as a review for my AP Gov kids and was really suprised at how well it went.

Summary of the Class: I created "session" titles that encompassed each standard of the unit we had covered so far including one session for review of the entire course.  Students were given handouts that listed each session, which table it was at, and a list of questions that ranged from "basic" (vocabulary, list, identify, etc) to those that were critical questions requiring more thought and discussion.  Students were allowed to go to whichever table they wanted, for as long as they wanted, but I set the timer at 10 minute increments.   I also set up a todaysmeet.com (Note: I have recently started using Go SoapBox, which I like even more) group where students could share what they were learning in their groups.  The feed from this group was projected up to the front board.

Before I started the students on this adventure, I had posted the packet on edmodo with a short teaser of what was to come.  Kids knew they needed to come to class ready to share.  I also gave them a few guidelines for their time in the groups.  I also explained that they could use notes, ipads, brains, textbooks and that there should not be one person dominating the group conversation.  At the end of the class, we held a "smackdown" where students quickly shared important things they learned (which is now posted on edmodo.

*Note: This year, I grew braver and actually allowed the students to develop topics they wanted to talk about.  I think it actually went better because they felt like they could control exactly what they wanted to discuss!  I drew a grid on the board and gave each group post-its to put up on the board for sessions they wanted to facilitate.

Pro's: All kids were participating.  Some were more focused on contributing by posting to todaysmeet, others vocally.  Kids had notes out and were very focused on the questions at hand.  I heard great conversations about topics like the president versus congress and war powers.  THe time went fast and most groups didn't really notice if I was "hovering" around their groups.  We had a great smackdown at the end with some really key take-aways.  

Con's: The today's meet was pretty superficial and more about recruting other kids to their groups rather than actual important pieces of information.  I need to model this better by showing tweets from actual edcamps.  We needed more than 10 minutes per session . I heard some kids say they really wanted to get to every session.  Some kids still looked to me if they couldn't get something right away rather than going to other students or their notes.  

Would I do it again??? YES YES AND YES!!!!!

My flipped mindset + questions I have pondered

The journey of flipping my class this school year has went far beyond simply recording my lectures and doing more hands-on activities in class.  Before I "flipped," I was comfortable and content with my teaching.  I was decent at lecturing and generally connected with kids well.  Since I had taught AP Gov for several years, I never had to think about the class with the exception of a quick glance at my notes before the class started.   

The flipped class (and my AWESOME professional learning network on Twitter) has forced me to consider some very important educational questions.  Here are a few that I have been pondering throughout the year.  The answers in blue are not to be taken as the "truth" they are just my thoughts as of March. 

1. Why should students attend my class?
This has been asked of me by several students and parents.  If students are watching the lectures at home, what is the point of them being in class?  Several students have noted that catching up while they are gone is much easier in the flipped class.  However, many more have noted that it is in class that the real learning takes place.  Most students/human beings don't learn best by lecture.  This material is provided simply to give them a general overview of the concept.  In class they are discussing the content, applying the content, and questing the content.  

Students have noted that the classroom feels more relaxed.  This is partially due to the fact that what we do in class is guided by their questions during the 10 minute Q/A time at the start of the block as well as the current events they bring up each day.  The questions they have or the topics they are interested in, guide our study of the material for the rest of the block.  For example, the other day, students brought up the sequestrations for current events.  Rather than talk about it for 5 minutes and move on, I asked students to do research on what was going to be cut, public opinion on the sequestrations, and how the sequestrations would affect Congressional approval/reelection.  

I view my lesson plans from the standpoint of a student stating "who cares?"  It has made my lesson planning more challenging, but the class periods much more engaging and fruitful.

2. How can a student demonstrate knowledge?
This question has come up multiple times in the #flipclass conversations on twitter.  In my previous classes, there was no time for students to demonstrate knowledge beyond quizzes, tests, and the occasional group discussion.  However, I now find that as I walk around the room, I can tell whether or not students understand the material by their discussions, their ability to find examples online, or their ability to teach other students.  

My in-class work is not graded (even quizzes).  Instead, students are graded based on their multiple choice and essay tests, which mimic the AP exam.  Do these questions get at the critical thinking that happens in class or route memorization?  Should I allow students alternate ways to show the knowledge, or would that hurt them in their preparation for the AP exam.   

I continue to struggle with this question and probably will for sometime.   However, it helps to know I am struggling through it with the rest of my #flipclass PLN.


3. What is the ideal structure of the flipped class.

 This is what I fretted about all summer.  What would my classroom look like?  What if I ran out of activities?  What if the kids didn't watch the videos?  What if parents rebelled?  What if everyone failed tests?

Well, I have the answer now!  THERE IS NO ONE STRUCTURE FOR THE FLIPPED CLASS!!!!!!  Freeing isn't it??  The flipped class is not a canned program that must be done in a certain way.  It is a mindset of engaging students in their own learning.  In fact, it doesn't have to be videos (though that seems to work for me)! 

Just like anything else in education, the flipped class should evolve over time into something that is manageable for you and helps your students engage in their learning.  

A shift in thinking

If there is one thing the flipped class has done for me, it has forced me to view my role in the classroom very differently.  I generally operated under the assuming that I as the teacher had all the knowledge to give to the students.  In fact, this assuming still guides my class to the extent that I create the videos and plan the lessons.  Now that we have iPads, students are easily able to access any information they want at any time.  My in-class lessons have shifted to students working alone or in groups to take the information they learned in the videos to apply it to real life problems (confirmation hearings, mock congress, crisis scenarios, etc). 

However, it was not until last week that I realized that my thinking had not shifted far enough.  I was still the one creating videos and giving the knowledge.  Why not have the STUDENTS create the videos for other students?  We all have iPads, why not?

I have done this now in two different ways, which I will share below (and provide answers).  This is immensely easier because of our 1:1 iPad situation, but not impossible if you do not have this technology.

Review Activity

• First, I created a word document that consisted of each standard, the vocabulary for each standard, and a few key questions for each standard.  
• Each group received one of the standard sheets and was given 5 minutes to fill in as much as they knew.  Then, the sheets were passed until all groups had seen all standard sheets.
• Finally, I redistributed the sheets and students were given 20 minutes (SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE TIME!) to create a short 2-4 minute video on the standard using an app of their choice (Showme, educreations, etc).  
• Students then posted a link to their video on edmodo.  These kids took what takes me 10-15 minutes and made a less than 2 minute video (I could learn a thing or two!)
• Student Created Video
• Here's feedback I received from one of my students
• "Just my two cents...but I love this video review thing! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your videos, but it's kind of neat that my classmates are teaching me this information rather than the teacher. The fresh perspective is nice, and I really think it will help me on the test tomorrow. (:" 
• Other students were not as positive about listening to other student videos due to the lack of "polish" of the videos, but all students agreed that actually making the videos was helpful in learning the concept.

Iron Triangle Concept Builder 

• The iron triangle is a key government concept that spans 4 different units in AP Government.  We finished up the last piece of the iron triangle last week, and I asked students to create a video describing an iron triangle (whether specific or vague).
• I thought this activity might take 30-40 minutes, but was surprised that it took all block.  Students knew that others would listen to their recording, so engaged in creating rough drafts, scripts, etc.  All students were required to speak, so everyone had to be an expert in something.  It ended up taking all block and students were silent as they listed to everyone else's recording!
• Here's an example!
• Here's another example!

The Flipped Class: Semester-in-review

One semester down...the results!

Last Friday marked 18 weeks with the flipped class with my 4th block AP Government class and 9 weeks with my 3rd block AP Government class.  While I am fortunate to have my students for 27 weeks, I thought it would be a good time to get some formal feedback on the flipped class.  So, below is a quick summary of what the kids enjoyed and/or disliked as well as things I plan to change and questions I still have!

Positive Feedback:

How confident do you feel about the material after watching the video, but before coming to class?

 

How confident do you feel about the material after watching the video and after coming to class?







 What is the most helpful part of the flipped class

watching videos by Ms. Becker		34	61%
10 minute question/discussion time		16	29%
Study Guides		9	16%
textbook reading		3	5%
in class discussions		41	73%
in class simulations		20	36%
online simulations		7	13%
Other		2	4%

What have you liked best about the  flipped class this year?  Why?
The videos are really nice because when you're done reading out of the book you may not be sure about some things, then you watch the video and it clicks. Once you come to class and have a discussion about the topic, you can't really forget it.When you have to miss school do to illness or other reason you don't fall behind because you are able to still watch the videos and do the study guide Being able to learn everything twice. Once at home, and again in class! Less lectures, more responibility to students to get the work done themselves, easy access to help.  I like the videos a lot. I find them really informative and easy to understand. They really make the material much easier to learn. I'll be honest...I was really skeptical at first, but I love the flipped class. The best part for me is that I can pause to take notes, and having really solid notes has been really beneficial.
I like being able to control how fast i watch the videos and being able to sit at home comfy in my sweats and do my work instead of in class where i tend to zone out a lot.  How in class were not really doing work but discussing what we've learned.  Being able to learn more in class about current events.  It's totally new and innovative. It has developed a calm atmosphere in the classroom as well. It's a government class, so being able to talk about the work in class and relate it to everything that's currently happening is extremely helpful.   Being able to re watch the videos if I find I really have no idea what is going on in that standard. I catch things I didn't the first time because it was rushed or I was tired or not focusing the best. It's not a second guess of trying to remember what you said in class Everything it's pretty easy going and allows for more in class fun.  It makes it so we have more time to critical think in class and you can pause the videos. But you can't pause a class.
I liked being able to watch the lectures multiple times if needed.  The in class simulations because they really help me understand the concepts with deeper knowledge
That there is more time to do simulations and activities during class, also I'm more engaged during class because its not just a long lecture to listen to.  I've liked the discussion that he flipped classroom allows because it brings the students together. How you can watch the videos at home and then watch the news or something on T.V and relate all the information you learned in the video and use it in real life and understand it more clearly and be more confident the next day in class.  It gives me a chance to learn material, then discuss material in class in a way that really relates to issues in the world. I remember things better as we apply vocabulary into classroom discussions and have time to be engaged in current events in the world outside of school.


Negative Feedback/Things to Change
 
What was the least helpful part of the flipped classroom?

watching videos by Ms. Becker		2	4%
10 minute question/discussion time		5	9%
Study Guides		9	17%
textbook reading		29	55%
in class discussions		0	0%
in class simulations		3	6%
online simulations		18	34%
Other		1	2%

What part of the flipped classroom would you like to see changed for the rest of the year?
Well something little was when you tried typing in one of the videos, cuz you typed a lot and it was hard to focus. It is hard though when your nights are really busy and you can't fit in the videos when they're extra long.  I liked it when we took a quiz everyday.  Some sort of way to track if somebody is watching the videos.   Less textbook reading, if possible. I hate textbook reading and I think the videos do a better job of teaching the material.  Having a list on edmodo that tells us the really important stuff we should know. Kind of like objectives but more direct to the material.  Shorter videos.  I would like us to go over the videos a little more , but I like it when we put the vocab stuff to real life situations , and we don't do that that much right now , so if we could do that more it'd be great !  A little lecturing about the important stuff  You often apologize when you think you're talking too much or lecturing us, and I actually like it when you occasionally "lecture" us.
The videos aren't bad but honestly I like listening to lectures in class. You always say sorry when you lecture for a little bit but that's how I learn best. So I guess just don't be hesitant about talking and writing things on the board. Also the simulations don't help at all.  Make the study guide more useful, or at least have the students answer questions that create a deeper amount critical thinking rather than just find words and fill them in.  Summary of videos and reading after the 10 minute discussion by you. It sticks better if the teacher reinforces than hearing it from others.  Keep it to 10 minutes. And maybe we could do more projects. "If you didn't watch the video don't be part of the discussion. The only reason I don't like the discussion is people don't know what the video was about and just sit there while I talk to myself   I don't really grasp the videos that well, and I'd like to keep going over topics. I'm often not sure what to ask in class and on the videos.  I don't really liked he online simulations. I don't feel like I get anything out of them.
When I don't understand something I feel I don't always have the opportunity to understand it. The question disscussion time doesn't always answer my questions and I feel it needs to be presented to me or lectured on again like we did at the beginning of the year. Take a quiz on each video. This helps me see exactly what I missed so I can study.  I would like a little more lecture because government is hard to understand and a 10-17 minute video doesn't really get me to the level of understanding that I really need to succeed. Shorter videos. Review things from the video.

Potential Change: 

• Watch video the night BEFORE the lecture and then textbook the night after.  
• Create a better study guide (I use the pre-made book study guide) that will allow students to use a WSQ format on the videos.  
• No more online simulations (pre-made by textbook company!)
• Integrate a post-video quiz and use those results to guide a 5-10 minute lecture in class after the general Q/A session in small groups.  
• Integrate vocabulary from the videos into class simulations more effectively.
• Keep the videos at 10 minutes-I have gotten up into the 12-15 minute range, which is too long.   

Questions

• What do other "flipped" AP teachers use as homework?  Just  videos?  Or reading too?  
• What is an appropriate amount of homework for AP students-isn't the point to prepare them for college?
• What is a video site that I could use where I could embed quizzes right into the video?  Also, how could I track their views without being overwhelmed?  
• Would a quick notes check each day be too "childish" for AP kids?